I am a swordsman in a strange city

Chapter 94 The Story of the Five Generations
Pei Ju looked around and saw that many students had stood up, and he also saw Teacher Xia looking surprised.

She looked at Pei Ju and couldn't help but ask, "You really mastered the Heart Sword?"

Pei Ju simply smiled. Of course, he could sense everyone's disbelief earlier. No wonder Shi Nanfeng had been acting strangely the whole way. He understood that she suspected she was possessed by a monster.

Therefore, he didn't hold back with his 'Heart Sword' just now.

However, he couldn't hold back either. A 'ghost' had crashed into him, drilling straight into his heart. The feeling was unbearable. His 'Heart Sword' required the concentration of his own intense will. If even a fraction of it was reduced, the will would not become a sword. Therefore, it was difficult for him to hold back.

Pei Ju stood up and said, "Judging from what Teacher Xia said, this Heart Sword seems to be a very high-end thing. Perhaps what I have is not. It is just a demon-slaying sword that arises from my heart."

At that moment, someone in the shadows against the wall suddenly started clapping.

The applause had a strange, awe-inspiring effect, calming everyone's restless hearts.

It was like a gavel being slammed on a table, shaking up all the dust.

Then a voice rang out: "I never expected to actually witness the Demon-Slaying Sword Intent today."

Pei Ju turned around and saw a short but somewhat chubby man wearing a yellow plaid shirt tucked into his suit pants, a watch on his wrist, and leather shoes walking out from the wall near the curtains.

He looks unsophisticated, but he gives off a reliable feeling.

"The reason why people don't believe it is because the Heart Sword is difficult to cultivate and master. Everyone knows that if you have a sword hidden in your heart, you can cultivate it to the point of being able to terrify ghosts and gods. However, this sword is difficult to master and easy to lose. Even if a master teaches ten disciples, it is not certain that one out of ten will be able to master the Heart Sword."

"Moreover, if someone claims to have mastered the Heart Sword without any lineage, a renowned teacher, or any established methods, of course no one will believe them."

Pei Ju looked at this and could feel the magic contained in the other person's clapping, but this magic did not harm him.

"You don't believe me?" Pei Ju stood there, and the aura he suddenly exuded was completely different from when he first came in; it was dignified and sharp.

When he first came in, probably because he was seeking help, his aura was very restrained, but now it's different.

It was closed off before, but now it's starting to open up.

"Your name is Pei Ju?" The chubby teacher didn't answer Pei Ju's question but asked, "From what you just told me, you mentioned the Zhan Gui Jian Tang (Slaying Demon Sword Hall). So, are you the current successor of the Pei family's Zhan Gui Jian Tang?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Ju knew that this person knew about the Pei Clan's Demon-Slaying Sword Hall. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of closeness upon hearing that the other person knew about the Pei Clan's Demon-Slaying Sword Hall.

"Do you know about the Pei Clan's Demon-Slaying Sword Hall?" Pei Ju asked.

"More than a hundred years ago, Pei Fengde brought the Shanjun Temple to Luoshahai City, made friends, and settled down in the city."

"Later, he had a son named Pei Hai'an. Hai'an was weak and loved reading. He had also joined the progressive party at the time and worked for the country. However, he died young. He left behind a son named Pei Jieyang, who was later called Fourth Master. After Fourth Master lost his father at the age of ten, he lived with his maternal grandfather. However, he was aloof. While living with his maternal grandfather, he always carried his father's book basket with a picture of the Shan Jun Temple in it. He carried it everywhere he went and even slept with it."

When Pei Ju heard this, he was stunned, because these were things he didn't know; he had never heard his grandfather talk about his childhood.

He only knew that his grandfather's father died young, but he overlooked how his grandfather grew up after his father's early death. Also, he knew that his grandfather had broken his leg when he was fourteen years old.

"At the age of fifteen, he left his maternal grandfather's house and took the Shanjun Temple to roam the world. When he returned, he brought back a child named Pei Xu, who had been known for his swordsmanship since childhood."

"In the sea city, he participated in the sword competition, and none of his peers could match him. Later, he married Dong Yu, the daughter of Dong Qingcheng, the Taoist of Xijiang. However, due to incompatibility and constant conflicts between the couple, they divorced early. Later, Pei Xu died from being haunted by ghosts. It is said that during the time he was haunted, he vowed to create a sword technique that could kill ghosts and gods. However, due to his early death, no one ever saw it. But now it seems that he did create it, and his descendants have mastered it. If he knew this in the afterlife, he would surely be happy."

