The Legacy of Tangxi

Unlike Lei Ling, who found a soulmate amidst ‘high mountains and flowing waters,’ Ye Di, a century prior, had forged many deep friendships through his mastery of the sword.

Indeed, he had found numerous confidants.

Among these acquaintances was a young woman who favored green robes. Displeased that Ye Di was hailed as the foremost master of the sword, she challenged him to a duel atop Jade Void Peak.

Yet, she waited and waited, but the figure she had yearned for day and night never appeared.

Instead, a carrier pigeon arrived, bearing a message.

It stated that Ye Di, having been overcome by the [Eight Gates Golden Lock] formation—a masterpiece of power collectively unleashed by the Nine Grand Elders of the Star-Plucking Pavilion, who had exhausted their life’s cultivation—was imprisoned in the underground palace of Luoyang, unable to keep their appointment.

Immediately, she tore the scroll into shreds, and with her sword strapped to her back, she descended the mountain, crimson maple leaves swirling like a tempest in her wake.

A lone figure, armed with but a single sword, she plunged into the dragon’s den and tiger’s lair, carving a bloody path through the entire underground palace of Luoyang.

Within the dungeon, a flash of silver light erupted.

As she swung her sword, severing the wrist-thick iron chains that bound Ye Di’s limbs, he slowly slumped against the wall, barely managing to lift his head.

The figure, utterly bathed in blood, came into his view, her once-beloved green robes now almost indistinguishable beneath the crimson.

He offered a weak smile. “Now, if you wish to spar with me, victory is assuredly yours.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Lin Qingyi would never take advantage of another’s misfortune.”

She lowered her gaze to her own blood-soaked robes, then offered a wry smile. “Now, I am ‘Red-Clad.'”

Henceforth, the martial world ceased to address Lin Ke as ‘Lin Qingyi.’

A more resounding and formidable title, truly born from her acts of slaughter, replaced it: [Hundred Miles of Red] Lin Ke.

It took Ye Di a full half-year of recuperation to finally restore his body to health.

Lin Ke, for her part, complained that she was finally free from the daily grind of brewing medicinal soups and cooking rice porridge for him.

She would often emerge from the kitchen flustered, carrying steaming bowls, sometimes even yelping from the scald of a hot rim.

It was truly impossible to reconcile this clumsy image with the formidable, renowned [Hundred Miles of Red] of the martial world.

Later, during their idle chats, Ye Di remarked, “Had it not been for your timely intervention, I, Ye, the self-proclaimed foremost swordsman, would have surely perished in Luoyang.”

Lin Ke simply shrugged. “Don’t overthink it. It’s merely that Lin Qingyi values promises above all else and detests those who break their word.”

Ye Di chuckled. “Regardless, I owe you my life.”

Of the nine legendary swords of antiquity, Lin Ke harbored a particular fondness for [Tangxi].

Yet, the ancient forging method for [Tangxi] had long since been lost to time.

As they lamented its loss, Ye Di playfully suggested, “Since Gan Jiang and Mo Xie were forged with human sacrifices, perhaps [Tangxi] merely lacks a similar catalyst.”

Lin Ke, a fanatic for swords, found herself greatly intrigued by this notion.

Their original agreement for a duel was thus rendered void.

A new, solemn pact was forged: should the day come when Ye Di faced his demise, Lin Ke would personally take his bones, blood, vital organs, and spirit to forge the sword.

However, that day would never arrive, for the Sword Immortal was soon to face the Demon Lord in a decisive battle of life and death.

Before his departure, Lin Ke, in a desperate rush, hurried to see him.

Her voice, usually so spirited and bold, was now tinged with an uncharacteristic panic. “You, you’re truly leaving?”

Ye Di, knowing full well that he would not return, wished to avoid a tearful, heartbreaking farewell.

He raised a slightly trembling hand, gently stroking her hair, and spoke reassuringly. “Lin Yatou, when the time comes, go to the summit of Immortal’s End Peak. I’ve left you a…”

He had intended to say that a treasured [Tangxi] sword, one that had slain the Demon Lord, lay quietly there, awaiting its green-clad master to retrieve it.

He lamented that he could not personally hand it to her.

Unaware that Ye Di’s complexion was far paler than usual, Lin Ke merely widened her eyes, which brimmed with both anxiety and anger. “Then what about my sword?”

Ye Di froze, the words he intended to speak suddenly caught in his throat, utterly inexpressible.

Under her accusatory gaze, he felt goosebumps prickle his entire body.

Ye Di felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, and the hand resting on Lin Ke’s head retracted as if shocked by an electric current.

