Chapter 113: Ascending the Mountain

The young beggar nodded thoughtfully, pointing at his twig-thin arm.

“Then I’ll find some labor work tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Ying Du teased, “with those scrawny arms and legs, you’ll probably only make five or six copper coins after a whole day of work.”

Hearing this, the beggar’s eyes lit up.

“Five or six copper coins? That’s plenty! Enough for two flatbreads!”

“Brother Ying, where do you live? Once I earn money, I’ll treat you to some flatbreads!”

“The flatbreads from Baldy’s shop on East Street are delicious!”

Ying Du chuckled.

“I’m heading to Heavenly Sword Villa tomorrow. Treat me when I come back.”

“Heavenly Sword Villa!” The moment the beggar heard this, he grabbed Ying Du’s arm.

“You can’t go there!”

Ying Du frowned.

“Why not?”

“Two years ago, people from Heavenly Sword Villa came down specifically to capture beggars like me.”

“Once they took them up the mountain, they were never seen again.”

“If I hadn’t hidden in a latrine pit, I’d have been taken too!”

As he spoke, a look of sheer terror spread across the beggar’s face.

Ying Du furrowed his brow and nodded slightly.

“Got it. When I go up the mountain, I’ll look into it…”

The beggar shivered.

“Brother Ying, please be careful. If you can avoid going, don’t go!”

Ying Du grinned.

“You’ve seen what I’m capable of during the day, haven’t you? There’s no one born yet who can outwit me!”

The beggar seemed to want to say more, but Ying Du pressed him against the wall and yawned.

“Enough. Time to sleep.”

“Mr. Gu, if you don’t plan to compete, why not leave that wooden sword at the inn and come back for it later?”

“Sure, you’ve wrapped it in cloth so no one can see it, but carrying it on your back makes it obvious to anyone with half a brain that it’s a sword,” Ying Du remarked with a smile.

Gu Ning’an smiled and shook his head.

“It’s fine.”

Seeing that Gu Ning’an didn’t mind, Ying Du didn’t press further. Shading his eyes with his hand, he looked up at the towering mountain ahead.

“Wow! These wandering swordsmen sure wake up early. I can already see people on the stone steps halfway up the mountain.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get moving!” Liu Feixue urged, already stepping onto the stone stairs leading to Heavenly Sword Villa.

Gu Ning’an and Ying Du exchanged a glance, said nothing, and quickly followed.

Heavenly Sword Villa was built atop the mountain peak. To make travel easier, the villa had spent a fortune constructing a wide stone staircase that could accommodate three people walking side by side.

According to Ying Du, some wandering swordsman had once counted the steps—9,999 in total. It was said that the villa had deliberately chosen this auspicious yang number during construction.

When they reached halfway up the mountain, Ying Du was slightly out of breath. He turned to glance at Liu Feixue.

Her face wasn’t flushed, and her breathing was steady. Earlier, she had climbed with such urgency that she almost skipped three steps at a time. If it weren’t for the crowd ahead slowing her down, she probably wouldn’t have stopped for a moment!

Well, martial artists, even women, are bound to be stronger than me. At least I can run just as fast as her on flat ground… Ying Du consoled himself as he shifted his gaze to Gu Ning’an.

The sight was a blow to his pride.

Why was Mr. Gu completely composed, as if this climb was nothing?

Isn’t he supposed to be a scholar?

Sensing Ying Du’s gaze, Gu Ning’an smiled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Ying Du replied, quickly averting his eyes and slowing his breathing.

“Ah, isn’t that Young Master Ying? Fancy running into you again!”

A hearty laugh suddenly rang out from behind them.

The three of them turned to see two burly men carrying heavy swords standing on the steps not far behind.

These two men had sided with Ying Du at the inn the previous day. Due to their imposing builds and the massive swords on their backs—each as wide as half a person and weighing an estimated 50 pounds—Gu Ning’an remembered them clearly.

“Well, what a coincidence!” Ying Du’s spirits lifted as he looked at the two men, who were panting even harder than he was.

“There are too many people climbing to the villa. The ones ahead of us can’t keep up either, and now we’re stuck!”

“Ah!” The bald man wiped the sweat from his head.

“I tell you, climbing this mountain out of nowhere is exhausting. Honestly, taking a break isn’t so bad.”

Ying Du nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. If this were flat ground, I could run for a whole day and night without breaking a sweat.”

Hearing this, Liu Feixue glanced at him, her eyes filled with disdain.

“By the way, may I ask this gentleman’s honorable surname?” The bald man turned to Gu Ning’an and cupped his hands in greeting.

Gu Ning’an smiled.

“My humble surname is Gu.”

The bald man bowed repeatedly.

“Ah, Mr. Gu! My name is Lu Ming, and this is my brother, Lu Yao.”

Lu Yao, standing nearby, was clearly not fond of small talk. He simply nodded to the three in greeting.

“I never thought the Immortal Sword Manual would be so enticing that even a scholar would come to see it,” Lu Ming remarked with a sigh. Then, his tone shifted to a teasing one.

“But sir, how is it that you forgot to bring a sword for the climb?”

“Although only the winner of the competition will be allowed to view the Immortal Sword Manual, perhaps, as a scholar with a sword, you could stand out among us wandering swordsmen. You might catch the villa master’s attention and receive an invitation to view the manual.”

Hearing this, Ying Du frowned slightly and chuckled.

“Mr. Gu has something wrapped in cloth on his back. What do you think it is?”

“Eh?” Lu Ming squinted at Gu Ning’an’s back and laughed.

“Well, would you look at that! I guess I didn’t notice earlier…”

Didn’t notice? Standing behind him the whole time?

As a swordsman, it was impossible for Lu Ming’s eyesight to be that poor.

Something felt off, but Ying Du couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He silently made a note of this oddity.

Meanwhile, Gu Ning’an, who had momentarily lifted the illusion concealing his sword, turned his gaze toward the locust trees around them.

They were now halfway up the mountain, and from this point onward, both sides of the stone staircase were densely planted with locust trees.

Many of these trees appeared to have freshly loosened soil around their roots, as if they had been recently transplanted.

Locust trees were associated with yin energy. Planting so many of them in the middle of the mountain was inconsistent with common feng shui principles.

In the balance of yin and yang, the mountain was seen as a whole: yin occupied the lower regions, and yang the upper, symbolizing “the earth submitting to heaven.”

To reverse this order would symbolize “the earth rebelling against heaven,” disrupting the balance. The consequences would invite restless spirits and foster grievances.

But beneath these locust trees… weren’t there far too many wandering spirits?