First Immortal of the Sword

Humble Tranquility Cottage.

As soon as they got back, Su Yi ordered, “Get everything in order. We’ll leave momentarily.”

“Leave?” asked Cha Jin in a daze.

Su Yi glanced at her. “Is there a problem?”

Cha Jin’s heart shook, and she hurriedly shook her head. “Young Lord, where are we going?”

“The Imperatorial Provincial Capital.” As he spoke, he walked back to his room.

Cha Jin was flabbergasted. We’re leaving, just like that?

In that case, why not take the same ship as Miss Lingxue?

And even if he wants to leave, we ought to plan that at least a day in advance, right?

How can he insist on leaving at the drop of a hat?

Cha Jin really, truly couldn’t see through Su Yi, but despite her inner confusion, she still went back to her room and got her belongings in order.

In truth, she had almost nothing to pack beyond a handful of clothes. When she emerged from her room, she saw Su Yi beneath the gazebo, putting the wicker chair into his storage tool.

“....” Cha Jin was dumbstruck. What kind of person carries a wicker chair with them on a long journey?

“Young Lord, shall we purchase some dried grains, raincoats, and other such items?”

“No need.”

“Then….Are you planning to travel by ship or on horseback? Or perhaps by carriage?”

“We’re walking.”

When she heard this, Cha Jin couldn’t help but facepalm. She was, once again, dumbstruck.

We’re going to the provincial capital! It’s almost eight hundred miles away!

Even if we went by horseback and traveled at top speeds, factoring in the time needed to rest, it would take us at least four or five days to get there!

Never mind traveling on foot!

She followed Su Yi out of the cottage and watched as he locked its gates. She suddenly felt as if she were awakening from a dream. “Young Lord, do you really want to walk there?”

“You can consider it a spur-of-the-moment journey of cultivation.” Su Yi put his hands behind his back and walked into the distance. “Passing mountains and rivers on foot, using your Dao Heart to contemplate the scenery along the way, feasting on the bounty of nature, bathing in wind and rain... All of this is highly advantageous to cultivators such as ourselves.”

Cultivation? Why does it seem to me that you just want to follow Wen Lingxue to the Imperatorial Provincial Capital? Cha Jin griped to herself.

Although she didn’t get it, she meekly tagged after him. However, every time she remembered that they were going all the way to the provincial capital on foot, she felt as if her heart were on the verge of collapse.

Su Yi’s thoughts were nowhere near that deep.

His cultivation had stagnated at the peak of the early-stage Qi Accumulation Realm for days. If he didn’t break through soon, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

The Spiritmartial Marquis had invited him to Bloodthistle Yao Mountain, but the beast tide wasn’t due for another month. He certainly couldn’t wait that long.

But he wasn’t just going to the Imperatorial Provincial Capital on a whim, either.

Part of it was that he wanted to rid himself of certain latent threats, like Wei Zhengyang.

Part of it was that he wanted to see Wen Lingzhao and lay all his cards out on the table.

Even if they couldn’t dissolve their marriage right away, he at least had to warn her that while they were husband and wife, even if it were just in name, he wouldn’t tolerate anyone placing any green hats on his head.

Or else, he wouldn’t mind just getting rid of her…

But of course, that was a last resort.

Even if you didn’t fear a monk, you ought to fear the Buddha. For Wen Lingxue’s sake, he’d much rather avoid harming her big sister.

That aside, if he went to the provincial capital, he could meet up with Weng Yunqi and visit the Deathbringer’s Gate Imperatorial Province branch. He could consider that as helping Qing Wan uncover clues about her past, too.

Then there was the simple fact that, as the heart of its six prefectures, the provincial capital was far wealthier and grander in scale than the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital.

Rumor had it that the Imperatorial Provincial Capital had sufficient resources to support a Grandmaster’s cultivation; its foundations ran deep.

For instance, one of the Great Zhou’s Ten Great Academies, Heaven’s Origin Academy, was based just ten miles outside the provincial capital, atop “Heaven’s Origin Mountain.”

Many of the six prefectures’ Grandmasters lived in the provincial capital, because only a place like that had enough cultivation resources to satisfy their needs.

This is what they meant when they said “People always strive for greater heights.”

A day later.

Yuan Luoxi excitedly arrived at Bottlegourd Alley. She planned to invite Su Yi over to her family home.

But when she got there, she saw a big iron lock on the gates. She was instantly rooted to the spot.

Did Master Su go out? After thinking it over, Yuan Luoxi went around and asked the neighbors. Before long, she had her answer—

Yesterday, Su Yi had upped and left, taking Cha Jin with him!

Yuan Luoxi returned home in low spirits.

When Yuan Wutong heard this news, he was stunned too. Then, he sighed with emotion. “It’s as I suspected; someone of Master Su’s caliber couldn’t possibly linger in a place as small as the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital.”

“But even if he wanted to leave, why couldn’t he tell us first?” asked Yuan Luoxi dejectedly.

“What should someone like him bother informing us?” Yuan Wutong asked right back.

Yuan Luoxi froze. He’s right! Master Su is as aloof and dashing as a fallen immortal. Why would he concern himself with farewells? Why would he need us to see him off?

Yuan Wutong was suddenly serious. “Lass, he occupies a different world from us,” he said warningly. “No matter how hard you try, you’ll never catch up. The distance between you will only increase.”

Yuan Luoxi’s pretty face burned up. “Dad, what are you saying? I just respect and admire Master Su, that’s all. I certainly don’t have any other thoughts about him.”

“Really?”

“Really!” said Yuan Luoxi without even pausing to think.

Her answer was incomparably firm.

However, on her way back to her room, Yuan Luoxi felt somewhat bewildered. In my heart of hearts, do I really just respect and admire him?

