Blurring his person, reducing him to the wheelchair as his only defining feature wasn’t that how everyone saw him?
A self-mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but before he could speak, Shi Che excitedly tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
“It really is you! Cultivation truly is wonderful people don’t age at all. I’ve read some old tabloids from a few hundred years ago. They said that back then, the Shuochao army had revived, using the spiritual energy of the Star Realm to transform into a powerful army of demonic ghosts. Every sect sent people to suppress them, and a young sword cultivator from the Xuanqing Sect stood out in that battle. With his newly forged lifebound sword, he beheaded the ghost army’s general in a single strike, ultimately wiping out the demonic ghost legion. Moved by the scene, the young man named his lifebound sword on the spot I think it was called… Wu Xi, right?”
His words grew faster, excitement gleaming in his eyes beneath the mask. “At dusk, when crows return to the forest, the Star Realm today belongs to cultivators. These old demonic ghosts should have faded away with the decline of the dynasty long ago. Today, a single Wu Xi sword will cut them all down, may these vengeful spirits be sealed forever beneath the earth.”
He nearly recited the entire tabloid report from back then. The surrounding disciples, unaware of their master’s past exploits, stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
Yu Changdong cleared his throat softly, interrupting him. His dark eyes shifted, his gaze settling on Shi Che’s face. “Youthful arrogance, hardly worth mentioning.”
“You still look pretty much the same as you did back then, Sword Venerable Yu. I’ve always admired you. I read about you when I was a kid and never forgot!”
Yu Changdong’s sect had always been informal, and he himself lacked any imposing authority. Banter among disciples was commonplace, so no one minded Shi Che’s overly familiar way of speaking.
They were all curious about their master’s youthful exploits. Shi Che rummaged through his Qiankun bag and pulled out a stack of old tabloids.
“These seem to be… Oh, these few aren’t. These are Shi Li’s. I was looking through them a few days ago and mixed them up.”
He picked out the sections featuring Yu Changdong and handed them to the disciples. They huddled together, marveling at how impressive their master had been in his youth.
One of the disciples near Yu Changdong noticed Shi Che’s sword and leaned in to whisper, “Master, he’s the Young Lord’s cousin…”
A hand tapped his shoulder. The disciple turned to see a masked face smiling at him. “Talking about me?”
The disciple laughed awkwardly.
Shi Che was generous, sharing the wine from his flask with Sword Venerable Yu and his disciples.
“I never thought I’d meet someone I admired in my youth here. Consider this my tribute let’s all enjoy Sword Venerable Qianqiu’s wine to our hearts’ content! Sword Venerable Yu, I’m serious. When I was fourteen or fifteen, I read about you, and now, over a hundred years later, I still haven’t forgotten. You’ve always been the role model I admire most.”
Yu Changdong lowered his gaze, watching as Shi Che poured wine for him. “Your cousin, Shi Li, is renowned throughout the Star Realm. He’s more worthy of admiration.”
“He…” Shi Che’s tone was hesitant. “He is indeed powerful and renowned, but I just can’t bring myself to admire him. Maybe we’re too familiar? Too close? It always feels like he falls short of that distant, lofty image in my mind.”
He was like a chatterbox once he started talking, he couldn’t stop. It seemed he had finally found a place to pour out his thoughts. Sitting on the picnic blanket in Yu Jianzun’s sect, he poured himself a full cup of wine, sighed deeply, and asked, “Do you want to hear the story of me and my cousin?”
Yu Changdong placed his wine cup on the small board extending from his wheelchair’s armrest and remained silent. The other disciples were either reading newspapers or playing drinking games, paying him no mind.
Shi Che: “…”
“Aren’t you curious? Whenever I mention it to others, they’re all eager to listen.”
A disciple who came to pour wine, not wanting him to feel awkward, kindly patted his shoulder.
“Others are eager to listen because they want to curry favor with the Young Master. To be honest, little junior brother, our sect doesn’t have that kind of competitive, sycophantic atmosphere. We’re not particularly interested in you and your brother either. Thanks for the wine, but we’ll pass on the story!”
