Chapter 238: Su Mei's Sword Intent
Rovel finished packing the loose dirt over the fresh mound, erecting a simple, unmarked grave for the two fallen figures. Brushing the soil from his hands, he turned his gaze toward Liu Junyan. "How much longer are you going to keep up the act?"
The weeping man froze. In the blink of an eye, the deep sorrow melting down Liu Junyan's face evaporated, replaced by a chilling, deadpan emptiness.
"The Sect Leader has already prepared the final act at Tianqiong Peak. Please come and watch, everyone." The words left his mouth in a flat, robotic monotone.
A second later, a thick stream of black blood poured from his nose and lips. Just like Mingyu of the Martial faction, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
"Tsk..." Rovel furrowed his brow, staring at the fresh corpse. He hadn't even drawn his weapon or threatened the guy. Why were these cultists committing suicide at the drop of a hat? Did he somehow leave Su Mei with the impression that he was a cruel, bloodthirsty monster?
Surely not.
Yeah, definitely not.
Rovel nodded to himself, entirely devoid of self-awareness. He was the True Lord of Worldly Purification and Demon Extermination, after all. A title like that practically screamed righteousness. He was a good person. A very good person.
"Master, what do you say?" Rovel turned to look at Red Kite. "Are we heading back to Tianqiong Peak?"
"Yes." Red Kite gave a curt nod. "The Xuanyuan Swords are too important to be left scattered. There are three remaining, and I must recover them."
"Mine is gone," Cheng Lingshuang chimed in. She leaned against a nearby tree, her arms crossed in total apathy. "I tossed it somewhere on Taixu Mountain back in the day. I have absolutely no idea where it ended up."
Red Kite stared at her lazy disciple in utter silence. A soft, weary sigh escaped her lips. "Then at least the remaining two must be retrieved."
"Are you not going to take back mine and Sushang's for now?" Rovel asked, tilting his head.
His main cultivation foundation had already shifted to the Liangyi Immortal Art, rendering the divine blade somewhat redundant for his personal growth., he had never truly connected with the Xuanyuan Sword. Not in the outside world, and certainly not inside this memory instance. In terms of raw combat enhancement, it provided him even less utility than the demonic blade, Jizo Mitama.
"Since you both possess the heart to protect all living beings, those blades shall remain by your side for the time being," Red Kite replied evenly.
Li Sushang blinked her large eyes, looking thoroughly bewildered. She scratched her cheek, trying to remember if she had ever actually expressed such a grand, heroic desire. She was pretty sure she hadn't.
"What Master actually means," Rovel leaned over and whispered to Li Sushang, "is that since the sword is a precious memento left behind by your mother, you should take good care of it. But if you dare use it to commit crimes, she will absolutely hunt you down and take it back."
"Martial Ancestor Red Kite..." Li Sushang's beautiful eyes widened in awe. "Is that really what you meant?"
Red Kite shot Rovel a sharp, sidelong glance but offered zero explanation to correct him.
"Ah, pretty much," Rovel continued, patting the young girl's shoulder. "In short, your beloved Martial Ancestor is actually a huge softie. Just interpret everything she says through a filter of extreme awkwardness, and you will understand perfectly."
"Meddlesome." Red Kite flicked her sleeve dismissively, turning on her heel and marching off down the dirt path.
"See? She is just shy," Rovel translated once more for the audience.
A split second later, the distinct, terrifying creak of Red Kite's knuckles popping echoed through the quiet air. Rovel wisely clamped his mouth shut.
'Master, you have changed again. You would never have paid any attention to such frivolous words before.'Lin Chaoyu's ethereal voice echoed softly within Red Kite's mind, a lingering phantom of the past.'You no longer want to go back to being the Red Kite of the past, do you?'
Red Kite maintained her steady pace, her expression unreadable. She offered the voice no answer.
The phantom of Lin Chaoyu smiled a sad, knowing smile. 'In that case, I will temporarily hold onto the things you left with me. When you finally wish to become that peerless, unfeeling Red Kite once again... I will return them to you. Master, goodbye.'
Red Kite suddenly stopped in her tracks. She whipped around, her eyes scanning the empty air behind her. The faint, lingering presence of Lin Chaoyu had vanished completely, leaving behind nothing but the rustling wind.
Seeing her abruptly spin around with such intensity, Rovel slammed on the brakes. He silently took a cautious step backward, ready to dodge.
"Master, is something wrong?" he asked, eyeing her warily. Was she actually furious about his little translation joke? Was she winding up to punch him into the stratosphere?
"It is nothing." Red Kite slowly shook her head, the tension bleeding out of her shoulders.
