As the end of the year approached, Alluring Elegy sensed that Baili Gucheng was becoming increasingly restless.
His unease might have something to do with her not allowing him to go out freely. Although this was to ensure he could recuperate peacefully at the inn, counting the days, it was nearly time for the Northern Qiang's yearly invasion.
Carrying a tray, Yang Lu brought a blue-and-white porcelain bowl that emitted a fragrant medicine smell.
Yang Lu knocked three times, then pushed the door open without waiting for a response from inside, and walked in.
Inside the room, Baili Gucheng sat in a chair by the window, lost in thought as he looked at the bustling streets below.
He was dressed in all white, and his ancient sword lay sheathed on the table before him. His hand loosened and tightened its grip on the hilt, over and over again.
Yang Lu walked over lightly, gently placed the tray on the table, and softly said, "Gucheng, it's time to take your medicine."
Her voice brought Baili Gucheng back to reality. He stared blankly at the bowl of medicine on the table and asked, "What day is it today?"
"Today"—Yang Lu lifted the bowl of medicine and blew gently on it—"is the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month."
Baili Gucheng nodded distractedly.
Yang Lu handed over the slightly-cooled bowl of medicine. Baili Gucheng accepted it without hesitation, drank it in one go, and then continued to stare blankly out the window.
Alluring Elegy sighed inwardly. She knew that Baili Gucheng was worried about the North Watching Pass and the people who defended it.
Counting the days until Northern Qiang was due to invade, it was a precarious moment indeed. Yet Baili Gucheng had recently clashed with Ah San, which caused his old injuries to flare up again.
Taking action right now was sure to fail. Out of desperation, the two had to stay low in this inn, focusing on helping Baili Gucheng recover his health...
But there wasn’t much time left.
Though Baili Gucheng never voiced his concerns, he must have been clearer than anyone about the circumstances in his heart. Faced with this insurmountable predicament, it was no wonder he was so gloomy and restless.
Yang Lu’s pretty brows were furrowed sharply, but she couldn’t think of any way to solve the problem.
So she tried to resolve their problems from another angle.
"Hey~ Impending Sword, I want to ask you something." Yang Lu sat down beside Baili Gucheng and poked his shoulder with a finger.
"Hmm?" Baili Gucheng came to his senses and looked at the beautiful woman sitting close to him. "What is it?"
"It’s about that..." Yang Lu rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. "The one you mentioned to me last time, Stormqueller."
"Him? What about him?" Baili Gucheng frowned slightly.
Yang Lu looked around as she said, "Didn’t you say he was wanted by the government? He’s your friend, aren’t you worried?"
Baili Gucheng waved his hand casually. "I thought you were going to ask something serious... Those fools from the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guardians can’t do anything to him."
"Oh? He’s that strong?" Yang Lu blinked her wide eyes. "Well, if he didn’t have some skills, we wouldn't need to ask for his help after all."
Baili Gucheng nodded and suddenly said seriously, "He is indeed very strong... but his strength is not what you might be imagining."
"Hmm?" Yang Lu was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
Impending Sword’s gaze deepened as he dipped his finger into the medicinal dregs at the bottom of the bowl and slowly wrote a name on the table.
"Stormqueller... he uses a blade."
Yang Lu tilted her head. "I remember you mentioning that."
Baili Gucheng paused, recalling a few things. "There are only a few Nihil-rankers in the Ghostbane Association... Stormqueller Ye Beizhi is the most unique among them."
"Oh? Why is that?" Yang Lu became interested. Although she was quite familiar with the Ghostbane Association because of her master, she knew very little about Stormqueller.
"The few people who are Nihil-rankers all have their own martial arts styles," Baili Gucheng revealed as he wiped the moisture off his finger on the edge of the table.
"Some, like me, learned from their masters from a young age, while others come from prestigious sects. Only Stormqueller Ye Beizhi is different... strictly speaking, he actually doesn’t know martial arts."
"Doesn’t know martial arts?" Yang Lu raised her brows in surprise. "How is that possible? There are actually people with the rank of Nihil who haven't learned—"
"Exactly," Baili Gucheng interrupted Yang Lu and continued, "He doesn’t know martial arts, but he knows how to kill."
"What does that mean?" Yang Lu felt even more confused.
Baili Gucheng took a deep breath. "He was originally just a normal soldier on the battlefield. The level of his swordsmanship has been honed through an unknown number of kills."
"How is that possible?" Yang Lu gasped in surprise, covering her mouth. "Even if that were possible, there are probably many veterans on the battlefield who have killed all their lives... why is it that others haven’t—"
"It’s not uncommon to find a soldier who can kill." Baili Gucheng pointed at the title "Stormqueller" on the table and slowly spoke, "But to be able to slaughter an entire Northern Qiang cavalry regiment with just one person and one blade... he is the only one."
"You... are you joking?" Yang Lu’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't mess with me! Where could such a strong soldier come from?"
Baili Gucheng slightly closed his eyes and shook his head.
"You know... when I first met him, his skills were only barely at the Martial Master level, yet the momentum of his blade was like soaring clouds, to my eyes.
When he walked past me, the sword qi around me hardly dared to clash with his blade's momentum... He was sharp and fierce as if he were a blade stained and soaked in an ocean of blood."
"He came to see you?" Yang Lu listened carefully and immediately pointed out something peculiar. "What did he come to see you for?"
"He asked me for something." Baili Gucheng rubbed the chain on the hilt of the sword.
Baili Gucheng lightly tapped the small lock on the hilt of his sword.
"Deep Sea Profound Iron."