It snowed all night, and when we woke up the next morning, the yard was covered with a layer of silver frost.

Qingmei got up early to cook porridge. Before cooking, she took a look at He Yan's room to see if anyone was there. Seeing He Yan getting dressed, she asked curiously, "Why did you get up so early, young lady? It's cold, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"It's okay," He Yan stretched his waist lazily, "I'm used to it."

In Liangzhou, we had to get up early every day. When we returned to Shuojing, it was not easy to change this habit. While the green plums were cooking porridge, He Yan picked up the broom in the corner of the yard and swept the snow.

"Girl, put it down quickly. How can you do this? I'll do it for you." Qingmei said in a panic.

He Yan smiled and said, "You still have to cook porridge. How can one person do two things? Forget it, it's just sweeping the snow. When I was in the health center, I did much harder work than this. Don't worry about it."

Qingmei insisted, "No, young lady, please take the stove and sit inside. I will be here."

"It's all right."

Chi Wu, who was squatting in the corner, suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Although he was ordered to protect He Yan, the He family was very poor and even had only Qing Mei as a servant. Now the young lady and the maid were competing to sweep the snow, and it was difficult for him, a grown man, to pretend that he didn't see it.

After hesitating for a moment, Chiwu stood up and said, "Let me do it."

Before He Yan could say anything, Qing Mei smiled and stuffed the broom into Chi Wu's hand: "Thank you very much, Chi Wu Guard!"

Chi Wu: “…” He suspected that this little maid was waiting for him here on purpose.

He Yan was a little embarrassed. Chi Wu was a talented person in the Nine Banners Camp after all. He had never done anything like sweeping the floor when he followed Xiao Jue. If they told others that they were bullying others by using a sword-wielding guard as a servant, He Yan said, "Forget it. I'll do it."

"It's okay," Qingmei said with a smile, "Chiwu's guards are very good and strong. Miss, you are not in good health, just rest."

Chi Wu thought to himself that this little maid probably hadn't seen their daughter lifting a hundred-jin boulder all by herself in Liangzhou Wei.

However, there are two women here, so he should do the snow-sweeping work. Chiwu picked up the broom and swept around in the yard. Qingmei looked at the porridge in the kitchen and instructed him, "Chiwu, guard, don't just sweep the middle, sweep the corners too. What if the young master falls when he comes home in the dark? There is still snow on the left..."

He Yan moved a stool and sat by the door, watching Chiwu, a tall guard, being commanded around by a little maid, and he found it quite interesting.

After Chiwu finished sweeping the snow and Qingmei cooked the porridge, the three of them ate together at the table. He Sui and He Yunsheng left early, so Qingmei made pancakes the night before for them to take with them. After dinner, He Yan sat in the room in a daze.

She wanted to go to Xu's house to look for Fuwang again, but when she opened the drawer, there was not a single banknote inside. She felt sad. If she had known that when she was at Xiao's house, she should have borrowed the banknotes from Xiao Jue first. Now with her current status, she felt embarrassed to borrow them. Otherwise... go find Lin Shuanghe?

She was looking worried about the silver. Over there, a grey-feathered pigeon flew in from the sundries room where Chiwu lived, and landed on the beam, staring at him with its black eyes. Chiwu opened his hands, and the pigeon flew to his hands. There was a small copper tube tied to the pigeon's leg. Chiwu untied the tube and pulled out a piece of paper from it.

After he finished reading the note, a puzzled look appeared in his eyes. After a moment, he tidied himself up, released the pigeon, walked to He Yan's door and knocked.

He Yan opened the door and saw Chi Wu, so he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Young Master's Yinqiu Sword was used in a battle with the Wutuo people in Jiyang before, and the scabbard broke." Chiwu said: "The Yinqiu Sword was forged by the sword-forging master Lu Daichuan. The Yinqiu Sword is now being repaired by Master Lu."

He Yan nodded, not understanding what Chi Wu said had to do with her.

"Today is the time to take the sword, but the young master has gone out of town. I am also going out of town, so I cannot go to take the sword. Master Lu has a rule that if you miss this day, you will have to wait a hundred days before you can go out again. Besides the sword owner, only his closest relatives can go to take the sword."

"Ah?" He Yan was speechless, "This is too harsh."

However, all the skilled craftsmen in the world have their own tempers. Since Lu Daichuan was able to forge a treasure like the Yinqiu Sword, it is understandable that he has such a quirk.

"Miss He," Chi Wu looked at her and said, "You are now the governor's fiancée. Master Lu will agree if you go to get the sword. So, Miss He, can you do the young master a favor and get the sword from Master Lu?"

He Yan said: "It's not that difficult, but how can I prove that I am the governor's... ahem, where is his fiancée?"

