Chapter 99: The Ultimate Sword Dao, The Divine Sword!
Over the next few days...
Li Hao walked out of the Divine General Mansion and accompanied Bian Ruxue as they strolled leisurely around Qingzhou City.
They explored the city, enjoying delicacies, watching operas, and listening to storytelling performances.
By the nearby lakeside outside the city, he caught dragonflies and butterflies for her. Using a sword manual as a makeshift folder, he crafted a butterfly specimen and gave it to her as a keepsake.
Although neither of them were ordinary people, the joy of doing these simple, mundane activities brought genuine smiles to their faces.
During an outing in the wilderness, Li Hao carried paper and brushes, sketching portraits of Bian Ruxue in various settings and from different angles. In just a few days, he created over a hundred sketches, exhausting all his inspiration.
But for Li Hao, drawing her was never about gaining experience.
At the edge of the city suburbs—not at Heishui Demon Lake where his second uncle, Li Muxiu, had taken him, but at another small demon lake—Li Hao went fishing with a rod.
While he focused on the water, Bian Ruxue sat quietly by his side, a small white fox, Xiao Rou, nestled in her lap, playing with her affectionately.
When they grew tired of playing, Bian Ruxue propped her chin on her hands, watching Li Hao fish in silence.
Seeing the intense concentration on his face as he stared at the bobber, she was reminded of their childhood. A faint smile curved her lips as nostalgia washed over her.
In her mind, the courtyard of their youth appeared.
In that courtyard, while she practiced her swordsmanship, the sound of a boy’s childish yet spirited voice would echo from a nearby pavilion:
“Ah, Uncle Lin, you placed the piece in the wrong spot again!”
“The chess piece goes on the intersections, not in the square!”
“Uncle Lin, you’ve lost again!”
Whenever she grew tired from practicing, she would glance toward the pavilion. Seeing the boy's silhouette always gave her a sense of peace.
The sound of cheerful laughter from those days seemed as vivid as yesterday, lingering in her ears as if it were still present.
Li Hao stared at the lake, fixated on the fishing bobber, while Bian Ruxue gazed intently at his profile. Both seemed lost in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, the bobber moved.
Li Hao jerked the fishing rod back sharply, as if drawing a bow to its full arc. Moments later, a fish demon at the Tongli Realm was pulled from the water.
Fishing for demons below the Soul Fusion Realm was possible using specially forged fishing rods and customized lines crafted from durable metals.
“Brother Hao, you’re amazing!”
The mesmerized Bian Ruxue snapped out of her daze, clapping her hands in excitement.
Li Hao smiled faintly and struck the fish demon dead with a wave of his hand before tossing it aside. Seeing that the sun was setting, he reeled in the fishing line and retrieved a fish basket from the water. Inside were a few ordinary fish.
He released them casually.
After packing up the fishing stool and calling for the little white fox, Li Hao turned to Bian Ruxue and said, “Let’s go home.”
“Alright.”
Bian Ruxue nodded with a smile, letting Li Hao carry everything. She folded her hands behind her back, skipping lightly behind him.
Smoke curled into the evening sky from the mountain villages, while the pair strolled back along the lakeshore.
Their steps were unhurried. Along the way, they passed fields of crops and came upon a watermelon patch.
Only a scruffy dog guarded the patch. With a smile, Li Hao sent Xiao Rou to distract the dog while he snuck in from another direction and swiped a watermelon.
He hugged the watermelon and ran off. Once they were far enough away, he casually tossed two taels of silver into the hollow of the field.
On a distant hillside, he split open the watermelon, revealing its bright red flesh. He handed half to Bian Ruxue.
Li Hao didn’t bother with etiquette, burying his face in the fruit and eating messily, juice dripping everywhere.
In contrast, Bian Ruxue was elegant and refined. With a gentle flick of her sword hilt, her blade unsheathed in a flash of silver light, cutting the watermelon into crescent-shaped slices.
She handed a slice to Li Hao, who accepted it and continued eating.
“This kind of life is truly comfortable…” Li Hao said, reclining on the hillside with his hands propped behind him, gazing at the setting sun in the distance.
Hearing his words, Bian Ruxue paused briefly in her eating, then smiled and replied, “Yes, it is.”
Li Hao smiled back, finishing his half of the watermelon. Bian Ruxue, meanwhile, shared two slices with the little white fox. After eating, they headed home together.
