Chapter Thirty: Gentle as Jade

“Master, it’s a blood python that has fully matured!”

A blood python?

The first image that sprang to mind was the enormous serpents I’d seen in movies and on television.

But as I gripped the nameless broken sword and bolted forward several strides, I caught sight of a gigantic python not far ahead—at least thirty or forty meters long. It flicked its crimson tongue at me, its eyes like twin lanterns hung at a doorway during the New Year.

It was nothing like what I’d imagined; its body shimmered entirely silver, while its head was speckled with tiny blood-red dots.

“Master, we’re no match for this blood python yet. It’s the leader of those little demons from earlier, and it’s surely here to devour me. Let’s escape from the Blood Massacre Array Map first. Once I’ve recovered, we can deal with them!”

I nodded quickly, knowing this was no time for jokes. Earlier, I’d ignored Tu’s warnings and pressed deeper into these mountains, driven by a familiar sensation calling to me. But now, I had no confidence at all.

The massive blood python before me would barely be bothered by my current skills; my attacks would be like scratching an itch for a child.

No time to think, I dashed away. As I left the mountain, the range behind me began to collapse instantly. I realized it had been held together by the nameless broken sword; now that I’d taken it, all its power had vanished and the mountains crumbled in a heartbeat.

Roar!

The blood python howled in the distance, spewing a cloud of blood-red mist toward me.

Fear filled my heart, and I ran faster than I ever had in my life. Just as I reached the barrier passage I’d entered earlier, suddenly, the pale scholar and several enchanting women appeared before me.

“I didn’t expect you to actually take that broken sword. It’s just as well—big brother has long wanted to refine it for his own transformation. You’ve saved us quite a bit of risk.”

“Master, use the sword to cut them down!”

I was speechless at Tu’s suggestion. I wanted to, but how?

I swung the nameless broken sword in my hand and said coldly to the scholar in white, “Move aside, or you’ll die without even a grave!”

The terror behind me was closing in fast.

“Use your blood to awaken the broken sword!”

Suddenly, a method for wielding the ancient sword appeared in my mind. I didn’t know if it would work, but I didn’t hesitate. I raised my hand, bit my finger, and smeared blood onto the nameless broken sword.

“If you won’t drink wine willingly, you’ll be forced to—don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

The pale scholar flashed forward, reaching out to grab me. At the same time, I felt countless vines instantly seal off the space around me.

I didn’t care anymore. I swung the nameless broken sword at the white-robed scholar lunging for me!

With a hum, the sword in my hand seemed to understand my intent, unleashing a crimson glow that spread out in an instant. Sword energy sliced through the air, obliterating the demons before me. The scholar in white was cleaved in two, and as his body fell, it slowly transformed into a section of tree trunk.

So he was a tree spirit!

Just then, an ancient voice sounded behind me.

“Courting death!”

Just two words, but they made me shudder and sent me sprinting toward the entrance.

A silver light enveloped me. When I opened my eyes again, everything familiar came back into view.

I stood up, breathing hard, and looked at the sky above Chengdu—a waning moon, a handful of stars.

Beside where I’d been sitting cross-legged lay the broken sword, silent and devoid of any aura or glow. I could sense nothing from it now. The first feeling that struck me was exhaustion and fatigue.

I tried to communicate with Tu.

“Master, I’m so tired—I’ll sleep for now. If you find any treasures, wake me up.”

I nodded, remaining silent. Having entered the Blood Massacre Array Map, I could now sense that the world I inhabited was utterly different from the one I’d known for the past twenty years. Or perhaps these events had always occurred nearby, and I’d simply been blind to them, a mere passerby.

I gathered up the broken sword and went downstairs.

As I reached the bottom, I saw Xiyue lying on the sofa, eyes gently closed, as if dozing.

I slowed my steps, put the broken sword away, and, grabbing a piece of clothing, walked into the living room. Moonlight spilled across the room, bathing Xiyue’s smooth, jade-like skin in a glow that made one’s mouth water.

I sat beside her and draped the clothing over her.

Her long lashes fluttered slightly, and in the next moment, she opened her eyes.

They were clear as autumn water, sweetening my heart. Looking at her, I began to forget she wasn’t a living person, but an ancient corpse.

“You’re back?”

Her voice was gentle. Though her whole demeanor remained cold, her words carried the warmth of human affection.

I nodded.

Xiyue didn’t remove the clothing I’d placed over her; instead, she leaned into my arms and slowly closed her eyes.

“Your heart is racing.”

How could it not, under these circumstances?

Yet I said nothing, simply resting my hand on her shoulder.

The touch was as gentle and smooth as jade.

“I just saw you in my dream, Xiaodong. Did we know each other before?”

Her question startled me even more. I’d felt the same, but in all my twenty years, I’d never met a beautiful girl named Xiyue. My memories were entirely occupied by Suying, and the reason Xiyue felt so familiar was because she gave me the same feeling Suying did—identical.

“Perhaps it’s fate,” I replied.

At that moment, I desperately wished Xiyue were an ordinary girl, so I could cast aside everything and earnestly fall in love with her, build a family together.

But I knew it was only a fantasy. From the moment I received Suying’s invitation, I’d stepped onto a path of no return—and now, it seemed I was only straying further and further from it.

“Yes, fate,” she murmured, nestling into me and closing her eyes once more.

I could distinctly feel the aura emanating from her—a subtle fragrance, like the osmanthus tree from my childhood home, delicate yet captivating, making one wish to linger forever.