I Cultivate Sword Qi

Chapter 18: My Cultivation is Sword Qi

And so it was, the moment Tang Yao announced her name, it immediately caused a stir.

While the name Hong Yuan might not be widely known in the martial arts world, it was a household name in towns and cities, especially in the southern provinces. The most popular storybooks currently circulating were all written by this Hong Yuan.

Her writing style was delicate, specializing in poignant and lingering tales, interspersed with rumors from various martial arts circles she'd somehow uncovered, earning her widespread popularity among common folk.

Especially among young women, many girls in the southern regions eagerly shared and read her works. She wrote about the martial world of their dreams, making her an idol figure in their hearts.

When Romance of the Sword Immortal was released in Gongzhou City, millions rushed to buy it, causing paper to become scarce in Luoyang.

Even after it was banned, the entire Gongzhou City secretly circulated and copied it. The Sword Immortal's little stories caused a huge sensation, shaming countless young maidens with romantic longings.

"What? You're Hong Yuan?" The scholar standing at the front was incredibly surprised, or rather, this Hong Yuan was somewhat different from what he had imagined.

"The Hong Yuan who wrote Jianghu Zhi?" More questions and excited voices continuously emerged from behind.

"No way? Hong Yuan is actually on our ship?"

"I love the book Bai Yujing so much, especially..."

At this moment, seven or eight female scholars hurried out from the ship's cabin. The moment they saw Hong Yuan, they immediately surrounded her, pushing everyone else aside.

The Great Immortal, who usually enjoyed protagonist treatment and was the center of everyone's attention, was now squeezed into a corner, reduced to an extra.

Xishan Academy not only admitted men but also had a branch campus for female education, with many female students.

From this perspective, the Great Zhou's atmosphere was quite open, and women's status was not low. Gao Xian had indeed deeply experienced this in Gongzhou.

At this moment, these female scholars spoke with confidence and grace.

"Hong Yuan, Master Hong Yuan, can you tell us if Sun Baiqiu and Zhou Xing'er in Jianghu Zhi ended up together?" A younger, round-faced girl was more concerned about the ending of the story's protagonists.

Hong Yuan skillfully used a diplomatic answer: "That depends on how everyone thinks about it. Everyone has their own different interpretations of the ending in the book."

A question from a tall female scholar was more literary: "In Bai Yujing, what is the meaning of the protagonist's final words?"

Hong Yuan answered very professionally: "This needs to be analyzed from the protagonist's personality and experiences..."

"Master Hong Yuan, are the characters in your books real people from the martial world?" Someone expressed doubt about the authenticity of Hong Yuan's writings.

Despite her short stature, Hong Yuan spoke with great presence and flair.

"Of course, they are real. Like the Qiankun Sword, Bawang Spear, Heart Sword, Sword Saint, I'm very familiar with them."

"We are sworn brothers in the martial world. Who doesn't know my name, Hong Yuan?"

"Master Hong Yuan! Master Hong Yuan! Do you have any new works recently?"

At this moment, Master Hong Yuan, who loved to teach, was happily expounding the great way to her female fans, telling them about the world she created for them in her books.

She didn't notice at all that a certain Daoist in the corner was looking at her with a distant gaze.

Donkey Guardian General cautiously rubbed against Gao Xian's sleeve, its donkey eyes wide.

"Great Immortal! The case is solved, the case is solved!"

"It's this person."

However, overall, Gao Xian and the Donkey Guardian General were successfully accepted onto the ship and embarked on their journey to Jiangzhou.

After several days of sailing, they had already entered Jiangzhou territory. However, on this particular day, the atmosphere on the ship became somewhat somber.

This was mainly not due to the passengers, but the boatmen and the shipowner.

At the bow of the ship, the shipowner set up an incense table, offered a pig's head, and led all the sailors and boatmen in kowtowing to the great river, chanting incantations as if worshipping a deity.

This attracted the attention of the passengers.

Master Hong Yuan, Tang Yao, pushed open the cabin door and emerged with a group of female scholars who had been completely conquered by her.

The men and women were separated; the cabins were given to the female scholars, while the men had to sleep in communal bunks outside.

