Thousand Dusts Ferry Me - Chapter 12

The door was slowly pushed open, and a figure walked into the room.

Judging by the silhouette, it appeared to be a man, tall and strong with an imposing physique. In the darkness of night, he wore all black, his face indistinguishable.

As soon as he entered, he spotted Jiang Baiyu standing vigilantly by the door. After a moment’s pause, he drew his sword and slashed at Jiang Baiyu.

His sword was unexpectedly a greatsword, with a wide and thick blade, even longer than typical greatswords. When wielded, it moved with tremendous power and momentum, creating a deep whooshing sound through the air.

Jiang Baiyu dodged the sword with a slight tilt of his head, then stepped back several paces to distance himself from the mysterious man.

The opponent’s slash missed, and as he prepared to continue his attack, he suddenly realized there were two other people in the room, both with weapons drawn.

Yun Qing was closer, and her sword tip darted forward like an agile snake. The man blocked it with his sword, producing a clear metallic “ding” as they collided.

Yun Qing felt as if her blade had struck a wall of bronze and iron. Inwardly surprised, she thought, “This man’s strength is truly remarkable.”

Indeed, who would use such an enormous sword without the strength of an ox?

Fu Xue’s sword followed immediately, slicing down through the air. The man hastily sidestepped, his movements becoming somewhat frantic.

Jiang Baiyu seized the opportunity as the man dodged Fu Xue’s sword and swept out with a kick.

His kick and Fu Xue’s sword intent arrived almost simultaneously. The man apparently hadn’t anticipated that Jiang Baiyu’s leg strikes would be so fierce and swift. Having dodged the sword, he couldn’t evade the kick and was sent tumbling to the ground.

The mysterious man was alert; knowing he was outmatched, he used the momentum from the kick to retreat to the doorway, shaking his head and saying, “I’ve stirred up a nest of monsters. What rotten luck!” With that, he jumped up and turned to flee.

Fu Xue cursed, “You shoehorn spirit, who are you calling a monster!”

The three pursued him. The man ran to the courtyard and, hearing Fu Xue’s words, turned around angrily to look at her. “Your insults are too offensive!”

“Pooh!”

He was provoked. “Today I’ll teach you evil demons the power of this young master!” With that, he threw down his greatsword with a clang and took out a folding fan from his waist.

First, he twirled the fan in his hand a couple of times, making a flourish, then snapped it open with a whoosh. He recited:

“Brows like distant mist, eyes holding frost,

Graceful jade steps shine in flowing light.

If only the beauty would grant a lasting smile,

I’d forsake Penglai’s elixir of immortality—appear!”

Fu Xue scolded, “Reciting your spell so loudly, how arrogant! Are you trying to provoke us?!”

Yun Qing stared intently at the folding fan. As the man finished the last word, a wisp of green smoke suddenly rose from the fan surface, dispersing straight into the air and instantly transforming into a woman in colorful clothes.

The colorful-clothed woman wore her hair in a high bun, and her garments were as brilliant as smoke and clouds, emitting a soft, jewel-like radiance in the darkness.

She had bright red and white flowers adorning her hair, fragrance pouches and jade pendants hanging at her waist, and she held a basket full of fresh flowers in her fair hands. Her hair was black as clouds, her skin white as snow, with an icy beauty and jade-like bones, indescribably beautiful.

The beautiful woman in colorful clothes floated in the air, coldly looking down at everyone.

With her glance, Yun Qing felt a powerful spiritual force spreading out, frost-like and snow-like, emanating a piercing chill.

Yun Qing’s heart tightened. She gripped her sword with her backhand to guard her chest, leaning slightly to shield Fu Xue, watching the mysterious woman in the air with a defensive posture.

A moment of silent confrontation, the air congealed for an instant. Then, the beautiful woman in colorful clothes suddenly moved.

Yun Qing thought, here she comes!

The beautiful woman slowly descended, light as a feather. After landing, she stood barefoot on the blue stone ground and walked step by step toward the three.

And then—

Her body suddenly inclined downward, and she gracefully knelt on the ground, her posture submissive.

The mysterious man froze.

Yun Qing also stared in astonishment at this scene, stammering, “Th-that’s too polite.”

Jiang Baiyu chuckled and said, “For an evil spirit, you’re quite courteous.”

