Song of Adolescence

The Raging Inferno Lightning and the Boundless Heaven Stars -one red and one purple. Combined together, the two skills coalesced into an unstoppable sword strike.

Yet it was at this moment that the nigh undefeatable Li Hanyi swapped to a much softer sword set, one that was both breathtaking and flexible.

With that one sword strike, Lei Wujie buckled, nearly losing consciousness from the exertion. On the other hand, Li Fansong was still furiously raising his sword qi through gritted teeth. Yet all that gained him was a brilliant explosion of flower petals. Their combined sword strike wasn’t enough to pierce through their opponent’s skill in the end.

Down below, the attendant, Fei Xuan, was finally unable to maintain his qi as well. Knees collapsing to the ground, his Grand Dragon Qi swiftly dissipated.

Lei Wujie and Li Fansong’s sword qi fully dispersed at that precise moment as well. The two of them were fully spent by now, no longer able to even grasp their swords properly as the two weapons eventually slipped away from their fingers and floated towards Li Hanyi.

“Looks like we still can’t defeat him.” Lei Wujie grimaced.

“My good fellow, have you heard of the Longqiu Falls?” Li Fansong suddenly asked.

“What’s a Longqiu?”

“Longqiu is a giant waterfall within Mount Qingcheng. It’s over 300 meters tall and over 300 meters wide as well. Situated between two mountains, it resembles a hundred dragons spitting water. From Mount Qingcheng, that view has always resembled a giant rainbow, with white dragons weaving in and out of the clouds. If I had to describe the disparity between us and that Sword Immortal right now, it would be like the Longqiu and a tiny river.” Li Fansong explained.

“Well aren’t you a refined fellow…pulling out such a poetic reference at this time.” Lei Wujie grimaced once more. “You do realise we’re about to die right now?”

“How so?”

“Sigh… By falling!”

The two teenagers began their untimely fall once more.

Tang Lian immediately leaped forth with a huge stride in a bid to reach the two of them.

“Tang Lian, with your current level, you won’t be able to stop their fall even if you did make it in time.” Sikong Changfeng proceeded to sigh at that point. “Hanyi!” He raised his head to yell at the Sword Immortal high above.

“Hmph.” Li Hanyi coldly snorted. With a gentle wave of his hands, that cloud of flower petals swarmed around the two teens, wrapping them in a protective bundle of sorts. Even so, they still landed with a resounding thud and a splash of flowers. The two exchanged a quick glance with each other.

“We’re alive?” Lei Wujie slowly asked.

“He saved us?” Li Fansong raised his head but all he saw was a red flash and a purple flash rushing towards them. Barely able to catch his breath, he yelled, “RUN!”

Yet just as those words left his mouth, he found a peach wood sword conspicuously pointing right between his eyes while the Murderous Dread Sword pointed at Lei Wujie.

Li Hanyi slowly descended onto the ground, eyes coldly gazing at them.

As for the rest, Sikong Changfeng, Tang Lian, Xiao Se, Fei Xuan and Sikong Qianluo came rushing over at this point.

“Now now, Hanyi, don’t be angry, they’re just kids.” Sikong Changfeng stretched out his long spear and knocked the two swords onto the ground.

Li Hanyi took a few steps forward, “You two wish to see me?”

The two in question looked at each other briefly then furiously nodded.

“Why?” As he said that, Li Hanyi flicked his finger, calling forth the peach wood sword into his palms, “What is the name of this sword?”

“Just something I carved out of peach wood myself, I haven’t thought of a name yet, how about you, the Sword Immortal, come up with one for me?” Li Fansong smiled accommodatingly.

“Couldn’t be bothered.” With another flick of his finger, Li Hanyi sent the sword crashing into the ground in a burst of splinters.

However, Li Fansong dared not wince at losing his sword. He merely continued nodding his head, “The Sword Immortal is right.”

“So why are you here to see me?”

Li Fansong hesitated for a second, then said, “About that… I’ve long heard of the Sword Immortal of Snow Moon’s illustrious name. Entranced by it, in fact. Since I’m out on a trial by my teacher’s orders, I really wanted to have a look at you, esteemed senior.”

“You’ve had your look then?” Li Hanyi’s eyes narrowed.

“I have, I have. As expected of the Sword Immortal, your junior is in awe.” Li Fansong hurried replied.

“Well then, why are you still here?” Li Hanyi waved his sleeves, sending the teen flying away.

