The morning light was clear and faint, spilling onto the bed through the dense leaves. Gu Chengming's first sensation as his consciousness returned was pain.
It wasn't just simple muscle soreness; with even the slightest movement, the pain throughout his body seemed to pull at his internal organs, making him unable to resist letting out a muffled groan.
"You're awake?"
A voice came from nearby, carrying a hint of annoyance.
Gu Chengming turned his head with difficulty and saw Ren Wencai sitting on a chair to the side, holding a cup of tea and looking at him with a stern expression.
"Elder..."
Gu Chengming opened his mouth, his throat dry and parched.
He subconsciously tried to sit up to pay his respects, but as soon as he exerted force, a burst of sharp pain came from his chest, making him gasp for air.
"Lie down, don't move."
Seeing this, Ren Wencai put down his teacup. Although his face was stern, his tone carried a trace of lingering fear.
"Fortunately, this old man was watching from the side and acted in time to protect your heartstrings. Otherwise, do you think you'd still be alive? You would have been shattered by the backlash of the Sword-Questioning Stone long ago!"
Gu Chengming gave a bitter smile and could only act obediently, replying weakly,
"Thank you for your life-saving grace, Elder. This disciple was reckless."
"You also know you were reckless?"
Ren Wencai glared at him, his eyes filled with both anger and deep shock and relief. He had originally intended to take the boy to see the world and temper his character slightly.
Who would have thought this kid was a lunatic? At the First Realm, Fifth Level, he actually dared to try and leave a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone? That is something even those at the peak of the second realm do not dare to attempt lightly.
"Your injuries are stable now, but your meridians have been severely damaged. You must stay in bed and rest for these few days. Don't even think about practicing sword arts."
Ren Wencai spoke while taking several bottles of pills from his sleeve and placing them on the table, still grumbling,
"What were you even trying to achieve? With your current realm, reaching seventy or even eighty steps would have been enough to prove your dao heart is as solid as a rock. That level of tempering is already more than enough for you; there was absolutely no need to risk your life for that last step."
Speaking to this point, Ren Wencai's voice suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
He looked at Gu Chengming, who was lying on the bed, pale and covered in wounds, but whose eyes revealed a sense of clarity. The lecture he intended to give was swallowed back into his stomach.
Was there really no need to risk that chance? No need to stake his life for a hollow title?
Reason told him this was correct. As an elder and a sect senior, he should teach disciples to be steady and not aim too high.
But Ren Wencai recalled that stunning sword strike from yesterday.
That strike had no flourishes, no tricks; it was pure to the extreme and decisive to the extreme.
That aura of 'a single sword strike without retreat' and 'though ten thousand people oppose me, I shall go,' wasn't that exactly what he had pursued in his youth, only to gradually lose it under the tempering of time?
Cultivation—wasn't it precisely for this breath of spirit? If even this bit of sharpness was to be buried by 'reason,' then what was the point of cultivating?
Ren Wencai took a long breath, his expression softening, even carrying a trace of pride and relief that was hard to detect.
"Forget it, you did... very well."
To be too rigid is easy to break, but if one cannot even stand straight, how can one talk about being broken or not? My Wenjian Sect was originally like this.
He stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and looked at the morning sun outside, his tone somewhat distant,
"The future of this world, in the end, belongs to you young people who are full of sharpness. We old fellows are just here to clear the path for you."
Gu Chengming listened to these words with a stir in his heart. He could feel the genuine emotion emanating from this Grand Elder, who usually seemed a bit eccentric and mischievous.
"The Elder overstates it," Gu Chengming said softly. "If not for the Elder's protection, this disciple would have already perished. What future would there be to speak of?"
"Hmph, you certainly know how to flatter."
Ren Wencai turned around, returning to his usual profound and unpredictable appearance, and pointed at the pills on the table:
"These are Rejuvenation Pills and Bone-Setting Paste. Use them three times a day without fail. Once your injuries are healed, come find me again."
Without waiting for Gu Chengming's response, he flicked his large sleeve, turned, and walked out the door.
The wooden door closed with a 'creak,' and only then did Gu Chengming completely relax, letting out a long breath of turbid air.
He tried to circulate his spiritual power, but his Dantian was empty, and his meridians were like a dried-up riverbed, aching at the slightest touch.
