Chapter 61, Reunion with Wei Jingchen (End of Volume Two)...

It was ten days later when I returned to the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Gate.

When I left this place it was late summer, but when I returned it was already winter. In the blink of an eye, the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Gate had become much more desolate. The lotus flowers that had been blooming in the pond had withered, leaving only withered branches floating, waiting to sprout again next year.

Lin Chengye quickly returned to his courtyard to wash up and change into new clothes before heading straight to Guan Xiaoxian's residence.

Having not seen her adoptive mother for a long time, she missed her dearly. In addition, she had just crafted a weapon she admired and couldn't help but want to show it to her mother and ask for her praise.

Even she herself didn't realize that on her way to Guan Xiaoxian's door, she slowly curled her lips into a smile, her eyes brimming with joy.

However, when she excitedly pushed open the door, her smile froze on her face. Lin Chengye quickly coughed a few times, becoming much more serious. She narrowed her eyes and asked.

Why are you two here?

Guan Xiaoxian wasn't alone in the main hall; there were two other guests she hadn't expected. Lin Chengye still bowed to the two of them.

“The old man with four silk ribbons is Master Chu.”

"As your health improves, your temper seems to grow stronger."

The old woman with the four hairpins still looked the same, with a red, bulbous nose and eyes that seemed perpetually sleepy. She walked down cheerfully, circled Lin Chengye curiously twice, then reached out to feel her pulse, and exclaimed in surprise.

"This is truly wonderful. This Bone-Growing Two-Headed Serpent is indeed a rare treasure. Sect Master Guan, you are truly generous."

“This is my daughter, what is there to be reluctant about?”

Guan Xiaoxian snorted disdainfully and beckoned to Lin Chengye. Lin Chengye obediently walked over, sat down next to Guan Xiaoxian, held her fingertips with both hands, rested his head on her knees, and spoke in a completely different tone.

"It's been quite a while since I left, and I miss my mother dearly. I wonder if my mother misses me too?"

"Of course I want to. If it weren't for the fact that the jade vein of Mengshan City is worth thousands of gold pieces, I would have dug it up for you and placed it in the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect."

Guan Xiaoxian laughed so hard her eyes were almost closed. She patted Lin Chengye on the back and said...

"And I even saw your name in that book of wonders. You must have had a very fruitful trip to Mengshan City, right? Were you happy?"

"It's a long story, and I wouldn't say I'm happy, but my daughter has certainly gained a lot."

Lin Chengye shook his head, then suddenly drew a pair of blades from his waist, the swords humming as they were drawn. The three people in the main hall were all surprised; in fact, they didn't need to look closely to know that this sword was no ordinary item.

Chu Wuding, who had been quietly drinking tea, looked over with great interest. He waved his hand, and the swords flew into his hand. Chu Wuding grasped one of the swords, the Green Pine Sword, and casually swung it forward. A willow tree in the courtyard was cut in half and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"It's a fine sword. What's its name?" Chu Wuding rarely asked with such praise.

“The Yin-Yang Twin Spring Swords,” Lin Chengye replied. Upon hearing this name, Chu Wuding gave her a meaningful look but said nothing, then placed the sword back into Guan Xiaoxian's hand.

"Her martial arts talent is also extremely high; she has already broken through to the fifth level. You've really gotten a good young sect leader this time."

"Do you even need to tell me that?"

Guan Xiaoxian was genuinely surprised to hear the phrase "fifth level," but then she was overjoyed. She smiled smugly, looked at the two swords again and again, and looked quite satisfied.

“Chengye, this sword has passed my test. Countless people from all over the world have asked me to forge swords, but for the people of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect, the forging of a sword is not the end, but the beginning. This sword will accompany you as you grow. As your strength gradually increases, you will melt it down and recreate it. Even when your state of mind changes, it will change its appearance.”

Guan Xiaoxian placed the sword in Lin Chengye's palm with great seriousness and said solemnly.

"I hope this sword will always be with you, and you must cherish it and not discard it easily."

“My daughter has remembered it.”

Lin Chengye nodded seriously.

"Alright, now give me a chance to speak. I'll be leaving soon. This trip was at His Majesty's behest."

Chu Wuding tapped his knee with his finger.

"After you left Jiuchen City... His Majesty was truly ruthless. The Mi family was exterminated and ceased to exist, and the Prince Chen, to whom they served, also committed suicide."

Chu Wuding snorted coldly and took out a letter from his pocket, handing it to Lin Chengye.

"See for yourself. This is what His Majesty asked me to give you."

"However, these two only knew that the person was from the Chulin family, and did not know about the Half-Immortal. Just as I was about to question them about their names, the two suddenly became strange, their eyes were glazed, and they bit their tongues and committed suicide as if they were being manipulated. Moreover, when I was confiscating their property, their mansion suddenly caught fire for no reason and was completely destroyed."

"The person behind this really did it cleanly and efficiently."

Lin Chengye snorted coldly and put the letter back in his pocket. Chu Wuding got up and took out another letter from his pocket and gave it to her.

"You can worry about those things. His Majesty actually wants me to give you another letter."

Lin Chengye opened it, and there was only one line of text on it.

"If you have lofty ambitions and wish to abandon your official career, the gates of Southern Qi will always be open to you."

"I..." Lin Chengye opened his mouth, about to speak. But Chu Wuding moved and disappeared in an instant, leaving behind only the words, "Don't be in such a hurry to answer."

