The First Sword of the Universe

Chapter 406 Duan Yu: How about we go to the Central Plains?
The look in Duan Yu's eyes when he looked at Xu Xingchen was one of utter resentment, sorrow, and disbelief.

co-authored
His own father might be Duan Yanqing, the leader of the Four Evils.
The benefits!
It's here?

Zhong Ling is not the son of her father Zhong Wanchou, and he is not the son of her father Duan Zhengchun.

Two distant relatives who are more than three degrees of kinship can marry.
Duan Yu was in a terrible mood, as if he had eaten a bowl of noodles with lots of salt, vinegar, chili, mustard, soy sauce and other miscellaneous seasonings. The taste was a mix of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty, and he was filled with resentment, hatred and sorrow.

Since entering Wuliang Mountain and participating in the competition organized by the Wuliang Sword Palace, he has encountered the greatest setbacks and hardships of his life.

Poisoning, being chased, falling off a cliff, and suddenly gaining a younger sister – these hardships piled up and escalated until yesterday at noon, finally unleashing a devastating blow upon him.
It's possible he's not his father's biological son?!

Could his biological father be Duan Yanqing, the leader of the Four Evils?!
The news, which struck Duan Yu like a thunderbolt, completely stunned him.

From noon yesterday until now, although he hasn't acted very intensely, his emotions have actually been on a rollercoaster, soaring to the sky one moment and plummeting to the bottom the next, without a moment's respite.

So much so that last night, when Xu Xingchen wanted to transfer Yue Laosan's internal energy to him so that he could complete the advanced training of the Beiming Divine Art, he only lazily expressed his resistance before obediently refining Yue Laosan's internal energy into his own power.

When a person suffers a huge blow, they may temporarily maintain a seemingly normal emotional state due to factors such as being stunned, unwilling to believe, and finding it difficult to accept.

It will only erupt one day, at one moment, when the right scene, the right place, and the right people are present.

Amid Mu Wanqing's disdainful gaze, the three of them set off again.

The three men had different reasons for going to Dali.

Mu Wanqing went to Dali City to meet with her master, "Yougu Ke," and then discuss a plan to assassinate another wicked woman.

Duan Yu returned to Dali City, originally intending to give Xu Xingchen, this distinguished guest, a proper welcome; but now, with the events of yesterday, he increasingly didn't want to go back to Dali City, and a desire to escape and get away slowly began to grow in his heart.

Xu Xingchen came to Dali City partly to watch the excitement, and partly to seize the Six Meridians Divine Sword from Tianlong Temple.

After walking for more than twenty miles, around noon, the three of them lit a campfire in a grove of trees, intending to rest for an hour and have some food.

During the rest and meal, Duan Yu hesitated several times before finally speaking, "Brother Xu, I've heard that the Central Plains of the Song Dynasty is a vast and resource-rich land, teeming with extraordinary people and events, as well as numerous delicacies, beautiful landscapes, and literary figures, making it a place that inspires longing."

While eating a wild peach he had picked along the way, Xu Xingchen looked up at Duan Yu and said with a smile, "Brother Duan, do you mean you want to travel to the Central Plains?"

Duan Yu nodded and said, "That's right, that's exactly what I was thinking."

Xu Xingchen then asked, "So, are we still going to Dali?"

Duan Yu shook his head and said, "In Dali City, apart from the various camellias which are not bad, the other scenery is mediocre. Let's change our route and head to the Central Plains!"

Hearing this, Mu Wanqing looked at Duan Yu in surprise.

Xu Xingchen understood the meaning behind Duan Yu's words, but she smiled and shook her head: "It's a bit late for you to say that now."

Just as Duan Yu was puzzled, a middle-aged man's voice suddenly rang out nearby.

"It's a good thing that the young master wants to travel to the Central Plains; however, it would be best if he didn't sneak away like he did this time, lest the prince and the emperor worry greatly."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Duan Yu immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw five people emerging from behind a large tree nearby.

Among the five people
The person at the very front was dressed in a wide robe, with an upright posture and an imposing presence.

The other four had a deep, imposing aura, their eyes gleaming with a sharp light, but their attire was all different.

Someone was holding a fishing rod and dressed as a fisherman.

One of them had two large axes tucked into his waistband; he was strong and resembled a woodcutter from the mountains.

Some of them had a kind face, strong hands and feet, and their weapon was a hoe.

Someone dressed as a scholar, wearing a square cap, holding a scroll in one hand and waving a white paper folding fan in the other.

Upon seeing the four people behind him, Duan Yu quickly stood up and exclaimed, "Uncle Zhu, Uncle Gu, Uncle Fu, Uncle Zhu, you've all arrived!"

The four men, dressed as fishermen, woodcutters, farmers, and scholars respectively, bowed to Duan Yu and said, "Your subordinates greet Your Highness!"

After rising, the scholar-looking man waved a white paper fan and said with a smile, "The young master has been away alone for quite some time, and the Prince and the Emperor were very worried; therefore, they sent us to find him; fortunately, the young master is protected by heaven and is safe and sound."

Duan Yu looked at the five people in front of him and couldn't help but smile bitterly. He then introduced the five people to Xu Xingchen and Mu Wanqing.

It turned out that the man in the loose robe was Gao Shengtai, a guard of the Dali Royal Palace.

The other four were Duan Zhengchun's four bodyguards: Zhu Wanli, Gu Ducheng, Fu Sigui, and Zhu Danchen.

