Eight Ancestral Swords

Upon learning that Tian Yu was unable to seduce his junior sister, Wu Yazi was quite despondent for several days. Tian Yu, however, paid him no mind. She was busy cultivating her skills.

Previously, she had absorbed all of Li Xunhuan’s internal energy. Although the unique nature of the Beiming Divine Skill prevented any harm to her body, she had only recently resumed her internal cultivation. Suddenly possessing such a vast reservoir of inner energy required a period of quiet meditation to become familiar with and fully assimilate the power.

So during the days when Wu Yazi was downhearted and Su Xinghe was nursing Li Xunhuan’s body back to health, she ceased all blacksmithing work. Aside from eating and sleeping, she devoted herself solely to practicing her martial arts.

Following Wu Yazi’s advice, she meditated diligently at the three daily hours of Mao, Wu, and You to cultivate the Beiming Divine Skill. The rest of her time was spent practicing her swordsmanship.

It had to be admitted that after mastering the Beiming Divine Skill, practicing the sword techniques taught by her master became much easier. The Beiming true energy not only protected her body but also steadied her grip and strengthened the force behind her sword strikes. It was truly a marvel.

She was quite satisfied with this.

Yet Wu Yazi was displeased. Every time he saw her practicing swordplay, he would puff out his cheeks and glare. According to him, the Beiming Divine Skill was fundamentally about internal energy, not techniques. Since she had learned this skill and absorbed Li Xunhuan’s entire internal energy, she should conserve this true energy within her body for future combat.

“But you’ve been using it all to practice swordplay,” he said with frustration. “You are wasting a treasure! Such a girl, truly squandering your gifts!”

Tian Yu disagreed, responding confidently, “True energy can always be refined gradually. At worst, I can find some river pirates to absorb from later—it will always be available. But my sword skills cannot be neglected.”

Wu Yazi countered, “But my rebellious disciple is over twenty years older than you, and his internal energy is naturally much deeper.”

He asked, “If you waste true energy practicing swordplay like this, when will you ever be able to kill him?”

Tian Yu was speechless. “You said it yourself—his internal energy is far deeper than mine. In the short term, I certainly can’t defeat him. So what’s wrong with first perfecting my sword skills?”

She was a swordswoman. Even when she killed Ding Chunqiu in the future, she would do so with a blade. If that was the case, why not leverage the advantages of Beiming true energy to practice swordplay?

“If you don’t trust me, you could find someone else to avenge you,” she sincerely suggested to Wu Yazi. “Just remember to open your eyes next time and not mistake the gender.”

Wu Yazi rolled his eyes and cursed, “So young, yet your tongue is sharp.”

Such barbs did not affect Tian Yu at all; she took the old cripple’s words as compliments, replied “Well said,” and returned to her sword practice.

When she had used up all the Beiming true energy absorbed from Li Xunhuan, her Beiming Divine Skill had finally reached a modest level of completion, fully cultivating all twenty meridians.

Aside from some extraordinary acupoints outside the meridians, these twenty meridians nearly encompassed all the vital points of the human body.

Martial artists cultivate internal energy by refining these acupoints, storing the energy within to form an internal circulation.

Generally, finely honed martial techniques require the corresponding internal energy from their cultivation methods to activate.

Therefore, most martial artists only master one or two skills; practicing too many causes the internal energy to become chaotic, which is detrimental.

The strength of the Beiming Divine Skill lies precisely in its lack of restriction: the internal energy it produces can power any technique.

When Tian Yu had refined all twenty meridians, she felt a whirlpool of true energy form within her dantian. The acupoints throughout her body were suddenly drawn toward this vortex, as if pulled by a magnetic force.

She was certain that if anyone engaged her in close combat and attempted to strike her acupoints, this suction would absorb their energy, channeling it into her own internal power.

Tian Yu paused, realizing this was essentially a passive skill. She marveled at her good fortune.