“Hmph.” Fei Xuan coldly snorted. With a wave of his right hand, he redirected the airborne Li Fansong onto that same tired, and old, horse.

“The Grand Dragon Qi?” Li Hanyi briefly frowned.

However, Fei Xuan ignored him, turning around instead to leave the city.

Yet his companion seemed a lot more jovial. Still riding his old horse, he spat out three mouthfuls of blood before breaking into a beaming grin, “This trip to Snow Moon City was truly a worthwhile one!”

“Junior martial uncle, you nearly lost your life back there. What do you mean worthwhile? Did you smack your head too hard against the ground?” Fei Xuan glared at him.

In response, Li Fansong smiled, “To be able to go head to head with a Sword Immortal and not die? That’s worth more than a decade of sword practise. If you can’t even grasp that logic, how will you ever learn the Unlimited Sword?”

“Bah, had it not been for my Grand Dragon Qi just now, you would have fallen to your death already.” Fei Xuan countered with disdain, “The Spear Immortal said so himself, I’m the true expert here.”

“Expert? You’re going to be an immortal in the future. Who cares if you’re an expert or not?” Li Fansong closed his eyes and said no more.

Just like that, Fei Xuan quietly led that old, tired horse out of the city, one scholar and one attendant.

Looking at their two departing backs, Sikong Changfeng couldn’t help but sigh, “Mount Qingcheng has its martial and heavenly fortunes split well this generation. Looks like half of the martial world will end up being taken away from us in the future.”

“As if that’s anything to lament about.” Li Hanyi turned towards Lei Wujie then and asked, “And you, why are you here to see me?”

“I beg of the Sword Immortal of Snow Moon, grant my teacher an audience.” Lei Wujie suddenly fell to his knees.

“Lei Hong?” Li Hanyi coldly harrumphed. “He wishes to see me?”

“My teacher is plagued by illness, and isn’t long for this world. Lei Wujie boldly requests that the Sword Immortal of Snow Moon grants his teacher one last meeting.” Lei Wujie continued pleading on his knees.

Hearing that, Li Hanyi’s eyes flickered, though only for the barest of moments, “Lei Hong is about to die?”

“Yes.” Lei Wujie lowered his head.

“Very well, I’ll go. But I have a condition.” Li Hanyi lightly flicked his finger and called the Murderous Dread Sword to his hand.

“You mustn’t!” Lei Wujie reached to try and stop him. “The Murderous Dread Sword is the love of my teacher’s life…”

Li Hanyi gave the sword in question a quick spin, “What’s the matter, you thought I was going to snap this sword like I did with that peach wood sword?”

Lei Wujie merely replied, “Mercy.”

With a casual flick of his hand, Li Hanyi sent the sword flying off in the direction of the city’s gate, stabbing the sword into its gray, stony walls. “My terms are simple, be my disciple. The day you’re able to receive three strikes from me is the day you can retrieve that Murderous Dread Sword. I’ll follow you back to see Lei Hong as well.”

‘Li Hanyi’s disciple? The disciple of the Snow Moon Sword Immortal?’

Of the three Citymasters of Snow Moon, Baili Dongjun had taken in Tang Lian as his disciple. Sikong Changfeng, his daughter. Only this Sword Immortal, Li Hanyi, hadn’t taken in any disciple all this while, nor did he show any intention of doing so.

Lei Wujie was stunned, unsure as to how to answer. Even though he had always referred to Tang Lian as his senior brother, he actually had no intention of joining the Snow Moon City, let alone becoming the disciple of Li Hanyi.

Seeing him in a daze, Sikong Changfeng smiled, “Haven’t you already completed the traditional kowtowing? Just address him as your master from now on.”

Li Hanyi saw the hesitation in him as well, “You’re not willing?”

Lei Wujie hurriedly shook his head, “Lei Wujie has always been a captive of the Sword Immortal’s brilliant sword skills. There is nothing he wishes more than to be the Sword Immortal’s disciple. However, for such an important matter, he would have to inform his teacher…”

“So what you’re saying is, first meet with your teacher, then complete this initiation? Do you know what your current course of action is called?” Li Hanyi’s gaze turned as sharp as his sword.

“On the gambling table, we have a saying.” Hands in his sleeves, Xiao Se lazily continued, “To catch a white wolf with an empty hand.”

