Chapter 253: Sword Manual

Pei Ye had ten eye-rolls ready for such an irresponsible author, but this situation did indeed prove once again that the entire sword art was likely a deepening of a single line of reasoning, rather than an extension or interpretation from different angles.

Moreover, from the perspective of using a sword to open the jade pendant, since it served as a "key," it was quite reasonable to set some threshold requirements for the talent of the practitioner.

Pei Ye began to flip through this sword manual seriously from the beginning, saying, "What exactly is the origin of this jade pendant? You didn't explain it clearly last time."

"It was just passed down by the sect."

"Hmm, passed down—what kind of thing is it? Money? Wu Gong? A magic tool?"

"I don't know."

"."

"Master didn't allow it to be mentioned," Yang Yan said in a low voice. "It's not a treasure meant for use, but something to be hidden. I lived in the sect for fifteen years, and it was always sealed."

"Then how did it attract covetous eyes?"

"I don't know," Yang Yan said, hugging his blade in a low voice. "Before it happened, I had only just learned of this item's existence."

Pei Ye was startled: "You didn't know for the past fifteen years?"

"I didn't know."

"Then how did you find out this time?"

". Secretly."

". Found out what?"

"That this can be opened with a sword."

". And then? That's it?"

"That's it."

"." Pei Ye decided to look at the sword manual in his hand first; having the time to talk to this fool who knew nothing was better spent opening the jade pendant half a breath sooner.

The setting sun gradually descended and the stars and moon rose; by the time Pei Ye closed the book, three hours had passed, and it was the dead of night when all was silent.

He had finished a thorough reading of this sword manual.

Pei Ye felt its profound mystery deeply once again; among the sword arts the youth had seen, this was likely the one least capable of being compensated for by diligence.

The author of the sword manual had not left a shred of warm leeway for those lacking talent; the entire sword art could only take shape through the grasp of that mysterious principle—if you get it, you get it; if you don't, you never will.

It was easy to imagine that the following two chapters were the same.

Pei Ye stood up and gave a deep, stretching yawn, seeing Yang Yan watching him the whole time: "Why are you still here?"

Yang Yan hugged his blade and looked up: "Don't you have anything to ask?"

". You mean, ask you questions about the sword?"

"I know 【Snow Collapse】," Yang Yan emphasized.

". Do you know what 'better to have nothing than to have something inferior' means?"

Yang Yan glared, but Pei Ye was already smiling as he drew his sword: "Come, let's try."

Yang Yan's expression froze, and it took him a long time to say: "Try the jade pendant?"

Pei Ye nodded: "I haven't mastered it yet, but I have a bit of a feeling. Let me see what it's all about first."

"." Yang Yan took out the white jade and hung it on a tree branch, still looking dazed.

Even if your talent was high, and even if you knew Sword Mind, being able to "have a feeling" after flipping through a book once was just too much of a fantasy.

Not to mention that having a feeling didn't necessarily mean one could execute it.

He himself had studied for three months before barely grasping a clue, and his senior brother had also practiced while reading for ten days before executing the first layer.

He originally absolutely would not believe such nonsense, but the many miracles the youth had displayed before him left him with no choice but to remain silent.

Perhaps it was just another miracle, Yang Yan sighed inwardly.

"It will swallow the power of Snow Collapse," the youth said in a muffled voice.

By then, Pei Ye was already standing before the jade pendant with his sword, slowly closing his eyes.

The wind passed with slight ripples, the clear light shone under the moon, the branches moved, the leaves moved, the light moved; only the youth had fallen into complete stillness.

Even his breathing and heartbeat gradually faded and stopped; the youth's eyelids were calm, his mind and spirit seemingly completely submerged into his own body, seeing that sky and those high mountains.

Under the blue sky, billions of snowflakes were slowly drifting down.

Yang Yan knew that feeling—a hundred years within the body, one breath outside; so when Pei Ye suddenly opened his eyes after three breaths, he immediately retreated a step subconsciously.

The still mountain suddenly collapsed into a tsunami, and majestic power erupted from the sword, striking the hanging jade pendant with one blow!

Half the tree was blown askew by the wind, and the rope and thin branches were instantly torn and snapped.

Under such immense power, the jade pendant turned into a white line, tumbling and crashing through the window, sparking a tragic "clatter" in the room.

"Damn it!!!" Yang Yan roared with angry eyes and lunged inside.

Pei Ye touched his head as if nothing had happened, quietly sheathed his sword, and rubbed his nose.

Yang Yan walked out holding the white jade with a dark face, staring at the youth in the courtyard who was trying to force a smile, and erupted with an even louder roar than before.

"You don't have a damn feeling at all!!"