Yet upon reflection, she knew that this formidable ability to absorb an opponent’s internal energy was not invincible. If a master skilled in ranged attacks, like Li Xunhuan, struck from several yards away with his lightning-fast flying knives, she could still be wounded if she failed to evade.

This made her all the more determined to continue practicing swordsmanship. Having a weapon in her hand gave her a greater sense of security.

“So you need not worry that I will give up halfway,” she told her master. “Our agreement still stands.”

Her master studied her silently for a long moment before saying, “If you heed Wu Yazi and formally accept him as your master, you might gain an even greater opportunity.”

“You can think it over before deciding.”

“Perhaps,” she replied without denial. “But I met you first and promised to learn swordsmanship from you.”

Looking back, the early days of her training had been arduous. But perhaps because this body was originally from a family of swordsmen, she gradually came to genuinely love the feel of wielding a blade.

She enjoyed the sound of the sword slicing through the air and the thrill of ending her prey with a single strike.

She was content to forever be a swordswoman.

***

The mountains were sealed with heavy snow as the year drew to a close.

At this time, Li Xunhuan had been completely cleansed of residual poison under Su Xinghe’s care. However, the harsh weather and loss of his internal energy made traveling unwise. He decided to stay and wait for spring before leaving.

Tian Yu was of course pleased he remained, even hoping he would stay as long as possible to rebuild his internal energy before departing.

“Your enemies are probably still searching for you,” she said. “You need to rebuild your internal energy quickly.”

“I understand,” he nodded. “No need to worry.”

For Li Xunhuan, losing his internal energy without damage to his meridians was merely retracing a familiar path. He knew exactly how to proceed and could now avoid the pitfalls he had encountered before.

By the time the weather warmed after the New Year, his internal energy was steadily restored.

It was time for him to leave.

During this period, they often chatted, and Tian Yu learned that he had a fiancée waiting for him back home.

When he announced his departure, she did not try to stop him but gave him a jar of wine to take on the road.

Li Xunhuan smiled gratefully and, at parting, fulfilled her earlier wish to see his flying knife once more.

Unexpectedly, after seeing his throw, she leapt gracefully, tiptoeing into the air to meet his flying knife with her own blade.

In a flash, the large and small swords clashed midair with a sharp metallic ring.

His throwing knife fell to the ground, while her blade bore a fresh notch.

She was thrilled—not only had she clearly seen his movement, but she had intercepted the flying knife!

Li Xunhuan sighed, “I fear next time we meet, your blade will be faster than mine.”

Tian Yu thought, if I could really surpass you, that would be impressive indeed. Perhaps then I could quickly complete the deal with Wu Yazi and kill Ding Chunqiu.

After a brief farewell, he turned to leave. She accompanied him to the town’s edge, watched him depart, and then returned to the shop.

Li Xunhuan was gone, but Wu Yazi and his disciple remained.

Upon her return, she encountered Su Xinghe moving Wu Yazi outside to bask in the sun.

Knowing that his master was obsessed with avenging Ding Chunqiu, Su Xinghe had spent these days urging Wu Yazi to persuade her to abandon swordplay and formally join the Xiaoyao Sect.

To gain her consent, he even offered that if she accepted Wu Yazi as her master, he would be her junior disciple rather than senior.

Tian Yu was speechless. She thought, “These Xiaoyao Sect people must all be a bit crazy!”

What frustrated her further was that Su Xinghe actually called her “senior sister” afterward.

“Senior sister, you’re back,” he said immediately upon seeing her after she had sent Li Xunhuan off.

Tian Yu didn’t bother correcting him, responded briefly, and removed her cloak to prepare for blacksmithing.

With spring just beginning, business was good, and Tian Yong was overwhelmed. She had to help.

Coincidentally, her usual sword had a notch from the morning’s flying knife encounter; while making farming tools, she planned to forge herself a new blade.

As the siblings finished crafting the farm implements and prepared to forge the sword, Tian Yong suddenly asked, “Sister, does our family have a treasured heirloom sword?”

