Chapter 662: Second Grade Once More!

All around them, the experts of the Marquis Residence stationed in Fengxin City stood frozen.

For a short while, none of them could understand what exactly the Sword Saint meant by what he had just said.

But at the very least, they understood one thing.

There was no assassin in the city.

Nor did any of them dare question why the Sword Saint had "beaten the grass and startled the snake," creating such a false alarm.

Everyone knew perfectly well just how extraordinary the Sword Saint's status was.

One figure after another saluted him and withdrew, returning to their posts.

They had surged in like a tide.

Then receded like one.

The street southwest of the Marquis Residence had never seen much foot traffic to begin with.

Now only the Sword Saint and Liu Dahu remained.

The Sword Saint raised a hand.

Longyuan dropped vertically from the sky.

It did not return to its sheath.

Instead, it hovered in front of Liu Dahu.

This was one of the most famous swords beneath Heaven.

Countless young swordsmen of the jianghu had copied its shape, producing who knew how many imitations and chasing after them with fanatical enthusiasm.

Yet inside the Sword Saint's home, Longyuan had spent years being used to prop up uneven tables, poke at fires, serve as a shoulder pole, and occasionally slaughter pigs.

A sword was like its man.

A man was like his sword.

What happened to the sword reflected the changes in the Sword Saint's own state of mind over the past several years.

At this moment, Liu Dahu stared at Longyuan floating before him with his mouth hanging open.

The Sword Saint smiled.

Liu Dahu finally spoke.

"Dad... did the Sword Saint personally pass down his true teachings to you?"

"..." The Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint very much wanted to knock on his son's head and see whether eating too much meat every day had somehow clogged it.

But the next moment, he froze.

Liu Dahu was crying.

The boy sucked back his runny nose, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and somewhere between sobbing and laughing blurted out:

"My dad is the Sword Saint!"

The Sword Saint reached out and gently wiped away the tears on his son's face.

There were many ordinary children at the academy.

Whether in Shengle City, Snow Sea Pass, or now Fengxin City, the Marquis Residence spared no effort when it came to education.

Children were the future.

Only after one generation of loyal children grew up could the foundations of the Marquis Residence truly take root and flourish.

There were plenty of students, and most indeed came from ordinary households.

But Liu Dahu had always measured himself against that wolf cub Zheng Man.

So his scores in every subject had always been excellent.

The fact that he had qualified, without pulling any strings, for the group of students who accompanied the Marquis to Yingdu to broaden their horizons was the best proof.

Yet precisely because his results were so good, the children in his circle increasingly came from exceptional backgrounds.

Zheng Man was a Barbarian boy. General Jin Shuke, who now guarded Zhennan Pass, had once belonged to the same people as him and now regarded Zheng Man almost as his own nephew.

Others were the sons of generals, the sons of Lieutenant Commanders, the children of civil officials.

When people said dragons gave birth to dragons and phoenixes gave birth to phoenixes, the point did not have to be that blood itself came in high and low grades.

The children of dragons and phoenixes simply had access from childhood to far richer conditions and resources than children from ordinary families.

And the schools under the Marquis Residence placed even greater emphasis on practical ability.

Horsemanship, archery, strategy, arithmetic and accounting. Those were the core subjects.

Some children had learned to read from a very young age.

Some had followed their fathers around military camps since they were small.

Their advantages were enormous.

Liu Dahu had always felt a little out of place in that circle.

His father was a grunt who guarded the city gate.

For two years, the man had even needed a crutch to walk, looking for all the world like some sickly consumptive.

Parents often loved teaching their children not to compare themselves with others and to compare only their studies instead.

Then those very same parents would turn around, see another family buying a new house or new jewelry, and burn with envy while demanding that their children remain perfectly detached from such things.

Liu Dahu was no exception.

When he saw someone else's father ride up to the academy gate on a warhorse with retainers behind him to collect his child, he had felt envy too.

Perhaps there had been moments of imbalance in his heart.

Perhaps he had even felt resentment and unfairness.

Those emotions could not simply fail to exist.

But he had still known gratitude.

He knew that if this "father" had never appeared back then, what sort of life could he, his mother, and his grandmother possibly have lived?

Two women dragging along one burden.

Even becoming a Standard household required a man in the family serving as a soldier.

There had been many times in the past when Liu Dahu felt ashamed that such thoughts had even occurred to him.

He had slapped his own face before and cursed himself for lacking a conscience.

Now he was gradually growing up.

He had seen more of the world.

He had even seen the Marquis.

Family background no longer mattered much to him.

His father had already done all he could.

Liu Dahu still remembered the return from the Eastern Expedition, when his father had lain almost paralyzed on the bed.

He remembered his mother sitting there weeping over the disability compensation silver.

From now on, this household had to rely on him.

He had to become the one who held up its future.

For his mother.

For his grandmother.

For his father.

And for the little brother growing in his mother's belly.

Hadn't the Marquis of Pingxi himself risen from among the common people?

That was the power of an example.

Or rather, the influence of a true idol.

Like a beam of light, it could show you the direction forward.

But now... today... the Marquis had come to their house with his three wives.

And then his father had sent a sword soaring into the heavens and told him:

I am the Sword Saint.

Surprised?

Unexpected?

Liu Dahu was certainly shocked.

But as for some overwhelming burst of delighted surprise... there really was not that much.

Still... he was very happy.

The Sword Saint looked at the child and suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

If the family had truly been poor, that would have been one thing.

Then they would simply endure poverty however they had to.

But the truth was that he was not poor at all.