Yes, there was no 【Snow Collapse】, only a full-strength strike after the fourth-life youth had quietly accumulated his energy.

The effect was outstanding.

"I said I was just trying it out... It seems it really isn't right."

"Go try it with your own jade!"

Yang Yan wiped the jade pendant with heartache, and Pei Ye leaned in to look, seeing not a single trace on it.

"It's quite sturdy, huh."

Yang Yan glared with angry eyes and said something, but Pei Ye wasn't paying attention anymore.

He suddenly composed his expression.

Because a voice suddenly came from the little cat in his belly, the tone was a long-lost seriousness, almost instantly bringing Pei Ye back to that deep and dark Xin Cang.

It said: "Pei Ye, we want this thing."

"."

——

Late at night, after parting ways with Yang Yan, Pei Ye lay on the bed in his room.

Holding up the little cat.

"Why do you want someone else's thing?" Pei Ye's eyebrows furrowed tightly.

This wasn't the first time the little cat had seen this jade pendant; on the day they finished off the seventh-life martial arts arena, Yang Yan had taken this item out.

But at that time, the little cat hadn't discovered anything, and now, clearly, Pei Ye's sword strike just now hadn't been as completely wrong as it looked; the jade pendant had still produced a tiny reaction.

"Do you know what that is?"

"I don't know."

"."

"But the fruit has a reaction to it," the black cat's voice was calm and cold. "The fruit is a weapon against Long Jun; you know, this is the most important thing."

Pei Ye was stunned.

"Then once it's opened, I'll think of a way." Pei Ye was silent for a while, frowning. "But that's the inheritance of someone else's sect; if he doesn't agree, I'll first ask him to lend it to us for a period... If it really doesn't work, then I'll have no choice."

Pei Ye looked at the black cat.

"It doesn't matter, I will go get it myself," as if it had long expected the youth's answer, the black cat replied in a calm voice.

"." Pei Ye put it back on his chest, pinched its thin body, and was speechless for a moment.

This kind of determination to stop at nothing to achieve its goal wasn't the first time Pei Ye had seen it; by now, he was almost used to it. He knew he couldn't persuade it, nor could he stop it; although they were a Xian-hunter and a contract-master, they were contracted for a common goal, not bound by the contract to a single purpose.

"How much do you weigh now?" Pei Ye turned to care about its weight.

"Eighty."

"That's just the appearance of a third-life," Pei Ye said, resting his chin on his hand. "You might not be able to beat Yang Yan."

"I can beat him."

"Stubborn."

The black cat glanced at him.

"Let me think about this matter." Pei Ye leaned against the head of the bed, let out a heavy breath, and said with some annoyance, "Wait until it's opened and then see; there are always more solutions than difficulties."

Then he held the little cat up again, looking at its quiet green eyes: "Why don't you wear the new clothes I made for you?"

The green eyes didn't move, clearly still thinking about the jade pendant.

The black cat was long used to thinking while being disturbed by him.

"I think they look quite good," Pei Ye continued. "A little black cloak, a green jade pendant, how well it fits your temperament. I told them, it was based on your fur color and eye color."

The black cat remained quiet.

". I'll go get them for you to try." Pei Ye rolled off the bed and brought over a set of small clothes the length of a forearm.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, set the black cat in an upright position, fastened the neck clasp, hung the jade pendant, and then looked at it with satisfaction for a moment before putting on its little hood.

A little black-robed cat not much bigger than a palm stood before him.

Pei Ye smiled as he turned it back and forth, posing it in various positions to admire it, until he grabbed the hood with both hands and pressed it down to cover those green eyes, and the black cat finally raised a paw to push it away, saying coldly: "Pei Ye, are you sick?"

"." Pei Ye pinched it with both hands and held it up again, saying listlessly, "Keep me company and talk for a while, little cat."

The green eyes stopped their quiet thinking and landed on him.

The youth's mood tonight was indeed a bit too restless.

He looked at the black cat, frowning with annoyance, and finally revealed the matter weighing on his heart: "Little cat, do you think Li Piaoqing likes me?"

"." The black cat rolled its green eyes slightly.

"What kind of expression is that?" Pei Ye couldn't stand it. "I'm very serious."

"Forget it, she definitely does." Pei Ye turned over, put his hands behind his head, and frowned in distress, "This kind of thing... what should be done?"

"What do you mean what should be done?" the black cat said calmly. "If you don't like her, just reject her directly."

Pei Ye was stunned, frozen, and then quickly said: "No."

"Why not?"

"." Pei Ye frowned, "Of course not... We are very good friends; if I reject her, she will definitely be very sad, and then we won't be able to chat happily together in the future..."

