Sword Sect Outer Sect

Chapter 232: Betrayal and separation
"Sorry, sorry," Song Yan said with a forced smile.

The old man glared at him, took the wine jug, gulped down two mouthfuls, and suddenly began to cough violently.

Xiao Ju quickly patted his hunched back, but the old man waved his hand and laughed, "Good wine, good wine. For the sake of this wine, I'll let you off this time."

"It's just that I'm old and easy to talk to. If you run into those hot-tempered, difficult fishermen, you'd better wait and see if you lose money, I'm telling you."

Song Yan repeatedly agreed.

The old man took another swig of wine, squinted at Song Yan, and said, "Little kid, judging from your accent, you're not from Yingjing, are you?"

“This junior, Song Yan, courtesy name Yesheng, comes from Qizhou.”

Song Yan took the wine pot and asked casually, "How should I address you, sir?"

“…Um, my name is…”

The old man suddenly paused, then fell into deep thought: "I... what was my name again?"

"Hehe, look at my memory, I can't even remember my own name."

"Xiao... Xiao Ming".

"Oh, right. The old man's surname is Xiao, and his given name is Ming."

The old man wiped the wine stains from his beard: "I'm really getting old now..."

Song Yan paused slightly in the hand holding the wine pot.

"Xiao Ming?"

Isn't this the name of that deceased general of the State of Chu?

The meritorious official of the State of Chu, the general who spent his life on the battlefield, and even Li Yi before he entered the Daoist path were his subordinates and close followers.

Li Qingfeng clearly stated that General Xiao had passed away peacefully half a month ago.

Hearing the young man in front of him say his name with some surprise, the old man said with a hint of pride, "What? Little kid, you've heard of this old man?"

A river breeze swept across the reeds, causing the old man's straw hat to sway slightly.

Song Yan remained silent, unsure of what to say.

However, Li Qingfeng had no reason to deceive himself about the life and death of a mortal.

Perhaps they are people with the same name.

After a moment, he slowly said, "It's quite a coincidence that I have an old friend whose mentor shares the same name as you, sir."

"Oh? What a coincidence?"

The old man suddenly became interested, his raincoat rustling as he said, "Tell me about it."

"My friend's name is Li Yi."

Looking at the old man in front of him, Song Yan said casually, "He was a promising young man and was granted the title of 'Marquis of Yan' by the imperial court."

“Li Yi…”

The old man's eyes suddenly widened, as if something had reminded him.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "That kid!"

“How did he become a ‘Marquis’? Didn’t I tell him that someone in the court wants to harm us? I told him to fake his death and get away from the Chu court.”

"I can't reason with him, this kid is driving me crazy!"

"..."

Song Yan remained silent.

Following Li Yi's lead, the old man went on to talk about many other things.

"Back then, he was by my side, a close attendant and subordinate general, that..."

As the old man spoke, his voice gradually faded, and then he suddenly froze, his cloudy eyes gradually losing focus.

He fell silent and didn't say another word.

He remembered everything.

A strange encounter while guarding the border in Wushan.

He spent his life on conquests and achieved numerous military exploits.

Their achievements overshadowed the emperor, leading to infighting within the court and among the people.

Betrayed by all and abandoned by his family, his later years were bleak.

Everything, everything, I remembered.

It seems like...

already dead.

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.

"You brat, you've made this old man think of so many sad things for no reason."

Song Yan turned around abruptly, and another old man in a straw raincoat appeared at the edge of the cliff behind him.

Wearing the same straw hat and raincoat, he resembled the senior from Wushan Valley.

He sat down cross-legged; the fish basket was empty.

"Senior." Song Yan was surprised and dared not be negligent, so he quickly bowed.

But the man in the straw raincoat stopped him: "Hey? I'm not your senior."

"I am not a member of the Sword Sect, and I cannot accept such a great gift from you."

Having said that, he ignored Song Yan, turned to look at Xiao Ming, and said, "You remember everything now?"

"..." Old Master Xiao Ming nodded slowly: "Yes."

The man in the straw raincoat turned around and gave Song Yan a disdainful look.

"Senior, what exactly is going on..."

The man in the straw raincoat did not answer him.

Xiao Ming's fingers trembled slightly, his breathing became more and more rapid, and his cloudy eyes gradually cleared.

At this moment, his thoughts seemed to have left the present and flown back to the past.

Having traversed sixty-eight years of time, I returned to that snowy morning.

The sky above the cliff is ever-changing with the wind and clouds.

……

My name is Xiao Ming.

In his youth, he was just an ordinary attendant in the border garrison, responsible for delivering documents to the general.

In early winter of one year, I was ordered to go to Changfeng Village at the foot of Wushan Mountain to investigate the rumors of "mountain ghosts and demons causing havoc".

