Legend of Swordsman

The pain was excruciating as if the fingers were connected to his heart, but it didn’t stop him. Instead, he seemed to have lost his mind, tossing away the lantern and sitting down heavily, crying out in agony.

Fortunately, the garden was vast and far from the inhabited courtyards, making it difficult to hear unless one listened carefully.

Jian Wushuang found it somewhat amusing. He used his thought power to isolate the surroundings, not intending to engage with the person but also not wanting the noise to attract others, so he silenced the area.

However, just as he closed his eyes, the mention of ”Chai Jiu” from the other person came to mind.

This Chai Jiu was the very Golden Snake Guard he had first captured.

No wonder he entered this rockery, and the secret passage behind it was so familiar; it turned out he knew the prince consort and frequently visited here, which explained his familiarity.

Thinking of how the prince consort was searching for news brought by Chai Jiu, Jian Wushuang asked, ”Do you know the prince consort?”

”Yes!” Chai Jiu nodded woodenly.

Beside him, Xiang Yang grinned mischievously, ”This guy isn’t having an affair with the prince consort, is he?”

”Ah?” Jiang Shang blushed but had heard of such preferences and shyly lowered his head. Jian Wushuang sighed, feeling that it was no wonder Xing Luo had no interest in Xiang Yang; this guy appeared upright but was full of treacherous thoughts.

Rolling his eyes, he continued, ”What is your relationship with the prince consort, and what has he asked you to investigate?”

”We’re friends. I often gamble and owe a lot of money outside. The prince consort helped me clear my gambling debts, so I help him with some minor tasks. One of those tasks was to gather information about someone for the prince consort. She was his sweetheart before he passed the imperial exams. A month ago, I found out she was abused by a group of young lords. The prince consort was furious and asked me to investigate the culprits!”

Originally, it was just for amusement, but it turned out to be such a coincidence.

Jian Wushuang and his companions widened their eyes, asking in unison, ”Is the sweetheart’s name A Zi?”

”Yes!” Chai Jiu nodded emphatically.

”What a coincidence!”

The girl they encountered at the dock, who asked him to find someone, turned out to be the prince consort squatting on the ground, crying.

”Sigh!” Jian Wushuang sighed again.

He had intended to find the heartless man and kill him with one sword but didn’t expect the two to be truly in love. The prince consort must have his reasons.

Such deep sorrow, he must truly be heartbroken.

Jian Wushuang took out an oil-paper letter from his bosom, intending to hand it to Chai Jiu to give to the prince consort.

But on second thought, he realized that his current situation in Tai’an City was precarious due to the lack of a stable foothold.

Perhaps he could use the prince consort’s influence to hide in the imperial city.

With this in mind, Jian Wushuang held the letter between his fingers and stood up. He decided to deliver it personally.

Whoosh!

He appeared directly, without any hesitation.

Swish!

His body hovered more than a foot above the ground, and Jian Wushuang looked down at the prince consort ”Chen Yuan” before him.

”You!” Chen Yuan was startled and quickly stepped back.

Jian Wushuang casually tossed the letter to Chen Yuan and said calmly, ”Don’t be afraid, I was

just entrusted by someone to deliver this letter to you.”

”A letter?” Chen Yuan looked thoughtfully at the oil paper envelope.

At first, he thought of court disputes.

In the court, officials’ every word could be deadly.

Outside the court, swords and blades were everywhere, and every step was like walking on thin ice.

Even as the imperial son-in-law, he was not exempt.

Therefore, he assumed Jian Wushuang was a retainer of some important figure, intending to engage in secret correspondence with him.

But as he picked up the oil paper envelope, a sense of unease filled his heart.

Looking at the yellowed oil paper, his thoughts seemed to return to the summer three years ago.

In a village in the Shanhai County, there was a small stream.

On the bank, a young man and woman, talented and beautiful.

”Chen Yuan, after you go to the capital, will you come back?”

”I will, because I promised your parents I would marry you, of course, I will come back!”

”But you’ll be gone for more than a year...”

”I can write to you!”

”But I can’t write...”

”Then draw pictures!”

”But I don’t have money to send letters...”

The young scholar flipped through his book, his eyes fixed on the girl as he said, ”Then draw everything you want to say to me, and give it to me in person when I return!”

”No, if it takes too long, the paper will rot...”

”Use oil paper!”

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

Holding the oil paper envelope, Chen Yuan felt a lump in his throat, a thorn in his back, and

his scalp tingled with emotion.

He thought of it but dared not believe it.

The girl was just a fisherman’s daughter; how could she have the means to entrust a celestial being with a letter?

But when he opened the oil paper envelope and saw the crooked handwriting inside, his eyes instantly turned red, bloodshot.

”A... Zi...”

Chen Yuan covered his mouth, trying to maintain his composure, but his heart was so twisted that he couldn’t stand up straight.

”Of all the words in the world, love is the most painful!” Jian Wushuang sighed inwardly, though outwardly he still intended to intimidate the other party.

”Chen Yuan, you heartless man, Miss A’zi waited for you every day at the dock, while you

lived like royalty in Tai’an City. How can you face Miss A’zi?” His voice was like a great bell, as

if scolding a junior.

Chen Yuan nodded like a pecking chicken, his voice hoarse as he said, ”It’s my fault, I failed

her!”

”Since you understand, then prepare to die! Miss A’zi saved my life at sea; today, I will avenge her by killing you, the heartless man, and then avenging her!” Jian Wushuang finished speaking and drew his sword, ready to strike.

Unexpectedly, the other party did not shout or scream, just stretched his neck, waiting to die.

This baffled Jian Wushuang. Although Chen Yuan was indeed deeply in love with A’zi, his calmness in the face of death made Jian Wushuang regard him in a new light.

”Since this approach doesn’t work, let’s try another way.”

Jian Wushuang hadn’t really intended to kill Chen Yuan; the sword rested on Chen Yuan’s

neck, but there was no killing intent in his eyes.

”Senior, do it!” Chen Yuan twisted his neck, ready to accept death.

In this situation, Jian Wushuang had a backup plan. Looking at Chen Yuan, he said in a solemn

tone, ”Haha, A’zi was right about you. You’re not even afraid of death, so it seems there must be another reason for not returning from the capital. I was testing you; if you had been cowardly, I would have killed you and then gone after the murderer of Miss A’zi. Now, seeing that you are a man, I spare your life.”

”But I will never be able to get over A’zi’s death!” Chen Yuan’s face was ashen, without any joy of surviving, rather a bit of disappointment. He had truly intended to prove his sincerity

with his death.

Jian Wushuang understood this sentiment. What followed was his skillful consolation and guidance, quickly shaping him into the imposing image of an overseas celestial just entering

the mortal world.

He even detailed how A’zi had depleted her strength while saving him to ensure logical coherence and prevent any suspicion.