The next day, the outer court courtyard was empty.
Jiang Tong and his little disciple moved into their new home as they had wished.
One person and one soul fussed over their belongings, carefully placing them in every corner of the house. They had finally achieved the goal they set last winter, but looking at the well-furnished house, both of them felt a bit empty inside.
With land comes roots. They had finally managed to take root here, yet now they were being forced to leave.
“Let’s light the stove,” Jiang Tong said.
Gu Xianyu blinked, looking first at Jiang Tong and then at the stove, understanding his meaning.
“Where I come from, you need to light the stove when moving into a new house… for good luck. Once the fire is lit on moving day and everyone eats together, it means you’ve officially put down roots here.”
Jiang Tong floated beside the stove, feeling the heat from the stir-frying. In the rising steam was the young girl’s focused profile.
“Where is ‘there’?”
Jiang Tong was momentarily at a loss for words, then smiled. “A very far place.”
Gu Xianyu turned her head to look at him. “Can Master take me there in the future?”
“I can, if I can ever go back.” Jiang Tong looked up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting.
Gu Xianyu filled the plates, having whipped up a meal consisting of three dishes and one soup, and brought them to the dining table one by one. The table was round, the chairs were round, and she didn’t choose square plates either. ‘This silly girl has a special stubbornness about certain things.’
The midday sun was pleasant, and through the window, one could see the shimmering lake.
The little disciple took a bite of food, chewed, and suddenly bit her chopsticks. “If only there were trees.”
Jiang Tong followed her gaze; the area beside the lake was bare.
“Agh, if only I had known to plant them earlier. They would have grown tall by now…” The little disciple tapped her head, annoyed at her own laziness.
Otherwise, they could be eating while looking at the lake, listening to the wind rustling the leaves… how nice that would be.
“There is no hurry. We can plant them when we get back,” Jiang Tong said as he stroked her head.
Gu Xianyu gave a soft ‘mm,’ her eyes bright. “When we come back, I’m going to plant a whole lake’s worth of…”
“A whole lake’s worth of what?”
“A whole lake’s worth of tung trees.”
Jiang Tong pinched her small face. “Alright.”
From the Servant Mountain to the outer court courtyard, and now to this little home they had built together bit by bit. She must truly have a sense of belonging now.
Jiang Tong was stunned for a moment, only then realizing that he also seemed to consider this place home.
Without any wine, the two of them poured cups of water and clinked them together.
“To putting down roots,” Jiang Tong said with a smile.
“To putting down roots!”
Outside, the sun shone brightly. Spring was coming to an end, and the first hints of early summer heat were emerging. They had arrived in autumn, made a wish in winter, stayed busy in spring, and put down roots in summer.
One person and one soul raised their cups inside the house, celebrating this reunion that spanned 200 years.
—
“Are we going to be gone for a long time this time?”
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you can understand the meaning of swinging a sword and things like that… and then wake up from the illusion,” Jiang Tong said from inside the bell. “Those old-timers love testing stuff like that. If you can’t wake up, you’ll be trapped inside forever.”
“Oh…” The girl on horseback nodded, lost in thought.
They were currently searching for a Sword Soul.
The second transformation of the Sword Embryo required passing the test of a Sword Soul and gaining its recognition. A Sword Soul was originally the spirit of an ancient famous sword. After the sword’s master died, the sword spirit, unwilling to acknowledge a new master, would cultivate diligently until it finally passed its lightning tribulations. Having gained recognition from the Heavenly Dao, it became an independent and powerful being.
However, the Heavenly Dao also assigned them a task. When those possessing a Sword Embryo came seeking the Way, the Sword Soul had to set a trial for them. If the trial was passed, the Sword Soul would consume its own power to help the Sword Embryo complete its transformation. One could say that the Sword Soul was the gatekeeper for the Sword Embryo’s second transformation.
“Will we really be able to find the Sword Soul by following this route?”
“We will.”
Jiang Tong smiled as the figure of an old man appeared in his mind. ‘I wonder what he was doing 200 years ago…’
Seven days later, the spirit horse stopped at a border location in Qingyang Prefecture.
