First Immortal of the Sword

Less than ten days remained until the Central Immortal Court’s opening ceremony.

Over the past half month, the winds rose and the clouds gathered throughout the Immortal Realm. The event to begin in just ten days was at the eye of the coming storm, and everyone was paying attention!

Moreover, Sect Leader Qi Nie of the Church of the Pure One had announced that this grand occasion was to be called the Immortal Peach Assembly.

The Immortal Realm’s old-timers recognized the reference. Prior to the Age of Fallen Immortals, the Central Immortal Court hosted Immortal Peach Banquets at the Jade Pool at regular intervals. They invited only the most illustrious experts of the Immortal Realm. The Immortal Peach Banquet was the grandest occasion in the Immortal Realm, and without this invitation, not even Great Realm experts were qualified to participate.

Now, Qi Nie wanted to re-establish the Central Immortal Court, and he’d even chosen the name of “Immortal Peach Assembly” for the occasion. This naturally left ample room for thought. Apparently, he even went as far as to prepare Immortal Peaches as welcoming gifts for the occasion.

Su Yi heard the news, but he turned up his nose at it. He couldn’t even be bothered to comment.

He’d spent the past few weeks in leisure. Aside from a brief stop at the Academy of Eternal Night to see Qing Wei, Immortal Queen Liu Yun, Immortal Kunwu, Daoist Master Red Cloud, and the others, he spent all of his time with the ancient Tang Family.

To his surprise, killing Fu Tianyi’s emissary, Zhan Heng, didn’t invite any sort of retribution.

After giving the matter some thought, Su Yi understood. The Church of the Pure One’s forces were focused on the upcoming Immortal Peach Assembly, and Su Yi had already announced that he planned to attend. They naturally wouldn’t take reckless action under these circumstances.

This was, perhaps, what they called “the calm before the storm.”

It was on this day that Su Yi left the Tang Family and set off on his own.

There were three provinces separating the Middle and Central Plain Provinces, not that great of a distance.

The ceremony to commemorate the re-establishment of the Central Immortal Court, the Immortal Peach Assembly, was to be held atop Cloudsoar Peak, on the bank of the Jade Pool. It wasn’t particularly far away. Su Yi set off early not because he was afraid he’d be late, but because all this peace had made him restless. He wanted to seize this rare moment of leisure to take a stroll and see what there was to see.

It didn’t matter whether he traversed the red dust of mundanity or the mountains and rivers of the wilderness. Either way, he’d be giving himself a chance to clear his head. After all, the more important something was, the more important it was to remain calm and clear-headed. Today, he calmly watched the wind and waves. Another day, he’d smile as he determined the direction of the world!

From that day forth, Su Yi was like a solitary passerby, traversing heaven and earth.

He took in the joys, sorrows, reunions, and partings of the red dust of mortality, indulging in the smoke and fire of this floating world.

He took in the transformations of nature amidst the boundless wilderness, sleeping with the sky as his blanket, sitting on the ground, drinking with the moon, and lying drunk before the flowers.

Seven days passed in a flash, and Su Yi cast all thoughts of worldly strife to the back of his mind. He was like a solitary traveler, with only the moon and stars for company, but he was never bored or lonely. The sun, moon, and wind were his friends, as were the trees, grasses, and every rock and grain of sand. And wasn’t the sword his friend too?

He even had the Book of Karma to chat with.

…

Late at night, on the banks of a creek running between the mountains.

Sparsely lit stars flashed overhead, and a humid night breeze blew past. Mist rose from the surface of the burbling water.

A bonfire blazed on the shore. Su Yi had rolled up his sleeves, and he was roasting a fish. As the fat dripped into the fire, it crackled, and an enticing, savory fragrance permeated the air.

“What a wonderful smell!”

A short old man in plain cloth robes appeared out of nowhere and stared at the golden fish. He couldn’t help but gulp.

A moment later, he approached and inclined his head in greeting. “Don’t be afraid, little brother. This old man lives in these mountains, and it’s been years since I last saw an outsider.”

Su Yi gestured to the spot beside him. “Have a seat.”

The old man straightforwardly agreed, then stared intently at the fish. “Little Brother, can I trade you something for some of that fish?”

Su Yi said casually, “No need. If you want to eat, I’ll share.”

The old man’s eyes lit up. He exclaimed, “How kind of you, young man! Rest assured. Once I’ve eaten, I’ll make sure you leave these mountains safely!”

Su Yi smiled, then gave him half of the fish.

The old man ate with relish, fat dripping down his cheeks. After exclaiming over Su Yi’s culinary prowess, he took out a jug of wine and passed it to Su Yi. “This is A Hundred Drunken Flowers. I brewed it myself. Please, try it.”

Su Yi accepted the jug and had a sip. “A lovely flavor.”

The old man broke into a satisfied smile and explained the wine’s distinctive qualities.

Once he’d eaten and drunk his fill, the old man stretched and was just about to leave when he hesitated. In the end, he took off the medallion hanging from his waist and passed it to Su Yi. “Little Brother, these mountains are dangerous, but carrying this will keep you safe.”

Su Yi was stunned, and he was just about to refuse when the old man burped and walked off, swaying with intoxication. Before long, he’d vanished into the darkness.

