I See Green Mountains as Beautiful, One Umbrella, One Sword, One White Robe

Looking at the battered bamboo sword, An Le truly didn't know what to say.

If it weren't for the old man's Time Qi swirling around him like alluring seaweed, dense and vast, marking him as an unparalleled expert, An Le would have thought the other party was toying with him.

Spring rain pattered down, leaving the small courtyard in silent stillness.

An Le accepted the bamboo sword handed over by the old man. It felt light in his grasp, far lighter than a metal sword. The hilt, pommel, and blade were all made of bamboo, as if carved by a grandfather with a cleaver to amuse his grandchild.

"What? Are you disappointed?"

The old man seemed to have seen through An Le's surprise and chuckled playfully.

"A gift from an elder is not to be refused by a junior," An Le said, holding the sword. "Besides, a bamboo sword is still a sword. Since you are gifting it, it is a gesture of goodwill. How could I possibly show disappointment just because I'm not satisfied with the gift?"

The old man looked at An Le, as if seeing through his thoughts. "I know you want a good sword. This bamboo sword's condition is indeed poor, but it has accompanied me through a long time. It's an old companion, and I was thinking of finding it a good new owner."

"Your Ink Wash Bamboo and Stone Painting was quite to my liking. The painting reveals a proud and upright gentlemanly disposition. Perhaps you will be a good wielder of this sword, and it will be a fitting destination for it."

"If you are truly suited for it, you will naturally discover the merits of this bamboo sword."

The old man withdrew his wide sleeves, now damp with rain, his eyes fixed on the bamboo sword. A hint of reluctance, even unwillingness, flickered deep within his pupils.

An Le's gaze fell upon the bamboo sword. It looked utterly ordinary.

The bamboo sword was two feet and seven inches long, not a long sword, but it still possessed the posture of a sword. It had no scabbard, not even a sharp edge. An Le wondered if it could even cut through a Cultivator's skin if swung.

However, the old man's words made An Le take it seriously. This was not a simple sword; it was the old man's entrustment.

"I will take good care of this sword," An Le said solemnly, as if making an oath.

Upon hearing this, the old man stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "You're an interesting young man. Though it's a bamboo sword, it's not delicate. You don't need to protect it. Swing it when you need to swing it, clash it when you need to clash it. Don't be afraid of damaging it."

"Even the number one swordsman in the world couldn't break this battered bamboo sword, so what do you have to fear?"

"A sword is a sword; it's a weapon for fighting. To try and protect a sword is to insult it." The old man lectured An Le.

An Le immediately understood and nodded, his eyes subtly changing. Since the old man had said so, this sword must possess some hidden extraordinary quality.

"This sword was originally nameless. It was made from a fortuitous encounter with a green bamboo. I named it 'Green Mountain,' which also connects with the poem in your Ink Bamboo and Stone Painting. It's fate. Green Mountain has accompanied me for many years, but for you, young friend, it's a new beginning. You can rename the sword as you wish." The old man was very nonchalant.

"I see beauty in the green mountains, and the green mountains should see me likewise," An Le suddenly recalled, and said with a light chuckle, "The sword's name is quite good."

The old man was taken aback, his eyes shimmering. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

Afterward, they no longer spoke of the sword. Once a sword was given, it would not be taken back.

Looking at An Le, the old man smiled. "You still have to go to work at the Lin Manor, right? Remember to take a leave of absence in three days. I'll take you somewhere."

An Le nodded without asking where they were going.

"Off I go! I'll come back in the evening to discuss that Ink Wash Bamboo painting with you, young friend. Remember to prepare some wine and food. The old yellow wine from the Yan Chun Li restaurant is quite flavorful, but the meat is just average. You should go to that beef shop in Ding Ya Alley; it's much tastier." The old man waved his hand and left the small courtyard with his umbrella, his light laughter lingering in the alley, "I see beauty in the green mountains..."

As soon as he exited the small courtyard, hurried footsteps echoed rapidly in Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley.

Captain Huang Xian of the Black Yamen, dressed in official attire and soaked by the rain, arrived in front of the small courtyard. He didn't pay much attention to the old man in plain clothes walking out of the alley, as the old man had no spiritual energy fluctuations and seemed to be just an ordinary person.

"Young Master An..."

Seeing the courtyard gate open, Huang Xian quickly stepped in and called out to An Le.

Upon entering the courtyard, his eyes landed on the headless corpse on the ground, and the words he was about to speak froze in his throat.

"Captain Huang, you've come at the perfect time. I was just about to look for you." An Le, holding the yellowed bamboo sword, smiled upon seeing Captain Huang.

Captain Huang couldn't smile. His expression was solemn. "Hu Jingang?"

An Le, bathed in the spring rain, wore a gentle smile on his face, like a banished immortal. He nodded slightly.

"You killed him?" Captain Huang took a breath, his voice laced with disbelief.