When they arrived, it was late, and Li Hao’s boots and trousers were caked with mud.
Li Tiangang scolded him, “If you’re going to take Ruxue out, bring her to nicer places. Don’t take her to those dirty, chaotic spots. And what’s the deal with fishing? Won’t she get bored and feel neglected? You should be more considerate.”
Li Hao listened expressionlessly, smiling faintly as he nodded and replied with a simple “mm” before turning to leave.
Bian Ruxue quickly explained to Li Tiangang, “Uncle, it was my idea to watch Brother Hao fish. He’s really skilled, and I could tell he enjoys it.”
Li Tiangang, who doted on and adored this prospective daughter-in-law, smiled warmly. “I know he likes it, but you don’t come home often. You shouldn’t always cater to him. If you’re too softhearted, you’ll have a hard time later.”
“Uncle, please don’t say that. Nothing will happen to you,” Bian Ruxue said hurriedly.
Li Tiangang chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about me, child. Just make sure you take care of yourself.”
Bian Ruxue hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I will.”
...
Over the next few days, Li Hao continued to accompany Bian Ruxue as they explored the city. One day, news of a temple fair in the western part of the city reached them, and the two decided to visit.
They watched the dazzling firework displays, admired the silver tree-shaped sparks, and enjoyed street performances of various crafts and skills, including shadow puppetry.
Even as the temple fair drew to an end, the two still felt reluctant to leave.
Li Hao carried a load of purchased goods in his arms, but he had deliberately left his attendants and guards behind to ensure he and Bian Ruxue could enjoy themselves freely.
“Did you have fun?” he asked as they sat side by side on a stone by the roadside, gazing at the sunset over the city walls.
“Yes, I did,” Bian Ruxue replied, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
Li Hao turned to look at her. Her profile still bore faint traces of her childhood, but it had also matured, taking on a striking radiance and beauty.
Yet this radiance came with a price—like a meteor blazing brightly but fleeting, consuming itself entirely in its brilliance.
He quietly observed her for a moment, then asked, “Do you wish days like these could last forever?”
Bian Ruxue froze, turning to meet his gaze.
Their eyes locked, and an unspoken understanding passed between them.
After a moment, Bian Ruxue slowly turned away, a faint smile gracing her lips. “Of course I do.”
“Truly?” Li Hao asked, his eyes flicking to the sword she always kept by her side.
Her smile faltered slightly. In that instant, she seemed to realize that Li Hao had seen through her thoughts.
A quiet sigh escaped her heart.
“Brother Hao, I may owe you an apology.”
Bian Ruxue turned back to face him, her lighthearted smile gone. Her brows knit slightly, and her expression carried a tinge of sorrow and helplessness.
Li Hao fell silent, his faint hope extinguished by her words.
Seeing his silence, Bian Ruxue began speaking as if a dam had burst. She lowered her gaze and said softly, “I know how good you’ve been to me. I can never repay your kindness.
“But I want to see it for myself, to try for myself. I want to glimpse the pinnacle of the Sword Dao, to find out if I can reach its peak.”
Though her voice was gentle, the mention of the Sword Dao revealed an unwavering determination.
Li Hao’s lips moved, but he said nothing.
He simply watched her lowered gaze. At that moment, he saw not just the familiar contours of her face but also something else—something he recognized from countless other geniuses who pursued fame and mastery with a moth-to-flame intensity.
“Once you’ve seen that pinnacle, you’ll understand,” Li Hao said quietly, almost sighing. “A simple, ordinary life like this is the greatest happiness.”
But the joy of their days together, it seemed, could not compete with the call of her Sword Heart.
Bian Ruxue raised her head to watch the setting sun. “Perhaps,” she said softly. “But if I don’t try, I’ll regret it forever. I want to see the ultimate Sword Dao, the Divine Sword my master spoke of!”
“The Divine Sword...”
Li Hao shook his head with a wry smile. For as long as anyone could remember, swordsmen had passed down this legend.
The world boasted countless schools and techniques of swordsmanship, each refined to perfection. Yet none were considered the ultimate.
The pinnacle of the Sword Dao was said to lie in a single strike: the Divine Sword.
No one knew how this sword was drawn, whether it cleaved or thrust. No one even knew if it truly existed.