Pei Ju stood there without moving, as if he had stepped into the history of his family. He had never thought there was anything wrong with his Pei family before, but now, listening to people talk about it from an outsider's perspective, he suddenly felt that the fates of the people in his Pei family seemed to be very bumpy.

In that short period of time, after hearing the story of the Pei family, the way those classmates looked at Pei Ju changed.

On the other side, Shi Nanfeng was also learning about Pei Ju's family background for the first time. She had already secretly recorded everything with a video camera, starting from when Pei Ju entered the classroom and sat on the chair in the middle of the classroom to talk about the strange things he had encountered.

"Although Pei Xu died young, he had a son named Ju. He was raised by his grandfather Pei Jieyang from a young age. Because Pei Jieyang saw that his father, grandfather and his own son all had tragic fates and did not have a good end, he did not want his grandson to have the same fate. Therefore, he did not teach him many things, but he was unwilling to let the Pei family's knowledge be completely lost, and he was caught in a contradiction and entanglement."

"However, Pei Ju had an exceptional talent for swordsmanship since childhood. Because no one sparred with him, he enjoyed fighting with others from a young age, using swords and staffs to execute sword techniques. Until the age of fifteen, his grandfather was struck by a mirror spell, half of his body crystallized, and there was no cure. At the age of fifteen, Pei Ju took his grandfather, who had little time left, and left the Pei Clan's Demon-Slaying Sword Hall. They went far away to Xijiang and sought refuge in the Taoist temple of his maternal grandfather, Dong Qingcheng."

"When I returned five years later, the Pei Clan's Demon-Slaying Sword Hall was still there, but the Mountain Lord Temple, which had caused five generations of people to wander and suffer, had already fallen into the dust of history."

The classroom was dimly lit, and each student had a candle in front of them. They were all silent, staring at Pei Ju, at this tall, slender man with long hair tied up, standing in the middle of the classroom, yet it seemed as if the whole world had abandoned him.

His aura had changed again, or perhaps it was only now that people were beginning to notice it—a deep sense of loneliness emanating from him that his smile couldn't conceal.

Pei Ju smiled, and Teacher Xia, who was standing next to him, could see it clearly. She saw Pei Ju smile, but she felt that it was a smile he was trying to put on.

"Thank you for telling me all this. There are some things I didn't know. Thank you. May I ask what this teacher's relationship is with our Pei family?" Pei Ju asked.

“My surname is Ming, and my name is Minghua. The wife of the Duke of Hai’an was a daughter of the Ming family. Your grandfather lived in the Ming family for many years when he was a child, and he left when he was fifteen. In terms of seniority, you should call me your cousin.”

The moment this title was uttered, the students in the classroom were all surprised, and some of them couldn't help but speak up. They realized that some things could take a turn for the better. Originally, they just felt that the Pei family had a tragic fate, with only one son per generation, and each time they almost lost their lineage, until in the end only the person in front of them remained.

Amidst this sadness and loneliness, a scene of family reunion suddenly unfolded, which many found surprising and delightful.

It makes people feel that there is still light in the world that shines into the shadows.

However, everyone's attention fell on Pei Ju. Someone took out a camera to record the moment, but Pei Ju said, "I'm sorry, Grandpa never mentioned the Ming family. I don't know anything about it."

"Oh. Didn't you say that?" Minghua seemed somewhat surprised, yet not entirely surprised.

“My grandfather once told me some things, including the names of people he owed debts to and the things he had done wrong. He said he was too old to repay them, so he hoped I would remember them and repay their kindness in the future.”

As soon as Pei Ju finished speaking, someone thought, "This isn't right. His grandfather went to live with his maternal grandfather's family when he was ten and left when he was fifteen. He lived with his maternal grandfather's family for the past five years. Isn't that a great favor? Why didn't he tell Pei Ju?"
"Teacher Minghua, thank you for telling me. My grandfather has a habit of not talking about unpleasant things that happened to him. He often says that hatred should not be passed on to the next generation, and it's best to end it with oneself..."

"...Although I don't know why Grandpa had to carry the Sanjun Temple on his back all the time when he lived with his maternal grandfather, or why he had to hug it to sleep, and although I don't know why Grandpa broke a leg when he was fourteen, since Grandpa has chosen not to mention it anymore, then let it all be in the past!"

At this point, he turned to Teacher Xia and said, "Excuse me, Teacher Xia, I'm sorry to bother you."

After saying that, he looked at Shi Nanfeng and said, "Director Shi, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

After saying all this, he turned and walked out of the classroom.

At this moment, everyone realized the meaning behind Pei Ju's words.

Previously, no one had noticed anything unusual in that explanation. However, after hearing Pei Ju's words, everyone thought of another possibility, a possibility that many young people were unwilling to consider.

