I Have A Sword

Ye Guan swung his sword in a frenzy.

Ah Fu specialized in close-combat quarters, but his physical strength held no advantage in front of Ye Guan. While Ye Guan's own physical prowess wasn't as robust as Ah Fu's, he was still a formidable combatant.

After an intense exchange, Ye Guan surprisingly gained the upper hand.

Blood and flesh splattered into the air!

The more they fought, the more terrified Ah Fu became, as Ye Guan fought recklessly, exchanging wound for wound like a madman.

At first, Ah Fu could barely keep up, but as his injuries increased, he dared not continue clashing with Ye Guan and tried to retreat.

However, Ye Guan pursued him relentlessly like a ghost.

Boom!

Just then, a powerful explosion detonated between the two. After blasting Ye Guan back with a punch, Ah Fu quickly turned, his figure trembling as he vanished into the horizon. However, Ah Fu's right arm was left behind, along with chunks of his fleshly body, which fell off piece by piece as he fled.

Ye Guan froze and collapsed. The Qingxuan Sword transformed into a streak of sword light that melted into his glabella, and it promptly began repairs on his soul.

Ye Guan was utterly exhausted, and his fleshly body was riddled with wounds. The temporal energy had eroded him, and remnants of it still lingered within him, continuing to gnaw away at him. Little Pagoda had protected him, suffering severe damage that forced him into a deep slumber.

In truth, if Ah Fu had stayed even just a bit longer, Ye Guan would have collapsed first. Just then, a girl with a ponytail quietly walked over to Ye Guan. She watched him for a while, and then she bent down, carrying him into the distance.

She brought Ye Guan to the base of a towering ancient tree. She gathered leaves as a cushion for him, and then she covered him with tree branches. Afterward, she turned around and left.

Ye Guan was truly too exhausted to care. Soon, he drifted off to sleep.

When night fell, the girl returned to the tree. She sat down next to Ye Guan and took out a fruit. If her clansmen were here, they'd surely be shocked to see that she had whipped out that fruit.

The girl held the fruit to Ye Guan's mouth. "Eat."

Ye Guan opened his eyes, still weary but feeling much better than earlier. Smelling the fragrant fruit, he took a light bite of it. As soon as he swallowed, a wave of pure energy pervaded him, healing him rapidly.

Ye Guan was astonished. "What is this fruit?"

The girl looked at him and replied. "The Tianxing Life Fruit."

"The Tianxing Life Fruit?"

The girl nodded.

Ye Guan found the name familiar, but he wasn't sure. His memories were still fragmented.

The girl then said, "Keep eating."

Ye Guan nodded. Upon consuming the entire fruit, the pure energy inside him healed his organs. His Qingxuan Sword was gradually eliminating the lingering temporal energy within him.

Ye Guan tried to sit up, but he was too weak to do so. Seeing that, the girl hesitated before helping him sit up.

Leaning against the tree, Ye Guan looked up.

The starry sky and the bright moon were breathtaking. He felt like he was staring at a picturesque painting.

Ye Guan took a deep breath, trying to recall his lost memories. However, the temporal energy within him had yet to be eliminated completely, so his head felt like it was going to split into two. In the end, he was forced to give up for now.

The girl sat next to him and turned to look at him. "Who are you?"

"For now…" Ye Guan smiled wryly. "I have no idea."

The girl stared at him without speaking.

"I'm serious," said Ye Guan. Then, he pointed to his head. "I got injured here as soon as I arrived."

The girl's brows knit in concern. After a pause, she asked, "Where are you from?"

Ye Guan thought for a moment and said, "I think it's a place called the Milky Way."

The girl looked puzzled. Clearly, the name was unfamiliar to her.

Ye Guan didn't think much of it. He looked up at the vast starry sky. He was hoping that the sword in his sea of consciousness would cleanse the temporal energy soon so he'd regain clarity as quickly as possible.

Just then, Ye Guan was reminded of something. He turned to the girl beside him and smiled. "Stop thinking about it. Once I've recovered, I'll tell you everything."

The girl looked at him and nodded slightly.

Ye Guan then asked, "What is this place?"

The girl didn't respond.

Ye Guan turned to her.

"You wouldn't know where this place is anyway," the girl replied.

Ye Guan chuckled. "How would you know if you don't tell me?"

The girl picked up a twig and broke it. "The Tianxing Civilization."

The Tianxing Civilization!

Ye Guan furrowed his brows. What a familiar name.

The girl glanced at him. "Have you heard of it?"

Ye Guan responded thoughtfully, "It sounds familiar, so I must have heard of it."

The girl looked at him, a bit puzzled.

"Forget it." Ye Guan suddenly shook his head. "Thinking about it just makes my head hurt."

