Although Xie Nandu was renowned for being a talented woman in the Divine Capital, she was, in fact, a beauty.
When she first arrived in the Divine Capital, she had not fully bloomed yet, but she was already very beautiful. Now, after more than half a year, she had become much prettier than before.
One could call her a true beauty.
When Wei Xu made such remarks, it was naturally not because Xie Nandu was really not good-looking, he was just expressing his own stance.
Xie Nandu smiled faintly and paid it no mind. She just said, "Senior Brother, let's take the water route afterward."
Wei Xu was a little hesitant and said, "What about the horse carriage? It was brought out from the academy."
"However much it's valued at, bill it to Teacher when the time comes."
Xie Nandu smiled faintly and said, "I believe that Teacher won't mind either."
Wei Xu thought about it and did not refute her. He just walked over to the crowd, holding the reins. Xie Nandu turned her head to look and discovered that Wei Xu brought the horse carriage to the crowd over there. Then, he began negotiating very seriously with a fellow who looked like he was rather well-to-do.
Xie Nandu was not far away and could hear them clearly.
The most famous scholar in the Divine Capital, Wei Xu, was seriously trying to convince that person to buy the horse carriage and give up the idea of taking the boat. This inexplicably reminded Xie Nandu of a story about selling a wooden comb to a monk.
This was a story recorded in a miscellaneous book in the library. It was very absurd because monks did not need combs as they were bald. But someone really got their wish and really sold a wooden comb to a monk. Now, Wei Xu was persuading that person to give up the idea of taking the boat. This followed the same plot as that monk story.
The situation was similarly very odd.
But in the end, that person succeeded, and Wei Xu succeeded too.
He received the skygold currency and sold the carriage to that person.
Then, he returned to Xie Nandu's side.
A large boat just happened to slowly arrive from a distance and stopped at the ferry crossing.
Wei Xu paid the fare and brought Xie Nandu on board, asking for a guest room while he was at it.
After boarding the boat, Xie Nandu said, "Turns out that Senior Brother is very persuasive with your words too."
Wei Xu nodded and said, "Since we're studying at the academy, being eloquent is something that ought to be. The lakeside debates are actually not about who makes more sense, it's about who can persuade the other party. Of course, reasoning is often tied to fists. Under many circumstances, there's no need to reason things out at all. However, you know that the current situation is different, I'm still trying to reason with him."
Xie Nandu said, "This world is very unreasonable."
Wei Xu chuckled, "It's already a good world."
Xie Nandu said, "That's why I want to make this world even better. But it seems like Senior Brother doesn't share the same thoughts."
Hearing this, Wei Xu furrowed his brows slightly before saying softly, "Some things can't be done just because you want to. Different positions naturally lead to different thoughts, and thus different choices too. Junior Sister, you're a clever person, you naturally understand what I'm talking about."
Xie Nandu shook her head and said, "Senior Brother has thought about so many things and made so many choices, have you ever given up those identities and just make decisions based on your true feelings?"
Wei Xu fell silent for a moment and then continued, "Teacher had a disciple who never liked studying. But at that time, everyone hoped he would study well and inherit our teacher's mantle, because the position of academy dean is really quite good. Even Teacher himself looked forward to seeing him gradually move up and hand the academy over to him one day."
The Dean's lifelong wish was to have 72 disciples, following the example of that sage. Wei Xu was not outstanding among the numerous disciples during his early days. The disciple Wei Xu mentioned was the one with the highest expectations.
"Unfortunately, he liked practicing swordsmanship and killing demons. The only thing he disliked was studying. So, he sought after sword cultivation techniques early on and became a sword cultivator himself. Within a few years, he ran to the North to kill the demons."
The disciple Wei Xu was talking about was, of course, that senior brother who helped Xie Nandu answer her questions about Sword Dao.
"Actually, I admire him greatly. Because given his choices, I doubt I could have made the same decisions. Yet, he did it without any regrets. Of course, the consequences were something he never considered."
Wei Xu's expression was complicated as he continued, "I was born into the Wei Family. many things are beyond my control. Even now, at this cultivation realm, it's still very challenging."