The man retorted angrily, “You’re the evil spirit. I came here to catch ghosts.”

“What a coincidence, so did we.”

“I don’t believe it. If you’re catching ghosts, why live in a haunted house? I saw that foul-mouthed one—”

As he spoke, he pointed at Fu Xue, “—even climbed onto someone’s bed. I think you’re playing tricks, using this place as your lair.”

Yun Qing pinched her brow, somewhat embarrassed, “We couldn’t afford an inn.”

“…Huh?” He was speechless, looking as if he’d seen a real ghost.

“Trust me, if we were really bad people, you’d be a corpse by now.”

What could the man say, watching the colorful-clothed beauty kneeling on the ground? Even his own magical treasure was kneeling to them. He knew how powerful this treasure was, which demonstrated how formidable his opponents’ cultivation must be.

So he nodded and said, “You’re right.” With that, he waved his fan, said the word “Return,” and recalled the beautiful woman in colorful clothes back into the fan. He bent down to pick up and sheathe his sword, then cupped his fists toward the group. “My name is Cheng Suiyan. I was truly rash earlier. Please forgive me.”

“No matter, we also acted inappropriately.”

“Yes, you really know how to insult people.” Thinking of “shoehorn spirit,” Cheng Suiyan’s tone was still somewhat hurt as he touched his face and said quietly, “My face isn’t that long, is it?”

Fu Xue scratched her head, “Sorry about that… I’m Fu Xue.”

“I’m Yun Qing.”

“Jiang Baiyu.”

Cheng Suiyan smiled and said, “We’ve truly become acquainted through our conflict. Since you can’t afford an inn, let me treat you—consider it my apology.”

Fu Xue asked, “Aren’t you going to catch ghosts anymore?”

“Not now. After all this commotion, the ghosts have been scared away. Let’s rest at the inn first and reconsider tomorrow.”

Yun Qing wasn’t in a hurry either, so she nodded and smiled, “Sounds good. Will there be late-night snacks?”

“Yes, yes, whatever you want.”

****

When he said “whatever you want,” Yun Qing thought he was exaggerating, until they actually arrived at the inn and she finally believed it.

This inn turned out to be the largest and finest in all of Guangling City, called “Immortal Capital Cloud Lodge.”

Even at this late hour, the guest hall was brightly lit, fragrant breezes wafting through, with many attendants on night duty waiting to serve distinguished guests.

By the candlelight in the guest hall, Yun Qing and her companions finally saw Cheng Suiyan’s appearance clearly.

He had a broad forehead and chin, sword-like eyebrows and eyes full of spirit, with an imposing presence. He appeared to be about the same age as them, around twenty, with clear and bright eyes that suggested a lack of cunning.

Most eye-catching was the greatsword on his back.

Generally, precious swords are either worn at the waist or carried on the back, with those on the back typically secured by a single shoulder strap.

His sword, however, had double shoulder straps. The black leather straps crossed and tightly bound across his chest, indicating the sword’s immense weight.

Cheng Suiyan noticed Yun Qing staring fixedly at his sword. He smiled generously, unfastened the sword, and handed it to her, saying, “If you want to look, have a good look.”

Yun Qing grasped the sword hilt with her right hand. The hilt was wide and long, suitable for someone with large hands, making it awkward for her to hold.

The process of drawing the sword was also quite difficult, not because she lacked strength—spiritual cultivation could compensate for that—but because the sword was simply too long, and her arm span wasn’t wide enough.

Jiang Baiyu caught the scabbard with an amused look. With his help, Yun Qing finally managed to draw the great sword.

Yun Qing swung it a couple of times, feeling it was no different from wielding an iron hammer. She asked, “This sword must weigh over a hundred catties, right?”

Cheng Suiyan smiled broadly. “The blade is four inches wide and four feet three inches long. The entire sword, not counting the scabbard, weighs exactly one hundred and twenty catties. Its name is Beihai!”

Fu Xue’s mouth opened, “That heavy? It’s like carrying half a pig around all day. Aren’t you tired?”

“Why would I be tired?”

That question stumped Fu Xue, so she tried a different approach. “Don’t you find it heavy?”

Cheng Suiyan shook his head. “No, I’m not comfortable using lighter swords.”