Chapter 377 One Sword Illumines Fourteen Provinces

　　The clash of gun and sword echoed with a thunderous roar.

　　The Overlord wielding the spear seemed a changed man.

　　Power and skill were no different.

　　But the overwhelming pressure soared beyond compare.

　　Wei Yuan exhaled a breath of stale air. The Chang'an sword in his hand sang out once more. After the Iron Eagle Sword shattered, its spirit flew into the Tang sword of that time, transforming it into the new sword it was now. Wei Yuan clashed with Xiang Hongyu, or rather, Xiang Yu.

　　Without forcefully suppressing his power, the sword could no longer easily restrain the spear.

　　Yu Ji watched the battle with anxious eyes.

　　Bai Ze squatted there, filled a basin with water, and used local materials to re-dye his hair. As for why he didn't use magic...

　　Magic required constant maintenance and was too tiring. In Bai Ze's view, maintaining a transformed state was no different from doing Kegel exercises for extended periods. He might as well dye his hair. He casually said,

　　"No need to watch. Even if his aura has returned, his physical attributes are nowhere near the level of the Age of Gods. He's no match for that potter. After all…the unparalleled bravery of the foremost strategist in military history, and the peak sword skill that traversed hundreds of thousands of *li* east and west—it's hard to say which is superior."

　　"But right now, the outcome is obvious. And pitting a swordsman skilled in one-on-one combat against a commander without his troops and mount is practically bullying."

　　"Hiss… Yu the Great’s move… how many gold cards did the human realm accumulate? Even that mud-slinging guy from back then was upgraded from a gray card to a gold card. But there are no shortcuts to gaining power. He must have suffered a lot too. But speaking of Yu the Great… Yu the Great…"

　　"Is he really that smart?"

　　"That shouldn't be the case. Yu the Great should be the same type of big shot as Xuanyuan."

　　Bai Ze pondered.

　　A good brain?

　　Are you kidding? Where would he get a brain?

　　Why did he know so much? Naturally, because he had once tried to latch onto their coattails.

　　With Bai Ze's nature, how could he not join in the fun when a second Xuanyuan-like fellow appeared in the human realm?

　　It was just that when he planned to sneak out and latch onto Yu the Great's coattails back then...

　　He saw the witch Jiao.

　　And then, there was no then.

　　Now, even his white hair was outdone.

　　Later, he finally managed to find Yu the Great acting alone and wanted to go over.

　　As a result, that heroic and martial man discovered him and ran over with a rope, laughing wildly, his eyes gleaming as he shouted,

　　"Yuan, Qi, light the fire!"

　　"It's something I've never seen before!"

　　"Time for dinner!"

　　Meeting Yu the Great was like meeting a *taotie*.

　　By Nuwa!

　　Bai Ze had nightmares for months.

　　As for the outcome of the current confrontation…

　　Bai Ze was right.

　　Wei Yuan retreated, the Qi energy on the Chang'an sword in his palm surged and erupted, and he passed the sword from his left hand to his right.

　　The Overlord, who had not yet reached his true peak, was still somewhat immature. His current skills were refined, but his pure physical strength and the thickness of his blood energy were not as good as his opponent when they clashed in the Chu army camp. Wei Yuan made a brief comparison in his mind.

　　His sword blade pressed against the ground, reversing his grip to suppress the spear.

　　"Let's go eat hotpot in the old street later."

　　The sword in his palm slashed out.

　　The pinnacle of swordsmanship in the human realm erupted.

　　One sword illumines fourteen provinces.

　　Victory or defeat, decided.

　　…………………………

　　*Ding-dong.*

　　The museum door was pushed open.

　　The outside environment was still a bit cold, but the house was warm and cozy. It was still the same poverty-stricken cabinets, the same doors and windows with green paint cracked and peeling from decades of wind and sun.

　　The Water Ghost lazily played cards with Chang Cheng.

　　The young artist was frantically rushing to meet her deadline, with no other choice.

　　Xiao Qing was also gone.

　　She had been forcibly dragged into the room by the artist, who made her change into all kinds of clothes to model. From time to time, frustrated cries would be heard, such as, "Why? Why is my waist still not as thin as yours even though I'm dead?"

　　Or, "Is a snake's waist supposed to be that thin? This is cheating! It's cheating!"

　　"Wuuu, how can anyone have such a thin waist?!"

