Chapter 47 Echoes of the Past

The recovery of memories felt like the legendary Yellow Millet Dream. Once, those long years, when recalled now, seemed like an illusory dream, the clouds scattering, gone in an instant. In the modern city's small courtyard, the two old men only saw the young-looking museum curator's sword waver for a moment, then showed no other unusual behavior.

The elder surnamed Zhou couldn't help but say, "Three... I only knew that the Shu Lou Sword had killed Wu Zixu and Wen Zhong. Who was the third person who died under this sword?"

Wei Yuan replied, "Zhao Gao."

He put the sword down and answered, "The Chamberlain for Palace Carriages during the Qin Dynasty, the Prime Minister during the Second Emperor's reign. He was the one who went to the Fasting Palace holding this Xu Furen Sword, and then died under the Shu Lou Sword."

The old Taoist priest and the elder surnamed Zhou were both surprised.

Zhou Jiefu scratched his stubble and said, "This explanation is a bit, uh, a bit novel."

"The history books of the past never mentioned that Zhao Gao entered the Fasting Palace with the Xu Furen Sword, nor did they mention that Ziying killed Zhao Gao with the Shu Lou Sword."

Wei Yuan casually replied, "It's simple. With Zhao Gao's treacherous schemes, how could he possibly go to meet Ziying unarmed? He originally wanted to lure Ziying into the ancestral temple to kill him, so he could surrender to the feudal lords. Now, he just changed the location, from killing in the ancestral temple to killing in the Fasting Palace."

"From Zhao Gao's perspective, there's no difference."

"And if you want to kill the King of Qin, there aren't many weapons to choose from. Among them, the Xu Furen Sword, which Prince Dan of Yan painstakingly sought, is undoubtedly the best choice. It's lethal enough and concealed enough. After all, the customs of the Qin and Han dynasties meant that Zhao Gao still cared about appearances to some extent."

Zhou Jiefu was stunned for a moment, and said, "That's reasonable."

He looked at Wei Yuan suspiciously and said, "But this matter isn't recorded in history books, not even in unofficial histories. How does Curator Wei Yuan know about it?"

*Because I experienced it myself.*

Ziying, Zhao Gao, Han Tan, one by one, were once vibrant people. They rode past me on horseback, opposing me, befriending me, or simply meeting by chance, and then each headed into the distance.

It seems Ziying kept his promise and didn't pass on the story.

A plane flew overhead, the sound somewhat low and muffled, as if from another distant world.

In the oppressive summer weather, even the green leaves were listless. On the small path outside, a child ran past, gleefully waving an ice cream bar.

The young museum curator came back to his senses and smiled:

"I just occasionally heard this version."

"It might just be a rumor, or it might be speculation by later generations."

"Just listen to it as a story."

Zhou Jiefu suddenly understood, assuming that the young man wanted to prove his knowledge by telling a rumor that no one knew, but was exposed and felt embarrassed. He didn't pursue it further, but rather agreed with approval:

"If that's the case, then the Xu Furen Sword, a king-slaying sword, and the Shu Lou Sword, a minister-punishing sword, in a contest in the Fasting Palace at the end of the Qin Dynasty, certainly have the flavor of a legendary story. If it were adapted into a storybook or something, it should also earn a profit."

Wei Yuan laughed, "Maybe I just heard a storytelling segment somewhere and remembered it."

He put down the Shu Lou Sword.

The long sword hummed softly in its scabbard, its sound solemn and clear.

The old Taoist priest suddenly asked, "Curator Wei, you seem very familiar with this sword."

"Just now, when I saw you holding the sword, it seemed to come alive, not like an ancient artifact at all."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "After all, I run a museum. I have some understanding of these ancient artifacts."

Zhou Jiefu looked envious, praising him repeatedly, clearly wanting to have this method as well.

The group brushed past this topic and chatted for a while longer. Wei Yuan took the initiative to say goodbye. The old Taoist priest still had things to do here and would stay a while longer, saying he would have Zhang Hao come and pick him up. Wei Yuan waved his hand and said, "No need to bother. The road isn't too far anyway. I'll just walk back."

Zhou Jiefu and the old Taoist priest saw Wei Yuan off.

The old Taoist priest looked at the Shu Lou Sword that was left behind, somewhat lost in thought.

Zhou Jiefu bumped his shoulder against his friend and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

The old Taoist priest came back to his senses and said, "I was thinking that what Curator Wei said might be true..."

"He can easily control this Shu Lou Sword, which is enough to show that he is very familiar with it."

Zhou Jiefu couldn't help but laugh out loud and said, "That's absolutely impossible."

He tapped the sword's edge and said confidently:

"This sword was only excavated not long ago, and it was placed in the Qin tomb with the Xu Furen Sword. This shows that this sword has been buried underground for many years without seeing the light of day. Later generations wouldn't know the sword's final experience, and no one could have touched this sword before us."

"What he said, just like he said himself, should be treated as a story. I think it's just someone connecting this famous sword with some historical events, like a storybook or something. That's very normal."

"As for the reason for the sword, it could be family origins, or it could be superb swordsmanship."

