“Was that just now a threat?”
Li Xingyao stood outside the courtyard gate, clenching her teeth fiercely.
Fine, then. Let’s see what happens…
She snorted coldly.
And made up her mind to find undeniable proof that Lin Ci was two-faced!
However, the fact that Lin Ci was throwing matches was something Zhuge Cai and another Chief Disciple had discussed, which she had overheard by chance.
So even if she confronted Zhuge Cai, he would definitely deny it.
That wouldn’t serve as a witness to expose Lin Ci.
She didn’t know if there would be any clues to find on Wenxuan Peak…
Li Xingyao glanced at the sky; the sun hung high, already past noon. If she didn’t go home now, Mother might be unhappy.
Maybe she’d sneak out again tonight!
With that thought, Li Xingyao could only leave reluctantly for now.
Xia Xiaochan sat motionless on the ground, clutching that branch in her hand. So far, an entire afternoon had passed.
Senior Brother had instructed her to comprehend Sword Intent, and she followed his orders, but hadn’t made much progress.
Just now, she had concentrated fully on observing the Sword Intent.
Although she could indeed sense that cold, biting aura, how exactly to comprehend it? She had no answer.
Moreover, what exactly was Sword Intent?
Unlike Heart Law or Sword Techniques, Sword Intent lacked any tangible carrier and was elusive, intangible.
Many times, Xia Xiaochan felt she was on the verge of understanding it, but after careful thought, it seemed she understood nothing at all.
Thus, the afternoon slipped by just like that.
Still, she didn’t despair. She knew this was definitely a challenge Senior Brother had left for her.
What exactly was Sword Intent?
Only by understanding this could she truly grasp Sword Intent.
Just as Xia Xiaochan’s thoughts spiraled deeper and she was about to get stuck in a dead end,
Suddenly, a sharp sting interrupted her contemplation.
“Shh—”
Xia Xiaochan gasped, feeling a sharp pain in her head as if someone had snapped her forehead hard.
Luckily, it was just a brief pain, no injury.
“Did Sword Intent attack me?”
She recalled Senior Brother’s earlier warning: Sword Intent doesn’t distinguish friend from foe and must be approached carefully.
Wuwuwu, Senior Brother, I’m sorry, I was careless just now…
Rubbing her forehead, Xia Xiaochan bowed her head in self-blame.
But at the next moment, she suddenly realized a question…
Why would Sword Intent attack me?
Because Sword Intent doesn’t distinguish friend from foe, it indiscriminately attacks anything that approaches?
It couldn’t be that simple…
The complexity of Sword Dao was beyond imagination. Xia Xiaochan began to think on a deeper level and came to a conclusion.
Only the one who tied the knot can untie it!
Of course, she didn’t mean directly asking Senior Brother.
She meant tracing back Sword Intent through what Senior Brother had left behind, thinking from its owner’s perspective.
This time, Xia Xiaochan chose to completely empty her mind.
She no longer desperately sought to comprehend Sword Intent but accepted it, letting her mind fuse with Sword Intent and gathered the aura that belonged to Lin Ci…
A moment later, she opened her eyes.
Everything around her had changed.
She had arrived at the center of Sword Intent, surrounded by a thick white mist, which shifted according to her mental movements, transforming in moments into a magnificent Family Courtyard.
At the very center of the courtyard, a small figure was awkwardly practicing sword techniques.
“That’s… Senior Brother as a child?”
Xia Xiaochan was surprised.
That adorable child, still innocent, looked exactly like a miniature version of Senior Brother!
Xia Xiaochan wanted to walk over and pinch little Senior Brother’s cute cheeks, but found herself only able to watch, unable to move.
Little Lin Ci seemed not to see her either.
At that moment, the white mist billowed again.
At the courtyard’s front gate, the mist took the form of a group of children around Lin Ci’s age, dressed like ordinary commoners. They chattered noisily as they ran in.
