Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 80: In the End, It’s Buried Deep Underground, Never to See the Light Again

　　You Qianhe’s dream was shattered.

　　He had thought everything would go just as he planned, but in reality, after he left, that girl still remained unknown and unheard of.

　　She didn’t become a Sword Saint.

　　Did she still put down her sword in the end?

　　Then what was the point of him hiding his name and disappearing for so many years?

　　All his persistence for fifty years, all those years of loneliness, in just one moment, turned into nothing but a bubble, bursting completely.

　　The white-haired old man sat there in a daze. The once straight back seemed to collapse in an instant, his figure now looking hunched and worn.

　　An Jiu looked at him, her expression hesitant as if she wanted to say something but held back.

　　She wanted to comfort this pitiful old man, but technically, she shouldn’t know anything about You Qianhe’s past.

　　So, she couldn’t say a word.

　　While An Jiu was still hesitating, she suddenly heard footsteps coming closer. She turned toward the sound and saw a man and a woman walking out of the woods. They looked a bit messy, like they had just crawled out from deep in the mountains. Their heads and clothes were covered in grass and leaves.

　　The man wore a brown, slightly worn martial outfit. The woman wore a neatly tailored but practical green long dress. They were chatting as they walked.

　　The moment An Jiu saw them, her eyes instantly lit up.

　　Aren’t these the male and female leads?

　　“Brother He! Miss Lin!” She stood up and waved at them.

　　The two of them also noticed her. Lin Qingyan called out in surprise, “An Jiu! What are you doing here?”

　　At the same time, Fei Chen turned around when he heard the commotion and got up to greet them. “Greetings to you both.”

　　Lin Qingyan glanced at An Jiu, then at Fei Chen. “What happened here?”

　　Beside her, He Ziqing’s gaze landed on the white-haired, youthful-looking old man in the courtyard. He couldn’t help but study him curiously.

　　He mumbled softly to himself, “I wonder who this person is…”

　　A moment later, the four of them sat together, exchanging information.

　　“So, you’re saying the Bodhi Seed was stolen by the Qiansha Pavilion, and now An Jiu has caught the attention of Qiansha Pavilion’s Master, Xian Wuming. That’s why you came to find us?”

　　“That’s right. It’s dangerous for An Tanyue to be out there alone. Staying with you both is the safest option,” Fei Chen said.

　　Lin Qingyan nodded in understanding. “Makes sense. Then An Jiu can continue traveling with us. But we probably still have to head into the mountains again to look for someone. Wuyi Mountain isn’t that big, but we’ve searched almost the entire place and still haven’t found anyone...”

　　He Ziqing, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke. “No, we’ve already found him.”

　　At once, all three pairs of eyes turned to He Ziqing.

　　He quickly stood up and walked toward the little thatched hut.

　　In front of the hut, the white-haired old man was sitting on the ground facing the bonfire. His eyes were blank, his expression dazed, as if his soul had drifted far away.

　　He Ziqing approached the old man, but the man didn’t seem to notice him at all. He didn’t even turn his head.

　　By now, dusk had quietly settled in. The sky was growing darker, and the flickering bonfire cast a warm, shaky light that danced across the old man’s face, turning his white hair a shade of glowing red.

　　“Senior, are you You Qianhe?”

　　He Ziqing cupped his fists and bowed politely.

　　As soon as he spoke, Lin Qingyan and Fei Chen both widened their eyes in shock.

　　An Jiu, who already knew the story, still pretended to be clueless. She leaned over and softly asked, “Who’s You Qianhe?”

　　Lin Qingyan, still looking surprised, leaned in and whispered back, “You Qianhe was the Sword Saint from fifty years ago. They say his swordsmanship was unmatched in the world. He was the strongest person in the martial arts world at that time. Super impressive. But he disappeared ages ago. It’s been fifty years now. I only know about him because my grandfather used to mention him. Back then, my grandfather forged a divine weapon for him. It’s the Han Shang Sword, which is now ranked third on the Divine Weapons List.”