When Su Yi examined the medallion, he couldn’t help but smile. This little yao cultivator’s quite the righteous sort.

Su Yi recognized the old man for a minor yao cultivator of the Spirit Dao before he’d even approached. A paltry cultivation base like that was nothing to him, but he didn’t care about that. If he didn’t like them, not even a god was worthy of dining with him. Conversely, if he liked them, he’d happily drink and feast with even an ordinary mortal.

Tonight, they’d happened upon each other by chance. He treated the old man to roast fish, and the old man treated him to wine. It was a joyous occasion, and that was enough. What made it so rare and precious was that the old yao cultivator didn’t just repress the murderous intent within his heart. He even offered Su Yi a medallion out of concern for his safety in this perilous mountain wilderness.

When the fire went out, Su Yi used his arms as a pillow. He listened to the burbling creek and gazed up at the flickering stars. From time to time, a gentle breeze caressed his cheeks. It brought with it the characteristic smell of the wilderness, the fragrance of its trees and grasses. The soft chirping of insects only made the night seem all the more tranquil.

Su Yi emptied his mind and fell fast asleep.

Several hundred miles away.

Beneath the cover of darkness, the mountains were shrouded in fog.

The tipsy old man suddenly stopped and let out a deep breath. He slapped himself across the face and murmured despondently, “In the path of cultivation, the strong eat the weak, but I’ve never been able to do it! This time, because of my softheartedness… I even gave my medallion to that young man…. I…. I’m far too useless!”

He sat on the ground and slumped in dejection.

These mountains were crawling with yao cultivators. They were incomparably perilous.

He’d been fortunate to encounter a young fellow who looked as if he’d just left home for the first time. To many other yao cultivators, a kid like that was the perfect prey. But this short old man couldn’t bring himself to attack. It wasn’t that he’d suddenly developed a conscience; he’d simply never done anything like this since gaining sapience. The mountain’s other yao cultivators had mocked him for this countless times over.

“I don’t want to hurt other people. I certainly don’t want to harm a young man I have no grudge against. Oh well, forget it. I’ll let him go, but I’ll be sure to harden my heart next time!” The short old man let out a long sigh.

Would he really be able to do it next time?

He wasn’t certain. He often steeled himself and decided to become crueler, but he always backed out in the end.

Whoosh!

The old man suddenly gazed into the dome of heaven. A thousand-foot ferocious black bird was soaring toward him, its bright red eyes shining like lanterns.

The old man’s hair stood on end. Damn! It’s the Blood-Eyed Yao King!

The Blood-Eyed Yao King ruled over three thousand miles of mountains, and he was incomparably brutal and terrifying. It seemed he’d discovered the old man and set his sights on him!

The old man turned to flee.

Boom!

A fierce wave of wind swept forth. A moment later, the Blood-Eyed Yao King appeared ahead of him, his lantern-like blood-red eyes fixed on the old man.

“Oh? It’s that cowardly, inept little yao. Hah! I can’t even be bothered to kill you.” The Blood-Eyed Yao King recognized the old man at a glance, and his eyes shone with derision. He turned, beat his wings, and flew off.

“....” For the first time in his life, the old man realized that sometimes, being weak and useless could save your life!

When the Blood-Eyed Yao King left, the old man wiped the cold sweat from his brow and let out a long sigh.

A moment later, his expression shifted. “This is bad! I have to warn that young man as quickly as possible. He can’t let the Blood-Eyed Yao King discover him!”

He was just about to take action when he hesitated. He and the young man had just happened upon each other by chance. Was it worth risking the Blood-Eyed Yao King’s wrath to warn him?

The old man’s expression filled with uncertainty, but in the end, he stamped his feet, gnashed his teeth, and said, “It’s fine! I’ll warn him just this once. Next time, there’s no way I’ll risk it!”

With that, he dashed off. When he reached the creek, he came to an abrupt halt and visibly lost his composure.

The Blood-Eyed Yao King was circling overhead. He’d already set his sights on the young man sleeping soundly beside the creek!

What do I do? The old man was frantic with agitation.

Before he could think of a solution, the Blood-Eyed Yao King dove for Su Yi, extending his sharp claws.

“Watch out—!” the old man cried out on pure instinct. He didn’t even stop to think.

Su Yi was fast asleep, but a smile tugged at his lips.

A wisp of clear sword qi rose into the firmament. Stinging, radiant sword qi illuminated the night sky, shining throughout the mountains.

Splurt!

The Blood-Eyed Yao King exploded into bits mid-descent. Chunks of flesh and splattered blood turned to ash and scattered to the wind.

“This…” The old man blurted in a daze.

The glint of his sword illuminated the nine heavens!

It was so dazzling and so tyrannical that the Blood-EyedYao King died in the blink of an eye!!

“Why did you come back?” Su Yi appeared out of nowhere.

The old man jumped, then stuttered, “I… I…”

But Su Yi seemed to understand. “When you warned me, weren’t you afraid that feathered beast would seek to punish you for it?”

The old man’s entire body went taut. After a lengthy pause, he sheepishly lowered his head and said, “I won’t lie to you. I didn’t think about all that. I just… couldn’t control myself… Looking back on it now, I feel lingering terror…”

Su Yi broke into a gratified smile.

Unaffected kindness, straight from the heart, was the most precious of all.