How peculiar. He had envisioned a farewell scene that would be, at least, mildly poignant.

He had imagined the young woman would follow the path he had left behind, traversing difficult, rugged trails and enduring the biting mountain winds.

At the summit, she would embrace the [Tangxi], that unique masterpiece which slew without staining its blade, the sole sword of its kind in the world.

Then, he thought, she would remember him for a while—perhaps for days, months, or even years.

Occasionally, when her gaze fell upon the sword he had bequeathed to her, her heart would stir, and her butterfly-like eyelashes would flutter softly.

This would have been quite good. Though helpless in the face of destiny, Ye Di believed it to be the Sword Immortal’s best possible end, imbued with a faint touch of poignancy.

He was suddenly jolted awake, as if struck by a hammer.

He raised his eyes, meeting Lin Ke’s angry, questioning gaze.

The solitary, tragic hero had, in an instant, transformed into a faithless prisoner.

Ye Di lowered his head, an overwhelming urge to flee in disarray seizing him.

In truth, just a few feet away, within the sword box on the table, lay the [Tangxi].

It was the sword he had forged by nearly expending his entire spirit and essence, leaving him almost like an old man on the verge of death.

However, his trembling hands, pale complexion, and weak voice would naturally go unnoticed by the young woman opposite him, whose mind was solely fixed on the treasured sword.

‘Everyone cherishes and cares about different things,’ Ye Di mused.

‘Therefore, do not judge others by your own standards, nor presume that you have sacrificed or given a great deal.’

‘Otherwise, an overwhelming torrent of cold mockery and sarcasm will extinguish your candle-like fragility and passion.’

Ye Di nodded, then slowly rose.

He felt the blood in his veins run cold.

He straightened his body slightly, even as his creaking spine sent agony to his very marrow.

Lin Ke finally seemed to perceive his weakness, looking up with a strange expression.

No, it was merely an illusion.

Standing there was still merely the majestic, upright, seemingly omnipotent Sword Immortal.

Ye Di offered a faint smile. “Lin Yatou, I, Ye, will not break my promise. It’s just that [Tangxi] is temporarily needed for an urgent matter. When the time comes, go to the summit of Immortal’s End Peak and retrieve it.”

Lin Ke’s eyes flashed as she perceived the implication in his words. “Then you…”

Ye Di chuckled. “A friend who doesn’t keep their word might as well be dead.”

****

The ‘bad guy’ hadn’t responded for a long time, his gaze somewhat unfocused, as if lost in a distant, ancient memory.

Xu Niantang bit her lower lip, nervously tilting her face up to look at him.

Whenever [Tangxi] was mentioned, he seemed utterly lost in thought. Could it be that the Sword Immortal Ye Di had displeased him?

But that person was from a century ago; what connection could they possibly have with this ‘bad guy’?

Ah, Xu Niantang suddenly recalled her own past declaration: ‘I will marry no one but the Sword Immortal Ye Di.’

For some inexplicable reason, her heart grew anxious. She secretly tilted her head, glancing at Ye Di, but he remained utterly unresponsive.

‘Perhaps I should clarify first,’ Xu Niantang thought. ‘Which young maiden in love wouldn’t admire the Sword Immortal Ye Di?’

‘But admiration and love are different,’ she mused.

‘With the former, she would only wish to watch from afar, chatting about him without any burden, like a boast or a declaration.’

‘However, if her heart truly harbored someone, she would constantly wish to be close to him.’

‘Occasionally, even through completely unrelated details, she would recall him with a knowing smile.’

‘When speaking of him to others, her heart would pound, as if she were handling a fragile treasure, her words involuntarily becoming gentle and cautious.’

Inexperienced in such matters, Xu Niantang encountered this unusual state in someone she cared about for the first time, growing flustered and a little scared as her mind raced with wild thoughts.

Ye Di suddenly spoke. “Look, this [Tangxi] sword in the newspaper? I forged it.”

“Ah, mm.” Xu Niantang, relieved that he finally spoke, quickly offered a response.

“Hmm? Strange, why aren’t you mocking me now?” Ye Di glanced at the young woman with a hint of surprise.

Xu Niantang saw that the ‘bad guy’ had been lost in thought for a long time.

When he finally spoke, it was about ‘[Tangxi]’ and ‘I forged it,’ which made her believe he was feeling competitive, somewhat indignant, and determined to prove himself superior to the Sword Immortal Ye Di.

She quickly reached out and tugged his sleeve, saying softly, “Actually, I think you’re much more amazing than him.”

Ye Di: ?

