I Have A Sword

When Ye Guan rushed back into the village, he discovered that the Great Daoist Brush Master was missing.

He escaped...Ye Guan's expression darkened instantly.

He knew that man well; he was well-traveled, knowledgeable, and particularly skilled at breaking seals. This region was riddled with ancient seals. If that bastard had stumbled upon some secret realm or some fateful opportunity...

Gu Pan was still around. When he saw Ye Guan, he didn't look too pleased.

However, Ye Guan ignored him. Instead, he turned toward Village Chief Yuan Fan, who was approaching him with his granddaughter by his side.

"Young Master Ye..." he said with a smile.

"Let me dig a few wells for your village," Ye Guan replied, smiling brightly.

Yuan Fan looked a little puzzled. "Wasn't it impossible before?"

"It should be possible now."

He opened his palm, and three streaks of sword light shot out.

In the blink of an eye, the ground nearby split open, and three wells appeared in the courtyard. From within each well, crystal-clear spring water surged up, bubbling to the surface.

Seeing that, Yuan Fan's face lit up with joy. He was overjoyed. "Young Master Ye... how could we ever thank you for this?! This is... truly..."

Beside him, Yue'er was also bursting with excitement. She looked at the wells, and then at Ye Guan; her face was glowing with pure delight.

Ye Guan smiled. "No need to thank me. For me, it was nothing. Village Chief, I'll be leaving now."

Yuan Fan hesitated. "You're leaving already?"

Ye Guan nodded.

"At least stay for a meal? Yue'er has already finished cooking." Yuan Fan said, hastily.

Ye Guan turned to look at Yue'er. When their eyes met, she lowered her head.

Seeing the hopeful look on Yuan Fan's face, Ye Guan thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, I'll stay."

"Yue'er, bring out the dishes!" Yuan Fan directed.

Soon, the table was filled with a hearty spread of home-cooked food.

Ye Guan wasn't fond of the fasting techniques practiced by many cultivators to sever ties with mortal needs, so he ate heartily.

Gu Pan also joined in. Perhaps it was the long confinement or the simple pleasure of a shared meal, but he ate with noticeable enjoyment as well.

As the meal went on, Yuan Fan hesitated, as if something was weighing on his mind.

Ye Guan noticed that and asked, "Village Chief, is there something you'd like to say?"

Yuan Fan sighed softly. "Young Master, I can tell that you and your companions are no ordinary people. It's like this, since you're heading to Qiuyong City, I wonder if I might ask a favor... Could you help me look into the whereabouts of two people?"

"Who?"

"Yue'er's parents. Three years ago, the two of them traveled together to Qiuyong City to sell goods, but they never came back. If it's not too much trouble, could you make some inquiries when you get there?"

Ye Guan looked over at Yue'er. She instinctively lowered her head, but she eventually gathered her courage and stared at him.

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "Alright."

"Thank you, Young Master Ye. My son's name is Yuan Zhen, and my daughter-in-law is Qin Lian. If you do find any news of them, please... send word back if you can."

Ye Guan nodded again. "I will."

After the meal, Ye Guan stood up and prepared to take his leave. Just as he reached the gate, Yue'er suddenly appeared in front of him, holding a large cloth bundle in her arms.

She handed it to him and stammered, "T-this is for... you... to eat... on the road..."

Ye Guan accepted the bundle with a warm smile. "Thank you."

Then, from within his sleeve, he took out a skewer of hawthorn candy and handed it to her. Smiling, he said, "This is hawthorn candy. You should try it."

Yue'er looked at it curiously and carefully accepted it. "Thank you..."

Ye Guan chuckled. "Until we meet again!"

With that, he turned and walked away.

Behind him, Yuan Fan quickly called out, "Young Master Ye! Remember to stick to the main road! Don't stray into any strange or dangerous places!"

From a distance, Ye Guan's voice drifted back with a light laugh. "Thanks for the reminder."

At the courtyard gate, Yue'er stood silently, watching his figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance.

Village Chief Yuan Fan walked to Yue'er's side and sighed softly. "We're not from the same world as him..."

Yue'er nodded gently, her voice barely a whisper as she said, "I know..."

***

Little Pagoda suddenly asked,"Why did you not leave her with a cultivation method?"

"Master Pagoda, this place is far too dangerous. Even cultivators like us have to constantly walk on the edge of life and death. She's never cultivated before. If she were to step into this world unprepared, it'd bring her more harm than good."

Little Pagoda snorted."Then why not at least leave her some money?"

"That could harm her, too."

"I see now. Even when helping others, we must only give what they can bear. If we give beyond what they can carry, it won't be a blessing; it'll become a curse."

Ye Guan nodded slowly.

Gu Pan, who had been walking silently beside him, suddenly asked, "Where's the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

"He's dead."

Gu Pan was speechless.

Ye Guan turned around to look at him. "Why was your true body sealed?"

Gu Pan coolly replied, "What the hell does that have to do with you?"

"You could work on that temper," Ye Guan retorted.

Gu Pan snorted."I've had this damn temper for tens of millions of years. It's not changing anytime soon."

Ye Guan nodded, not saying anything more.

"Did you guys get the treasure from underground?" Gu Pan suddenly asked.

"What the hell does that have to do with you?"

Gu Pan's face darkened instantly.

