Martial Cultivator

"I didn't expect it to be you."

Chen Chao felt rather emotional. How could he have imagined that the young sword cultivator he randomly encountered here would be the sword owner of Wild Grass, whom countless young people admired and envied.

Yu Xiyi said nonchalantly, "In my life, I've traveled to so many places, and I'm also very famous. There are definitely many people who know me. Anyone who meets me would probably say the same. Actually, hearing it so often makes me feel a bit tired."

Chen Chao found his words somewhat strange but did not know what to say, so he remained silent for a moment.

Yu Xiyi looked at Chen Chao and said, "I want to chat with you."

Chen Chao frowned, "What do we have to talk about? Could it be that you're a chatterbox?"

Hearing this, Yu Xiyi frowned and said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who do you think I am? Do I look like someone who will want to chat with some random teenager I met?"

Chen Chao had nothing to say in reply. He looked at Yu Xiyi, feeling that something was a little off.

"Don't look at me like that, I just saved your life. I feel that you should show me an appropriate amount of respect?"

Yu Xiyi waved his hand, somewhat annoyed as he said. "I know what you're thinking, you must think that someone like me should be aloof and cold. You probably find it strange that I'm approachable, but I've always been this way. Even if I've become a remarkable sword cultivator, it's not easy to change this sort of thing, right?"

Chen Chao nodded, repeating, "You're indeed a chatterbox."

This time, it was not a guess, but a fact.

Yu Xiyi glared at Chen Chao, narrowing his eyes, and sword qi suddenly manifested between heaven and earth. But after a moment, it dissipated fully. Yu Xiyi rubbed his head and said with a frown, "Never mind if I'm talkative or not. Anyway, you have to chat with me and tell me about the Myriad Willow Convention. I'm curious about how you became champion."

Yu Xiyi looked at Chen Chao with great curiosity and said, "Forget about the Great Liang Dynasty, even if it's your previous dynasty, or even the previous one before that, no one has ever claimed the top spot in the martial exam of the Myriad Willow Convention."

……

……

Sword Qi Mountain.

Yang Furen stood by the Sword Pool, sighing deeply three times.

A middle-aged man could not help but ask, "Mountain Lord, how many swords did that girl bring down the mountain?"

Having been on Sword Qi Mountain for so many years, he had never seen this mountain lord like this. With countless flying swords on the Sword Qi Mountain, even if she took away ten or eight swords, it would not be a big deal either. Why would it make this mountain lord be so agonized?

Yang Furen looked at the middle-aged man and shook his head with pain, "Don't ask. If you ask again, this old man is afraid I'll lose control and kill that old fogey in the academy."

The middle-aged man looked puzzled and said with a frown, "That Hundred Year Sword was taken off the mountain long ago. Could there be another sword on the mountain that rivals this sword and was taken away by that girl?"

Sometimes curiosity, the more you try to suppress it, the stronger it became. Just like now, how could the middle-aged man resist the urge to ask?

Yang Furen had a bitter look, the wrinkles on his face were all squeezed out as he looked at the middle-aged man in front of him and said, "My Sword Qi Mountain forges a sword every hundred years. That makes it ten swords being produced every thousand years. Each Hundred Year Sword would become renowned worldwide, but not many people know that during the forging process of the Hundred Year Sword, the sword furnace will also forge a Companion Sword. Most of these Companion Swords may not be as powerful as the Hundred Year Sword and would usually break when the Hundred Year Sword is completed. However, some of the Companion Swords will be lucky enough to survive. These swords are actually not weaker than the Hundred Year Sword to some extent. It's just that they lack fame."

Yang Furen lamented, "These Companion Swords would occasionally be taken away by the sword cultivators who come up the mountain, but most of them still remain on the mountain. When Wild Grass came into existence, there were a total of nine Companion Swords on the mountain. But now, not one is left."

The middle-aged man listened to this and had an incredulous expression. Although these Companion Swords might not be as good as the Hundred Year Sword, when so many swords are added up, they were even more terrifying than a single Hundred Year Sword no matter what. But now, overnight, all those swords were taken away by that girl?

"Mountain Lord, how could you let such a thing happen!" The middle-aged man was unbelievably furious and said, "Even if Mountain Lord owes a favor to that Dean, you shouldn't have given away so many swords!"

Yang Furen snorted, his expression ugly: "Do you think I can simply give away the swords as I please?"

Most of those Companion Swords were extremely strange. Because they were originally born for the sake of another sword to appear, even though so many sword cultivators climbed up the mountain over the years, there were barely a handful of sword cultivators who could be chosen by them. Moreover, the current situation where so many swords chose a young girl together, it was even rarer.

"Since it's the swords who chose the person, even if this old man wanted to stop it, how can I stop?"

Yang Furen said with vicissitudes of emotion, "Putting aside this old man's judgment for the time being, how can that old fogey's judgment be poor?" "That girl might really be able to become a once-in-a-century female sword immortal in the future. When that time comes, it will likely be a good thing as well!"

……

……

When they went up the mountain, there were two people. But when coming down the mountain, there was only Xie Nandu alone.

This young girl came down to the foot of the mountain and soon spotted that senior brother in the crowd.

