Chapter 29
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 29: A Latecomer in the Wind and Snow
Gu Jiu’s leap was like a droplet disturbing the still surface of a pond.
Tick.
Something still had been set into motion.
Something already moving raised a larger wave.
Everyone, including Bai Lian, was stunned by Gu Jiu’s sudden action.
“Gu Jiu!”
Chen Fu wanted to say something, but his words were drowned by the white light emanating from the narrow slit at the entrance of the small world.
A strange sensation gripped his throat—it hurt, and even his nose tingled with sourness, silencing him completely.
This road was still a road of no return.
The powerful Seal Array, enduring for ten thousand years, had been activated.
It was like an ascetic unable to resist temptation.
Flames burned fiercely within it, unstoppable until Gu Jiu was utterly consumed.
Unless the Seal Array was shattered by supreme power.
But…
Chen Fu looked down at the sword in his hand.
He might have the strength to do it, albeit reluctantly, but not in the presence of his Heart Sword.
The Blood Demons surged like an unrelenting tide. If the Seal Array were broken, the entire East Wilderness would face annihilation.
“I…”
Chen Fu felt an overwhelming loneliness.
He was surrounded by people, yet his world in this moment contained only himself and Gu Jiu, burning amidst the flames.
Love.
He had given up halfway. Confronted by an oath as heavy as a mountain, he had faltered, choosing instead to spend his life with the sword.
Practice.
He had abandoned it midway, too. Tossed by regret, he lost his direction and failed to survive the Heart Asking Disaster.
Cause.
He had accomplished nothing. As an Elder, he hadn’t led Thousand Sword City forward but had instead contributed to its decline through his own incompetence. Unlike the carefree An Lan, he had been consumed by self-blame, growing increasingly despondent.
Family.
Like Gu Jiu, he had been an orphan, brought to Thousand Sword City by his Shifu. He was deeply grateful to his Shifu, but when his mentor passed away, he had been unable to express his heart. Later, he adopted Gu Jiu but failed to guide him as his Shifu once had guided him.
All the sorrow and regret stemmed from his own weakness.
“I am a failure!”
Chen Fu gritted his teeth.
This was an undeniable truth.
The hardest challenge for anyone is accepting their true self.
It is a hurdle, and many things might change if one could only overcome it.
“Gu Jiu.”
Chen Fu looked up at Gu Jiu, who gazed back at him calmly through the flames.
Living alone was unbearable. Let me join you, my disciple.
He stepped forward with resolve.
But just as he was about to enter the Seal Array, a plain white arm draped in a wide sleeve stretched out, blocking his path.
It was Bai Lian.
She always forced her way into others’ lives when she deemed it necessary.
Her expression was calm, neither joyful nor sorrowful, as she spoke in an even voice:
“He wouldn’t want to see such an end.”
Chen Fu stared at her.
“Listen!”
Bai Lian’s voice carried an inexplicable magic.
Chen Fu composed himself.
He remembered—everything had changed when Gu Jiu met Bai Lian.
He listened.
And then, he heard Gu Jiu’s voice.
“I’m sorry.”
Chen Fu’s gaze fixed on Gu Jiu.
“I’ve never made you proud.”
I have only brought you endless troubles.
I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me.
But such words aren’t easy to say. By the time Gu Jiu wanted to speak them, it was already too late.
That’s why life feels so fleeting.
The flames consumed Gu Jiu, forcing him to lean back as he fell deeper into the inferno.
Chen Fu stretched out a trembling hand, helplessly watching as the flames fully engulfed his disciple.
He…
He still couldn’t do anything!
Perhaps this was the best possible outcome. But in moments like these, rationality cannot triumph over emotion.
Chen Fu collapsed to the ground, his hands pressing into the dirt. Large tears rolled down his cheeks, glistening like crystal beads as they fell.
At this moment, Chen Fu looked like a child who had lost everything.
He didn’t care that the young disciples of Thousand Sword City were gathered around him.
Did it matter?
No, it didn’t.
All that mattered was expressing his feelings without reservation.
Gradually, his sobs grew louder, evolving into heart-wrenching cries.
No one spoke. Everyone silently observed Chen Fu’s stooped figure.
His hair, once graying only at the temples, turned entirely white as if a sudden snowstorm had descended, leaving him aged in an instant.
Bai Lian couldn’t help but recall images from the game.
In the game, before “Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian” began her descent into evil, how would those who loved her feel, watching her fall?
Her younger Martial Sisters charging at the enemy with weapons drawn.
Her master clutching the lifeless body of “Elder Martial Sister Bai Lian,” crying out in a voice torn with anguish.
What kind of torment was that?
Bai Lian’s mood plummeted.
For a moment, silence enveloped the scene.
Suddenly, Chen Fu, still kneeling on the ground, began coughing violently, blood spilling from his lips.
“Martial Master!”
The disciples of Thousand Sword City rushed forward in a panic, chaos breaking out around them.
The little fox raised her head, her gaze drawn to the Seal Array.
Light.
So much light!
