Longevity Candle

Chapter 20 Her Story, I Heard It

As dawn broke, Young Master Qin arrived with the government officials.

They dealt with the thieves quickly and inquired about the cause of their deaths.

No one can say for sure how the bandits died; some old fishermen say it was the blessing of the Qingjiang River God.

The officials and young masters of Qin naturally didn't take it seriously.

Young Master Qin invited Liu Lang to live in Qingjiang City, but Liu Lang refused.

He longed to roam freely in the Qingjiang River, like a fish, unrestrained and free.

Moreover, he had no other means of making a living besides fishing in the river.

Qin Jiang, who was the same age as him, was already married and had children. Looking at the messy house, Young Master Qin said, "If you don't go into the city, you can hire some guards later."

"Even the guards are useless against so many bandits," Liu Lang sighed.

"That's not necessarily true. My tutor, Wang, is a master of martial arts. I wouldn't dare say he can take on a hundred people, but with a weapon in hand, he can easily kill dozens."

Qin Jiangdao.

"A master of the martial arts world?" Liu Lang asked. "I've also inquired about the martial arts world. I've heard of a man named Gu Yan who is extremely skilled. Have you heard of him, brother?"

"Gu Yan?" Qin Jiang shook his head: "I've never heard of him. I'll ask Instructor Wang to come and ask him. He's been wandering the martial world for over ten years, so he should know him."

As he spoke, the guard outside went out to call for someone.

The river candle on the roof opened its eyes and drifted down.

Liu Lang was startled, and Jiang Zhu's voice echoed in his mind: "Don't panic, they can't see me, and they don't need to answer."

Liu Lang was finally relieved.

A moment later, Instructor Wang arrived, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master, what are your orders?"

"Instructor Wang, when you were wandering the martial world, did you ever hear of a master named Gu Yan?" Qin Jiang asked.

"Gu Yan?" Instructor Wang was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I've seen about a hundred Gu Yans. May I ask which one you're referring to, young master?"

"A hundred or so?"

Qin Jiang and Liu Lang were both stunned. It's normal to have the same name, but it's not normal to know all of these hundred or so people.

He looked at Liu Lang: "The Gu Yan you heard about is..."

“A woman,” Liu Lang said.

“Oh, there are more than eighty. I don’t recognize many more; I’ve only heard about them. There are probably around a thousand,” Instructor Wang said.

Liu Lang's lips twitched: "From the Chengwu era."

"Where did you hear about martial arts figures from the Chengwu era?" Qin Jiang asked in surprise.

"An old beggar who was passing by said that she was extremely powerful, and that if one could become her disciple, one could learn unparalleled martial arts," Liu Lang replied.

"So you were asking about the sword immortals of the martial world," Instructor Wang said, suddenly realizing.

"Sword Immortal? I've never heard you mention that before," Qin Jiang asked, puzzled.

"That's been so many years, more than a hundred years if you count the time," Instructor Wang said. "At first, people would still mention her, but now, unless you've been wandering the martial world for many years and have a lineage, nobody really remembers her."

The reason so many people in the martial arts world call themselves Gu Yan is because of her; many are imposters, and some have simply changed their names.

"Tell me about it," Young Master Qin said, intrigued.

"I heard that Gu Yan is from the vicinity of Qingjiang, his home is in Baiyun Town. He was born into a poor hunter family, but once he entered the martial world, he became a master. With a three-foot sword, he wiped out the Qingjiang River bandits at that time..."

Instructor Wang had clearly done his research beforehand, and his understanding of Gu Yan's situation was quite detailed: "The battle in which she became a sword immortal was the battle in which she became the leader of the Northern Martial Arts Alliance, fighting alone against the imperial army." "That was no ordinary martial prowess; she single-handedly charged in and out of the enemy ranks seven times, routing the imperial army and terrifying its generals..."

The two men were also terrified. If it were them, facing two or three soldiers, they would probably have been cut down on their horses.

