Bai Ye talked a lot more than usual that evening, asking me all kinds of questions from what prizes I got to how my advancements felt after absorbing the power enhancer. The same continued the next day on our way back to Mount Hua aboard the flying ship. I was slightly worried at first about being seen around him too much, but since everything he talked about was typical between a master and a disciple, I relaxed in the end. He probably just wanted to spend some more time with me before leaving for his retreat.
It was wonderful to return to Mount Hua after the long trip. Although the luxury of Jade Temple was eye-opening, I much preferred our sun-bathed garden with the sweet osmanthus still blooming. The first thing I did after stepping through our front gate was to take a deep breath of that fragrance-filled air, reveling in the freedom and the joy of being back home again. It would take some getting used to if we were to leave Mount Hua—after all these years, I guess I had grown more attached to this place than I realized.
"Qing-er." Bai Ye's voice cut off my thoughts. "Come with me to the sword vault."
Already? I glanced at the swords on my belt before following him. "Are we locking up Twin Stars right now?" I asked. Not that I had a reason to keep it any longer … but doing it the first thing after we returned was more rushed than I had expected.
"We don't have to," he said as we crossed the garden towards the back of the hall, "and you can change your mind anytime. The seal on the vault door is similar to the one for the cave chamber, so you can open it whenever you need Twin Stars again. But I want to show you the other twin swords in my collection. I won't have time to forge you a new pair like I planned before … so if you need a replacement, you'll have to pick from what I already have."
I nodded. Forging a new pair of swords could easily take weeks or months. It was only natural that he couldn't spare that much time at this point. "When are you starting your retreat?" I asked as we approached the vault.
"Tomorrow."
My steps froze. "Tomorrow?" I repeated. "That soon?"
He smiled. "It's hard to push back retreats when it's time for them to come. You know I would if I could."
Of course I knew, but it still hurt to think that I had only one day left with him before he'd be gone for possibly quite a while. I managed a smile that probably looked more sad than happy. "I haven't congratulated you on the breakthrough yet," I said. "It's a big one, isn't it? To need a retreat like this so urgently?"
"You can save the congratulations for when I come back," he chuckled, though he didn't answer my question. "Now try to open this seal and see if it works well for you."
I willed the disappointment to stay in the back of my mind and placed my hand on the door. The seal did loosen easily with his spiritual power flowing from my palm, and the door creaked open in front of us.
The view of the vault managed to divert my attention—I had never seen his sword collection before, and I wasn't expecting hundreds of blades lining the chamber, each one different from the rest. Some were hung over the wall, draped with ornaments. Some sat on intricately carved stands. Some were probably more special than others, as they occupied their own alcoves, and a few were even locked up in chests.
"Twin swords are this way," Bai Ye said, leading me to a section on the left. "I only have a few of these, since twin swords don't suit my style. If you don't like any of them, I can see if I could trade something with Teng Yuan for a different pair."
"That won't be necessary," I said hastily. I had heard before that a true swordsman loved his swords like they were his children, and I didn't want him to have to trade one of them just for me. I picked up each of the three pairs on the shelf, unsheathing them to feel their weight and strength, and I chose one that was the closest to Twin Stars.
"That pair was a new forge gifted to me by a swordsmith," he smiled. "It doesn't have a name yet. Since you are its first owner, you can choose a name that you see fit."
My mood brightened a little at his words. I could name my own swords? "Should it be something that matches its power manifestation?" I asked, though I was already going through a list of names in my head that paired with Lightbringer.
"It can be anything you like, from lines of a poem to the name of a person you like or hate. Just don't name it 'this sword', which I have seen some people do … Now let me show you where I usually keep Twin Stars."
I blinked when he turned to leave. "It's not kept with the other twin swords?" I asked.
He paused, turning around to look at me, then at the swords on my belt. "No. I built a separate chamber for it."
My eyes widened. A separate chamber just for one pair of swords? Twin Stars must've really meant a lot to him … Though I suppose it was only expected for a demonic sword. Carrying the new pair in my arms, I followed him to the far end of the vault where a tall shelf of long swords stood. Reaching through the third compartment on the right, he pressed on the tile on the wall behind it, and a door that I didn't notice existed before opened on my left.
"I told you it's important to keep Twin Stars safe." He smiled at my gaping look. "It's not unheard of for vaults like this to be broken into, and I didn't want to risk Twin Stars being found."
For a moment, I wasn't sure if I should be more glad that he was willing to give me these swords that he cared so much about, or afraid of the power behind it that warranted such precaution. We stepped through the hidden door, arriving at a table at the center of the room with a gilded sword stand on top. "Whenever you're ready," he said.
I unfastened Twin Stars from my belt. This was it, then. A wistful feeling suddenly rose in me. It had barely been three months, but so much had happened around these swords, and in a way, I felt as if they had borne witness to everything that changed between Bai Ye and me during this time. I ran my thumb over the hilt, a bit too nostalgic to let go.
"Remember, Qing-er, if you ever change your mind—"
"I won't," I said. Hesitant as I might be, I knew this was the right thing to do.. I placed Twin Stars on the sword stand, took a last look at the familiar crimson pattern on its sheaths, and secured the new blades onto my belt.
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