Chapter 22 The Wildfire (Part 3) Descending the Mountain
Li Changfeng, known as the Sword Master of his time, later changed his Taoist name to Sword Immortal. He was a free-spirited and unrestrained man who was always with wine on his hands.
When Lin Feiran was young, he had also ridden the wind with him on a sword. Today, he suddenly remembered it and felt as if he had returned to that day, carefree, happy and unrestrained.
Although Zhang Chunhe claimed to be unskilled with the sword, it was merely a humble statement. His swordsmanship was indeed impressive, though it lacked spirit. However, at his level, even if it were just a puppet wielding a sword, it should not be underestimated.
If Lin Feiran's swordplay was somewhat chaotic when she was under the spell, she was now very methodical and calm. Every move she made was a matter of choice, all in order to find his momentary weakness.
Her spiritual power was not enough to last until now, but now that she has turned her sword heart, it is the time to replenish her spiritual power. In addition, the fragrant pearl of the sword bone slowly circulates, and more spiritual power flows into her body, so she has no shortage of spiritual power for a while.
Her spiritual meridians had been stagnant for many years, and she had long been accustomed to using every bit of spiritual power sparingly. Now, it was as if a spring had been opened for her, making her even more unstoppable!
The sword slashed down, carrying a fierce wind. Zhang Chunhe's long sword had already broken, and he was now using the Heart-Sweeping Dust-Wielding Whisk. Against the sharp sword, he was naturally at a disadvantage.
Both sides have their own strategies in their confrontation.
Lin Feiran circled around the sword, his footwork shifting, attacking from both sides when the man only had one arm left. If he didn't dodge, the smooth jade hilt against the double-edged sword wouldn't be advantageous; if he did dodge, the sword intent would turn to destroy those "eyes."
As his gaze fades and the array dissipates, his control over the puppets will only become increasingly difficult.
At this moment, Zhang Chunhe stared intently at the fragrant bead beside her. He could tell that it was a "frozen" sword bone that had been forcibly reassembled just before it was about to dissipate and vanish, thus retaining its original state. Therefore, it still resonated with Lin Feiran, absorbing spiritual energy for her and providing her with a layer of protection.
I wonder who has the leisure to go to such great lengths to collect her discarded bones.
If Fangzhu were to shatter, she wouldn't be as at ease as she is now. If she could hold on a little longer, Fajing would be able to bring her back as summoned.
Both sides seemed to be waiting for an opportunity to advance or retreat.
But Lin Feiran didn't want to wait any longer.
She took several steps back, leaned back to dodge Zhang Chunhe's attack, her cyan longsword hovered in the air, her hands formed a hand seal, and as soon as the sword technique was released, it brought out several wisps of breeze, and the cyan longsword immediately flew away.
Ignoring Zhang Chunhe's fading smile, Lin Feiran flipped over and stepped onto her sword, several sword lights following her like shadows, even the wind she exhaled carried a sense of exhilaration.
A touch of noble spirit, a thousand miles of exhilarating wind.
With her longsword flying swiftly beneath her feet, she extended her fingers together, unleashing a flurry of sword light that swept away the closed "eyes" one by one, leaving no trace like the wind, as gentle as clouds, and as fine as rain. A burst of spiritual light ignited, and the world within the mirror began to vanish.
Zhang Chunhe naturally wouldn't let her destroy the treasure. He could even feel his connection with the puppet growing weaker, and the timing was not good.
The whisk in his hand materialized, and the Azure Bow was once again fully drawn, creaking loudly.
Up and down, movement and stillness, relaxation and tension—all converged at the tip of the arrow, transforming into a streak of light that hurtled straight toward Lin Feiran. In the blink of an eye, the pale, luminous sword bone pearl drifted down.
What is the sword bone? It is born soft and initially grows lightly under the spine like flowing gold and jade marrow. It needs to be nourished by the heart and watered by the spirit in order to gradually grow into one with the spine over decades.
Once fully grown, it becomes the hardest thing in the world.
The stronger one's heart, the harder one's sword; the heart has no limits, and so does the sword.
