My Sword Has a Way

Chapter 26 The eldest brother leaves

The old Taoist took the wine gourd from Xu Zhian's hand, took a sip and said, "Xu Zhian, I'm leaving now."

The boy fiddled with the firewood in his hand, his expression not changing at all: "I guessed it."

The old Taoist chuckled: "Don't you want to ask me where I'm going? Or whether I'll take you with me?"

Xu Zhian shook his head slightly and said, "You didn't tell me directly, which means I still don't know. You only said you were leaving, not that we were leaving, which means you had already decided not to take me with you."

The old Taoist took a sip of wine and said helplessly, "Xu Zhian, do you know what I hate most about you? You are obviously a handsome boy, but you always act like you know everything and everything is within your expectations. You don't have the sharpness and youthful arrogance of a young man. Don't you think you don't look like a 14-year-old boy? Aren't you afraid that you won't be able to find a wife in the future?"

The young man smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. I will become a swordsman like you in the future. By then, there will be many girls who like me!"

The old Taoist curled his lips without saying anything, then handed the black ancient sword next to him to the young man.

"I'm handing this black sword over to you. You must learn to use it well. Although it has been nurtured by your luck for nearly fifteen years, you are still not very familiar with it and it may be a little awkward to use. So you must practice chopping and sword skills every day until you swing the sword a million times."

Xu Zhian took the black sword with both hands and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, just like a friend he had known for a long time suddenly visited him, which made him happy.

The young man carefully examined the black sword in his hand. The sword was about three feet and two inches long and pitch black. He didn't know what material it was made of. A hint of sword energy was faintly visible, and the edge was intimidating. Several black dragons were entwined on the hilt, which looked majestic and impressive. The hilt with uneven textures made it look even more tough.

The young man asked seriously, "Old Taoist priest, can this sword fly?"

Before the Taoist priest could reply, the black sword trembled a few times and flew out of the house. Sword shadows flickered in the yard, and sword energy was everywhere. Dust was flying in the yard, and the temperature dropped sharply.

The young man stared at the scene in front of him for a long time without saying a word. This sword could actually understand human language and attack others on its own, which was really against common sense. But he was relieved immediately. Now he was also a cultivator, and the sword given by his senior brother could not be an ordinary thing.

The old Taoist looked at the young man who looked like he had never seen the world, and suddenly he was in a good mood: "Xu Zhian, you must remember, when you are fighting against others in the future, try to use this sword as little as possible to prevent others from seeing the clues and becoming covetous. Of course, as long as they are not some old monsters, ordinary practitioners will not be able to see anything, so you don't have to worry too much."

Xu Zhian nodded and replied, "I'll make a note of it."

"return!"

Xu Zhian called out softly, and the black sword arrived in an instant, trembling slightly towards the young man as if showing some intimacy, or as if seeking credit.

Xu Zhian held the black sword and suddenly felt that he had an illusion of looking down on the world. He couldn't help but shook his head and said, "By the way, when are you leaving?"

The old Taoist took a sip of wine and replied, "I could have waited a little longer, but I am a poor man and I can't sit still."

After the old Taoist finished speaking, he looked towards the beams of the house with a lazy look.

Seeing that the old Taoist was in a bad mood, Xu Zhian said seriously, "Brother, where is our sword pavilion? I will come to find you later."

"The Sword House? It's in the sky."

The old Taoist answered casually, and the young man frowned and said, "In the sky?"

The old Taoist chuckled and said, "Boy, now that you have entered my sword house, you have to venture into the world by yourself. This will be very beneficial for your sword practice. Only by traveling thousands of miles can you see the vastness of the world, meet millions of people, and know the treacherous hearts of people. Only by swinging the sword thousands of times can you prove your true self in swordsmanship. So young man, this world is very exciting, Xu Zhian, you must go and take a look!"

The young man carefully noted down every word the old Taoist said, and asked in a serious tone, "Where exactly is the Jianghu? How do I get there?"

The old Taoist took a sip of wine and said, "The Jianghu is right at your feet! After I leave, you will head to Yancheng. There is a ferry to the East Sea Kingdom on the cliff south of the city. Show this sign and these ten mountain ghost coins, and the old man guarding the mountain will let you board the boat."

The old Taoist handed the boy a wooden sign and a cloth bag. Then he said, "When you arrive at Qimu City in the East Sea Kingdom, you will get off the boat and go to Jianya to comprehend the sword spirit and sharpen your sword heart. When you have refined the sword energy, you can go out into the world again."

Xu Zhian carefully wrote down every word the Taoist said, fearing that he might miss any important information. The Taoist turned around and looked at Xu Zhian who was listening attentively, and smiled with relief.

Xu Zhian asked: "Old Taoist priest, will you come back?"

The old Taoist looked at the firewood in the brazier and chuckled, "I probably won't come back. I've been here for more than ten years. Now my mission is considered complete. Why should I come back? Of course, if you get married, I will definitely come to ask for wedding wine!"

When the young man heard this, he suddenly felt uncomfortable. This village was very ordinary and had no scenery. Now, everyone he knew, whether friends or relatives, had gone far away. Now he finally had someone to talk to, but he was also about to go on a long journey. After this separation, it might take years before they meet again. This really made Xu Zhian a little sad.

Seeing this, the old Taoist patted the boy on the shoulder and said, "The book says that all good things must come to an end. Xu Zhian, you don't have to be sad. The book also says that there are encounters everywhere in life, and a fledgling bird will eventually spread its wings to the sky. Take this special mountain ghost coin with you, and treat it as a meeting gift from your senior brother."

The old Taoist hung a special mountain ghost coin around Xu Zhian's neck. The young man was slightly stunned when he saw the copper coin, which was one size larger than the ten mountain ghost coins in the cloth bag.

The old Taoist patted the boy's shoulder again and said, "This mountain ghost coin was given to me by my master more than a hundred years ago. Today, I will give it to you. This mountain ghost coin is actually a storage box. It is as big as this small room. You can put things that are inconvenient to carry in it. When you want to use it, you only need to think about it. Remember, don't show your wealth to others."

Xu Zhian looked at the thin old man in front of him without saying a word, letting the Taoist talk on and on, but there was an inexplicable sense of loss in his eyes. Many years later, the young man realized that it was the pain of separation.

The old Taoist looked at the depressed boy and said with a chuckle, "Xu Zhian, haven't you always asked me what my name is? Have you always wanted to know where the Qi family where your little sister is?"

The young man nodded vigorously, his eyes full of hope.