Chapter 260: 252 Returning Home

Traveling day and night, the two fellow apprentices returned to the foot of Jiugao Mountain at their fastest speed.

With the towering peak in sight, Tang Zhao sighed silently.

Zhuoyu Villa was the place he had found to settle down after drifting through the Jianghu; it was the place where he had lived for three years, where his master and close fellow apprentices were, where he had carefully arranged his Sword Hut, and where the shop that started his plan for Chen Zong was located—it was the warmest place in his heart today.

Now, Zhuoyu Villa was his only home and his harbor.

But now, great waves had risen within that harbor.

After a tortuous journey of nearly two months, with one incident after another coming in waves, Tang Zhao was exhausted and missed home all the more; in his imagination, even just seeing the peaks of Jiugao Mountain from afar would have made him uncontrollably happy.

However, that was not the case.

Right now, he was filled only with worry and anxiety, and even a slight sense of timidity.

When he saw his master, how should he face him?

It was not that he had done something wrong and felt guilty, but rather that even though he had done nothing wrong, the erroneous result had still occurred, making it feel impossible to face him; meeting would only lead to a silence where words failed. Should they just complain to each other and regret it together?

When they arrived before Zhuoyu Villa, Xue Yeyu came to meet them; her appearance was clearly haggard, yet she was still forcing herself not to show any weakness.

Seeing her two handsome and outstanding junior apprentices, Xue Yeyu did not ask about the hardships of their journey, nor did she congratulate them on their good results in Jianzhou; she grabbed one with each hand and said in a low, solemn voice, "You two, don't say anything more; the young Disciples in the villa don't know yet."

Tang Zhao hurriedly nodded with a serious expression.

However, once inside the villa, even though the marshes and woods were still as picturesque as ever, Tang Zhao still felt as if a thin haze hung over the scenery. When they encountered other Jade Disciples and Moyu Disciples, although they seemed to have normal expressions, Tang Zhao always felt that their expressions hid a bit of suppression and inquiry. He heard only the sound of the wind in his ears, yet he always felt that whispers were hidden within it.

Perhaps this was just being suspicious.

Hurriedly passing through Baiyu Valley and arriving at the edge of the marsh, there was no one around, and Tang Zhao's heart relaxed slightly. Xue Yeyu did not let them go to Gongyu Hall, but instead pulled them into her own Sword Hut.

Jiang Shenyi asked, "Are we not going to pay respects to our master?"

Xue Yeyu shook her head and said, "Father has been sitting on that large Blue Stone for several days now, neither eating nor drinking nor speaking; no one can get close. It is good that you will see him in a while, but don't hold out hope. Regarding Senior Brother... Shi Chunqing, I haven't recovered from it yet, and Father will surely need a few more days to recover." After saying this, she pressed her hand to her forehead, blocking half of her face.

Xue Xianyun was a very powerful Loose Practitioner with deep cultivation of Gang Qi; not eating or drinking for a few days would not do him any harm, but this sorrow would inevitably damage his body.

Tang Zhao's heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife—among all the Disciples, because he had been there for a short time, his feelings for Shi Chunqing were not as deep as the others, so he had accepted the event itself the earliest. But his master and senior sister were his family, and seeing them so sad, he naturally felt sad along with them; suppressing his discomfort, he asked, "What exactly happened? What did he do? How did he defect?"

Xue Yeyu shook her head and said, "Actually, even today I don't know what he really did. Ten days ago, he suddenly set up a banquet and said he was inviting us to admire the flowers. At that time, all of us fellow apprentices were present, right in his backyard, admiring the flowers and drinking together. Everyone was very happy then. He toasted us one by one, talked about funny things from when we were small, sighed that time flows like water, and as he spoke, he became sentimental and wiped away tears. I was strange at the time, and the Seventh Junior Brother even teased him, asking why the Senior Brother was learning from the youngest junior brother and becoming so sentimental? He smiled and said, 'It's not sadness, I just feel that everyone is so happy today, if only time could stop at this moment forever.'"

"We were all drunk at the time, our heads spinning, and no one felt there was anything wrong with that. Then we all passed out one by one, and when we woke up, the Senior Brother was gone. The wine was cold, the dishes were cold, and everyone was lying on the stones blowing in the cold wind, which gave us headaches."

"We were very strange and asked each other what was going on. The Fifth Junior Sister had drunk the least and was the last to fall; she remembered that in her daze, she saw the Senior Brother holding a wine cup and walking out, seemingly heading toward Gongyu Hall. She even asked, 'Where are you going, Senior Brother?' She only remembers the Senior Brother looking back and smiling; she doesn't remember anything after that."

"I already felt something was wrong and hurriedly ran to Gongyu Hall with everyone. We saw that the doors of Gongyu Hall were wide open, and there was not a single person there. We went inside and saw that it was empty; everything was gone."

Jiang Shenyi swallowed and said, "Gone means..."

Xue Yeyu said slowly, "Yes, just as you think—my father's many years of treasures, countless materials of the five layers of Earth Water Fire Wind, were all looted. Only... only A Xiao, the Talisman Puppet, was left, locked in a small room, still laughing 'hahaha'."

Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi looked blank, speechless for a moment.

After a while, Tang Zhao asked again, "Is Master alright?"

Xue Yeyu said, "At that time, we didn't see Father either, and we were so scared we looked everywhere. Later, A Xiao came running over laughing, grabbed us and walked toward the plank road, and only then did we find him floating on the marsh. He hadn't made a boat; his body was drifting and bobbing on the water surface, just like... just like a fallen leaf. His white crane was standing on him, head lowered, gripping him tightly so he wouldn't sink..."