Xie Nandu looked at his face and did not say anything.
The Xie Family and the Wei Family had always been adversaries in the Great Liang Dynasty.
Their positions were not of their own choosing; they had to stand on opposite sides. Otherwise, it would not be beneficial for the Great Liang Dynasty.
Wei Xu looked at Xie Nandu and sincerely praised her, "Actually, I also admire Junior Sister's character."
Similarly from a prominent family, but Xie Nandu seemed to be completely indifferent to these matters. If she wanted to do something, she would go ahead and do it.
It was very hard for something like this to happen to them,
Xie Nandu shook her head and said, "Why would things be so difficult?"
Wei Xu smiled and said, "I just remembered a saying for no reason, I bet Junior Sister has heard it before. Make a guess?"
Xie Nandu looked at him, "Senior brother is just finding excuses for yourself."
Hearing this, Wei Xu fell silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Maybe you're right."
"Except for Teacher, I haven't really seen those so-called 'sages.' But now, it seems that Junior Sister might count as one."
Wei Xu felt inexplicably emotional.
Xie Nandu did not speak.
After the ferry docked briefly, it began slowly moving downstream along the river. A cultivator changed the talismans at the bow of the boat. These talismans were called 'Water Splitting Talismans,' attached to both sides of the ferry, allowing it to travel much faster even on windless waters. This was a cultivator's method, but the talismans were quite consuming, and they had to be replaced at each ferry stop, which was quite costly.
Hence, this ferry would soon enter the Wei River, passing through the territory of Wei Prefecture.
Xie Nandu looked at the surface of the river. She was quiet for a long time and said softly, "I want to go down and take a look."
Wei Xu pondered for a moment and came to a conclusion. He said, "He comes from Wei Prefecture, but is that really the case?"
Chen Chao's identity was only known to a handful of people at the moment. Although Wei Xu was the legitimate heir of the Wei Family, he only had speculations at this moment, and he had not truly confirmed the answer.
"It's not important."
Xie Nandu looked at Wei Xu and said very seriously, "His identity isn't important and who's standing behind him isn't important either. I know that he's the same kind of person as me."
Hearing this, Wei Xu recalled his conversation with that young man by the lake in that microcosm.
At that time, if it had not been for him, that young man would probably have really killed Song Changxi in that microcosm.
That would have caused a great disaster.
But he felt that the young man really dared to do it at that time.
"The wild and untamed youth really feels... strange."
Wei Xu extended his hand, the mist between heaven and earth condensing, forming some crystal clear water droplets that suspended in his palm. They were transparent and round, looking like pearls. It was a very peculiar sight.
Xie Nandu looked at the water droplets, and with a subtle thought, the water droplets began to transform. Wei Xu looked at her strangely, but did not stop her. He just watched the water droplets turn into pocket-sized water swords, hovering in her palm just like that. Then, sword qi overflowed, revealing their sharpness.
Even a great cultivator like Wei Xu could feel the sharp sword qi contained within the water swords.
It was slightly tingling.
"Junior Sister is really an embryo naturally suited for sword cultivation."
Wei Xu looked at Xie Nandu and said, "Actually, I really don't want to become rivals with you, Junior Sister."
Previously, Wei Xu mentioned that they were senior brother and junior sister in the academy, but outside of it, it was different.
Xie Nandu just asked, "I wonder how many flying swords I can choose this time?"
Wei Xu said calmly, "I feel somewhat sorry for you, Junior Sister. If it were a few years earlier, you might have had a chance to compete for that Wild Grass."
In the eleventh year of Tianjian, the Hundred Year Sword of the Sword Qi Mountain was completed. That sword was named Wild Grass and it was taken away by a young sword cultivator. To obtain a fine sword like this again, one would have to wait for several decades.
"Swords are external objects, it ultimately still depends on the person."
……
……
The ferry soon arrived downstream of the Wei River, passing through a small city that was not Tianqing County.
But Xie Nandu stood at the bow of the boat and looked for a long time.
She did not know what that ordinary town was called and she was not sure for the time being. But she had a feeling as if a certain young man had lived here for many years.
