Late at night, in Xinglin.
Gu Yanshu sat in the small hut, his resentment growing. Chu Yu, Mu Sha, Huang Tingyu, Tang Guangjun—these people could all live much better lives, yet each of them was stubbornly loyal to the Mountain Peak Villa. What were they after? Were the words "A good bird chooses its tree to roost in" written on scrolls all lies?
Gu Yanshu felt immense hatred, hating everyone in the world, and most of all, Lin Zhao. If he had a choice, Gu Yanshu would have turned Lin Zhao to dust with a single sword strike back then.
The more he hated, the heavier the killing intent that enveloped him. At this moment, the Xunlu Sword resting on his leg seemed to sense it, trembling with a "buzz," and Gu Yanshu was filled with surprise and joy. The Xunlu Sword, like himself, was resisting the Heavenly Dao's suppression from the Dragon-Slaying Sword. Thus, Gu Yanshu pulled the sword with all his might, but the blade only emerged an inch.
He gritted his teeth and wiped his index finger on the slightly exposed blade. Blood immediately flowed, feeding the Xunlu Sword with his own vital energy. In an instant, wisps of black energy coiled around Gu Yanshu, almost forming into a tangible inner demon. Everyone had inner demons, but those whose hearts were entirely filled with them, like Gu Yanshu, were rare.
In a flash, the Xunlu Sword emitted a "sizzle," now half unsheathed. Gu Yanshu, without hesitation, continued to nourish the divine sword with his blood. As the Xunlu Sword was drawn, it also returned cultivation to Gu Yanshu. In a mere few breaths, he went from a first-level sword cultivator to a Golden Core sword cultivator, and a moment later, to a Nascent Soul sword cultivator. By the time the Xunlu Sword was fully unsheathed with a clang, Gu Yanshu had already recovered to the level of a tenth-level sword cultivator.
"Swish!"
Without hesitation, he drew the Xunlu Sword and rushed out of the hut, slashing towards the back of Lin Zhao's neck as he fished by the lotus pond.
...
"Hmm?"
The moment the Xunlu Sword was unsheathed, Lin Zhao had sensed it. As Gu Yanshu's sword descended, he turned his head, his cold eyes looking at Gu Yanshu. In an instant, a speed talisman ignited, and the next moment, a fierce punch landed on Gu Yanshu's abdomen, sending him and his sword flying into the air.
The next moment, Lin Zhao shot up from the ground, his airborne punch, the "Qi Swallows Mengze Style," landing on Gu Yanshu's back, leaving him with torn flesh and gaping wounds. He plummeted heavily to the ground, and the entire Mountain Peak Villa trembled.
The suppression of the Dragon-Slaying Sword was constant. Lin Zhao, at the ninth level, easily dealt with Gu Yanshu at the tenth.
Several sword lights flashed.
Ru Zhi, Huang Tingyu, and Tang Guangjun had all arrived, looking at Gu Yanshu with icy gazes.
"If he can't be reasoned with, kill him," Huang Tingyu said.
Tang Guangjun nodded in agreement.
Lin Zhao smiled and shook his head. He lifted Gu Yanshu, who had been punched back to the lower five realms by him, and said, "It's fine. I'll go talk to Lingyu. You all go back to sleep."
"Alright."
Not long after, Lin Zhao rode his sword to Hefeng Academy. The young scholar in scholarly robes was waiting in the courtyard. He cupped his hands in greeting and smiled, "Junior Uncle, how do you wish to enlighten him?"
"Lingyu."
Lin Zhao frowned and said, "Can you backtrack Teacher Qin's time?"
"Yes."
Gu Lingyu's cultivation in divination was truly outstanding among the Confucian scholars. He raised his hand and caught a fallen leaf in the wind. This leaf was peculiar; it didn't seem to be from the surrounding trees, but rather from the white tree in Teacher Qin's courtyard back then. The next moment, Gu Lingyu used the white tree leaf to tear open the scene before him. A gentle breeze carried Lin Zhao and the wounded Gu Yanshu into the scene of time regression.