Not long ago, while drinking tea together, Zheng Fan had told him that the Heir of Prince Zhenbei Residence had been found after being raised in the countryside all these years.

The Sword Saint had asked:

"Wouldn't a child raised like that probably be ruined?"

Zheng Fan had shaken his head.

"He knew whose son he was from the time he was little."

Now the Sword Saint looked at Liu Dahu.

Very seriously, he said, "My surname is Yu."

"Dad, I know."

Liu Dahu remembered that when his father had first come to the house, Grandma liked to call him Little Yu.

Later, after his father was injured at Snow Sea Pass, Grandma started calling him Old Yu, or Dahu's dad, or Nier's man.

"My name is Yu Huaping."

"Mm!"

Liu Dahu nodded hard.

"You are my son. Yu Huaping's son."

"Mm, Dad!"

"You are a Jin man. I am a member of the imperial clan of old Jin. Your surname is Liu now, but since you've entered my household, one of your own children in the future must carry the surname Yu."

"Dad, there's still Little Brother."

"I started treating you as my own son a long time ago."

"I've always treated Dad as my real father too."

"Then remember this. From today onward, when you talk about your family background with classmates or friends, tell them your father is the strongest swordsman in the world. The other three among the Four Great Swordsmen aren't even worthy of being compared with your father!

"And when you talk about yourself, tell them you're a descendant of the old Jin imperial clan!"

There was no blood relationship between them.

But just as with Li Liangshen and Li Fusheng, their descendants would still be entered into the Li family genealogy.

"Also, if you want to go to the Marquis Residence, then go. If you want to enter, then enter. If you want to drink the Marquis's tea, drink it. If you want to sit in a chair inside the Marquis Residence, then sit."

"Hehehe."

A bubble of snot appeared under Liu Dahu's nose as he laughed.

The Sword Saint was rarely this arrogant.

He was rarely this talkative either.

Before, he had thought behaving like this was meaningless.

He had found Zheng Fan's way of doing things even more meaningless.

But now, he suddenly understood something.

A person did not live only for himself.

He wanted this son of his to be happy.

He wanted the boy to hold his chest high.

He clearly possessed these things.

So why not give them to him?

Liu Dahu wiped his face and smiled.

"Dad, I won't tell my classmates about you."

"Your dad gives you permission."

"I won't. I won't tell them. Liu Dahu's dad is just a grunt at the city gate. Every noon he eats the steamed buns Mom makes, and every evening he teaches me to practice my characters."

The Sword Saint looked at Liu Dahu.

Liu Dahu looked back at the Sword Saint.

Perhaps there really was something in this world called fate.

He had entered her home.

She was now carrying his child in her belly.

But in truth... he had already had a ready-made son for years.

The Sword Saint pointed at Longyuan, still floating in the air.

"Want to learn the sword?"

Your father is the Sword Saint.

If you want to learn the sword...

I'll teach you!

Liu Dahu pursed his lips.

Then he shook his head, looking rather apologetic.

"Dad, I want to keep learning the saber first."

"..." The Sword Saint.

"The instructors say that if we enter the army later, most of us will probably start among the Marquis's personal guards. I want to charge into battle for the Marquis."

The Sword Saint... became somewhat depressed.

The sword was clearly the shared dream of young men and women throughout the jianghu.

Yet here he was, rejected again.

Seeing the awkward look on his father's face, Liu Dahu hurriedly added:

"When Little Brother is born, let Little Brother learn the sword."

The Sword Saint did not want to continue discussing the subject.

Earlier, while chatting with Zheng Fan in the courtyard, he had used his wife's pregnant belly to stab Zheng Fan several times.

Who could have expected that after turning around... this sword would hurt far worse.

"Come on. Let's buy the return gift first."

"All right, Dad."

At that moment, Xiao Yibo approached with several guards.

When he saw the Sword Saint and Liu Dahu, he stepped forward and saluted.

"My lord, the Marquis sent me to ask whether something happened."

"Nothing."

"Understood, my lord."

Xiao Yibo immediately withdrew.

The Marquis's personal scouts had already reported what happened, but the Marquis had still sent him over personally.

There was no deeper reason.

At the time, the Marquis had been sitting in the front hall drinking tea.

When that sword aura suddenly erupted, he instinctively assumed some other expert had entered Fengxin City to assassinate him.

The tea went straight up his nose.

The Sword Saint and Liu Dahu went to the main market street, where shop after shop stood open for business.

The gifts they bought were not especially expensive.

But visually, there was a lot of them.

After they had finished buying the return gifts for the next day, the Sword Saint brought Liu Dahu into a coffin shop.

It was an enormous coffin shop, occupying a full eight storefronts.

Everything was available, from cheap bamboo mats to the finest coffins, with custom work available as well.

Every sort of funerary paper good could also be purchased there.

The reason the business was so large was simple.

The Marquis Residence monopolized this trade too.

Anyone else who dared make or sell coffins could wait for constables from the yamen to come haul them away.

Eastern Jin had absorbed large numbers of refugees, but the region was still vast and sparsely populated.

Mining, smelting, workshops and all manner of other work required large numbers of people.

Most importantly of all, the fields needed people too.

So anyone with working hands and feet never had to worry about finding something to do.

This model had already been established back in Shengle City.

Forget coffin shops.

Even the Red Tents, from cheap brothels to high-class pleasure houses, were all businesses owned by the Marquis Residence.

It was only possible because eastern Jin was far from the Emperor and the Marquis Residence's authority was overwhelming.

Anywhere else, if a local power dared operate like this, the mild accusation would be "competing with the people for profit."

