A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

When Ye Yun returned from the covered bridge, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

I don't know how long I've been comprehending the Dao in this illusion, but my state of mind is completely different now than when I came here.

The swordsman's sword intent still lingered behind him, and the sword energy that pierced his brow allowed him to see the origin of swordsmanship in this world.

He walked slowly, digesting those insights as he went.

By the time we reached the foot of the mountain, it was already daylight.

As the sun rose in the east, its golden rays bathed the mountains and forests, dispelling the chill of the night. Ye Yun took a deep breath and was about to quicken his pace when he suddenly sensed something.

He looked up.

A person was standing on the covered bridge.

He stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a blue robe and holding a book.

Ye Yun paused, recognizing the person.

Qi Jingchun.

The sage of Lizhu Cave Heaven is currently standing in the middle of the covered bridge, reading by the water.

The morning sun shone on him, gilding him with a golden edge, and his faded blue robe fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, like a painting.

Ye Yun didn't say anything, but simply walked over quietly.

When they reached the bridgehead, Qi Jingchun closed her book, turned around, and looked at him.

"Ye Yun, we meet again." Qi Jingchun smiled warmly.

Ye Yun walked onto the covered bridge, stopped in front of him, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings, Mr. Qi."

Qi Jingchun nodded, her gaze passing over him and looking at the old swordsman under the covered bridge.

"I didn't expect you to be willing to see me, senior."

Ye Yun nodded and said, "Thank you for your mercy, senior."

Qi Jingchun looked at him, a complex expression flashing in her eyes. That expression contained relief, emotion, and a hint of worry.

"Is this your destiny?"

Ye Yun nodded but did not answer.

Qi Jingchun smiled and said, "Of course, the senior has been here for ten thousand years, waiting for no ordinary person."

Ye Yun was silent for a moment before asking, "Mr. Qi, were you waiting for me here?"

Qi Jingchun nodded and said, "Everyone else is looking for opportunities, but you've come here instead. You're the one who understands best."

Ye Yun's heart stirred slightly.

He knew that the "others" Qi Jingchun was referring to were the outside cultivators who had flooded into the town, such as Fu Nanhua, Cai Jinjian, and the Mountain-Moving Apes of Zhengyang Mountain.

Those people were searching for opportunities throughout the Lizhu Cave Heaven, fighting tooth and nail.

But he came to see the swordsman.

Qi Jingchun looked at him and asked, "You came to Lizhu Cave Heaven because of that senior below?"

Ye Yun did not hide anything and said, "Yes."

"Seeking the Way of the Sword?"

"Yes."

Qi Jingchun was silent for a moment, then asked, "You come from the Sword Qi Great Wall?"

Ye Yun's heart skipped a beat. He knew?

Qi Jingchun seemed to see through his doubts and smiled slightly: "You have A Liang's sword intent within you."

Ye Yun felt relieved.

Qi Jingchun looked at him, her eyes showing a hint of seriousness: "Your swordsmanship is indeed extraordinary; your understanding of reincarnation is rarely seen throughout history."

Ye Yun nodded and said, "Naturally, I am no less skilled in swordsmanship."

Qi Jingchun continued, "If it's not bad, why did you come?"

Ye Yun calmly said, "I came not to compete, but simply to see the true origin of the sword path in this world."

Qi Jingchun stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly smiled.

That smile held both appreciation and emotion.

"You're a sensible person."

Ye Yun remained silent.

The two stood on the covered bridge, looking down at the dried-up riverbed.

A morning breeze blew from afar, lifting the hems of their clothes.

A moment of silence.

Qi Jingchun suddenly asked, "Besides seeking the Dao of the Sword, you came to Lizhu Cave Heaven for something else, right?"

Ye Yun turned to look at him.

Qi Jingchun didn't look at him, but gazed at the distant mountains and forests, and said softly, "There's something in your eyes. I've seen that in many people; it's obsession."

Ye Yun remained silent.

Qi Jingchun continued, "Obsession can take you very far, or it can drag you into an abyss."

The path you've walked is harder than anyone I've ever seen, but I won't advise you to give up, because I know it's useless to try.

Ye Yun looked at him and suddenly asked, "Mr. Qi, if one day someone wanted to kill the people in this town, what would you do?"

Qi Jingchun was stunned.

He didn't expect Ye Yun to suddenly ask this question.

But he only paused for a moment, then smiled slightly and said softly, "A gentleman does not save."

Ye Yun's heart skipped a beat.

Qi Jingchun continued, "But I am a scholar."

Ye Yun looked at him and suddenly understood something.

A virtuous person does not rescue those who should not be rescued, as is the rule of Confucianism. One should not rescue those who should not be rescued, nor should one take risks that one should not take.

But scholars are different. They study not to protect themselves, but to take responsibility.

Qi Jingchun was indeed foolish.

Foolish enough to do something you know is impossible, foolish enough to die knowing you will die, yet still choose to die.

Ye Yun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Qi Jingchun waved her hand and smiled, "Let's not talk about that. You've met that senior, what are your plans now?"

Ye Yun was silent for a moment, then said, "Cultivation, the rules here are suitable for me."

"Okay! I understand."

Qi Jingchun looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"You're welcome to come and sit at the academy when you have free time."

Ye Yun nodded and said, "Okay."

Qi Jingchun did not ask any further questions.

He already knew Ye Yun's purpose, and all he needed to do was not disrupt his plan.

Qi Jingchun turned around and looked at the town in the distance. Sunlight shone on the green bricks and gray tiles, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, and the sounds of chickens and dogs filled the air—a scene of peace and tranquility.

Qi Jingchun said softly, "I've been guarding this place for sixty years. I know everyone here, and I even watched that kid from Mud Bottle Alley grow up."

Ye Yun didn't speak, but listened quietly.

Qi Jingchun continued, "He suffered a lot, more than anyone else. But he never complained, never accepted his fate. Every day he went to work at the dragon kiln, every day he chopped firewood, every day he practiced that rudimentary breathing method. He knew he had nothing, so he could only rely on himself to fight for it."

"Chen Ping'an is far superior to me."

Ye Yun's heart skipped a beat.

Qi Jingchun turned to look at Ye Yun: "You are also someone who relies on your own hard work, so I won't stop you or try to persuade you."

Ye Yun nodded: "Mr. Qi, in this world, in all things, one should simply follow one's heart."

Qi Jingchun smiled slightly, patted his shoulder, then turned and walked down the bridge.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, without turning around, and simply said softly:

"Ye Yun, take care."

Ye Yun gazed at his retreating figure and bowed deeply.

"Mr. Qi, take care."

Qi Jingchun didn't say anything more, just waved her hand and continued walking forward.

His figure in the blue robe gradually receded into the morning light, eventually disappearing on the road leading to the town.

Ye Yun stood on the covered bridge, gazing in that direction, remaining motionless for a long time.

The sun rose higher and higher, its rays warming him.

But a chill ran through him.

Qi Jingchun's words, "A gentleman will not save me, but I am a scholar," weighed heavily on his heart like a stone.

He knew that this saint would one day die for this town.

And he could only watch.

Watch, but don't interfere.

I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my promise to A Liang.

The covered bridge still spans the riverbed, its bluestone surface gleaming faintly in the sunlight. The bridge is now deserted, with only the morning breeze gently blowing by.