Great, now he was truly a 'weak widow.'
His gaze landed on those few bottles of pills.
Rejuvenation Pills, Bone-Setting Paste—these were high-grade medicines for second realm cultivators. For an outer sect disciple, each one was worth a fortune.
However, this also indirectly proved his weight in Ren Wencai's heart.
It seemed he really had to perform well in the disciple assessment; otherwise, he would truly be letting Elder Ren down.
Of course, before that, he had to fix this tattered body of his.
Outside the small courtyard, the serious expression on Ren Wencai's face instantly vanished. His steps were light, and he even couldn't help humming an unknown little tune. Where was the dignity of an elder?
As he walked, he was overjoyed in his heart.
Although he scolded the boy on the way, saying the move was too dangerous and unwise, who could see such an act and not sigh that 'this child is terrifying'?
If this were to spread, let alone the Wenjian Sect, any sword cultivation sect would lose their minds. Those old fellows who usually kept their eyes on their foreheads would have their jaws drop.
"Fortunately, this old man was quick-witted and suppressed the matter."
Ren Wencai stroked his beard.
Of course, this matter had not been widely publicized. He was the only one who witnessed Gu Chengming leaving a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone.
After all, one Wine Old Man was enough to make him guard like a thief. If it were truly publicized, those coming to poach the boy would be even harder to guard against. Huiyuan Gate finally produced such a good disciple; he couldn't let others snatch him away.
"Yo, isn't this Brother Ren? What has made you so happy?"
Just as Ren Wencai was making his little plans, a slightly mocking voice suddenly came from ahead.
Ren Wencai's heart skipped a beat, the smile on his face instantly retracted, and he cursed 'bad luck' in his heart.
Quickly, he put on a calm, even slightly bored expression and looked up. On the path ahead stood a middle-aged man in a green Daoist robe.
This man's face was clean and fair, and his eyes carried a hint of shrewdness. He was precisely the elder of Qingfeng Gate, Zhao Wuji.
This Zhao Wuji usually loved to dig for gossip and was a well-known busybody.
"So it's Junior Brother Zhao."
Ren Wencai cupped his hands and sighed,
"What happy occasion could there be? It's just finding joy in sorrow."
Zhao Wuji obviously didn't believe him. He sized Ren Wencai up and down, stepped closer, and said,
"Senior Brother is being too modest. I heard that early this morning, you personally took a disciple to the forbidden area in the back mountain and even used your authority to open the Sword-Questioning Stone's trial."
Saying this, he asked as if casually,
"A disciple who makes Brother Ren value him so much, even to the point of using authority to take him to the Sword-Questioning Stone for tempering... Could it be some kind of peerless genius?"
Ren Wencai's heart sank.
Indeed, there is no wall in this world that doesn't leak wind.
However, he was prepared. He showed a bit of a bitter smile and waved his hand,
"Junior Brother Zhao overstates it. What genius? That is just the descendant of an old friend. His talent... well, it's just so-so. This old man owes that friend a favor, so I had to make an exception to let him see the world, hoping he would learn his limits."
"A descendant of an old friend?"
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji sneered in his heart.
I don't believe a word of it! What kind of person are you, Ren Wencai? If it were an old friend's descendant with mediocre talent, would you personally take him to the Sword-Questioning Stone? At most, you'd give some spirit stones and pills to send him away. For you to be so attentive, there must be a secret!
His mind whirled, and he probed further,
"Senior Brother shouldn't lie to me. I heard from the deacon guarding the forbidden area that after that disciple went in, there was quite a commotion at the Sword-Questioning Stone, and..."
Zhao Wuji stared closely at Ren Wencai's eyes and said word by word,
"I heard that on that Sword-Questioning Stone, another mark was added."
As soon as these words came out, Ren Wencai's heart skipped a beat. It seemed this matter really couldn't be hidden.
The matter of leaving a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone—the guarding deacon naturally wouldn't dare to speak carelessly, but if someone determinedly dug for it, they could always find some clues.
Since it couldn't be hidden, he could only respond with half-truths.
Ren Wencai took a deep breath, acting as if his secret had been exposed, his face showing a trace of helplessness and frustration:
"Sigh, indeed nothing can escape Junior Brother Zhao's sharp eyes."
He nodded and admitted,
"That's right, that child indeed left a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone."