“You’re really not giving me any face,” Shi Che patted his chest. “Then I’ll keep it to myself. Seriously, I thought with so many people here, I could finally talk freely.”
Yu Changdong smiled slightly. “Since you brought wine, if you have something to get off your chest, go ahead and share it. Speaking it out might help ease your troubles.”
Shi Che grinned, as if he had been waiting for those very words. Clearing his throat, he began, “Before I reunited with my cousin, I was wandering in a place called Wheat Village under the main city of Tian Shu. I was so poor that even a steamed bun had to be given to me out of someone’s kindness…”
Sitting cross-legged on the picnic blanket, he gazed at the white clouds in the sky, lost in memories.
“And so, by chance, I reunited with my cousin. He didn’t look down on me, a poor relative, and even told me to stick with him from then on. I thought I’d never have to suffer from hunger or cold again, but I never expected him to be such a strict elder.”
“He made me cultivate, threw sword manuals at me to learn, and no matter the wind, sun, or pouring rain, I had to practice for eight or nine hours every single day without fail. Ah, talking about it brings back childhood trauma.”
He stood up, drew his sword, and performed a standard starting stance of the Heartless Sword technique. He ended with a beautiful flourish before sheathing his sword again. His movements were fluid and natural, clearly the result of long-term muscle memory, requiring no preparation at all.
A disciple exclaimed in surprise, “Impressive! Your swordplay is so skilled. And you’re just a beginner you’ll have plenty of opportunities to shine in the future.”
“I started practicing in my teens, and it’s been almost a hundred years now. If I still couldn’t do this much, my cousin would have beaten me to death.”
“The Young Master must have seen your potential. A strict teacher produces outstanding disciples, after all!”
Shi Che waved his hand dismissively, lay down on the picnic blanket with his arms behind his head, and said, “Potential or not, my life was already shaped by him long ago. Following him to cultivate the Heartless Sword for a lifetime my future is all too predictable.”
He looked up at the sky, where a pair of birds flew through the clouds. Seeming amused, he let spiritual light flow from his fingertips, shaping leaves into the form of a small bird. He controlled it as it soared into the clouds, chasing after the two real birds.
Then he chuckled to himself and continued searching the sky for new sources of amusement. It was clear he had few worries and knew little of sorrow.
Whether it was his swordsmanship or his effortless use of spiritual energy, for a cultivator only a hundred years old, he was truly not to be underestimated.
He was indeed a talent with great potential.
Yu Changdong stared at him with dark eyes for a moment before saying, “If you ever feel tired, you can come here to relax. Our sect often gathers here for small gatherings.”
“Sounds good,” Shi Che smiled at him. “When the Qianqiu Sword Master buries new wine, we’ll dig it up and drink together.”
Despite his best efforts, he still ended up drinking a bit too much. Even as night fell, Shi Che couldn’t quite cover the faint scent of alcohol lingering around him with his spiritual aura.
The Silver Hanging Period was when the stars were most abundant. Looking up, the sky was filled with an endless sea of stars. Luanxue Peak welcomed its liveliest day yet from a distance, the entire mountain was dotted with disciples wearing robes of various colors and styles from different sects.
At this Sword Fate Exchange Conference, all the renowned sects from the Seven Realms had sent representatives. Shi Che and Shi Li entered Luanxue Peak from different directions. Despite sharing their locations through the spirit communication talisman, they still lost each other in the bustling crowd.
Shi Li was frequently stopped by people wanting to chat, asking to pet Huajing, while others released recording spirit energy to take commemorative photos with him.
Shi Che, on the other hand, was constantly stepped on, bumped into, or jostled. At one point, a pet giant shrimp held by a Beast Taming Sect disciple even leaped at his face.
So annoying.
Both thought the same thing.
But they had made plans to meet, so they endured.