She did not choose to disembark and explore, she just remained standing at the bow, waiting for the ferry to continue its journey until they reached the end of the Wei River, where she finally got off.
After changing to another horse carriage, these two fellow apprentices traveled for a long time and finally saw a mountain.
A mountain that greatly resembled a sword.
Wei Xu looked at that mountain overflowing with sword qi and said with a smile, "This is Sword Qi Mountain."
……
……
Sword Qi Mountain was the holy land in the hearts of all sword cultivators.
This was something very peculiar because it was not a sword sect and there was no supreme sword technique for cultivation either. Instead, it was a group of artisans who lived solely to forge swords. Perhaps they were not considered artisans, but swordsmiths.
There were the most swords and the finest swords in the world here.
Swords were the foundation of a sword cultivator, which is why this place would become the holy land for sword cultivators.
The most important place on Sword Qi Mountain was called the Sword Cleansing Pool. Behind the Sword Cleansing Pool was a sword furnace, where countless swordsmiths worked day and night to forge swords. Hence, the temperature was extremely high.
The Dean stood outside the sword furnace, standing shoulder to shoulder with an old man with white hair.
The old man was the current mountain lord of Sword Qi Mountain and also the best swordsmith in the world.
His name was Yang Furen.
The name was very strange. Many people would think this name belonged to a woman at first. However, only a very few people knew his real name and did not find it peculiar.[1. Yang Furen can also be literally Madam Yang.]
"Old man, after so many years, who could have expected that you would leave the Divine Capital one day?"
Yang Furen looked at the Dean with a hint of nostalgia.
As one of the few friends of the Dean, Yang Furen knew the reason why the Dean did not easily leave the Divine Capital.
The Dean smiled and said, "I've traveled such a long way just to see you, this old friend."
Upon hearing this, Yang Furen immediately furrowed his brows, and the wrinkles on his face bunched up together, resembling a dry and cracked field with intersecting gullies. It was not a pleasant sight.
"Don't be like this. Every time you, this old man, put on such a sly look, it makes this old man a little worried."
Yang Furen frowned and said, "The last time you, this old man, came to see me, you scammed that lousy formation from my mountain."
The Dean said as a matter of course, "What's the use of keeping those flying swords on the mountain? It's better to put them to good use. Now it's in the hands of my disciple, who knows how many demons it has killed? Isn't that a good thing?"
Yang Furen laughed coldly.
"Don't separate yourself from the Great Liang Dynasty like this. Whether is it cultivators or our Great Liang Dynasty, aren't we all humans?"
Back when the Dean brought that disciple who insisted on practicing swordsmanship to Sword Qi Mountain and took away that flying sword, Yang Furen merely turned a blind eye to it. At least, their friendship was still there.
"Is that final disciple of yours really a fine embryo to cultivate in the sword?"
Yang Furen was somewhat unwilling to believe. He had heard quite a bit about the academy's Xie Nandu's name recently. He believed that the girl would be a good embryo for cultivating Dao, but he was hesitant to believe that she was also a good embryo to cultivate in the sword.
The Dean said solemnly, "Among the youngsters of this generation, there won't be any other girl more suitable for swordsmanship than her."
Yang Furen sneered and said, "Don't blame me for dampening your spirits. That girl who's a part of the Twin Pillars of Daoism is a sword cultivator too."
The Dean shrugged it off, "This old man is naturally well aware of that. There's no point in saying anymore. After she comes up the mountain, you;ll understand that what I said isn't unfounded. You just have to prepare for her to pick a sword and leave the mountain."
Yang Furen's expression was rather ugly. Actually, regardless of whether he was willing to accept the reality or not, since the Dean had come a long way from the Divine Capital, he would certainly have to pay the price.
"If there are flying swords on my mountain that fit her, I can let her take one away. But old man, you'll have to acknowledge this debt!"
Yang Furen was not an unreasonable person, so he quickly made a concession.
The Dean grinned and looked at Yang Furen somewhat embarrassedly, "It should be... more than one."
Yang Furen furrowed his brows when he heard this, but did not say anything.
……
