"Tofu Venerable?"
The little novice monk was startled when the being inside the sword told him about his past. This really was an extraordinary existence.
He racked his brains for a long while, but still couldn't think of any ancient mighty figure whose name included the word "tofu."
"Alas, so be it. It seems even I cannot escape the fate of being forgotten by time."
The Tofu Venerable let out a long sigh. It was hard to tell whether he lamented the merciless passage of time or recalled an age when he had roamed free and at ease.
"Unfortunately, my ties to karma are too deep. If I appeared in the present age, it would likely trigger an earth-shattering immortal battle. Even this tiny Western Heaven Temple would be reduced to ruins."
"Th-then what should I do?" The little novice hadn't expected the sword he'd picked up on a whim to involve so many things. He trembled, afraid of touching off some great karmic entanglement.
"I am currently residing in this immortal sword to dissolve my karmic ties. As long as you, little monk, don't reveal anything about me, nothing will happen."
"That's good, that's good. I'm very good at keeping secrets. I absolutely won't tell anyone about you, Senior." The little novice hurriedly promised.
"Good."
After that, no more sounds came from inside the sword. It was unclear whether the Tofu Venerable couldn't be bothered to speak or had fallen asleep.
Now that he knew the Tofu Venerable's origins, the little novice didn't dare neglect the sword, much less entertain the thought of abandoning it. He carefully cradled the immortal sword and tiptoed back to the meditation room.
The meditation room had a long communal sleeping platform that could fit six or seven people. The little novice quietly fetched