Zhang Chunhe did not hold back. The Flowing Light Arrow struck the Fragrant Pearl, sparking bursts of brilliant sparks before exploding with a deafening roar. The Fragrant Pearl cracked open, but the Flowing Light Arrow was reduced to dust.
He focused his gaze on the sky. No one had ever escaped his arrows before, but this person had done it twice!
Such exquisite bones, if they were born beneath the spine, how perfectly they would complement each other. Moreover…
Zhang Chunhe slowly closed his eyes, his mind a jumble of thoughts that eventually coalesced into a complex gaze that slowly settled on that figure. He had been searching for a solution for years, never imagining that it would be right before his eyes all along.
It had been right under his nose all along!
Lin Feiran did not turn around, but sped through the air at an extremely fast speed, his hands never stopping.
One hundred pairs of eyes, one by one, were freed and departed, each beam of clear light scattering out, finally condensing into a carefree breeze that brushed against the stray hairs on Lin Feiran's cheek.
The puppet's light dimmed, and its movements became extremely slow. By the time Lin Feiran leaped to its side, before he could even turn around, the remaining left arm was severed by the sword light.
Lin Feiran looked at Zhang Chunhe, his sword pointing to his brow.
"Logically, when a disciple descends the mountain, the sect should present him with a Five Sacred Mountains True Form Talisman made of lightning-struck wood to sever the ties with the sect. Right now, there happens to be a fine piece of lightning-struck wood, so I'll accept it!"
With that, she slashed with her sword, severing the puppet in half at the waist. The runes were cut open, and the puppet could no longer move, forced to lie prostrate on the ground.
She bent down and picked out a smooth, clean piece of wood from the scattered "limbs," and carved a true image of the Five Sacred Mountains from the crackling patterns on it, then placed it in front of the puppet.
He can see it.
"Lin Feiran, the 17th generation Class A disciple of Daohe Palace, descended the mountain today to discuss the Dao through martial arts. The head disciple knelt down to approve, which moved me deeply."
In an instant, the bronze mirror hanging high in the sky shattered into several pieces, and the world in the mirror gradually dissolved and spread. Looking up, one could see a crescent moon condensed in the night sky, revealing a smoky purple canopy.
It was already dusk.
The puppets were scattered everywhere. He looked up at Lin Feiran, about to speak, but she just stared silently at the fragrant pearl.
She raised her hand, and the bead slowly fell into her palm. The luminescence faded, and the light flickered, like a faint breath.
It has done its best, fighting side by side.
Lin Feiran leaped to the top of the tree, the slender willow branches swaying slightly. She looked at the moonlight, clenched her fists, and threw the indestructible sword bone bead into the air. She raised her sword and slashed, and the fragrant bead shattered into pieces, turning into light dust.
A gust of wind blows, and the grains rise up, each one radiating a golden-red light, silently burning under the smoky purple night sky.
They spun around Lin Feiran, circled her fingertips, and then drifted into the distance, falling into the river and the streets, where sparks ignited like wildfire, but only produced a wisp of pure heat.
The past, like this scattered sword bone bead, has vanished with the wind.
She descended into the street and walked towards the puppet in the firelight, stopping before it without uttering a word.
In the puppet's last glimpse, there was a blaze of fire that could have engulfed him. The lightning-struck wood crackled and popped as it burned, eventually turning into ashes along with the scattered sparks and vanishing into nothingness.
With everything finally settled, Lin Feiran, his spiritual energy depleted, clutched the Five Sacred Mountains True Form Talisman and fell backward.
The green sword in her hand immediately transformed into a white fox with green eyes. It barked and its small body grew several times larger, blocking Lin Feiran, who then fell into a heap.
She vaguely saw many people running towards her, perhaps they really came for her, perhaps not, but it didn't matter anymore, she always had her own path.
...
Lin Feiran fell into a dream again. This time, the scene in the dream was both strange and familiar. Yes, this was the memory that she had been struck by golden lightning in the mirror world.
The mountain and the foot of the mountain may seem like just two simple words, but for cultivators on the main path, they are like two different worlds.