“There is one,” she nodded. “Why do you ask?”

He bit his lip and said, “Yesterday, when I went to deliver a rake to Zhoujia Village, I saw a man from afar with a sword at his waist. For some reason, the sword looked very familiar.”

“I quietly asked some villagers. The man was dressed finely, clearly an important figure. They told me he was from the Kang family, one of the Seven Great Families—the only son of the Kang Fortress lord.”

Tian Yu took a breath and hurriedly asked, “Do you remember what the sword looked like?”

Her master had once said that when the Bai family was exterminated, she was too young to know what the heirloom sword looked like.

But in truth, she did know.

After all, at that time, she was not truly a four-year-old girl.

She remembered clearly—a completely black sword, very distinctive.

The lord of Bai Fortress, her and Tian Yong’s father, had always caressed the sword like a lover and sighed, “Such a divine blade, wasted in my hands.”

His swordsmanship talent was indeed inferior to previous Bai family heads, and the family’s heirloom sword and manual had not given him the dominance over Guandong that his predecessors had enjoyed.

The Seven Great Families of Guandong surely knew this, which is why they conspired to annihilate the Bai family.

Tian Yu had long planned that once her sword skills matured, she would reclaim both the heirloom sword and the manual.

Whether to use them was another matter, but she could not allow them to remain in the hands of her enemies.

Unfortunately, she had never known their exact whereabouts.

Now that Tian Yong mentioned it, she was naturally concerned.

Tian Yong continued, “That sword was unlike any ordinary blade; its body was black.”

“At first, I thought it was merely a black scabbard, but when he drew the sword to chop a door, the blade itself remained pitch black—very strange.”

A jet-black sword was indeed eerie to behold.

Yet the more Tian Yong gazed, the more inexplicably familiar it seemed.

Thinking of the man’s identity, a guess formed in his heart: Could that be our family’s sword?

Tian Yu said, “That is indeed our sword.”

Then she wondered, so it was in the hands of the Kang Fortress heir.

“Why would the Kang heir be in Zhoujia Village?” she asked urgently. “Did the villagers say?”

Tian Yong nodded and explained, “He took a liking to a girl from Zhoujia Village.”

“The girl usually washed clothes by the village stream. A few days ago, he was chasing a wild boar through the same stream and saw her beauty. He was very taken with her. After catching the boar, he came to Zhoujia Village seeking people, seemingly intending to bring her back to Kang Fortress.”

Tian Yu frowned, “Did the girl refuse to go with him?”

“Of course she did,” Tian Yong said. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have hacked at her door.”

“And then?” she pressed. “Did he take her away?”

“No,” he shook his head, voice low. “The girl refused utterly—even willing to use her neck to block his blade rather than leave.”

Tian Yu knew well how sharp that sword was.

If the girl was willing to meet death by pressing her neck against the blade, she must have perished immediately.

Her chest tightened painfully; she suddenly felt weak.

She wished she had been the one delivering the tools that day, not Tian Yong; perhaps then she could have saved that girl’s life.

“So he used our Bai family sword to force that girl to her death,” she said, drawing a deep breath to suppress her rage. “Is that right?”

“Yes,” Tian Yong responded, then hesitated. “I... I didn’t dare to save her.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Tian Yu said, keeping calm despite her emotions. “With your skill level, even if you had tried, you would likely have lost your life for nothing.”

In truth, facing an enemy so soon after learning of her family’s tragedy, managing to control his emotions and not reveal himself was fortunate.

He was her only living relative, and she did not wish for him to come to harm.

Thinking this, she reached out and stroked his head. “Alright, I’ll handle this. You don’t need to worry.”

Tian Yong looked up at her and quietly asked, “Sister, what do you plan to do?”

Tian Yu lowered her head without answering.

She stared at the half-forged sword before her, then suddenly stood up.

“I’m going to find Master,” she said. “You tidy things up here.”

