Chapter 17 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 17: Sadness (1)
Like sunlight piercing through the night,
The nihilistic world brimmed with newfound vitality.
…
When Gu Jiu opened his eyes, he found himself inside a desolate straw hut.
The wooden beams were rotting, and the frigid northern wind howled outside.
The wind carried a sorrowful sound, like a soul-stirring cry.
Snowflakes were mercilessly blown onto his exposed cheeks, sharp and cold as blades.
Gu Jiu rose from the icy ground and noticed a cup filled with warm wine on a wooden table just three feet away.
Turning to his left, he saw a sword hanging from a beam, its surface marred by mottled traces of age.
The sword looked plain, no different from any ordinary iron sword one could buy anywhere.
Strangely, Gu Jiu’s heart was calm at that moment.
He couldn’t remember where he had come from or where he was supposed to go.
Why not sit down and have a sip of warm wine while I figure out what’s happening?
Gu Jiu seated himself.
Reaching for the cup, he gently clasped it.
The warmth from the wine seeped through the rim of the cup, traveling along his palm and settling deep within his heart.
He drank it all in one gulp.
Hula——
A burst of warmth and contentment erupted in Gu Jiu’s throat.
This was the fullness of drinking!
As he swirled the empty cup in his hand, he gazed out at the snow beyond the hut. A sudden urge to recite poetry overcame him.
“Sitting there and watching the green bamboo turn into white branches…”
“Now…”
Just then, a thin figure appeared, trudging through the snow-covered stone path outside the hut.
The figure moved swiftly, but by the time Gu Jiu raised his head again, it had vanished.
All that remained were crooked footprints trailing through the snow, stretching far into the distance—
All the way to the foot of the mountain.
“There…”
Immersed in his fleeting moment of joy, Gu Jiu felt a wave of confusion wash over him.
Everything seemed so familiar.
This scene should have been engraved in his memory like a steel seal, but for some reason, he couldn’t recall it.
His eyes drifted to the cup he had just set down.
I see.
Understanding dawned on him.
The cup was meant to “corrupt” him.
And the sword hanging from the beam—it was his “root.”
Grasping the sword firmly, Gu Jiu felt a sense of clarity begin to emerge.
In an instant, he remembered everything.
This road was the path to saying goodbye to his past.
And this day was the day he finally let go of it all.
From that moment onward, his eyes would never be pure again, and his thoughts would never regain their former clarity.
Gu Jiu rushed down the mountain, braving the biting wind and relentless snow, his sword in hand.
Before him stretched a vast expanse of white, but the closer he got to the village, the faster his heart pounded.
There’s still time!
When he arrived, the village was as peaceful as he remembered.
This was a world where no one got hurt.
Gu Jiu sprinted toward his home.
Through a window covered with straw, he spotted the white fox creeping silently toward his sister’s bedside.
Qiang!
In a flash of cold light, the fox’s sharp claws extended, inching toward the little girl’s neck.
“Fuck you!”
Gu Jiu kicked the door open and stormed inside.
“You…”
The white fox barely had time to speak before Gu Jiu’s sword sliced through the air, carrying with it a deadly chill.
Die!
Puff——
The blade struck true, slicing cleanly through the white fox’s neck.
It cut through its skin, flesh, and organs, emerging on the other side.
As the blade moved upward, it sent blood splattering across the room, staining the floor and covering Gu Jiu in crimson.
The little girl woke up, her eyes wide with horror at the scene before her. She opened her mouth to cry, but before a sound escaped, Gu Jiu pulled her into a protective embrace.
“It’s okay. It’s okay. Brother is here.”
Everything would be fine.
Her sobs echoed softly in the hut.
If only everything could be done over again…
But suddenly, Gu Jiu felt his arms grow empty.
He looked down in shock.
His sister had dissolved into countless specks of light, scattering in his arms like tiny, shimmering stars.
Turning around, he noticed that his sword had vanished.
In its place were the lifeless bodies of snake demons, fox demons, tiger demons, and cat demons.
They were magical beasts he had slain.
But there was no white fox.
The white fox had already died at the hands of his Shifu.
It could never die by his hands again.
Gu Jiu felt the weight of his body crumble as if all his strength had left him.
He collapsed backward.
Putong.
He landed in the thick snow.
Lying there, he watched the snowflakes dancing in the air, drifting aimlessly in the cold wind.
Then he closed his eyes.
“I have a little boy in my heart who lives forever at the age of twelve.”
He knew he was sinking.
Sinking into the snow.
Sinking.
Continuing to descend deeper into the darkness.
Until someone held him.
Gu Jiu opened his eyes, leaving behind the snowfield created by Bai Lian. He found himself back in Gucheng County, where snow was still falling.
The person who had caught him was Chen Fu, the Elder of Thousand Swords City. He had arrived from afar after receiving news from the woman in white.
“Master.”
Gu Jiu’s voice trembled as he cried.
Chen Fu clasped his hand tightly.
“I understand. Rest now—you can sleep in peace.”
Gu Jiu drifted into sleep.
Chen Fu stood, and as the woman in white hurried over to speak, he raised his hand, motioning for her to stop.
Chen Fu flew toward Bai Lian. The already frigid air seemed to grow colder.
Bai Lian’s heart was heavy with unease.
Chen Fu’s sword was far too strong.
Just moments ago, he had arrived from a great distance and effortlessly shattered her [Field]. Even Mu Yisheng hadn’t exerted this much pressure on her before.
Bai Lian knew the situation was dire.
In her current state, she was likely no match for Chen Fu.
And worse, her Snow Spirit Lord form wouldn’t last long. Once the effects of her Qianhuan Real Eyes wore off, she would be left in a weakened state.
No. She had to hold on!
Bai Lian fixed Chen Fu with a calm but resolute gaze.
Her posture radiated an overwhelming aura of defiance, silently declaring: “If you take another step forward, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
Ling Xuan, however, didn’t think so deeply. Her anger flared.
“You bad people!”
“You only know how to call your elders for help!”
“Fie, fie, fie!”
“Little sister…”
The woman in white tried to explain, but the woman in black held her back.
“It’s not necessary.”
They wouldn’t fight.
Yet, the woman in black still hoped to see Bai Lian clash with Chen Fu.
With Bai Lian’s strength, surely she could defeat Chen Fu, right?
Chen Fu, however, made an unexpected move.
Standing before Bai Lian, he turned to the snake dragon and the cat demon.
“I will clear your names,” he said solemnly.
With a sigh, he drew his Heart Sword and plunged it into his own body.
Poof——
