My Wife Is A Sword Immortal

"Who told you that I was leaving?"

"Everyone in the mansion knows, they say you asked the second young master to buy you a trans-state ship ticket to Southern Tranquility State."

"..."

Zhao Rong was covered in cold sweat.

So much for Zhao Kuo's vow of loyalty that reached the sky and his promise to keep silent. I was planning to slip away quietly, but now everyone in the mansion knows, and I'm the last to find out?

Qian'er said, sniffling, "At first, Mistress and I thought you wanted to visit your hometown after the wedding. But then, on the night of your wedding, you quarreled with Mistress…"

At this point, she slowly lowered her head, twisting her hands.

"And yesterday, when I was helping you pack, I accidentally saw your luggage... You've taken everything Auntie Liu left for you. Are you... not planning to come back?"

"...and leave Mistress and Qian'er behind?"

The atmosphere quieted for a while, and then she suddenly looked up, staring at Zhao Rong.

"Then why did you still send that letter to Mistress? Do you know how happy she was when she received it? She brought us back right away without even attending the Qingyun Platform competition in Taiching Prefecture the next day…"

Zhao Rong turned his head, avoiding her gaze, focusing on the poem on the desk.

He didn't know what to say.

Truthfully, he didn't buy into the girl's words; she was still immersed in their childhood emotions—believing there was still an innocent love between him and Lingfei.

But people change. How many childhood sweethearts ultimately end up together?

Lingfei had to inherit the Duke Mansion, and he was merely an excuse for her not to marry out; however, he didn't want to be reborn into a life with no love, only to be a tool without feelings. He wanted to go out and see the wonderful and bizarre world for himself.

Was Lingfei beautiful? Of course, she was! But she was also very cold, cold enough to keep people at bay.

The greatest distance in this world is not between life and death, but when your indifference is like a chasm that those who love you cannot cross.

In their relationship, any unilateral initiative was futile.

In short, Zhao Rong didn't want to be a fawner!

As for the letter, he remembered it vaguely; it was sent along with family letters from the mansion.

It contained only one sentence: "The flowers bloom on the roadside, you can gently return."

But he did not believe that was the main reason Lingfei returned to the mansion; she probably came back mainly for the Grand Dowager's ninetieth birthday, and Zhao Rong's wedding was just a side event arranged by the Grand Dowager.

As for why he himself had written the letter, he probably wanted to get married sooner, fulfill the duties of being a tool, and then leave.

Suddenly, he frowned, but then his expression eased.

Now the only thing that slightly puzzled him was the jade token Lingfei inexplicably asked for that night, but now that he had a good idea of the situation, this minor detail was no longer important.

Alas, all of this was so obvious, why couldn't the girl understand?

...

In the end, Zhao Rong still did not give Qian'er a satisfactory answer.

He promised that he would return if he ever had the chance.

The girl walked away dejectedly, taking the poem with her.

Zhao Rong saw the sky outside had turned gloomy, he turned to fetch her an umbrella, but when he turned back, the girl was gone.

...

A sudden peal of spring thunder, black clouds pressing the sky, seemed to brew something.

It seems that a visit to the Imperial College is out of the question today.

Zhao Rong put down the writing brush, stretching his wrist.

Looking at the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection on the paper, he smiled; not bad, it appeared his calligraphy hadn't declined much.

Just now, a maid came to invite him to attend the old dowager's birthday banquet at noon. He nodded and promised to go.

Actually, he didn't want to go, fearing that meeting her would be awkward. Of course, that's just him feeling awkward, she? Probably doesn't feel anything.

He picked up the brush again, calmed himself, and wrote another "Holy Teaching Preface," the same script he practiced when he first started learning the running script.

"I didn't think you had such skills, I might have underestimated you."

Gui's voice suddenly rang out.

"You understand what I'm writing?" Zhao Rong put down the pen, surprised.

"I'm talking about that poem."

It chuckled, "Your poem just now helped that little maid achieve a realm breakthrough. And it's very likely she also manifested her Lifebound Flying Sword."

"A poem can lead to a realm breakthrough! Is there such a good thing?" Zhao Rong was excited.