While feeling irritated, Shi Che also felt relieved that the crowd was so dense with so many people around, their collective breaths might just dissipate the lingering scent of alcohol on him.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted ahead. Someone was sprinting toward them in a panic, tears scattering in the wind, and cried out, “A tiger! There’s a tiger chasing me! Is there anyone from the Beast Taming Sect? Help!”
The crowded path quickly cleared to both sides. Just as everyone wondered why no giant beast was in sight, they craned their necks for a closer look and spotted a chubby, juvenile white tiger clumsily hopping along in pursuit. Its paws lifted and fell awkwardly, and it let out a soft, kitten-like “meow-roar.”
The crowd fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. Some troublemakers grabbed the terrified cultivator, intending to cure him of his fear of cats.
As the tiger approached, the man struggled desperately, squeezing his eyes shut. “Let me go! Don’t let it come near! I’m scared, scared, scared, scared, scared.”
Amid the laughter, the young tiger leaped, aiming to pounce on the man, but was snatched mid-air by the scruff of its neck.
The one who caught it was a youth dressed in deep purple robes, wearing a golden crown. Embroidered on his sleeves were golden-threaded skulls, and beside him stood a large skeletal frame a bone puppet companion of a Ghost Puppet Sect disciple.
Frowning angrily at the people in front, he scolded, “What’s wrong with being afraid of cats? Don’t you have fears of your own? A whole group bullying one person have you no shame? Scram, all of you! Disperse!”
“You little brat.”
One of the instigators, seeing the youth’s young age, stepped forward to teach him a lesson but was yanked back by someone beside him. “Check who he is before acting! This kid is from the Ghost Puppet Sect, surnamed Wu!”
The sect leader of the Ghost Puppet Sect shared that surname.
The crowd immediately scattered, no longer lingering to watch.
Aside from the Ghost Puppet Sect’s immense wealth and influence in the Star Realm, their eerie techniques and ruthless methods alone were enough to make many wary.
Sect Leader Wu Qianshe was notoriously cruel and vindictive. Those who crossed his sect met terrible fates, earning the Ghost Puppet Sect the reputation of being a dominant force in the Tianji Realm.
A tyrant, in every sense of the word.
Since this youth was likely a relative of the tyrant, it was best for everyone to steer clear.
Held by the scruff, the young tiger flailed its limbs and let out a disgruntled meow.
The Ghost Puppet Sect youth plucked a white bone flower tucked behind the tiger’s ear and tossed it to his bone puppet. “Fuyun, check if this is ours.”
The bone puppet bit the flower a few times and nodded.
Narrowing his eyes, the youth lifted the tiger to eye level. “Whose little cat are you? And why are you stealing things?”
“Gunbao!” A girl in pink rushed out from the crowd, rescuing the young tiger from his grasp. She tried to run but was blocked by the bone puppet.
The youth called out loudly after her, “Ye Qinglian, this flower was a gift I gave to A Yan. Why is it with you? Did your cat steal it, or did you?”
The commotion drew many sidelong glances. Ye Qinglian opened her mouth to explain but felt she couldn’t betray Sister Yan. No matter what she said, it would sound wrong. Cornered by the direct questioning and under the gaze of so many onlookers, her eyes reddened with embarrassment. With a choked voice, she replied, “Neither! Wu Xiaoxuan, I hate you! I’m never playing with any of you again!”
She shoved past the bone puppet and ran. The boy sprinted after her. “Don’t cry! Why are you running? I was just asking! I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry!”
What a coincidence the story of the children from earlier in the day had a follow-up. Youth truly brimmed with intense emotions.
Shi Che chuckled and turned to leave, but suddenly halted. A few pieces of information flashed through his mind in an instant.
White Tiger, bone puppet, Beast Taming Sect, Puppet Nether Sect.
The boy’s name wasn’t “Wu Xiaoxuan.” The character he’d assumed was “Xuan” was actually “Xuan” Wu Xuan, the future sect master of the Puppet Nether Sect. The girl in pink was his beloved, Lady Qinglian.
