The sun sank in the west, and the evening sky was always gloomy and gray, filled with deathly qi. A young man sat astride a horse, dressed in brand-new clothes and carrying a sword whose scabbard was somewhat worn.
The spring breeze brushed his face. He felt cheerful and comfortable, full of energy and vitality.
But what pleased him most was still that pair of eyes.
Inside the carriage ahead was a pair of captivating eyes that kept sneaking glances at him. This wasn't the first time he'd seen them.
He remembered the first time he'd seen those eyes. It had been at an inn in a small town.
He had entered the inn just as she was passing through.
She had bumped into him.
Her smile was filled with shyness and apology, and her cheeks had flushed like the evening clouds beneath a rainy sky.
He had wished she'd bump into him again, because she was truly captivating—and he wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue.
The second time he saw her was at a restaurant. Just as he was finishing his third cup, she came in. When she saw him, she lowered her head and smiled sweetly.
Her smile was still filled with shyness and apology. That time, he smiled too.
Because he knew that if she bumped into anyone else, she wouldn't smile at them again and again.
He also knew he wasn't a particularly detestable man. He'd always been quite confident about that.
So although he had left first, he hadn't hurried along.
Now her carriage had indeed caught up with him. Whether by design or by chance, he couldn't tell. He loved wandering, and along the road he'd met all sorts of people.
Among them were Red Beard, who held sway Outside the Passes, and the Iron Cavalry, who rode across the Great Desert. There were Greenwood Heroes who killed at the drop of a hat, and spirited young martial heroes.
As he wandered, his saddle and scabbard had grown worn, and his beard had grown coarse.
But his life had always remained fresh and vivid.
He could never predict what might happen on the next leg of his journey, or what sorts of people he might meet.
The wind grew colder.
A soft spring rain suddenly fell from the spring clouds, soaking his spring clothes.
The carriage ahead stopped. He rode over and saw that the curtains had been drawn back. Those captivating eyes were gazing at him.
With her captivating eyes and shy smile, she had a delicate oval face without a trace of makeup, yet her clothes were as vivid as purple clouds.
She pointed to her slender feet, then to his clothes, which had just been soaked by the rain.
Her delicate hands were like spring onions.
He pointed to himself, then to the carriage.
She nodded and smiled sweetly. The carriage door opened.
The carriage was comfortable and dry, and the satin cushions were as smooth as her skin.
He dismounted and climbed into the carriage.
The rain fell softly and intimately, and at just the right moment.
In spring, it seemed the heavens were always arranging wondrous things, bringing extraordinary people together by chance.
There was not the slightest awkwardness, nor any unnecessary words.
It was as if he had been born knowing her, as if he had been born to sit in this carriage.
A lonely journey, lonely people—who could say they weren't meant to meet and keep each other company?
He was about to wipe the rain from his face with his sleeve when she handed him a soft red silk handkerchief.
He gazed at her, but she lowered her head and fiddled with the hem of her clothes.
"Don't mention it."
"My surname is Bai. My name is Bai Yu Jing."
She smiled gracefully and said, "The White Jade Capital in the heavens? Five towers and twelve cities. An immortal strokes my crown, and I tie my hair to receive eternal life."
He smiled too. "You like Li Bai as well?"
She wound the hem of her clothes around her slender fingers and began to recite in a lilting voice: "Once, I was beside the Eastern Sea, where on Mount Lao I feasted on purple clouds. I met Lord Anqi himself, who ate dates as large as melons. In middle age, I paid a visit to the Han emperor; displeased, I returned home. My youthful face faded like the spring glow, and white hair marked the passing years. I hope to obtain the golden elixir, then ascend to the clouds in a celestial carriage. I wish to follow the Master to the Altar of Heaven, where I may leisurely sweep fallen flowers with the immortals."
When she reached the line about Mount Lao, her voice seemed to pause.
The young man who called himself Bai Yu Jing said, "Miss Lao?"
She lowered her head further and softly replied, "Yuan Zixia."
A profound, cold glint flashed through his eyes.
Suddenly, hooves thundered. Three horses raced past the carriage, and three pairs of sharp eyes all darted a glance inside.
The horses galloped by. The last rider suddenly sprang into the air, leapt backward two zhang, and landed on his saddle. With a tap of his toe, he hooked up the sword hanging from it.
The three horses that had raced past abruptly turned back.
The man flipped around and drifted lightly back onto his own saddle.
In an instant, the three horses disappeared into the misting rain.
Yuan Zixia's beautiful eyes widened. "They stole your sword!"
He smiled.
Yuan Zixia said, "You watched someone take your belongings, and you're not going to do anything?"
He smiled again.
Yuan Zixia bit her lip. "They say some people in the martial world value their swords as much as their lives."
Bai Yu Jing said, "I'm not one of them."
