Chapter 374: Sword One and Nangong Weiyang’s Story
Yunxi has a very ordinary small town called Wutong Town.
In Wutong Town, there is a small tavern, and in the tavern, there’s a 17 or 18-year-old errand boy, surnamed Lin, who is an orphan. His parents died early, and he didn’t have a proper name. He grew up eating meals from various families, and everyone called him Lin Xiao’Er.
In the year Lin Xiao’Er turned twenty,
a merchant came to the town. It was said he once roamed the Martial World and was an extraordinary figure. Because he was getting old, he grew tired of the Martial World and came to Wutong Town to open a small tavern.
Seeing that Lin Xiao’Er was pitiful and had no one to rely on, the tavern owner took him in as an errand boy, paying him monthly wages.
From then on, Lin Xiao’Er was finally able to support himself. He cherished the opportunity, worked diligently and honestly, and was well-liked by the tavern owner, who would often tell him stories about the Martial World when they weren’t busy.
Lin Xiao’Er always believed the tavern owner was an incredible person because he had seen the owner break a large wooden stake with a single palm strike.
In his eyes, the legendary Grand General who could guard a pass single-handedly was just as impressive.
Lin Xiao’Er was a very practical person,
and although he often heard the tavern owner talk about the grandeur, the dazzling lights, and the flourishing colors of the Martial World, he always listened with a smile, never yearning for it.
His happiest moment was at the end of every month when the owner would give him two taels of silver as wages. His greatest dream was to save up ten taels of silver and go to the east end of town to ask Granny Liu to act as a matchmaker to find him a wife.
Granny Liu once promised him that as long as he saved up for the bride price, she wouldn’t charge him for matchmaking.
Granny Liu was a good person and had always taken care of him.
So, he was sure Granny Liu wouldn’t deceive him.
Although Lin Xiao’Er occasionally fantasized about becoming a heroic figure dressed in white, wandering the world and righting wrongs, like the characters the tavern owner described, he would only imagine it,
because he thought being a good errand boy, saving money, getting married, and having a child was the best plan. If possible, he wanted to buy a cow and then purchase a piece of land from Master Liu.
Whenever he thought about such a blissful life, he would feel particularly spirited and work even faster.
He also often fantasized about what his future wife would be like,
though he never dared to think about Miss Liu from Master Liu’s family, who looked like a fairy. Besides, Miss Liu was too thin and probably couldn’t do much work. The Butcher Zhang’s daughter would be better, as she could carry half a pig on her own, and town elders would always say Butcher Zhang’s daughter had wide hips and was good for birthing children.
However, Butcher Zhang demanded thirty taels for marrying his daughter.
Realizing that he had only saved six taels and seven fen after years, Lin Xiao’Er decided not to marry Butcher Zhang’s daughter.
So, who should he marry?
The rain was falling that day,
the tavern was empty,
and Lin Xiao’Er lay on the table, deep in thought,
going over all the unmarried women in town but still couldn’t decide who to marry.
Just then, amid the drizzling rain outside the tavern, a figure appeared — a limping girl.
When the girl entered,
Lin Xiao’Er was stunned,
for he had never seen such a girl before,
dressed in armor like the generals in plays when the troupe came to town, holding a Fangtian Halberd, appearing dignified and confident.
The girl wasn’t good-looking,
not to be compared to Miss Liu, and not even as pretty as Uncle Chen’s Cui Hua,
yet Lin Xiao’Er didn’t know why, but just one glance made him feel she was better than any girl he’d ever seen in his life. Though she was a cripple, she was simply wonderful,
and he couldn’t fathom the feeling,
he just felt she was truly wonderful!
But after sneaking a glance, he didn’t dare to look more because he knew she was beyond the reach of a humble errand boy like him.
He remembered clearly,
the girl drank two jin of Pear Blossom Wine, ate five large bowls of rice and a basin of beef.
Lin Xiao’Er had never seen such an impressive girl,
she only stayed in the tavern for less than half an hour. When the rain stopped, she left after paying.
Lin Xiao’Er had always hated rain,
because every time it rained, his house would leak, and nothing could fix it,
but today, for the first time in many years, he wished,
if only the rain could last a little longer!
In the small tavern, Lin Xiao’Er watched her silhouette disappear,
feeling a deep sense of loss.
The tavern owner, who had never appeared, suddenly came out from the back. He gently patted Lin Xiao’Er on the shoulder, telling him that the girl was a wanderer of the Martial World and not an ordinary Martial World person, that she wasn’t someone Lin Xiao’Er should be thinking about.
At that moment,
Lin Xiao’Er had a thought for the first time,
wouldn’t it be great if he weren’t an errand boy but a Martial World hero?
That was the first time since knowing about the Martial World,
that he felt yearning!
It was also the first time in his life he had the impulse to venture out while young.
But Lin Xiao’Er was a practical person, and the thought was quickly suppressed. He quietly continued being an errand boy.
Until a year later,
when the shopkeeper gave him a raise, allowing him to save up ten taels of silver ahead of schedule,
he was thrilled,
because he could finally get married.
That day, it was also raining,
he specifically asked the owner for leave, carefully holding the ten taels of silver to find Granny Liu at the eastern end of town.
As he passed a small alley,
he saw a figure collapsed in the heavy rain, with blood spreading in the puddles.
Immediately, he quickened his pace to leave,
knowing from a lifetime at the bottom that some things couldn’t be meddled with.
But just as he was about to leave,
he noticed the face seemed familiar,
with long-hidden memories suddenly surfacing,
it seemed to be that very good limping girl.