Pei Ye thought of the young girl handing him something with a blushing face and a smile, and himself pushing it away and saying something, and the girl's face instantly turning pale, her eyes staring blankly.

The expression in those eyes made Pei Ye's heart ache fiercely, and that deeper, suppressed annoyance surged up again; he turned over heavily and said with annoyance: "Forget it! What would a cat who never has to consider such things in its life know? I'm not talking to you anymore!"

The black cat glanced at him calmly, and Pei Ye seemed to see a trace of mockery in it.

"Then you can find someone who understands," it suggested.

——

There was someone who understood by Li Piaoqing's side.

Shen Yao leaned against the head of the bed, Li Piaoqing was covered by a quilt beside her, revealing only her head, and Shen Yao looked down at her with a smile.

This little junior sister had been the most lively and pampered one in the sect since she was a child; after taking over as sect leader, she still retained this temperament, but something deeper and heavier had been buried in her heart, and that innocence was gone.

Especially in the last month, the young girl had been transforming at a flying speed; after experiencing perilous events, this green dress already possessed the initial majesty and courage of a sect leader.

But she was indeed only seventeen years old.

Now, that innocence under the care of her senior brothers and sisters was revealed again; she pulled the quilt up to cover her face and hummed in a muffled voice.

"You backed out yourself, who can you blame?" Shen Yao smiled gently, "I told you earlier, rowing a boat and chatting at night is such a good place to go."

"He had things to do," the young girl said in a muffled voice.

"It's that you didn't have the guts."

Li Piaoqing kicked her.

"Then we'll just have to go again tomorrow," Shen Yao smiled, weaving a warm winter scarf in her hands. "But tomorrow will be even better; it looks like there will be wind, and the boat will easily sway, so remember to lean closer to him."

"I wouldn't do such a thing!" the young girl kicked her leg.

"Then as you wish."

Li Piaoqing pulled down the quilt and looked at Shen Yao, her face flushed from being stifled: "Are you serious? But if he sees through it, will he think I'm very bad?"

"No."

"I think he will!"

Shen Yao smiled: "Then follow your own thoughts."

"Ah!" Li Piaoqing slapped the quilt onto her face again, "What should I do, liking someone is so annoying!"

"What's so annoying about this?" Shen Yao smiled and patted her, "Just follow your own thoughts."

"Hmm." The young girl continued to hum, pulled down the quilt again, and looked up at the woman, "What do you think I should wear tomorrow? I think he didn't notice my outfit today at all."

"Just wear your green dress, no need to think so much," Shen Yao cut the thread and re-threaded the needle. "But there is another matter that really needs to be considered."

"What?"

"Think about your affairs at the Sword Academy," Shen Yao said. "He will most likely go to the Sword Academy; once you separate then, that will be the problem."

"I'm thinking of a way," Li Piaoqing said in a muffled voice, suddenly frowning and throwing off the quilt. "But... he doesn't seem to be going to the Sword Academy."

"." Shen Yao remembered the youth's words on the Guanlu Terrace, "Why is that?"

"I don't know, I've never asked him carefully." Li Piaoqing also remembered the doubt at that time, but quickly smiled and let it go, "Let's ask him when we chat tomorrow... Actually, I don't know many things about him."

The atmosphere was quiet for a while, and Shen Yao suddenly said: "Young Sect Leader."

". Hmm?"

This form of address was quite special; Li Piaoqing pulled down the quilt and tilted her head to look at her seriously.

"Actually... I have also always wanted to ask about your plans," Shen Yao stopped the needle and thread in her hand and met the young girl's gaze. "If you go to the Sword Academy, there will be a broader path ahead..."

Li Piaoqing smiled.

"I heard that many large sects will conversely select disciples from the Sword Academy, and the imperial court will also give those who come out of the academy a stunning future," Shen Yao said softly. "Maybe I shouldn't ask, but ever since I heard you were going to the Sword Academy, I have been holding back this question..."

"That has nothing to do with me," Li Piaoqing interrupted her with a smile. When it came to matters of the Sword Gate, the young girl's face showed that calm clarity again.

Because for the young girl, this question was a settled answer.

The choice that ravaged her soul that night was deeply imprinted in the depths of her heart; it was precisely because she had gone through such cold sweats and heart-trembling fear that this decision was now so unshakable.

——"Only here, in this small room, Li Piaoqing, you alone, decide the fate of the entire Cuiyu at this moment.

Hold its reins, drive it onto the path you have chosen for it.

From now on, be responsible for it for a lifetime."

Now, everything that took her soul away had long passed, and her heart was already settled.

Li Piaoqing gently placed her arm on the woman's body and smiled, passing this stability to her: "Don't worry, Senior Sister, I will never leave Cuiyu."

(End of chapter)