Martial Cultivator

After making several stops, Yu Xiyi had been traveling south at a slow pace ever since leaving the Northern Frontier. This young sword cultivator, who had recalled the story from years ago, might have seemed carefree when departing, but how could he have truly moved on so easily in his heart? Thus, as he journeyed south, not only did he refrain from using his sword to fly, he chose to walk, traveling at a leisurely pace. After covering some distance, he would rest for a while. By the time he reached Changping Prefecture, it had already been half a month.

During this half month, he walked slowly, thinking deeply.

The more he thought, the more troubled he became.

However, after entering Changping Prefecture, the weather warmed up considerably. Yu Xiyi stopped in a commandery city, entered a tavern, and drank sullenly for half a day.

Afterwards, he left the commandery city and headed for White Deer Prefecture.

……

……

White Deer Prefecture had always been filled with a scholarly air. This was evident not only in the large number of scholars scattered throughout the prefecture, but also in the names of various places, which were carefully chosen with literary references. For example, the name "Vermilion Deer Commandery" originated from a famous poet of a previous dynasty.

However, that Treasure River Town in Vermilion Deer Commandery seemed less dignified, as if it were the child of the stepmother. Its name was casually taken from the Treasure Water River that ran through the town.

However, the Treasure Water River had a special type of soil called "treasure soil," which was an excellent material for making inkstones. As a result, the small town had thrived for generations by crafting inkstones. The Treasure River inkstone was regarded as one of the top ten inkstones in White Deer Prefecture, and countless scholars and poets were deeply enamored with it.

As Yu Xiyi passed by the stone bridge just outside the town, he saw many local townsfolk digging for soil along the Treasure River.

Yu Xiyi stood there for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the people, but he did not spot any familiar faces. Letting out a long breath, he felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. Before he could step down from the stone bridge, a group of children ran over from the town's entrance, many of them holding kites. It seemed they were on their way to fly kites outside the town. The children were full of excitement and just gave this young stranger a few glances as they passed by, their minds entirely focused on their kites, not sparing any thought for anything else.

Yu Xiyi smiled and was just about to enter the town when he noticed a child on the side of the stone bridge, leaning over and staring eagerly at the river below. The child stretched his neck and leaned so far forward that he was about to fall headfirst into the water.

Yu Xiyi who had just walked up behind him, grabbed the child by the collar, saving him from becoming soaked.

There were many townsfolk digging in the river, so even if the child had fallen in, he likely would have been quickly rescued. But if his clothes got drenched, this little one would probably be in for a good scolding when he returned home, perhaps with a round of bamboo stick punishment to go with it.

After being pulled back and avoiding falling into the river, the child first let out a sigh of relief, then seemed a little disappointed. Only after that did he look at the unfamiliar young man in front of him, grinning as he thanked him, "Thank you."

Hearing the child's pure White Deer Prefecture accent, Yu Xiyi felt a sense of nostalgia. Out of curiosity, he asked, "What were you looking at?"

Yu Xiyi's accent was quite similar to that of White Deer Prefecture, as Yu Xiyi and White Deer Prefecture were neighboring regions. There was only a slight difference in dialect. However, the child immediately recognized Yu Xiyi as an outsider. After a brief pause, the child asked, "Are you here to buy inkstones? My family's inkstones are really good, and they're cheap too. Do you want to come to my house and buy one?"

Yu Xiyi smiled without answering, instead pointing at the stone bridge.

The child realized a little belatedly and gave an embarrassed smile before whispering, "There's an ancient sword hanging beneath the bridge. The elders say it's there to subdue the demonic dragon in the river. I wanted to take a look."

"If you want to see it, why not go down to the riverbank? The view from there is clearly better."

Yu Xiyi raised an eyebrow.

Since ancient times, there had been legends of demonic dragons dwelling in rivers. Therefore, when bridges were built over rivers, a dragon-subduing sword must suspended beneath the bridge, meant to suppress the demonic dragon and ensure peace, good weather, and prosperity for the land.

"Mother won't let me play by the river. She says if the river sweeps me away, that'll be the end of me." The child scratched his head and then said softly, "But I know how to swim. She just won't allow it."

Yu Xiyi let out an "oh" and then asked, "Why don't you join them to fly kites?"

The child had a look of disdain. "I don't like flying kites. What's fun about that?"

Yu Xiyi had initially assumed the child's family might be poor and unable to afford kites, but seeing his expression now, it was clear the boy simply did not enjoy such things. Hence, he chose to be by himself, to look for the dragon-subduing sword beneath the bridge.

Yu Xiyi smiled, "Let me guess, you probably want to be a sword immortal?"