Yet the legend persisted. It was said that mastering the Divine Sword would grant its wielder the power to slay gods, banish ghosts, annihilate demons, suppress devils, destroy all things in the world, split the sun and moon, and fill the seas.
This mythical sword remained the ultimate aspiration of swordsmen everywhere.
Li Hao had read numerous accounts of swordmasters in the Tingyu Pavilion, including records of Sword Saints of the past. They described how these masters sought to understand this sword through duels, discussions, and even life-and-death battles.
Eight hundred years ago, the legend of the Divine Sword was at its peak, driving swordsmen to obsession and madness.
Over time, the fervor waned. As no one ever truly comprehended the sword, it was relegated to the realm of myth.
The topic, once debated for centuries, had grown tiresome. Few discussed or cared about it anymore.
Yet here was this young woman, carrying such a dream and desire.
Had her master planted this idea in her mind?
Li Hao thought of the old man who had rejected him. Though he had neither fondness nor animosity for the elder, a sliver of anger now arose within him.
“Is this something your master taught you?” Li Hao asked.
Noticing the faintly stern tone in his voice, Bian Ruxue’s expression shifted. She glanced at him, then shook her head.
“No, Master only mentioned it casually. He pursues this path, but he never forced it upon us. This is something I’ve chosen for myself.”
“Is that so?”
Li Hao’s anger subsided. “If you wish to practice the sword, I can guide you.”
Bian Ruxue recalled their childhood days in the courtyard. She sighed inwardly, knowing that times had changed.
“The Divine Sword follows no patterns, nor is it recorded anywhere. It’s just a legend and cannot be taught. Perhaps only when someone truly executes that sword will its form take shape,” she said softly. “I know you use a sword too, but this path has already entered the realm of the Dao. Even my master cannot teach it. It can only be glimpsed through a lifetime of effort and exploration.”
Li Hao remained silent.
Indeed, with a Sword Saint as her master, she had no need for his instruction.
He studied her quietly. “Have you truly devoted your heart entirely to the sword?”
When the Sword Dao takes root in one’s heart, it fosters passion. But passion and obsession remain distinct.
Only when one truly loves the sword does it become an all-consuming pursuit.
Bian Ruxue met his gaze directly, unwilling to waver or evade when it came to the sword.
“Yes, and so I wish to see it,” she said.
“But what if you don’t find it?”
“Then I still have to try.”
“The countless swordsmen who pursued it have found nothing. It’s a myth, an impossibility. Would you forsake your current, easily attainable happiness for such an illusory legend?”
Li Hao looked at her, struggling to comprehend. Though he had mastered numerous arts to the point of entering the Dao, he had never been consumed by such fervor.
Bian Ruxue fell silent before replying, “If I don’t strive for it, I may regret it for the rest of my life.”
Li Hao chuckled softly, then sighed.
In this world, how many brokenhearted lovers and entangled fates stemmed from this kind of stubbornness?
Yet flowers can bloom again, but youth cannot return...
Li Hao sighed deeply and asked, “What were you planning to do?”
Bian Ruxue hesitated at his persistent sighs, a trace of guilt flickering in her eyes. But she bit her lip and said, “In my sect, there are two paths to choose from: the Red Dust and the Sword Dao.
“Technically, one can choose both, but that would still count as the Red Dust.”
“The Sword Dao demands purity, a singular focus,” she continued, her voice soft but firm. “When I left the mountain this time, I had already decided. I planned to spend some time with you before continuing my sword training.
“Then, in the future...”
Her voice softened, her cheeks flushing slightly as she stole a glance at Li Hao. When she saw that he was looking at her, she turned away hastily.
“When Brother Hao is ready to settle down and start a family, I’ll come back to marry you and bear your children.”
Li Hao’s heart sank at her words, knowing she had not finished her thoughts.
“And then?” he asked.
“Then, I will continue pursuing the Sword Dao,” Bian Ruxue said, the flush on her cheeks fading as her expression turned serious.
Li Hao understood her intentions. “But marriage and children will delay you by a year. That wouldn’t be wholly devoted to the Sword Dao.”
Bian Ruxue nodded. She was well aware of this.
To truly pursue the pinnacle, the best path would be to sever ties with Li Hao completely.
To walk with only the sword as her companion.
...
Yet on that peak, will the Divine Sword truly exist?
The setting sun painted the sky, its hues like blood-soaked orange peels. Today’s sun would soon set...