Ji Gongyun is a good emperor, Lin Chengye rubbed his temples. He had to admit it. She was efficient and decisive, and although she might have a bit of a temper, she was definitely a person with the world in her heart. With someone like Chu Wuding by her side, Southern Qi would surely usher in a golden age under her rule.

If I could serve them, my wish to serve the country and its people would surely be fulfilled.

However… Lin Chengye shook his head. The second young lady of the Lin family, descended from a military family, was acting for the sake of the country and its people. And the future young master of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect would not be confined to one country, but would live for the people of the world and for the chivalry of the martial world.

What's so good about being an official?

Guan Xiaoxian also saw the words, snorted coldly with disdain, raised her chin at the old man with four silk ribbons, and asked.

"Old man of four silks, who have you come for? Tell me quickly."

"Sect Master Guan, what I'm about to say might not be pleasant, so please don't send me back."

The old man with the four silk ribbons looked unusually serious and bowed to Lin Chengye and Guan Xiaoxian.

“I’m here to take her away, Miss Lin must understand that. My master is waiting for you in Bingzhou and has ordered me to bring you back as soon as possible.”

...

"Riding a horse is still better."

The old man took a swig of strong liquor and smacked his lips with satisfaction. The horse swayed, but not a drop of liquor spilled.

"Finally, I don't have to ride in a carriage anymore, and I was..."

The old man with four silk robes glanced sideways at Bian Yi, then quickly shut his mouth.

"Don't you know why I tied you up in the first place?"

Bian Yi glared at her.

The two started arguing, with Lin Chengye between them, and the content was extremely childish. Lin Chengye shook her head helplessly, exhaling a puff of warm air. She looked up and caught the snow falling from the sky.

The three of them traveled north, not knowing when or where they had passed, or which mountain they had crossed, when snow began to fall again.

This snow was different from the lingering snow of Mengshan City; it was massive, threatening to crush people, and bone-chillingly cold. Lin Chengye stopped wasting his inner strength and obediently put on his thick robe.

"It's getting colder and colder, and we're almost at the border."

Bian Yi suddenly looked back. Although the world was a vast expanse of white, and there were only a few hoofprints left behind, he suddenly sighed.

"I didn't actually stay in Southern Qi for that long. When I was young, I just traveled around to challenge some talented people, and I would leave after only a few days."

“When I went down the mountain to travel, your mother and that emperor had already left Qingluan Medicine Valley. Only my eldest sister, master, and I remained on the mountain. My eldest sister liked to collect stones from different places, so whenever I went to a place, I would pick out the most beautiful stone and ask someone to take it back with me.”

She suddenly took something out of her bosom. Lin Chengye turned his head to look at her palm; it was a piece of warm jade, the kind found in Mengshan City's jade veins. She sighed, a hint of melancholy in her expression.

"I... I put it away subconsciously."

Bian Yi rarely talks about the past, but she always mentions her sect. Lin Chengye realized that this person had lived longer than her, yet her world was still very small. Most of her past was destroyed with the destruction of Qingluan Medicine Valley, and she was currently trapped in Jiangjin Realm for various reasons, rarely going out.

"Yes, I'll come back again in the future and stay in one place for a while longer."

Lin Chengye smiled, freeing one hand from the reins, and closed Bian Yi's five fingers, holding the warm jade in his palm again, and said.

"When we return to Lai Kingdom, you should also visit Qingluan Medicine Valley and leave this stone there as a gift for your senior sister."

...

On the 15th day of the 11th month of the 21st year of Yongjing, heavy snow fell in Bingzhou, Lai State.

It was late at night. Wei Jingchen was wearing a bright red brocade crane cloak with a thick sable fur lining. The robe was woven with a dark python pattern in gold thread, and a wide belt with dark gold cloud patterns was tied around his waist, with a black jade buckle in the center.

She dismissed the servants and sat alone in a small octagonal pavilion in the courtyard of the mansion, with two blue wine cups placed in front of her.

Suddenly, he heard a series of hurried footsteps. Wei Jingchen smiled slightly and raised his hand to fill the two empty cups.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time."

Lin Chengye was extremely thirsty from her journey, and upon entering the city, she was urged by the old man Sishou. Without ceremony, she picked up a cup of wine from the table and drank it all in one gulp, not forgetting to bow to Wei Jingchen.

"Thank you, Your Highness. May I have a drink of water?"

"Oh……"

Wei Jingchen looked Lin Chengye up and down. This man was far from the sickly figure he had been before. He had gained a carefree attitude from the martial arts world and regained the vitality of his youth.

She lightly touched the rim of her cup to Lin Chengye's empty one, the crisp sound echoing in the pavilion. Wei Jingchen stood up, also downed his drink in one gulp, and said...

"haven't seen you for a long time."

(The End of Volume Two, The Long Night)

Author's Note: Volume Two is finished! Hooray! This volume is about twice the length of the first, and it covers the journey to Southern Qi. Cheng Ye gained the most in this volume; she made friends, gained a mother, and began to make a name for herself in the martial arts world.

There were many stumbles and setbacks while writing, but when I typed out the last few words of Volume Two, I think I was quite satisfied with this volume.

Next is the trip to the royal palace of Lai Kingdom, which is the most important volume of the entire story. I'm not sure how it will be written, so I'm a little uneasy (rubbing my hands).

There's a lot more I want to say, but saying more would sound like talking to myself, so I'll stop here.

Hopefully, the ending of Volume Two will satisfy those of you who are reading it!

And, the title of Volume Three is "Broken Fire Blade".