The child looked shocked and asked with incredulity, "How did you know?!"

Yu Xiyi said, "It wasn't hard to guess."

The child gave Yu Xiyi a thumbs-up, but then sighed as he said, "The closest thing we have to a sword immortal around here is Uncle Liu, the blacksmith on the east side of town. But he doesn't forge swords. It's boring."

Yu Xiyi said seriously, "Isn't a pig butcher stronger than a blacksmith?"

The child was momentarily speechless, unsure what to make of Yu Xiyi's odd comment.

Yu Xiyi chuckled and then said, "I want to take a look at that dragon-subduing sword too. Want to come along?"

He had already been thinking about this matter constantly, and now, hearing Yu Xiyi mention it, it naturally stirred those thoughts in his heart. After hesitating for a moment, he asked cautiously, "You won't let me fall into the river, right?"

Yu Xiyi nodded.

And so, the two who had just met went to the riverbank and looked beneath the stone bridge. Sure enough, they saw a rusty iron sword hanging below the bridge.

The child was filled with longing, but before he could speak, Yu Xiyi smiled and said, "I bet you've thought a hundred times about taking this sword and leaving home one day, then becoming an invincible great sword immortal."

The child looked astonished, as if seeing a ghost. "How do you know everything?!"

Yu Xiyi still answered that it was not hard to guess.

The child felt a bit deflated. But soon after, he frowned and said with some disdain, "This sword can hardly even be called a sword. If I took it to roam the world, people would probably laugh their heads off."

Yu Xiyi nodded in agreement, "It's just an ordinary iron sword, and who knows how many years it's been there, weathered by countless wind, frost, and snow. At this point, not only would it be hard to use for killing, you'd probably struggle just to pull it out. If you managed to, you might only get half of it, with the other half rusted solid inside the scabbard."

The child burst out laughing.

Yu Xiyi said, "So, don't even think about sneaking off with it. Without the dragon-subduing sword, wouldn't everyone in this town see you as a sinner?"

The child had grown somewhat used to having his thoughts seen through again.

After glancing at the young man before him, he asked again, "Are you here to buy an inkstone or not?"

Yu Xiyi did not answer directly but instead asked, "Do I look like a scholar to you?"

The child nodded, then shook his head.

Yu Xiyi did not say much more, he just smiled and said, "I'm here to find someone, but I could also buy an inkstone while I'm at it. I've heard your Treasure River Inkstone is one of White Deer Prefecture's top ten famous inkstones."

The child was an honest one. After frowning, he blurted out, "It used to be like that years ago, but these days more people are making inkstones, and some don't have the skill. The bad ones have dragged down the reputation of the Treasure River Inkstone. How does the saying go... The good and bad are mixed together?" "Right, anyway, if you're buying an inkstone, you'd better keep your eyes sharp. You might not necessarily get a good one. I'm not saying this just to make you buy my family's inkstone. As my mother always says, in business, it's more about relationships than the deal itself. But don't go spreading that around, you'll offend people."

id this with such an old-fashioned tone, Yu Xiyi could not help but laugh.

Yu Xiyi quickly said with a smile, "So, where's your family's shop? Take me there."

The child thought for a moment, hesitating a little.

Yu Xiyi noticed the boy’s hesitation and laughed, "I get it. If you go back now, they'll probably make you stay and watch the shop, and then you won't be able to play anymore. But you feel like, since there's business, you should take me there, right?"

The child rolled his eyes without saying a word.

Yu Xiyi asked, "What's your name?"

The child replied, "Huang He. Huang as in the yellow in Yellow River, He as in the river in Yellow River."

Yu Xiyi clicked his tongue and said, "Your ability to say pointless things is impressive. If you ever decide to write those cheap novels, you'd definitely be a pro at it."

Huang He seemed to have made up his mind and said, "Fine, I'll take you there."

But Yu Xiyi was not in a hurry. Instead, he said, "The day's still early. How about I find the person I'm looking for first? We can set a time, and after you've had your fun, we can meet back here and then go to your place to buy the inkstone."

Huang He asked curiously, "Who are you looking for? I know everyone in this town."

Yu Xiyi shook his head, "I’m not telling you."

Huang He scoffed, "I can tell you're here to find your lover. You must be doing so-so yourself, and you're afraid to meet her because you're worried about embarrassing yourself. That's why you're so hesitant."

Yu Xiyi was at a loss whether to cry or laugh.

However, just as he was about to walk into the town alone, Huang He ran up after him, "You've never been here before, and you probably won't be able to find who you're looking for. How about I show you around? I'm bored anyway."

Yu Xiyi thought for a moment and nodded.

And so, the two, one adult and one child, entered the town together.

______