I Have a Sword

Ye Guan’s expression was solemn as he made his way back to the Siao Residence.

“She was so scary, Master Pagoda…” Ye Guan muttered with dread.

Master Pagoda agreed. “Indeed.”

Ye Guan frowned, but he was curious as well. “Was she scary for you?”

Master Pagoda replied, “Yeah, she was scary.”

Ye Guan doubted and pointed out. “I don’t think you were afraid of that woman at all, Master Pagoda. Are you hiding something from me? If you are, you can tell me. I think I can handle it.”

Little Pagoda was silent for a while before it said, “Nope, I’m not hiding anything.”

Ye Guan chuckled bitterly. “Fine, you can just tell me at the right time.”

Little Pagoda breathed a sigh of relief. Damn, this punk is really difficult to deal with. The members of the Yang Family have been getting smarter over the past three generations.

Little Pagoda was finding it increasingly difficult to deceive Ye Guan.

Ye Guan sighed. “Now that I’m on the Upper Realm, I can finally see that I’m really weak. I really have to work even harder.”

Little Pagoda hurriedly said, “Yes, that’s right. You have to work even harder.”

Ye Guan still had a burning question, and he decided to ask Little Pagoda about it, “Master Pagoda, why do you think she let me go?”

Little Pagoda responded, “I think she has a vested interest in you.”

Ye Guan was confused. “A vested interest? What does she stand to gain from me?”

Little Pagoda didn’t respond.

Ye Guan didn’t probe any further because he could tell that Master Pagoda didn’t want to tell him anything. And there was no way he would find out what Master Pagoda was hiding unless the latter decided to tell him…

He wasn’t in a rush, and he was confident that Master Pagoda would soon talk to him about it. Master Pagoda was unreliable, but it knew something important, and Ye Guan simply had to coax Master Pagoda for it to speak.

It wasn’t that difficult to make Master Pagoda talk. He just had to flatter it, and it would give whatever answer Ye Guan wanted from it.

Soon, Ye Guan arrived in front of his room.

He opened the door and abruptly froze. A woman was sitting in his room, and it was none other than Fei Banqing!

Fei Banqing wordlessly looked up at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan was at a loss for words, but he quickly recovered and said, “I think I entered the wrong room.”

With that, he turned around to leave.

However, Fei Banqing called out to him. “Come here.”

Ye Guan could feel a headache coming as he turned around and walked into the room.

He closed the door and took off his black clothes.

“Did you kill Wei Tong?” asked Fei Banqing.

Ye Guan nodded.

Fei Banqing’s expression was indifferent.

Ye Guan couldn’t tell whether she was happy or angry about it.

“It seems that you’ve disregarded what I said,” Fei Banqing said.

Ye Guan hurriedly spoke, “Tutor, no one saw me do it, and there’s no way people will think that I’m the one who did it—”

Slam!

Fei Banqing slammed her hand on the table.

“Have you forgotten where we are? We’re on the Upper Realm! There are many hidden talents and extremely powerful people here. Have you ever thought about the consequences you will have to face if they find out that you’re the assassin?”

Ye Guan lowered his head without saying anything in the face of Fei Banqing’s harsh scolding.

Fei Banqing glared at him and continued. “There will always be someone stronger and more powerful than you out there. You’re a swordsman, yes, but don’t be arrogant enough to think that you’re omnipotent.”

Ye Guan nodded. “Tutor, you’re right. I won’t do it again.”

Fei Banqing was slightly troubled by Ye Guan’s response. She initially wanted to vent her anger on him, but her fury was assuaged by Ye Guan’s response.

There was silence in the room until Fei Banqing shattered it.

“Did you get hurt?” she asked.

Ye Guan shook his head. “Nope.”

Fei Banqing’s expression was complicated as she stared deeply at Ye Guan.

“You should call it a night.”

She placed a white jade bottle on the table and stood up to leave.

Ye Guan hurriedly asked, “Tutor, what is that?”

“It contains a Sky-grade pill. The pill will amplify your power by three times with minimal side effects, but the effect only lasts an hour.”