"Don't you have the young master's black jade with snake pattern in your hand?" Chiwu replied, "You can use that."

He Yan took off the black jade from his waist and said, "Can this prove your young master's identity?"

Chiwu: “Exactly.”

"Then can I use this to go to the bank and get some money?"

Chiwu: "...Miss He, if you are short of money, you can tell me. I will not stand idly by."

He Yan laughed and said, "I was just joking." But in his heart he secretly understood that it seemed that this black jade could be used anywhere, and exchanging it for some silver should be no problem.

She simply said, "Okay, it's not a big deal. Just give me the address of Master Lu and I'll go there later."

"Master Lu lives in the mountains north of the city, and the journey is quite far." Chi Wu said, "I will prepare a carriage and guards for Miss He to avoid danger on the journey."

He Yan: "Forget it, your guards can't even beat me. If we are in danger, who knows who will save whom. Just give me the place to stay. It's in broad daylight, nothing will happen. Besides, since the last assassin incident, the city's defense has doubled, so there will be no problem."

She was stubborn and Chi Wu couldn't beat her, so he had to give up in the end.

Chi Wu seemed to have something very important to do. After writing down Lu Daichuan's address to He Yan, he hurried out of the house. He Yan comforted Qingmei before taking Xiangxiang out of the house. Although Lu Daichuan's address was far away, it was not difficult to find. In winter, the snow in the Dingbei Mountain was thicker than that in the city, and everything was silvery white. If the carriage went through the mountains, it would probably take a day and a night. He Yan was glad that he did not listen to Chi Wu and took the carriage, but rode a horse. At least he could see Master Lu before the sun set.

This Lu Daichuan was also a wonderful person. He Yan had previously thought that since he lived in the mountains, he must be a great man with an immortal character. Who knew that this man actually built a palace-like house in the mountains, which was extremely gorgeous. As soon as He Yan entered, two giant tigers ran over and howled at her.

Xiang Xiang was startled and almost threw He Yan out. He Yan held the reins and comforted Xiang Xiang. He dismounted and took a look. He found that the two giant tigers were actually made of wood. Their eyeballs were black gems with green light. They glowed brightly in the dark. At first glance, they looked exactly like the real ones.

He Yan was surprised. This was probably the work of Lu Daichuan. He was indeed a skilled craftsman who could carve the moon and cut the clouds.

The door was not closed, but half-closed. The two giant tigers were still howling at He Yan, but they did not make any other moves. He Yan thought for a moment, then pushed the door open and walked in. As soon as he entered, he felt that this place was simply a miniature Wei.

In a large mansion in the north, a small canal was dug like the ones in the Jiangnan water villages. In it was parked a small boat that could only seat one person. There was a gauze curtain hanging on the boat, and moving music was coming from it. But upon closer inspection, there was no one in the boat, only a wooden box.

The flowers and plants on the wall were all fake, but they looked lifelike. Even in winter, it looked very lively and prosperous. There were some colorful stones scattered on the ground. They were probably not gems, but they were shining with tiny lights, attracting attention. He Yan seemed to have entered the legendary Dragon Palace, or the fairyland. He couldn't help but admire this man's skillful craftsmanship. No wonder he could forge a sword as precious as Yin Qiu's.

She had just walked to the main hall when the door opened with a "bang". He Yan walked in and saw a man in a white robe sitting in the huge hall. The man was carving a dragonfly made of bamboo. He had probably reached the last step. He Yan watched him eagerly as he pulled the dragonfly's tail and the dragonfly flew up by itself with a "buzz buzz buzz".

She couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise. The man turned around, allowing He Yan to see his face clearly.

In fact, the man was indeed dressed like an immortal. I don't know what material the white robe was made of, but it was particularly light and elegant. Judging from his attire, he looked like a hermit from the previous dynasty. However, his appearance was completely different. This life was round and smooth, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was like a round ball. When he looked over with a smile, he looked like a Maitreya Buddha, without any "noble" style.

This was somewhat unexpected for He Yan. She had thought she would see a cold, arrogant, eccentric, white-bearded old man, but she did not expect such a amiable fat man. Moreover, this man looked quite young, about 20 years old. He was a young fat man.

"A guest is coming." the man said with a smile.

"Are you Master Lu?" He Yan took off the jade pendant from her waist and showed it to him, "I'm here to get the sword for Commander Xiao."

"Hey," Lu Daichuan was stunned when he saw He Yan's jade pendant, "Why is Xiao Huaijin's sword on you? Are you Xiao Jue's fiancée?"

He Yan was caught off guard by this question and didn't know how to answer for a moment. After a while, she nodded: "That's right."

"So she's Huai Jin's fiancée." Lu Daichuan nodded and looked at He Yan again, "Not bad, not bad."

