Remould the Glory of Sword Art

Jiang Qihu returned to his mansion to find the candlelight extinguished.

It wasn't just the candlelight.

The entire mansion was hidden in the veil of night. The night at True Hidden Peak was peaceful, but at this moment, it felt particularly bleak.

He took out the Ruyi Order.

A soul message that had been left earlier emanated from the token.

"Lord Jiang, thank you for your guidance today."

"Xie Xuanyi and Master Huang have other places to be, so we won't impose any longer. Once matters are settled, we shall meet again."

"I hope you will not be offended by my sudden departure."

"...Everything was arranged by the master."

At the end of the message, Jiang Qihu was left without words to say.

...

...

Below Lotus Peak, Huang Su found a new residence for Xie Zhen.

She even brought the official robes of a True Disciple of Lotus Peak, the sword, the identity jade... When these items were neatly placed in front of Xie Xuanyi, his Heart Lake couldn't help but ripple with a sense of nostalgia.

Ten years had passed, yet nothing had changed in their design.

Everything was as it had been.

"Since you are a disciple of Brother Xuanyi, you shouldn't live at True Hidden Peak."

Huang Su spoke earnestly, "From today onwards, you shall reside below Lotus Peak... With this jade, you may access all areas of the Sword Palace, except for Yu Ping Peak..."

She paused briefly.

Stroking her smooth chin, Huang Su said seriously, "Since Master Miao Yin does not stop you, then it seems you may also go to Yu Ping Peak."

"Master... Uncle, you jest."

Xie Xuanyi wiped sweat from his brow and took the jade token.

His earlier argument had, at least, avoided the fate of becoming a disciple of Huang Su.

But he still couldn't escape calling this young girl Master Uncle...

Master Uncle it is then.

He still needed Huang Su's help with the investigation during this time.

Now as the acting head of Lotus Peak, the young junior sister, though of tender years, spoke with authority and wielded great power.

Um... if he hadn't misjudged, the junior sister now also had a formidable punch.

"I'm very interested in the investigation," said Huang Su curiously. "Why not talk about the clues you've gathered over the years and where you plan to start your investigation?"

Xie Xuanyi sat at the edge of the table, looking at the flickering candlelight that had been lit once more.

He rubbed his temples, slipping into distant memories.

Since waking up in Yuzhu Town, Xie Xuanyi had always felt like a "jigsaw puzzle" pieced together—perhaps because he had been dead for too long, his memories were no longer coherent. He had to exert a great deal of effort, force himself, in order to recall past chapters...

Memories of falling into the ice-cold North Sea surged into his Divine Soul.

First, they froze in place, and then they began to stream backward.

Retreating in time, he returned to the North Sea, to Northern County, to Qing State, and then back to Jiangning—

No.

Forward.

The temporal junction was at the border between Qing State and Jiangning Territory.

Xie Xuanyi's Divine Soul arrived above a desolate wilderness.

There, he saw his past self, dressed in black, his face pale, his abdomen drenched in blood with a long sword wound.

If it were merely a flesh wound, it would not have been a concern...

But the sword wound had torn through flesh, and Sword Intent had pierced into his Dantian and Grotto Heaven.

This very sword...

Was the "beginning" of a thousand-mile flight.

Xie Xuanyi clutched his forehead, instinctively trying to recall the origin of this "sword wound."

But at that moment, his Divine Soul began to ache, a painful force interrupting his recollection... After several breaths, he steadied his breathing and decided to put aside the "sword wound" to clarify this fragment of memory left in the wilderness.

The wild grass flew about, and a solitary crane cried mournfully.

With each gust of wind, blades of grass were lifted, striking the face of the past Xie Xuanyi. When the grass left his cheeks and black clothes, they were more or less stained with blood.

Xie Xuanyi's Divine Soul stood behind his past self.

After countless blades of grass scrabbled past—

He saw a familiar figure.

The cries of the solitary crane settled into a haunting silence.

Across the wilderness, a lean figure approached face-on.

Xie Xuanyi's Divine Soul trembled slightly. During his journey to Da Sui Sword Palace, this wilderness memory had surfaced more than once, but every time he saw the figure opposite him, it was obscured by the flying grass and incredibly vague. But this time, he finally saw clearly the face of the person coming towards him.

His Divine Soul slowly merged with his past self.

Xie Xuanyi closed his eyes, and when he opened them again...

Memory and reality seemed to blur into one.

The face of Si Qi was now within arm's reach.

["Brother, are you alright?"]

Upon closer inspection of Si Qi's face, it would be noticed that, like his past self, Si Qi's face did not look much better, his eyes sunken and complexion sallow.

["..."]

Xie Xuanyi could not hear what he had said clearly. His voice, coming from his throat, was indistinct.

But he did see.

He lowered his head to cough up quite a bit of blood, then pulled a letter from his garment.

Ultimately.

This letter was handed to Si Qi.

...

...

"My master left Jiangning, fleeing to Qing State, and sent out a letter along the way."

"A letter?"

"Everything started from there. So, I want to begin my investigation with this letter."

Xie Xuanyi blew gently on the candle flame in front of him, making it grow a bit larger, and then he spoke tiredly, "If the clues I have are correct, this letter should have ended up in the hands of Uncle Si Qi."

Huang Su stared at the young man before her with uncertainty.

She voiced her first doubt, "Back then, Brother Xuanyi held many Divine Soul Orders in his hand. If he truly wanted to pass on a message, why would he need to rely on a letter?"

Even unto this day.

The exchange of letters remains the most common means of communication in the Dachu Dynasty.

Though the Divine Soul Order is indeed convenient, it is not widely used.

Generally speaking, only the core cultivators from the major sacred lands and noble families possess communicative magic artifacts.

