The Reticent Blade

"Lin Jiulao?" Shi Wufeng was stunned. "What? He found you?"

Ye Beizhi nodded. "I've fought him twice... he was working for the court."

Shi Wufeng let out a breath, shaking his head. "Just a blade-obsessed fool consumed by his desire to win. Why bring him up all of a sudden?"

Ye Beizhi frowned, pausing before answering, "He said... he cut off your arms."

"Ha—" Shi Wufeng raised an eyebrow. "That's what he said?"

Ye Beizhi nodded, then shook his head. "Looking at you now... he must have said it just to provoke me."

"That must be it," Shi Wufeng nodded in agreement.

"What really happened back then?" Ye Beizhi asked.

Shi Wufeng thought for a moment, then raised three fingers. "I fought him three times."

"I lost the first match," Shi Wufeng recalled, "but it allowed me to see through his technique. His blade work was grand and fierce with a hidden agility, but it lacked endurance. So for the second match, I changed my approach—I stopped meeting him head-on and focused on maneuvering. That threw him off balance. I won the last two matches with ease."

"This man is obsessed with victory and defeat," Shi Wufeng shook his head. "Even after losing two out of three matches, he still argued that my victory was dishonorable—that blade work should always face the opponent directly, and that my tactics were inferior. Back then, I told him that the purpose of a blade is simply to kill. All techniques exist only to serve that purpose. There are no superior or inferior forms—the highest form of swordsmanship is to wield no form at all.'"

Shi Wufeng let out a short laugh and continued, "I was a little too quick with my words back then. I told him that I only recently came to understand this truth because I met someone whose blade technique was truly unparalleled in this world.

"Lin Jiulao asked me who that person was. I told him about you. I told him that Stormqueller, who wields the Tang blade, had blade skills that were ten times his.

"He was so furious when he heard that he stormed off, swearing he would find and defeat you to prove me wrong. I just never thought he'd actually track you down."

With that, Shi Wufeng glanced at Ye Beizhi and chuckled. "Looks like he lost after all."

"By luck," Ye Beizhi nodded. "When I faced him, his strength had clearly improved since the time he fought you... I thought he would have fought you to the death."

"Impossible!" Shi Wufeng's eyes widened. "Fight me to the death? He's deluded, not stupid. What would he gain from fighting me to the death in Xuanfeng Valley? If I won, he'd be dead. If I lost, do you think he could leave the Valley alive?"

Ye Beizhi thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's true."

Shi Wufeng turned his head toward the distance, where a group of disciples were training, their blades flashing in tight, unyielding formations.

"How long do you plan to stay this time?" Shi Wufeng suddenly asked.

Ye Beizhi was silent for a long time before he replied, "For a while."

Shi Wufeng was taken aback. "What happened?"

"I'm seeking refuge."

"Are you hiding from enemies?" Shi Wufeng's brow furrowed.

Ye Beizhi shook his head. "No, war... I came from Liangzhou Prefecture."

Shi Wufeng's expression turned serious. "Judging by your face... is the war escalating?"

"More than that," Ye Beizhi paused. "The entire front at Jibei and Ningye has collapsed. Liangzhou Prefecture can no longer be defended."

"You..." Shi Wufeng was about to ask how Ye Beizhi was so certain, but then he remembered something and shook his head. "I almost forgot. You would know better than me when it comes to war."

"But war shouldn't concern you anymore," Shi Wufeng said, glancing at Chi Nanwei and Fang Dingwu, who were walking behind. "Is it because of them?"

Ye Beizhi nodded. After a brief hesitation, he revealed, "The Northern Qiang came prepared this time, and the imperial court is still in turmoil. No one knows how long this war will last... Your valley is the safest place."

"Haha" Shi Wufeng laughed. "That's the truth. Xuanfeng Valley is deep in the southernmost part of the Central Plains. No matter how fierce the war gets, it won't reach here. Stay as long as you like, no need to worry."

Ye Beizhi looked up, meeting Shi Wufeng's gaze, and said sincerely, "Thank you."

Shi Wufeng waved off the gratitude and changed the topic. "From what I see, your inner qi feels restrained, and your blade intent has fully matured. Have you improved a great deal over the years? Once my injuries heal, perhaps we should spar again."

Ye Beizhi nodded. "Of course."

Shi Wufeng pondered for a moment. "How far have you progressed now?"

At this question, Ye Beizhi's brow furrowed. "I have been stuck Martial Grandmaster level for years. But after my recent trip to the capital, I felt a breakthrough coming. However..." He paused for a long time, then finally shook his head. "It's hard to say..."

Shi Wufeng's pupils contracted. "Do you feel... as if you're just one step away from a new realm, yet no matter how you try, you cannot step forward? Like there is a barrier, an invisible door, blocking you?"

Ye Beizhi was startled and nodded. "Exactly."

Shi Wufeng exhaled slowly. "I never thought... you would reach that threshold so soon..."

"What is it?" Ye Beizhi frowned slightly.

Shi Wufeng's lips trembled before he slowly uttered, "That is... passing through the Gate of Heaven, standing shoulder to shoulder with the heavens... The Unification Realm."

"I've never heard of that before..." Ye Beizhi shook his head. "What kind of realm is it?"

Shi Wufeng let out a bitter smile. "I can't even see that door yet, while you, without knowing a thing, have already unknowingly reached its threshold.

"The legendary Unification Realm, they say, is the final step in martial arts. Crossing the Gate of Heaven means seeing through life and death. Every movement, every strike, follows the very laws of nature.

"A warrior at this level cannot be compared to anything else. When they rage, it is as if the heavens fall in fury. Every attack they make carries the force of the world itself—"

Ye Beizhi chuckled. "Don't exaggerate. We're not immortals."

Shi Wufeng laughed too. "I did say it was just a legend. It does sound terrifying. But I've never reached that stage myself. I only read about it in ancient texts. If it's truly as powerful as described... then it wouldn't be much different from being an immortal."

***

As they spoke, they arrived at the western courtyard of the valley.

Seated in his wooden wheelchair, Shi Wufeng stopped here and said, "No one usually comes here. The valley forges blades constantly, but you won't be disturbed. Rest easy and stay as long as you need."

Ye Beizhi cupped his hands again. "Thank you."

Shi Wufeng waved dismissively. "No need for formalities. Just rest well." With that, he was pushed away.

Chi Nanwei carried her belongings inside, while Fang Dingwu excitedly approached. "So that was Shi Wufeng, the valley master? Damn, he can't even walk, yet his presence is still overwhelming. Hey, brother, I heard this valley holds thousands of sword manuals. Think I could get a peek?"

Ye Beizhi frowned in a world of his own, unaware of Fang Dingwu's enthusiasm.

"Unification Realm..."