　　Meanwhile, even after hearing He Ziqing call his name, the old man remained silent, his eyes still blank as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

　　Lin Qingyan asked, “Brother He, are you sure you didn’t mistake him for someone else? Is this really Senior You Qianhe?”

　　He Ziqing couldn’t help but frown a little, as if something didn’t quite make sense.

　　He paused for a moment, then spoke again. “Senior, my master’s name is Ruan Xinrou. Have you heard of her?”

　　At that moment, the old man who had been sitting there motionless suddenly jolted, as if snapping out of a long daze. He looked up sharply at He Ziqing.

　　“Who did you say? Who’s your master?”

　　“My master is Ruan Xinrou,” He Ziqing repeated slowly, word by word.

　　The old man stared hard at He Ziqing, as if someone lost in darkness had suddenly seen a ray of light. He studied him from head to toe, his eyes growing brighter the longer he looked.

　　Without saying a word, the old man suddenly sprang to his feet, grabbed a nearby firewood stick, and swiftly attacked He Ziqing.

　　He Ziqing was caught off guard, but after so many years of training, his body reacted instinctively. When he saw the burning firewood stick stabbing straight toward him, he quickly leapt back and raised his arm to block.

　　His arm clashed with the firewood stick, making a loud crack as a spray of sparks exploded in the air.

　　“Brother He!” Lin Qingyan was startled by the old man’s sudden move and instinctively stepped forward.

　　Fei Chen quickly reminded her, “Miss Lin, don’t be alarmed. That senior doesn’t seem to have any intention of hurting him.”

　　Lin Qingyan had let her emotions get the better of her, but as she calmed down, she realized the old man’s attacks were all carefully measured, as if he was just testing He Ziqing.

　　The old man and the young man began sparring right there in the woods. Lin Qingyan and the others watched from the side, not daring to interrupt.

　　The old man’s sword skills were exceptionally sharp and clearly on a higher level than He Ziqing’s. At first, He Ziqing used his arms to block the firewood stick, but soon his arms were covered in dark scorch marks from the burning wood.

　　He quickly realized the old man was actually guiding him through each move. He adjusted his mindset, reached behind him, and drew his sword.

　　That sword almost never left its sheath. Along their journey, few had ever forced him to draw it. Yet today, this old man managed to push him to that point.

　　As the sword sliced through the air, it let out a sharp, ripping sound.

　　Just from the cold glint of the blade, you could tell it was incredibly sharp. But when it clashed with the plain-looking firewood stick, the stick remained completely unharmed while He Ziqing’s sword trembled violently, letting out a low hum.

　　His first strike didn’t succeed. He Ziqing quickly suppressed his surprise, steadied his arm, and launched another thrust.

　　He Ziqing’s swordsmanship was simple and straightforward. He didn’t have many moves, but each one targeted vital points directly. What made his style unique was his incredible speed.

　　His sword was incredibly fast. When one strike failed, he would immediately flow into the next. At his fastest, he could unleash hundreds of strikes in the blink of an eye.

　　He was so fast, so fierce, that his sword seemed like a sudden downpour, catching people off guard and pressing down on them with overwhelming force.

　　Those who faced him often felt like they were completely surrounded by swords, as if the rain was falling from all directions, and every drop was a blade. The bright, cold sword tips turned into countless raindrops, leaving no room to escape.

　　Whenever He Ziqing drew his sword, almost no one could get away from him.

　　But this time, every single strike, every falling raindrop, was blocked!

　　The old man swung his firewood stick in wide, powerful arcs, leaving streaks of dark shadows in the air. Those shadows overlapped and wove together, forming an impenetrable shield.

　　Every white raindrop was stopped by that shield. Not a single drop could break through.

　　The clashing sounds rang out one after another, crisp and dense, like the clash of weapons or the pattering of a heavy rain.