At that time, Teacher Qin, in a gray-white scholarly robe, was drinking tea with the God of War, Ding Muchuan, discussing retrieving the spiritual branches from the Sea of Heavens. When Teacher Qin stood up, intending to shoulder everything with his frail body, both Lin Zhao and Gu Lingyu's eyes turned red. But Gu Yanshu beside them merely let out a cold sneer, calling it hypocrisy.
The scroll flowed. The spiritual branch of the World Tree descended from the upper realm. In the depths of the night, Qin Suihan's golden Confucian Dharma body on the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake instantly rose and embraced the spiritual branch. As it entered his embrace, the backlash of the Great Dao from the spiritual branch was incessant. In an instant, the Sage's Heaven and Earth Edict Dharma body dissolved by half, and Qin Suihan's appearance seemed to age by several years. In this single moment, he fell from the fourteenth level to the thirteenth, becoming a legendary "fallen rank" individual, no longer a true Confucian Sage.
"Tsk!"
A voice in the air sneered, "Resisting the Heavenly Dao's heavy pressure alone? Qin Suihan, you think too highly of yourself. Aren't you afraid of being crushed into powder by the Heavenly Dao?"
Another voice sneered, "We'll see. The karma is too heavy; your shoulders, Qin Suihan, cannot bear it."
Another sigh, seemingly from the teacher's teacher, the old gentleman known as the Restoring Sage. He was in Wenlin, but powerless to help his disciple, Teacher Qin, in his plight.
"Teacher."
Qin Suihan bowed to the air and smiled, "It's alright. This matter has nothing to do with Wenlin or the Academy. All consequences will be borne by myself, Qin Suihan. I have no regrets, living or dying!"
In the air, a golden figure holding a sharp sword sneered, "Qin Suihan, only through death can you atone for today's sin. We'll be waiting!"
In the scroll, Qin Suihan simply smiled gently.
When the spring breeze blew, Qin Suihan had become a scholar and bookstore owner in a small town. He set up a stall in his bookstore's courtyard, selling bamboo slips and sayings of Confucian Sages, as well as popular novels about the martial world, and even illustrated tales of the strange. Business was quite good, and many children in the town loved to read them, though few people actually bought them.
"Hey, hey, Zhang's boy."
Qin Suihan smiled, "Read the book, but don't wipe your snot on it."
"Oh, oh, boss, I'm sorry. I thought you didn't see." The mischievous child chuckled.
"Over there, over there."
Qin Suihan looked further away and scolded with a smile, "Zhang Liucheng, it's just a book of strange tales, not a sword manual. Does it help you to practice it like this? Also, don't tear the painted pages, or others won't be able to see them."
Zhang Liucheng giggled, "Boss Qin, it's not that I want to learn, but the martial world forces me to. Just the other day, Lin Zhao was bullied by those scoundrels from the Zhao family again. He trains boxing so slowly; I have to speed up. In half a year, I'll become a sword cultivator and chop down the entire Zhao family with one sword to avenge my future lackey, Lin Zhao."
Qin Suihan laughed in exasperation, "Lin Zhao trains boxing much more diligently than you. It's likely that Lin Zhao will avenge you in the future."
"It doesn't matter; we're brothers. It's all the same who avenges whom!"
...
Seeing this, Lin Zhao's eyes were filled with tears.
Although Teacher Qin was in adversity, his will never wavered. He always faced the world with a gentle heart. The children in the town were so mischievous, yet he never scolded any of them. The elegance of a scholar was fully displayed in Teacher.
He frowned and said, "Teacher sacrificed everything for the world, even dying and disappearing without leaving a body. Yet, how many people in this world still remember Qin Suihan? On the Human Race Mountain, among so many cultivators nurtured by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, how many remember Qin Suihan's kindness?"
Lin Zhao looked at Gu Yanshu and said, "According to your logic, should I hate this world and kill everyone who doesn't remember Qin Suihan?"