Because he saw a certain possibility. If that's the case, could it be that he himself…

"Hmph, don't dream in broad daylight. She achieved it because she was stuck at the threshold of the Fu Yao Realm, just needing an opportunity, and your poem just so happened to resonate with her emotions, touching upon the spiritual energy wandering between heaven and earth, and thus she advanced to the Vast Realm,"

It sneered, "This method only works for the Vast Realm, and you might not even be able to touch the Fu Yao Realm, so don't entertain vain hopes."

Zhao Rong had long gotten used to its harsh tongue and wasn't annoyed. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Vast Realm? Which stage of cultivation is this? Why can one advance through poetry in this realm?"

He added, "Then wouldn't all cultivators need to study Confucianism and read books?"

Gui leisurely said, "Vast Realm is the third realm for Sword Cultivators and Daoist Cultivators, named by the Confucian Supreme Sage. Strictly speaking, the Vast Realm is the first step for a cultivator to defy the heavens and alter their fate. The first two realms, Ascending and Fu Yao, are merely preparations for it."

"This realm's mystery lies in the attribute of qi. The small world within one's body and... forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway. You just need to know that the two characters for Vast Realm chosen by the Confucian Supreme Sage have a very grand meaning."

"Advancing from the Fu Yao Realm to the Vast Realm, one must channel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body. Sensing the qi is a crucial step, and it's also the barrier that rejects countless seekers of the Great Dao. How complex is the energy of heaven and earth, and how does one find their unique spiritual energy among it all?"

"Poetic and literary works that can resonate with human emotions allow one to sense spiritual energy! And poetry with a majestic momentum and exquisite writing can even gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for one's cultivation. Right, the Confucian school usually refers to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as Vast Qi."

"Of course, Confucianism only provides one excellent method for cultivating in this realm, perhaps even the best method I've seen. It's also the mainstream in the Xuanhuang Realm, heh, at least it was before I left."

It laughed self-deprecatingly.

"But the Cultivation World is so vast, with so many remarkable individuals. There's a myriad of qi cultivation methods, and one doesn't necessarily have to follow the Confucian path to advance through the Vast Realm. Otherwise, what about the other schools and their different doctrines?"

Zhao Rong listened with great interest. Although he didn't understand everything and still had some doubts, he at least got the gist of it.

At the same time, he gained a bit more understanding of Gui—it very likely was once a person from the Xuanhuang Realm, who left through ascension or some other means.

"You mentioned Qian'er might have manifested her Lifebound Flying Sword, what's that about? Where's the Flying Sword? Why haven't I seen it?"

"The Fu Yao Realm is a branching point for Sword Cultivators, Daoist Cultivators, and Martial Cultivators. Martial Cultivation is another path, but the difference between Sword and Daoist Cultivators lies in whether one can manifest a Lifebound Flying Sword upon advancing to the Vast Realm. This sword hovers above the Sword Cultivator's Heart Lake and isn't a physical entity, yet it's the foundation of the Great Dao and the support that allows Sword Cultivators to dominate the rankings of the thousands of cultivators."

Gui proudly stated.

"That little maid, though just a mediocre Innate Sword Embryo in my eyes, is still capable of nurturing a Lifebound Flying Sword."

Zhao Rong, seeing its tone so arrogant, teased, "Are you also a Sword Cultivator?"

"Hmph." Gui disdainfully chose not to answer the question.

Zhao Rong chuckled, musing, "It seems that you were quite a respectable person in your former life."

"..."

It took a moment to catch on, then flared up in anger, "How dare you, lad! What capabilities do you have? Mere trash, just a burdensome son-in-law, yet you dare mock this... cough, this seat!"

Zhao Rong wasn't the least bit flustered, even finding the situation amusing, watching it become so angry that it even slipped into archaic speech.

Moreover, Zhao Rong had recently noticed that although it was sharp-tongued and prideful, its contemptuous words towards him were just a few repeated phrases: 'lad', 'trash', 'burdensome son-in-law'—he was tired of hearing them.

It obviously never delved deeply into the masses.

"Alright, alright, I'm the trash, I'm the burdensome son-in-law, don't be angry. If you were to die of anger, who would I chat with in the middle of the night when I can't sleep?"

"!!!"