Xu Xingchen and Mu Wanqing stood up, greeted the five people, and said, "It's an honor to meet you!"

This is an unwritten rule when you encounter fellow travelers from the martial arts world while traveling.

Regardless of whether the other person is famous or not, always say "I've heard so much about you"; in this way, others will be happy to hear it, you will not offend others, and you can resolve many unnecessary conflicts without them even realizing it.

The Dali royal palace and the five guards under the command of the Prince of Zhennan came together, thwarting Duan Yu's plan to escape and stay away. With a long face, he could only continue on his journey.

Seeing his appearance, the five guards assumed he was simply depressed because he couldn't travel again; little did they know the reason was earth-shattering, one that would surely shock them if revealed. Mu Wanqing ultimately bid farewell to Xu Xingchen and Duan Yu and set off alone.

She wasn't very familiar with Duan Yu and Xu Xingchen to begin with, and now there were five more middle-aged men she didn't know well.

Mu Wanqian, who has always preferred to be alone, felt even more uncomfortable.

So, when they came to a fork in the road, he bid farewell to Xu Xingchen and Duan Yu and turned to leave.

Duan Yu was dejected and had no intention of trying to persuade him to stay.

Xu Xingchen watched Mu Wanqing's departing figure, smiled, and thought to himself, "I wonder if this girl will rekindle her romance with Duan Yu in the future? Let's see what fate has in store for them."

As they continued on their journey, the five guards would occasionally glance at Xu Xingchen, especially at the statue-like object wrapped in black cloth on Xu Xingchen's shoulder.

Although they had questions in their hearts, Xu Xingchen was a friend of their prince, so they couldn't ask or question him in front of him.

It was late afternoon.

The group arrived at a Taoist temple built in the mountains.

The Taoist temple is not large, but it is decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, and has green tiles and blue bricks, and its style is slightly different from that of Taoist temples in the Central Plains.

The colors have become brighter and more vibrant, carrying a touch of refined elegance.

Xu Xingchen looked up at the three gilded characters "Yuxu Temple" on the plaque above the Taoist temple gate. She felt that the brushstrokes were gentle, but the turns and twists revealed sharpness. It must have been written by a woman with a strong personality.

Duan Yu arrived at the gate of the Taoist temple, his expression a mixture of joy, frustration, and bewilderment.
Finally, she reached out and knocked on the door of the Taoist temple, shouting, "Mother! Mother! Open the door!"

The knocking and shouting carried far through the mountain forest as the sun set.
A short while later, the gate of the Taoist temple opened, and a middle-aged woman walked out.

The woman was dressed in a white Taoist robe and wore a white jade crown. Although she was old, her face was still elegant and beautiful.

Upon seeing Duan Yu, she immediately rushed forward and hugged him tightly, laughing happily, "You rascal, you've finally decided to come see your mother?! I've certainly spoiled you for nothing!"

Duan Yu chuckled foolishly, hiding all his worries, and pretended to be clueless, saying, "I encountered many interesting things on my trip, so I came to see you, Mother, on my way back."

After a brief exchange, Duan Yu introduced Xu Xingchen to the middle-aged Taoist nun.

"Mother, this is a friend I made on my recent trip. His surname is Xu and his given name is Xingchen!"

"Brother Xu, this is my mother, her Taoist name is Yuxu Sanren!"

Xu Xingchen bowed to Yu Xu Sanren and said, "Greetings, Yu Xu Sanren!"

Yu Xu Sanren looked Xu Xingchen up and down for a while, examining the black "package" on his body and shoulders. He nodded and said, "Since you are my son's friend, come to my Taoist temple as if you were at home. There's no need to be polite!"

"Thank you, Jade Void Hermit!" Xu Xingchen smiled, not taking the polite words seriously.

The five people behind Gao Shengtai also bowed to Yuxu Sanren, and then the group entered the Taoist temple.

This Taoist temple may be small, but it has all the necessary facilities.

A dozen or so servants swept the courtyard, did laundry, and cooked, each performing their own duties.

In the lobby.
Xu Xingchen gently placed the jade statue on her shoulder on the ground and sat down at the table.

Seeing how nimble his movements were, the five guards and Yu Xu Sanren assumed that the humanoid statue wrapped in black cloth was made of wood.

Yu Xu Sanren, Duan Yu, and Xu Xingchen sat at one table, while the five guards, who were not qualified to sit at the main table, sat down at a table in the corner.

Duan Yu and Yu Xu Sanren spoke in hushed tones.

Yu Xu Sanren inquired about Duan Yu's life and travel experiences over the past few days.

Duan Yu said what he could say, and avoided talking about what he couldn't.

Therefore, the atmosphere of the conversation was quite harmonious.

However, they are mother and son, and it is only natural that they are happy and harmonious.

Before long, servants brought in plates of food, and the group ate and chatted.

While everyone was having a meal in the main hall of the Taoist temple, a figure suddenly appeared outside the temple.

The newcomer was dressed in a blue robe with the lower part of the robe hanging loosely, and used two thin iron canes as his feet.

His face was dark, covered with scars, and stiff, expressionless.

Only his two eyes shone brightly as he gazed intently at the Taoist temple hidden in the moonlight.

The newcomer was none other than Duan Yanqing, the leader of the Four Evils, who had followed the trail of Xu Xingchen and his group.

(End of this chapter)