In the ninth year of the Star Calendar, the Beast Taming Sect and the Puppet Nether Sect were successively destroyed. The young sect master and his wife died in the great war, and the mountains echoed all night with the mournful cries of masterless beasts and skeletal remains.
Shi Che had only ever seen them twice once as a young couple lying dead together, and once just now.
“On the brink of death, my greatest regret was not confessing to her first back then. Even if I said it a hundred times every day afterward, it could never compare to that one time she took the initiative.”
“I loved her so much.” Wu Xuan asked, “Do you understand love, Your Excellency?”
“Ah, I forgot you’re an emotionless sword cultivator incapable of loving anyone.”
Amid the pool of blood were tears of reluctance and regret. He held his long-cold wife tightly in his arms, silently reciting an unfamiliar incantation, whispering prayers to the gods for a next life, over and over, until his breath ceased.
The playful, chasing figures of the young boy and girl flashed repeatedly in his mind alongside the image of the two embracing in death within the bloodstained scene. The scar on his back began to ache faintly once more, the punishing electric current threatening to spread outward.
Thinking of those scenes, Shi Che was already in a foul mood. Yet they kept surfacing to torment him, reminding him not to forget his sins that everything was because of him.
“Endless”
Shi Che gritted his teeth, gripping the hilt of his sword at his waist, straining to steady himself and prevent the current from coursing wildly through his body.
Last time, to clean the bloodstains for Shi Li, he had pretended to forcefully attempt a breakthrough in cultivation, challenging the authority of the heavenly laws, successfully triggering the lightning scar.
That time, it had subsided quickly, not unbearably painful. But this time, the lightning scar had detected his emotions and was triggered passively. Shi Che’s mood wouldn’t improve anytime soon, yet he certainly had no masochistic tendencies, who in their right mind would willingly endure an electric shock?
Besides, he had a date later.
How could he kiss with electricity coursing through him?
A hand tapped his shoulder. “Why didn’t you reply to my spirit missive…”
Shi Li had finally found him, but the moment he touched him, he got shocked. Frowning, he asked, “What’s going on?”
“I’m in a bad mood.”
“And it shocks you when you’re in a bad mood?”
“Mm.”
Shi Li took his hand and led him toward a crowded area. The electric current on Shi Che’s body naturally split and transferred half to him.
“Don’t touch me anymore. It hurts when it shocks.” Shi Che tried to pull his hand back.
Without a word, Shi Li led him to a densely packed middle section of the steps. Suddenly, he released a flicker of spiritual light from his fingertips, tripping everyone’s feet. Seizing the moment of chaos as people stumbled and collided, he pulled Shi Che into the midst of the crowd.
“Ouch!”
“Ah!”
“Eeeeeeeee !”
“Ughhhhhhh!”
“Damn! Which Beast Taming Sect is raising electric eels? That thing can’t be taken for a walk! Was it you walking the giant shrimp? I’m telling you, I remember your face! Ugh ”
Zapping so many people at once was no small matter even the laws of heaven and earth wouldn’t allow it. The lightning marks on Shi Che’s body hurriedly retracted their power, not daring to discharge any more electricity.
Shi Che, who hadn’t expected such a move: “You.”
Shi Li leisurely patted the dust off his clothes with a flicker of spiritual light. “Whenever you get zapped, you always pass it on to me. It’s too much for just the two of us to endure might as well share it with more people.”
He curled his lips. “Everyone who touches gets a share.”
“You’re too mean.” Taking advantage of the lingering spiritual light on Shi Li’s hand, Shi Che grabbed it and made him pat the dust off himself too.
“Are you feeling better now?” Shi Li asked.
“Pretty much.”
Shi Che held his hand, patting his own shoulders, chest, and waist. Holding that small hand, he stood upright, his tone serious.
“But someone as fragile and love-starved as me finds it hard to recover from a bad mood on my own. I still need some external comfort.”
Shi Li fell silent for a moment before speaking with restraint.
“Then let’s find a place with no one around.”