After closing the door behind him, Lou Xingyao finally realized something he had not noticed before.
Every single piece of furniture inside the room, the chairs, the tables, the bed, even the candlesticks and teaware was precisely the kind he liked.
The arrangement was not random at all, but catered exactly to his preferences. Even the bedding on the bed had been prepared with thought, the mattress slightly firm, just the way he preferred it for sleep.
And then, unbidden, fragments of memory came to him.
“Do you think rosewood looks better, or would purple sandalwood be preferable?”
“Between this celadon teapot and the enamel-glazed one, which one pleases your eye more?”
“You seem not to have rested well last night. Was there something about this inn that didn’t suit you?”
During their journey, Wen Hanshan had occasionally thrown out such seemingly trivial questions in the middle of idle conversation. At the time, Lou Xingyao had found them rather puzzling, even a little unnecessary.
Still, he had always answered honestly, voicing his personal tastes without thinking much of it.
Now, standing in this room and seeing every detail arranged in accordance with his answers, how could he not understand? Those casual questions had never been casual at all.
Wen Hanshan had been quietly gathering information, preparing to furnish a room for him while worrying that Lou Xingyao might dislike the result.
As for why Wen Hanshan had never said this outright, Lou Xingyao believed he understood. By now, he had some measure of Wen Hanshan’s character. He was precisely that sort of man, stubborn and proud, reluctant to show his heart openly.
Even when he acted out of consideration for someone else, he would cloak it in a façade of indifference, making it seem as though everything he did was nothing more than a passing whim.
This courtyard itself was the same. If Lou Xingyao had not asked earlier, Wen Hanshan might never have mentioned it at all. Even when asked directly, he had only said lightly, “I have no requirements for a place to stay.”
The furniture here followed the same pattern. Had Lou Xingyao inquired about it, he could already imagine Wen Hanshan’s answer, “I happened to see it, and since you seemed to like that style, I bought it along the way.” As if all those questions had never been asked, as if everything had been arranged without forethought.
But the truth was here, written into every detail of the room. And no matter how Wen Hanshan might try to disguise it, his thoughtful actions made Lou Xingyao feel a warmth he had not known for a very long time.
Since coming to the Tianming Continent, Lou Xingyao had felt like a rootless duckweed drifting on a vast river. He knew the place of his origin, but he had never known a place where he truly belonged.
His own Lou family had betrayed him for the sake of profit, handing him over to Madam He without hesitation. The He family had been polite, almost excessively so, because of the marriage arrangement.
Yet beneath that politeness there had only ever been formality, never true acceptance.
Later, when he arrived at the Zhou family, he had not even set eyes upon the room originally meant for Wen Hanshan.
Before he could so much as glance inside, he had been driven out by the unseen master of the Zhou clan, who had judged him unworthy without meeting him in person.
From that point on, Lou Xingyao had been either running or preparing to run. He had never paused long enough to put down roots.
The Tianming Continent was vast, with its great central city and one hundred and eight counties. Yet not a single corner of it had ever felt like home to him.
Now, standing in this small but carefully prepared room, he realized something different. At least here, Wen Hanshan had put effort into creating a place for him. Every detail was tailored to his preferences, a room that was his alone.
And to ensure he could stay without worry, Wen Hanshan had even accepted that symbolic one hundred taels of gold as rent.
It was at this moment that Lou Xingyao, for the first time, felt the reality of having a “home.”
The one bound by that contract of theirs was not him at all, it was Wen Hanshan.
At this thought, a soft ache rose in Lou Xingyao’s chest. Just what kind of malice had Wen Hanshan suffered in the past, to trust nothing but a contract?
What kind of loneliness had carved its way into his bones, that he would refuse to give his trust to anyone, yet still act in every way to protect Lou Xingyao simply because of a piece of signed parchment?
Whether it was the “White Moonlight villain” described in the novel or the flesh-and-blood Wen Hanshan standing beside him now, it seemed he had always been such a gentle, restrained person.
Lou Xingyao’s lips curved upward before he realized it, but almost immediately his smile faltered. A question struck him like a stone thrown into still water.
If Wen Hanshan was truly this gentle, this quietly considerate, then what had happened in the three years yet to come? What had twisted him into the version written in the story, the cold, ruthless man who stood on the opposite side of the protagonist?