"Senior Uncle, what does that mean?" Li Sushang leaned in, whispering loudly.
"...It means Master has graciously forgiven my insolent words from earlier," Rovel declared with absolute, unearned confidence.
"If you spout one more word of nonsense, you will return that Xuanyuan Sword to me immediately." Red Kite's cold voice drifted back from the front of the group.
"...Master, I deeply apologize for my transgressions." Rovel decisively chose to swallow his pride and follow his survival instincts.
The strange quartet made their way back to the bustling market town. Securing their horses, they mounted up and spurred the beasts into a gallop, kicking up clouds of dust as they rushed toward Tianqiong Peak.
"Lingshuang." Red Kite pulled her reins, matching pace with Rovel's steed. She stared at her disciple in sheer bafflement. "Why are you sharing a horse with Rovel?"
"I do not know how to ride a horse," Cheng Lingshuang replied smoothly, not even bothering to open her eyes. She leaned back against Rovel's chest, looking entirely too comfortable. "So, naturally, I am riding with Senior Brother to ensure I do not fall behind."
"I distinctly recall you learning how to ride when you followed me down the mountain all those years ago." Red Kite's frown deepened.
"Then I must have forgotten. It has been a very long time." Cheng Lingshuang waved a lazy hand in the air. "Master, you should really keep your eyes on the road ahead. Be careful not to trample any innocent pedestrians."
"But this is an open plain," Li Sushang pointed out from her own horse, blinking in confusion. "You can see for miles. There is literally no one around."
"You talk too much." Cheng Lingshuang reached out and lightly rapped Li Sushang on the forehead with the hilt of Blade Unbreakable.
Li Sushang clutched her forehead, puffing out her cheeks in indignation. How was it fair that Martial Ancestor Red Kite could expose her lies without consequence, but the moment she pointed out the obvious, she got hit?
"Lingshuang, your changes are also quite significant," Red Kite observed, a hint of genuine surprise coloring her tone. The aloof, sword-obsessed girl of the past was currently acting like a spoiled, lazy house cat.
"Is that so? On the contrary, I feel as though I have not changed much at all." Cheng Lingshuang shifted her weight, shrinking back to find an even more comfortable position nestled against Rovel's chest, perfectly content to let him do all the work of steering.
"By the way, Master, I have been meaning to ask," Rovel spoke up over the rhythmic thud of hooves. "Those Yin-Yang Twin Swords strapped to your back... they belong to Su Mei, correct? Why haven't they reverted to their original Xuanyuan Sword form despite being separated from her?"
It defied the established logic. Whether it was Qin Suyi's Ink-Dyed Fragrance, Jiang Wanxi's Wind-Clear Willow, or Jiang Wanru's Luo Wuzhe, every single one of them had instantly reverted to the standard, golden appearance of a Xuanyuan Sword the moment they left their master's grasp. Yet, Su Mei's twin blades remained locked in their altered state.
"If a warrior's understanding of Sword Intent is deep enough, it is indeed possible to achieve such a lasting physical manifestation," Red Kite replied, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
It was a phenomenon that had actually occurred back in the Previous Era. The volatile warrior Kalpas had once used his MANTIS factor to forcefully connect with a mass-produced Xuanyuan Sword. The resulting mutation had twisted the divine key into a weapon so terrifyingly destructive that even Dr. Mei was rumored to be afraid to touch it.
"Then what exactly is the unique ability of Su Mei's Xuanyuan Sword?" Rovel pressed, his curiosity piqued.
"I do not know." Red Kite shook her head slowly. "She has never once activated its true ability in my presence."
"...Maybe we should bury these two swords somewhere along the road. For some reason, having them so close makes me feel incredibly uneasy." Rovel stared at the twin hilts protruding from Red Kite's back, a deep frown carving lines into his face.
The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in a way he didn't like. Red Kite's previous destination had been Tianqiong Peak. Yet, instead of finding Lin Chaoyu waiting there as expected, Su Mei had taken her place. Rovel strongly suspected that Su Mei had intentionally abandoned these twin swords for Red Kite to find and carry.
"A swordmaster who has cultivated their Sword Intent to such a degree will always maintain a vague, spiritual connection with their blade," Red Kite explained calmly. "If we simply leave them hidden in the dirt, Su Mei will inevitably track them down."
"Then let me shatter them right now," Rovel offered, his grip tightening on his reins.
"...No." Red Kite rejected the idea instantly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The Tenth Divine Key was a precious resource. There were barely any Xuanyuan Swords left in the world to begin with. If she allowed Rovel to casually snap another one in half just because of a bad feeling, what would they do when humanity desperately needed its power in the future?
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]