Chapter 222: You're Quite Strange Too
Bone cracked with a sickening crunch as Li Sushang's palm slammed into Eagle's skull, shattering half of it on impact.
The sheer momentum of the dying man carried his arm forward, driving his Xuanyuan Sword directly into Sushang's abdomen. However, with the vast majority of its golden power already stripped away during their clash, the legendary blade lacked the force to pierce her flesh. It merely bounced off, leaving a faint, chalky white mark across her clothing and skin.
The adrenaline vanished, leaving a hollow ache in its wake. Sushang's knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the coarse desert sand, gasping for air.
She stared at her trembling hands. She had just taken a life.
Yet, as she looked at the fallen bandit, the heavy guilt she expected never materialized. It wasn't entirely hard to accept. She hadn't violated her own moral code, nor had she struck down a righteous man. Her opponent was a madman who would have gladly slaughtered innocents. Still, she couldn't help but think that if she had simply accepted this harsh reality of the martial world a little sooner, she wouldn't have been pushed to such a desperate, exhausted state.
It was precisely this straightforward, free-spirited nature that made Sushang appear so pure and unburdened by the darkness of the world.
A short distance away, Rovel moved through the dunes like a phantom. He dispatched the remaining, fleeing sand bandits with cold, mechanical efficiency. Blood stained the desert floor, but his expression remained entirely indifferent. They had chosen to join the Golden Sand Gang; they had chosen the life of cutthroats and thieves. They should have known a day of reckoning would eventually come.
As the desert winds grew cold, Rovel gathered dry brush and started a crackling campfire. Beside the flames, Otto raised a hand, summoning the golden, cubic constructs of the Void Archives to mend Sushang's battered body.
Warm light washed over the young swordswoman, knitting her minor wounds and soothing her strained muscles. However, heavy beads of sweat formed on Otto's forehead, his breathing growing shallow. The healing process was clearly taking a massive toll on him.
Rovel watched the blonde man from the corner of his eye, a sudden realization hitting him. He had almost forgotten the timeline. Right now, Otto was still a mortal of flesh and blood. He hadn't yet transferred his consciousness into a tireless Soulium avatar.
"When... do we leave?" Otto asked, his voice slightly raspy as he lowered his hands, the golden cubes dissipating into the night air.
"We wait for her to wake up," Rovel replied, gesturing toward the sleeping Sushang. "We still need her to lead the way."
Otto gave a curt nod. He retreated to the edge of the firelight, sitting alone in the shadows with the heavy wooden coffin resting securely against his back.
It wasn't until a distant rooster crowed the following morning that Sushang finally stirred.
"Mm... I haven't slept this comfortably in a long time."
She sat up and stretched her arms high above her head, letting out a long, satisfied groan. The movement pulled her shirt tight across her chest, highlighting a pair of 'Taixu Mountains' voluminous enough to make someone like Fu Hua cough blood in sheer envy.
After pushing her mind and body to their absolute limits in a life-or-death battle, a deep sleep was incredibly refreshing.
"Morning, Senior Brother," Sushang greeted Rovel with a bright, leisurely smile, showing absolutely no sense of lingering trauma or urgency.
"Aren't you going to check your Sword Heart realm?" Rovel asked, tossing a piece of dry wood into the smoldering fire.
"Sword Heart realm?"
Sushang blinked, suddenly remembering the epiphany she had experienced during the fight. She hurriedly lowered her head, closed her eyes, and began to recite the Sword Heart Mantra under her breath.
[Still Water]... [Dustless]... [Bright Mirror]... [Taixu].
Her eyes snapped open, an uncontrollable, radiant joy spreading across her face.
"Senior Brother, I did it! My Sword Heart actually reached the [Taixu] realm! Hooray~!"
She cheered, jumping up and down in the sand, as happy as a child receiving a festival gift.
Then, she glanced down at the blade resting by her side, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Unfortunately, I still haven't grasped Sword Intent, and I can't make the Xuanyuan Sword change forms." She let out a soft sigh, looking at the weapon with a hint of helplessness.
"By the way, Senior Brother, have you not grasped Sword Intent either?" She tilted her head, looking at the Xuanyuan Sword strapped to Rovel's back.
"Yeah, this Xuanyuan Sword probably just doesn't suit my temperament," Rovel replied, his tone half-joking as he brushed the sand from his coat.
"Senior Brother, you're really good at comforting yourself," Sushang giggled. Her gaze then drifted over to the blonde man resting nearby. "That Rakshasa over there is..."
She studied Otto quietly. Long golden hair cascading down his chest, a delicate, handsome face with soft features... if one didn't look closely, they would genuinely mistake him for a tall woman.
'Hmm, he feels like he lacks a bit of masculinity compared to Senior Brother,' Sushang evaluated in her heart, comparing the two men.