He Yan felt a little uncomfortable for some reason. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Master Lu and Commander Xiao seem to have a good personal relationship?" This man looked amiable, not as unkind as Chi Wu said.

"It's neither good nor bad." Lu Daichuan smiled and shook his head, clapping his hands. There was a "creak" sound, and He Yan looked in the direction of the sound, only to find that there was a little wooden figure standing in the hall, about a foot tall, made into a beautiful woman. She walked in with a "thump thump" sound, and no one knew what she was doing.

"This... was all done by Master Lu?"

"Just some puppets," Lu Daichuan smiled, "There are no living people in my villa, only puppets, which help me do work on weekdays."

This may sound scary, but for some reason, He Yan didn't feel scared. She said, "Why don't you hire some craftsmen to help? Or just go down the mountain."

"That won't work," Lu Daichuan said, "I have lived in the mountains for more than 30 years. Life down there is not suitable for me."

He Yan: "Excuse me, how old are you this year, Master?"

This man looks to be in his twenties, so how come he has lived in the mountains for more than thirty years?

"you guess?"

He Yan couldn't guess, so he simply said, "From what I see, the master looks like he's only in his early twenties."

These words seemed to please Lu Daichuan. He held his belly and laughed, "You kid, your mouth is as sweet as honey. No wonder Xiao Huaijin likes you. You are really lovable."

He Yan: “…”

She was just wondering why this swordsmith looked so frivolous when the wooden figure who had just entered the house came out again with a long box in his hand and placed it in front of He Yan.

He Yan opened the box and saw a long sword lying in the box. The blade was as white as frost and snow, just like the autumn.

"It's been repaired?" He Yan asked in surprise. There was no sign of cracking on the scabbard.

"It won't take long to make a sword." Lu Daichuan looked at He Yan with a friendly smile, "Since you are Xiao Huaijin's fiancée, I can also make a weapon or treasure for you for Xiao Huaijin's sake. What do you want?"

He Yan joked, "Master, can you also make a sword like Yin Qiu for me?"

Lu Daichuan looked at her and said with a smile: "No."

"Why?" He Yan asked with a smile, "Master, do you think I am not worthy of your sword?"

"You already have one sword, you don't need another."

He Yan's smile froze immediately and he looked at Lu Daichuan.

How did this person know that she had a sword?

"Master, I don't have a sword." He Yan said, "I don't even have a handy weapon."

"It will happen," Lu Daichuan shook his head, the smile in his eyes seemed to see through everything about her, "your sword will return to you again."

He Yan stared at Lu Daichuan, trying to find any flaws on his face. Unfortunately, apart from his friendly smile, he couldn't see anything else.

He Yan stood up holding the box containing Yin Qiu, "Master, it's getting late. I came here today just to get the sword. Now that I have the sword, I should go back." She saluted Lu Daichuan, "Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome." Lu Daichuan also stood up. It was not easy for him to stand up because he was fat. It took some effort for a ball to stand steadily. He held his hands and walked He Yan to the door. On his side were two giant tigers and the wooden man, like a strange emperor hidden in the mountains. "Let's go."

He Yan jumped onto his horse and turned to leave, but from behind he looked like he was running away.

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away. Lu Daichuan sighed and looked down at the wooden figure that was only as tall as his calves. "Fei Cui, do you think I scared the little girl?"

The wooden man hung on his legs, saying nothing.

"Forget it," Lu Daichuan shook his head again, turned around and walked back, muttering to himself as he walked, "Huai Jin, Huai Jin, your teacher can only help you up to this point."

…

It gets dark quickly in the mountains.

When He Yan arrived, the sun had not yet set, and he stayed in Master Lu's "villa" for a short time. But when he came out, it was already completely dark.

Fortunately, the moonlight was bright tonight, shining on the snow-covered mountains, brighter than usual. She remembered the way well, and as she rode Xiangxiang down the mountain, she kept thinking about what Fang had just said to Master Lu.

How did Master Lu know that she already had a sword? Did he already know something, or was he really some kind of otherworldly master who could see through the truth of her resurrection at a glance?

But she was alone now and knew nothing about Lu Daichuan. She should wait until she came down the mountain and met Xiao Jue and asked him who Lu Daichuan was before making any plans.

He Yan sighed slightly in her heart. The problem of the identity of "Miss He" who disguised herself as a man and joined the Liangzhou Guards had just been solved, and now another one had come. These days, it seemed like she was constantly solving one problem after another.

He Yan's eyes fell on the wooden box in front of her. Fortunately, she finally got the Yinqiu Sword back. She didn't know where He Rufei had put her Qinglang. With He Rufei's cautiousness, she would never show Qinglang to others unless it was absolutely necessary. If her Qinglang was still with her, she would definitely clean it every day.