Zhao Wuji was slightly surprised.
He really left a mark? Leaving a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone is the path of a true heaven-sent genius.
No wonder this old fox was hiding it!
Just as he was about to ask about the disciple's specific situation, he heard Ren Wencai continue,
"But, it's not as exaggerated as you think."
Ren Wencai shook his head, his tone carrying a bit of regret:
"Although that boy left a mark, he exhausted all his strength and even nearly injured his foundation. Moreover..."
He paused and held up two fingers:
"He is already at the peak of the second realm. He's only one step away from the third realm."
"second realm peak?"
Zhao Wuji froze for a moment, and the tension in his heart instantly relaxed.
A second realm peak cultivator being able to leave a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone is indeed a talent and a good seed for the peaks to fight over, but that's all it is.
After all, leaving a mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone, while difficult, is something that some disciples from clans with deep foundations can achieve if they reach the late second realm and give it their all. But speaking of which, Huiyuan Gate has been declining for so long, and they actually managed to find such a decent seed.
"So that's how it is."
The shock on Zhao Wuji's face faded, replaced by a complex expression that was part-disdain and part-understanding. He said somewhat sourly,
"Leaving a mark at the peak of the second realm is also a rare talent! Senior Brother has found a treasure this time. Congratulations!"
While his mouth said congratulations, his heart was comforting itself: 'Fortunately, it's just a second realm peak genius. Although it's enviable, it's within an acceptable range. I was overthinking it; my luck isn't that bad.'
Ren Wencai looked humble, but in his heart, he was laughing his head off.
Hehe, second realm peak?
Seeing Zhao Wuji's expression of 'although I'm jealous, I can't let it show,' Ren Wencai suppressed his laughter, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then made up an excuse to go back and help his disciple heal, hurriedly taking his leave.
The moment he turned away, the frustration on Ren Wencai's face vanished, replaced by a smile he couldn't suppress no matter what.
Old thing, still trying to fish for information? Look who I am.
Stroking his beard, Ren Wencai thought to himself: why is it that since discovering this kid Gu Chengming, his blood pressure hasn't gone down once?
This isn't good, isn't good.
On the other side, as the night deepened and the moon hung high,
After the elder left, Gu Chengming sat cross-legged on the bed and circulated several cycles of Qi. Only when the turbulent blood energy in his body finally calmed down did he let out a long breath and open his eyes.
Although his body was still sore and exhausted, that feeling of being able to explode at any moment had lessened significantly.
He rubbed his temples, focused his mind, and with a thought, summoned the system interface.
To be honest, although he seemed to see the words 'Achievement Unlocked' before he fainted, Gu Chengming was still a bit uncertain.
After all, reality is not a game; there is no option to load a save.
Although he had gambled with the obsession of a galgame player, believing that as long as he chose all the extreme options, he could reach the True End, what if...
What if this was just a trash game with only a Bad End?
With this apprehensive mood, Gu Chengming looked at the semi-transparent light screen floating before him.
The next second, he was dazed by the dense text before his eyes.
Wait, why does this interface look unfamiliar?
He focused his mind and did not immediately look at the row of notifications.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual is finally relieved; the heart that had been hanging in suspense has finally settled.】
【Looking at your miserable appearance, its heart is filled with extremely complex emotions. It is both moved by your persistence and distressed by your injuries, and even more so, it feels the joy of regaining something lost.】
【In the end, a thousand words are stuck in its throat, turning into a resentful complaint after a moment of silence.】
【"Next time, you must not do such a reckless thing again."】
The text on the interface flickered slightly for a moment, as if it was being overwritten.
Faintly, a line of small characters slowly appeared.
【"You promised me, you would stay with me until the end."】
Seeing this familiar tone, the heavy stone in Gu Chengming's heart finally fell. Good, it was still that familiar little resentful widow.
It hadn't turned into some 'Dao Sword' that follows the clouds and moon. It seemed his efforts were effective.
Gu Chengming comforted it a few times in his heart, saying he wouldn't do it again.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual did not speak.】
【It just quietly circulated a weak spiritual energy, helping you smooth out several blocked meridians in your body.】
Feeling that trace of cool comfort in his body, Gu Chengming felt he had made the right choice.
Just then, Gu Chengming suddenly remembered something. Before he fainted, he seemed to see a prompt about 'CG'?