　　“What amazing swordsmanship!” Lin Qingyan stared wide-eyed in awe.

　　An Jiu was also surprised. It was just a wooden stick. How could it block the sword so perfectly and hold up under such pressure?

　　Probably noticing her confusion, Fei Chen explained, “This senior has already reached the realm where his sword energy can extend beyond his blade. It doesn’t matter if it’s a firewood stick. Even if he were holding just a silk ribbon, it would cut like a sharp sword. When you reach this level, anything can become a sword.”

　　While the few of them were chatting, the sparring between the old man and He Ziqing also came to an end.

　　The flaws that Lin Qingyan and Fei Chen could see were naturally clear to He Ziqing too.

　　He quickly leapt out of the old man’s attack range, sheathed his sword, cupped his fists, and said, “Senior, I admit defeat.”

　　He had already met someone even his sword couldn’t defeat. There was no point in continuing the fight.

　　The old man stood in place, slightly hunched, holding his firewood stick. Even after the sparring match, he didn’t look tired or out of breath at all.

　　His eyes were shining like stars in the night sky as he stared at He Ziqing. The more he looked, the more pleased he seemed. He nodded repeatedly. “Not bad, not bad! Kid, you’re really something!”

　　“Come here, tell me about your master. How is she doing these days?” The old man waved He Ziqing over, his tone warm and friendly.

　　During that sparring match, the old man had already realized this kid’s swordsmanship was outstanding. Some of his moves even faintly resembled his own. And since the kid had mentioned his master was Ruan Xinrou, it was clear that she hadn’t given up on the sword all these years.　　

　　So, maybe his own efforts hadn’t been wasted after all.

　　He Ziqing naturally understood that this was the man he had been looking for.

　　Even though he had finally found him, his expression didn’t ease. In fact, it grew even more serious.

　　“Senior, you still haven’t answered my question. Are you You Qianhe?”

　　You Qianhe smiled gently. “Yes, I am. Since you are Xinrou’s disciple, you should be calling me grandmaster.”

　　But He Ziqing shook his head and asked again instead of answering. “Senior, I came here under my master’s orders to find you. She has one question for you. Do you regret the choice you made back then?”

　　You Qianhe paused, the happiness in his brows fading a little. His expression grew complicated.

　　He stayed silent for a while, then said in a low voice, “No, I don’t regret it.”

　　As long as she was still walking the path of the sword, everything he did had not been in vain. He had no regrets.

　　After a moment, he couldn’t help but ask, “Since she taught a disciple like you, it means she kept practicing swordsmanship. With her skills, why hasn’t her name spread throughout the martial world?”

　　Hearing his answer, He Ziqing wasn’t surprised at all. He stared deeply at the old man with his head full of white hair and said in a firm voice, “Master said she knew what you wanted. That’s why after you left, she hid her name and stayed deep in the mountains, never stepping into the world again. She said that was her revenge against you.”

　　The moment those words fell, the old man trembled all over. His face was full of disbelief.

　　“Why… why would she… has she been resenting me all this time?” His eyes began to shimmer with tears.

　　He Ziqing’s face remained calm as he said, “Yes. Master said the thing she hated the most was that you never even gave her the chance to choose.”

　　“If you didn’t want her to get caught up in love, you could have just said so back then. Master was never the kind of person who would stubbornly chase after someone who didn’t want her. You were the one who agreed to marry her. You never told her how you truly felt, so she thought you wanted it too. You Qianhe, you always traveled the world, always surrounded by beautiful women. You always claimed you were heartless, but you were actually the one who was most easily moved. If you had made everything clear and not shown that unnecessary affection, why would she have forced herself to walk the path of the sword?”

　　“Master also had things she wanted. She lost her family right in front of her eyes. All she wanted was to have a family. If you didn’t want to give her that, she could have gone and found it somewhere else. But you disappeared without a word. You forced her onto the sword path in this way. Did you ever ask what she wanted?”

