In the end, Ye Fan[1] was unable to dissuade Ye Beizhi.
Ten miles north of the Imperial Capital,stood a pavilion known as Heartfelt Farewell[2]. Ye Beizhi and Ye Fan stood inside as a carriage waited not far from them.
"Am I bad at convincing people?" Ye Fan laughed. "I never manage to succeed with you."
"Yeah." Ye Beizhi nodded.
Ye Fan chuckled bitterly, turning his gaze north.
"The road ahead will be difficult. I’ve marked the route for you, and given Miss Chi the map and your provisions. Oh, by the way"—Ye Fan glanced at Ye Beizhi with a teasing look—"Miss Chi is a good girl. Don’t let her down."
Ye Beizhi was taken aback, glancing over at the carriage. A servant was carefully lifting Baili Gucheng into the carriage, while Chi Nanwei stood beside it, looking his way. A cold breeze swept past, lifting stray strands of hair at her temples. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself.
Ye Beizhi turned back, suddenly remembering a question he had not asked. "That old man..."
"Sand Scourer Fu Yiran." Ye Fan tapped his fan against his palm. "I thought you were never going to ask."
Ye Beizhi thought for a moment and said, "He claimed... he's a Heaven-ranker."
Ye Fan nodded. "Technically, he is a Heaven-ranker, but his rank is far more prestigious than the Heaven-rankers of today... After all, he lived through the martial disaster forty years ago."
Ye Beizhi looked at Ye Fan with a puzzled expression.
Ye Fan knew what Ye Beizhi wanted to know, so he patiently explained, "Forty years ago, He Wenxian and his lineage clashed head-on with the Ghostbane Association. Their conflict stirred up a tidal wave that swept across the entire martial world. The jianghu was in turmoil, and everyone lived in fear.
"In the final battle, He Wenxian led an alliance of righteous forces to storm the Ghostbane Association’s stronghold in the Eastern Sea, only to fall into an ambush. In a desperate struggle, he unleashed a final sword technique, a culmination of his life’s devotion to the sword.
"At that moment, the heavens darkened, and tsunamis rose across the Eastern Sea... Only a few survived that sword strike, and Fu Yiran was among them. Back then, he was already a Heaven-ranker of the Ghostbane Association.
"At that time, the Ghostbane Association didn't have Nihil-rankers. Even the most powerful fighters were Heaven-rankers. Fu Yiran had already surpassed the Grandmaster level back then, and forty years have passed since. What level do you think he’s at now?"
Ye Beizhi nodded silently.
"So don’t go around thinking you’re unbeatable, Stormqueller Ye Beizhi. There are plenty of people out there who can put you in your place..."
Ye Fan started to continue his lecture, only to notice that Ye Beizhi had already turned around and was heading toward the carriage.
"Hey!" Ye Fan shouted at Ye Beizhi’s back.
Ye Beizhi turned to look back.
Ye Fan opened his mouth but hesitated, staying silent for a while. Finally, he cupped his fists and said, "Take care!"
Ye Beizhi was momentarily stunned, then slowly nodded, raising his hand in the same gesture. "Take care."
The second floor of Suantian Shrine was where the living quarters were. At this moment, the entire second floor was filled with the pungent scent of medicinal herbs.
Old Man Fu Yiran lay on a sickbed, and Ah San sat by his side.
During the battle that day, Ah San had been injured, but it was mostly superficial; his muscles and bones were untouched. Now, he sat by the bed with bandages on his chest and arms.
Fu Yiran, however, was advanced in age and had suffered severe injuries from recklessly charging through the sword qi. His entire body was wrapped in bandages, but his mind had cleared since.
The room held only the two of them, one was sitting down and looking at the floor. The other was lying down and staring at the ceiling. Neither spoke.
Old Man Fu was the first to break the silence. His voice was hoarser than before.
"Young master Ah San..."
Ah San lifted his head, looking at the old man lying on the sickbed.
Fu Yiran turned his head, directing his gaze at Ah San. "Your junior sister..."
Ah San lowered his head, shaking it slightly. "We couldn’t find her; she may have already left the Capital."
Fu Yiran coughed a few times, hesitating slightly. "Forgive my bluntness, but given the severity of your junior sister’s injuries, if she left the city without prompt treatment, I fear... her situation might be grim."
Ah San nodded, remaining silent.
Ah San suddenly asked in a low voice, "How strong is Impending Sword Baili Gucheng really?"
Fu Yiran hesitated, frowning as he thought for a moment. "Hard to say."
Ah San pressed on, "Then what scared you so on that day?"
Fu Yiran didn’t mind the direct question and pursed his lips before answering, "He... reminded me of an old acquaintance."
"An old acquaintance?" Ah San tilted his gaze toward the old man on the bed.
Fu Yiran sealed his lips and said no more.
Sensing his reluctance, Ah San understood that Fu Yiran didn’t wish to discuss the matter further, so he refrained from pressing on.
Fu Yiran suddenly chuckled. "You wanted to know how strong Impending Sword Baili Gucheng is, didn’t you?"
Ah San looked up at Fu Yiran, waiting for him to continue.
Fu Yiran paused before asking, "Young master Ah San, what level are you currently at?"
Ah San hesitated but then answered honestly, "I’ve been at the Supreme Martial Master level for two years now..."
Fu Yiran nodded. "Heh... I am as well, though I’ve been lingering at the Supreme Martial Master level for nearly fifty years... And even now, I’ve barely touched the threshold of the next level."
"The next level?" Ah San carefully pondered the meaning of Fu Yiran’s words and couldn’t help but gasp. "You mean...?!"
Fu Yiran nodded slowly and said, "For all martial artists in the world, reaching a level where their skills alone are enough to establish a lineage is considered the ultimate goal. We have Martial Masters, Martial Grandmasters, and Supreme Martial Masters.
"Before reaching the Martial Master level, there’s no need to discuss it. Setting foot into Martial Master is to truly enter the realm of martial artists. But have you ever wondered... What lies beyond the Supreme Martial Master realm?"
The astonishment in Ah San’s eyes nearly spilled over.
Fu Yiran sighed, raising his hand and making a grasping motion in the air, as if trying to hold onto something.
Slowly and deliberately, he revealed, "When every movement aligns with the natural order of heaven and earth, when each breath holds the essence of creation, bringing oneself into harmony with the world... This state is what people call the unity of heaven and man. And this realm is known as... Unification."
Ah San’s eyes widened.
Fu Yiran continued, "And that day, when Baili Gucheng drew his sword... he was in a state close to Unification. Had he been fully conscious, I fear you wouldn’t have lasted even a single move against him."
"How... how is that possible?" Ah San murmured, "Heaven and earth acting in harmony... Is that something that people are really capable of?"
"Of course," Fu Yiran said with certainty, a fleeting look of terror shot past his eyes. "I saw it with my own eyes..."
"His name... was He Wenxian."
1. The Ye 夜 of Ye Fan is not the same as the Ye 叶 of Ye Beizhi, although they both share the same sound; 夜 means night, whereas 叶 means leaf. ☜
2. The term used by the author is 十里相送 which literally means accompanying someone for ten li as an act of farewell, The phrase itself comes from an ancient story found in the Records of the Grand Historian (史记), written by the famous historian Sima Qian during the Han Dynasty. In the story, a nobleman named Yue Fei, who was a legendary general and patriot, was sent away on an important military campaign. As a show of deep affection, his mother walked with him for a long distance, even for ten miles, to bid him farewell. This act symbolized a sincere, heartwarming, and emotional gesture of love and care, where the mother accompanied her son for such a long stretch before parting. ☜