As this thought appeared in his mind, the system interface before him fluctuated, and a brand new option card that had never been seen before appeared on the navigation bar—【CG Gallery】.
Is this a newly unlocked interface?
Gu Chengming's eyes lit up, and he immediately clicked in.
The interface was very simple. Currently, only one solitary card was lit up, while the others were all grey question marks. He took a closer look; the name of the lit card was not the 【Sword Shadow on the Stone】 he had expected, but—
【Huiyuan Sword Records / A Sword Art Belonging Only to You】
Huh? This is...
Gu Chengming's heart stirred, and his finger lightly tapped the card.
The next moment, the card shattered, and an exquisite illustration unfolded before his eyes.
Gu Chengming's originally somewhat weary spirit instantly became excited.
This is a real galgame!
How can it be called a galgame if it doesn't have character art!
The next moment, an exquisite illustration slowly unfolded before him.
The background was a wasteland. Between the broken walls and ruins, the setting sun was like blood. In the very center of the ruins stood a small figure dressed in coarse hemp clothes.
She looked thin and weak, her body stained with some dust, and her hands were still pulling a wooden cart.
But what was most eye-catching was the wooden sword she held tightly in her arms.
That wooden sword was crude, even a bit ugly and jagged, much larger than the person herself, looking both comical and pitiful.
But she held it so tightly, as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the world, facing the setting sun, revealing a brilliant smile. However, this...
Gu Chengming rubbed his chin, a strange feeling rising in his heart.
This image, isn't it a bit too 'young'?
He originally thought that as a sword manual that had accompanied him until now, it would at least be a young girl or a maiden.
Just as Gu Chengming was staring at the art in a daze, a line of dialogue suddenly came from his mind.
【"I... I was like this when you first saw me. I haven't grown up yet..."】
【It tried to use the dialogue box to block that illustration.】
【"Don't look! Don't look!"】
If I don't look at the CG, what am I playing a Gal for?
【Huiyuan Sword Records is somewhat shy. Although the bond between you and it is already unbreakable, showing you its most authentic side still makes it feel a bit embarrassed.】
Just as he was thinking this, another line of text appeared before Gu Chengming.
【Hundred Bones Resonating witnessed the whole process from the side.】
【Thinking to itself: What a mushy couple.】
Gu Chengming ignored Hundred Bones Resonating's reaction.
He closed the CG interface, but a new question suddenly popped up in his mind.
If the CG unlocked by Huiyuan Sword Manual is 【A Sword Art Belonging Only to You】, then where did the previous 【Dao Sword Shadow】 go?
And that so-called 【Flowing Cloud Following Moon】 inheritance, could it be... it just disappeared like that?
As if to confirm Gu Chengming's thoughts, the moment the thought arose, the system interface underwent another strange fluctuation.
Below the original column belonging to 《Huiyuan Sword Manual》, a new, independent entry slowly emerged.
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon (Fragment)】
【Favorability: 5/Stranger】
"?"
Gu Chengming was stunned for a moment.
This thing actually stayed? And it even became independent?
Before he could react, several lines of text carrying a strange coldness and suppressed anger appeared.
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon has been observing you for a long time.】
【Seeing you wake up now and finally realize its existence, it couldn't help but let out a cold sneer.】
【"Heh, finally willing to look?"】
A question mark slowly appeared over Gu Chengming's head.
This tone... why does it sound a bit familiar?
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon thinks back to how you, for the sake of that broken sword manual, would rather be heavily injured than use its power. Looking at your current miserable, flowery appearance, it only feels a knot of anger in its heart, even a bit of disgust.】
【"What a disgusting sword art."】
【"What a disgusting sword cultivator."】
【"Although most sword cultivators in this world are self-righteous idiots who seek death..."】
【"But speaking of which..."】
【"An idiot like you is the most deserving of death."】
Gu Chengming hadn't reacted yet, but Hundred Bones Resonating reacted first.
【It felt that although this aura was weak, it was still high and mighty, and it was greatly shocked.】
【"Holy crap, a Great Power of a sword art! When did it arrive?"】
Although this aura was weak, that coldness of a top-tier sword art was genuine.
Seeing that 'Great Power' seemed to come with ill intent and was clearly malicious towards its master, Hundred Bones Resonating, which usually saw profit and avoided danger, immediately stood up!
