Chapter 50

The next day, Yun Pianpian used a leaf to scoop up stream water and extinguished the bonfire in the cave.
Although the bonfire had already burned down to cold ashes, Yun Pianpian worried that the embers might reignite and cause a mountain fire. So, she doused the ashes with stream water to ensure they could never flare up again. The two of them left the cave and walked to the streamside, where Yun Pianpian broke off a willow branch, chewed it open, and washed up by the stream.
After freshening up, Yun Pianpian took out dry cornbread from her bundle and shared it with Xiao Changyuan and Buling Buling.
Once they finished their breakfast, they headed toward the place where they had seen the firelight the previous night.
Buling Buling followed behind them.
Xiao Changyuan had an astonishing memory and a strong sense of direction.
Soon, they arrived at a secluded and tranquil courtyard.
Surrounded by verdant bamboo and shaded by lush trees, the courtyard’s fence was made entirely of bamboo. In the center stood a small bamboo hut, with several wooden racks placed at the entrance, drying medicinal herbs. Around the fence were several garden plots filled with various herbs.
No one was in the courtyard, lending it an air of serene stillness.
Seeing the layout of the courtyard, Yun Pianpian was certain that Jiandi Yue was the reclusive master from the original story, because that master was also skilled in swordsmanship and the art of healing.
Yun Pianpian raised her hand and knocked on the wooden gate of the courtyard.
“Is Elder Jiandi here?”
A deep, vigorous voice soon came from the bamboo hut.
“This old man does not receive outsiders. Please return.”
Yun Pianpian remembered that in the original story, Jiandi Yue was an eccentric old man. He spent his days either practicing swordsmanship or studying sword manuals, disliked conversation, and had no family by his side. Later, Jiandi Yue found Chu Yi, who was severely injured, healed his wounds, and taught him martial arts and medicine. These skills made significant contributions to Chu Yi’s future conquest of the world.
Jiandi Yue was taciturn and reserved. Aside from instructing Chu Yi in swordsmanship, he never spoke any unnecessary words.
Before Chu Yi departed, Jiandi Yue observed the stars at night and sensed his own impending death. He then transferred all his lifelong cultivation to Chu Yi. Chu Yi, unexpectedly gaining eighty years of profound martial arts and inner strength, became a martial arts master who emerged out of nowhere, sweeping across the world from then on.
From beginning to end, Jiandi Yue never had a life of his own.
He was like a tool character, there only to deliver experience to the male protagonist, Chu Yi.
All those years of painstaking dedication to swordsmanship seemed to exist solely for the moment he could pass on his cultivation to the male protagonist.
Why did Jiandi Yue practice swordsmanship? Why did he live in seclusion? What were his unfulfilled wishes? The novel provided no answers. All he left for the readers was a handful of yellow earth and a long sword buried within it. All his stories were buried by the yellow earth, scattered by the wind and smoke.
Yun Pianpian felt that Jiandi Yue in the original story was somewhat pitiful.
She spoke through the courtyard gate: “This junior is Yun Pianpian. My husband, Shitou, is the newly accepted disciple of Elder Wan Shanke. Before our master left the village to wander the world, he instructed us to come to Lingxu Mountain to visit you and pay our respects.”
After a while, an elderly man with snow, white hair emerged from the bamboo forest cottage. His silver hair flowed, his posture was as straight as a sword, and his spirit was vigorous. Though he lacked Wan Shanke’s kindly demeanor, he possessed an outstanding aura, carrying the sharp, imposing presence unique to a swordsman.
Jiandi Yue opened the courtyard gate and let them in.
He raised his eyes and looked at Xiao Changyuan.
“You are Wan Shanke’s disciple?”
Xiao Changyuan nodded slightly, his expression cool and detached.
“This junior is Shitou.”
Jiandi Yue’s gaze swept over Xiao Changyuan, scrutinizing him up and down for a moment.
“Truly exceptional talent. No wonder Wan Shanke took you as his disciple.”
Hearing Jiandi Yue praise Xiao Changyuan, Yun Pianpian felt a bit happy, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. “Master said that Shitou’s palm techniques are fierce and sharp, making him suitable to learn swordsmanship from you. He specifically sent us to Lingxu Mountain to seek your guidance.”
Xiao Changyuan turned his head slightly, saw the smile on Yun Pianpian’s face, and frowned faintly.
He didn’t like his wife smiling at others, his wife’s smile should belong only to him.
Hearing this, Jiandi Yue finally shifted his gaze to Yun Pianpian.
“How has Wan Shanke been lately?”
Yun Pianpian replied with a smile, “Master is in good health, full of energy, but he never parts with his wine. No matter how much we try to persuade him, he won’t listen. Besides my husband, Master also took in a pair of siblings as disciples, Jiang Yinyin and Jiang Mao. They’re currently accompanying him on his travels.”
Upon hearing about Wan Shanke’s recent situation, a faint haze seemed to pass over Jiandi Yue’s aged, turbid eyes, as if recalling old memories. “Wan Shanke is still as fond of drinking as ever, unchanged after all these years. I never expected he would take in so many disciples.”
Jiandi Yue's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself rather than to Yun Pianpian.
The older one gets, the more one tends to reminisce about the past.
Yun Pianpian did not interrupt him.
As if sensing something, she turned her head and glanced at Xiao Changyuan.
Xiao Changyuan was frowning, his gaze fixed on her, his expression cold, as if he were in a bad mood.
Yun Pianpian didn’t know why Xiao Changyuan was upset, but she stepped closer to him and reached out her delicate, pale hand to hold his. Xiao Changyuan was momentarily stunned, and the displeasure on his handsome face gradually faded away.