In the pouring rain,
Lin Xiao’Er didn’t hesitate, though he didn’t know why he acted so impulsively,
aware that she and he were not from the same world, and if he went over, he might endanger his life, but he still hesitated not one bit,
he rushed into the alley,
indeed, the person laying in the water was the girl he had seen a year ago.
He carried her on his back and left,
However, the girl remained unconscious, no matter how they called, she did not respond.
Lin Xiao’Er found a straw raincoat and draped it over the girl, then carried her on his back towards the county town,
because there wasn’t a doctor in the town.
Lin Xiao’Er didn’t know where he found the strength to carry the girl through the pouring rain for an entire day and night until he reached the county town.
Upon arriving at the medical hall,
Lin Xiao’Er gritted his teeth and handed over the ten taels of silver he had saved for marrying a wife over the years to the medical hall, begging them to treat the injuries of this girl whose name he didn’t even know.
Lin Xiao’Er was too tired,
after handing the money to the doctor, he leaned against the wall corner and fell asleep.
When he woke up, the girl had also woken up,
the girl told Lin Xiao’Er that her name was Nangong Weiyang, from a Martial World Sect called Qianyu Sect, and was being pursued by Demon Dao.
Lin Xiao’Er didn’t know what Qianyu Sect was, nor did he know what Demon Dao was,
he was just worried if Nangong Weiyang would still be in danger, he wanted to take Nangong Weiyang away.
Nangong Weiyang laughed at him for being a foolish boy.
Lin Xiao’Er simply scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.
Nangong Weiyang was gravely injured and could only let Lin Xiao’Er carry her across mountains and rivers.
The two embarked on a thousand-mile escape together,
during the journey,
Nangong Weiyang urged Lin Xiao’Er many times not to mind her, but Lin Xiao’Er just kept silent.
They traveled together for six months,
during these six months, Nangong Weiyang gradually recovered.
On one evening,
they were being pursued by Demon Dao people and hid in a small county town.
But that time was the most dangerous encounter they had faced, almost to the point of desperation, with enemies throughout the city searching for them.
Nangong Weiyang said,
it was because they were near an Earth Realm named Sword King City and the Demon Dao people wanted to make one last move, saying that some Great Cultivator had personally come.
Lin Xiao’Er didn’t know what a Great Cultivator was,
but he knew the opponent was surely powerful; he was very worried,
yet, after stealing a glance at Nangong Weiyang,
he suddenly felt,
being with her, actually, death wasn’t that frightening!
...
"Lin Xiao’Er, do you like me?"
It was in the latter half of the night, the two had been chased into a dilapidated, deserted courtyard, and the pursuers outside had gathered more and more, almost surrounding the courtyard.
Nangong Weiyang suddenly opened her mouth and asked Lin Xiao’Er such a question.
Originally worrying about how to escape, Lin Xiao’Er was shocked, cheeks turning bright red, feeling uneasy and very tense, he really wanted to say yes, but dared not answer, bowing his head, rubbing his fingers nervously and not daring to reply.
Nangong Weiyang laughed and patted Lin Xiao’Er on the shoulder, saying: "Not bad, though you are not much of a person, your taste is pretty good."
Lin Xiao’Er didn’t know if Nangong Weiyang was praising him, but hearing it still made his heart very happy.
"Such a pity," Nangong Weiyang suddenly said again.
"Why is it a pity?" Lin Xiao’Er asked.
Nangong Weiyang said: "It’s a pity, you have good taste, while my taste is not good."
Lin Xiao’Er didn’t understand what this meant,
while he was pondering, Nangong Weiyang struck him a palm on the head, causing him to pass out.
Nangong Weiyang held the unconscious Lin Xiao’Er in one hand, slightly lowered her head to look at Lin Xiao’Er’s rather handsome face, and suddenly chuckled softly, "Actually, my taste isn’t that bad, he is quite good-looking."
She gently stuffed Lin Xiao’Er into a pile of broken bricks and crumbling walls, then placed a Martial Arts Secret Manual and a bottle of Elixir in Lin Xiao’Er’s arms, and afterwards, she turned and headed out of the courtyard.
...
After that separation,
there was a huge change in Lin Xiao’Er’s life.
Because Nangong Weiyang left him a Swordsmanship, and precisely because of that Swordsmanship, he was discovered by the people of Sword King City.
Seeing Nangong Weiyang again,
was because Lin Xiao’Er refused to join Sword King City,
Sword King City specially invited Nangong Weiyang to persuade him.
...
That night,
Nangong Weiyang looked at Lin Xiao’Er and asked: "So, if I let you practice sword, will you go?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Nangong Weiyang asked.
"Because you want me to practice," Lin Xiao’Er said.
Nangong Weiyang smiled and called him a foolish boy.
"You should stop calling yourself Xiao’Er."
"What should I be called then?"
"Hmm, Lin Jianyi!"
"Okay."
"Aren’t you going to ask why?"
"You call me what you want."
"Jianyi means a lifetime of holding the sword for whom!"
"For whom do I hold the sword?"
"Hmm? For whom indeed?"
"For...for...I don’t know."
"You foolish boy!"
Nangong Weiyang patted Lin Xiao’Er’s shoulder, stood up and said: "From tomorrow on, practice the sword properly, someday you will find out why you practice martial arts."
Lin Xiao’Er watched Nangong Weiyang’s figure gradually walk away,
in the dim night,
he bowed his head, a smile on his face, muttering softly, "Why do I even need to think, this lifetime is to hold the sword for you..."
In the darkness,
Nangong Weiyang, already distanced, also revealed a smile, muttering softly, "What a foolish boy, doesn’t he know Martial Artists have keen senses?"