Chapter 38: Chapter 37: Moonfall Swordsmanship
Wen Qingye smiled at Ling Wei. "Alright. There are three stone boxes. Go ahead and pick one first."
Ling Wei’s eyes darted about as she said, "Why don’t you open them? I’ll choose after they’re open."
Wen Qingye nodded, then picked up the first stone box and slowly opened it.
"What kind of pill is this?" Ling Wei asked curiously.
When the stone box opened, it revealed a dark green pill. Although most of its Spiritual Qi had dissipated, one could vaguely tell that it was no ordinary pill.
Wen Qingye glanced at it and said, "This is a Beauty Pill. Strictly speaking, it should be considered a Ninth-Grade Pill, but it has lost most of its medicinal potency. Now, it only counts as a Seventh-Grade Pill."
"A Beauty Pill? Heavens, aren’t these pills from a lost recipe?" Ling Wei picked up the pill and cried out in delighted surprise.
’Uh...’ Wen Qingye felt a little helpless. ’It seems this kind of pill is truly a woman’s greatest weakness.’
Ling Wei looked at Wen Qingye with pleading eyes. "This one’s for me?"
"Sure. I don’t have any use for it anyway," Wen Qingye said with a nod. This Beauty Pill would have a negligible effect on Zhang Xiaoyun, so he hadn’t planned on taking it for himself.
As he spoke, Wen Qingye opened the second stone box. The moment he did, a black light emerged. A fist-sized black orb lay inside, emitting a mysterious dark glow.
Wen Qingye’s heart leaped when he saw the black orb. "I’ll take this one," he said quickly.
Ling Wei was used to seeing all sorts of jewelry, so she wasn’t particularly interested in the black orb and simply nodded in agreement.
Wen Qingye looked at the orb in his hand, then carefully put it away. This wasn’t just any ordinary pearl; it was the legendary Black Pearl. The Black Pearl had many wondrous uses, one of which was healing scars.
With this Black Pearl and a few other medicinal ingredients, Wen Qingye was now confident he could heal the scar on Zhang Xiaoyun’s face.
Finally, Wen Qingye picked up the last stone box and slowly opened it. A book lay inside.
Wen Qingye took it out. Two large words were carved on its cover: Moonfall Swordsmanship.
"This is the Moonfall Swordsmanship! It’s been lost for over seven hundred years!" Ling Wei exclaimed, her eyes fixed excitedly on the Sword Manual in Wen Qingye’s hands.
Wen Qingye asked, puzzled, "What about it? Is it that impressive?"
Ling Wei stared at Wen Qingye in astonishment. "Don’t you know who the Moonfall Sword God was? Seven hundred years ago, he was the number one expert in the Celestial Martial Country, and the top master in the surrounding Sixteen Countries as well! This Moonfall Swordsmanship was his signature technique. Although it’s a Seventh-Grade Sword Skill Martial Arts, its later moves are easily on par with an Eighth Grade Sword Technique Martial Arts."
Wen Qingye nodded and casually flipped through it. Though he only gave it a cursory glance, he had already committed the entire Swordsmanship to memory. He figured it would be no problem to master after practicing it a few times.
Ling Wei bit her lip. "They say the Moonfall Swordsmanship holds even deeper secrets. Anyone who can fully comprehend it could reach the same level the Sword God did back in his day. You should take it. With your skill, you can definitely master this Moonfall Swordsmanship."
Wen Qingye looked at Ling Wei and said, "I can’t do that. Your Sword Technique Cultivation is also quite impressive. You should be the one to keep the Moonfall Swordsmanship."
"No, you keep it," Ling Wei insisted.
Wen Qingye had no choice but to tell the truth. "It wouldn’t be of much use to me. You should take it. Once you’ve mastered it, you can just explain the Sword Manual to me then, right?"
Ling Wei stared intently at Wen Qingye, feeling as though a string deep in her heart had been plucked. After a long moment, she nodded. "Alright. I’ll take it for now. Once I’ve mastered it, I’ll give it back to you."
Wen Qingye smiled and nodded, though he didn’t take her words to heart.
The two gathered their things and prepared to leave. Following the path they’d taken, they soon emerged from behind the waterfall.
The moment they stepped out from behind the waterfall, a Jade Pendant at Ling Wei’s waist suddenly lit up.
Ling Wei’s expression changed. She looked at Wen Qingye and said, "My family is here to get me. It looks like I have to say goodbye."
"Mm," Wen Qingye nodded.
Ling Wei looked at Wen Qingye, a hint of regret in her eyes.
"SCREECH!"
A cry suddenly echoed from the sky above. A massive, fiery red bird appeared over their heads and began to circle.
Wen Qingye recognized the great red bird. It was a Demon Beast with strength roughly equivalent to the Refining Essence Eighth Heaven realm—incredibly powerful.
Ling Wei knew that if she didn’t leave now, people would come looking for her, which would be a huge problem for Wen Qingye. Gritting her teeth, she pushed off with her feet and leaped directly onto the great bird’s back.
"Wen Qingye, make sure you practice the Moonfall Swordsmanship well!"
A book and a sword came floating down from the sky—it was the Moonfall Swordsmanship manual she had taken and her own personal sword. Wen Qingye instinctively caught the Sword Manual and the blade. When he looked up, the great bird was already carrying Ling Wei far away, gradually disappearing from his view.
Wen Qingye couldn’t help but shake his head and give a wry smile. ’I’ve already memorized the Moonfall Swordsmanship completely, yet she still left it for me, and even gave me a Fifth-Grade Sword.’ He could tell from her eyes how much she had genuinely cherished the technique.
’Ling Wei’s family uses a Demon Beast at the Refining Essence Eighth Heaven as a mount,’ Wen Qingye thought to himself. ’She must be a scion of some powerful family in the Celestial Martial Country. If I ever run into her again, I’ll give this Moonfall Swordsmanship back to her. As for the sword, I’ll consider it a favor.’
Wen Qingye put away the Moonfall Swordsmanship and started walking back the way he had come.
「Three days later, in the Hundred Break Mountains.」
"Bright Moon in the Sky!"
The Cyan Mist Sword in Wen Qingye’s hand carried a cold glint, like the pure light of the moon. He immediately flicked his wrist, swinging the Cyan Mist Sword several times in quick succession. Countless streams of Sword Qi surged madly forward, resembling a bright moon as they gave off a peculiar yellow halo.
"Silver Moon Wushang!"
Wen Qingye spun, and the sword in his hand moved. The blade was like a single point of starlight in the dark night. With every turn of his feet, Wen Qingye struck out once with the Cyan Mist Sword. One turn, one strike. The move looked deceptively simple, yet it held an astonishing killing intent. This was Silver Moon Wushang.
Wen Qingye paused and couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. ’This Moonfall Swordsmanship is quite impressive. Although it’s a Seventh-Grade Sword Skill Martial Arts, when executed well, it’s not much weaker than a typical Eighth-Grade Martial Arts. That must be what makes it so formidable.’
Wen Qingye rested for a moment. Just as he was about to leave, the grass ahead of him suddenly rustled. His heart tensed, and he quickly tightened his grip on his sword, his gaze fixed on the spot.