Ye Guan turned to look at him. "I can see that while you've got a temper, you're honest at heart - upright, even. I respect that, to some degree... So, I'll give you a word of advice: don't mess with the Great Daoist Brush Master. He's not someone you can afford to provoke."

Gu Pan laughed coldly. "I'm not afraid of him. What a joke. Kid, you might be crafty, but compared to that bastard, you're a little more kindhearted. So I'll give you a word of advice too: stay humble. Keep a low profile. Don't turn out like that arrogant fool. People like him always get what's coming."

Ye Guan nodded. "That, I can agree with."

Gu Pan's voice dropped into a cold growl. "All I ask is that he doesn't die here. Once my true body is free, he's the first I'm going after."

Ye Guan grew curious. "How strong is that Mi Fo?"

At the mention of that name, Gu Pan's face twisted with barely contained rage. "Why the hell are you asking about that old fossil? Damn!"

Ye Guan was stunned.Why was he so pissed all of a sudden?

After that unpleasant exchange, the two continued on their way in complete silence.

Soon, the two had left the village far behind, crossing over a vast mountain range. Along the way, they passed several more villages, but the locals in each were wary and guarded, watching them with suspicion.

Neither Ye Guan nor Gu Pan stopped in those villages.

Ye Guan had considered flying, riding his sword through the air, but he quickly thought better of it. In a place like this, flying was simply too conspicuous. One wrong move, and he could get struck down on sight.

Furthermore, he had no idea how strong those attackers could be! It was like his encounter with that Bizarre God. If not for his father stepping in back then... he wouldn't have stood a chance.

Here, keeping a low profile was not just wise, it was essential.

Even Gu Pan was keeping a low profile. He was rough, but he wasn't stupid.

Ye Guan suddenly asked, "What civilization are you from?"

He had been curious for a while. This man clearly wasn't from the Boundary of Truth and Illusion, and yet his power was monstrous.

Not just his true body, but his clone, or rather, this single strand of consciousness, was already frighteningly strong. And Ye Guan could tell, without a doubt, this guy's true body was still hiding something terrifying.

Gu Pan calmly replied, "Even if I were to tell you, you wouldn't know it."

"Maybe I've heard of it."

"The Great Ruin. Ever heard of it?"

Ye Guan's brows furrowed slightly.

Gu Pan revealed a faint smile. "No way you have..."

Just then, a subtle ripple appeared in his usually impassive gaze, as if some long-buried memories were quietly surfacing.

Ye Guan changed the subject. "Do you know much about the Boundary of Truth and Illusion?"

"A little." Gu Pan nodded. Then, he let out a cold laugh. "Don't go putting that place on a pedestal. The spirits there are simply blessed by fortune, that's all. I can't speak for other realms, but my Great Ruin... we're not afraid of them."

His voice was filled with unconcealed pride.

Ye Guan fell silent. He didn't know much about the Boundary of Truth and Illusion; what little he did know came through his encounters with the True Void Spirits. He had previously thought of going there to explore, however, it seemed better to increase his power first.

If he went there now, he would probably end up with bruises all over.

Gu Pan added, "This Ancient God Nation Ruins likely clashed with them..."

Ye Guan asked, "Do you know much about the Ancient God Nation Ruins?"

Gu Pan shook his head. "It's far from our Great Ruin, not even part of the same civilization. But I've heard of their Divine Sovereign. Back in the day, he was hailed as the strongest under the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. I originally came here to test his true strength... I never expected to get into a damn incident instead."

Ye Guan looked at Gu Pan but said nothing.

Gu Pan sneered. "I know what you're thinking. You must be wondering why I was sealed. I can't be bothered to explain it to you. When my true body gets out, you'll understand what it means to be overpowered!"

After a moment of silence, Ye Guan asked, "So... how do you plan to get out?"

Gu Pan said coolly, "One Emperor Artifact will suffice."

Ye Guan replied, "I have a Great Dao River—"

"I don't want it." Gu Pan cut in.

Ye Guan looked at him. "I never said I was giving it to you."

He wasn't opposed to helping Gu Pan if the guy was planning to go after the Great Daoist Brush Master. However, the problem was that he wasn't sure if Gu Pan wouldn't turn around and beat him up, too.

Right now, he definitely couldn't beat this guy.

Gu Pan snorted coldly. "Your Great Dao River has some issues."

"What kind of issues?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Ye Guan stared at him seriously. "Yeah, you definitely deserved to be locked up."

Gu Pan's expression was stone cold. "Once I get out, you're dead!"

Ye Guan didn't push the subject any further. He'd seen enough to understand that this guy had a seriously foul temper. He was the kind of person who had enemies everywhere. It was best to keep a safe distance from him.

The two continued their journey in silence. After about half an hour, they spotted a dark hill off to the right. It was not on the main road, but several miles off to the side. The entire hill was pitch black, exuding an eerie, unsettling aura.

Ye Guan's expression darkened. His divine sense didn't work here.

This hill wasn't on the main path, but rather a few meters off to the right of it.

Just then, they froze. A figure they recognized immediately was standing in the distance.

It was the Great Daoist Brush Master. He stood tall on the hill's summit with a black staff in his hand. His eyes brimmed with mockery as he looked down at them, shouting, "Hey, you two idiots! Come on up!"