His gloomy mood instantly cleared.
He reached out and enveloped her small hand in his palm.
Jiandi Yue snapped out of his thoughts, lowered his gaze, and glanced at their intertwined hands.
He frowned slightly, raised his eyes, and said to Xiao Changyuan, “Since Wan Shanke sent you to me, it would be unreasonable for me not to teach you. This is not a suitable place for a duel. Follow me.”
“Alright.”
Jiandi Yue led Xiao Changyuan and Yun Pianpian to a clearing deep within the bamboo forest.
The area was far from the bamboo hut, surrounded by bamboo on three sides and facing a mountain on the other. The mountain wall was covered with mottled sword marks, sharp, intersecting shadows of blades. Only someone with at least fifty years of skill could have left such marks.
Although Yun Pianpian knew nothing of martial arts, she could still sense the overwhelming sword intent emanating from the mountain wall.
She instinctively took a step back.
Xiao Changyuan’s gaze had never left Yun Pianpian.
Noticing her fear, he frowned slightly.
Jiandi Yue casually picked up two broken bamboo stalks from the ground and handed one to Xiao Changyuan.
“Today, we shall use bamboo in place of swords. We stop at the first touch. Please.”
Only upon hearing Jiandi Yue’s voice did Xiao Changyuan shift his gaze away from Yun Pianpian.
His expression remained cold as he took the bamboo and looked at Jiandi Yue.
“Please.”
Xiao Changyuan intended to end the fight quickly, defeat Jiandi Yue, and take Yun Pianpian away from this place.
The two peerless masters began their duel in the bamboo forest. Though neither wielded a real sword, their sword energy still radiated through the bamboo stalks. Wherever their energy passed, rocks split and bamboo trees toppled.
Both of them deliberately avoided the area where Yun Pianpian and Buling Buling stood.
The bamboo leaves rustled incessantly.
Yun Pianpian watched their duel from a distance, her eyes fixed on Xiao Changyuan, worried that he might get hurt. Their movements were too fast to follow clearly, she could only make out blurred shadows.
She knew that in this battle, Xiao Changyuan was destined to lose, because in the original story, he had been defeated by Chu Yi.
Everything Chu Yi had learned came from Jiandi Yue, so Xiao Changyuan was bound to lose.
But Yun Pianpian hadn’t expected that the duel between Xiao Changyuan and Jiandi Yue would last this long.
They had been fighting from morning until dusk, nearly three full hours.
In the final move, Jiandi Yue pressed the scarred bamboo branch against Xiao Changyuan’s neck.
“You’ve lost.”
Xiao Changyuan’s thin lips tightened slightly as he lifted his gaze to Jiandi Yue.
Only at this moment did he truly see Jiandi Yue clearly.
Xiao Changyuan’s cold, jade, like face tensed, this was the first time he had ever been defeated.
Although Wan Shanke was his nominal master, Wan Shanke had never once bested him.
He never imagined that today, he would lose to Jiandi Yue.
As soon as Yun Pianpian saw the duel end, she rushed to Xiao Changyuan’s side, wiping his sweat with a silk handkerchief and handing him a water pouch, her face full of concern. “Husband, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need water?”
Xiao Changyuan looked down at her, his expression cool.
“I’m fine.”
His thin lips pressed together, and he frowned slightly, his dark, profound eyes rested quietly on Yun Pianpian.
“Wife, I lost.”
Seeing his detached demeanor, Yun Pianpian knew he was upset about losing the duel. She quickly comforted him, “Victory and defeat are common in battle. Winning or losing isn’t what matters, what matters is your health. As long as you’re not afraid of losing, you’ll always have a chance to win.”
Xiao Changyuan’s lips tightened again. He said nothing, only continued to gaze at Yun Pianpian with a furrowed brow.
Jiandi Yue remarked, “Your wife is right. You have exceptional talent and remarkable physique. As long as you’re not afraid of losing, you’ll catch up to me soon. The last person to last a hundred moves against me was Ji Wuliang. If you persist, you could very well become the next him.”
Xiao Changyuan frowned slightly, his tone cool as he replied, “I’m not afraid of losing.”
Jiandi Yue asked, “Then what are you afraid of?”
Xiao Changyuan lowered his long, dark lashes and looked quietly at Yun Pianpian.
“I’m afraid my wife will be disappointed in me for losing.”
The world seemed to stand still, the very air felt as if it had stopped moving.
Jiandi Yue, whose heart had only ever held a place for the sword and who had devoted sixty years to its pursuit, had never heard such sentimental words. Instantly, his aged face flushed with anger.
“Such trivial affections! So unbecoming of a hero! You infuriate me!”
With that, Jiandi Yue threw the bamboo branch aside, turned sharply, and stormed out of the bamboo grove, not even sparing Xiao Changyuan a glance.
Only Xiao Changyuan and Yun Pianpian remained in the bamboo grove.
Oh, and a dog.
Buling Buling lifted its furry head and glanced at its two owners.
It was hungry…
Hearing Xiao Changyuan’s words, Yun Pianpian’s face flushed bright red. How could he say such things in front of Jiandi Yue…
Her blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears.
She lowered her head, not daring to meet Xiao Changyuan’s deep, dark gaze.
“I will never be disappointed in you, Husband.”
Xiao Changyuan reached out with his pale, slender, and well, defined hand, lifting her chin.
Forcing her to look at him.
“Say it again.”
Yun Pianpian met his dark, intense eyes and said earnestly, “I will never be disappointed in you, Husband. Whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, I will always stand by your side, always believe in you, Mm…”
Xiao Changyuan lowered his head and captured Yun Pianpian's red lips.
He swallowed all the sweet words that remained unspoken.