Ye Guan hesitated and was about to reject it, but Fei Banqing had already left the room.

Ye Guan picked up the jade bottle and chased after her.

“I—” Ye Guan started.

However, Fei Banqing interrupted him. “I’ll smack you if you return that to me.”

With that, Ye Guan could only smile. “I won’t refuse it since it’s from you...”

“You and Little Jia really are similar to each other,” muttered Fei Banqing, “Call me Teacher.”

Ye Guan hesitated, but it didn’t take long for him to nod and say, “Teacher.”

Fei Banqing nodded and asked, “How did it feel to kill a Spacetime Realm cultivator?”

Ye Guan’s expression was solemn as he responded, “I got lucky.”

He had indeed gotten lucky. His target was doing something, so his sneak attack ended up being successful. If Ye Guan were to face Wei Tong fairly, Ye Guan would have no confidence in defeating the latter.

A Spacetime Realm cultivator was indeed incredible, and it was all because of their ability to manipulate space and time. They were indeed terrifying opponents to face.

Fei Banqing said, “If the Profound Sky Clan decides to interrogate you tomorrow, you must deny any involvement no matter what. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I understand.” Ye Guan nodded. They can be suspicious of me, but I will never admit to doing anything.

Fei Banqing seemed doubtful as she stared at Ye Guan. “You told me that you understood earlier, but you still went ahead and killed him.”

Ye Guan chuckled awkwardly without saying anything. One had to avoid arguing with an angry woman, and the best way to assuage their fury was to nod to whatever they said; soon enough, they would no longer be angry.

Fei Banqing shook her head. “Haaa… You look gentle, but you’re as prideful as a lion. You’re not willing to suffer at all.”

Ye Guan smiled. “I won’t bully people, but I won’t allow myself to be bullied.”

Fei Banqing gazed at Ye Guan and asked, “Why did you help me?”

“I couldn’t allow her to continue insulting you,” replied Ye Guan.

Fei Banqing was silent. It was difficult to ascertain her thoughts, but she eventually broke the silence and muttered, “Sleep well. We still have to deal with the Profound Sky Clan tomorrow.”

Ye Guan nodded. “Okay.”

Fei Banqing left, and Ye Guan returned to his room and lay on the bed. He closed his eyes and started talking to the pagoda. “Master Pagoda, I realized something when I killed Wei Tong.”

Ye Guan had discovered something about Absolute Strike. It was a sword move that Master Pagoda had taught him, but he still hadn’t really understood the essence of the sword move, so he was hardly using it.

Little Pagoda asked, “What do you mean?”

Ye Guan said solemnly, “Killing. Was Absolute Strike made to kill?”

“Tell me your thought process,” asked Little Pagoda.

Ye Guan nodded before saying, “The moment I decided to kill Wei Tong, I made it a goal that he had to die. The power and speed of my sword seemed to have increased after I made up my mind.”

Little Pagoda was silent.

Ye Guan continued. “I don't believe that simply practicing Absolute Strike will be enough for me to master it. I need killing intent to master it.”

Little Pagoda was silent for a moment before asking, “Is that all?”

“No,” Ye Guan shook his head and added, “I think Absolute Strike’s power depends largely on the strength of my killing intent. In other words, I can’t hone it like I do with my other techniques and sword moves. Absolute Strike can only be honed through killing.”

Little Pagoda said, “You should follow your conjecture.”

Ye Guan hurriedly asked, “Does that mean that I’m right, Master Pagoda?”

Little Pagoda neither confirmed nor denied it. “You shouldn’t pay attention to the thoughts of others when it comes to honing your techniques and sword moves. Follow your own thoughts.”

Ye Guan nodded. “Okay.”

Killing… The mysterious voice in the tiny pagoda spoke, “His comprehension is frightening...”

“We have to be careful—extra careful.” Little Pagoda emphasized. “We can’t allow him to go down the wrong path.”

“Indeed,” replied the mysterious voice.

…

The next morning, a group of people from the Profound Sky Clan arrived at the Siao Residence. Song Fu and the others were standing in front of the residence to greet the visitors.