The harsher accusation would be that you had scraped the earth three feet deep to suck the people dry, a level of corruption rarely seen even in the histories.

Yet it was precisely this economic model that had allowed the territory to expand from Shengle to Snow Sea Pass and now to Fengxin City while the population grew, the military burden increased, and the entire system still remained stable and efficient.

"Welcome, sir. Looking for something?"

The man speaking was the shop's third manager, a tall, thin fellow.

"Send someone tomorrow to the A-Class house in Row A, Ping Street Lane, west of the Marquis Residence. There's an old woman in the family who wants to have a coffin made in advance."

"Certainly. I've got it."

The address was ridiculously easy to remember.

"Dad, is it for Grandma?" Liu Dahu asked.

"Mm. Saves her from going on about being wrapped in a grass mat or bamboo mat all the time."

Before, she could say whatever she liked.

The Sword Saint had always rather enjoyed listening to the old woman nag.

She talked a little too much, but she truly treated him like a son-in-law.

Like a son.

But today the Marquis had come to their home.

The household's circumstances ought to change a little too.

The courtyard could remain the same courtyard.

It was good.

But the old woman could place a proper coffin in a side room.

She would probably go look at it every morning after getting up and every evening before sleeping.

It would make her happy.

It would make her feel secure.

Preparing one's coffin in advance was not considered a curse for an old person.

On the contrary, having it ready was a source of real comfort.

His wife would no longer need to fret over whether she could keep working or worry that the family's silver could not support the two enormous appetites in the household.

"Don't worry, sir," the manager said with a broad smile. "Tomorrow I'll have it delivered draped in red and covered in festive decorations."

The business belonged to the Marquis Residence, but the people managing it were still evaluated under a detailed set of rules and performance measures.

More importantly, those two consecutive "A" designations told the manager very clearly that this was no ordinary household.

Delivering a coffin under red cloth with music and celebration was a joyful affair, something one welcomed rather than feared.

It also counted as an extra service from the shop.

"Give me four ancestral tablets."

"Right away."

The manager immediately sent a clerk to fetch them.

Naturally, the clerk brought back the finest grade available.

"Sir, will you be inscribing them yourself, or would you like one of our shop's scribes to do it?"

To "inscribe" meant writing the deceased's name and title on the tablet.

Most common people could not read.

Even fewer could write beautifully.

And this concerned the dignity of one's ancestors.

You could hardly have ancestral tablets covered in characters that looked like a dog had crawled across them.

So the shop provided everything.

The storefront stood here, but beneath it the business also maintained complete funeral troupes with musicians, singers, and even professional mourners.

It was said that Mr. Fan Li had once personally come to this shop and given them professional guidance.

"No need," the Sword Saint said.

Then, as though suddenly thinking of something, he held the four tablets and asked Liu Dahu:

"Should we replace your father's with a new one too?"

He meant Liu Dahu's biological father.

The Sword Saint suddenly felt that if he put four brand-new tablets on the altar while Liu Dahu's father's old one remained there looking shabby, perhaps that would be improper.

Liu Dahu scratched his head.

"Dad, I don't think my real dad would care about that. Besides, can ancestral tablets even be replaced?"

The manager's smile stiffened.

What the hell kind of family relationship was this?

The Sword Saint nodded.

"I don't know whether tablets can be replaced either. Forget it. Shopkeeper, bring me one more."

"Right away. Please wait."

Then the Sword Saint said to Liu Dahu, "When we get home, ask your grandma whether it should be replaced."

"Mm."

Father and son understood very little about these customs.

The manager handed over another tablet.

Each was wrapped in oil paper.

It would look inauspicious carrying bare ancestral tablets through the street.

"How much?" the Sword Saint asked.

"Consider this a bonus from the shop. You're ordering a coffin tomorrow anyway."

"Mm. Fine."

"Wait a moment before you go."

Seeing father and son about to leave, the manager hurriedly stopped them.

Two clerks came over carrying a basin of water and used brushes to flick droplets across their clothes.

"This water was offered before the Bodhisattva. There. All done. Safe travels, gentlemen. May peace remain in your household."

The water was meant to wash away funerary bad luck.

"May peace remain in your household" was polite.

Naturally, the manager could not say, "Please come again."

The basket could not hold everything they had bought, so father and son also carried parcels in their hands as they slowly walked home.

At home, the old woman and Madam Wu were already sitting together on the kang after clearing away the bowls and chopsticks.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stared at each other in silence.

If you said they were delighted... they really could not quite feel delighted.

If you said they were grieving... then claiming grief at this point would be a little too shameless.

Mostly they felt lost.

A little bewildered.

The old woman rubbed her arm.

"Nier, tell me. The two of us... what exactly is all this?"

She shook her head.

"Other families pray for a rich, noble son-in-law and can never get one. Our family somehow did it backward."

"Mother, my heart feels empty."

The man who slept beside her had suddenly become someone else.

How was she supposed to climb onto the kang and sleep beside him tonight?

The old woman reached out and gently stroked Madam Wu's belly.

"Don't think nonsense. Your man is steady and responsible. That much can't be wrong. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let him enter our household in the first place.

"Heh.

"Actually, maybe that isn't quite right.

"Back then it seems like you were the one who thought his face looked good because he was handsome, so you took the initiative to..."

"Mother!"

At a time like this, she was still saying that?

"Hehehe."

The old woman laughed.

"What are you worrying about? Haven't these past few years been exactly like this? He's good to Dahu. He's good to you. He's good to this old woman too. I ramble and nag all day and he still sits there listening seriously.

"He has no parents of his own.

"He truly serves me like his own mother. I know that in my heart.

