Book 18 Chapter 10

History repeats itself.

- Even the trivial.

Before leaving the mountain for somewhere, as always, it was a ritual for her to look around the open field where she had been embraced by a man twenty years ago. Standing there always made her look back at the past and solidify her resolve. Where have I come? What path did that person intend to walk? Can I walk such a path? She would ask herself.

That reverent feeling shattered as soon as she returned to the village.

Captain Jin was flustered. No, she was bewildered. She had never imagined that there would be people with enough audacity to block her path here. Had her juniors mismanaged the moral discipline within the sect while she was in seclusion? If so, she would have to return and thoroughly investigate who was responsible.

"Hey, lady! Do you have a moment?"

One of the five warriors surrounding Captain Jin, who seemed to be the leader, struck up a conversation. The casual posture and the clichéd lines with a high failure rate were already a capital offense. To think that such lines would work meant they truly underestimated the world. Or, were they planning to use force from the start!

"What is it? Who are you?"

The voice that escaped Captain Jin, who was like a solitary crane, was as cold as the north wind and snow. Her gaze was far from gentle. Looking at them, they were not mere thugs. This place was not fertile ground for petty criminals to thrive. Who would dare commit such a suicidal act of acting out within the territory of the Ami sect? Moreover, their attire was too flamboyant for common thugs. The clothes they wore, despite being cheap bodyguards, were quite luxurious silk robes, and their crude and frivolous jade belts were adorned with broad, large swords.

"Oh my, I'm so scared!"

At her icy demeanor, one of the five warriors, clad in yellow silk, hunched his shoulders and feigned fear.

'Do they really feel nothing?'

That settled it. These dim-witted louts who couldn't sense this much killing intent couldn't possibly be true martial artists.

"Are you blocking my path without any business?"

Captain Jin's attitude became even colder.

"Heh, our young master wishes to see you, madam."

The corner of the woman's right eye twitched slightly. History seemed to repeat even the trivial things. The woman had very bad memories of this kind of situation. Therefore, she trembled with near-hatred towards such matters.

"You lot are not from around here, are you?"

Captain Jin asked in a chilling voice.

"What did you say?"

They were clearly people who blindly believed in their bulging muscles. They were probably the henchmen of some ignorant young master. It seemed like the son of some nouveau riche who knew nothing of the martial world.

"If not, how could you dare harbor such an absurd thought of bothering women here, where the shadow of Mount Ami falls?"

Within the territory of the Ami sect, there was a tacit understanding, a hidden pact. There was no native here with the audacity to break that unwritten law. Anyone who knew how sharp Ami's sword was would not do so.

"Well, don't worry! This time, I'm not inexperienced."

And then she spoke clearly.

"So, you won't die!"

She didn't want to stain her sacred sword with the blood of trash that wasn't even worth killing.

"So, who is this young master fellow?"

The warrior in yellow silk pointed to a tavern situated by the roadside. A grinning face was visible there. He was clearly a snob who believed that flashy and expensive clothing and accessories could compensate for a flimsy physique. He even held a flamboyant fan and was fanning himself. It was presumed he suffered from severe narcissism.

As Captain Jin looked over, the people around that young master suddenly began to retreat hesitantly. They were people who knew who she was. Thus, a wide semicircle of empty space formed around the young master. The man seemed to have no idea why people were doing this.

Still, one person among them, who was somewhat compassionate, felt pity for the man and tried to open a path to salvation. In fact, he was the owner of the place, and his advice was the minimum service to his customers.

"Guest, I won't say anything harsh. Go now before it's too late, kneel before the young lady, and beg for forgiveness. If you run now, you might be forgiven with just the plucking of your eyes."

Then, a person next to him chimed in.

"Indeed. Our young lady is very merciful. Hurry and leap into the air, then smash your head to the ground. It's called 'kowtowing.' The important thing is that your head must bleed. With that, you might get to keep an arm. She probably won't pluck your tongue."

Having fulfilled his duty of hospitality with sincere advice, Master Zhang, the owner, had to fulfill his duty as the owner of this tavern.

"So, guest, would you please leave this place now? We won't charge you for the drinks so far. However, as the owner of this Jangga Inn, I cannot let this place be destroyed. So please understand. Boys!"

Clap, clap!

With two short claps, two sturdy waiters quickly ran over, grabbed the young master by both arms, pulled him off the chair, and dragged him out the door.

"Wh-what are you doing! How dare you! Do you know who I am! I am the…"

However, the two waiters paid no attention to the shouting of the man in the silk robe and threw him out the door like trash.

"How dare you! The young master!"

Their role was not to 'procure beautiful women' but to guard their master, so they rushed to protect their master. No, they tried to rush.