The horse galloped in the mountains, and the cold wind blowing in her face cut her face painfully. She exhaled, and immediately it turned into white mist in the night. It was extremely cold in the mountains.

Suddenly, something flew towards him from behind. The horse beneath him was startled and stood up suddenly. He Yan pulled the reins, and the next moment, someone flew from behind him, with the tip of a sword shining coldly pointed at his back.

There's an assassin!

He Yan dodged to the side and fell off his horse. Before he could see who the man was, he had already come back and rushed in front of He Yan, with the sword in his hand pointing directly at He Yan's heart. He wanted to take He Yan's life without saying a word.

There was no one in the wilderness, so even if she shouted, it would be impossible to call the city guards. She was unarmed and in great trouble, so she had no choice but to split the wooden box that she had held under her armpit with one hand. With a "bang", the wooden box broke into pieces, and the Yinqiu Sword fell into He Yan's hand.

Although she had seen and touched the sword before, this was her first time using the Yinqiu sword. As soon as she held it, she felt that the sword was indeed icy, just as sharp as its owner.

I'm sorry, Xiao Jue, she said secretly in her heart, I'll just lend you my sword for now.

He Yan suddenly pulled out the Yinqiu Sword, looked at the person in front of him, and shouted, "Who are you?"

With the moonlight all over the ground, He Yan finally saw clearly that the other person was wrapped in a black cloak, and the veil covered most of his face, leaving only a little of his chin exposed, which looked as clear as jade in the night. She wanted to look again, but the other person couldn't wait to sweep the sword towards He Yan's neck.

They actually started fighting without saying anything? He Yan was shocked, but the murderous aura that was already in front of her showed one thing: the other party wanted to kill her.

It seems that he just wants to take her life. He Yan frowned. Could it be that He Rufei sent someone again? But last time there was a group of people, why is there only one this time?

But soon, He Yan understood why there was only this one person this time. Compared with the assassins last time, this man's skills were much better. Even He Yan couldn't help but be surprised when she fought with him. His swordsmanship was exquisite, seemingly calm as water but full of murderous aura, and he was on par with her.

She was surprised. Who was this person? Even in Shuojing, people with such skills were rare. How could He Rufei have such a powerful person under his command?

Before she could think, the long swords clashed with each other, making clanging sounds. He Yan dodged the tip of the man's sword and bent her elbow to hit the man's abdomen. However, the man seemed to have expected her to sneak up on him, so he dodged to the side and moved behind He Yan, stabbing with his sword. He Yan couldn't dodge in time, so she had to turn her back to the man and stab him with her backhand. The two swords collided, and with a "bang", both of them took a few steps back.

He Yan was stunned for a moment. For some reason, a familiar feeling came over her. She didn't know where this familiar feeling came from, but before she could figure it out, the man had already stabbed at her again with his sword.

The opponent's movements were extremely fast, so fast that after each fight, there was no gap or leisure before they would continue. The sword moves were like a torrential rain, fine and dense. The Yinqiu in He Yan's hand was agile and sharp, and she had already mastered it, so those flaws and habits related to "Flying Red General" were no longer hidden.

Snow flakes danced in the wind. In the night, there seemed to be a gentle sound of wind blowing through the bamboo forest, which quietly buried the murderous intent.

He Yan tapped her toes lightly, and the drink in her hand seemed to have a telepathic connection with her. She finally caught a glimpse of the flaw in the opponent's sword move. Without hesitation, her figure was as fast as lightning, and she rushed towards the opponent.

At the same time, the man also stabbed towards He Yan.

The two long swords made a crisp collision sound in the air. The moment they passed each other, there was a "snap" sound, and the cold sword was broken into two pieces. The long sword in the black-clothed man's hand was cut into two pieces by Yin Qiu. He Yan turned around suddenly and stabbed at the man's back before he turned around.

The tip of the sword was only a millimeter away from piercing his vest.

But it just stopped at this tiny point.

It was strangely quiet all around, with only the sound of falling snow and the chirping of wild cranes in the distant valley. He Yan looked at the other person's back, and seemed to feel something, and the hand holding the hilt of the sword trembled slightly.

The other person didn't move. She slowly and hoarsely asked, "Who are you?"

In an instant, the mountain moon broke through the dark clouds, thousands of peaks were piled with jade, and tens of thousands of valleys were covered with silver. The man slowly turned around, took off his veil, revealing a familiar face.

"Xiao Jue..." He Yan murmured.

The black cloak fluttered slightly in the wind in the snowy night. The young man's facial features were as handsome as jade carvings, and there seemed to be inexplicable emotions in his autumn-water black eyes. His gaze was fixed on her, as if from the past to the present, and perhaps to the future.

"Your swordsmanship has improved a lot."

He curled his lips and said, "Long time no see, General He."

Volume 5 Complete

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

The last volume!