The middle-aged man standing next to Wei Tong yesterday was at the helm of the group.

Fei Banqing greeted the middle-aged man.

“Lu Lian, I heard that Wei Tong died. This calls for a celebration!”

Lu Lian glared at Fei Banqing and said, “You were the ones who killed him!”

Fei Banqing smiled at him. “Where is your proof?”

Lu Lian smiled coldly and said, “Fei Banqing, do you have any idea what you’re doing? You’re challenging our Profound Sky Clan!”

Fei Banqing mocked loudly. “Oh, really? I’m so scared of the Profound Sky Clan!”

Lu Lian’s expression turned cold and sinister.

Siao Shan intervened and said, “Lu Lian, Wei Tong is a Spacetime Realm cultivator. Do you really think that we can kill him without causing a commotion?”

Lu Lian didn’t respond.

Siao Shan continued. “His murderer is also a swordsman.”

Lu Lian’s face turned ugly. The only ones who knew Ye Guan’s identity as a swordsman were the people who had come with him from the Lower Realm. In addition, there was no way the Guanxuan Academy would reveal his status as a swordsman.

Siao Shan gazed at Lu Lian and said, “There’s something strange here. I recommend that you investigate this carefully.”

Lu Lian chuckled. “Our clan has never been in conflict with any other group aside from your Guanxuan Academy of Nanzhou. We fought during the day, and Elder Wei Tong was killed on the same night. Who else could be the culprit other than the Guanxuan Academy of Nanzhou?”

Siao Shan remained calm at the accusation. “Lu Lian, do you have any evidence?”

Lu Lian stared intently at Siao Shan and replied, “No, but I have my suspicions.”

Siao Shan shook his head and said, “Lu Lian, you’re an elder yourself, so how can you speak like that? Why did you even come here without any evidence?”

Lu Lian gazed deeply at Fei Banqing. After a moment of silence, he smiled and said ominously, “The wind on the Upper Realm is tempestuous. You better tell your students to be careful of the wind.”

With that, Lu Lian turned around and left.

Meanwhile, Siao Shan’s eyes narrowed at Fei Banqing and the rest.

He was also confused. Did they really kill Wei Tong?

Song Fu swept his gaze across Ye Guan and the rest of the students. “I want you all to stay in the Siao Residence and cultivate. Don’t go out of the residence unless it’s an emergency.”

Ye Guan and the students nodded.

Song Fu turned to look at Siao Shan and said, “I’m sorry to trouble you, Brother Siao.”

Siao Shan shook his head and responded, “It’s nothing.”

Song Fu’s expression was solemn as he said, “The martial contest will start in two months. We have to lie low and wait until then.”

Siao Shan nodded and said, “The students can stay and cultivate in the Siao Residence. They can leave the residence, but they must never leave the city. No one will dare to kill in broad daylight in the city, but it’s a different story outside.”

Song Fu nodded. Siao Ge, Ye Guan, and Nalan Jia were talented individuals, and they had to be protected at all costs.

The group dismissed, and Ye Guan went over to the library of the Siao Residence. He was unfamiliar with the Upper Realm, so he decided to visit the library to learn more about it.

Two hours later, Ye Guan now had a better understanding of the powers that existed in the Upper Realm. The Upper Realm was divided into two regions—North and South.

The most powerful and most influential organization throughout the Upper Realm was the Guanxuan Academy, followed by two big families and three major clans.

The two big families were the Wang Family and the Zhao Family. The foundation of these two families was deep, and their history was at least a few thousand years.

Meanwhile, the three major clans were the Profound Sky Clan, Xingyun Clan, and Yun Clan. The Yun Clan and the Zhao Family were located in the North, and they were more mysterious than the others.

The Immortal Treasures Pavilion was influential on the Upper Realm as well, but they had the policy of avoiding power struggles. Of course, no one was really daring enough to offend them.

And it was all because the Immortal Treasures Pavilion was filthy rich!

Their pockets were so deep that even the Guanxuan Academy had to respect them, and the same was true not just for the Guanxuan Academy branches but in the Guanxuan Universe as well.