"Besides, what does it matter to you whether he guards the city gate or serves right beside the Marquis?

"We survived poor days.

"There's no reason we should somehow be unable to enjoy rich ones.

"And even if everything else failed... aren't you carrying his child?

"So stop thinking about all these useless things.

"Rest properly and take care of the baby.

"Too much worrying hurts the body. Don't disturb the child.

"Nier, you've got good fortune.

"No.

"The two of us both have good fortune.

"Now that our good days have come, we should simply live them properly.

"Oh, right.

"The woman supporting me today was..."

Ordinary people loved listening to stories.

The people of Fengxin City naturally loved stories about the Marquis Residence most of all.

There were only three women in the Marquis's household, so naturally everyone knew more details about them.

"I think that was Mr. Feng," Madam Wu guessed.

"Oh! That famous Mr. Feng beside the Marquis? The 'set of scales capable of weighing all eastern Jin'?"

The old woman rubbed her arm again.

Then she suddenly thought of something else.

"Then that other lady, the one with the slightly fuller figure... wouldn't she be...?"

Madam Wu suddenly burst out laughing.

"Mother, today I actually tended the stove together with the Princess."

"Hehehe! Quiet, quiet!"

The old woman tried desperately to stop laughing while gesturing for Madam Wu to lower her voice.

"Is a noble lady someone you should laugh at? Hehehehehe..."

"Mother! Grandma! Dad and I are back!"

"Oh, the two of them are back. You stay lying down. I'll go see whether the return gifts are all in order. If anything is missing, there's still daylight left. I can send them back out to buy it."

The old woman went outside.

Liu Dahu immediately announced the good news.

"Grandma, Dad told the coffin shop to come tomorrow and measure you for your coffin."

"Huh?"

The old woman stared at the Sword Saint in disbelief.

The Sword Saint nodded.

"Choose good wood."

"Oh, no, no. That won't do. Ordinary wood is enough. Ordinary is enough."

Her entire face had already opened into a delighted smile.

Then she remembered something.

"I still have a bracelet. It was left by his grandfather. It isn't worth much. I'll pawn it and gather some silver..."

A coffin was not cheap.

The Sword Saint smiled.

"From now on, there's no need to worry about silver."

"How can that be? When you're running a household, you can't..."

The Sword Saint said, "As long as the Marquis Residence doesn't run out of silver, our family won't run out of silver. If he gets to spend silver on our household, that Marquis will be delighted to do it. Put your heart back in your belly.

"However much ability a man has, that's how much stipend he should eat. It's not as though we'll make the Marquis Residence suffer a loss."

"This..."

The old woman suddenly felt that her son-in-law was different from before.

The Sword Saint took out the five ancestral tablets and unwrapped the oil paper one by one.

"Bring me brush and ink," he told Liu Dahu.

"Right away, Dad."

Four of the tablets needed inscriptions.

The first was for Emperor Taizu of Jin, the first Marquis of Jin.

Two were for Yu Huaping's parents.

The last was for his younger brother.

The old woman watched from the side.

She recognized the first because it carried an imperial posthumous title.

The Yu clan might have declined long ago, but temples throughout Jin could never lack the divine images and ancestral tablets of Emperor Taizu.

Everyone surnamed Yu in Jin shared the same ancestor.

The next three were clearly his parents and younger brother.

The household was going to enshrine his ancestral tablets now.

The old woman was not unhappy in the slightest.

She had never taken in a formal live-in son-in-law in the first place.

More importantly, a household ultimately needed a man to stand as its pillar.

This meant the man intended to live properly and openly now.

That was a good thing.

Before, the old woman had thought that as long as everyone in the household remained safe, fed, and warm, that alone would be the greatest blessing beneath Heaven.

But now she looked at her son-in-law carefully writing the inscriptions, then at her grandson crouched beside him and watching closely.

Suddenly, she felt... perhaps she could allow herself to dream a little.

"Mother."

"Yes?"

"Should Dahu's father's tablet be replaced too?"

The old woman hurriedly smiled.

"Oh, no, no. Who replaces an ancestral tablet? It isn't like changing houses. You can't replace that. No, no."

"Mm."

The Sword Saint rose and carried the four newly inscribed tablets over.

There was already an ancestral altar in the house.

Originally, it held only the tablet of Dahu's biological father.

Now the first row naturally belonged to Emperor Taizu of Jin.

There was no argument about that.

The row below held the tablets of the Sword Saint's parents.

Below that came the Sword Saint's younger brother and Liu Dahu's biological father.

The old woman watched from beside them.

She felt no displeasure whatsoever that her son's tablet no longer occupied the altar alone.

If anything, she thought her son barely had the qualifications to be placed among these people.

"Dahu's dad, maybe we should move Brother Niu's tablet somewhere else? Put it in my room?"

The Sword Saint shook his head.

"Mother, we're one family now. Let's live peacefully and harmoniously together. There's no need to care too much about rules."

Hearing that, the old woman could only nod.

Liu Dahu smiled.

"Then my real dad won't be lonely anymore."

"Heh."

The Sword Saint rubbed Dahu's head.

Then the three of them knelt and bowed before the altar.

Normally, the old woman would never bow to her own son's tablet.

But Emperor Taizu stood at the top of the altar.

How could she possibly refuse to bow?

Afterward, Dahu and the old woman went to sort the gifts they had bought.

Some still needed wrapping in red paper or tying with red string.

The Sword Saint entered the bedroom and sat beside Madam Wu's bed.

In truth, she was not a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

She did not possess the kind of beauty that sank fish or made geese fall from the sky.

