Martial Cultivator

When the young sword cultivator Song Xun tearfully ran off into the distance, the Sword Sect Master had somehow arrived not far from Meng Xi's side. Standing behind him were two men shoulder to shoulder: Jiao Xinchen and Meng Sangshan.

Meng Xi lowered his head and saluted. Toward the Sword Sect Master, the greatest swordsman in the world, he held heartfelt respect.

Even more so because the current Sword Sect Master had truly done things worthy of respect.

The Sword Sect Master waved a hand at Meng Xi. Meng Xi glanced at his master, and only after the latter nodded did he slowly leave.

After Meng Xi had departed, Meng Sangshan sighed with emotion and smiled. "Looks like it won't be long before this kid gives the whole world a huge shock."

Jiao Xinchen nodded, immensely satisfied with his disciple, and equally filled with gratitude toward his old friend.

The Sword Sect Master turned to Jiao Xinchen and asked, "How is Qingshan?"

Jiao Xinchen did not quite understand why the Sect Master cared so much about Zhou Qingshan. After all, his cultivation realm was not high, and his talent was ordinary. Even if he was the Sect Master's martial nephew, given the Sect Master's temperament, it should not have been to this extent.

Still, Jiao Xinchen quickly came back to himself and said softly, "We've received two letters these past few days. One was from Junior Brother Yu, who went to the Northern Frontier, and the other came from the Great Liang Northern Frontier General's Office."

The Sword Sect Master said nothing, only looked at Jiao Xinchen.

Jiao Xinchen continued, "Junior Brother Yu wrote that the demons had invaded south once again and broken through several passes before the Northern Frontier Great Wall. Twenty-three Sword Sect disciples died defending those city walls. Among them, Senior Brother Zhou fell in battle at Scenic Mountain Pass."

"The letter from the General's Office said much the same. It stated that those passes had already fallen into demon hands, so the bodies of our Sword Sect disciples could not be recovered. If an opportunity arose in the future, they would search for them again. As for those twenty-three Sword Sect disciples, the General's Office said they would all receive pensions according to the imperial court's customary practice. If the Sword Sect did not wish to accept skygold coins, Great Liang would convert the compensation into other resources.""

Jiao Xinchen's mood was also heavy. He had looked through the list of twenty-three names. Quite a few of them had been on good terms with him. He had never imagined that their last meeting would truly be their final farewell.

"Recover their bodies? Those martial artists can't even bring back the bodies of their own comrades, so what are they supposed to recover for anyone else? Sword Sect disciples die wherever they fall. There's no need to fuss over such things."

The Sword Sect Master glanced at Jiao Xinchen and asked, "Did the letter say how many demons Qingshan killed before he died?"

Jiao Xinchen shook his head. "Those passes all fell, so the details of that battle are naturally unknown."

The Sword Sect Master nodded. It was his own oversight.

After a moment of silence, the Sword Sect Master said, "Keep this matter from the others for now, especially Song Xun."

Jiao Xinchen nodded. Although they had not been particularly familiar with Zhou Qingshan, they were fellow members of the same sect, and with the matter involving his disciple now, it was only proper.

The Sword Sect Master asked, "How many Sword Sect sword cultivators have gone to the Northern Frontier now?"

That fell under Meng Sangshan's responsibilities. Hearing the question, he immediately replied, "One hundred and three. Among them are two sword immortals and more than thirty Great Beyond Realm cultivators."

The Sword Sect Master nodded, then suddenly said, "I intend to build another hall beside the main hall that enshrines the predecessors of every generation. Every sword cultivator who falls in battle in the Northern Frontier, regardless of cultivation realm, will have a memorial tablet erected there. In the future, disciples who come up the mountain will pay their respects not only at the Ancestral Hall, but also at this new hall."

Jiao Xinchen and Meng Sangshan exchanged a glance, each seeing the confusion in the other's eyes. After weighing their words, they said, "Sect Master, this is a major matter. Shouldn't it be discussed internally before a decision is made?"

The Sword Sect Master shook his head. "My mind is made up. The two of you will arrange it. Have the hall completed as soon as possible. After that, let Min Rang take charge of all related affairs."

Min Rang, one of the Sword Sect's sword immortals, came from a family that had served the imperial family for generations, overseeing ancestral rites before he joined the mountain.

Jiao Xinchen and Meng Sangshan still wanted to say something, but the Sword Sect Master had already walked away alone, leaving behind only a single sentence.

"Cultivators of the world owe the world too much."

......

......

After the Sword Sect Master left, Jiao Xinchen and Meng Sangshan exchanged a glance. The two each found a place to sit, falling into silence. Neither spoke first.