“Young man of the Xiao family, take two people up the mountain and see what kind of monsters could possibly be out there in broad daylight.”

The old general tossed me the token, his eyes filled with appreciation for the young man.

A cold wind howled through the mountains as my two companions and I climbed up the path trodden by the local villagers.

Chatting and laughing with my comrades, we walked halfway up the mountain without seeing anything strange.

"Ha, in this cold weather, even if there really are monsters, they'd probably stay in the mountains and refuse to come out."

However, everything changed too quickly.

Suddenly, a shrill scream came from the forest. The comrade who was walking at the front was pounced on by a demonic figure, and blood splattered everywhere.

"A monster! It's a tiger demon!"

The tiger demon roared fiercely as it slowly approached us.

Another comrade screamed and ran backward, but tripped over a branch and tumbled down the cliff.

The tiger demon breathed through its nose, seemingly disdainful of us.

My hand trembled as I drew my sword. Before me stood a massive tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, its body a full ten feet long. Its fangs and claws were soaked with the blood of my comrades, making it a truly ferocious and terrifying sight.

The tiger demon roared and pounced. I did not retreat, but instinctively swung my sword. However, the long sword, made of fine steel, was also slashed in two by the tiger's claws.

Just as I closed my eyes to await death, a clear and melodious sword cry suddenly rang out from the mountains.

The tiger demon felt a strong sense of alarm and howled as it rolled away.

I looked up and saw an old man in a straw raincoat sitting on a large rock under the cedar tree.

"Little child, why don't you run away..."

Still shaken, I instinctively replied, "Even if I escape, I'll still die, just a slower death."

"..."

The old man pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The old man casually pointed, and a dazzling sword light, like a swimming dragon, fell into my hand.

The longsword felt warm and smooth to the touch, with dreamlike patterns flowing across its blade like water ripples.

The tiger demon, seeing that the newcomer was just an old man, paid no attention and pounced again. A sudden inspiration struck me; I thrust my sword forward, the tip plunging into the tiger's jaws.

The tiger demon, in pain, shook its head and swallowed the entire sword. It then rolled on the ground in agony, bleeding from its seven orifices, and gradually became still.

When I came to my senses, the old man in the straw raincoat was already standing beside him: "It is fate that we have met. I will give you this sword."

"I will take it back after you pass away."

The old man in the straw raincoat seemed quite lonely.

So whenever I passed through this place after that, I would come to Wushan Valley, firstly to pay tribute to the two comrades who died under the tiger demon's claws, and secondly to chat with this old man in the straw raincoat.

We drank and chatted, and unexpectedly became close friends despite our age difference, addressing each other as brothers.

I do not know the origin of this man in the straw raincoat, only that he is a hermit, or perhaps even an immortal.

The sword bestowed by the immortals was indeed miraculous.

With this spirit sword by my side, I found that my physique was getting stronger day by day. In the cold winter months, I only needed to wear a single layer of clothing and was not afraid of the cold. I could swing a hundred-pound stone lock with one arm without feeling tired.

Even more mysteriously, whenever I face a life-or-death crisis on the battlefield, a warm current surges from my abdomen to my limbs and bones, greatly increasing my reaction speed and energy.

Gradually, my name became well-known in the army.

In a military competition, he defeated more than ten instructors and was promoted to captain.

One day, when the border was under attack, he led more than a hundred light cavalry in a night raid on the enemy camp, and the enemy chieftain was beheaded wherever they went.

After this battle, my name spread throughout the Chu Kingdom.

It was from here that I was transferred away from the North.

Before leaving, I had a final drink and chat with the man in the straw raincoat, telling him that I was about to depart.

The old man in the straw raincoat said to me, "Go on your own. When you die, this sword will return to me by itself."

"If I settle my affairs here, I might be able to find you again and have a drink while you are still alive."

For decades, this spirit sword has accompanied me on my campaigns across the north and south.

The sword remained spotless and unstained by blood.

My reputation grew along with my military achievements, rising from captain to lieutenant general, and finally becoming a general who protects the country.

"General, where did you get this precious sword?" The young attendant's eyes were full of reverence.

His name is Li Yi, and he is one of my most valued and trusted followers.

I gently wiped the sword and said with a smile, "It has quite a history; it was bestowed by an immortal."

The other attendants laughed and said, "General Xiao is fooling the children again."

"You people, you don't believe me no matter what I say." As I said this, I puffed out my cheeks and glared, which caused a burst of laughter inside and outside the military camp.

About five years ago, I personally secured victory in a major battle on the frontier.

Victory celebration fireworks illuminated the night sky over Yingjing.