Those who descend the mountain can no longer study the sect's ancient texts and must also face the complexities of the world, making it difficult to cultivate in seclusion. Therefore, very few people choose to descend the mountain.
However, since the Human Emperor established the Canxing Domain, those who descended the mountain had another choice. The Canxing Domain also contained ancient books of magic and resources, so serving the Human Emperor and staying in the sect became two completely different worlds.
Lin Feiran first heard about going down the mountain on her sixth birthday.
At that time, the Canxing Domain was about to welcome a cultivator who had descended from the mountain, known as the Sword Master Li Changfeng. In order to welcome him, Luoyang City in Zhongzhou even set up a winding stream banquet to welcome him.
Xiao Lin Feiran didn't know who Li Changfeng was, but at that time she had only recently learned about cultivation and was at the height of her enthusiasm and curiosity, so she pestered her parents to go to the street to watch the ceremony and see who this Li Changfeng was.
As her mother applied lip rouge, she sighed, "What's so interesting about Li Changfeng? He's just a drunkard."
Xiao Lin Feiran exclaimed in surprise, "Mother, you know him?"
She nodded, drew a floral design on her forehead, and casually said, "We knew each other before."
Lin Lang, who had been watching her do her makeup with his chin resting on his hand, got up and leaned over upon hearing this, chattering incessantly: "Huh? How did you meet? Are you close? How long have you known each other? Why haven't I seen you two together lately?"
Xiao Lin Feiran's gaze shifted between the two of them. She saw her mother smilingly push her father's face away and wipe her hands, saying, "Because he's just like you, too simple-minded, and annoying to look at."
Lin Lang looked at Xiao Lin Feiran, his head drooping and ears hanging low: "Manman, it seems that your father has become someone else's substitute... After your father is driven away and the swordsman enters the door, you can only call him uncle, and you are not allowed to call him father!"
"..."
By then, Lin Feiran had long been accustomed to Lin Lang's personality. Outside, he was a majestic young general, spirited, bold, and meticulous, but at home, he would often look aggrieved.
She opened her mouth to offer comfort, but then closed it again, turning to look at her mother: "Mother, when are we going to see her?"
She closed the dressing case, got up and took her hand: "Let's go now. Someone like him will definitely come from the west on a sword. Haven't you been saying you want to see an immortal riding a sword? Now you can see it."
Lin Lang's face fell even more. He rushed forward and hugged the two of them, tears welling up in his eyes: "Qingqing, don't look down on me for being just a mortal! Manman, don't worry, if Dad is really kicked out in the future, I will definitely come back and steal you away. We will wander the world together!"
Kobayashi Feiran: "...You should just wander around on your own."
The family of three went out to the main street of Luoyang City, where it was already crowded with onlookers. Lin Feiran was too small to see, so Lin Lang carried her on his shoulder.
The mother, standing to the side, clicked her tongue in amazement.
"Li Changfeng used to go down the mountain to exorcise demons at the drop of a hat, and he was punished a lot for it. Everyone called him Sword Hero. But I don't know why, now he calls himself Sword Master. His heroic spirit has greatly diminished. He really has no class."
Lin Feiran was immediately captivated by the legendary title of "Sword Master".
They waited a long time that day, so long that Lin Feiran began to look around, observing the yawning commoners, the diligent soldiers, and the composed officials.
The group included Emperor Shen Tu Lu, Ding Yi, the head of the Canxing Domain, a group of princes and princesses, and a woman dressed in elegant white.
She stood gracefully, exuding an air of nobility. Behind her, a maid held a curtained umbrella, the pink and white gauze draping over her from above, obscuring her face. Only her slender hands were visible, her fingers adorned with various floral patterns, exquisite and delicate, impossible to ignore.
Everyone knows that she is the Holy Palace Lady.
Lin Feiran was momentarily drawn to her fingernails and glanced at them a few more times. In a daze, she seemed to sense someone casting a distant glance from behind the curtain.
