Chapter 1070: Who will Han Yunxi take as master? (1/2)
Han Yunxi was so determined to learn Xuan Nǚ Swordplay that she didn’t even notice Long Feiye’s abnormal reaction. Instead, it was Master Jianxin who looked thoughtfully at his disciple. Han Yunxi followed his gaze, but by now Long Feiye’s face had resumed its usually chilly mask.
Master Jianxin looked rather helpless, but the clueless Han Yunxi only thought that this meant he wasn’t going to give her the manual. She thought it over and added, “Senior Jianxin, I’m sure Senior Luo wouldn’t have wanted Xuan Nǚ Swordplay to just be waste paper at the bottom of a chest either, right?”
Master Jianxin only said, “Lass, you have to look the part if you’re going to accept a master. This old man doesn’t like the sound of you going senior this and senior that, hehe!”
How many people in the world wanted to be a disciple of his sect? Even without his martial arts, he owned the more secret sword manuals of Celestial Mountain Sword Sect. They were never passed down to outsiders. Since this stinkin’ lass was Feiye’s consort, she should call him master just like he did! It was even fine if she didn’t, but now she was asking for a sword manual without any sense of self-awareness?
He had even been planning to personally teach their future children the rudimentary basics of martial arts! If he didn’t suppress her arrogance now, how was he supposed to awe her children in the future? Master Jianxin stroked his beard as he waited for Han Yunxi to submit and call him master, but she only said, “Senior Jianxin, you gave the Xuan Nǚ Swordplay to Senior Luo, so it’s her property, right? Yunxi should be taking her as my master if anything, isn’t that right?”
Li Jianxin’s heart lurched at those words, but he had no retort.
“Where is Senior Luo’s memorial tablet? I want to take her as my master!” Han Yunxi said sincerely.
Li Jianxin never thought that there’d be anyone willing to take Luo Qingling as their master after all these years. He suddenly felt that he’d done a gross wrong. How could he allow his own disciple, Duanmu Yao, learn Xuan Nǚ Swordplay at all? It belonged to Luo Qingling! Only her disciples had the right to carry on the knowledge of the skills!
“Good, good!” Li Jianxin was moved. “Lass, this old man will take you there--I’ll bring you right now!”
Despite his heavy injuries, Li Jianxin got off the bed. Neither Long Feiye nor Gu Beiyue stopped him as they looked at Han Yunxi. They didn’t know what to do with the likes of her anymore. Although she never followed the norm, she always managed to convince people in the most unexpected ways.
Li Jianxin soon brought them to the garret on the ninth floor of Nine Xuan Hall, the tallest place in Celestial Mountain. Standing here, one could see the endless vista of mountains spread out before them below. Luo Qingling’s memorial tablet was here as well and Li Jianxin paid respects to it daily with two sticks of incense. He would pass the time chatting to her until the incense sticks burned down into ashes.
Under his confinement by Heretical Sword Sect, months had passed since his last visit. The first thing he did was wipe down the memorial tablet, incense holder, and altar table. Seeing Master Jianxin’s figure busying himself amongst the things, Han Yunxi and the rest didn’t interrupt, but watched quietly from the doorway. Everyone was equal in the name of love, no matter how high their statuses or achievements might be. Before the one they loved, they would always be humble and ordinary.
Han Yunxi’s group stepped in only after Master Jianxin was done cleaning. She personally lit two incense sticks and looked at the little wooden tablet with a magnanimous yet modest air. “I, Long Feiye’s wife Han Yunxi, do take Luo Qingling today to be my master. From this day on, I shall study the Xuan Nǚ Swordplay and carry forward its teachings into the martial arts world.”
So speaking, Han Yunxi fell to her knees and said, “Master above, please accept obeisance from your disciple!”
She studiously kowtowed three times while Master Jianxin watched on with a full heart. He was so touched, he couldn’t even speak.
Luo Qingling had a disciple now too! From now on, her name wouldn’t be limited to this tiny garret room, nor would Xuan Nǚ Swordplay be a thing of memory. The jianghu would carry stories of her legacy instead.[1]
Even Long Feiye looked a little absent-minded as he stared at Han Yunxi’s back. Her self-introduction had been simple, but to the point.
I, Long Feiye’s wife Han Yunxi.
Rather than use “Han Clan daughter,” “Qin Wangfei,” or “West Qin princess,” she’d simply acknowledged her identity as his wife.
Long Feiye’s wife. He silently vowed the give the bearer of this name the greatest glory in the world, higher than any status or titles![2]
After Han Yunxi finished the rites, Li Jianxin handed over the Xuan Nǚ Swordplay manual. With Han Yunxi’s full levels of Nirvana Heart Arts, she could already surmount the swordplay’s first greatest obstacle. All she needed to focus on was learning the seven distinct sword styles recorded within.
She used three days’ time to read through the book and only found three to four places unclear. The rest she could managed to learn on her own. Han Yunxi’s startling innate talent finally astounded Li Jianxin. He assumed that she would take at least a month to understand the contents alone.[3] Li Jianxin had to admit to himself that Duanmu Yao wasn’t even equal to one-tenth of Han Yunxi, while Han Yunxi’s innate talent had already surpassed the late Luo Qingling.
On this day, he privately pulled Long Feiye aside and told him, “Feiye, this woman is the greatest fortune of your life!”
Long Feiye only smiled and said nothing.