"Stop!"

A sharp shout echoed thunderously, and at the same time, a sword qi like a beam of light mercilessly pierced the shoulders of the men.

"Kuaaaaah!"

With pained screams, the five warriors, with blood spurting from their shoulders, rolled on the ground.

"May you be struck by divine punishment! How dare you be so rude, not knowing who that person is!"

Captain Jin's eyes lit up at the sight. The sword qi from a moment ago was not hers.

'This sword technique!'

She hadn't seen it for a while, but once seen, it was unforgettable. This unique way of deployment and emission, and among those who wielded this technique, not many could display such power.

"The arrows of Jiancang seem to have become sharper and faster."

Captain Jin said with a smile.

"Your words are too kind."

The humble reply came from about five paces away from the woman. Two men stood there. One was a middle-aged swordsman in blue, and the other was a handsome young man in the same attire.

"It's been a long time, Miss Jin!"

The dignified man in blue approached with quiet steps and bowed formally with great respect and discipline.

The woman smiled and replied.

"Are you still calling me 'Miss' after twenty years, Great Hero Yu?"

Then, a hint of shyness appeared on the man's face.

'Whoa, is he really embarrassed? That man who is like an iron tiger?'

The young man accompanying him, his eyes wide with disbelief at a scene he wouldn't believe even in a dream. His appearance, fluctuating with a single word from the woman, was a million miles away from the person he knew. He doubted if he was the same person who showed him hell. He was so scared he couldn't even tell his fellow disciples.

'They wouldn't believe me anyway…'

He'd be lucky if he wasn't considered crazy.

"Who is this child?"

Then, the woman's voice was heard again. Her quiet and elegant voice certainly had a power to attract people's hearts.

"Ah, I'm late in introducing him."

The tiger-like Bai Ge beckoned him.

"Yun Bi, come here and greet the Holy Maiden!"

The young man approached with an awkward posture.

'Honestly! I can't understand it. That tiger-like Bai Ge is so flustered by just one woman.'

Yu Yun Bi, who was thinking this, lifted his head at the word 'Holy Maiden.'

"Gasp! Then… then she is the…!"

"Yes, this is the foremost female swordswoman of Sichuan, the Holy Maiden of Ami, Captain Jin, Lady Jin."

There was no need for words like 'You know, right?' or 'You've heard of her brilliant reputation, right?'. It was like asking if anyone knew about breathing. It was a matter of course.

The Holy Maiden of Ami, Captain Jin. Any martial artist who didn't know of her existence was not a Sichuan martial artist. If there were such a person, their origins would have to be questioned. Moreover, while many wanted to meet her, few succeeded, and she was a being in the clouds, extremely difficult to meet. For later disciples, just seeing her face was an honor.

"Yu… Yu Yun Bi pays his respects to the Holy Maiden."

He quickly adopted the best posture he could and paid his respects. Such an opportunity was truly rare.

"Holy Maiden… I am overwhelmed by such an undeserved title."

Captain Jin waved her hand and said.

"To hear such words from 'Great Hero' Yu Eun Sung, the 'Foremost Sword of Jiancang'."

Yu Eun Sung's spirits soared at the subtle praise. However, he desperately controlled his involuntarily widening facial muscles and managed with just a small smile.

Although she was well over thirty, there were no signs of aging on her. She was young, beautiful, elegant, and full of grace. As Yu Yun Bi stared at her, lost in admiration, her gaze fell upon him. Unknowingly, Yu Yun Bi's face turned red.

"This child must be the 'One Arrow of Jiancang' whose reputation as the rising star of Jiancang is well-known."

Hearing that the Ami Holy Maiden had heard of his reputation, Yu Yun Bi felt like he would fly into the sky. However, that feeling was shattered by Yu Eun Sung's cold remark.

"A star? Not at all. He's just a green minnow. We ask for your continued guidance."

Yu Eun Sung said with a smile.

'Minnow…'

Clearing his throat, Yu Yun Bi grumbled, barely suppressing the urge to cough up blood. His Bai Ge was always stingy with praise. Bai Ge clearly hated the human act of praise, which was friendly and appropriate. Otherwise, he wouldn't treat someone so deserving of praise like this.

"Your sins are worthy of a thousand deaths, but I will spare you for the sake of the Holy Maiden. This is the territory of the Ami sect, and you cannot commit murder without Ami's permission. Be thankful for that."

His true desire was to hack them into a thousand pieces and slaughter them, but since this was not Jiancang's territory, he had to suppress his enraged heart with a stone of patience. Even after twenty years, his unrequited love showed no signs of fading. The five fools and the fool of a young master who was their master repeatedly kowtowed, clutching their bleeding shoulders, and fled.

