Chapter Thirty-One: Sword Saint Village
On the road.
Li Taiyi stopped, gasping for breath, hands braced on his knees, bending over as he waved his hand and said, “Sanshi, I can’t go on, really can’t run anymore. Let’s rest for a bit.”
“Hoo!” Liu Lingshuang also reined in her horse and asked, “Taiyi, what’s wrong?”
Li Taiyi plopped down onto the ground and replied, “I can’t keep up. The seventy-two steps of the Blazing Feather Pursuit are just too exhausting. We’re traveling faster, but my little body can’t handle it.”
Ye Sanshi sat as well, handing his water flask to Taiyi. “Taiyi, have a drink and rest for a while. Take a look at the map—how much farther to Jianzhou City?”
Taiyi drank several gulps, took out the map, and slowly stood, comparing it as he pointed ahead. “Judging by the terrain, we’ve covered more than half the way. Jianzhou City isn’t far now. If we keep up the pace, we’ll definitely arrive before sunset, and we can afford another half-hour of rest.”
Ye Sanshi held his stomach and said, “I didn’t notice while running, but now that we’ve stopped, I’m starving. We haven’t eaten in ages. Is there any village nearby? Let’s eat first before going on. Traveling on an empty stomach is miserable.”
Li Taiyi sighed. “All our money and belongings were burned in the fire. We’re penniless now. How could we ask poor villagers to share their meager food? It’s all my fault—the Divine Fire destroyed Wei Xikun’s carts of jewels and jade. If we’d kept just one piece, it would have covered all our expenses along the way.”
Ye Sanshi stood and dusted himself off. “Taiyi, don’t say that. I may not understand much about money, but I know those treasures belonged to that demon. Even if they were given to us, we couldn’t keep them. Burning them was the right thing.”
Taiyi nodded. “You’re right. Those gems and jades were bought with the people’s sweat and blood, traded by officials for their own pleasure, living in luxury without regard for the poor. Better that such filthy things are destroyed.”
Liu Lingshuang took the map and carefully compared it, pointing to a spot. “Look here, there’s a village. Let’s rest there. Don’t worry about money, Taiyi. You’ve spent so much these past days, but I haven’t spent a single coin. Look at the hairpin on my head—any one of my ornaments could be traded for food.”
Taiyi laughed. “All right then. I’m hungry too. Let’s go see.”
Ye Sanshi asked, “By the way, Lingshuang, what’s the name of that village?”
“The map only shows a few thatched huts, looks like a village, but there’s no label. We’ll find out when we get there.”
Within the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, they reached the village entrance. Liu Lingshuang looked up and saw a sign reading “Sword God Village.” Taiyi was startled. “What? Sword God Village?”
Liu Lingshuang glanced at Taiyi. “What’s wrong? Have you been here before?”
Li Taiyi shook his head and asked, “Lingshuang, have you ever heard of the Sword God Sect?”
“Sword God Sect? I’ve heard of it—very powerful. It’s said that even the head and master of Divine Sword Manor are merely disciples of the Sword God Sect. For centuries, no dynasty dared provoke them, but that’s just legend. Taiyi, are you saying this village is a refuge for the Sword God Sect?”
Taiyi laughed. “Of course not. When traveling with my father, I heard that the sect’s disciples are scattered across the world—some are merchants, some officials, some are disciples of prestigious sects, and even street vegetable sellers could be members. The village isn’t large, so it’s probably just a small contact point set up by the Sword God Sect, for issuing orders to their followers.”
Ye Sanshi scratched his head. “Are we going in? Is it dangerous?”
“Sanshi, don’t worry. If this really is Sword God Sect territory, we have nothing to fear. They worship the Sword God and dedicate themselves to eradicating evil and defending the righteous. If we ask for a meal, they’ll surely help.”
Before his words were finished, an elder walked out from the village. The four bowed together, but before Taiyi could speak, the elder smiled and said, “Young Lord Sanshi, Young Lord Taiyi, Miss Lingshuang, Miss Nian’er, you must be tired. Come in, the meal is ready and waiting for you.”
Someone came forward to help with the horses.
The elder ordered, “Take these horses to the stable and feed them the best hay.” The man nodded and withdrew.
Ye Sanshi asked in confusion, “Who are you? How do you know our names? Are you perhaps an immortal?”
The elder smiled and gestured for them to follow. On the way, he said slowly, “What immortal? Just an old man. To tell you the truth, our village is the Sword God Sect’s contact point south of Jianzhou. The deeds you’ve performed here are heroic—how could our sect not know? You’ve driven out the sea demon, slain the Qingyang ghost, ended the disaster at Fox Immortal Village, and purged the monsters at the inn. All these stories have spread here.”
Ye Sanshi covered his mouth in surprise. “You know about the inn as well?”
They arrived at a house, and the elder opened the wooden door. All five entered. Inside was a large wooden table piled with delicious food. The elder said, “Please, sit, eat and talk.”
Ye Sanshi laughed. “Then I won’t be shy,” and sat down. After Lingshuang filled his bowl, he devoured the food, shoveling rice and grabbing side dishes—he was truly famished. The others laughed and joined him at the table.
