Past Ties and Old Memories
No wonder Sang Ying felt the scene of rescuing people was so familiar; it turned out to be the scene when they first met Gu Huaiwei.
Thinking of this Sang Ying took another closer look at the thin, small child. He was covered in dirt and looked short and small, just like a little beggar on the street.
If it weren't for the fact that this face Gu Huaiwei's when she grew up, with only some difference between being childish and mature, Sang Ying really wouldn't have been able to put the child in front of her together with the aloof and cold Immortal Venerable Yanchen.
Not to mention Sang Ying, even Gu Wangchuan and the sword spirit were slightly surprised when they saw his cleaned face.
But the sword spirit quickly realized what was happening, casually wiping the mud from its feet and smearing it on the child's face.
Young Gu Huaiwei showed no resistance, letting the sword spirit do as it pleased on her face, her eyes fixed on the sword spirit as if filled with curiosity.
"Kid, do you know why we smeared mud on your face? And you're still sitting still, being so obedient?" Gu Wangchuan found the child's reaction somewhat amusing.
But the child quickly replied, "I know, Grandpa told me not to let anyone touch my face."
The grandfather he mentioned was the old beggar who had taken him in and had recently passed away.
Gu Wangchuan raised an eyebrow. "Since you knew, why didn't you resist when we touched your face?"
"Others can't, but you can touch it," he quickly and seriously replied.
Gu Wangchuan clicked his tongue again, secretly lamenting that this guy wasn't vigilant enough.
The rain outside stopped quickly, but the night grew darker. The child had nowhere to stay, and neither did Gu Wangchuan and the others. The three of them had no choice but to make do with spending the night outside.
Although Gu Wangchuan was very strict with himself, he was relatively gentle with the child. The three of them, one with a sword spirit, were outside in the cold wind, while the child, under Method Formula, fell asleep in a comfortable temperature.
Sang Ying watched this scene, her thoughts unreadable. But her gaze towards the child carried a heavy weight.
Nothing more was said that night. The next day, Gu Wangchuan was about to leave this place with the sword spirit.
They planned to find a suitable family for the child before leaving, which would be a way to provide the child with a safe haven.
However, the village's belief in fortune-telling exceeded Gu Wangchuan's imagination. Whenever he knocked on a door, after the person came out and saw the child, they wouldn't say a word more and immediately slammed the door shut.
If you encounter someone with a short temper, you'll not only lock the door but also give them a good scolding before you're satisfied.
After more than ten attempts, Gu Wangchuan wiped his face and completely gave up on leaving the child in the village.
Judging from how the people here treat children, if they leave this child unattended, he/she will probably die soon.
"Sigh." Gu Wangchuan let out a helpless sigh, "There's no other way but to take the child with us."
The child, upon learning that he was to be taken away, felt no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, he was overjoyed.
This was a rare Sang Ying of such a strong emotional fluctuation on his face, making even the cold, aloof figure in her memory seem warmer.
But the child's joy didn't last long, because soon when they came to the next village, Gu Wangchuan finally found a suitable family.
The other party was an elderly couple who had never had children and were so in love that they refused to separate, which is why they had lived like this for so many years.
But now that they are getting older, they long for a child to have by their side.
After learning that the two men were kind-hearted, hardworking, and well-known honest people in the village, Gu Wangchuan decided to leave the child with them.
But Xiao Gu Huaiwei didn't want to be separated from them. He even took the initiative to tell the couple about his past experiences in front of everyone, and emphasized the deaths of his parents and the old beggar.
The couple's faces turned pale instantly. They held each other's hands tightly, but after a moment, they still refused to raise the child.
Although they really wanted to have a child, they cared more about each other and didn't want to take such a big risk for someone they had only just met.
Gu Wangchuan sighed helplessly. Even though he had guessed this would happen when the child revealed his background, he was still disappointed when it actually occurred.
Left with no other option, he had to leave the village with Xiao Gu Huaiwei.
On the way, he asked him, "Why didn't you want to stay with that family? The couple actually liked you quite a bit; they even gave you a room."
"But after they learned about my past, they quickly abandoned me." The child's expression remained calm and composed. "Besides, I'd rather be with you."
"Don't talk nonsense. We're going to face a lot of dangers later. It's not good for a child like you to stay with us." Gu Wangchuan waved his hand to refuse. He had already started thinking about how to find a more reliable family to adopt the child.
"I know you are monks," the child suddenly said, surprising everyone.
Gu Wangchuan's expression froze. "Kid, you know quite a lot. Yes, we are cultivators, so you should understand how powerful our enemies are. If we take you with us, you might very well lose your life."
But the child was very stubborn. "I'm not afraid! I can do it. I'm not afraid of anything as long as I can stay with you. Please let me stay."
As he spoke, he was about to kneel down and kowtow to the two of them.
Finally, the sword spirit intervened and stopped him from kneeling. Then, it persuaded Gu Wangchuan to give the child a chance, "Let's test his Spirit Root. If he's lucky, we'll keep him and find a suitable sect for him later."
However, Sang Ying already knew the test results: a single Ice Spirit Root, the same talent as her. That's why the elders and sect leader of the Flowing Light Sword Sect tried so hard to get Sang Ying to become the disciple of Immortal Venerable Yanchen.
Because the two share the same Spirit Root, the Cultivation Method they practice will be highly compatible.
What happened next was exactly what Gu Huaiwei had told her before she died.
The sword spirit helped Gu Huaiwei learn Swordsmanship from Gu Wangchuan, helped Gu Huaiwei join the Flowing Light Sword Sect, and even gave him a name.
As Gu Wangchuan and the others were leaving, the young Gu Huaiwei grabbed the hem of the sword spirit's clothes, begging her not to abandon him.
But in the sword spirit's heart, he wasn't the most important person; she couldn't possibly stop for Gu Huaiwei.
Before the two figures completely disappeared from sight, Gu Huaiwei cried out, "I will find you! No matter how difficult it is, no matter where you are, I will find you!"
In the end, Gu Huaiwei was still disappointed. Gu Wangchuan ascended to heaven, the Sever the Heavenly River, and Gu Wangchuan was destined never to see the sword spirit again.
Seeing this, Sang Ying sighed heavily. Now she didn't know how to face Gu Huaiwei.
Memories are fading little by little; it seems the story is coming to an end.
She saw Gu Wangchuan and the sword spirit walk to a scenic spot and talk at length about their plans after ascension.
Sang Ying listened with a smile, then glanced down unintentionally and saw the sword spirit's reflection in the lake.
The sword spirit in the water clearly had the same eyebrows and eyes as Sang Ying!
A note from the author:
Well, I'm almost done adjusting. I'll resume three updates a day starting tomorrow. Thank you everyone!