【Hundred Bones Resonating stood up and said: "Gu Chengming! This so-called Great Power of a cultivation method actually dares to insult you like this! It's simply too much!"】
【"It only regrets that its current strength is insufficient and it has not yet formed a Golden Body to help you vent this anger. To preserve its strength, it must temporarily hide its sharpness. It is definitely not because it's afraid!"】
【"Just you wait. When its cultivation is complete, it will help you win back this field and turn this cultivation method into a collection of jokes!"】
After saying this, it slipped back into the Dantian.
Gu Chengming was somewhat speechless.
However, although Hundred Bones Resonating was a coward, the Huiyuan Sword Manual was not cowardly at all.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual saw its master being insulted. Originally still immersed in the emotion of the reunion, its feelings were instantly swept away, replaced by a fierce protective streak.】
【It issued a warning hum towards that cold Flowing Cloud Following Moon sword intent.】
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon sneered repeatedly, only feeling that this scene was simply laughable.】
【It mocked: "Indeed, birds of a feather flock together. Neither the sword art nor the sword cultivator is any good."】
【"Previously, seeing this broken sword manual risk self-destruction for you, I thought you were a person with sharpness and potential. Now it seems you are just a sword cultivator who is willing to degrade yourself and destined to be played with by a sword manual until you are discarded."】
【"And you're still protecting him? Truly laughable to the extreme."】
But these words seemed to have no effect at all.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual just snorted coldly, too lazy to argue, and didn't even give it a surplus of spiritual energy.】
This attitude seemed to make Flowing Cloud Following Moon even angrier than what happened before.
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon was speechless.】
【It only felt a large stone was stuck in its heart, unable to go up or down, making it extremely uncomfortable.】
【As if feeling that its words just now were a bit self-important, it snorted coldly, stopped talking, and directly went into hiding, out of sight, out of mind.】
Just then, a certain existence that had been in 'spectator mode' finally couldn't help but bubble up.
【Qingxin Art witnessed this farce the whole time and found it quite amusing.】
【Qingxin Art's mood +1】
【Current Favorability: 65/Like】
This sudden prompt stunned Gu Chengming for a moment. Only then did he react. Holy crap, Qingxin Art, when did your favorability already reach 65?! How did it reach the 'Like' stage in the blink of an eye? This increase is too fast, isn't it?
【Qingxin Art smiled faintly.】
【It thought to itself that if it didn't take the initiative to remind him, this blockhead Gu Chengming would probably have to wait another ten days or half a month to realize this.】
【"Sigh, although I have always been low-key and don't compete for favor, being ignored like this really makes me a bit sad."】
Gu Chengming broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly checked the status changes of Qingxin Art. He wouldn't have known without looking, but looking gave him a shock. Although the favorability increase this time was only five or six points, it was a qualitative leap.
On the status bar, the original 【Friendly】 status had already turned into 【Like】, and the benefits brought by this status change were solid.
First were the attribute points. A full two points of 【Fixed Spirit Attribute Points】 were directly added to his panel.
You should know that the Spirit attribute is the most difficult to increase. These two points were enough to give him more confidence when facing the Flowing Cloud Following Moon.
Secondly, it was the change in the permanent passive.
The original passive called 【Clear Mind】, which allowed him to maintain a certain degree of calm at all times, had disappeared.
Replacing it was a brand new, higher-level passive.
【Wisdom Like a Torch】.
【Effect: Insight into hearts, discerning truth from falsehood. At critical moments, able to see through the opponent's true intentions and obtain corresponding dialogue choice prompts.】
Gu Chengming had just reacted to the effect of this new passive when his vision blurred for a moment.
Following that, three semi-transparent option boxes, like a game interface, clearly appeared before his eyes.
This is the effect of 'Wisdom Like a Torch'?
Gu Chengming looked closely.
【Option One: You have always been by my side. I have long since grown used to your presence, as natural as breathing, so sometimes I inadvertently ignore you. I'm sorry.】
【Option Two: It's not late. As long as I can think of you, it's never too late. You are my left and right hand; I can't lack anyone, but I especially can't lack you.】
【Option Three: Don't worry, I'll buy you some erotic storybooks later.】
Holy crap, dialogue options are here?!
Rate on N.U.
