Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

”So, they decided to hold a small gathering every year to spar with one another.

”As their reputations grew, what was once a small get-together between a few individuals gradually evolved into a grand assembly where they brought their disciples.

”The frequency also changed from once a year to once every five years.

”I attended with my master three years ago. It was truly an eye-opening experience, and my skills improved significantly.”

”Did you get to know Shi Miao at this sword assembly?”

Jiang Ran was curious.

”Not exactly.”

Ye Jingshuang shook her head.

”The truth is, even among the Five Great Sword Sects, some are closer than others.

”The Danyang Sword Sect and my Liuyun Sword Sect have always been on good terms.

”Furthermore, Shi Miao’s master and mine are the closest of friends.

”So, I’ve known Shi Miao since we were children.

”The reason I hadn’t seen her for three years was that she entered the Sword Realm.

”She went into seclusion for three years... and has only recently emerged to hone her blade.”

Jiang Ran heard another term he had never encountered before.

’Sword Realm?’

”You’re truly ignorant!”

Li Tianxin had been listening from the side for a while and could no longer hold his tongue.

And naturally, his tone was anything but friendly.

Jiang Ran shot him a glance, not bothering with a second look. He turned his gaze back to Ye Jingshuang, waiting for her explanation.

But Li Tianxin just snorted.

”The Sword Realm is a unique state attainable only by sword cultivators.

”It is said that once one enters this realm, their swordsmanship will take a great leap forward.

”However, from what I know, one needs a deep foundation to enter such a state. If someone is fortunate enough to cross that threshold before the age of forty, they are destined to become a grandmaster of swordsmanship.

”Shi Miao is probably not even twenty. How could she have entered such a state?”

”It has to do with the martial arts she practices.”

Ye Jingshuang said softly.

”But that’s all I can say on the matter.”

”Is that also why her personality is the way it is?”

Jiang Ran asked.

”Yes.”

Ye Jingshuang nodded.

That explained it for Jiang Ran.

Though he hadn’t spent much time with Shi Miao, Jiang Ran had discovered that her nature was pure. She seemed fierce, but she was actually just completely straightforward.

She even seemed to be without fear.

No matter what kind of opponent she faced, she would charge head-on, never taking a roundabout path.

She was like an unsheathed sword, its edge laid bare for all to see.

She would rather take a straight path than seek a crooked one.

This was by no means a virtue; after all, being inwardly principled but outwardly adaptable is the proper way to conduct oneself.

It was a flaw—the price she paid for being able to step into the Sword Realm before the age of twenty.

”That state seems too dangerous. The slightest mistake...”

Jiang Ran’s brow furrowed slightly.

Ye Jingshuang also nodded.

”In her condition, she really ought to have a ’Sword Wielder’ assigned to her.

”She is like a sword, in both body and temperament.

”She doesn’t know how to be subtle. She needs someone to remind her, to help her be more... indirect.

”It’s like someone wielding a sword, guiding its every move.

”It’s just like what happened earlier when you, Brother Jiang, went with her to pursue the Heterodox Manor.

”With her original temperament, the moment she found the Heterodox Manor, she would have charged right in and started a slaughter.

”She’d either kill every last one of them or be killed herself.

”But with you by her side, you helped her make another choice, and she wasn’t so openly aggressive.”

”So, even though she’s reckless, she’s actually very receptive to advice?”

”Not necessarily.”

Ye Jingshuang smiled. ”At the very least, the person’s martial skill must be high enough to control her, and they must earn her sincere admiration. Only then can they be her Sword Wielder. Otherwise, a fine sword can still wound its owner.”

Jiang Ran felt the description was a little... unsettling.

It made Shi Miao sound less like a person and more like an actual sword.

The conversation had also drifted strangely from the Five Great Sword Sects to Shi Miao.

Just then, he suddenly heard Li Tianxin speak up.

”Speaking of which, if I recall correctly, there seems to be some friction between the Liuyun Sword Sect and the Yun Mountain Sword Sect?”

”Young Master Li is indeed well-informed.”

Ye Jingshuang nodded.

”Because both sects’ names contain the word ’Cloud’.

”As a result, there’s often friction between us.

”Generally, though, the conflict is mostly confined to the Five-Sect Sword Assembly.

”After all, under the banner of the ’Five Swords,’ we still look out for each other when traveling the martial world.”

Jiang Ran recalled Li Tianxin mentioning that the martial world of the Golden Cicada Dynasty was structured around the ’One School, Two Assemblies, Five Swords, Seven Sects, and Thirteen Gangs’.

The Five Great Sword Sects were indeed the ’Five Swords’ among them.

’I wonder if the Yun Mountain Sword Sect will also show up at Red Maple Manor to join the fun,’ he thought, just as he was about to ask.

Just then, an extremely faint, yet intensely rapid series of DING DING DING DING sounds reached him from the distance.

Jiang Ran’s head snapped up. The sound was coming from very far away; he could only hear it, but he couldn’t see who was fighting.

But Ye Jingshuang, Li Tianxin, and the others hadn’t even heard the sound.

He immediately said:

”There are people fighting up ahead. Let’s move faster.”

Without a second thought, Ye Jingshuang squeezed her horse’s flanks and spurred it forward.

Li Tianxin and Luo Qingyi also sped up.

Only Zhang Zhihua looked bewildered.

”I didn’t hear anything?”

But seeing the others had already gone ahead, she quickly spurred her horse to follow.

”Wait for me...”

The group had no time for idle talk and sped up. Just as they did, several figures darted out from behind them.

”Damn it, they’re trying to run!”

”Quick, after them! They’re most likely here for the Broken Gold Saber, too. That group’s skills are high; they’re no ordinary martial artists. If we follow them quietly, we might get a piece of the action.”

A group of seven or eight people, some acquainted with each other and some not, leaped out from the sides and sped up in pursuit.