　　It was said that she had changed from maid outfits to Lolita dresses to *hanfu*.

　　The whole museum was still the same as ever. Unlike the future envisioned by the Hetu Luoshu, it was a relief to Jue. The Taishan Mountain God behind her was carrying a pile of food, all hotpot ingredients. To accommodate the vegetarian monk, there were also small pots of mushroom and tomato broth.

　　"I was just saying we should buy more vegetables. Miss Jue, you're back already?"

　　Yuanjue, wearing a cooking apron, greeted her in surprise, taking the vegetables from the Taishan Mountain God. Feeling the power contained in the human body of the other party, the Taishan Mountain God raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. This monk seemed to be even stronger than before?

　　"Miss Jue?"

　　"Miss Jue? Are you alright?"

　　Yuanjue called out several times before the young woman seemed to snap out of her daze.

　　She nodded with her usual smile, saying, "Nothing's wrong."

　　Yuanjue smiled kindly, pressing his palms together, and said, "That's good. If your mind is restless, you can try meditating and resting well." As the monk stood up, Jue seemed to glimpse another figure, an aged monk who had seen the world, his eyes gentle.

　　In front of them was a tombstone.

　　The aged monk turned back, saying something.

　　"This humble monk's lifespan is coming to an end. I've come to visit an old friend today."

　　"Is that so?"

　　"…Master, do you think there is such a thing as an afterlife?"

　　True Buddhist practitioners do not cultivate for the afterlife, but the obviously highly cultivated aged monk smiled with a hint of complexity and compassion, and said affirmatively,

　　"There will be."

　　Jue blinked, and the illusion disappeared. No longer was there misty rain from an unknown place, an unknown tomb, or an unknown old monk. Before her was the warm yellow light of the old house, and the tall, strong monk whose Buddhist realm was approaching the Vajra body.

　　"Ah Shui, come help."

　　"Xiao Qing, go call Bai… Doctor Bai."

　　"Who's going to lay out the tablecloth?"

　　"I don't want to."

　　"Then whoever spills the oil bowls and sesame paste on the table has to clean it up themselves."

　　The constant noise and commotion, compared to the high and mighty families in the world of cultivation, with their rules and airs, the museum had a stronger sense of life. Cultivation was indeed important, but if you asked the monk, or rather, if you asked the Water Ghost, you would get the same answer: cultivation was important, but eating was also important, sleeping was also important, and fizzy drinks were equally important.

　　The celestial maiden put away the jade book.

　　"Is it because you're too tired?"

　　"Or is it because you're under too much pressure?"

　　The young woman rubbed her temples, puzzled. There were always scenes that seemed to be涌出from the depths of her heart, but it wasn't the kind of manipulation or malicious interference. It was more like she had forgotten something. Accompanied by the sound of a bell, Xiao Qing, who had been forcibly changed into a warm-colored dress upstairs, covered her face and ran out.

　　Jue was stunned.

　　A scene of Jiangnan water towns flashed before her eyes, a lively girl in a green dress.

　　Turning her head, she seemed to see a gentle and elegant woman in white walking across a stone bridge, and herself in red, holding a sword in her right hand, leading a black horse, the sound of hooves *didi dada*, in the misty rain, walking across the bridge in Jiangnan, brushing past the woman in white.

　　Jue subconsciously reached out her hand.

　　The scene of misty rain shattered. The gentle woman in white, without any makeup, her black hair like ink, instantly transformed into a modern, intellectual woman in a light gray turtleneck sweater, wearing a doctor's white coat over it. She also reached out and covered Jue's hand, her touch cool, her tone warm, "Miss Jue, are you feeling unwell?"

　　"You seem a bit absent-minded today. Have you been too tired lately?"

　　Bai Suzhen smiled slightly, exuding an intellectual aura.

　　She was about 1.73 meters tall, and the loose turtleneck sweater couldn't hide her voluptuous curves.

　　She pressed down on her wrist.

　　A pity.

　　Hmm, not a pregnancy pulse.

　　But would a celestial maiden even have a pregnancy pulse?

　　Bai Niangzi was thoughtful, her right hand returning to her white coat pocket. As a cold-blooded animal, she had been suppressed for too long, and lacked opportunities. Although her cultivation was high, she was still a snake close to becoming a dragon, while Xiao Qing had become a dragon.