Seeing his utterly bewildered expression, Xu Niantang quickly added, “Aside from wielding and forging swords, he’s not that remarkable. You… you can do that too! And you can steal things, and scold people—you’re so much better than him…”

“Wait, wait.” Ye Di quickly motioned for the young woman to stop. “Are you certain those last parts were meant as compliments?”

Xu Niantang was practically frantic.

She feared the ‘bad guy’ might lose his mind and insist on competing with the Sword Immortal Ye Di.

What if, by comparison, he genuinely felt inadequate and became dejected and melancholic?

That man had been dead for a hundred years; a living person could never truly surpass a dead one, whose glorious image was already cemented in history.

‘Why would you insist on comparing yourself to him?’ she thought.

In her panic, Xu Niantang blurted out everything on her mind without filter.

“Not only can you steal things! And when you scold me, I actually feel quite happy! Your name sounds better than his! Although those picture books are all over the place, and I don’t know what he looks like, he’s definitely not as handsome as you! Most importantly, most importantly, I think you are just *you*, and there’s no need to compare yourself to anyone else…”

As she spoke, her voice softened.

Passersby on the street paused, surprised by the young woman shouting in the middle of the street.

Ye Di grew even more bewildered. How had he woken from his memories only to hear such a passionate monologue from the young woman?

He touched Xu Niantang’s forehead, wondering if she had a fever.

He considered taking her to the Fanjitang on North Street to see a physician and get some medicine.

However, Xu Niantang, like a startled kitten, flinched and hopped away.

She had charged forward on a surge of hot-blooded emotion, spilling all her inner thoughts.

Now, having calmed down, she felt so embarrassed she wished to burrow into the ground and be crushed to death.

Xu Niantang, her face burning crimson, glared up indignantly at the culprit who had made her embarrass herself in broad daylight.

“Why were you standing there like a dazed idiot, unresponsive for so long just now?”

Ye Di, of course, had no idea of the young woman’s intricate inner turmoil. When asked, he simply replied,

“Oh, that? Didn’t the report say [Tangxi] had reappeared? I was just thinking that the martial world is about to face another upheaval.”

“Tch, why?” Xu Niantang was very combative now, like a lit powder keg, ready to retort to anything.

Ye Di said, “This is the [Tangxi] sword, you know. Countless people desire it. I expect many lives will be lost over it.”

“It’s just a sword. Only an idiot would sacrifice their life for it!” Xu Niantang continued to sharply challenge him.

Ye Di chuckled softly. “Miss Xu, this is where you don’t understand. Your spring sword is already considered a good item, isn’t it? But [Tangxi] is two tiers higher than your sword. Do you think people won’t fight tooth and nail for it?”

“I can certainly understand fighting for a treasure, but if someone dies, they lose everything!”

“That’s why I say you don’t understand. For a unique, legendary sword of this caliber, many people would even die just to witness its splendor…”

“Tch, anyway, if it were me, I wouldn’t care how good a legendary sword was. If someone important died because of it, I’d be even sadder.”

“…”

“…What’s wrong? Why aren’t you speaking?”

The ‘bad guy’ beside her had suddenly fallen silent again.

Xu Niantang, worried she had been overly childish, quickly softened her tone and turned to look at Ye Di.

For a moment, she thought she saw an incredibly aged face beneath the sunlight.

How old? It was as if he had weathered a hundred years of time’s vicissitudes.

“It’s nothing.”

Noticing Xu Niantang’s concern, Ye Di blinked and gave her a roguish smile. “You’re right. If someone important died because of it, it would indeed be sad.”

Xu Niantang didn’t know why the ‘bad guy’ was repeating her words. Nevertheless, seeing his expression return to normal, the heavy stone in her heart finally settled.

Ye Di suddenly spoke. “By the way, Xu Niantang, in your recent rambling, you seemed to say something about ‘being happy even when I scold you’… You don’t have some strange fetish, do you?”

!

The young woman’s antenna-like hair shot up, as if she had been electrocuted.

Ye Di’s face blanched in shock. “No wonder I couldn’t shake you off like stubborn glue! So, all this time, my cold shoulder was actually a reward! Xu Niantang, you absolutely must correct your behavior. A little of that is ‘flavor,’ but too much is harmful…”

Instantly, the young woman’s jade foot, by international custom, stomped fiercely on his.

Xu Niantang, for what felt like the umpteenth time today, was utterly infuriated. After stomping, she felt a pang of sympathy, only to stomp again, then angrily looked up.

Yet, she saw Ye Di turn his head, arrogantly scoffing, “Hmph, woman, do not judge others by yourself. Do you think this is a reward for me?”