She thought it impossible to hold back the Blood Demons with the sacrifice of just one person. Yet, Gu Jiu’s potential far exceeded her expectations.
This would buy them enough time to deal with the demonic threat.
It was a blessing.
The little fox bit her lip gently, her thoughts drifting to her brother.
Her brother had once said the world was always progressing, and he was right. Even ten thousand years later, the world still had its share of brave souls.
Gu Jiu fell.
He sank into the sea of fire.
The flames devoured his body and tore at his soul, yet his Heart Sword remained steadfastly by his side.
He gripped his sword tightly, his eyes calm as ever.
Then, the phantom appeared once again.
With the realization that he might never have another chance to speak, he opened his mouth.
“Am I a bad person?”
“Of course.”
“Is it this world’s fault?”
“No.”
“I see.”
“So, do you regret it?”
“It’s pointless to say that.”
“Yeah.”
“…”
“It seems you’ve stopped running away.”
“Because there’s always a reason not to run.”
Gu Jiu turned his head, staring into the flames ahead of him. He saw a crack.
Beyond it, a boundless snowfield stretched before him—a snowfield that had once driven him mad.
What is this?
In that moment, Gu Jiu understood.
He rose to his feet and stepped into the snowfield.
It was evening, and snow was falling heavily.
He walked down the familiar path, pressing forward against the wind and snow, one deliberate step at a time.
In the distance, Gu Jiu spotted the familiar straw hut covered in snow.
He entered the snowy twilight with quiet resolve.
As he approached the house, a yellow dog lying in the corner stirred.
“Woof, woof!”
Gu Jiu crouched down, extending a hand to gently stroke the dog’s head.
Gradually, the dog stopped barking and began licking his palm instead.
“Good boy,” Gu Jiu murmured softly.
A voice called out from inside the house.
“Brother, who is it?”
“I’ll go and see.”
A moment later, with a creak, the door opened, and a small boy peeked out.
“What can I do for you?”
Gu Jiu turned slightly and said, “I’m leaving.”
“Huh?”
The little boy froze.
Gu Jiu murmured, “If someone like me doesn’t become a demon, he’ll die.”
The boy’s expression grew increasingly bewildered.
Gu Jiu continued, “It’s normal that you don’t understand. You’re still young. You have dreams, hope, and a future.”
“…”
“What are you talking about?”
The little boy stared at Gu Jiu, his eyes wide with confusion.
Gu Jiu shook his head and said, “It’s truly crazy. They say God created 500 million worlds at the dawn of the universe. If all 500 million worlds originate from the same source, then perhaps, in one of those worlds, there’s someone as happy as you.”
A world without human-eating white foxes.
A world without the demon-slayer Gu Jiu.
A place where dreams come true.
“But he is himself—a swordsman respected by thousands. And I am me—a coward hiding in a house.”
The little boy tilted his head, his confusion deepening.
Gu Jiu extended his hand. “That’s enough. Let’s go together.”
The boy instinctively stepped back, glancing over his shoulder toward the house. But there was no Yu Niang waiting for him.
“She’s gone.”
The little boy’s face darkened.
He wanted to run, but Gu Jiu blocked every possible escape route.
At last, the boy reached out his small hand and took Gu Jiu’s.
Firmly.
Gu Jiu knelt down and wrapped his arms around the boy.
“Thank you,” Gu Jiu whispered. “Thank you for accepting me at the very end.”
Without hesitation, he plunged the Heart Reading Sword into the boy’s back. The same blade pierced Gu Jiu’s own body.
The wind picked up, howling through the snowstorm as if it sought to scatter the world itself.
Gu Jiu’s vision began to blur. He glanced down at the Heart Reading Sword in his hand, its blade reflecting his own face.
Look.
A ferocious monster.
But that’s what he was meant to be.
Gu Jiu wasn’t surprised. He clutched the Heart Reading Sword tightly to his chest. Salvation was not his to claim.
Before him, countless Blood Demons surged forward, sometimes transforming into magic beasts of unimaginable shapes.
Crack—
Suddenly, the sword that had accompanied him through most of his life shattered, dissolving into radiant specks of light that scattered across the sky.
Gu Jiu tilted his head back, watching the fragments drift away, until the flames engulfed him completely.
As his consciousness faded, Gu Jiu turned his head for one last look at Bai Lian.
In a single glance, he saw all 500 million worlds.
In a single glance, he witnessed the expanse of time.
In a single glance, he glimpsed the vastness of the three thousand realms, the heavens above the sky.
And then, Gu Jiu vanished completely.
But before his essence was lost, a faint glimmer of light emerged from the Seal Array. It floated gently through the air before settling on Bai Lian.
Over the land of the East Wilderness, a brilliant white light shot up into the sky.
Like a sword, the white light pierced through the oppressive darkness of the night.
And at last, the dawn arrived.
As reinforcements from Thousand Sword City poured in, Bai Lian received a sudden notification from the system.
[You have obtained the cultivation method “True Secret of 500 Million Dharma Bodies.”]