When they noticed Lin Ci, they looked startled, then immediately panicked and all dropped to the ground:
“Young Master Lin Ci…”
“We didn’t know you were here. We weren’t trying to disturb your sword practice. Please don’t tell the adults—we don’t want to get spanked…”
Little Lin Ci tilted his head slightly, put down his sword, and asked:
“What are you doing?”
“We…”
The children looked nervous, “Playing hide-and-seek.”
“Hide-and-seek?”
Little Lin Ci took two steps forward, blinking, “What’s that? Can you teach me to play?”
The children smiled bitterly:
“The adults said that Young Master is going to become a Sword Immortal and is different from us lowly people. Anyone caught playing with you will definitely get punished!”
“Please, Young Master, have mercy on us…”
The children’s eyes were full of pleading. Lin Ci looked at them confused.
Then someone outside the courtyard shouted, “I’m counting to ten!” Immediately, all the children jumped up and ran off like startled birds.
Little Lin Ci stood alone in the courtyard.
He paused, said nothing, showed no expression, bent down to pick up his long sword, and began practicing the next set of Sword Techniques…
The mist kept shifting.
Scene after scene played before Xia Xiaochan’s eyes: spring, summer, autumn, winter; the courtyard transitioned to Wenxuan Peak. Little Lin Ci gradually grew up.
Five years old, six, ten, fourteen…
He kept practicing swordsmanship.
Childhood friends, teachers, fellow disciples, strangers…
Countless people came and went, but no one ever stayed by his side.
Xia Xiaochan stood where she was, witnessing everything from a god’s perspective.
At some point, she realized she had bitten her lip until it bled…
Only when the final scene ended did the white mist slowly dissipate.
In a dim space, the youngest Little Lin Ci appeared nearby, sitting with knees hugged tightly, face buried deep in his arms.
Xia Xiaochan cautiously stretched out her hand and was thrilled to find she could move—she was no longer just an observer.
She stepped forward.
She wanted to touch that small figure, to hold him tightly, to tell him…
“Don’t come closer!”
Suddenly, a cold Sword Qi shot out, leaving a finger-long wound on the back of Xia Xiaochan’s hand.
“You’ll get hurt…”
Lin Ci didn’t lift his head. His voice was faint and bleak, “Anyone who comes near me will get hurt.”
“I’m not afraid!”
Xia Xiaochan stepped forward again, only to be met by countless Sword Qi streaks flying at her like a fierce gale, slashing her tender skin.
Numerous tiny wounds appeared on her face and body.
She clenched her teeth in pain.
In truth, by now, she had already comprehended the essence of Sword Intent.
Sword Intent was emotion.
Anger, regret, resolve, arrogance… The moment a swordsman strikes, his emotions settle and accumulate over time, forming Sword Intent.
The stronger the emotion, the more powerful the Sword Intent.
Senior Brother’s Sword Intent was “loneliness.”
Because it was loneliness, anyone who approached would be hurt.
“See? You already understand. Why do you still come closer?”
Lin Ci’s voice came from behind the storm of Sword Qi. “Leave, just like the others… or you will keep getting hurt.”
“I’m not afraid!”
Xia Xiaochan stubbornly faced the overwhelming Sword Qi storm, step by step, struggling to approach Lin Ci, to approach… Senior Brother’s Sword Intent.
Her body, concentrated by her mind, was now covered in wounds, and the scenery before her blurred.
Sword Intent was about to vanish…
Xia Xiaochan gritted her teeth and took a final leap forward. After enduring the last round of Sword Qi, she finally reached the flickering figure of Little Lin Ci.
Before the Sword Intent completely dispersed, she tightly embraced him.
She only wanted to say one thing, while there was still time.
And gently said: “Sorry, Senior Brother. I came too late.”
“But don’t worry…”
The wind began to blow again…
On the other side of the peak, Lin Ci, who had just completed the Sword Manual, was about to rest when a familiar gentle voice sounded in his ear:
“Don’t worry, Chan’er isn’t leaving.”