Chapter 146
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After the youth shouted, the room fell into silence. The oil lamp on the round table flickered slightly. His clenched fists tightened even more as he anxiously watched Mr. Lu’s back.
A breeze drifted in through the door, causing the lamplight to sway. Lu Liangsheng turned around with a smile, his voice clear and composed.
“The way of the sword isn’t what I’m best at. Are you sure you want to learn it?”
Seeing the youth’s excitement and nervousness, he stepped forward and gently placed a hand atop the boy’s head. A glimmer of spiritual power stirred in his eyes—looking at Li Sui’an’s forehead, he could vaguely discern a trace of a great hero’s aura in his future. If there was no mistake, he was likely destined to be this youth’s guide on the path.
Li Sui’an felt a warm sensation spread from the top of his head into his heart. His earlier unease gradually settled. He took a deep breath, pressed his lips together, and gave a firm nod.
“Sir, I want to learn the sword. I don’t want to learn anything else.”
Beside the pillow on the bed, the Toad Daoist opened his eyes and muttered, “So this old man’s now promoted to Grandmaster, eh?”
Lu Liangsheng glanced at the youth and couldn’t help but smile inwardly. Who would’ve thought he’d see the day he became a teacher?
But just for this night—he had no intention of staying to teach day and night.
As the thought passed, Lu Liangsheng flicked his sleeve and turned. The Veiled Moon Sword on the bookshelf floated up and drifted along with him toward the window lattice.
The windowpane opened. In the night sky above, only a half-moon shone down.
“Sui’an, come down with me.”
Whoosh—
At the sound of his sleeve stirring the air, Li Sui’an felt his vision blur. His body grew light, as though carried by the wind. In the blink of an eye, he had passed through the window and arrived in the rear courtyard.
“Sir…” Mouth slightly agape, the youth stared around in astonishment.
Over on a hay pile inside the animal pen, the old donkey twitched its ears and opened its white-misted eyes. Seeing its master walk past in the moonlight, it let out a loud snort, twisted its head over its back, and stretched out its tongue to lick another patch of hide that had gone stiff.
Lu Liangsheng stopped beneath the moonlight, raised his arm, and the Veiled Moon Sword flew into his palm. He turned slightly and cast a glance toward the youth behind him.
“Since you wish to learn my sword-controlling technique, then watch carefully. Listen closely. The incantation must be memorized and must never be passed on. You must not speak it aloud for others to hear.”
Qiang—
The Veiled Moon slid free from its scabbard with a clear ring, trailing a long note as it soared into the sky. Lu Liangsheng pierced through the night, rising into the air and seizing the hilt.
“Channel your Qi and soar to pierce the clouds;
Let spiritual energy flood your meridians like a sword in motion!”
Whoosh!
Sword-light surged like a silver river, sweeping out fragmented shadows of the moon. In that shifting interplay of brightness and darkness, Lu Liangsheng’s figure descended from above, his robes billowing noisily in the wind. The Veiled Moon Sword in his palm radiated a brilliant spiritual glow—like a divine sword falling from the heavens.
Qi pressed downward, setting off a ring of dust that rippled outward. Li Sui’an’s hair and garments fluttered in the blast, yet he dared not blink, afraid of missing even a single instant.
Buzz—
The sword’s hum tapered off, and in the split second the tip touched the ground and bent slightly, the buzzing suddenly surged into a roar, transforming into a long and sonorous cry like that of a soaring dragon.
The Veiled Moon Sword shuddered, then shot skyward like a long dragon returning to the clouds.
“Heaven’s bell rings with divine brilliance,
Qi guides the sword dao to sever dragons.
Spirit flows, veins open—ten thousand arts align…”
His azure robe flared, wide sleeves swirling in the night air. Lu Liangsheng pressed two fingers to his brow and struck once through the sky. The single sword strike split into two, two into four, four into eight… In a flash, countless sword shadows filled the air, suspended overhead in neat formation.
Invisible threads guided them as they descended, nailing themselves into the ground all around the scholar.
“One sword to pierce the heavens—
The Celestial Sword breaks through the firmament.
All methods tether to divine will,
And the spirit wanders with carefree intent,
Even if the divine sword descends into the mortal world!”
His hair settled, falling across his shoulders. The fluttering robe stilled. All the sword phantoms vanished, leaving the Veiled Moon Sword to float silently beside Lu Liangsheng once more. After steadying his breath, he opened his eyes and looked toward the youth.
