Martial Cultivator

If that were all, it would not have been enough for Yu Xiyi to be handled by her to this extent. The key was that this little girl was also very good at reading people. Many times, she would take the initiative to sidle up to him, calling him “Master” this and “Master” that.

Pouring tea, kneading shoulders, she was very perceptive.

And that was how Yu Xiyi ended up being completely wrapped around the finger of that little ancestor.

After thinking it over, however, Yu Xiyi felt there was nothing wrong with it. Your Father is a dignified great sword immortal. Other impressive cultivators all have to be respectful in front of me. Even when facing truly formidable figures, like the Sword Sect’s Sect Master, it is still just a matter of drawing the sword when it is time to draw the sword. With just that alone, who under heaven would dare laugh at me?

As for doting a bit on his final disciple, that was no big deal either. After all, she was his disciple. Nothing shameful about that.

Yu Xiyi stopped talking and lay back in his chair, staring eagerly as he waited for He Liang to finish frying the cicadas.

Actually, that sort of thing went best with wine. But even with the finest wine, there was no one in the Divine Capital to drink with, and that made it dull.

This was not to say that Yu Xiyi had no friends in the Divine Capital. With his status as a great sword immortal on display, how could he lack friends?

It was just that the person he most wanted to drink with had not yet returned.

“Damn it, how did things end up with me looking like the one whose home is in the Divine Capital, while that stinking brat look like someone with no home at all, wandering everywhere?”

Scratching his head, Yu Xiyi smacked his lips and glanced at another little girl who had been standing off in the distance, the one called Ning Qingnian. Her temperament was too cold, far too solitary. Still, she did seem to be a good seed for a martial artist. Given time, she would become a woman martial artist of the Nepenthe realm.

As Yu Xiyi’s thoughts wandered, over by the bamboo building He Liang first carried out a wooden table, then brought over a plate of golden fried cicadas.

Yu Xiyi perked up, grabbed one, and tossed it into his mouth. He nodded. Not bad. Nice and crispy.

But in the end, Yu Xiyi was not the sort to eat alone. He soon called the kids over to eat the fried cicadas together. After thinking it over, the young great sword immortal still asked for a bowl of wine.

Just one bowl.

Drinking alone made the wine taste dull.

A group of kids sat around the wooden table.

He Liang and Yu Qingfeng, along with his own final disciple, Jiang Xiao’an.

He Liang and Yu Qingfeng still picked up a few fried cicadas from time to time, but Jiang Xiao’an wore a look of clear disdain. “Master, you are at least from the Sword Sect. How can you like eating this kind of thing?!”

In the eyes of this little girl, who had been extremely well cared for by her parents since childhood, fried cicadas were something only poor families would ever touch.

After she said this, He Liang scratched his head. “I ate a lot of these when I was little. It really was because my family couldn’t afford meat. Even then, we couldn’t bear to use much oil, so the earthy smell was really strong.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xiao’an’s face flushed at once, and guilt appeared in her eyes.

Yu Xiyi took over with a smile. “This stuff isn’t just for filling your stomach. In many places, it’s even something you can’t buy no matter how much money you have. Wealthy families like it the most.”

“They really are strange,” He Liang said.

Yu Xiyi laughed loudly and took a sip of wine.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xiao’an changed the subject. “Master, just drinking wine isn’t very interesting. How about telling a story? Tell us how you met the Lord Warden Commander.” Yu Xiyi raised an eyebrow, looked at the three kids, and asked, “You really want to hear it?”

He Liang nodded first, and Yu Qingfeng followed suit. They had long since regarded their master as an idol, and they wanted to know everything about him.

Even Ning Qingnian, who had been some distance away, slowly walked over at this point.

Jiang Xiao’an stood up directly, went behind her master, and began kneading his shoulders for him.

Yu Xiyi enjoyed this greatly and said with a smile, “Then I’ll talk about that trip to the Sublime Bright Sect.”

“Sublime Bright Sect? How come I’ve never heard of it?” Yu Qingfeng looked suspicious, feeling that Yu Xiyi was about to make something up.

“Of course you haven’t heard of it now. In the early years, the Sublime Bright Sect considered itself the second-ranked sect of the Longevity Dao lineage. And it wasn’t just them who thought so. The entire cultivation world thought the same. Only later did people realize that Infatuation Daoist Temple had been hiding far too deeply. The gap between second and first was much greater than anyone imagined.”

“Even so, it was still a colossal power. Back then, your master was not much older than you are now.”

Yu Xiyi smiled. “But his courage was far greater. With a rip here and a tear there, he wiped an entire Sublime Bright Sect off the face of this world.”

Yu Xiyi raised one hand, took another sip of wine, and said with a grin, “Recklessly bold. That’s exactly what your master was.”

