Chapter 222

Rain fell from the moonlight.

"Ah, it's not small, my clothes are going to get wet!" Li Piaoqing held her head and looked at the sky.

It was indeed not the fine drizzle on the lake that day; the raindrops were like rice grains, and although not very large, they could be called dense.

However, Pei Ye would not get wet. He walked under the eaves, poked his head out to look at the night sky, and nodded in agreement, "It's indeed not small."

The young girl bit her lip and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Pei Ye tilted his head and asked, and then his body was pulled, dragged outside the eaves. When he turned his head, the young girl had already hidden to his right.

The cold rain hit his body, and Pei Ye felt that this scene was familiar.

"... Li Piaoqing."

"Hmm?"

"This is the second time for you."

"That's right! It's already the second time, and you still had to make me pull you."

"Why can you get wet but I can't?"

"My clothes are going to get wet."

"... The one I'm wearing now is also very expensive, alright."

"This was clearly bought for you by me!"

"Your silver is also silver, right."

"..." The young girl finally made a final judgment, "This one of yours isn't afraid of getting wet."

Pei Ye looked down; the raindrops had clearly wetted dark flowers on his lapel.

"... Then I'll walk behind you." Pei Ye took a step across and stepped back under the eaves.

"Ah? Not allowed."

"What's wrong?"

"How can we talk if you walk behind?"

"Why can't we talk if I walk behind?"

"..." Li Piaoqing bit her lip and looked at him, got angry for a while, and stepped out of the eaves to walk side-by-side with him, "I'll walk on the outside, alright."

"This is your own willingness."

"..." Li Piaoqing stomped on his shadow twice with force.

"What are you doing?" Pei Ye turned his head in confusion.

"Stepping on your shadow!"

"..."

The young girl stepped on it twice more, puffed her cheeks, and looked at the youth's blinking eyes; both couldn't help but laugh.

Then, seeing the youth's gaze follow the shadow to the end, his smile faded in a daze.

Li Piaoqing followed his gaze and saw that the two shadows were joined together, especially the head part. She was originally shorter, and her shadow was shorter, but at this moment, standing behind the youth, it just happened to be intimately stuck together.

Li Piaoqing immediately took a step back, feeling her face heat up.

Then consciousness returned to her brain. Looking at the gap between the two, the young girl discovered that she had popped away a bit too fast and a bit too far. Carefully glancing at the youth, she took two steps forward, stood side-by-side with him, and lowered her head, controlling the distance between the two to a degree that was close but not intimate.

"Pei Ye, you're really childish!" she said, acting as if nothing had happened, accusing the other first, the blush behind her ears not yet faded.

'I didn't step on anyone else's shadow.'

'I didn't step on it either!'

'That must have been a puppy stepping on it.'

The young girl could almost guess these conversations that were about to happen, and the one who would be angry enough to pat him would definitely be herself. But subconsciously, she was willing, and even deliberately, to send such topics and opportunities to him.

She didn't know that her face at this time was flushed and her eyes were watery. Looking at the youth, she had already prepared the next sentence in her throat.

But the youth did not look at her.

He also didn't take the conversation like before. He turned his head, leaving only the back of his head tied with black hair: "That... let's hurry, your master will be anxious in a while."

"... Oh."

The young girl was stunned for a moment, tied her wet hair, and followed.

"If there's anything you don't understand about the Cicada Sparrow Sword later, remember to ask Master," the young girl thought about the meeting in a while.

"... Hmm."

Pei Ye glanced at her, and then, under the young girl's somewhat bewildered gaze, lowered his head and walked silently outside the eaves, leaving the inside for her.

——

Bowang Garden, Moon-Catching Tower.

The two came to the door, and a green-clothed attendant was already waiting.

"Young Sect Master, Young Hero Pei, please go to the East One Pavilion on the sixth floor."

Pei Ye was stunned for a moment; he remembered that the Cuiyu private pavilion should be on the fourth floor. But he followed the reminder anyway.

Walking all the way to the sixth floor, East One was the best-positioned and most spacious pavilion. And as soon as he saw this facade, Pei Ye suddenly remembered—Yang Yan had said that this was clearly the private pavilion of the Seven Serpents Cave.