The original text of the novel had never revealed that missing piece of history. No matter how much Lou Xingyao wracked his mind, he could not uncover even a single clue.
After fruitless thought, he forced himself to push the question aside. Instead, he drew out the two jade bottles of Meridian Renewal Pills.
He could not predict the future, but one truth was clear to him: all schemes and conspiracies crumbled before absolute strength.
The most pressing task was to mend his damaged meridians and begin drawing spiritual energy into his body. Only by strengthening himself would he be able to resist whatever unexpected storms lay ahead.
With that resolution, his desire for healing grew almost urgent.
But Wen Hanshan’s earlier reminder echoed in his ears. Thus Lou Xingyao did not immediately swallow the pill. Instead, his figure flickered and vanished, entering his personal spatial realm.
The moment he arrived, his feet landed on the familiar barren soil he had often thought of from outside. It was the first time he had truly stepped into space since obtaining it.
The interior of the space did not feel much different from the outside world. Squatting down, he scooped up a handful of earth. The soil beneath his fingers crumbled instantly into dry yellow sand.
A pang of doubt struck him. Could this land still be saved? Yet the description in the novel had said so, and he decided to treat the dying earth as if it still had a chance. With quick strides, he walked toward the small well at the edge of the field.
Up close, he saw it was shallow, barely more than a spring shaped into the form of a well. When he stretched out his hand, he could nearly touch the bottom. From a small hole, water trickled up endlessly.
Convenient, he thought. At the very least, drawing water would not take much effort.
A thought summoned a wooden bucket into his hand, the same one he had tossed into his medicine cabinet just before entering the space. This was another wonder of the space: anything placed in the cabinet could be freely used inside and out.
He dipped the bucket into the spring and pulled it up, brimming with clear water. Despite the bucket’s weight, the water level within the well had not fallen at all. Truly inexhaustible.
He wasted no time, raising the bucket and pouring the water over the cracked soil. But the earth swallowed it instantly, as though it had never been there.
“Was that too little?” he muttered. Against the vast acre of dry field, one bucket was a drop in the ocean. He drew another, then another, repeating the process again and again.
After four or five buckets, he finally noticed a faint change. The cracks in the soil began to close slightly, the yellow dust clumping together.
Encouraged, he quickened his pace. Several more buckets later, the cracks vanished altogether, and the earth’s color darkened, faintly turning from yellow toward black.
Though far from fully restored, this patch of land had at least reached the point where crops might grow. The description from the novel had not been a lie: the spring water could indeed rejuvenate barren soil.
But when Lou Xingyao lifted his gaze, he nearly despaired. He had spent all that effort carrying nearly twenty buckets of water, and yet only one-twentieth of the entire field showed signs of life.
If he were to continue alone, his small body would surely collapse before he finished.
“There’s a saying: nothing in the world is impossible, as long as you’re willing to give up,” he muttered dryly.
After a moment’s thought, he decided to postpone the task. Once he had drawn spiritual energy into his body, he could use his mind to move the water more efficiently. For now, exhausting himself made no sense.
Resolving that, he returned to the well and drew another bucket, this one for himself. Raising it to his lips, he suddenly paused.
The spring water’s ability to cleanse the body was something he had only read about. He had never tested it, nor knew if it was truly safe. What if drinking it directly brought some unforeseen harm?
Wen Hanshan’s suspicion seemed to have rubbed off on him. Still, Lou Xingyao told himself caution was never wrong. A bold mind paired with careful steps, that was the best path forward.
He set the bucket aside, deciding to test it on livestock tomorrow before drinking any himself.
After stowing the bucket in his medicine cabinet for later, he wandered around the space. But aside from the spring, the field, and a small empty wooden hut, the realm was barren and devoid of interest.
The novelty wore off quickly, replaced by the weariness of hauling so many buckets of water.
Too tired to linger, he let the thought of leaving rise in his mind. A familiar sensation of weightlessness seized him, and the next instant he was back in his room.
After washing thoroughly from head to toe, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, morning light was already pouring through the window. The bright sunlight was softened by the curtain, laying a golden sheen over the entire room and making it glow as though touched by some earthly immortality.