Years of work had even left her skin somewhat rough.

But... she was the sort of woman who became more pleasing the longer one looked at her.

Most love at first sight began, fundamentally, with being attracted to a face.

Madam Wu looked at the Sword Saint.

Quietly, she said, "I feel a little uneasy."

"I'm here. Our child is here too."

Madam Wu nodded.

"Want to move to a larger house?" the Sword Saint asked.

Madam Wu shook her head.

"I like this home."

The Sword Saint smiled.

"So do I."

Madam Wu placed a hand on her belly, maternal warmth entering her face.

The Sword Saint said, "The Marquis of Pingxi says he'll recognize our child as his godson."

"Ah!"

"Don't be startled. Don't disturb the baby."

Madam Wu nodded, then looked at him.

"Is that appropriate?"

"The Marquis is the one begging to recognize him. It isn't us shamelessly begging the Marquis."

"Dahu's dad."

"Mm?"

"You have to stay safe."

The Sword Saint understood what his wife was worried about.

In truth, it was rather amusing.

Soldiers ate military rations because they risked their lives.

Back when she thought he was nothing more than a city-gate grunt who marched out with the army during wartime, his wife had already grown used to it.

Yet now that she knew he was a bodyguard beside the Marquis of Pingxi, she was more worried.

In reality, even if he were not the Sword Saint, serving among the Marquis's personal guards would still be much safer than being an ordinary soldier.

But in his wife's eyes... the more a person received, the more he would eventually have to pay.

"Don't worry. I'm only responsible for protecting the Marquis."

He paused.

Then, to completely ease his wife's heart, the Sword Saint added:

"If a truly great danger comes, I'll run. I can run faster than he can."

Madam Wu wanted to laugh.

She held it in.

Then she glanced around before saying:

"The Marquis... is a good man."

The Sword Saint nodded.

"Rest and take care of the child. Don't worry about anything else. I promise you, this home of ours will remain good.

"You've seen too many people today. You're tired. Sleep for a while."

His wife nodded and closed her eyes.

The Sword Saint sat beside the bed a little longer before rising and leaving the bedroom.

In the kitchen, more than half a pot of wine remained from earlier.

Neither he nor Zheng Fan really liked drinking, so there had been plenty left.

The Sword Saint picked up the wine pot and two cups and left the house.

In the courtyard, the old woman and her grandson were still arranging the gifts to be returned.

When it came to gifts for the Marquis Residence, the old woman was extremely careful.

The Sword Saint walked straight toward the courtyard gate.

Liu Dahu saw him and called:

"Dad, where are you going?"

The Sword Saint did not turn around.

He raised the wine pot and waved it.

"Going over to the Marquis Residence for a stroll."

For a moment... the old woman was stunned.

Only after the Sword Saint pushed open the gate and left did Liu Dahu repeat to himself:

"Where are you going, Dad?"

"Going over to the Marquis Residence for a stroll."

"Hehehe."

The old woman slapped her grandson on the forehead.

"Little brat. Have you been possessed by a ghost?"

"Hehehe."

Liu Dahu laughed.

"Grandma, listen to what Dad just said. 'Going over to the Marquis Residence for a stroll.' Hahaha! Grandma, do you think Dad can take me over there to stroll around too from now on?"

"That's your father's own ability. That's face he earned through his own skill, enough to make the Marquis come personally to our door and call me Old Madam. If you want to show off like that, then learn some ability of your own first.

"Remember this, Dahu.

"Right now your surname is still Liu.

"You are not surnamed Yu."

"Grandma, I know..."

"Child, Grandma doesn't mean that you should become distant from your father. I'm telling you that because you never changed your surname to Yu, in truth, you and I owe him. Do you understand?

"Your father is a good man.

"Looking at things now, he's a capable man too.

"You need to make something of yourself. Learn your skills properly. People need consciences.

"Your surname may be Liu, but your other father, Brother Niu, was always sickly. After marrying your mother and fathering you, he actually became a burden instead.

"The grace of raising a child outweighs the grace of giving birth.

"Remember that for Grandma."

"I know, Grandma."

"A person has to know when to advance and when to retreat. You have to understand limits. You can't be greedy.

"Only then can you recognize good fortune.

"Only then can you treasure good fortune.

"And only then can that fortune flow on for a long, long time."

...

The Sword Saint left his home and entered the alley, making his way to a side gate of the Marquis Residence.

That gate was rarely locked.

Of course, hidden sentries stood on both sides.

But once they saw the Sword Saint, no one appeared to stop him.

When the Sword Saint entered the Marquis Residence, it truly was almost like returning to his own home.

Besides... they all knew their Marquis would love nothing more than for the Sword Saint to "come home and visit often."

After entering the residence, the Sword Saint did not go to the front hall to wait as a guest.

He did not head into the rear residence to find Zheng Fan either.

Instead, he walked directly behind an artificial mountain.

There was a passage descending underground.

At present, the passage stood open.

That meant someone was inside.

The Sword Saint walked down.

The laughter of a child drifted out from below.

When the Sword Saint entered the underground chamber, he saw a green python slithering around inside.

Apparently sensing someone coming down, the python immediately twisted around and lunged toward the stairs in warning.

The Sword Saint stood on the final step, calmly watching it coil before him.

Once the green python recognized him, it flicked its tongue.

Then quietly lowered its head to the floor.

It was not that the python had failed to distinguish the Sword Saint's aura beforehand.

For an expert of the Sword Saint's level, restraining and concealing his aura was simply too ordinary a technique.

That was why the python had become alert.

But after recognizing him, it immediately understood that this was an existence it could not afford to provoke.