　　“You wanted her to reach the peak of the sword path, to stand at the summit. But Master never wanted to fulfill your wish. After you left, she spent the rest of her life alone in the mountains. She never let go of the sword, but no one ever saw her use it again.”

　　“That breathtaking, unmatched Liu Shuang Sword from back then was eventually buried deep in the ground, never to see the light of day again.”

　　By the time he finished, He Ziqing’s voice was already choked with emotion.

　　He had been picked up by his master from the mountains when he was a child. Back then, she was already almost fifty. The two of them had depended on each other for so many years in that deep mountain forest. In his memories, his master had always been gentle and loving.

　　She would patch up his training clothes when they tore. She would tend to his wounds when he got hurt. She would watch over him all night when he was sick. His master had given him a quiet, boundless motherly love, just like his real mother would have.

　　He had no parents since he was little. In his heart, his master was his mother.

　　But sometimes, his master would also show a silent, sorrowful side, especially when she was teaching him swordsmanship.

　　When he was young, He Ziqing didn’t understand why his master was so sad, but he could vaguely feel that it was because of the sword.

　　So every time he practiced, He Ziqing would go deep into the mountains to fight wild beasts, honing his sword skills.

　　He only asked his master for guidance when he hit a bottleneck.

　　There was even one time when he saw his master quietly crying while holding her sword, and in frustration, He Ziqing blurted out that he would never practice swordsmanship again.

　　His master didn’t scold him. Instead, she patiently asked if he really didn’t want to continue.

　　The truth was, that wasn’t it. He Ziqing genuinely loved the sword. He enjoyed practicing, even though his talent wasn’t that great and he could never beat his master. She could knock him down effortlessly with just one or two moves.

　　But still, he loved the sword.

　　That time, his master gently patted his head and said, “If you love it, then keep practicing. Don’t force yourself to do things you hate, but also don’t give up so easily on the things you love.”

　　He Ziqing asked, “But Master, you don’t like me practicing the sword, do you?”

　　His master shook her head and smiled softly. “It’s not the sword I resent. A sword is just an object. What really makes me feel sad is a person.”

　　Little He Ziqing boldly said, “That person also used a sword, right? Master, I will work hard and become strong. When I leave the mountain one day, I’ll find that person and get revenge for you!”

　　Before she passed away, his master only asked He Ziqing to find You Qianhe and deliver a message.

　　The one who truly wanted to challenge You Qianhe was He Ziqing himself.

　　The promise he made as a child was something he never forgot.

　　He wanted to defeat him fair and square, to make You Qianhe understand exactly what he had done wrong.

　　“Senior, I know I’m not as skilled as you, but I still dare to ask for a proper match with you. In half a month, I’ll invite martial artists from across the land to witness this fight.”

　　You Qianhe stayed silent for a long time before slowly replying, “When I draw my sword, someone has to die.”

　　He Ziqing’s expression didn’t change. “Whatever happens, I’ll take full responsibility.”

________________

Author’s Note:

Imagine this: a talented kid who doesn’t want to follow this path x a parent with strong control issues who forces the kid in the name of love and sacrifice.

No one can really say who’s right or wrong, so in the end, they just end up tormenting each other.

……

T/N: Haha, you know what, I don’t fully buy what Ruan Xinrou said either. She told He Ziqing that if You Qianhe had told her to her face that he didn’t love her, she would’ve let him go. But is it really that simple? Sometimes we tell ourselves we can move on, but the truth is, we’re already in too deep to back out. If she could really let go that easily, would he have needed to run away in the first place? Would she have spent her whole life alone? If her revenge was truly to never touch the sword again, then why didn’t she just marry someone else and live happily? Honestly, I think that would’ve been the best revenge—building the happy family she always wanted and never picking up the sword again. In the end, I think neither of them really knew how to handle love, freedom, or the weight of expectations. They ended up tying each other down without even realizing it. Painful, but real.

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