The long sword fell into the mud again, and at the same time, Ren Yuanhao, after wielding this incredible sword, collapsed. All he could hear were the worried shouts of the women and the sound of the wind rustling through the bamboo.
The sudden downpour had washed the entire mountain even greener. The mountain air was so clear it seemed untouched by worldly defilement. However, the trees were bent and broken, like defeated eggplants. Some collapsed sections of the mountain had filled the gullies, leaving rocks scattered everywhere and the earth a mess. Water flowed down chaotically, carving paths through the earth and gradually filling the riverbed at the foot of the mountain.
A mountain flood was, after all, unavoidable.
The winding riverbed flowing south spewed yellow silt, swallowing the reeds and grasses along its banks. It surged towards the village like a galloping warhorse, its momentum immense. Since nightfall, the villagers had been busy clearing the ditches and the water channels on the outer sides of the rice paddies, striving to minimize flood damage. They had been working for almost an entire night and were now utterly exhausted.
Of course, the exhausted ones were not only these villagers but also Ren Yuanhao, who had been poisoned by the Black Gu.
Ying Caiwei found the antidote on her senior sister, but the Zhi Ran and Zhi Xuan sisters were unsure if administering the antidote now could still suppress the Black Gu poison in his body, as it had already reached his heart.
The thugs around the Sword Washing Pool had also been acupunctured and tied up by the group. As the matter was serious, Zhi Xuan trod back along the slippery mountain path to Qingfeng Gate, preparing to report the incident to the Sect Master. She hadn't found a suitable way to explain her senior sister's situation on her journey. After all, her senior sister had accompanied their master for a long time, and any punishment or disciplinary action would likely be a headache for her.
Zhi Xuan thought this way and unknowingly passed through the winding, winding mountain path, traversing a seemingly pathless, overgrown trail. When she looked up and saw only dense pine and bamboo groves and lush green trees, a rather large ancient-style building appeared before her eyes. Dafeng Novel Network.
However, Qingfeng Gate seemed different after the night of heavy rain. Perhaps it was because she had never left the mountain gate since she could remember. Now, the low-hanging pine and bamboo looked like the sharp claws of a beast, the dark clouds swirling in the sky slowly piled up into a crouching beast, and even the ancient architecture exuded a sense of desolation and gloom. Two red lanterns swayed in the wind, their red light flickering, casting a ghostly, flickering glow on the three large characters of Qingfeng Gate.
However, she soon heard the light exclamations of her martial sisters practicing swordplay, and the whistling sound of sword edges cutting through the air. She swallowed, composed her thoughts, and slowly ascended the stone steps covered in moss.
Zhi Xuan was considered a favored disciple of her master. She had a smooth passage all the way. After passing through a large screen carved with wild trees, misty smoke, pine, plum, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, she navigated through winding corridors and passed through the triple gates, finally entering a courtyard filled with fragrance and brilliant summer flowers.
In the courtyard, the lotus leaves were emerald green, as if the heavy rain last night had no effect on them. Seven or eight red carp swam through the rock formations, creating ripples as they glided back and forth. When they played, they sometimes accidentally bumped into the lotus leaves, causing them to tremble lightly. Water droplets rolled off, the water shimmering with a serene blue, full of life and vitality. The rock formations were covered with dark green moss, and white birds perched on top, their heads held high, giving it a unique charm.
At the end of the courtyard were three unpainted bamboo houses. The bamboo swayed in the wind, and the mountain breeze blew down, with dark clouds gathering. The daylight suddenly shone through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the courtyard, creating an indescribably bright and clean scene. It was likely that the Sect Master, Fang Muyan, was also such a person of pure and elegant disposition.
Zhi Xuan took a few deep breaths. After slightly tidying the hem of her clothes, she no longer hesitated and slowly stepped forward to knock on the door.
After a long while, there seemed to be no response from inside. Zhi Xuan raised her voice slightly and said softly, "Master, your disciple Zhi Xuan has an important matter to report."
There was still no movement from within. She checked the time; it was past eight o'clock. She thought, even if her master was in seclusion, given her personality, she would never sleep in. Moreover, with the heavy rain last night, the most likely scenario was that her master had already left the mountain gate.
Thinking of this, Zhi Xuan felt a bit more relaxed. As she turned to leave, she suddenly heard a very faint sound from inside the door, like the flickering residual flame of a candle.
"Zhi Xuan, what is there to report?"
Zhi Xuan's heart skipped a beat. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly and, in a moment, mustered the courage to recount the events of last night in detail, omitting nothing. However, when she mentioned her senior sister, she still felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Yet, her master seemed unfazed, and her tone showed no hint of emotion. She merely said she would send some martial sisters to apprehend the thugs and her senior sister, and then appeared to be falling asleep again.
"Master, the sword you had Ying Tiande forge is complete. I'm afraid you'll have to make a trip."
"You may handle it yourselves. Master has recently had some insights, a clarity of mind and perception, and it is inconvenient to go out."
Zhi Xuan said with a headache, "But our cultivation is insufficient, and we cannot draw out that sword..."
"Cannot draw it out? Could it be that the sword has gained sentience?" Fang Muyan's voice finally showed a trace of emotion.
"Yes, Uncle Ying said, 'The Sword Washing Pool is flooded, and malevolent energy rises for three autumns.' It is a, a~" Zhi Xuan stammered slightly.
"Speak freely."
"He said it is a malevolent sword, and a great disaster is inevitable within three years," Zhi Xuan said tremblingly.
"Nonsense. If it is a malevolent sword, it should be destroyed. Go, pass on my order to have him destroy the malevolent sword. This thing must never appear in the world."
...
Ying Caiwei sat beside Ren Yuanhao, occasionally reaching out her delicate hand to touch his skin until his skin temperature returned to normal.
Perhaps it was because Ren Yuanhao's physique was extremely good, far exceeding that of ordinary people, that even though the Black Gu poison had invaded his heart, it was smoothly removed, leaving no future troubles. Even more surprisingly, his two sword wounds had already scabbed over, and it looked like they would heal within seven days.
"Little brother, we are strangers, yet you used all your strength to save and protect me. Caiwei is willing to follow you for life. However, an excellent man like you is probably surrounded by fluttering butterflies and bees, and will never lack women to dote on you, right?"
She reached out to stroke Ren Yuanhao's slightly messy hair. The bloodstain on her wrist was extremely unsightly. Of course, this was the necessary 'blood guide' to resolve the Black Gu poison, essentially similar to a medicinal catalyst.
Perhaps her hand moved and pulled at the wound on her wrist, causing her delicate eyebrows to furrow, or perhaps she was dispirited at the thought that the man before her would soon depart. Just then, the operation to capture the thugs outside was nearing its end, and her father and martial sisters Zhi Ran and Zhi Xuan began to argue.
"Master's intention is indeed to destroy the malevolent sword. She said this sword must not see the light of day and harm the world," Zhi Xuan emphasized according to her master's wishes.
"Fang Muyan wants me to destroy the sword? Impossible. With her personality, she would never destroy it just because it's a malevolent sword. She's not that pedantic. I must see her."