After that, Yu Xiyi began recounting the details of that incident from back then, speaking fairly seriously. His storytelling skill was average, but the story itself was exciting enough that the kids listened with rapt attention.

After finishing speaking, Yu Xiyi sighed and said, “I only found out later that your master had always been enemies with the Sublime Bright Sect. Once he had a bit of ability to take revenge, of course he went to take revenge.”

“That fellow, his temper has always been like this. Anyone who has a grudge with him, don’t even think about escaping. That Three Streams Manor was the same. A feud formed years ago, and didn’t he just take revenge these past few years whenever he said he would? Anyway, I’ve understood it now. You can provoke anyone, just don’t provoke that brat. If you do, as long as he doesn’t die, sooner or later he will repay the grudge.”

Yu Xiyi rubbed his wrist and narrowed his eyes. This matter had already spread throughout the lands beyond the world. Who now didn’t know that the Lord Warden Commander of Great Liang was someone who would repay even the smallest slight.

Yu Xiyi took a sip of wine and said, “Even his own elder brother, he treated him badly, so he slashed with a single stroke of his blade without hesitation. You disciples had better think carefully as well. There’s nothing wrong with parting on good terms, but it’s best not to one day fall out completely and then try to scheme against your master. When that happens, the bit of master–disciple bond you have will be gone entirely. If it’s gone, it’s gone. What I’m afraid of is that when the time comes, your master will just chop off your heads with a swing of his blade as well.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xiao’an complained, “Master, what are you saying?”

Yu Xiyi waved his hand. “I’m not as ruthless as that kid Chen Chao. If one day you schemed against your teacher, I reckon I still wouldn’t have the heart to fight you to the death.”

Jiang Xiao’an’s eyes immediately reddened, and she sobbed, “Master?”

Yu Xiyi raised his hand and shouted that it was his fault, his fault, his fault.

Jiang Xiao’an turned her head away, refusing to look at her free master.

Ning Qingnian, who had not spoken the entire time, suddenly said, “Whoever dares treat Master badly in the future, I’ll kill them.”

The little girl’s face was cold, her voice very young, but the words were filled with killing intent.

And very clearly, those words were directed at the two senior brothers in front of her.

He Liang glanced at his senior brother. Yu Qingfeng rolled his eyes. “Master is so formidable. Who would be full with nothing better to do and go scheme against him?”

He Liang lowered his head and looked at the tops of his shoes, saying nothing.

It was just that this poor boy from a small town, for some reason, really, really missed his master. He didn’t know whether, before summer ended, his master would be able to return to the Divine Capital.

He felt as though he had many things he wanted to say to him, but also as though, if they truly met again, whether those words were said or not would no longer matter.

As long as his master could return safely, that would be enough.

So He Liang raised his head and asked curiously, “Martial Uncle Yu, when will Master come back?”

Yu Xiyi looked completely unperturbed, tossed a fried cicada into his mouth, and muttered, “Heaven knows.”

......

......

A ferry boat turned from the great river into the open sea, and finally docked at a ferry crossing north of Ying Prefecture.

Travelers filed off the boat one after another.

Among them was a young man in black robes. After disembarking, he did not leave immediately, but instead began strolling around the ferry crossing with great interest.

This place was crowded with people, most of them wealthy merchants, and as a result, the small stalls selling various goods here were all rather expensive.

The black-robed young man stopped in front of a stall selling seashells and looked over the various kinds of shells laid out on the stall.

The stall owner was a man who made his living at sea year-round, his skin darkened by the sun. Seeing the black-robed young man, he took the initiative to smile and say, “Guest, seashells aren’t cheap, but if you buy them to take home and give to a young lady, they’re worth it, especially for girls who’ve never seen these things.”

The black-robed young man smiled and said, “You’re quite straightforward, elder brother.”

The man laughed and said, “I just say it like it is. These seashells don’t really have much use, they’re just nice to look at, but you have to go out to sea to find them. No matter how you put it, going out to sea is dangerous, so selling them for a bit more is nothing.”

The black-robed young man thought for a moment and said, “I’ve heard there are pearl divers, called Dan people, who go out to sea, and once they do, the chances of coming back are slim?”

The man nodded and said, “That’s right. After they go out to sea, they still have to dive to the seabed to look for large shellfish. Each time they go into the water, it’s like putting their life on the line. It’s not easy. But if it weren’t for that bit of silver, who would be willing to do a job where you tie your head to your belt?”

The black-robed young man nodded and said nothing more.

“Does guest want to buy pearls? I don’t have any here, but if you really want them, I can point you to a place. The price will definitely be fair.”

The black-robed young man shook his head and said, “Not enough silver. I’ll just buy some seashells for the children at home.”

The man laughed and said, “Pick whatever you like. But you look so young, guest, and you’re already married with children?”

The black-robed young man picked up a seashell and examined it carefully, replying casually, “Not children. A few disciples.”