The two stood in front of the door, and Li Piaoqing knocked lightly on the door: "Master."

After a breath, an old voice came from the room: "Just come in."

The young girl pushed open the two heavy and quiet wooden doors. Pei Ye walked in, his feet softening first. Looking down, he saw that it was covered with a carpet. Looking up again, the fragrance was already lingering at his nose. The young girl closed the door behind her, and a quiet and leisurely atmosphere immediately enveloped him.

After bypassing two screens, it was the reception area of this pavilion. In the center of the room, a long, low table was placed there, with autumn chrysanthemums and sandalwood on it, and a set of tea sets placed in the middle. During the time they were going upstairs, the attendant had already brewed the tea.

Sitting peacefully behind the table was the old man he had met once, Li Weiru.

Hunched, weak, sickly thin and withered, the whole person looked like someone who would rot if rubbed and could be taken apart in two grasps. One couldn't see the spirit of a master in him at all. After seeing him that day, Pei Ye understood why the young girl said her master didn't have many days left, and also understood why the old man's presence was so weak in the struggle between Cuiyu and the Seven Serpents.

Being able to hold back Luo Defeng with this candle-like life was already a miracle of no small size.

However, the old man's face could still show the gentleness of the past. He looked at the two who entered, first raised his hand to greet them, and showed a happy smile.

His voice was the slow and low hoarseness unique to an elderly person: "I see you in this place, please, two little heroes, examine whether my work is qualified."

Pei Ye didn't speak rashly for a moment, but the young girl beside him was already smiling and kneeling in front of the table, not forgetting to pull his sleeve.

"Qualified, you should rest and rest, you haven't closed your eyes for several days, right?"

"Rest, isn't this resting," Li Weiru laughed happily, "Watching you compete tomorrow, I can rest for another day... Friends from Tianshan will arrive the day after tomorrow, and I can rest even more."

The old man picked up the teapot, refused Li Piaoqing's help, and poured clear, hot tea for the two with trembling hands. Then he leaned forward slightly and looked at Pei Ye with a smile: "Uh, Young Hero Pei has changed into such a handsome outfit. Last time we met, I called you little brother, this time, I have to call you 'Little Young Master Pei'."

"Not at all, not at all," Pei Ye smiled embarrassedly.

Li Piaoqing raised her head: "Good-looking, right? I chose it for him."

"Hmm, hmm, it's really good-looking. At first glance, I thought it was that child Mozhu," Li Weiru nodded happily, then his brows frowned slightly, and he turned his head to say seriously to the young girl, "But to tell the truth, Mozhu loves to dress up and put on airs, but he's not necessarily better-looking than Young Hero Pei."

Li Piaoqing nodded vigorously: "Zhang Mozhu is pale and speaks in a small voice."

"Yes, yes, young people... still need to be a bit more energetic," the old man coughed a few times, drank a sip of tea, and finished this sentence with a smile.

Then, looking at the youth who had long been slightly embarrassed, he slowed down for two sentences, picked up the teacup, and said seriously: "Young Hero Pei, our last meeting was too hasty. This time, I must solemnly thank you for being a benefactor to Cuiyu."

Pei Ye tried to stop him, but the old man still stood up tremblingly, held up the tea, and drank it all.

Pei Ye helped the old man sit down: "That person came for me, and I was just saving myself."

Li Weiru looked at him with a gentle smile: "I just like your humble and unarrogant appearance, Piaoqing, you should learn more from him."

"... Oh."

"No, no."

"It's true, Young Hero Pei. We Cuiyu lack such disciples. Everyone grows up in the mountains and likes to run wild since they were young; there are few who are quiet and know etiquette. I tried hard to set up a school before, but ended up driving away several teachers, and there was no other way," Li Weiru shook his head helplessly, "Look at this batch, Piaoqing, Shen Yao, Chu Nian... and, Yuliang in the past, all are fearless, only one Kuang Rong is considered steady, but he doesn't have anything to do with humility."

Pei Ye wanted to decline again, but thinking that this was being humble again, he felt the young girl's deep gaze beside him and smiled without speaking.

