Gal Martial Saint

"But…"

"If you don't like how you are now, if you're just forcing yourself to wear this mask to please me, to become stronger, to avoid being forgotten by me…"

"I absolutely forbid it!"

"I don't need you to be perfect, nor do I need you to be interesting."

"I only need you to be yourself."

As the words fell.

The courtyard fell into dead silence.

The voice in his mind, which was always chattering with question marks and tildes, vanished completely.

No rebuttal, no teasing, not even any reaction.

Only a suffocating silence remained.

Immediately following.

[Flowing Light Sword Shadow: CG Unlock Progress +15]

Silence was the answer.

This seemingly lively newcomer was, as expected, a complete facade.

That insecure sword art, feeling she wasn't good enough for him now, that she was too mediocre, had desperately tried to imitate the advanced Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Intent, packaging herself as a perfect, likable persona.

She had hidden her true self within that locked CG, beneath that thick mask.

If he hadn't uncovered it, perhaps she would have worn this mask forever, until her original self completely perished.

A rare crisis…

Gu Chengming's Gal Radar was sending out frantic warnings.

Without a doubt.

This was the so-called "special Bond Event" he had once dreamed of.

But this wasn't a lighthearted dating scenario; it was a branching point leading to an ending.

One wrong step here, and a Bad End awaited him, one that couldn't be undone.

Perhaps in that ending, he would gain a powerful sword art, but he would forever lose the original, true Huiyuan Sword Art.

Since transmigrating here, the strongest impulse had surged from the depths of his heart—a complex impulse, mixed with various emotions.

He suddenly thought of the scene when he first opened a Galgame.

Ever since then, he had often asked himself why he was so fixated on Galgames…

Was it because he liked paper characters? Was it because his reality was empty?

No.

It was because of "regret."

Reality was filled with too much regret, too much unrequited love, too much powerlessness.

But in games, as long as you tried hard enough, as long as you were willing to reload countless times, as long as you were willing to scrutinize every choice, to analyze every line of dialogue…

You could definitely find the path leading to the "True End."

He had once spent three full days and nights wandering in a maze to save a supporting character destined to die. He had filled three thick strategy notebooks to achieve a perfect ending where everyone survived.

He couldn't bear to see any of the characters who had accompanied him meet a tragic fate due to his wrong choices.

Even if they were just data, even if they were just code.

To Gu Chengming, they were once "lives" that had existed vibrantly.

And now.

This world was no longer data behind a screen; everything here was real.

Even when he had learned that his life was nearing its end, such a strong impulse to change things had never surged within him.

He couldn't accept the Huiyuan Sword Art disappearing just like that.

Gu Chengming tightened his grip on the wooden sword, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Since this was his game, since this was his love interest…

Then he would absolutely not allow such a disgusting, sacrificial ending!

The wind stopped.

"I will achieve the perfect ending."

He said.

PS: After writing this section, I think I have a grasp of the story's tone. Don't worry about things not being able to go back.

The musical notes are foreshadowing, just playing around with memes along the way. But since this is getting out of hand, there's no need for it...

Chapter 43: Chapter 41 - Fellow Travelers on the Road to Ruin

Ever since the last inquiry, the Huiyuan Sword Art had fallen silent.

This made Gu Chengming even more certain of his guess.

The one who tied the bell must also be the one to untie it.

Since the root cause of this drastic personality change lay in Flowing Light Sword Shadow, and Flowing Light Sword Shadow itself was derived from Flowing Cloud Moonlit Sword, then to understand the current psychological state of the Huiyuan Sword Art, he had to start from the origin of this sword technique.

Among the people Gu Chengming knew, besides the Grand Elder of the Huiyuan Gate, the only other person who knew as much about the secrets of the cultivation world was Yu Wenqiu.

Although this Steward Yu always seemed half-asleep, she was, after all, a Third Realm Cultivator and also a steward of the Sword Repository Pavilion. She must have known many secrets.

Of course, one couldn't go asking for favors empty-handed.

Gu Chengming worked overtime that night, picking up several side plots that had been cut from the third part of his storybook. He polished them a bit and compiled them into a booklet.

[The Clear Heart Art strongly condemns your perfunctory attitude.]

[It believes these plots are cliché, lack novelty, and are an insult to the readers' intelligence.]

Gu Chengming completely ignored the barrage of text.

When giving a gift, the thought behind it is what counts.

It was already good enough to provide a few pre-made plots; he shouldn't be greedy.

Inside the Sword Repository Pavilion.

Yu Wenqiu sat behind her desk, holding the "gift" Gu Chengming had just given her, her expression somewhat complicated.

She would look at the storybook in her hand, then secretly glance at the formally seated Gu Chengming, her earlobes turning slightly red.

Ever since she read that scene where "Master accidentally consumed the Blissful Pill, and the disciple used himself to detoxify him," her gaze towards Gu Chengming had been a little off.

On one hand, she felt it was a hint, solid proof that this brat had ulterior motives towards her.

On the other hand, her reason told her that she might be overthinking it. This was, after all, a storybook, made to cater to the market...

This left her unsure of how to act towards Gu Chengming at the moment.

"Elder Yu?"

Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, Gu Chengming called out tentatively.

"Ah? Cough, cough!"