“Did you memorize the incantation?”
Li Sui’an stood frozen in place. After watching it all unfold, he could only nod instinctively, then his eyes rolled back and he collapsed straight backward.
Lu Liangsheng caught him and shook his head with a sigh.
“He has no foundation, and he’s still just a boy. With spiritual power and sword qi swirling like that, of course he couldn’t bear it.”
Bathed in moonlight, Lu Liangsheng leapt up to the second floor, carried the youth back to his room, laid him down on the bed, and only then opened the door and returned to his own chambers. Inside, Honglian danced in silence, her long sleeves fluttering to the rhythm of her voiceless song. When she saw the scholar return, dimples appeared on her cheeks as she dipped into a gentle curtsy.
By the small table near the window, the Toad Daoist sat with his flippers folded behind him, gazing at the clear moonlight. He slowly turned around.
“This master heard your incantation and sword technique. Why did it only go up to the myriad swords? Where is the rest?”
Lu Liangsheng handed the Veiled Moon Sword to Honglian, who returned it to the bookshelf. He took off his azure robe and lay down on the bed. Staring up at the canopy, he blinked.
“Master… how long have I even been training? As for the later stages—Carefree Divine Intent, Divine Sword Formula—I don’t know them.”
As he spoke, he sat up again, walked over to the window, gently picked up his master and placed him on the bed. Then he beckoned outside, drawing a thick piece of wood into the room.
By the swaying light of the oil lamp, Lu Liangsheng sat down on a stool, took out a small carving knife, and began slowly whittling the wood. Shavings drifted softly down to the floor. The Toad Daoist stretched out his stubby little legs, leaned against the wooden block, and quietly watched his disciple’s back.
“Just like your father… I, your master, want to eat field frogs. Catch a few for me during the day.”
Not long after, light began to brighten in the east. In the chicken coop, a rooster stretched out its neck and let out a clear, resonant crow.
Oh… ohhh oh-oh…
Morning light streamed through the window lattice. Li Sui’an slowly stirred awake, rubbing at the soreness in his eyes. Suddenly recalling what had happened the night before, he shot upright, flung off his quilt, and rushed out of the room.
“Sir!”
He called out twice outside Mr. Lu’s door. When no answer came, he gently pushed the door open with a creak. The room was empty—bedding neatly folded, not a trace of anyone remaining.
Thump-thump-thump—
The youth dashed down the wooden stairs, ran to the counter where the inn’s auntie was tallying accounts, and asked, “Auntie, where’s that gentleman from yesterday?”
The woman glanced up at him, continuing to note her ledger.
“He left at dawn.”
Then she bent down and took something out, placing it on the counter. “This is what Mr. Lu left for you.”
There on the counter lay a wooden sword, quietly resting.
Li Sui’an grabbed it at once, turned, and bolted out of the inn. He ran down the muddy village road, now bathed in warm sunlight. At the end of the path, only travelers and farmers moved back and forth.
“Sir!”
The youth ran a few steps more, hugging the wooden sword, and stood bathed in light, shouting toward the far distance—
“Master—!”
His childish voice echoed under the sun, across the official road leading away toward Huaiyi Prefecture. Birds startled from the treetops, then flew far away.
“Lu Liangsheng! You wretched disciple…!”
In the small compartment, the Toad Daoist, dressed in a little floral robe, was puffed up with anger, both cheeks bulging. His bean-sized toad eyes glared at the lump of a toad curled up before him.
“I asked for field frogs—not a toad!!!”
Croak~
Opposite him, the warty toad blinked its lids and croaked softly.
The weary old donkey let out a few tired grunts, sounding almost like laughter. It stretched out its tongue to curl in a mouthful of grass from the ground, clopped its hooves, and followed behind Lu Liangsheng.
Honglian had woven a flower crown and placed it on her head, her long red sleeves swirling in a quiet dance.
The scholar turned his head, hearing his master’s scolding, then looked around at everything around him and smiled faintly.
With chatter and commotion, they made their way toward Yingshi Mountain.
Once part of the Northern Qi territories, beneath the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple, a man named Fajing stood and bowed devoutly to the Buddha.
“May the Buddha… show compassion…”
On Reclining Buddha Mountain, the morning bell rang, its tone long and distant.