But anyway, the old man liked him no matter how he looked, and said gently: "Young Hero Pei, the main business today is to settle the thank-you gift—eh, don't decline."

"For this matter, first, whatever you want, just say it, and within the reach of Cuiyu's wings, I will try my best to get it for you; second, I thought of these few things. No matter what you want above, these few things will not change and must be given to you," Li Weiru rejected Pei Ye's interruption and continued, "The first is 'Yellow Jade,' a copy has been entrusted to be taken from the mountain gate these days, and it is here."

The old man placed a small box on the table. When he opened the lid, there was a beautifully bound book inside.

"As for other sword techniques, you can study them at will if you are interested. However, you must remember the principle that greed for more leads to poor digestion," Li Weiru said slowly, "Secondly, Piaoqing said you lack a good horse, so I entrusted someone to buy a precious steed from the neighboring prefecture, which I will present to you."

"..." Pei Ye glanced at the young girl beside him; the young girl was pursing her lips and holding back a laugh. He had never ridden a horse since entering the city, so it was obvious where this interesting story came from. He didn't expect Zhang Junxue to chew on his tongue behind his back.

"Third, some worldly goods, one hundred taels of silver."

"!"

"Fourth, it is something I carefully prepared for you." The old man smiled proudly when he said this, stood up, and took a fairly large package from the cabinet behind him.

He placed it on the table with a "slap."

The old man placed his hand on it and looked at him with great satisfaction: "Do you know, Young Hero Pei, it's not that the Jade Jade inheritance has no sword theory, it's just that these children, one by one, are all impatient to read deeply. You must know that learning the sword requires learning the theory; this is the right path—Piaoqing said you like reading, and I am very happy. I have finally met a rare person who is compatible!"

"..."

"These are the sword theory books passed down by Jade Jade over the years. I picked one of each, you take them to study at will, and if you have any gains, you must remember to communicate with me more," Li Weiru said with a smile.

The old man untied the package, and more than a dozen books, some new or old, some thin or thick, were piled in front of Pei Ye.

"..." The young girl beside him had long been trembling with laughter on the table. Pei Ye looked at the old man's expectant eyes and squeezed out a happy and sincere smile, "Ah, this is really great."

"'Cicada Sparrow Sword,' I read this sword technique, and it is indeed as you guessed," after tea, the two stood by the window, the willow branches dancing with the wind, the crystal rain under the moon flashing and disappearing, the old man said slowly, "The Cicada Department should undoubtedly be the branch that was lost back then, while the Sparrow Department is a clumsy imitation of 'Yellow Jade'."

"There is no need to mention the reasons back then, some things about the mountain gate fighting," Li Weiru tilted his head to look at the youth, "Now that you want to study this 'Jade Jade Sword,' I must entrust you with two sentences, so as not to make you confused in your practice."

Pei Ye nodded earnestly.

"'Jade Jade Collection' is the best sword in Bowang Prefecture now," the old man still had that low, hoarse, and gentle voice, but every word was from a high vantage point. Sitting at the top of the martial arts world for decades, experiencing ups and downs, this land had indeed long been clearly reflected in these eyes.

"'Jade Jade Collection' has three chapters: 'Green Light,' 'Jade Shadow,' and 'Yellow Jade,' and 'Yellow Jade' is the essence of the 'Jade Jade Collection' at the very top; similarly, the inheritance on the Cicada branch side is called 'Jade Qiong Volume,' which also has three chapters: 'Green Stone,' 'White Cicada,' and 'Wind Yao.' Now that the first two chapters have been lost, the set of Cicada parts you have learned is exactly 'Wind Yao'."

"Two hundred years ago, when the disciples of the Jade Jade branches were practicing the first two chapters, they each practiced their own, but those who learned the third chapter of their respective sword branches could go to the other branch to practice. And the highest achievement of the entire Jade Jade inheritance is precisely the fusion of 'Yellow Jade' and 'Wind Yao,' complementing each other and becoming a top-tier sword of the current world—that is, the 'Cicada Sparrow Sword' you have in your hand."

"..." Pei Ye nodded slowly.

"Of course, this sword technique is lost in shallowness and has not attained the true meaning, so it doesn't count," the old man said slowly, "And, the highest inheritance of Jade Jade back then didn't have this clumsy name. The sword obtained after the two chapters were combined was called 'Flying Feather Immortal'."