Yuan Zixia sighed softly, seeming a little disappointed.
What girl didn't admire a hero? If you risked your life fighting someone over a sword, she might think you were a fool—or she might cry for you.
But if you watched someone take your sword without lifting a finger, she would certainly be disappointed.
Just then, he smiled and said, "Miss Yuan, there's no need to be disappointed. I can kill people even without a sword."
"What?" Yuan Zixia froze. Then her smile suddenly stiffened, frozen forever.
A hand, fair as jade and seemingly feminine, gently and tenderly stroked her head.
Then, as if under some boundless magic, Yuan Zixia collapsed into the carriage. Her smile lingered as though she had fallen into a sweet sleep, but she would never wake again.
"An immortal strokes your crown, and you tie your hair for eternal life!" He Heng looked at her smile and smiled too.
No matter who you were, what your identity was, or what schemes you had, once you were dead, everything was over.
Just then, the sound of hooves suddenly rang out again. The three horses that had galloped past earlier came back.
The rider on the lead horse suddenly turned his banner around and reached out to gently hang the sword back on the saddle.
The other two cupped their fists and bowed from their saddles, then disappeared into the drizzle once more.
He Heng smiled at them and looked at the sword he had lost and regained. It was called the Longevity Sword!
The Myriad Heavens Treasure Mirror traveled through boundless space and time. This time, it had brought him to a very interesting world.
In this life, his name was Bai Yu Jing, and he was the wielder of the Longevity Sword, the first of the Seven Weapons.
But this world was not merely the world of the Longevity Sword, nor was it simply the world of the Seven Weapons.
The widely acknowledged number one swordsman under heaven was Sword God Xie Xiaofeng of Divine Sword Manor! Since his lifelong rival, the peerless swordsman Yan Shisan, died, he had confined himself to Hidden Sword Hut for more than ten years. His fame had not diminished; he remained renowned throughout the land.
The great hero Yan Nantian was likewise known for his divine sword, but he had vanished from the martial world more than ten years ago.
Other famous swordsmen included Xue Yiren, the Flying Swordsman A Fei, Ye Gucheng of White Cloud City of the East Sea, and Ximen Chuixue of Ten Thousand Plum Manor...
The number one hero under heaven was Tie Zhongtang, leader of the Iron Blood Great Banner Sect!
There was also Little Li Flying Dagger, Li Xunhuan, whose benevolence and righteousness were unmatched. After defeating Shangguan Jinhong and destroying the Money Gang, he had retired with his wife, Sun Xiaohong. Though he appeared like a dragon and vanished like a god, he continued to accomplish many earth-shaking deeds in secret, maintaining peace in the martial world.
The martial world was also home to many notorious female fiends, such as Water Mother Yin Ji of Divine Water Palace, Yueyao and Lingxing of Flower Palace, Shi Guanyin, and others.
And in the dark side of the martial world, forces such as the Azure Dragon Society and the East and West Demonic Cults also held sway. The world was truly chaotic.
That was this world: a realm brought together by the many novels of Gu Long.
Calling it a world of countless experts was an understatement—it was utterly complicated. And He Heng was Bai Yu Jing of the Longevity Sword, a figure who was equally mysterious.
"I like this world." He Heng smiled faintly, holding his sword behind his back as he slowly walked away beneath the setting sun.
Countless experts and powerful figures, heroes and warlords, were waiting for him. He Heng would use the sword in his hand to face every foe under heaven and sever their path to eternal life!
He slowly entered an inn, rented a room, ate dinner, and went quietly to sleep.
That night, a black-clothed person suddenly appeared beside his bed, raised a knife—a sharp knife—and thrust it toward him without warning.
Clang!
A streak of sword light flashed, illuminating the room. A line of blood appeared on the black-clothed person's throat. His eyes filled with disbelief, and he crashed to the floor.
"How... could this be? How could there... be a sword this... fast in the world..."
"It wasn't my sword that was fast. You were too slow, Wei Tianying. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
He Heng stood up, picked up a silk handkerchief, and gently wiped the blood from his sword. He glanced sidelong at Wei Tianying, who had fallen to the floor, his eyes still wide open.
"All right, now that you're dead, this matter is settled. Boss Azure Dragon really is bored. Why doesn't he deal with his own men himself? Why send me?"
He Heng looked coldly at the corpse. After confirming that Wei Tianying was truly dead, he gave a frosty laugh and left the inn.
The night was deep, the moon hung high, a breeze stirred, and the stars shone brilliantly. It was the perfect time for a duel, but there wasn't a worthy opponent in sight.
He Heng strolled along the street at an unhurried pace, as if out for a walk. If he hadn't been holding a sword, anyone would have taken him for a harmless young man.
But someone soon ruined He Heng's good mood. Beneath the spreading darkness, a faint voice rang out.
"After killing someone, are you just going to walk away?"
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