"He came to Shenzhou to find someone," Rovel explained casually, noticing her stare. "Coincidentally, I'm also looking for someone, so we decided to travel together."
He kicked dirt over the remaining embers, extinguishing the fire. "It's getting late, and it's time to set off. I have some matters to discuss with your master. Could I trouble you to lead the way?"
"You're looking for my master? Perfect! I was going back anyway after finishing my sword trial. I'll take you there!" Sushang agreed readily, patting her chest.
After all, if Rovel hadn't used a simple pebble to deflect Eagle's sword at the last possible second, she would have lost half her life, if not died outright. Guiding him was the least she could do to repay him for saving her life.
They scavenged the bandit camp, picking out three of the Golden Sand Gang's fastest horses. The beasts were well-fed and swift. By noon, the scorching desert dunes gave way to a bustling frontier market.
The three of them found a local tavern to rest their horses and grab a meal. Initially, the superstitious tavern owner took one look at Otto carrying a massive coffin and tried to bar them from entering, claiming it would bring bad luck to his business. However, his superstitions quickly melted away when Rovel placed a heavy, solid gold ingot on the counter.
Back on Taixu Mountain, there had been countless rare treasures and fortunes, mostly donated by past emperors seeking the immortal's favor. Since those riches weren't easy to store at the foot of the mountain, they had all been moved up to the peak. Knowing that traveling to the Northern Wastelands near Mobei would be a long and arduous journey, Rovel had packed plenty of funds.
To Red Kite, mortal wealth was entirely meaningless; as long as the gold wasn't squandered on evil deeds, she didn't care how much he took. Rovel hadn't expected the imperial gold to come in handy quite so soon.
As they sat at a wooden table, sipping hot tea, Rovel looked at the young swordswoman. "How much do you actually know about the current affairs of the Jianghu?"
"Uh..." Sushang's face turned slightly red, and she scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "Most of what I know about the martial world comes from listening to storytellers in the teahouses..."
Rovel chuckled inwardly. Only about thirty percent of a storyteller's tales were grounded in reality; the remaining seventy percent was pure, exaggerated fabrication.
"Then, after Red Kite ascended to immortality, do you know where the remaining seven swords went?" Rovel pressed, keeping his tone conversational.
"I'm not very sure either..." Sushang shook her head, her expression turning thoughtful. "I only know that Aunt Chaoyu established the Taixu Sword Sect up on Tianqiong Peak, and they eventually joined the ranks of the Six Great Sects. Then my mother married into Yijian Villa. As for my master, she took me to Mobei and established a small sect with just the two of us."
She answered honestly, laying out the fragmented history she knew.
Rovel took a slow sip of his tea. It didn't differ at all from the plot of the Seven Swords of Taixu stored in his memory.
'Sigh, has nothing changed after all?' he thought, staring at the tea leaves floating in his cup.
After finishing their meal, they headed out to purchase necessary supplies for the harsh road ahead. Just as they were packing the saddlebags, a street vendor's cart caught Sushang's attention. Her eyes lit up.
"Hello! Please give me three sticks of candied haws!"
A moment later, she came jogging back to the horses, beaming with joy, clutching three skewers of bright red, sugar-coated hawthorn berries.
"Try them, these candied haws are delicious!" she boasted, holding them out. "Senior Brother, this one is yours. And Rakshasa, here's yours."
She handed the skewers to the two men. Otto accepted his silently, staring at the sugary treat with a blank expression.
"Do you... like eating candied haws that much?" Rovel asked, blinking as he took the skewer.
"Emmm, not really." Sushang took a large bite of her own, the sweet and sour crunch making her mouth water. "I don't have any special feelings for them. It's mainly because every time Master takes me down to the market, she always buys two sticks of candied haws."
She chewed happily, a fond smile on her lips. "Over time, I guess I've just grown to like the taste too."
She swallowed and looked at the remaining berries on her stick. "It's strange to say. Master clearly doesn't care about worldly things. She won't even bat an eye at the most expensive delicacies, yet she has this unique, stubborn love for these cheap candied haws."
Sushang let out a light laugh. "Sometimes, if we arrive late and the candied haws are sold out, she actually gets dejected. She looks even more like a disappointed child than I do. Don't you think that's weird, Senior Brother?"
She looked up at Rovel, expecting a laugh, only to find him gazing off into the distance, completely lost in thought. The bustling noise of the market seemed to fade away around him.
After a long, quiet moment, Rovel finally nodded. He lowered his gaze to the candied haws in his hand, a soft, knowing smile touching his lips.
"Haha... it is indeed a bit weird."
Sushang tilted her head, studying the strange, nostalgic look in his eyes.
"...You're quite strange too," she murmured, offering her own honest evaluation.
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