But for a Sword Immortal of Xie Xuanyi's caliber, of course, these concerns are irrelevant.

"Under normal circumstances, one would indeed use a communication magic artifact."

Xie Xuanyi let out a long sigh, "Master of the mountain, think carefully. At that time, which would be better, a magic artifact or a letter?"

All magic artifacts can be "traced back to their source."

The presence of the round instrument allows one to peep through cause and effect to observe the progression of certain events or even forcibly divine the will of heaven.

The use of a Divine Soul magic artifact is bound to leave traces.

But a letter...

As long as one finds the right person, someone suitable, worthy of trust...

Then it would be safer and more secure than using a Divine Soul magic artifact.

"Do you mean to say that Brother Xuanyi was in danger at that time..."

Huang Su murmured, "He realized something was amiss and called Si Qi as a 'messenger'."

It had always been the disciples of True Hidden Peak who were responsible for "delivering messages."

Although Si Qi cultivated on Lotus Peak, his master was the former Lord of True Hidden Peak.

This task,

indeed, no one was more suited for it than him!

"...Indeed."

Xie Xuanyi spoke slowly, "At that time, a Divine Soul magic artifact was already unreliable."

"How did you come to hold this clue?"

Huang Su locked her gaze on Xie Zhen, posing her second question.

"When my master was gravely injured and on the verge of unconsciousness, he revealed some details."

Xie Xuanyi said calmly, "Do not forget what the Book Collection Pavilion is for."

Chen Jingxuan's predictions deciphed the secrets of heaven, foreseeing all world events.

This sentence dispelled Huang Su's doubts.

"If Si Qi is the 'messenger,' why have I never heard of it?"

Huang Su's gaze was somewhat lost and confused about the events of ten years ago, much like the majority of the disciples of Da Sui Sword Palace.

They didn't know what exactly had happened.

Even the Sealing Mountain event was incredibly abrupt.

Ten years ago, Huang Su was still weak, coincidentally in seclusion.

By the time she emerged, everything was over.

However... she had a vague feeling that Xie Zhen's arrival had unveiled a corner of the hidden truths from back then.

At least there was one thing she could confirm.

That was, Si Qi had been hiding something from her.

For a full ten years, Si Qi never mentioned "delivering messages" to her. She had no idea that Xie Xuanyi had sent letters to the Da Sui Sword Palace, let alone that Si Qi was the messenger.

"It's quite normal."

Xie Xuanyi said with a smile, speaking warmly, "Da Sui Sword Palace isn't just Xie Xuanyi's Sword Palace alone. Since he perished in the battle of the North Sea, all matters should come to a close. Knowing these things isn't a good thing for you as the master of the mountain."

Given Huang Su's temperament, she would undoubtedly have caused a major uproar.

Why bother?

"Wait here, I will go up to True Hidden Peak right now."

No sooner had she spoken than Huang Su stood up.

"???"

Xie Xuanyi quickly reached out to hold her back, "Wait... what are you doing?"

"If that Si dares to deceive me, I'll surely give him a good thrashing."

Huang Su rolled up her sleeves while speaking coldly, "He's really too bold! Something this significant, and he dares to keep it from me!"

"Calm down."

Xie Xuanyi sighed deeply, "If you storm up to True Hidden Peak, what position would that put me in?"

Huang Su took a deep breath and sat back down.

Seeing this, Xie Xuanyi felt somewhat relieved.

Both Si Qi and Huang Su were pitiful children he had encountered during his travels outside, with notable aptitudes and distinctive traits. Therefore, he picked them up and brought them back to the Sword Palace for gradual cultivation.

Huang Su's aptitude in the Sword Dao was particularly exceptional.

Therefore, she was favored by the master and taken in as a disciple.

Although Si Qi's qualifications for cultivation couldn't compare with Huang Su's, he was upright and shrewd in conduct. Together they made a balanced pair: one upright, the other extraordinary; the sum of the two just so.

Xie Xuanyi believed he understood their temperaments.

"So what do you think should be done?"

Huang Su took a deep breath before speaking.

"Investigation, naturally we start with that."

Xie Xuanyi stated earnestly, "Going directly to True Hidden Peak is the worst of the worst strategies. Should the matter escalate, everyone will learn of my identity, and investigating the case will encounter many obstacles. Now that we've locked down the 'messenger,' it might be better to find a time to have a good talk. Given Uncle Shi Si Qi's nature, perhaps after a drink or two, he won't be able to hide it anymore."

"It seems you're quite familiar with Si Qi's nature?" Huang Su narrowed her eyes slightly.

"After all, having joined the Book Collection Pavilion, I did do some homework."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head and replied, "I don't know Si Qi well, but a little investigation reveals... he can't hold his liquor."

"Very well... we'll do as you suggest."

Huang Su peered across the candlelight at the youth before her, "What are your plans for the coming days?"

"Since I've taken the Identity Jade of Lotus Peak, there's no need to bother with the hubbub of the Sword Qi Festival. These coming days, I plan to visit Xiao Chong Mountain."

"The Book Collection Pavilion?"

"Exactly... all case files in Da Sui Sword Palace, by routine, are archived and eventually make their way into the Xiao Chong Mountain Book Collection Pavilion."

Xie Xuanyi stated calmly, "I know that special case files like those of the North Sea incident won't be archived, but during the period of the mountain's sealing, there were other case files that could come in handy. During this time, I will go to the Book Collection Pavilion to investigate the case file access records of True Hidden Peak before the mountain was sealed ten years ago, as well as the 'exit records' of external sect disciples..."

"Interesting," Huang Su raised an eyebrow, "Is this an idea supported by Chen Jingxuan?"

"Certainly."

Xie Xuanyi lowered his bamboo hat slightly, smiling, "It's all part of the master's arrangement."