Tang Zhao imagined the scene and felt it was very strange, yet very moving.

"We hurriedly pulled Father up and found that he had also drunk too much; his expression was very calm when he slept, as if he were still having a good dream. Sigh, it's a pity that good dreams eventually come to an end."

"After Father woke up, before we could tell him directly, he discovered the matter himself. He seemed to know more than we did; rather than being sad or angry, he just remained silent, sitting motionless on that large Blue Stone. I asked him, but he didn't answer; I brought food over, but he wouldn't eat. He just sat there foolishly. I had no choice but to sit with him on the stone for a whole day. He suddenly said, 'Yeyu, why do you think he is so heartless? He took my materials, he even had to take the materials for my Sword Casting?'"

Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi were stunned, then shocked and angry.

If Xue Xianyun's accumulated materials of many years could barely be considered "external possessions," then the materials for this Sword Casting were not just external things, but his life and Spirit.

They were all direct Disciples of Xue Xianyun; how could they not know that all of Xue Xianyun's heart's blood and savings, his most persistent pursuit, was to cast his own sword? For this, he accumulated and accumulated, searched and searched; several times he wanted to start but held back, just wanting to wait until he was fully prepared to act, to succeed in one stroke and fulfill his lifelong wish.

Originally, this very year, just waiting for Tang Zhao and the others to return, Xue Xianyun could have gone into seclusion to cast the sword, and after it was cast, he could have held the Sword Casting Conference to announce to the world in a dignified manner that he was a Sword Smith in name and in truth!

This move by Shi Chunqing to pull the firewood from under the cauldron did not just empty the first half of Xue Xianyun's life; it cut off the second half of his life.

Half a lifetime of heart's blood, half a lifetime of anticipation, destroyed in an instant!

Jiang Shenyi was trembling with rage; he jumped up and shouted, "That bastard, that son of a bitch! I will kill him!"

Xue Yeyu let out a sound, then suddenly tears rolled down, and she could not speak.

Compared to Jiang Shenyi, Xue Yeyu's feelings for Shi Chunqing were deeper and thicker. Xue Xianyun was not a patient, loving father, but Shi Chunqing was the father and brother who had taken care of her as she grew up without complaint, so rather than anger, she felt more of a heart-rending pain and sorrow.

Tang Zhao said softly, "Should we go pay respects to Master?"

The group walked forward along the wooden plank road; from afar, they saw Xue Xianyun sitting at the end of the road, wearing a straw raincoat, his back lonely; if not for the lack of a fishing rod, he would look like a lone fisherman.

Tang Zhao suddenly remembered the first time he saw Xue Xianyun; he was sitting here fishing. At that time, his back was just as solitary, but he didn't feel that Xue Xianyun was lonely then; he only felt a calm and composed demeanor, like a hermit living apart from the world. Now, the scenery was still the scenery, the person was still the person, the sky and water were one color, vast and mighty, not changed in the slightest, yet he felt a sense that the present was not the past.

He wiped his cheeks lightly with his hand and felt them slightly damp. Indeed, as the Seventh Senior Brother also knew, he was someone who would become sentimental.

Just as they were about to walk up, a breeze suddenly blew, and a shadow flashed over, blocking the middle of the path, making a few strange laughs.

"Haha, haha."

"A Xiao!" Xue Yeyu was somewhat speechless, but still explained, "It's me, Yeyu. Today, the Eighth Junior Brother and Ninth Junior Brother are back, and Father has been looking forward to their return. Do you remember? When the results of the Talisman meeting were sent back, Father was so happy he did two somersaults. Let them see Father; Father will surely be happy."

Master doing somersaults... thinking of that scene, Tang Zhao couldn't help but smile, but the smile disappeared before it could bloom.

A Xiao spread its arms like wings, blocking the middle of the path, motionless, only able to make "haha, haha" laughing sounds.

Tang Zhao had always felt its smile was very eerie, especially combined with that face that was seventy percent human and thirty percent puppet; no matter how it laughed, it looked like mockery. But seeing it again today, perhaps influenced by his own mood, that soundless laughter sounded a bit sad.

Xue Yeyu said helplessly, "Are you blocking us, or did Father tell you to block us?"

A Xiao's smile was hollow.

Although it didn't answer, they all knew that A Xiao was a Talisman Puppet; although it was a bit reckless and flighty, it was actually very obedient, so it must have been Xue Xianyun's intention.

Xue Xianyun did not want to see them.

Xue Yeyu felt sad in her heart and, suppressing it, said to her two junior apprentices, "Let's go back first, Father doesn't want..."

Tang Zhao suddenly said, "Senior Sister, block it for me; I will go in and say a few words to Master."

Jiang Shenyi frowned and said, "Master does not wish..."

Tang Zhao said, "One sentence. I will go in and say one sentence, and I will make Master happy."

Xue Yeyu heard this as absurd and ridiculous and was about to tell them to stop messing around, when Jiang Shenyi continued, "Are you sure?"

Tang Zhao said, "Do you still not trust me?"

Jiang Shenyi's gaze shifted; he suddenly reached out and grabbed A Xiao by the neck, pulling him to his side, and said, "I'll trust you once, hurry up and go in."

Under the stunned gaze of Xue Yeyu, Tang Zhao easily bypassed the obstacle of A Xiao and rushed toward Xue Xianyun.