The two had known each other for a long time. It could be said that neither could hide even the smallest thought from the other. The fact that they both remained silent now was because they shared the same question.

Meng Sangshan, dressed in a snow-white robe, remained silent for a long while before finally saying, "Old Jiao, I have this feeling that what the Sect Master is doing now is no longer for the sake of his sword heart."

Jiao Xinchen did not answer immediately, only nodded lightly.

The Sword Sect Master's path of the sword had always been closely watched by every sword cultivator in the Sword Sect from the very beginning. After all, he was the greatest swordsman of the current era. Even if they could not learn anything from his path, they were still willing to pay close attention to it.

Some things had truly happened right before their eyes. At first, the Sword Sect Master devoted himself entirely to practicing the sword. Other than the sword dao, nothing could distract him. Later, under the pretext of viewing the Dao Ancestor's sword, the Infatuation Daoist Temple Master persuaded the Sword Sect Master to leave the Sword Sect, and he went to meet His Majesty.

The details of that battle were now largely unknown, but they could roughly guess that the reason the Sect Master was later able to fully comprehend that perfect sword strike was because His Majesty had given him guidance back then in the Divine Capital.

And judging from everything the Sword Sect Master had done these past days, they had more or less guessed what had been said during that conversation.

There was always a reason behind doing something. The things the Sword Sect Master had done before might have been for the sake of the sword dao, but what he was doing now, in their eyes, no longer had anything to do with the sword dao.

He was simply acting according to his heart.

"The Sect Master has truly changed."

Jiao Xinchen spoke softly, but the moment he said those words, even this sword immortal was startled by them himself.

The great cultivators of the world might have had different experiences and different opportunities, but after reaching the pinnacle of the world, they all shared one thing in common.

Which was that these great cultivators all possessed unwavering wills. They were who they were, and throughout their lives, it was exceedingly difficult for anything to change them.

Take Daoist Wuyang for example. Even after reaching that realm, he still could not let go of the Infatuation Daoist Temple and insisted on returning no matter what.

When great cultivators like them, who had persisted in something for so long, underwent a change, it often signified the collapse of their dao heart. Yet the current Sword Sect Master seemed more like someone who had suddenly awakened from a dream.

Meng Sangshan said, "Before Junior Brother Chen went to the Northern Frontier, I asked him why it wasn't enough to simply cultivate diligently. Why insist on going to such a dangerous place?"

"And what did Junior Brother Chen say?"

Jiao Xinchen was also somewhat curious.

Meng Sangshan fell silent for a moment before saying softly, "Junior Brother Chen said that after sitting in seclusion in the Sword Sect for eighty years, he cultivated himself into the sword immortal realm, yet it was not as exhilarating as eighty years earlier, when he had first learned the sword and cut down a single weed with his very first strike."

"So Junior Brother Chen said he wanted to go north and see for himself whether he could find that same exhilaration there."

Jiao Xinchen said, "At the rate things are going in the Northern Frontier, I'm afraid Junior Brother Chen will soon die there as well."

Meng Sangshan nodded, then shook his head. "But if Junior Brother Chen can ultimately find the exhilaration that belongs to him, then death probably won't be anything for him to fear or regret."

Jiao Xinchen remained silent for a long time.

Meng Sangshan suddenly frowned. "Old Jiao, damn it, you still have a disciple!"

As his close friend, how could he not know what Jiao Xinchen was thinking?

"I used to wonder why Little Yu could practice the sword so carelessly and still reach that step. I came up with all sorts of guesses, but I don't intend to guess anymore. The Ancestor settled this long ago - there are countless paths of the sword dao, each with its own boundless manifestations. It's enough to walk your own path. Right now, I just want to go north and have a look. Not for any other reason, just because I'm curious. Curious how those martial artists endure watching people die year after year. As for Meng Xi, you're his elder. Help me look after him."

Jiao Xinchen made up his mind almost immediately, leaving Meng Sangshan no chance to persuade him otherwise.

"I'll go bid farewell to the Sect Master right away."

Meng Sangshan stood up and blocked his path. "Old Jiao, there isn't much in this life that I can't live without, but I truly can't do without a friend like you. Since you've decided to go, then I'll make the trip too. Not for anyone else, but for you, Jiao Xinchen!"

Jiao Xinchen said nothing more, only nodded, "Alright."

Meng Sangshan suddenly patted Jiao Xinchen on the shoulder and smiled. "Old Jiao, is it really interesting, making up a reason that even you can't convince yourself with?"

Jiao Xinchen did not deny it. He merely said, "I really do want to go and see."

But that wasn't the only reason.