Lowering its head and admitting defeat came in one smooth motion.

The Sword Saint walked up and lightly kicked its body.

The python pulled back its tail and cleared the path.

The Sword Saint continued deeper in.

Tian Tian, who had been playing inside, saw him and immediately stopped.

The child even straightened his clothes before walking over, clasping his hands, and bowing.

"Tian Tian pays respects to Uncle Yu."

Tian Tian was an Heir, but paying respects to the Sword Saint was perfectly natural.

Calling him a senior elder was even more appropriate.

Back then, without the Sword Saint escorting him out of Litian City while he was still swaddled in cloth, there would be no Tian Tian today.

Behind Tian Tian, the fox and black cat that had been playing with him immediately flattened themselves against the ground and trembled before the Sword Saint.

As demon beasts, they understood even more clearly how terrifying the man before them was.

In truth, Tian Tian's childhood had been extremely lonely.

Zheng Fan was often away leading armies.

Whichever Demon Kings remained behind usually had mountains of work every day.

But Tian Tian was an exceptionally good child.

Before he could walk, he crawled around inside a small enclosure and entertained himself.

Once he learned to walk, his world became larger and he could wander around the rear residence.

After more demon beasts began appearing around the household, they liked being close to him.

At last, he had playmates.

Part of the reason was also that his identity was too sensitive.

Playing with these seemingly fierce and cunning demon beasts was actually safer than playing with people.

After leaving the Sword Saint's house earlier, Tian Tian had gathered several of the residence's demon beasts and run down here to play with his god-grandfather.

He had grown up sleeping and playing on the lid of Sha Tuo Queshi's coffin.

Naturally, he knew this god-grandfather extremely well.

He was not afraid of coffins.

He was not afraid of the zombie inside.

He was a Spirit Child, extremely sensitive to the goodwill and malice directed toward him.

At Tian Tian's feet lay a red stone.

The Demon Child.

One child.

Three monsters.

One ghost.

Playing inside a zombie's "residence."

It was quite the beautiful picture.

The Sword Saint walked forward and opened his arms.

Tian Tian immediately smiled and opened his own arms, professionally offering himself up for a hug.

The Sword Saint picked him up.

Then he looked at the assembled "demons and ghosts."

"Give me some quiet for a while."

The green python, fox, and black cat immediately fled the underground chamber.

The Demon Child remained where it was, pretending very seriously that it truly was only a stone.

Until... the Sword Saint's gaze fell upon it.

Only then did the Demon Child tremble a few reluctant times and fly out of the chamber.

The Sword Saint sat down facing Sha Tuo Queshi's coffin.

Tian Tian sat on his lap.

Seeing the Sword Saint place the wine pot and cups on the ground, Tian Tian pushed himself upright with his two chubby little hands.

First, he carefully arranged the two cups.

Then he hugged the wine pot and began pouring.

The Sword Saint did not stop him.

He simply watched the little fellow work.

Spirit Child.

Sensible.

Well-behaved.

Adorable.

The Sword Saint shook his head.

Tian Wujing, Tian Wujing.

Such a wonderful son.

What a pity you cannot keep him at your side.

Perhaps because the Sword Saint was finally about to have a biological child of his own, his understanding of the bond between father and son had deepened considerably.

"Uncle Yu, here."

Tian Tian lifted one cup and offered it to the Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint accepted it.

His gaze settled on the coffin before him.

Tian Tian picked up the other cup and tried to place it on top of the coffin.

He could not reach.

He did not dare jump because he was afraid the wine would spill.

So he set the cup on the floor before the coffin instead.

Then he walked over, patted the coffin with his little hand, and called:

"God-Grandpa... wake up... drink wine."

The coffin did not respond.

The Sword Saint took a sip.

"I've known about you for a very long time," he said. "And I know Zheng Fan likes coming down here to talk with you.

"Sorry.

"Today I wanted someone to talk to too.

"I've heard plenty about what you did.

"To be honest, a long time ago, I couldn't understand why you went alone to the gates of the Marquis of Zhenbei Residence.

"What were you trying to accomplish?

"What good did it do the state?

"What good did it do your people?

"Was the only point that it felt satisfying to you personally?"

The Sword Saint propped one hand behind himself and leaned back slightly.

"But little by little, I began to understand.

"When I watched my younger brother die in battle... when I watched the ancestral temples of my Yu clan stripped bare... when I watched the Savages break through the passes and slaughter the people... it was like Zheng Fan told me.

"Me... this person right here... all I've ever really been good at in this life is swinging a sword.

"I thought I wanted to do something useful for the state and the people.

"But I didn't have that ability.

"Hehehe.

"Hahahaha!

"Instead, I made the state and its people worse.

"Ah...

"Back then, you were probably thinking the same way.

"What could you do?

"How were you supposed to do it?

"Even if you swallowed humiliation and carried a heavy burden... there was no guarantee anything would improve.

"And besides, perhaps I'd simply spent the first half of my life being too accustomed to having no attachments.

"Yes, my surname is Yu.

"But I was never much of a member of the imperial clan.

"Quite the opposite.

"My parents died early, and my younger brother and I had a very hard childhood.

"What did 'home' mean?

"I didn't understand.

"What did 'clan' mean?

"I didn't understand that either.

"I hadn't even figured out home or clan... yet back then I was naive enough to imagine drawing my sword for the sake of the state.

"Gods.

"I was stupid beyond saving.

"It's hard even to look back on.

"Until that winter... outside Snow Sea Pass.

"That bastard Zheng had me carry his standard and go out with him to negotiate.