Pei Ju left the classroom without waiting for Shi Nanfeng. Although he was brought by Shi Nanfeng, he didn't need anyone to take him out, nor did he expect her to come and see him off.

After he left, the students in the classroom started whispering among themselves.

Teacher Xia looked at Teacher Minghua, and Teacher Xiaozheng also looked at Teacher Minghua; they were both curious.

Having just heard the story of the Pei family spanning five generations, they couldn't help but feel sympathy. In their eyes, the story of the Pei family spanning five generations was very similar to the turbulent times that Longxiang Kingdom had faced over the past century, and the fate of the family seemed to be linked to the fate of the nation.

However, Longxiang Kingdom has emerged from the storm and regained its footing, while the Pei family seems to have not, still having only one heir, all alone.

Some people think that in this big city, among millions of people, how lonely and isolated one must be without any relatives or friends.

Minghua, noticing the glances from Teacher Xia and Teacher Xiaozheng, sighed and said, "Some people think that Pei Jieyang is called Fourth Master because he was the fourth among four sworn brothers. But that's just what he says to outsiders. Back in the Ming family, when he was only a little over ten years old, he said..."

“He said that the men of the Pei family are upright and honest, and every one of them is a real man. He has been a member for three generations, and there will definitely be four more generations. The line will never be broken. So some people jokingly call him the fourth generation, and he said that he can be called the fourth master.”

There were still some things he didn't say. Back then, many people called him "Dead Grandpa," saying he would die young like his father and grandfather. He always retorted, saying he would definitely live a long time and would never die.

Later, he indeed lived a very long life.

Hearing this, Teacher Xia and Teacher Xiao Zheng could imagine that a child of about ten years old must have been traumatized to speak like this, and that saying such things would definitely displease others.

“You don’t understand Fourth Master’s character, but the Ming family understands him very well. Although his personality seemed to have changed after he returned from his travels, his core nature remains the same…”

"He's the kind of person who always repays kindness and avenges wrongs..."

"He prefers to handle things alone and doesn't want to cause trouble for others, so he is also a shrewd and calculating person who plans before he acts."

Teacher Xia and Teacher Xiao Zheng could both imagine that a person who lost his father at the age of ten must be precocious. Knowing early on that he alone would bear the burden of the entire family's future, it is normal for him to have a deep and thoughtful personality as he grows up alone.

Because he had no one to rely on, he couldn't consult with anyone when making decisions; he could only think and plan silently in his own mind.

Minghua thought of something, glanced at Teacher Xiaozheng and Teacher Xia in front of him, and then swallowed it back down.

Some members of the Ming family treated the Pei family like strangers, while others saw them as ungrateful bastards. Those who knew about what happened back then had mixed feelings.

At least in Minghua's mind, the death of the previous director of the Cleansing Spirit Bureau must have been closely related to Master Pei.

The conflict between Pei Xu and Huang Di indirectly led to Pei Xu's recklessness, which caused him to take risks and ultimately die.

He knew that Master Pei's reason for not wanting to prolong the hatred was that he was determined to avenge himself.

He also knew that Pei Xu was a rising star back then. A meeting, a drinking party, and a competition between the two ended with Pei Xu's defeat in front of everyone.

Those who attended that drinking party back then were unwilling to elaborate on the process that led to the conflict between the two parties, but Minghua felt that it was a setup.

A scheme targeting Pei Xu.

The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it.

The force that destroyed Pei Xu was Huang Di, who was also a rising star at the time, or rather, a certain group.

Minghua sighed. He wanted to remind Pei Ju that he had very complicated feelings towards the Pei family, or rather, his branch of the family felt great sympathy for the Ming family girl who married Pei Hai'an back then.

What he wanted to remind Pei Ju was that Huang Di's death seemed to be over, but with his return, the matter would definitely be stirred up again.

Someone will definitely come to take his life.

However, this is not the right occasion to say it.

Pei Ju looked up at the sun. The weather was slowly getting colder. Although the sun was dazzling, it no longer had a scorching heat.

He pulled up the hood of his shirt and put it on his head, then reached into his shirt pockets, lowered his head slightly, and walked step by step toward the school gate.

Just now, while listening to others talk about the Pei family, he felt a lot of emotions and couldn't help but think of some things his grandfather had said.

"We come into this world alone, and slowly we will meet many people. We may become friends, lovers, or even entangled in grudges. But we will slowly lose all of these, and in the end, we will leave this world alone."

"So, there's nothing wrong with being a little lonely; at least it's a way to prepare for the future."

(End of this chapter)