"By the way, Great Hero Yu, what brings you here?"

-"Is that really true, Elder Shi?"

"Ah, yes. I had a place to visit. This fellow is supposed to take an exam this year."

-"Do I look like someone who lies? It's true, it's the Holy Maiden's descent after nearly five years!"

"Then, Great Hero Yu, are you also going there?"

At Captain Jin's question, Yu Eun Sung's eyes widened.

"Then Miss Jin, you are too? What a coincidence."

-"When is it?"

"We depart in a month. The location is the Zhongyang Escort Agency!"

"It really is. What a coincidence…"

Captain Jin nodded and replied.

-"Zhongyang Escort Agency?"

"Yes. I plan to accompany one of my disciples."

"I thought you had come out for a brief outing without any companions. I never expected Miss to go to Nanchang as well."

-"Make it seem like a chance encounter. He's a naive child, so he won't suspect anything."

"Ah, I have an appointment to meet someone there shortly. I plan to join them soon. I also have some business at the Tianwu Academy, so I decided to accompany them this time."

"Business?"

"Yes, I'm meeting my niece. It's been five years. I'm looking forward to seeing how strong she's become."

Jin Ling, who had undergone rigorous training under her with Yulan, was always a child who did not disappoint her. Originally, she had no intention of coming out this time. The Tianwu Academy entrance ceremony was an event that had happened for the past hundred years, and there was nothing new about it. However, this time, she decided to go in person, even though sending a subordinate would have been sufficient. She wanted to confirm with her own eyes what kind of man her niece's first love was. It would be troublesome if he was indecisive and muddled. Her principle was that it was better to discard a man who had lost his sense of propriety rather than try to fix him. It was a choice that would follow her for life. There was no such thing as being too cautious. In this world overflowing with mediocrity, had her eyes truly seen and chosen correctly? She wanted to test her discernment.

"Then, by coincidence, we will be accompanying each other."

-"And so, naturally, we will be traveling together. A journey that will last nearly two months."

-"Two… two months…"

"It seems so. It's fortunate. That child will also be able to learn a lot with Great Hero Yu. There will be ample opportunity to witness the reputation of the 'Foremost Sword of Jiancang' with her own eyes."

"Haha, your words are too kind! For us, just witnessing the divine form of the Ami Holy Maiden, one of the Ten Great Swordmasters, will be an eye-opener for this child. Where else would this child have such unparalleled good fortune? She is blessed. What a coincidence."

-"Now, this old man Shi has given what he has to give. Now, all that's left is to receive. If there's giving, there must be taking, don't you think?"

-"Are you implying the profit (利權)?"

-"Must I say it with these old lips?"

-"Is this a backroom deal?"

-"Tsk, tsk, you are still young. Don't use such ugly words as 'backroom deal.' This is what you call 'high-level political negotiation'."

-"Is that so, Elder Shi?"

"That's how it is."

'What coincidence…'

Yu Yun Bi, watching Bai Ge from behind, grumbled inwardly.

Coincidence was a blatant lie. How meticulously had that Bai Ge waited for this day? How impatiently had he suppressed his urge to go, and how he had gnashed his teeth at himself, who had been rushing to depart, while waiting for the date?

It was definitely not a coincidence. He could be sure of that.

They had clearly received information. Although he didn't know through what channels, they had definitely received something. He couldn't confirm how much it had cost to obtain that information, but it must have been a significant price. There were even rumors of transactions at a high level. However, there was no way to confirm the truth of the rumors.

This was clearly a planned conspiracy. However, Yu Yun Bi, who had been strictly warned to keep quiet, dared not leak it. If he did, the tiger-like Bai Ge would surely tear him apart. He might not even receive the sword he had promised to buy him. Just as Bai Ge had waited for this day, he too had waited for the day he would receive that sword.

"Is it that good?"

Yu Yun Bi muttered secretly, so that Yu Eun Sung, who was both his Bai Ge and uncle, wouldn't hear. He had already realized that he needed to be adept at subtle sarcasm if he didn't want to be reborn in the Pure Land at such a young age.

-"Don't misunderstand that this old man is blinded by profit and doing this. I value you highly. I like you. And I also wish for that child, who is like my own daughter, to be happy. I wish for that child to meet her match. Shouldn't she meet a proper match?"

-"Match, you say?"

"Yes, a match! Also called a husband. I know that you rejected the position of the next sect leader because you took a liking to that child."

-"I understand. I will deeply accept Elder Shi's profound affection."

-"Then?"

"Yes, now Soyang's profit belongs to Ami."

-"An excellent choice. Thank you. Do your best. I will cheer you on."

-"Yes! I will work hard."