Lou Xingyao blinked at the sight, momentarily dazed. Memory returned slowly. Yesterday, they arrived in Xilin County. This house, this courtyard was his and Wen Hanshan’s home.
Home.
Just thinking the word filled him with profound satisfaction, his heart light with a joy he could not conceal.
Then a sharp sound reached his ears: the hiss of air being split open. Again and again it came, each time quick and powerful. Curious, Lou Xingyao rose, dressed, and opened his door.
In the courtyard, Wen Hanshan was practicing with his sword. The noise he had heard inside was the sword’s blade cutting through the air.
Lou Xingyao had little knowledge of swordsmanship beyond what he had seen in television dramas from his past life. Yet even with such shallow understanding, he could tell: Wen Hanshan’s movements were on an entirely different level.
His steps flowed like a dragon gliding through clouds. Each strike was clean and sharp, without any unnecessary flourish, yet dazzling to the eye all the same.
Even from nearly ten paces away, Lou Xingyao could feel the thunderous power rolling off the blade, a force so immense it seemed capable of shattering the heavens themselves. It was almost unbearable to watch directly.
Instinctively, he leaned back toward the safety of his room. At last, he understood why Wen Hanshan had earned the title of “the Number One Sword in the Tianming Continent.” Even the protagonist of the novel, who also walked the path of the sword, would fall far short of this mastery.
Lou Xingyao stood transfixed, unable to look away.
Only when Wen Hanshan finished, spinning the blade into a flourish before sliding it smoothly back into its sheath, did Lou Xingyao come back to himself.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Behind every translated chapter is someone who probably needs caffeine.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · Lu XioaWuChapter 3 · UncleChapter 4 · Substitute MarriageChapter 5 · Travelling Through BookChapter 6 · SpaceChapter 7 · InheritanceChapter 8 · ExplanationChapter 9 · He familyChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · WeddingChapter 12 · LeavingChapter 13 · SuspicionChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 15 · SummaryChapter 16 · Family BusinessChapter 17 · ResettlementChapter 18 · DeterminationChapter 19 · TreatChapter 20 · Enter the TaoChapter 21 · Private TrainingChapter 22 · BreakthroughChapter 23 · ExperienceChapter 24 Part 1 · Questions and AnswersChapter 24 Part 2 · Questions and answersChapter 25 · GiftChapter 25 Part 1 · GiftChapter 26 Part 1 · Sword IntentChapter 26 Part 2 · Sword IntentChapter 27 Part 1 · SelectChapter 27 Part 2 · SelectChapter 28 Part 1 · PastChapter 28 Part 2 · PastChapter 29 Part 1 · ConfessionChapter 29 Part 2 · ConfessionChapter 30 Part 1 · TradeChapter 30 Part 2 · TradeChapter 31 Part 1 · Male LeadChapter 31 Part 2 · Male LeadChapter 32 Part 1 · LuckChapter 32 Part 2 · LuckChapter 33 Part 1 · GuessingChapter 33 Part 2 · GuessingChapter 34 Part 1 · SystemChapter 34 Part 2 · SystemChapter 35 · OpportunityChapter 36 Part 1 · LingquanChapter 36 Part 2 · LingquanChapter 37 Part 1 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 37 Part 2 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 38 · Worth itChapter 39 · SaintessChapter 40 · ExperimentChapter 41 · Vampire SystemChapter 42 · NotesChapter 43 · WarningChapter 44 · PlanChapter 45 · Fellow VillagersChapter 46 · AssimilationChapter 47 · IlliterateChapter 48 · Pak WahChapter 49 · Sudden EnlightenmentChapter 50 · Wen ZhiChapter 51 · CarrierChapter 52 · LeavingChapter 53 · Follow UpChapter 54 · OutrageousChapter 55 · OnceChapter 56 · TeasingChapter 