"He told me that if I could kill that Savage general, Snow Sea Pass would probably hold.

"Back then, I was honestly wandering around half-dead inside.

"I blamed myself.

"I blamed myself constantly.

"I kept thinking it was all my fault.

"Who could have imagined that Situ Lei, who had once looked every inch a wise and capable ruler, would ultimately bring about the Savage invasion?

"If I'd known that would happen, why the hell would I have helped him kill his own father?

"It was miserable.

"Jin was miserable beyond words.

"So I thought, fine.

"I'd kill that Savage general.

"At least I could give myself an accounting.

"Give Jin an accounting.

"At the very least, those wild dogs could all stay buried in Jin.

"Not one of them would ever run back out."

In that battle outside Snow Sea Pass, the Sword Saint had broken a thousand cavalry alone.

He had slain Gelimu, the Jin general serving beneath the Savage King.

"I thought I was going to die.

"Turns out I got lucky.

"I failed to die.

"Then I thought I was going to be crippled forever.

"Turns out I got lucky again.

"I failed to stay crippled and slowly recovered.

"That bastard Zheng is like he opened some Heavenly Eye.

"Even I thought I was finished.

"But he acted as though he were absolutely certain I'd recover.

"Hehehe. Tell me, isn't that ridiculous?

"I spent an entire year lying in bed and ended up owing him an enormous pile of favors.

"Annoying.

"Really damned annoying.

"That man's favors are hard to owe.

"You probably understand.

"When he calculates a favor with you, he uses half of it, then adds another full one on top.

"You keep repaying and repaying, only to discover you owe more every time.

"Tsk.

"Repay long enough and you can't even see the end anymore.

"Even 'nine out, thirteen back' usury can't compete with him.

"Not even close.

"Hehehe.

"Which storyteller was it who told me...

"Back then, that bastard Zheng kowtowed to you, didn't he?

"There.

"That favor was owed from that moment.

"But in the end... that bastard Zheng does things properly.

"No.

"Not just things.

"He conducts himself properly as a person.

"It's the same with you.

"It's the same with me.

"Isn't it the same with Tian Wujing?

"When it comes to the man himself... all of us trust him.

"You know, it really isn't easy for a person to train the ability to conduct himself to that level.

"I think it's much harder than practicing the sword.

"Ah.

"Sorry.

"I wandered off topic.

"I have a home now.

"My wife has my child in her belly.

"Though I suppose I already had a son before that.

"Home.

"What is a home?

"Back when we were in Shengle City, I had only just begun to get a taste of it.

"At Snow Sea Pass, I thought the home was comfortable. Nice.

"Only now... do I truly understand what the word means."

The Sword Saint set his wine cup on the floor.

Tian Tian, who had been sitting nearby, climbed up again, hugged the wine pot, and came over to refill it.

The Sword Saint lifted his cup once more.

"So now I understand you.

"I truly do.

"Your home was gone.

"Your people were gone.

"That's why you went mad.

"I understand what you felt back then.

"I really do.

"What exactly is a human being?

"Jin people.

"Yan people.

"You, a Barbarian.

"The Savages on the snowfields.

"Truth is, we're all people.

"We speak different languages.

"We use different writing.

"But there are some things inside us that are exactly the same."

The Sword Saint pulled Tian Tian into his arms.

"Child, when you grow up, don't resent your father.

"Your father is actually the one who's suffered most.

"He has it harder than me.

"Harder than the one lying in this coffin too.

"But don't try too hard to understand him either.

"He deserves it.

"He brought it on himself.

"Right?

"If he dies someday, go to his grave and spit on it.

"Don't smash the stele, though.

"Heh."

Tian Tian, held in the Sword Saint's arms, did not really understand.

He only reached out curiously and touched Longyuan at the Sword Saint's waist.

...

Litian City.

The former Marquis of Jingnan Residence.

Rear residence.

The pond.

That figure still sat on the threshold.

He seemed to be thinking.

Or perhaps sleeping.

But at that moment... he slowly raised his head.

Like a man awakening from an enormous dream.

Or like someone still drifting inside one.

He was not muddled.

He was too awake.

His work was not finished.

So he would not allow himself to decay.

That relentless wakefulness was itself the greatest torment.

Just like the man in Yanjing's Rear Garden.

Every day, the Emperor relied on elixirs to force himself awake.

He refused to let himself sink unconscious into bed.

No matter how much pain each day brought, he continued enduring.

The work... was not finished.

No matter how bitter it became.

No matter how tired.

No matter how desperately one wanted to avoid it.

One still had to endure until the end.

Tian Wujing shook his head.

At first, he intended to ignore it.

But after hesitating for a moment... he stood.

He walked to the edge of the pond, where fallen leaves covered the surface.

He extended a hand.

Wind swept through.

The leaves scattered, revealing clear water beneath them.

Ripples spread outward.

Tian Wujing's eyes were full of cold indifference.

Looking down at the pond... he spoke.

"Where's your face?"

...

"My face? Been gone for years."

The Sword Saint hugged Tian Tian and continued speaking.

"Think about it. I'm the Sword Saint of Jin, yet for the past two years I've stayed beside a Yan Marquis.

"And that isn't even the most embarrassing part.

"You know what's actually worst?

"Whenever we run into certain people and they see me, they always say:

"'Who would've thought the Sword Saint of Jin would actually...'

"Hahahahaha!

"You know what I feel every time I hear that?

"Not shame.

"Truly.

"There isn't even the tiniest bit of shame left in me.

"I'm just sick of it.

"Annoyed.