It had to be known that the Immortal Treasures Pavilion was the entity that provided the funding for the establishment of the Guanxuan Academy.

The owner of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion also had a unique relationship with the Sword Master of the Guanxuan Academy.

Three hundred and sixty states were going to participate in the martial contest of this decade. There were two states that were more powerful than the entire Upper Realm—Qingzhou and Yunzhou.

Qingzhou was stronger than Yunzhou, as it was the birthplace of the Sword Master. Back then, they had received a lot of support and resources from the Main Academy of the Guanxuan Academy.

There was even a rumor about how the Main Academy almost got built in Qingzhou.

Yunzhou was weaker than Qingzhou, but it was an extraordinary state. The three Greats were born in Yunzhou, but it was a pity that they had been consistently losing against Qingzhou. Qingzhou was so powerful that facing them felt meaningless.

Ye Guan finally walked out of the library and saw that it was already night.

The sky was filled with stars tonight.

Nalan Jia appeared in the distance. She was wearing a long purple dress, and her hair fluttered in the night breeze. She was walking slowly but elegantly toward Ye Guan, and the demeanor she carried as she walked was enough to make people fall for her.

Nalan Jia finally arrived in front of Ye Guan. She smiled and asked, “Do you want to go on a stroll outside? Today’s the Lantern Festival, and there are many festivities outside.”

Ye Guan blinked and asked, “Lantern Festival?”

Nalan Jia nodded. “Yes.”

A rendezvous between lovers. Ye Guan would be a fool if he were to reject the offer.

Ye Guan smiled and responded, “Okay, let’s go on a stroll.”

Nalan Jia’s smile deepened. “Let’s go!”

The two of them left the Siao Residence and headed to the city center. Every house on the street had red lanterns by their doors, and the streets were filled with people laughing and talking to each other. It was indeed a bustling night.

Fireworks would also occasionally fill the sky with a kaleidoscope of colors.

This Lantern Festival was founded by the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, and it became a popular annual festival. Ye Guan and Nalan Jia walked down the busy street.

Nalan Jia looked around and smiled. “I have no idea why, but I really like the smell of fireworks.”

Ye Guan nodded and said, “Yeah, I like its smell, too.”

“I’ve heard that cultivation gets lonelier the stronger a cultivator becomes,” said Nalan Jia in a solemn voice. “I don’t want to be alone on my path to the summit…”

Ye Guan turned to look at her and said, “The path to the summit of cultivation is indeed lonely, so Little Jia, are you willing to go down the path with me?”

Nalan Jia gazed at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan smiled at her and added, “I hope that you’ll go down the path with me. I hope that we can reach the summit together. Let’s climb the summit of cultivation together. Otherwise, we’ll stay together and die together if we end up failing on our way to the summit. By then, we shall meet again in our next lives. What do you think?”

Stay together, die together, and we’ll meet again in our next lives… Nalan Jia was stunned. Eventually, she smiled and asked, “Do you love me?”

Ye Guan returned the question to her. “Do you love me?”

“I don’t know!” Nalan Jia shook her head. She paused and continued. “I have never been in a relationship before, so I don’t know what love feels and means, but I feel really happy whenever I’m with you. Is that love?”

Ye Guan thought about it before shaking his head. “I have never been in a relationship before, but I feel the same way as you do—I feel really happy whenever I’m with you.”

The corners of Nalan Jia’s mouth curled up.

Ye Guan smiled. “Maybe this is love, maybe it’s not—who cares? As long as we’re happy, then it’s fine.”

Nalan Jia nodded. “I agree.”

Ye Guan was about to speak, but a man in white appeared in front of Nalan Jia.

The man in white bowed slightly and smiled at her. “Greetings, My name is Wang Yuan, and I’m from the Wang Family. This is our first time seeing each other, but love has already bloomed in my heart when I clapped my eyes on you. I truly think that you’re a fairy that has descended to bless us mortals with your visage. I wonder if you—”

Nalan Jia grabbed Ye Guan’s hand and held it up proudly. She glared at Wang Yuan and said, “Can’t you see that we’re together or are your eyes on your butt?”