The girl snapped the twig in her hand and said, "You give off a mysterious vibe."

"Does that mean you're afraid of me?" Ye Guan laughed.

The girl shook her head.

Ye Guan laughed heartily.

"Can you teach me the sword?" asked the girl.

Ye Guan was surprised. "You want to learn the sword?"

The girl nodded.

Ye Guan was puzzled. "Aren't you a martial artist?"

"Can you teach me or not?"

Ye Guan was speechless. Why does she have such a short fuse?

Seeing her still staring at him, he laughed and said, "Alright, I'll teach you."

However, the girl shook her head. "No need. I already know."

Ye Guan was stunned.

The girl picked up a twig nearby. Then, she walked a short distance away before thrusting the twig forward, unleashing a trace of sword intent with her strike.

Ye Guan froze at the sight.

The girl then began swinging the twig.

Ye Guan's expression became solemn as he stared at her. Her movement and sword strikes—her slashes and thrusts—were exactly the moves he had just used in his fight against Ah Fu.

The girl had memorized his entire battle.

Ye Guan was utterly astonished. A genius like her actually exists in this world?

The girl put down the twig and looked at Ye Guan. She didn't say anything, but Ye Guan understood that she was asking for his opinion.

Ye Guan asked, "Was that your first time using a sword?"

The girl nodded.

Ye Guan was shocked, but he remained calm on the outside. "It's passable. You can train with me in the future."

The girl glanced at him and calmly said, "No."

Ye Guan was speechless.

Just then, the girl ran up to him and pointed at the branches nearby. "Hide."

Ye Guan looked puzzled. "Why?"

She replied, "They mustn't find you."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Who are they?"

"My clansmen."

Ye Guan was even more puzzled. "Why can't your clansmen find me?"

The girl stared at him. "If you don't hide, I'll knock you out."

Ye Guan's face turned dark. "Why are you like this? You…"

Seeing her clench her fists with a solemn face, Ye Guan hurriedly said, "Fine, fine, I'll hide…"

He was too weak at the moment, so he really couldn't take her on.

Helpless, Ye Guan picked up the branches and covered himself up, leaving only his head exposed. The girl glared at his half-hearted attempt, but instead of hitting him, she covered him more thoroughly, leaving only his nose uncovered.

Looking at Ye Guan's helpless face, the girl patted the former's head.

"It's for your own good," she said before leaving.

Left all alone, Ye Guan stared up at the stars in exasperation. Then, she remembered something and murmured, "Hey, are you there?"

He had a gut feeling that someone or something was inside him, but he couldn't remember it. Still, he was sure of its existence. With no response, he frowned, calling out again, "Are you there? If so, give me a sign!"

There was still no response.

Puzzled, Ye Guan wondered if he was injured as well.

Eventually, he decided to stop, as thinking only made his head hurt even more.

Looking at the vast starry sky, he let out a deep sigh. What was all this about?

Soon, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

***

Late at night, somewhere near Ye Guan, the same girl with a ponytail stealthily made her way toward an ancient tree. The tree was so massive that its crown seemed to pierce the sky, and its canopy was like a giant umbrella, blocking out the heavens.

There were clusters of fruit hanging from the tree, and some of them had a rare deep purple hue.

There were three figures following the girl with a ponytail—a boy and two girls. One of the girls was clad in a fiery red dress and was stunningly beautiful, while the other girl was wearing a light blue gown with an elegant and graceful air to her.

The boy was wearing a simple black robe, and he stood at the rear, cautiously glancing around with a mischievous face.

Just then, the girl in the red dress tugged at the girl with a ponytail's sleeve.

"Big Sister…" she whispered.

The girl with a ponytail stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the girl in the red dress. "What is it?"

The red-dressed girl hesitated before whispering, "We just stole some fruits yesterday. I haven't even finished absorbing it yet. Don't you think we're pushing our luck a bit too much by coming back here today?"

The girl in the light blue gown quickly nodded in agreement. "Big Sister, Si Huo is right. We're getting a bit greedy. We should space out our 'collection trips' a little more. Sustainable development is the way to go here."

The girl with a ponytail thought about it, but her gaze remained steady as she said, "Si Huo, Feng Dong, I still need one more fruit."

Si Huo gave a quick nod without hesitation, understanding the tone. "Alright, let's do it."

Feng Dong, the girl in blue, nodded. "Let's just… be extra careful this time."

The girl with a ponytail turned sharply to face the man who had been trailing behind them with a worried face.

"Rong Qiu, you stay here and keep watch," said the girl with a ponytail.

Rong Qiu hurriedly nodded, his voice trembling as he said, "Yes, yes! Got it!"

Just like that, the girl with a ponytail led Si Huo and Feng Dong toward the distant tree.