Sitting alone at the table, looking at his calloused hands, hands that had once slain enemy generals, killed deserters under his command, and even slew tiger demons.

But I'm getting old, and I want to retire from the battlefield and enjoy my later years.

However, the situation was vague and confusing to me.

His close friends in the court for many years hinted that his achievements were too great and that someone might be plotting against him.

What is the reasoning behind this?
I fought countless battles for the State of Chu. How is it that now that peace and stability have returned and the flames of war have temporarily subsided, my achievements are considered to be overshadowing the ruler?!

It might even implicate Li Yi!
Is there any justice in this world?!
However, when I returned to Yingjing, I realized that my eldest son had already entered the court as an official, and my second son had married a princess.

My children begged me not to resign from my official post, but to stay in the capital and retire peacefully.

His petition to retire from military service was rejected three times.

In my residence in Yingjing, I often stare blankly at that spirit sword.

If one could truly retire peacefully in a prosperous place like Yingjing, that would be the best outcome.

But it seems everyone is hoping I die.

The King of Chu was too suspicious. He would never feel at ease until he died, and he put pressure on the Xiao family at every turn.

As a result, a very absurd situation arose.

That was a renowned meritorious official of the State of Chu, who tragically died young, with his family constantly hoping for his early demise.

Only after my death will His Majesty be at ease, and he even hinted that he would make amends by ensuring a smooth career path for the Xiao family.

I felt I was already mired in the quagmire of the court and the country, but I did not want the young Li Yi to follow in my footsteps.

So he explained the pros and cons to him and advised him to fake his death to escape.

One night, I sat alone in the courtyard with my sword in my arms, and heard the sound of arguing coming from the side room.

"If this drags on for another three to five years, His Majesty will become increasingly suspicious of our family..."

"But that's my father!"

"Brother! Must the entire clan's smooth road be sacrificed for Father alone?"

I sighed softly.

However, a sigh could not release the pent-up sorrow in his heart.

Of course, I could make a huge scene because of this, punish these unfilial nephews and nieces one by one, and beat to death the daughter-in-law who tried to poison me.

Let your grandchildren see how unfilial and despicable their parents are.

but……

That's so undignified.

As people get older, their mindset really does change.

I feel so tired.

I wish I could die sooner, go to the underworld, and find my deceased spouse...

Seems pretty good too.

"What's the point of living like this?"

Somehow, I died quietly.

……

A river breeze swept across the cliff, carrying with it a moist mist.

Song Yan stood beside Xiao Ming, looking at the white-haired old general with a complex light flashing in his eyes.

Xiao Ju and Xiao He stood a little distance away, not daring to disturb the solemn and dignified atmosphere.

However, the old general showed no sign of grief or regret.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

A glimmer of hope and light appeared in his eyes: "Senior, I am now dead. When will I be able to enter the underworld for reincarnation?"

"I wonder if my wife... is she still waiting in the cycle of reincarnation?"

The old man in the straw raincoat remained silent, and the wind on the river seemed to stand still at that moment.

“Your wife may have already entered the cycle of reincarnation,” he replied slowly, his voice unusually gentle. “But you are not yet ready, Xiao Ming. According to the lifespan, you are not yet ready to die.”

"At least, I still have two years to live."

"Huh?" Xiao Ming was somewhat surprised: "Then how come...?"

The old man in the straw raincoat sat cross-legged on a protruding rock, his face obscured by his straw hat: "Your life is too hard, I can't bear to see you suffer, I'm just helping an old friend out."

“So that’s how it is…” Xiao Ming murmured to himself, “I was taken away from this world by you ahead of time.”

Xiao Ming didn't think there was anything wrong with it. This old man in the straw raincoat was undoubtedly a celestial master, and it was normal for him to have some unfathomable energy.

But Song Yan felt a strange chill creep up his spine.

What astonishing power this is, that it can arbitrarily decide a person's life and death cycle?
It's not simply about using magic or magical artifacts to kill mortals; it's about taking away their rightful life without violating the laws of nature.

The difference between them is like night and day.

"Old Xiao, would you like to see what the Xiao family will be like after you die?"

The old man in the straw raincoat suddenly asked, his voice carrying a hint of something Song Yan couldn't understand.

Xiao Ming hesitated.

Song Yan could see the old general's inner struggle; he both longed to know his family's reaction and feared seeing a scene that would break his heart.

Finally, Xiao Ming took a deep breath, straightened his hunched back, and seemed to have transformed back into the general who once commanded the battlefield.

"I... want to take a look."

The old man in the straw raincoat nodded, flicked his finger, and the entire sky above the cliff began to change with the wind and clouds.

The scene gradually became clear, making one feel as if they were there.

(End of this chapter)