Gu Yanshu frowned, "So, my master Lin Shenghan's death needs no one to be responsible, is that right?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao's gaze was calm, "Every debt has its owner. You should seek revenge from whoever killed Lin Shenghan. Back then, the demon race killed Lin Shenghan, yet you willingly surrendered to the demon race. Gu Yanshu, where is your logic? Or do you just want to kill whoever you please, is that right?"
"Yes."
Gu Yanshu sneered, "So what? Is it any of your business, Lin Zhao?"
"Lingyu."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath, "Let's go back."
"Yes, Junior Uncle."
Gu Lingyu flicked his sleeve, and the scene of the three returned to Hefeng Academy.
...
Gu Yanshu was once again reduced to the lower five realms and returned to Mountain Peak Villa.
Gu Lingyu watched the departing figure, shook his head, and said, "His evil thoughts are too deep; I'm afraid they cannot be resolved. Junior Uncle, I know your good intentions, but it's unnecessary. The inner demons in Gu Yanshu's heart have accumulated too much, and the karma he carries is also immense. I do not advise Junior Uncle to kill him personally. You could let Tang Guangjun do it. The military family does not incur karma; even if Tang Guangjun kills Gu Yanshu, the karma he incurs will not cost Tang Guangjun his life."
Not far away, Tang Guangjun descended gracefully, cupped his fists, and said, "Mountain Master, with just a word from you, Tang Guangjun will draw his sword and execute this person."
Lin Zhao glanced at him, "Still eavesdropping on my conversation?"
"Oh..."
The disheveled man scratched his head, "Then I'll leave?"
"Get lost."
"Alright, Mountain Master!"
Gu Lingyu suppressed a smile. Junior Uncle and Tang Guangjun were both interesting individuals.
"Let's wait a bit longer."
Lin Zhao said, "Wait until he gives me a reason why he absolutely must be killed. Then, I will have no other choice. At that time, no matter how much karma there is, I will bear it alone. Besides, my state of mind will also be better."
"Mm."
Gu Lingyu smiled and nodded, "Lingyu awaits Junior Uncle's breakthrough and ascension to Sword Immortal!"
Lin Zhao chuckled sheepishly. Even at the tenth level, he was not considered a Sword Immortal. On the Human Race Mountain, only sword cultivators at the eleventh level were qualified to mention the term "Sword Immortal."
...
Early morning, the mountain peak.
Tong Yu, in a white dress, a ten-year-old girl, was already breathtakingly beautiful, exuding an ethereal grace. She sat cross-legged on the cliff edge, nurturing her sword intent.
Just then, a figure wielding a broom approached. It was Gu Yanshu, cleaning the mountain path. When Gu Yanshu swept to the mountaintop, he threw down his broom and sat down not far from Tong Yu, smiling, "Tong Yu, I think the Mountain Master is quite fond of you."
"Oh?"
Tong Yu widened her eyes and smiled, asking, "Tell me, how does Brother Lin Zhao like me?"
"It's hard to say, just a feeling."
Although Gu Yanshu's realm was low, his cultivation foundation was deep. He could see into the depths of the little girl's heart. He squinted his eyes and smiled, "Alas, is it really important whether Lin Zhao likes you or not? The women in Mountain Peak Villa are all qualified to like Lin Zhao, but only you, Tong Yu, are not. You, Tong Yu, bear the blood feud of national destruction and the annihilation of your entire clan. Your parents died in the hands of the soldiers of the Great Shang Dynasty. You haven't avenged your family or your country, so what right do you have to like someone?"
Tong Yu frowned, falling silent. This was, in fact, a knot in her heart that she couldn't untangle.
Gu Yanshu let out a sneer, "The Brother Lin Zhao whom you like is currently doing business with your enemy. He's selling grain and warhorses from Yun Province and buying grain and equipment from the Great Shang Dynasty. Furthermore, there are so many twelfth-level cultivators in Mountain Peak Villa; is it difficult to kill a tenth-level Yu Rang? Yet, has your Brother Lin Zhao ever thought of avenging you?"
Tong Yu's eyes instantly reddened.