　　But unfortunately, Xiao Qing shed her skin to transform into a dragon.

　　And directly turned into a small person.

　　From 1.7 meters to 1.5 meters.

　　And judging from the growth rate of dragon species, she probably wouldn't be able to break through 1.6 meters in a few hundred years.

　　Even though Xiao Qing was secretly drinking milk every day, ensuring cultivation, plus eight hours of sleep.

　　It didn't work.

　　"Could it be that I'm really too sleepy?"

　　Jue hesitated, sitting on the sofa, observing herself internally. She couldn't find where this was coming from. She could only confirm that it was definitely not some kind of evil magic. As Kunlun's pure Qi, Jue was almost immune to all evil arts. It seemed that because the museum was a safe place, she fell asleep without realizing it.

　　In her dream, she saw a series of vague scenes.

　　But they were all blurry, as if someone was blocking the way.

　　"Oh, Officer Jue…"

　　"To me, this Jiangnan outlaw, they're nothing. Every scene in Jiangnan, the old man selling charcoal, the little girl selling flowers, the little brother making soup cakes, these are the Great Song, this is what makes me feel that life in the Great Song Dynasty is worthwhile."

　　A familiar and unfamiliar person was waving around in front of her.

　　Plucking the stars from the sky.

　　Talking about the mortal world, talking about the human touch.

　　And finally, the appointment that was never kept.

　　But for some reason, every scene in this dream was exceptionally clear, except for the guy who blocked the way in the street, who took her to see the mortal world at night, the one who ultimately couldn't make it to the appointment, she could never see him clearly.

　　No matter how hard she tried, it was like looking through a layer of fog.

　　After Jue woke up, she sat there and pondered for a long time, but she couldn't recall it.

　　It was such a strange thing stuck in her heart, visible before her, yet suddenly behind her.

　　She planned to throw it aside and ignore it.

　　But it kept swirling in front of her.

　　When she tried to think about it carefully, she couldn't get anywhere, which made her feel very frustrated and stifled.

　　Unconsciously, she thought about it for a full hour.

　　The streetlights outside turned on, and it was snowing again, which seemed to be an effect of the spiritual energy resurgence. There wasn't usually so much snow here. The young woman sat there, racking her brains, determined to grasp those fleeting thoughts, unable to let them go. Who was it? Who exactly was it?

　　Whose Jiangnan was it? Whose Great Dao was it? Who made the appointment, and ultimately didn't come?

　　She couldn't remember, she couldn't figure it out.

　　Who was it? Who was it?

　　Was it…

　　*Ding-dong.*

　　Suddenly, the museum door was pushed open, and snowflakes swept in. The young woman subconsciously looked up and saw Wei Yuan, who had gone out early in the morning, returning, covered in wind and snow. The youth, wrapped in cold air, broke through the warm and fuzzy memories. Suddenly, those blurry faces suddenly became clear.

　　"I, I can't drink anymore, I can't."

　　The Water Ghost, who had been forced to drink, crawled up, his eyes bleary. A car drove past on the old street with its high beams on. The lights came on and then went down. There was an old mirror on one side of the museum, and Jue's dazed state, caused by the re-release of her compressed memories, scattered for the last time.

　　Reflecting in the mirror, it seemed like an illusion. It was as if this was Jiangnan. The monk behind her was gentle. The woman in white from the clinic was holding her sister's hand as they walked across the stone bridge. The rain never stopped, and the bluestone floor was washed into a tranquil scene, reflecting the sky and clouds.

　　Next to her was an old tree tied with red silk ribbons.

　　The vendors scattered and left.

　　'This rain is really heavy, where did it come from?'

　　'Ah, misery, let's go, let's go.'

　　The merchants and pedestrians in the surrounding background faded into a white fog. The rain beat down on the bluestone bricks, and in a short time, only a tranquil scene remained, with only the young woman left.

　　The young constable in the rain was stunned, and the returnee who had finally arrived paused, then naturally smiled warmly,

　　"I'm back."

　　……………………

　　On the old street, two figures stopped.

　　Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, held wine in his right hand.

　　Bai Qi, the Lord of Wu'an, held wine in his left hand.

　　The snowflakes seemed to freeze in the void.

　　ps: Second update today… The Jiangnan chapter is officially finished. Hooray! The beloved returns.

　　Happy Laba Festival, everyone.