"It's like when I first left my master and wandered the jianghu. Whenever I saw someone swaggering around full of arrogance, I wanted to cut him down with one sword.

"I thought I'd seen through it all.

"Do you understand?

"But I hadn't.

"I thought things like home and state no longer had anything to do with me.

"Only now did I realize I was wrong.

"I'd misunderstood the whole thing.

"The truth was...

"I'd never truly had those things before.

"I used to think a single sword was enough to accompany me through this entire life.

"Now I understand.

"A person has to live inside a life.

"As for a sword... it's really no different from the knife used to slaughter pigs, the fire tongs used to pick through coal cinders, or the shoulder pole used to carry baskets.

"It's no different from a snuff bottle.

"No different from the hammer in a craftsman's hand.

"I used to place too much weight on the sword.

"Only because I had never found anything heavier."

...

Tian Wujing continued staring at the water.

At the ripples spreading across its surface.

Back in burning Ying Capital, he had once told the Sword Saint his understanding of how to enter Second Grade.

Now... the Sword Saint had finally reached that step.

Yes, Tian Wujing had once defeated the Sword Saint.

But that did not mean the Sword Saint was weak.

Yes, Tian Wujing had learned how to open Second Grade before the Sword Saint.

But that did not mean the Sword Saint could not surpass him later.

Because... he was the Sword Saint.

He was the strongest swordsman among anyone of the same grade.

Long ago, Zheng Fan had once asked Tian Wujing how he ought to practice the saber.

Tian Wujing's answer had been:

"Does a saber need practice?"

Now... a faint look of disdain spread across his face.

He had already told the Sword Saint the road long ago.

Yet the man had somehow spent this long thinking, searching, and wandering.

Tian Wujing spoke.

"You found it?"

...

"I found it."

The Sword Saint smiled.

"The sword is part of life.

"But it isn't all of life.

"Heh..."

He looked at the coffin.

"Actually, Tian Wujing told me a long time ago.

"He told me why he could open Second Grade several times while I opened it once and almost died.

"You really have to accept it.

"In this world... there truly are geniuses even among geniuses.

"Which is why I find it even more regrettable..."

The Sword Saint lowered his head and pinched Tian Tian's cheek.

"Your father could've done anything.

"Why did he insist on walking that road?

"Ah."

The Sword Saint raised his wine cup and toasted the coffin.

"What does Second Grade mean?

"Second Grade is actually very simple.

"I always thought Tian Wujing could withstand the burden of Second Grade because he's a Martial Artist and his physical body is strong enough to carry it.

"But that's not it.

"It's only something borrowed.

"If it's borrowed, then borrow it casually.

"Borrow it, throw it away.

"Throw it away, borrow it again.

"Something in Heaven and Earth with no owner... there's no need to treasure it.

"No need to cherish it.

"Take it.

"Use it.

"Take it again.

"Whatever you please.

"Why the hell would I use my own entire body to carry it?

"Hahahaha!

"Even Tian Wujing doesn't use his whole body to bear it every single time, does he?

"A fist?

"A leg?

"You fought him before, didn't you?

"Tell me, did his entire body really enter Second Grade?

"No.

"Definitely not.

"That burden isn't only on the flesh.

"It crushes the mind.

"It crushes the soul.

"So...

"Second Grade.

"Isn't it only Second Grade?

"If Heaven sends rain... just grab a basin and catch it."

The Sword Saint drained the wine in his cup.

At that moment, the cup Tian Tian had placed before the coffin released a thin curl of white vapor.

The vapor slipped into the seam of the coffin.

The wine's essence had been drawn away.

It was as though, after their cups touched... the two men drank together.

Then the Sword Saint picked up Tian Tian and walked out of the underground chamber.

Outside... the sun was already setting.

"Child, I'll ask you one more time.

"Do you want to learn the sword from me?"

...

At Litian City, Tian Wujing raised a hand and pointed toward the pond.

Slowly, he said:

"Open."

In an instant... the pond water split in two.

Not left and right.

For a true expert, splitting water to either side was not difficult.

The water before him... separated into an upper layer and a lower layer.

Tian Wujing closed his eyes.

"I don't practice the sword, so I can't lend you sword intent.

"But I can lend you one thing..."

Slowly, Tian Wujing opened his eyes again.

A trace of contempt appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He finished:

"Disdain."

...

In the Sword Saint's arms, Tian Tian was hugging his neck.

Hearing the question again, he immediately shook his head with complete determination.

"No.

"I want to practice the saber.

"Swords aren't fun."

Today... the Sword Saint had been rejected for the second time.

Yet there was not the slightest frustration or disappointment on his face.

Instead, he threw back his head and laughed.

"A sword... is a damned fun thing."

He pointed a finger toward the sky.

Longyuan flew from its sheath once more.

A dragon's cry rose to Heaven.

In the next instant... it seemed as though a ray of sunset had been drawn down into Longyuan's blade.

A terrifying sword aura shrieked above the Marquis Residence.

It was like a rainbow from Heaven itself had been pulled down into the mortal world.

Tian Tian stared with wide eyes and an open mouth.

Then he excitedly clapped his chubby little hands.

"Ao! Ao! Ao!"

The Sword Saint lowered his head and looked at the child in his arms.

"Fun?"

Tian Tian nodded.

And laughed.

Today... the experts of the Marquis Residence inside Fengxin City were alarmed twice.

Today... the Marquis choked on his tea once and nearly choked on his meal once.

Today... thousands of li away, a sparse rain began falling over the Marquis Residence in Litian City.

Today...

Yu Huaping, Sword Saint of Jin... entered Second Grade once more!

[End of Chapter 662]