If that were true, why would I be so upset that he left without even saying goodbye?

Similar thoughts spun through her head as she made her way back to her room. It was as if she’d lost her soul; she didn’t feel like doing anything, nor could she manage any enthusiasm for anything.

Right! Master Su said that he was going to the Imperatorial Prefectural Capital. Before long, I’ll be going to Heaven’s Origin Academy to continue my cultivation. When the time comes, I’ll have the chance to see him again!

When this occurred to her, Yuan Luoxi’s eyes brightened, and her entire face lit up.

It was only then that she realized it was already dark out. She’d wasted an entire day sitting around her room, and she was practically starving.

Yuan Luoxi emerged from her room in high spirits. “Someone, make me something to eat! I want to eat until I’m nice and full!”

Meanwhile, beneath the same night sky, in a stretch of mountains three hundred miles away from the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital, rain was pouring down in buckets.

The skies were already dark and overcast, and the downpour was intense. The air was noisy with the sound of shaking leaves and grasses.

In a space near a cliffside, there was a little cave. It was about thirty feet deep, almost like a crudely-formed room. It could shelter travelers from the rain.

There was currently a fire blazing inside, a patch of warmth.

Outside, it was dark, cloudy, and pouring. The combination of fierce gales and heavy rain was enough to chill a person right down to their bones.

“Young Lord, I’m afraid we’ll have to spend the night here,” said Cha Jin softly.

She sat beneath the fire in simple clothes convenient for walking. Her shiny black hair was tied up, revealing her slender white neck.

But despite her simple attire, it was hard to disguise her peerless beauty.

“What’s the hurry? If you’re too focused on rushing to your destination, you’ll overlook the beauty of the scenery along the way.” Su Yi sat leisurely in his wicker chair, holding a jar of wine and drinking in big gulps. He looked perfectly content.

The corners of Cha Jin’s lips twitched slightly.

What “beautiful scenery”? Since leaving the prefectural capital, they’d traversed mountains and rivers. They’d walked through nothing but mud and rock, and they saw nothing but barren mountains.

When they were thirsty, they could only drink spring water. When they were hungry, they could only gather wild fruits to sate their hunger. Cha Jin had already lost track of how much she’d suffered throughout this journey!

Only one day and one night had passed since their departure, but they’d already faced three sudden downpours. As soon as their clothes dried, they got wet again, and the fabric reeked of sweat and filth.

Cha Jin was long accustomed to cleanliness, and she was already nearing her breaking point.

Su Yi merely glanced at her and said, “An expert of the Buddhist Way once traveled barefoot, clad in hemp, surviving on alms in the bitter cold. A leading Daoist once traversed barren mountains and treacherous waters for no purpose other than experiencing the grandeur of heaven and earth, and the accomplished old scholars of Confucianism all say that it’s ‘better to walk ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.’ Do you know why that is?”

Cha Jin was stunned. “Why?”

Su Yi picked up the jar and took a swig of wine. “Heaven and earth do not speak of their beauty, and living things grow without expounding upon their principles. This is the Dao of heaven and earth, and it’s necessary for cultivation. As you travel, it’s right there beneath your feet.”

“But why don’t I sense it at all?” asked Cha Jin.

Su Yi was silent for a moment. “Because you’re stupid.”

“....”

Cha Jin had nothing to say to that, and Su Yi couldn’t be bothered to say anymore either. He looked outside the cave and into the darkness.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps within the downpour, and they quickly realized that they were drawing closer and closer.

Cha Jin’s pupils constricted. Soon, a well-built man with curled whiskers strode toward them. When the rain landed on him, it splattered and dispersed before he could get wet.

He was forceful and imposing, and his eyes seemed to crackle with electricity. He had a massive, sheathed sword strapped to his back, and as he drew closer, a powerful sense of oppression washed over them.

An expert!

Cha Jin was instantly on guard. They were in the middle of the wilderness during a downpour. Now, a mighty expert of the Martial Dao had appeared; it was only natural that this put her on edge.

Even more startling was the fact that the whiskered man carried a huge, brightly-colored tiger. Its skull was caved in with a deep, fist-shaped imprint.

He’d obviously punched it to death!

A tiger this size had to weigh at least a few hundred kilos, yet he carried it as if it were weightless.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but it’s really pouring out there. When I saw a fire in the distance, I rushed over. I’ll leave as soon as the rain stops.”

As he spoke, the man with curled whiskers walked into the cave. He flung the tiger’s corpse to the ground, then plopped down beside the fire.

Cha Jin couldn’t help but glance at Su Yi, only to see that he was still slumped in his chair; it was as if he hadn’t even noticed.

Or perhaps, the whiskered man’s arrival was simply beneath his notice.

When she saw this, Cha Jin pursed her lips and said nothing.

The atmosphere was instantly somewhat oppressive.

The whiskered man seemed to find it rather strange. He glanced at Su Yi, then back at Cha Jin. In the end, he shook his head and said no more, then leaned against the rock walls and closed his eyes in repose.

This late at night, the only sounds were the wind and rain, as well as the crackling of the firepit.

Cha Jin sat there, completely uncomfortable. If the rain didn’t stop, would she have to remain on guard like this forever?

Suddenly, off in the distance, they heard the sound of something piercing through the air.

Cha Jin jumped. Are more people coming? What for?

The whiskered man leaning against the cave walls silently opened his eyes, stood, and said, “You two needn’t worry. If anything happens, all you have to do is watch. Whatever you do, don’t get involved.”

Then, Su Yi spoke for the first time, his expression indifferent. “If you really didn’t want to implicate us, you’d leave right this second. You wouldn’t just stand around talking nonsense.”