Simultaneously traversing: the pinnacle of all realms

The silence did not last long.

The door to the bamboo house opened.

A woman dressed in pink with her hair tied up with a peach hairpin came out. She resembled Sister Little Deer, also a giant panda, heavily pregnant, and walked very slowly, one hand holding the door frame and the other protecting her waist and abdomen, but her back was ramrod straight.

"My husband."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone present, demonstrating her considerable skill.

All eyes were on her.

She wore only the most ordinary coarse cloth dress, without makeup or jewelry, yet she possessed a gentle and serene demeanor.

She smiled apologetically at everyone: "Young heroes, you have come from afar. I apologize for any shortcomings in your hospitality. I am the lady's wife."

Dada's expression changed slightly, and he quickly stepped forward to support her arm: "Madam, why did you come out? It's windy outside—"

"I'm not that precious." Madam Da gently brushed his hand away. Even so, she still walked to the bamboo chair in the courtyard and sat down. Dada followed her step by step, but he had lost his previous otherworldly demeanor.

Mrs. Da's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Dada's face.

"Husband, please repeat what you just said to all the young heroes."

Dada stood there, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

He had spoken calmly just now, but now, facing his wife's gaze, he couldn't utter the words he had prepared.

Mrs. Da did not press him, but slowly turned her head to look at the bamboo forest and stream in the distance.

The mountain mist had not yet dissipated, and the mountains appeared and disappeared, stretching endlessly, with no end in sight.

"My lord, you said you would never again concern yourself with the affairs of the martial world." Her voice was soft, as if she were telling a story from a long time ago. "Let me ask you—what if the Demonic Sect attacks? And let me ask them—what if the Seven Swords Alliance needs you? Would losing you truly make no difference to the Seven Swords Alliance?"

She turned around, looked at Dada, and smiled slightly.

"Does he even believe that himself?"

Madam Da gently patted Dada's arm: "The Demonic Sect has been making increasingly big moves lately; it's time for your seventh sword to emerge."

Dada's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Eliminating evil is the duty of the Seven Swords," he suddenly raised his head and looked at everyone, his voice filled with suppressed excitement, "and as one of them, I am no exception."

Dada lowered his head, took Mrs. Dada's hand, and gently stroked it: "But madam, I'm just worried about you and our unborn child!"

Mrs. Da shook her head with tender affection but firm resolve, brushing aside Dada's arm and gently pushing him away.

"Alas, my husband, you are mistaken. To achieve great things, one cannot be concerned with trifles. If the evil cult is not eradicated, what meaning would my life as your wife have?"

Dada didn't answer. He lowered his eyes, and after a long while, said in a hoarse voice, "But I don't want to see it again—"

"My husband."

Mrs. Da's voice cut him off.

She walked slowly to Dada, her belly quite large, her steps a little unsteady, but her back remained straight. She reached out and took Dada's hand in hers, her voice very soft.

"Do you remember who you are?"

She said this in a calm tone, as if she were just saying that the weather was nice today, but it made Dada suddenly look up.

Dada remained silent for a long time.

"Whether the Seven Swords combined can defeat Black Heart Tiger, no one knows. Last time, the Seven Swords combined only severely injured him; this time it might be even more difficult. But some things aren't done just because there's a chance of winning. If everyone in the world only did things with a chance of winning—then who stopped Black Heart Tiger when he first wreaked havoc on the martial arts world?"

"You're afraid of losing me, afraid of losing the children, afraid of losing this family, and that's all true. But my husband—how could you, after four reigns as emperor, not be as fortunate as the Lu family with Mo Chou?"

"I ask you—if the Seven Swords cannot unite, the Demonic Cult will become powerful, the Qilin will be captured, and the Black-Hearted Tiger will achieve great power and dominate the world—at that time, where in Zhangjiajie will not be a target of the Demonic Cult's swords? What makes Hundred Herbs Valley think it can escape unscathed? When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?"

Lu Ze suddenly interjected, "The Demonic Sect's young master, Hei Xiaohu, has emerged from seclusion. In the battle at Happy Forest, Rainbow Cat and the others, with their combined swordsmanship, repelled him, but the Demonic Sect's strength remained unscathed. When Hei Xiaohu returns, unable to defeat us, his first target will be the remaining sword masters. Do you think the Demonic Sect can find out about Hundred Herbs Valley? And if they do, how will they deal with your wife and children?"

Dada's body tensed up.

Madam Da patted the back of his hand and turned to look at Rainbow Cat: "Young Hero Rainbow Cat, may I ask a question?"

"Mrs. Da, please speak."

"After you five swords united, you headed straight for Hundred Herbs Valley without stopping. What were you after?" Before Rainbow Cat could answer, she pointed to Sixth Sister-in-law and Lu Ze, "This eldest sister-in-law and this young hero are not successors of the Seven Swords, yet they risked their lives to accompany you—what were they after?"

Rainbow Cat paused for a moment, then laughed.

I don't want anything.

Mrs. Da smiled and said softly, "The person who asks for nothing is the most trustworthy."

As she spoke, she pulled Dada's hand over and placed it on her protruding belly.

Dada shuddered. Through the fabric of his clothes, he could feel the faint yet tenacious throbbing in his palm—a tiny, unborn life.

"My lord," tears finally welled up in Lady Da's eyes, but her voice remained steady, "the zither can still be played, the flowers can still be planted. Although you may want to hide away, when the world needs you, you must still pick up your sword."

"True family care is not about hiding your family in a valley and pretending that the storms outside don't exist, but about keeping those storms out of your home."

A breeze stirred in the bamboo grove, making the bamboo leaves tinkle like wind chimes.

Dada slowly turned around.

He walked to the stone table, gently lifted the zither case, opened it, and took out a long sword.

The sword is two feet nine inches long, with a bluish-green color, a dark blue hilt, and a dark blue scabbard with purple tinges, engraved with intricate wind patterns. A blue jade stone is inlaid on the hilt.

He held the sword and stood there for a long time, so long that everyone thought he was going to put the sword back.

Then he turned around, walked up to Rainbow Cat, and clasped his hands in a salute.

"Dada, the master of Baicaogu, is under the command of the spirit pigeon and obeys the orders of the master of Changhong Sword."

He paused, then gave a wry smile: "Of course, I didn't go because you said some grand principles, nor because I've figured out anything about the fate of all people."

He looked at the plain-colored figure at the entrance of the bamboo house and said gently, "It's simply because she's right."

"Besides, she has already given me a military order." He lowered his head, looking at the Whirlwind Sword in his hand, his eyes gentle. "How dare I, the master of Hundred Herbs Valley, disobey orders? Military orders are as solid as mountains."

Rainbow Cat clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Your Excellency is truly righteous."

Dada waved his hand, seemingly unaccustomed to being treated with such formality: "Don't rush to praise me. I have a condition."

"Please speak, layperson."

"I must make proper arrangements for my wife, after all, I want to see the child born with my own eyes." He turned to look at the bamboo house, where Mrs. Da was leaning against the door frame with a gentle smile on her lips.

Rainbow Cat nodded: "That's natural."

Dada walked up to Madam Da, took her hand, and whispered, "Wait for me to come back."

"I'll wait for you," Mrs. Da smiled slightly and added, "My child and I will be waiting for you."

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the bamboo grove, casting long shadows in the courtyard and falling on the seven distinct figures.