"Slowly, here's a packet of fried fruit!" Lin Lang handed her a paper packet. "Can you see it? Want Daddy to jump around a bit?"
"Don't jump!" Xiaolin Feiran immediately called out to stop them.
"Oh dear, Manman, you're just too shy. Learn from your father and accept everyone's admiring gaze with composure." After saying that, Lin Lang actually jumped up and down three times, attracting the attention of many people.
Just as Lin Feiran couldn't stand the scorching gazes around her and was about to get down and stand on her own, her mother supported her, teasingly saying, "You're here."
Everyone looked up and saw a man riding a sword coming from across the sunlight. He was dressed casually, with a wine gourd hanging at his waist, his hair tied in a topknot, his face as handsome as jade, his eyes as bright as stars, and his smile unrestrained.
The sword flashed, the wind howled, the sound was like a booming bell, a sword came from the west, and the steps were as swift as a shooting star.
Instead of going to the city wall to pay his respects, he swung around the crowd, laughing loudly: "I'm in a good mood today, which little brat wants to try flying on a sword?"
Lin Feiran looked up at him, at the dazzling sword light, her lips slightly parted. Before she could speak, Lin Lang jumped three feet high, standing out in the crowd.
"Me! Me! I'll think about going home later!"
The people standing nearby then realized what was happening and, thinking it was a blessing from an immortal, became lively. However, they were not as quick as Lin Lang, and the sword light had already stopped in front of Lin Feiran.
Li Changfeng looked at her, his eyes lighting up: "Good, good physique! Want to swim a lap, little one?"
At that moment, Lin Feiran hesitated for a moment before reaching out her hand to him, stepping onto the sword that was only a hand's width wide. Li Changfeng supported her arms, took a sip of wine, let out a joyful shout, and carried her into the sky.
Before leaving, Lin Feiran turned her head and glanced back. Her father had his arm around her mother's shoulder and was waving excitedly at her. Her mother was holding up a silk fan to half-cover her face, with a smile between her brows and a very gentle look in her eyes.
Li Changfeng laughed loudly, his sword moving at an extremely fast speed, a sharp breeze blowing around him, sometimes high, sometimes low, as he roamed freely through the world.
The clouds were extremely thin, the mountains were extremely small, the lake was serene and distant, and the fragrant grass was vast. This was the first time Lin Feiran had looked down upon the world.
I have a jug of wine, enough to fill the entire land. One drop moistens ten thousand mountains and marshes, another nourishes the sun and moon. I gaze upon heaven and earth, caring not for the path to immortality. With a thousand cups in hand, I roam freely on my carefree journey!
Lin Feiran looked up at him and asked in a crisp voice, "What do you mean by 'going down the mountain'? Why do you want to go down the mountain?"
Li Changfeng laughed heartily: "You're still young, you don't understand how vast and boundless this world is. A mere inch of mountain is too small; all ages and the Great Dao are at its foot! What I want is also at its foot!"
That was Lin Feiran's first time flying on a sword, his first time hearing about the Great Dao, and his first time hearing about descending the mountain.
Li Changfeng carried Lin Feiran on his sword for a long time before slowly stopping above the city wall. He looked at Ding Yi, who was smiling, and a flood of emotions welled up in his heart. All his feelings could be summed up in one sentence.
"Senior brother, I'm going down the mountain."
Since that day, Lin Feiran has been like a man possessed, not only reading Li Changfeng's folk biography at home until she was completely absorbed, but also waving a tree branch around all day long, saying, "I want to be like Li Changfeng!"
Her blood was boiling, her heart was itching with excitement, and she was filled with boundless pride. Still too young to lift the ten-pound iron sword, she picked up a pen and, borrowing famous quotes from ancient sages, poured out her surging emotions onto paper, each word flowing out with each stroke.
I will never follow the path of the villainous supporting character Lin Feiran, nor will I ever see that damned Wei Changzai.
I was born to be a chivalrous knight-errant, one who accomplishes his deeds and disappears without a trace, concealing his merits and fame!
P.S.: This volume is finished. The next volume, "A Young Man's Journey," will begin.
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