The most famous scholar in the Divine Capital was currently waiting for her over there.

Xie Nandu walked over and bowed to Wei Xu.

Wei Xu asked, "How was it, Junior Sister? Did you manage to find a sword you like?"

Although he heard numerous sword cries like those blacksmiths before, Wei Xu did not think his junior sister could empty the entire Sword Qi Mountain.

Xie Nandu nodded without saying much.

Wei Xu did not inquire further either, he just asked, "Since you've acquired the sword, is Junior Sister returning to the Divine Capital?"

Leaving the Divine Capital and traveling south all the way here was to obtain a flying sword of her choice. It was only natural for her to return to the Divine Capital now that everything was done.

But Xie Nandu asked, "Based on your thoughts, Senior Brother, are we heading back to the Divine Capital right now?"

Wei Xu grew up in the Divine Capital and rarely left. The few times he briefly left the Divine Capital were only when he followed the Dean. Now that he finally went on a long trip, logically, Wei Xu should want to spend more time outside.

"If Junior Sister wishes to explore a bit more, then we shall. Whether I return to the Divine Capital or not doesn't matter."

Wei Xu was not a stupid person, he quickly figured out what was on Xie Nandu's mind and reassured her not to overthink.

Xie Nandu naturally said, "Since Senior Brother doesn't want to return so soon, then accompany me to visit the White Deer's ancestral shrine."

About half a year ago, Xie Nandu had left the Xie Family's ancestral home in White Deer Prefecture and traveled north all the way to the Divine Capital. Since then, she had not returned. Now that she left the Divine Capital and came to Sword Qi Mountain to take a sword, and with Wei Xu, this Nepenthe Realm cultivator accompanying her, she had the idea of going back to her hometown.

Wei Xu thought about it and said with a nod, "Since Junior Sister has invited me, let's make a trip there then. Speaking of which, this senior brother has been longing to visit the White Deer's Xie Clan for a long time."

The Divine Capital's Wei Family and the Xie Family had always been major rivals in the imperial court. Over the years, the Wei Family has gained considerable knowledge about the Xie Family, but to truly understand them in all aspects, how could he not take a look at the ancestral hall of the White Deer's Xie Clan?

Xie Nandu glanced at Wei Xu and did not say anything.

How could she be unaware of certain things?

But she did not care.

……

……

The White Deer's Xie Clan was the largest aristocratic family in White Deer Prefecture. Since there was no Wei Family influence here, there was naturally no other factions who could contend with the Xie Family in White Deer Prefecture. Naturally, it was also the Xie Family who wielded the greatest power.

It was just that the White Deer's Xie Clan had always enjoyed an excellent reputation.

Many years ago, the first progenitor of the Xie Family went to the Divine Capital to participate in the imperial examination and became the top scholar. However, instead of choosing to become an official, he entered the academy to pursue further studies. Eventually, he became a renowned scholar. Decades later, this Xie Family ancestor left the Divine Capital and returned to White Deer Prefecture. He established a school and began teaching. Since then, half of White Deer Prefecture's scholars became the Xie Family's students.

This continued for many years, with generations of Xie Family descendants following in the footsteps of their forefathers. As a result, numerous outstanding Xie Family scholars naturally emerged, and the foundation of the Xie Family was firmly established. By the former dynasty, the White Deer's Xie Clan had already become one of the prominent families in White Deer Prefecture.

Many years later, chaos spread throughout the realm. White Deer's Xie Clan chose to support the founding emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, and dispatched many Xie Family descendants to render their services. After the establishment of the Great Liang Dynasty, the Xie Family became one of its greatest meritorious contributors, which marked the beginning of the Divine Capital's Xie Family.

Subsequently, the Divine Capital's Xie Family thrived and became a powerful clan that could contend with the Wei Family. However, the White Deer's Xie Clan started to decline and became a vassal. But even so, this Xie Clan remained a distinguished clan in the world. Particularly in White Deer Prefecture, no one could shake their roots.

To enter White Deer Prefecture, the most convenient way was to take a boat through the Xiang River, entering the Lu River, which led into the territory of White Deer Prefecture. The capital of White Deer Prefecture was located downstream of the Lu River, and the Xie Family resided there.

Long before Xie Nandu decided to return home, the White Deer's Xie Clan received the news.

Several elderly people with graying hair sat in silence in a house next to the ancestral hall.

After some time, the old man sitting in the main seat slowly said, "This girl's temperament isn't as weak as it seems. Though she appears to have a scholarly temperament, her inner-heart is more tenacious than anyone else. Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to learn the sword. Now that she has acquired her sword and hasn't returned to the Divine Capital, it's natural that she's back because of that matter."

Mentioning "that matter," someone else chimed in, "That matter was originally the idea from the Divine Capital, we only cooperated with it. Even if we really made a mistake, we can't be blamed either. Besides, she is now the disciple of the Dean, what storm can she stir up by herself? Could it be that by bringing an outsider, even if he's a Nepenthe cultivator, can make us back down?"

"Is this matter about whose fist is bigger? When it comes down to principle, we were being unreasonable. But based on that girl's temperament, if she persists, she won't back down no matter what. What can everyone say?!"