An Le walked towards the house, took a towel to wipe his hair, and said, "This Hu Jingang attacked last night. He said that the wanted posters I drew made his pursuit troublesome, so he intended to kill me."

"Naturally, I couldn't just wait to be killed. I had to defend myself and kill him."

Huang Xian slowly calmed the shock in his heart. Earlier that morning, the yamen had received a report from a night watchman about a nameless head found on Qingbo Street. After confirming the identity, it turned out to be the notorious bandit Hu Jingang, so the case was transferred to the Black Yamen.

Huang Xian led his team there, and upon discovering the location at the entrance of Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley, he couldn't help but think of An Le and rushed over. To his surprise, Hu Jingang had indeed been killed by An Le.

"Young Master An, it's good that you're alright. Hu Jingang was a heinous criminal. You killing him is an act of punishing evil and promoting good. The Black Yamen will not pursue this matter; in fact, you'll receive a bounty." Huang Xian, knowing this was An Le's first time killing someone, tried to comfort him.

An Le had drawn several sketches for the young masters at the Lin Manor and had earned a considerable sum, so he didn't pay much attention to the bounty. He entered the house, changed into a clean white outfit, tucked the battered bamboo sword into his waist, took an oil-paper umbrella, and prepared to head to the Lin Manor for work.

"Captain Huang, Hu Jingang is a suspect of the Black Yamen. Please have someone handle this corpse." An Le opened his umbrella. Raindrops fell, hitting the umbrella's surface with a dull thud.

Huang Xian, wearing a bamboo hat, smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Shortly after, he called for men to handle Hu Jingang's corpse. Huang Xian didn't say much more, only cupped his fist towards An Le, his admiration for An Le growing.

Although this young man only began his cultivation enlightenment at the age of eighteen, he was like a hidden dragon emerging from its abyss, about to display extraordinary brilliance!

"I'll come another day to share wine and meat with Young Master An and personally thank him for killing the wicked Hu Jingang."

Huang Xian earnestly cupped his fists in greeting, and An Le returned the gesture.

After Huang Xian and the constables disappeared into the alleyways.

An Le locked the courtyard gate, and with an umbrella, a sword, and clad in white, he left the rainy alley and headed west towards West Lake.

Distant peaks faintly revealed their dark brows, and I wondered why spring had arrived with such cold.

West Lake's misty rain, dotted with ripples, possessed a unique charm.

Waiting for a while among the literati and scholars, he was disappointed not to see Fairy Yun Rou's sword appear.

He hadn't managed to "harvest" the first bit of Time Qi for the day.

Without seeing Fairy Yun Rou, the misty rain scenery of West Lake seemed a bit dull. An Le didn't linger on the West Lake embankment and turned towards Lin Manor.

As usual, when he went to work, the door was opened by the maid Liu Xiang. Looking at An Le, whose white clothes were as snow in the spring rain, the young girl's eyes seemed to hold affection.

"Miss Liu Xiang, please inform Madam Hua that I have something to discuss with her."

An Le said with a gentle smile.

The maid Liu Xiang's pretty face blushed. "Young Master An, Madam Hua said that if you were looking for her, you could go directly to Tianbo Water Pavilion."

An Le nodded, bid farewell to Liu Xiang, and then, holding his umbrella, headed towards Tianbo Water Pavilion. A bamboo sword hung at his waist, and his white robes fluttered, making him appear even more dashing.

At Tianbo Water Pavilion, spring rain fell from the sky like billions of crystalline ice beads, descending upon the mortal world.

It struck the black-tiled buildings with their four-cornered flying eaves, making a series of crisp sounds.

In the main hall, the cross-hall spring breeze carried a few splashes of rainwater, creating a misty haze that lifted the thin veil skirt beneath Madam Hua's embroidered robes as she lay reclining on the couch.

Madam Hua made it a habit of boiling tea and reading in the main hall of the water pavilion every morning.

An Le retracted his umbrella and entered the main hall of the water pavilion, the tip of his umbrella leaving a gradually fading rain trail on the ground.

Madam Hua lowered her book and looked towards the visiting young painter with her exquisitely carved eyes.

Hmm?

Upon seeing him, Madam Hua was immediately stunned because, within her Primordial Spirit, she couldn't sense An Le's Body Forging Blood Essence or his Spirit Refinement mental state.

It was as if a hazy veil obscured An Le's cultivation realm, preventing her from probing it.

This situation was truly rare.

Madam Hua's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her gaze shifted from An Le's handsome and elegant face downwards, settling on his waist, where she saw a tattered, yellowed bamboo sword.

At first glance, Madam Hua thought it was just an ordinary, broken bamboo sword.

But upon closer inspection, her Primordial Spirit trembled, as if she had recalled something.

A look of shock immediately appeared on Madam Hua's delicate and elegant face.

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