"Just how high must that martial arts skill be?" Liu Lang exclaimed, glancing at Jiang Zhu floating beside him.

Jiang Zhu gradually realized something was wrong. Wasn't Ayan supposed to have retired and have a happy family?
He asked Liu Lang to inquire, "I heard from that old beggar that Gu Yan had retired from public life, so how come he's still the leader of the Northern Martial Arts Alliance?"

“She went into seclusion?” Instructor Wang was taken aback for a moment, then said, “She did indeed disappear for a period of time. When she came out again, her father was not by her side, and she was all alone. She established the Sword Pavilion and searched everywhere for mystical objects, hoping to find the rare treasures of the sun and moon.”

Jiang Zhu was shocked. Why wouldn't this silly girl listen to him?

"And then?" Liu Lang asked quickly, noticing Jiang Zhu's strange expression.

"She was revered as a sword immortal, and the imperial court and the martial arts world were terrified of her, daring only to keep a close watch from afar and not daring to approach her."

Gu Yan was not a man of indiscriminate killing, nor did he take the imperial court seriously.

Instructor Wang said, "After that, I don't know anything. She suddenly disappeared. No one knows where she went. The imperial court and martial arts masters all rushed into her residence, but they couldn't find her."

"I've heard that she left behind a booklet recording her life story. There's a sentence at the end that tells her story to the Green Lamp. Many people speculate that she hid her martial arts skills in the Green Lamp."

"All the lamps in her courtyard were destroyed, and I haven't heard of anyone finding the peerless martial arts. Perhaps it was taken away by the imperial court."

"She just disappeared without a trace? Without any warning?" Qin Jiang frowned, his interest in Gu Yan growing.

“It’s been too long. Some say she ascended to the heavens and became an immortal, some say she went into seclusion to practice her martial arts and suffered a qi deviation, and some say she was imprisoned by the imperial court,” said Instructor Wang.

"Then which one do you think is true?" Liu Lang pressed.

"It's more likely she'll go astray in her cultivation. Becoming an immortal is too far-fetched. Who in the imperial court could possibly capture her?"

Instructor Wang said, "Her martial arts skills are already beyond human, like a god or a demon. She will definitely want to go further, but in the path of martial arts, one can easily go astray and become possessed by evil if one is not careful."

Jiang Zhu fell silent. Had he gone mad from practicing qi cultivation?
Qin Jiang said, "Instructor Wang, you should take the time to find out more about Gu Yan."

"Young master, it's been too long, and her martial arts skills are just legends. No one knows where the so-called 'Green Lamp' is. It's best not to have any hope," Instructor Wang said.

"I'm just asking around. I have no interest in martial arts; I'm just curious about this legendary swordsman," Qin Jiang said.

“Okay, I will contact my sect.” Instructor Wang replied.

Qin Jiang chatted with Liu Lang for a few more minutes before getting up to take care of his business.

Liu Lang stayed behind, citing his unhealed injuries, and said, "God of the Green Lamp, since Young Master Qin is involved in this matter, he should be able to find out."

"Just call me Jiang Zhu." Jiang Zhu sighed softly, "A hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye, and she is no longer here. What is the point of chasing after her? I just wonder why she abandoned me. If she couldn't find me, she stopped searching. I heard her story."

Seeing that he seemed sad, Liu Lang didn't dare to say anything rashly, for fear of upsetting him.

"Live a good life, get married and have children as soon as possible, and learn martial arts to protect yourself."

Jiang Zhu drifted away.

Is Gu Yan's disappearance related to the objects of the sun and moon?
She found a wondrous object?

If she died from qi deviation, there should be her remains.

Jiang Zhu drifted to Qingjiang, which was still within his activity range.

Looking at the waters of the Qingjiang River, he channeled his magical power to enhance his perception.

There was nothing supernatural about it, and he couldn't possibly explore the entire Qingjiang River. The supernatural phenomena in the Qingjiang River could easily hide in any place, making them difficult to detect.

When his time came, he fell into a deep sleep once more.

(End of this chapter)