Without waiting for a reply, she strode toward the backyard.

In the backyard, her master was basking in the sun, drinking wine alone in a corner, apart from Wu Yazi and his disciple.

Tian Yu approached; he did not look up until she suddenly half-kneeling before him made him pause and look.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I’m going away for a while,” she said. “Wanted to inform you.”

“Where to?”

“Bai Fortress.”

At this, his expression shifted slightly, and he immediately guessed, “You want revenge?”

She nodded.

“I originally thought this matter was not urgent; it could wait a few more years,” she said, pursing her lips to hide her emotions, though her anger shone in her eyes. “But I forgot—those people, who would commit genocide over a single sword manual, are utterly ruthless scoundrels.”

Before, she lacked the ability to confront these villains. Now, with her sword skills refined and divine power in hand, why spare their lives?

Her master understood her meaning and fell silent a moment before saying, “So you plan to face the Seven Great Families alone with a single blade?”

“Yes.”

“Are you not afraid they will amass armies to surround you?”

“I intend to publicly challenge the heads of the Seven Great Families, inviting all of Guandong’s martial artists to witness at Bai Fortress,” she said firmly, looking him in the eye. “The descendants of the Bai family challenge the Seven Great Families—who wouldn’t want to see such a spectacle?”

Martial clans valued their honor.

When the Seven Great Families attacked Bai Fortress years ago, they did so covertly, never boldly.

Even though all of Guandong knew they were responsible, none would publicly admit it.

They unanimously declared the Bai family’s extermination an unsolved case.

Now that a Bai descendant had appeared, they would not openly bring forces to attack, only feigning the dignity of elders attending a meeting.

But if they dared come, she would fight.

She possessed Beiming true energy, able to absorb opponents’ internal power mid-fight, even enduring prolonged battles.

Once she defeated the Seven Great Families’ champions and revealed the truth, their decade of glory would end.

Her master listened, emotions complex, and said, “It seems you have thought this through.”

Tian Yu nodded and asked him to look after Tian Yong while she was gone, as she must face the challenge alone.

He agreed without hesitation.

With his consent, she was relieved and prepared to leave.

Just then, his gaze fell upon her waist. “Where is your sword?”

Tian Yu explained that the sword she sent with Li Xunhuan that morning had been nicked by his flying knife and was being reforged.

“Don’t forge a new one,” he waved his hand. Then he drew from his own waist a sword that had never left its scabbard since he received it.

“Use this blade from now on.”

In past years, when he taught her swordsmanship, he used only the shop’s most ordinary swords.

This sword, brought all the way from Gusu to Guandong, hung at his waist like an ornament.

Over time, even Tian Yu had forgotten it.

Now, as he handed it to her, she suddenly recalled the words he spoke before beginning her training.

“Do you mean I have mastered your sword?” she asked.

He returned the question, “What do you think?”

You are a swordswoman—surely you know the answer.

Tian Yu was momentarily stunned.

Then, without hesitation, she grasped the sword.

The hilt fit perfectly into her palm, an unexpected harmony.

As she tightened her grip, she instinctively wanted to draw the blade and see its true form.

Before the thought vanished, her wrist moved.

She held her breath.

The scabbard slid open, revealing a blade brilliantly polished, cold and sharp, like a clear autumn lake.

She had never imagined the sword she saw daily was so breathtakingly beautiful.

“It is called the Deer-Slicing Sword,” her master said softly, eyes lowered, sighing as he recounted its origin. “Forged by Xu Luzi, descendant of the famous Warring States iron-smith Lady Xu, it is a sword renowned throughout the realm.”

“Deer-Slicing Sword?” Tian Yu wondered, the name oddly familiar. Could this be triggering some martial arts novel plot?

“The Qin lost its deer; the world pursued it. Only the victor could catch the deer and slice it,” her master explained, unaware of her thoughts. “The sword’s name, Deer-Slicing, comes from this meaning.”