Tang Lian hurriedly interjected himself, “Wujie, being able to study under the Snow Moon Immortal’s tutelage is the dream of countless swordsmen, do not hesitate.”

Lei Wujie hummed deeply for a moment. All of sudden, he lowered his head to the ground, kowtowing three times consecutively soon after. “Your disciple, Lei Wujie, humbly accepts the tutelage of the Snow Moon Sword Immortal. Once he is able to retrieve the Murderous Dread Sword, he will accompany his master back to the Lei Clan. Should Teacher Lei Hong blame him for this decision, he will repay the debt of tutelage he owes to his two teacher with his own death.”

“Idiot.” Xiao Se scolded him neither too lightly or too heavily.

Li Hanyi turned around, thought about it for a second, and said, “Change your clothes. Tomorrow, come find me in the back mountains.” Only Sikong Changfeng, who was standing beside him at that moment, could see the tears in his eyes as he said that.

*Drip* It was only a single tear, but it was the tear of a Sword Immortal.

Sikong Changfeng sighed once more, “A man living within the heavens and earth, hasten home like a traveller on a long trip.”

(Note: In this instance, a person who has returned home is likened to a dead person. In other words, life is short. The above sentence is just an excerpt of a poem but the general meaning is life is short so live life to the fullest. )

“Busybody.” Li Hanyi waved his hands, then rode off on his sword. Yet trailing behind him was a voice, “A pact made…”

“Is one a thousand mountains cannot hinder!” Having said that, Lei Wujie fainted.

Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief; the heaven shattering, earth shaking tower ascension was over at last. Those elders who came out to spectate all returned to their respective halls with their disciples. Within the minds of all the gathered merchants, they had one common thought: they could now die without regrets after witnessing such an astounding battle. As they debated who was more astounding, the immortal-like expert who called down lightning and rode off on a crane or the Sword Immortal’s impressive display, each of them slowly dispersed to their respective posts. Only Xiao Se, Tang Lian, both Sikongs and the unconscious Lei Wujie remained behind. 𝐟𝓇ℯ𝐞𝚠𝚎𝒃𝑛𝒐ѵe𝚕.co𝚖

Nudging Tang Lian, Xiao Se said, “Hey, that senior brother over there, your junior brother over here still owes me eight hundred taels, how about you settle that debt for him instead? I miss my Fallen Snow Villa already.”

“I have no money.” Tang Lian answered without hesitation.

“Then who has?”

“He’s right in front of you now.” As he said that, Tang Lian whipped his head in the direction of Sikong Changfeng.

In response, Sikong Changfeng merely smiled, “That’s true, all the finances of Snow Moon City is handled by me.”

“Eight hundred taels.” Xiao Se stretched out his right hand.

However, Sikong Changfeng chose to ignore that question. “I heard from Tang Lian that your name is Xiao Se?”

“What about it?” Xiao Se raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a good name.” Sikong Changfeng nodded his head.

“Enough flattery. Just pay up what’s owed, I’m in a hurry here.”

“The audacity! Don’t you dare doubt that this spear of mine is able to give you a good thrashing!” Sikong Qianluo angrily waved her spear around.

Yet her father merely lowered that spear for her and smiled, “The money will naturally be yours, I just wish for Brother Xiao to stay in our city for a while. This humble one has some questions he wishes Brother Xiao to answer.”

“And what if I don’t, are you going to force me?” Xiao Se coldly laughed.

“Of course not. Truth be told, I have my own personal reasons for asking Brother Xiao to stay.”

“What would they be?”

“Lacking though he may be, Changfeng humbly requests that Brother Xiao be his disciple.”

“What?” Xiao Se was stunned. Tang Lian and Sikong Qianluo were even more stunned, both of them worried that their ears had malfunctioned for that split second. “What did you say?”

“Lacking though he may be, Changfeng humbly requests that Brother Xiao be his disciple.” Having said that, Sikong Changfeng stabbed his spear into the ground and knelt on one knee.

Unlike Li Hanyi, his manner of accepting a disciple was markedly humble, overly so, in fact.

Tang Liang and Qianluo both thought he was mad for doing so, but after looking at his serious demeanour, none of them dared to say a word, merely exchanging a quick look with each other. 𝐟r𝒆ℯ𝘄𝑒𝒃𝚗𝒐𝘃e𝗹.c𝘰𝐦

Xiao Se, on the other hand, had a frigid smile on his smile. “What a Snow Moon City!”