57 · Playing aroundChapter 58 · Beast fireChapter 59 · Watching a PlayChapter 60 · Extermination of the entire clanChapter 61 · ChoiceChapter 62 · PossessionChapter 63 · CalculationChapter 64 · GuaranteedChapter 65 · Grand OpeningChapter 66 · Grand OpeningChapter 67 · Protecting one’s ownChapter 68 · Secret RealmChapter 69 · BetrayalChapter 70 · DetailsChapter 71 · FramedChapter 72 · MeetingChapter 73 · KillChapter 74 · MapChapter 75 · FoundationChapter 76 · Strange Phenomenon!Chapter 77 · ExchangeChapter 78 · LetterChapter 79 · ShortcutChapter 80 · God of Slaughter!Chapter 81 · Poison PillChapter 82 · Lou ShuChapter 83 · ProgressChapter 84 · An attemptChapter 85 · Movement and StillnessChapter 86 · Good intentionsChapter 87 · ChangeChapter 88 · Childhood friendChapter 89 · ThoughtsChapter 90 · Old storiesChapter 91 · HeritageChapter 92 · TestChapter 93 · LoverChapter 94 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 95 · MasterChapter 96 · TeachingChapter 97 · IllusionChapter 98 · Mutual RestraintChapter 99 · ObstructionChapter 100 · PalaceChapter 101 · Core TechniqueChapter 102 · OathChapter 103 · Dual cultivationChapter 104 · AccessChapter 105 · VulnerabilityChapter 106 · DensityChapter 107 · WantedChapter 108 · EntrustChapter 109 · RevisitChapter 110 · MonitoringChapter 111 · Secret RealmChapter 112 · NourishChapter 113 · InventoryChapter 114 · Get Rich QuicklyChapter 115 · ElderChapter 116 · Grand FormationChapter 117 · Heaven’s WillChapter 118 · BountyChapter 119 · GainChapter 120 · BlameChapter 121 · ChattingChapter 122 · GuessChapter 123 · Zheng TianChapter 124 · SparringChapter 125 · Sword intentChapter 126 · KenshinChapter 127 · Auditing a classChapter 128 · CoincidenceChapter 129 · ContradictionChapter 130 · RouteChapter 131 · CostChapter 132 · ConfiscatedChapter 133 · Holding a grudgeChapter 134 · SupportChapter 135 · DeteriorationChapter 136 · Unable toChapter 137 · PriceChapter 138 · VariantChapter 139 · Start AnewChapter 140 · ShamelessChapter 141 · Black PotChapter 142 · Benefiting fromChapter 143 · PieChapter 144 · DifferencesChapter 145 · DetoxificationChapter 146 · Current situationChapter 147 · TeasingChapter 148 · IntelligenceChapter 149 · Returned GiftChapter 150 · Old debtChapter 151 · FleshChapter 152 · OpeningChapter 153 · GrudgesChapter 154 · RegretChapter 155 · Gang fightChapter 156 · GentleChapter 157 · ComplaintChapter 158 · ScreamsChapter 159 · GeniusChapter 160 · ConcernChapter 161 · Hidden StoryChapter 162 · StingyChapter 163 · Guilty conscienceChapter 164 Part 1 · StruggleChapter 164 Part 2 · StruggleChapter 165 · Win or LoseChapter 166 · TasteChapter 167 · Shifting The BlameChapter 168 · MoonlightChapter 169 · Past EventChapter 170 · RegretChapter 171 · RetributionChapter 172 · Cause and EffectChapter 173 · BackgroundChapter 174 · FlatteryChapter 175 · HonestChapter 176 · BookkeepingChapter 177 · FarewellChapter 178 · GuidelineChapter 179 · BottleneckChapter 180 · HabitChapter 181 · Casual ChatChapter 182 · Flowing WaterChapter 183 · RumoursChapter 184 · Seeking AdviceChapter 185 · PityChapter 186 · FormationChapter 187 · BasicChapter 188 · Fake TombChapter 189 · BewareChapter 190 · TraceChapter 191 · DiscussChapter 192 · Ancestral preceptsChapter 193 · Loose CultivatorChapter 194 · AllocationChapter 195 · Thank you for your kindnessChapter 196 · ExplanationChapter 197 · ErrorChapter 198 · Culinary skillsChapter 199 · Starry SeaChapter 200 · ComparisonChapter 201 · FrustratedChapter 202 · Don’t watchChapter 203 · LonelinessChapter 204 · NoChapter 205 · Exposing ShortcutsChapter 206 · CraftsmanshipChapter 207 · Bottom LineChapter 208 · StrikeChapter 209 · Ten GoldChapter 210 · Pretentious