"..."

"The above is the origin of this sword technique. Then, I must tell you something about practice," Li Weiru said, "First of all, for those with high talent, the first two chapters are just the path to practicing the third chapter. Since you have already learned 'Wind Yao' directly, you don't need to look at the first two chapters, and 'Yellow Jade' is the same."

Pei Ye nodded; this indeed answered a doubt that had been lingering in his heart.

"Secondly, although I have never learned it, to truly learn 'Flying Feather Immortal,' there must be two major thresholds."

"May I ask... may I ask what they are?"

Li Piaoqing called out from behind: "You can say 'I would like to hear the details'."

"... I would like to hear the details."

Li Weiru looked at the two with a smile and turned back: "They are 'Learning' and 'Fusion'."

"... Oh."

"The first step is to learn both 'Wind Yao' and 'Yellow Jade,' but this is not the end of this sword technique—think about it, why should these two chapters be compiled into one book and become a 'Flying Feather Immortal'?" The old man looked at him and said, "Naturally, it is because the two are sufficient to fuse into one, and this is the true upper limit of the Jade Jade Mountain sword technique."

"... Upper limit?"

"Not bad, you know, what are the four levels of sword technique?" Li Weiru smiled.

Pei Ye smiled. He really knew this question: "The realm of sword technique depends on the realm of the swordsman, which is Clumsy, Intent, Mind, and Path."

However, after he finished this sentence, the room fell silent for a moment.

He only saw the old man looking at him silently.

"... Is it... is it not right?" Pei Ye hesitated. However, he had the confidence of "if you think it's wrong, then you must be wrong" in his heart for this answer, because this was the knowledge taught by Miss Ming.

"... It is correct, but," Li Weiru stroked his beard and smiled gently, "what I want to say here is the grading of us 'mortals'."

"Mortal—?"

"It is 'Clumsy'," Li Weiru smiled, "The swords practiced by swordsmen in the Clumsy and Spirit realms are divided into four levels: 'Hall,' 'Mountain,' 'Vein,' and 'Dynasty'."

"..." These things, Miss Ming had summarized them all with the word "Clumsy."

"The gap between swords in the Clumsy realm is sometimes like clouds and mud, but because the essence is the Clumsy realm, it is impossible to find a clear boundary from the sword itself. Therefore, this is a standard graded by external evaluation. So actually, this grading is a standard that can be used by all martial arts," Li Weiru laughed happily, "The boundaries between them are not precise enough, but they can indeed roughly classify a clumsy sword into an appropriate position."

"I would like to hear the details."

"As the name suggests, 'Hall' is the sword passed down by the hall. No matter what name it takes, whether it is a martial arts hall or a dart agency, or even what sect or faction, as long as it has not opened a mountain, most of its martial arts are at this level," Li Weiru said, "Similarly, the sword of the mountain is passed down by a mountain gate. No matter how remote and weak—like the Bai Zhu Pavilion—as long as it can open a mountain and establish a sect, and build a mountain gate, its sword will have something to gain, and it will stand the test. This is the second level."

"'Vein' is the martial vein of a sect. The sword of the vein is not passed down with the mountain gate, but goes beyond the mountain gate. Losing the mountain and building a mountain, changing the sect and changing the household, for a hundred or eighty years, if the sword exists, the vein exists. This is the third level."

"...'Yellow Jade' and 'Wind Yao' are swords of the vein?"

"Not bad, and among the vein-passed swords, they are considered quite good," the old man nodded with a smile, "And the 'Dynasty' character is interpreted as a dynasty. Before the Great Tang, how many sword techniques were passed down from previous generations? They have changed through the frost and stars without being submerged, and have been washed for hundreds of years without losing their color. If the quality of a sword technique can be comparable to these sword techniques, it is a 'Dynasty-passed sword'."

"... Then, 'Flying Feather Immortal'..."

"It is naturally a genuine 'Dynasty-passed'."

"However..." Li Weiru hesitated and said slowly, "The upper limit of this sword might be even higher."

"Higher? That's not..."

