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

The natal character and the natal flying sword have two different meanings.

A natal flying sword belongs to a sword cultivator. It is a killing weapon bound to the soul, emphasizing extreme burst damage and crushing in actual combat. It needs to be nurtured in the natal acupoint, consuming rare and precious materials and divine money, and tempered day and night with one's own cultivation. It is a weapon that shares the fate of the sword cultivator, and its fate is intertwined with the fate of the sword cultivator. Now, Ye Yun is also relying on his luck and his own sword intent to nourish the four natal flying swords in his body.

Fortunately, he gains luck points when he kills enemies, which prevents him from being unable to afford to maintain his natal flying sword.

The natal character is unique to Confucian cultivators. It is a rule-level existence that manifests the Great Dao, emphasizing the enhancement of mental power and the control of cause and effect. The law of cause and effect within it is exactly what Ye Yun's Reincarnation Sword Intent needs.

With the method of condensing one's natal character passed down by Qi Jingchun, Ye Yun also understood how to cultivate. The Confucian sage condensed his life's great Dao into a single character, which people need to write and recite to obtain the blessing of the thoughts of all living beings. It is not something that everyone can obtain.

It seems to be a special cultivation method.

The two cultivation methods are inherently incompatible, but Ye Yun seems to have gained a completely new understanding of them.

He already possesses a powerful sword aura. If he were to take the sword as his name and cultivate his natal character, merging with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, he could continuously enhance his cultivation as long as there are sword practitioners in the world who are related to the sword.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Qi."

Ye Yun thanked Qi Jingchun again in his heart.

This cause and effect was something Qi Jingchun had already planned, with the aim of helping Chen Ping'an grow up under Ye Yun's guidance.

Several days after the Lizhu Cave Heaven shattered, the people of the town began to go their separate ways.

Those who moved quickly could even secure an official position in the Dali Dynasty.

However, a new manager has been appointed.

About half of the residents in Mud Bottle Alley have left.

On the contrary, this time, Chen Ping'an became a big spender, holding so many gold and copper coins that even Ye Yun was a little envious.

Fortunately, he didn't care about these things. After all, he had a system. If he wanted luck, he would just kill a few troublesome demons.

This is why he stayed at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

This day.

Chen Ping'an was on his way home when he suddenly stopped at the entrance of Mud Bottle Alley.

A person was standing at the entrance of the alley.

Ning Yao.

She wore a light blue dress, with the "White Rainbow" sword hanging from her waist. Her long hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of hair were blown onto her face by the wind.

She stood under the old locust tree, gazing into the depths of the alley, lost in thought.

Chen Ping'an walked over and stood beside her. Following her gaze, he saw that the alley was deep, with mottled earthen walls on both sides and moss growing at the base of the walls.

Further inside was his dilapidated little house.

"Are you leaving?"

Ning Yao nodded: "News has come from the Sword Qi Great Wall that the battle is critical, I have to go back."

Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment, then said, "I'll take you."

The two walked side by side out of Mud Bottle Alley, across the long street, and to the entrance of the town.

The sun was already setting in the west, casting long shadows on them, and there were few people on the road.

The two walked the whole way without saying a word.

When they reached the entrance to the town, Ning Yao stopped.

She turned around and looked at Chen Ping'an.

The setting sun shone on her face, highlighting the heroic spirit between her brows and the barely perceptible softness in her eyes.

"That's enough for now."

Chen Ping'an nodded, stood in front of her, and didn't know what to say.

He has never been a good talker.

He didn't do that when he was a child, and he doesn't do it now. He has a lot to say, but when it comes to speaking, all that's left is silence.

Ning Yao looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"You're still the same as ever."

Chen Ping'an lowered his head and looked at his toes. His cloth shoes had another hole, and his toes were sticking out.

He shrank back somewhat awkwardly, only to find that Ning Yao was also looking down at his shoes.

"When I have money, I'll buy myself a new pair of shoes."

Ning Yao raised her head and looked at him.

Those eyes were very bright, as bright as the stars above the Great Wall of Swords.

"Chen Ping'an, Master Ruan Qiong has one of my swords. You can bring it to me when you have time."

Chen Ping'an was stunned.

Ning Yao's face flushed slightly, but she didn't look away and just stared at him.

Chen Ping'an suddenly smiled. It was the first time she had ever seen him smile like that—not a bitter smile, not a forced smile, but a genuine smile from the bottom of his heart.

His smile held a youthful innocence, but also something indescribable.

"it is good."

Ning Yao smiled too.

She turned around and ascended into the sky on her sword.

The flying sword transformed into a white light beneath her feet, lifting her slowly upwards. The wind blew her dress and long hair, and the setting sun gilded her with a golden edge.

Chen Ping'an stood on the ground, looking up at her. He suddenly remembered the first time he saw her; she had descended from the sky like a ray of light, illuminating his dark days.

"Miss Ning!" he suddenly called out.

Ning Yao looked down at him.

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath and shouted, "I will bring you the sword!"

Ning Yao was stunned.

She looked at the thin boy on the ground, at the veins bulging on his neck when he tilted his head back, and at the look in his eyes that she had seen before—not impulsiveness, not bravado, but something very heavy and profound.

She didn't speak, she just nodded.

She turned around and flew away on her sword.

The white light grew farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, until it finally became a single point of light and disappeared into the sunset.

Chen Ping'an stood at the entrance of the town, gazing in that direction, and remained motionless for a long time.

A breeze blew by, carrying the coolness unique to autumn. He shivered and realized that his clothes were soaked with sweat.

His injury hadn't fully healed, and his chest ached slightly if he stood for too long.

Chen Pingan finally looked away.

He looked down at his hands, which were thin with prominent knuckles and dirt stuck under his fingernails.

These are the hands that killed Cai Jinjian, wounded Fu Nanhua, and stabbed the Mountain-Moving Ape.

He clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

Then he turned and walked back to Mud Bottle Alley.

The alley was dark, and most of the houses on both sides had their lights off. Only in his dilapidated little house was there a light still on; he had turned it on when he left home, afraid he wouldn't be able to see the way back.

He pushed open the door, went in, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He didn't drink; he just sat there, holding the wine jug.

The moon rose outside the window, its light filtering through the tattered paper and falling on his hands and the wine jug. He looked down at the jug and suddenly remembered what Ye Yun had said:

"Because there are some things that can't be forgotten, the only way to forget them is through alcohol."

He seemed to understand a little.

In the distance, at the entrance to the town, the old locust tree had long since disappeared.

Ye Yun stood in the shadows, gazing in the direction of Mud Bottle Alley.

He saw Ning Yao leave, saw Chen Ping'an standing there watching her go, saw the boy walk back to the alley alone, and saw the light come on in the dilapidated little house.

He didn't go forward, but just watched from a distance.

He knew it was time to go.

The Lizhu Cave Heaven is shattered, the swordsman has recognized his master, and Qi Jingchun has faced death. He has already accomplished everything he came here to do.

The rest is up to the boy to walk, waiting for him to grow up.

Ye Yun turned around and flew away on his sword.