Tang Yao immediately knew what was happening: "We've already entered Jiangzhou, but this area is not peaceful. There are serious river demon disturbances. The shipowner is praying to the river demon, offering sacrifices to let the river demon let us pass."

"Didn't he say River God?" A scholar nearby heard the shipowner's prayer.

"What River God? Can something that eats people be called a god? Every year, boats capsize and people are eaten in this area. The hateful thing is that the river demon hides underwater, and no one can do anything about it."

"Moreover, many villages and towns along the way worship this river demon, offering human sacrifices every year. Because of this demon, many tragic events have occurred," Tang Yao said with the boldness of a martial artist, always ready to right wrongs.

Worry appeared on the faces of the people on the ship: "We won't encounter this river demon, will we?"

Seeing the atmosphere of panic, Tang Yao began her eloquent speech again.

It was as if those who wrote storybooks could lie without batting an eye, but they were incredibly effective at easing tension and calming people's hearts.

Tang Yao stood up, holding her sword, and stood in the center of the ship, facing everyone, with her back to the rising sun: "Do you know how I found out about the relationship between the Sword Immortal and the Two Daughters of the Li Family?"

Many people had already speculated about this matter. Some said Hong Yuan was part of the most powerful intelligence organization in the martial world, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, which compiled the Heavenly Secrets Ranking.

Some said Hong Yuan was a friend of the Sword Immortal, and others said Hong Yuan was in Gongzhou City and knew the second daughter of the Duke of Wei's family.

At this moment, the male and female students from Xishan Academy on the ship also began to speculate about Hong Yuan's relationship with the Gongzhou Sword Immortal.

After building enough suspense, Tang Yao, with the posture of a martial arts master, turned around, her gaze distant.

"Everyone knows that I, Hong Yuan, am a female knight-errant in the martial world, wielding my sword to punish evil and promote good. But everyone also knows that I come from a celestial sect."

Everyone present immediately showed expressions of shock. The female students looked at Tang Yao with eyes full of admiration.

The stories of the Sword Immortal in Gongzhou City had been circulating for so long that everyone knew Gongzhou had produced a true immortal, who arrived with a sword from the west, a flying immortal from beyond the heavens, who walked the streets with fire underfoot, and whose flying sword exterminated demons a thousand miles away.

This was no mere martial artist; it was a legend elevated from the martial world to the realm of myth, a myth that had unfolded in reality.

"Could it be?" Everyone couldn't help but swallow.

Tang Yao's eyes held a detached, wandering look, as if imitating the demeanor of that Great Immortal Kongchenzi.

"That's right, I am also a Sword Cultivator."

"Like Cloud Heaven Monastery of Mount Lao, we have inherited the art of the immortal sword."

Tang Yao casually vibrated the scabbard of her sword. The sword in her hand seemed to trigger some mechanism, humming without wind, its blade faintly unsheathed, revealing a sliver of cold light.

"However, the Sword Immortal cultivates the art of the flying sword."

"What I practice is Sword Qi."

Hearing the sudden sound of the sword's hum and seeing the renowned Master Hong Yuan, everyone present felt reassured. With such a master accompanying them, what was there to fear even if they encountered a River Demon?

In a corner, Gao Xian and the donkey simultaneously gaped, looking at each other in disbelief.

"So, if we encounter a River Demon, you all don't need to be afraid."

Tang Yao held up the piece of scrap metal in her hand: "I, Hong Yuan, am only afraid it won't come. If it does, today will be the day we Slay Demons and Exterminate Devils."

The scene erupted in cheers. Many female students began to see Master Hong Yuan as their life goal, aspiring to become someone like her.

Though Master Hong Yuan spoke with such grand confidence, she was actually quite clear-headed.

Rumors of the River Demon had circulated for a long time, but with so many boats traveling on the great river, only a handful were heard to be capsized by the River Demon each year. Who really knew if it was true?

She had traveled many times without encountering any River Demon. These students were just worrying for nothing.

Why worry needlessly? Eat when you should eat, sleep when you should sleep. They would reach Jiangting Commandery tomorrow.

The martial world would only circulate tales of the River Demon narrowly escaping the hands of the heroine Hong Yuan, spreading the name of Hong Yuan even further.

Master Hong Yuan's lips curled into a smile.

"Everything is proceeding according to plan."