Zhan Chun - Chapter 57
But it was Yang Shen who died, the disciple whom he personally instructed in martial arts and taught the principles of being a good person.
So after a long, long silence, the master could only say softly, "Death is also a relief for him. Living is tormented by hatred and emptiness, so letting go of everything will probably make things easier."
Yichun stared at him: "How can you say that so easily, making such a judgment about him so casually? Yang Shen's efforts have been negated by your words. How do you know he is tormented by hatred and emptiness? How do you know he doesn't want to live a happy life?"
Once again, the master was speechless.
Yi Chun lowered her head: "He knew the secret of Grandmaster's brocade pouch before I did; Master told him beforehand. You were afraid I wouldn't be able to act if I knew, so you revealed it to him first. Master, is this the result you wanted—to see us kill each other? Now that he's dead, and Jianlan Manor has been renovated so beautifully and grandly, are you satisfied? You and your son will be set for life from now on, waiting for the Yan family to make Jianlan Manor famous. We can just be left aside, only needing to be good watchdogs?"
"Shut up!" Master's thick eyebrows shot up, and he suddenly stood up from his chair, but his legs couldn't support him, so he fell back down.
It was only then that Yichun noticed that his two lower legs were twisted at a strange angle, clearly broken by someone's palm strike, and that the delay in treatment had left him a cripple who could not walk.
Seeing Yichun staring intently at his calves, the master's face turned pale, and he said in a deep voice, "What could you possibly know at such a young age!"
She really doesn't understand anything.
When the Yan family came to smash the gates of Jianlan Manor, they used more than just ten thousand taels of silver; Master's legs were the best evidence of that.
Yichun bit her lip; it felt like something was stuck in her throat, and it hurt.
She whispered, "I understand Master's predicament, and I know that there is no simple right or wrong in this world. I just don't want to follow the same path as them."
She knelt down and kowtowed three times before him, then got up and left.
The master called out from behind, "Yichun! Yang Shen has passed away. You are the only one in this world who can inherit the Zhanchun Sword!"
She shook her head: "I don't want to."
Master said again, "If you don't want it, the Spring-Slaying Sword will be taken away by the Yan Clan, and dozens of people in my Jianlan Manor will never see the light of day again."
She paused for a moment. Her master took out a precious sword from a hidden compartment under the chair. The scabbard was a deep green, like spring water, and it was slender and long.
This is the world-renowned Zhanchun Sword, and also the symbol of Jianlan Manor. Only by possessing it can one truly control the power in the Xiangxi area and make the martial arts world submit.
The master tossed the sword to her, saying, "Take it well. Just consider it a sharp weapon. It will be helpful for you as you travel the world and seek justice."
Yichun passively caught the Zhanchun Sword, and found it much lighter than an ordinary iron sword. Passed down through generations, the hilt was worn and old, but its deep, vibrant green color remained beautiful.
She looked down at the Zhanchun Sword for a moment, then asked softly, "Yanmen... if we want to ask Master for the sword?"
The master smiled faintly, a trace of his former arrogance still appearing on his weathered face: "This is the only thing we cannot give to them."
Yichun gently stroked the Zhanchun Sword in her hand. How much she had wanted to inherit it! The entire meaning of being human was contained within it.
She had once smugly fantasized about the dashing figure of a young man in fine clothes, riding a spirited horse, and wielding a sword that seemed to cut through the springs of the world. It must have been very eye-catching and flamboyant.
But this once light and delicate sword now feels so heavy in my hand, heavier than a person's life.
From beginning to end, everything was for this Spring-Slaying Sword.
Master said, “I have already cleared out the idlers from the manor. They are not martial artists and need not get involved in this turmoil. Your parents are in Ningyu Town, Yongzhou. Go and see them.”
Yichun tied the Zhanchun sword to his waist and left Jianlan Manor.
Throughout the journey, she repeatedly recalled everything that had happened, was happening, and was about to happen, leaving her feeling somewhat exhausted. Occasionally, she couldn't help but pick up the Zhanchun sword and examine it closely, discovering that there were words engraved at the top of the hilt. Due to its age, it was difficult to make out that it was the sword's name, "Zhanchun."
The character "斩" (cut) was made of iron and silver, exuding a sinister and bloody aura, as if it were about to pierce through the character "春" (spring).
This is probably a truly demonic sword; those who get close to it will never experience spring.
My parents lived a leisurely life in a small village in Ningyu Town. They no longer had to work as servants, and with their life savings, they were not hungry or cold.
When her mother saw Yichun, she could only cry. She held her face and said over and over again, "How come you've become so thin? You must have suffered a lot outside. Talk to your husband properly. A young lady shouldn't go out in the wind and rain anymore. It makes him feel so bad!"
Her father looked around and asked her, "Where's that young man who came last time? What's his name, Yang Shen? Why didn't he come with us? I was hoping to play a few games of chess with him."
Before she could finish speaking, Yi Chun felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart by a sharp weapon. One stab wasn't enough; it was stabbed countless times, as if she were pouring out all the emotions that had accumulated over the past few days.
He was still there during the Chinese New Year, his clothes were tattered, but he stood straight and didn't look disheveled at all.
He had clearly said that he would repay her thirty taels of silver when he made money in the future, and when he said that, his eyes crinkled with laughter, full of youthful cunning.
He once said that nothing in this world is unchanging, but that's not true; there must be things that remain constant. Now she knows he was trying to tell her that he loves her and that his love will never change.
He also said that we should not worry about the Spring-Slaying Sword and the Reducing Orchid Manor. The world is so big, we should go to many places to play.
He said a lot, and she remembered every single one of his words.
But she didn't give him the most important words.
What I want to say is: even if he has no money, no background, nothing, and even carries a deep-seated hatred, none of that matters. Liking someone is never about these things. As long as two people can be together, for a very long time, nothing is insurmountable. In the long run, looking back, all those hardships will seem like fleeting clouds. As long as the two people can hold hands, that's enough.
She used to like Mo Yunqing and thought it was true love. After being rejected, she was so frightened that she shrank back and dared not have any other thoughts. Even though she had already realized that Yang Shen liked her, she pretended not to know and used her younger brother as an excuse to reject him.
In this world, the last words she left him regarding her feelings were, "I've always treated you like a younger brother."
I love you too, we'll be together forever—she couldn't let him know.
“He’s gone, reunited with his family, and will never be lonely again,” she said.
The tears that had been delayed finally fell like rain.
Yichun stayed at home for half a month, and then quietly left again one morning, leaving a letter saying that he was going out to clear his mind.
Six months later, a sect called "Jianlan Manor" quietly disappeared in the martial arts world. There were many different stories about the whereabouts of the manor's owner. Some said that he hid with the Zhanchun Sword, unwilling to let the Xiangxi forces be swallowed up by the Yan Clan; others said that he had already entrusted the Zhanchun Sword to a reliable person and was silenced by the Yan Clan.
Whatever the story, no one ever saw the owner of the manor again.