Taiyi asked the elder, “Senior, no one witnessed the incident at the inn. How did you know? Does the Sword God Sect really possess the Eye of Heaven, as my father claims?”
The elder laughed heartily. “Ha ha! Qi Fei the Sword Hero truly flatters us. There’s no Eye of Heaven—it’s just that we had people in the inn.”
Taiyi asked, “Senior, you know my father?”
“Few in the world don’t know Qi Fei the Sword Hero. Our sect is well-informed. Besides fighting evil spirits, we focus on keeping watch over the righteous. Qi Fei is too independent to join our sect, so we never invited him.”
“Senior, you said there were Sword God Sect members in the inn?”
“Ha ha, the young man who gave you the map was one of us. We learned Wei Xikun was at that inn and sent ten disciples to ambush in the nearby hills. When the young man signaled, we’d strike that night. But you acted first, so he rushed to report. He’s fast, so I had him stay ahead to assist. Otherwise, how do you think that one horse escaped? We followed behind; when we arrived and saw the demon subdued, we didn’t intervene.”
Li Taiyi asked, “Then how did you know we’d come to Sword Immortal Village?”
The elder smiled. “That’s fate indeed. Ha ha! I had the young man draw the map and mark this village. The journey to Jianzhou is long, so you’d surely stop to rest. I gambled you’d come, and here you are—truly destined with our sect.”
Li Taiyi bowed. “Senior, you flatter us. We’re mere juniors, unworthy of claiming kinship with the Sword God Sect.”
“Ha ha, but you have fought evil and defended the righteous—just as we do.” The elder smiled.
Ye Sanshi asked, “Were you also planning to kill Wei Xikun?”
The elder sipped his wine and replied, “Yes, I almost forgot to explain. We detected heavy demonic energy in the Wei family and investigated. It turned out that the Qingjian Creek King was practicing an evil art using human flesh and blood to boost his power and gain immortality. Many innocents have suffered in recent years.”
Ye Sanshi shoveled in a few mouthfuls, chewing quickly before swallowing and saying, “That Qingjian Creek King is truly a scourge. I wish we could rid the world of him.”
“The old man thinks the same. Unless you, young Lord Sanshi—”
Liu Lingshuang waved her hand. “Senior, Sanshi is just showing off. He has little actual strength. All our victories along the way have been due to luck. We barely defeated Wei Xikun, so he’s hardly fit for such weighty tasks.”
The elder laughed. “Ha ha, you misunderstand, young lady. If we relied on one child, we’d be underestimating our sect. I meant that, since you slew the prince, you’ll likely face danger in Jianzhou. It would be best if our Sword God Sect escorted you to Lingzhou City. What do you think?”
Lingshuang rose and bowed. “Forgive my rudeness, senior. I only spoke out of worry for Sanshi. The dangers along the way have been overwhelming—I fear further mishap.”
The elder waved his hand, smiling. “No harm done. You’re only concerned for your friend. After you finish eating, I’ll assign some people to accompany you to Jianzhou. We have seven fast horses in the village; I’ll send four escorts, one horse each, and you’ll surely reach Jianzhou before sunset.”
Liu Lingshuang said, “Senior, Miss Nian’er doesn’t ride, and the four of us are used to traveling together. More companions would be inconvenient, and with too many, we’d invite scrutiny. One extra horse will suffice.”
The elder nodded. “You’re thoughtful, young lady. When you reach Jianzhou, leave the horse at the cloth merchant’s in the south of the city. If you run into trouble, go to the blacksmith’s in the east—I’ll give instructions, and you’ll find support there.”
“Thank you, senior,” Li Taiyi said, standing. “It’s getting late. Sanshi, are you finished?”
Ye Sanshi ate a few more bites, put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, “I’m good—no longer hungry.” Taiyi bowed to the elder. “Thank you for your hospitality. If ever the Sword God Sect needs our help, we’ll do our best.”
“Good, I’ll remember your words.”
The elder had their horses brought over, handed the reins to Taiyi and Lingshuang, and said, “I’ll keep your old horse and give you this one, so the Wei family won’t recognize it and cause you trouble. If you ever lack refuge, come to the Sword God Sect—we’ll welcome you.”
“Thank you.”
The four mounted up—Lingshuang with Nian’er, Taiyi with Sanshi—and rode two horses together toward Jianzhou City.
The elder watched their departing figures, smiling. “These young people truly have heroic hearts. When I was their age, even after joining the Sword God Sect, my achievements were nothing compared to theirs. Not only are the two young men upright and valiant, but the girls’ faces show kindness and serenity. If only all four could join our sect—it would be a pity if they didn’t. I hope their journey ahead is peaceful.”
A middle-aged man stepped forward. “Fifth Elder, do you really think highly of these four?”
“Haha, it’s not just me—the sect leader specifically instructed us to pay close attention to these four and protect them at all costs. Even without such orders, what they’ve done is for the sake of all people. They’re worth our protection and respect.”
“Yes, Fifth Elder, you’re right.”