"In short, from the discovery of the tomb to the excavation and delivery to me, this sword has had a one-stop service. No one has touched it again. Familiar with it? Could it be that he touched it before the sword was buried? Hahaha, I think you've cultivated your brain to the point of having problems."

Zhou Jiefu joked at the end, then said seriously, "By the way, you have to come and help me."

"This thing has to be sent back today for further identification and research."

The old Taoist priest asked suspiciously, "Can't you do it yourself?"

Zhou Jiefu, with lingering fear, pointed to the Xu Furen Sword and said:

"I'm afraid these two swords will act up again on the road. I won't be able to handle them alone."

...

Wei Yuan left the small collection place. When he looked back, his naked eyes couldn't penetrate the barrier.

He started walking towards the museum, but after a while, he felt a headache. The road was too long. He shouldn't have put on that act just now. Wouldn't it have been better to honestly let Zhang Hao come and pick him up? Wouldn't it have been better to ride in a car with air conditioning on a hot day?

Showing off, showing off, I told you to show off.

Wei Yuan's mouth twitched, and he pressed his heart, which was still a little painful. He decided to give up techniques like riding the wind and honestly scanned the QR code to unlock a shared bicycle.

Riding a shared bicycle, traveling through the modern technological city, when he was alone, he always felt a little dazed. Time passed, all things changed, the First Emperor, Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Zhang Liang, all had become the past, but he still existed on this land.

And on this land of China, all living beings were still slowly but surely multiplying and growing stronger.

He stopped at a red light.

A bus stopped next to him, full of people, old and young, chatting or playing on their phones. Their faces no longer had the blank, painful expressions he had seen in the chaotic times of the past. The expressions on those faces were unique to a peaceful world.

He closed his eyes.

Time flows endlessly across the land of China, with constant change and transformation.

He closed his eyes. In a daze, he still remembered the elite soldier riding a warhorse beneath the setting sun. He carried a broken long sword, singing the Qin ballad as he headed into the distance, his temples graying. Then he opened his eyes. It seemed to be an illusion, but he saw himself as that elite soldier reflected on the side of the bus, standing opposite himself.

It was as if the images were intertwined, like two rivers merging together.

The red light turned green.

The image of himself in Wei Yuan's eyes was still dressed in the attire of the late Qin Dynasty.

Wei Yuan knew that it was an illusion, a daze after recently recovering his memories.

In reality, the elite soldier, who was originally dressed as a wandering swordsman, retracted his gaze, wearing modern short sleeves, jeans, and sneakers. In the basket of the shared bicycle was a drink. The roadside shops were playing modern music. He walked out of the tunnel of history, traveling through the streets and alleys.

The elite soldier of Qin, riding a warhorse, tapping his sword and singing loudly, gradually disappeared into the sunset and history.

And Wei Yuan, with short hair, carrying a sword box, riding a shared bicycle, traveled through the real modern world.

In that instant, they passed each other.

...

In a certain research institute.

Zhou Jiefu and the old Taoist priest changed into researchers' clothes. This place specialized in the study of ancient artifacts. Because the popularization of extraordinary cultivation methods was being put on the agenda, this place was becoming increasingly important. The purpose of the research was to be able to excavate ancient tombs, obtain cultivation scriptures and artifacts, and promote modern cultivation methods.

Zhou Jiefu put down the Xu Furen Sword and the Shu Lou Sword.

He casually mentioned that these two swords might be the Xu Furen Sword and the Shu Lou Sword.

One of the researchers said in surprise, "Old Zhou, have you already looked at them?"

"Looked at what?"

The researcher pointed to an ancient book on a nearby cabinet and said, "We also found these books in the tomb. To prevent them from weathering into dust, we had to do preliminary processing. It was just completed this morning. I thought you had already looked at them."

"These two swords are indeed the Xu Furen Sword and the Shu Lou Sword. There's a record of them in this ancient book."

Zhou Jiefu was surprised. He put on gloves and gently took out the ancient book, intending to flip through it.

This was the tomb owner's autobiography, which seemed to have been buried directly by his descendants, failing to be passed down. The old Taoist priest and Zhou Jiefu looked at it together. Following the researcher's kind reminder, they turned to the part that recorded the origins of the sword and recited aloud:

"I am Han Tan, serving the Qin Prince Ziying..."

"The treacherous minister Zhao Gao has rebellious intentions, wanting to force his way into the Fasting Palace to kill the king and usurp the throne. I was greatly frightened. Gao held Jing Ke's sword and entered, but fortunately, there was a great Qin elite soldier who held the Shu Lou Sword and killed him under the palace, to protect the Qin ancestral temple. He valued his honor and did not want to leave his name, so it was outwardly claimed that I, Tan, killed Zhao Gao."

"I am ashamed that the King died at the hands of Xiang Yu. I desperately carried these two swords to escape."

"And I will record the name of the one who killed Zhao Gao, so that future generations will know."

"He was the halberd-bearer of His Majesty the First Emperor of Qin."

The voices of Zhou Jiefu and the old Taoist priest paused slightly, their gazes fixed on the last word, their minds blank for a moment, and then their palms trembled involuntarily, murmuring:

"His name is..."

"Yuan!"

ps: Today's first update..., three thousand words, thank you Zi Rao Zhe You Tian for the 10,000 reward, thank you