"This is what I am not sure about. After all, it happened two hundred years ago, but since you want to study this sword, I must tell you," Li Weiru said slowly, "The fusion of the last move of the two chapters might reach the realm of 'Intent'."

"..."

"... I know, Intent Sword is an object that is too high and difficult for Bowang. A 'Yellow Jade' can be undisputed as the first here. Thinking about Intent Sword is indeed a bit of a fantasy," Li Weiru sighed lightly and looked at the youth, "However, Young Hero Pei, I have read almost all the classics about Jade Jade Mountain—a sect that spans thirteen states, unshaken for two hundred years, I think a Dynasty-passed sword is not enough to support it."

Pei Ye nodded slowly.

"Of course, these are all too distant things. I don't know if this body of mine can still learn this 'Wind Yao,' let alone pursue this answer," Li Weiru looked at the Moon-Catching Lake under the moon rain with a smile, his eyes quiet, "Young Hero Pei, if one day you can reach that level, don't forget to send me a letter."

Pei Ye nodded earnestly.

The old man smiled and said in a low, hoarse voice: "Burning it to me is also fine."

——

Moon-Catching Lake, water pavilion.

The sound of rain was pattering, knocking on the wooden boards.

Qijiao Shang Huaitong put away his umbrella and pushed open the door. Inside, it was pitch black as usual.

He lit a candle and heard his master's voice from the next wall: "The head of the Zhang family has agreed. Official Sui will arrive in Bowang tomorrow night."

"Hmm." He didn't pause and nodded casually.

"I gave compensation to that person today."

"Hmm."

A faint sigh seemed to come from the next wall.

Closing the door, the sound of the night rain was blocked outside. Under the candlelight, six blades of grass stood in the box. Qijiao Shang Huaitong walked up and pulled out one again. Then he stood in front of this box, slowly inserted his fingers into the soil with one hand, gripped his sword with the other, and stood quietly with his eyes closed.

For a long time, the corners of his mouth hooked. The feeling of smoothness coming from the sword made the man's momentum have a terrifyingly heavy and sharp edge for a moment. Unfortunately, this was not an arena, and no one could see it. After an instant, it was retracted.

"The second one," Qijiao Shang Huaitong murmured softly, and then smiled faintly, "Or maybe it doesn't need to be the last one."

He was in a very good mood. He picked up the candle, walked to the bed, leaned on the head of the bed, and took out a volume of ink-colored books from his chest.

The pages were ancient and tough, not knowing how long they had passed. The ink color on the cover still did not fade at all, and it was not ordinary paint, but a strange luster that seemed to contain deep charm. Compared to a book, it was more like a strange antique.

But when the man opened it, one could see that it was not undamaged—the back was a patch of residual black, clearly traces of being burned, combined with old marks such as sharp blade punctures, etc. The intact first half and the second half that had suffered from the wind and destruction formed a sharp contrast.

——This book had clearly been cut off from the middle, and now it had been re-stitched by the man, but the few pages lost in the middle could never be found again.

Qijiao Shang Huaitong leaned on the bed.

He couldn't remember how many times he had read this sword classic, and he didn't know how many more times he would read it. He read the volume immersed and quietly. The familiar words brought him into that familiar, dim, and hazy realm for the countless time. Those mysteries seemed to be forever unreachable, yet they seemed to be right before his eyes.

This was always the most focused and obsessed moment of his life. Such a high and wonderful pursuit made him entrust all the pride and meaning of his life.

And this time, that true power was really within reach.

More than ten years of diligent pursuit, there was only a thin mist left before his eyes, and he had already grasped the gale sufficient to blow it away.

For a long time, Qijiao Shang Huaitong put down the book and looked at the top quietly. His gaze seemed to penetrate the roof and reach the sky he was about to reach. Floating with wings, out of the forest to the blue sky.

He closed his eyes and tapped the bed board lightly, murmuring softly in his mouth.

"How can one speak of grass and trees, I am all I am; the spirit is dim, life is fire."

"I am all I am... I am all I am."

The light of the candle swayed in the wind and rain, sweeping across the five small ancient clerical characters on the cover of the book.

Dimly in the middle of the immortal.

Still owe 32 chapters!

(End of chapter)