Yu Wenqiu suddenly snapped back to reality. To cover her embarrassment, she quickly stuffed the storybook into her sleeve, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and asked as if nothing had happened:

"Um... Little Gu, is there something you need today?"

Gu Chengming didn't think much of it, assuming she had been engrossed in her reading. He directly stated his purpose:

"Disciple recently encountered some confusion while practicing a sword technique. I heard this sword technique is related to a legacy called 'Flowing Cloud Moonlit Sword.' Does Steward know anything about it?"

"Flowing Cloud Moonlit Sword?"

Yu Wenqiu put down her teacup, her brows furrowed. After a moment of thought, she suddenly realized:

"You mean that sword technique from the Yunyue Sect?"

Although she was oblivious to worldly affairs and devoted herself to reading storybooks, she still knew a little about major Sword Cultivator sects like this.

Seeing Gu Chengming nod, Yu Wenqiu's interest was piqued.

She already enjoyed collecting such oddities and anecdotes. Now that someone was asking for advice, she cleared her throat and began to recount what she knew:

"The Yunyue Sect, much like our Wenjian Sect, is a major Sword Cultivator sect in this era. However, they don't cultivate the pure Dao of the Sword. Instead, they cultivate the 'Dao Sword,' which is somewhat similar to the path of the Daoning Gate."

"Speaking of the origin of Flowing Cloud Moonlit Sword, it's quite interesting."

A gossip-filled glint flashed in Yu Wenqiu's eyes:

"Legend has it that the Yunyue Sect wasn't originally a Sword Sect, but a Law Sect, meaning a sect that entered the Dao through musical principles. Their main cultivation method was this Flowing Cloud Moonlit."

"'Sound transforms into flowing clouds, music condenses cold souls, and the melody ends with the moon's appearance.' This was originally a Sound Killing Technique, drawing from the heavenly principles of the clouds' ever-changing forms and the moon's waxing and waning. Later, a sword cultivator of astonishing talent emerged within the sect."

At this point, Yu Wenqiu glanced at Gu Chengming. Seeing his hesitation, she knew what he was confused about and proactively explained:

"Just like how our Wenjian Sect has cultivators of techniques, it's not unusual for the Law Sect to have a Sword Cultivator."

"That senior felt that playing music wasn't brisk enough. With his supreme comprehension, he transformed this musical cultivation method into a sword technique."

"The most marvelous part is that he retained the core principles of the clouds' ever-changing forms and the moon's waxing and waning, yet imbued it with unparalleled sharp killing power. As a result, the disciples within the sect who originally practiced music found it effortless to switch to sword techniques."

"Finally, that senior attained the Dao and became a True Monarch, an upper-realm True Cultivator, and led the Yunyue Sect onto the path of a major Sword Cultivator sect."

As Gu Chengming listened, his expression grew peculiar.

So that's how it was.

No wonder the Huiyuan Sword Art's personality had become so fragmented.

The Huiyuan Sword Art itself had developed self-doubt due to "fear of abandonment."

The predecessor of this Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword was precisely a Cultivation Method that had "abandoned" its original form and was forced to change its appearance in order to survive.

The two resonated on some level.

Perhaps the Huiyuan Sword Art subconsciously felt that only by abandoning its original "mediocrity" and transforming into another "powerful" form, like Flowing Cloud Following Moon, could it remain by his side.

Perhaps the original resentment of Flowing Cloud Following Moon was also at play?

Yu Wenqiu didn't notice the change in Gu Chengming's expression. She was getting excited and spoke volubly:

"This Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword is indeed powerful. It's extremely easy to learn, yet its might is not insignificant. It's one of those rare advanced sword techniques that even disciples can cultivate."

"In the past, during the Sect Grand Competition, disciples from the Yunyue Sect often used this move to annoy our Wenjian Sect members."

"However..."

Yu Wenqiu's tone shifted, and a proud smile appeared on her face:

"Our Wenjian Sect isn't one to be trifled with either."

"Back then, our Sect's 'Life-Defying Tribulation-Slaying True Monarch' took just one look, comprehended its true meaning, and even pointed out its flaws on the spot, simplifying and improving it into what you now know as Flowing Light Sword Shadow."

"Not only that, but the True Monarch also made a bet with the Sect Master of the Yunyue Sect at the time."

"As a result, not only did the Yunyue Sect's sword technique get stolen by us, but they also lost a massive Sword Seeking Stone to us in the bet."

Gu Chengming's eyes flickered: "Sword Seeking Stone?"

Yu Wenqiu gestured and explained:

"It's said that the Yunyue Sect Master obtained it from some ancient Secret Realm. This Sword Seeking Stone can temper sword intent and probe one's true heart, having a miraculous effect on dispelling Inner Demons and stabilizing the Dao Heart."

"Furthermore, it can also test the aptitude and temperament of a Sword Cultivator. The closer one gets to the Sword Seeking Stone, the stronger the pressure of the sword intent, but the clearer one can see their own true heart."

"This item is most suitable for those Sword Cultivators who are lost and plagued by self-doubt."

"But it's quite expensive to use once. With my merit as an overseer, I can only go at most once a month. Ordinary disciples can't even dream of it."

"Probing one's true heart... seeing oneself clearly..."