After dismounting and heading up the mountain, the bell jingled as Gu Xianyu entered a bamboo forest.
“This place is so remote.” She looked around; there wasn’t a soul in sight.
“It’s far from the main roads and there are no towns nearby, so of course it’s remote.” Jiang Tong slowly emerged from the bell. “This is a perfect place for a recluse. Stay sharp and pay attention to any sounds.”
As they walked, they suddenly heard a *thump, thump, thump* sound coming from ahead.
After walking dozens of steps more, a white-haired figure appeared before them.
Jiang Tong grinned, feeling quite amused. ‘Ha, this old man really hasn’t changed a bit…’
The old man wore a bamboo basket on his back and held an axe, chopping at a bamboo stalk one stroke at a time. Hearing the sound of their approach, he paused for a moment before continuing to swing the axe.
*Thump, thump, thump…*
The sound of chopping wasn’t loud, but it was very rhythmic.
Gu Xianyu stared at his movements. Without realizing it, she became entranced, her mind gradually going blank.
Suddenly, the old man’s hands twisted, and the axe came flying toward her!
A cold sweat broke out on the girl’s skin. Almost instinctively, she drew her sword to block, but the expected impact did not occur.
When she looked again, the old man was still in his original spot, swinging the axe one stroke at a time as if nothing had happened.
Gu Xianyu glanced at Jiang Tong, sheathed her sword, and stepped forward to bow.
“Sir, may I ask what you are doing here?”
“Can’t you see? I’m chopping bamboo,” the old man replied with a smile.
“But you’ve been chopping for so long.” Gu Xianyu looked at the bamboo he was working on. “You haven’t even cut through a single one.”
“Why must I cut it through?” The old man answered with a question. “I have already chopped many bamboo stalks in my heart; it doesn’t matter if I miss this one.”
Gu Xianyu was momentarily speechless, feeling a bit lost. Jiang Tong, floating nearby, spoke up, “You are in the bamboo forest, yet the forest is not in your heart. Sir, your level of attainment is truly high.”
He delivered a compliment rich with philosophical meaning.
The old man’s expression shifted as he looked at Jiang Tong and put his axe away.
“May I ask who this is…?”
“He is my Master,” Gu Xianyu answered.
“To actually take a soul as a Master…” The old man chuckled. “Little friend, you are quite something.”
These words were meant for Jiang Tong.
“I suppose I just have a face you can trust, Sir?” Jiang Tong acted as if they were old friends. “Sir, my disciple is currently facing a major matter, and we would like to ask for your help.”
The old man looked at Gu Xianyu and shook his head.
“Good talent, but too young.”
His earlier attack had been a test for the girl.
“I’m not afraid!” Gu Xianyu wasn’t stupid. From the moment Jiang Tong spoke, she had guessed who the old man was. Now that the Sword Soul had appeared, how could she let this chance slip away?
“Being unafraid isn’t enough to solve this.” The old man placed the axe into his bamboo basket and sighed. “You two, follow me.”
The person and the soul exchanged a look and followed closely behind the old man.
“Master…”
“Hmm?”
“You were amazing just now. You convinced the Sword Soul with just one sentence.” Gu Xianyu sent a secret transmission, her eyes shining as she looked at Jiang Tong. ‘This is my Master, this is my Master…’ Her Master’s casual words seemed more profound the more she thought about them.
Jiang Tong stroked her head, feeling amused.
“Silly girl, it seems you haven’t grasped the art of boot-licking yet.”
“Boot-licking? What kind of kink is that?”
The little disciple was a bit wary. Ever since Jiang Tong had educated her on foot kinks, she had become very sensitive to the word “kink,” fearing that her Master might have developed another strange obsession.
“…”
Jiang Tong was speechless. He didn’t offer much of an explanation, simply ruffling her hair as a warning.
If he had to describe her, she was certainly thick-skinned — being able to joke around at a life-or-death crossroads. She really was far too used to being a “salted fish.”
Oh well, let it remain a beautiful misunderstanding.
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