sinovels Chapter 19 Can a female knight who uses a light-sound sword be called a light-sound girl?
Chapter 19 Can a female knight who uses a light-sound sword be called a light-sound girl?
The waterfall roared, and the water vapor billowed.
Shen An leaped out once again from the pounding of hundreds of water arrows, exhaling a long breath. The arduous training of the past few days had made his originally somewhat thin figure even more upright, with smooth and firm muscle lines, exuding a powerful and beautiful aura under the reflection of the water.
He had expected that once he reached the shore, he would be met with Qu Feiyan's impatient urging for more updates, just like always: "Did Guo Jing leave the desert later? Did he and Hua Zheng end up together?"
Yes, more than ten days have passed, and Guo Jing still hasn't met Huang Rong outside the desert, because Shen An took a detour to talk to Qu Feiyan about the Jingkang Incident and Yue Fei's story.
However, to everyone's surprise, Qu Feiyan simply sat quietly on the rock today, her hands supporting her chin, her bright eyes fixed on him without blinking. Her eyes no longer held the anxiety of the past, but were instead filled with eagerness, as if waiting for him to ask her a question.
"What's wrong, Ruoyun?"
"Brother An," she tilted her head, her voice clear and melodious, "I heard a really interesting story in town yesterday, and I'll tell it to you!"
Shen An dried his hair, understanding dawning on him, and smiled, "Oh? Tell me, how interesting is it?"
"They say there's a sword-wielding master named Dugu Qiubai... no, a grandmaster, who also keeps a huge eagle! They also say that the martial arts of Hero Yang Guo and Master Feng Qingyang were learned from him!"
Qu Feiyan gestured vividly as she recounted the story for quite a while, then looked up at Shen An and asked, "Brother An, is this story... true?"
It seems the news spread quite quickly, reaching all of Hengyang City and starting to spread outwards within a few days. Shen An was not surprised at all; gossip among martial arts heroes spreads at an astonishing speed, much like celebrity scandals in his previous life.
Shen An found it strange that everyone knew Yang Guo, but few people had heard of Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and Xiaolongnu.
Most incredibly, the name Zhang Wuji seems to have been completely erased, leaving no trace of its existence.
"Yes, that part is true." Shen An nodded. "Dugu Qiubai was indeed a real person, and Master Yang did receive guidance from him on the Divine Condor, which is how he comprehended the method of the heavy sword."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Qu Feiyan's eyes lit up even more. She excitedly leaned closer and asked, "Then... what about the Fairy Qingyin in the story who found the Purple Rose Soft Sword and created some kind of Qingyin Sword Technique? Was she really that powerful? Where did she go afterward?"
Seeing her fervent expression that screamed, "Tell me about my idol's life story!", Shen An couldn't help but laugh.
He reached out his finger and gently flicked her smooth forehead.
"Ouch!" Qu Feiyan covered her forehead and pouted in dissatisfaction.
"That one..." Shen An drawled, a mischievous grin on his face, "That one was fake, I made it up."
"ah?!"
After hearing Shen An's explanation, Qu Feiyan was stunned, her mouth agape.
Her mind went blank for a moment before she pointed incredulously at Shen An, then at herself: "You...you made this up? To...to sell that sword called 'Light Sound'?"
"Exactly." Shen An nodded smugly. "This is called brand story marketing. Just saying our swords are good isn't enough to convince anyone. But if this sword is the model used by a legendary female warrior, then it's a different story. We're not selling a sword, we're selling a dream, a dream that allows all those who wield the Light Sound Sword to immerse themselves in their own martial arts dream."
Qu Feiyan was initially shocked, then she slapped her thigh, her face flushed with excitement: "Brother An! This is so much fun! You're a genius at lying!"
This unusual praise left Shen An both amused and exasperated.
"Tell me quickly, how else are you planning to deceive... no, how are you going to market this?" Qu Feiyan grabbed Shen An's arm and shook it vigorously, her eyes sparkling. "Are you going to make up a few martial arts manuals for 'Light Music Fairy'? Or find a few 'traces' she left behind? Let me tell you, I know this stuff! I'll help you make it up! I guarantee it'll be flawless!"
Seeing her excitement at being eager to throw herself into this "con artistry," Shen An felt both amused and helpless. This girl's love of fun was truly ingrained in her bones.
"There are follow-up plans..."
But as Shen An continued talking, Qu Feiyan's interest gradually waned.
This sounds like so much fun, but... I'm Yang Ruoyun now. How can a country girl who can barely read help Brother An spread stories in the city, and how can she help him plan all these fun things...?
Those eyes, which always sparkled with cunning and liveliness, were now veiled in a thin, gray mist.
Seeing her like this, Shen An felt a slight stirring in his heart and immediately understood. He began to think about how to comfort her.
Why not just be upfront about it? After all, I still need to discuss with Qu Yang what information to provide regarding Uncle Lu Bai's urging for the mission, but I really can't contact him, and the servants at the Jade Courtyard don't know anything about it. Perhaps I could use Qu Feiyan to tell him?
However, this was too risky, so Shen An thought about it and decided to give up.
Little did he know that just a hundred paces behind him, deep in the dense forest where the sound of the waterfall was concealed, two figures were quietly watching everything.
It was Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng.
"Hmph!" Qu Yang looked at his granddaughter chatting and laughing with Shen An in the distance, let out a sour snort, and muttered unhappily, "Look at this little girl, she just told others where we played the piano. She really favors outsiders. Daughters grow up and leave home, the ancients were right."
Although he was complaining, a hint of a smile, which he himself was unaware of, was hidden in his cloudy old eyes.
"Haha, Brother Qu, children and grandchildren have their own blessings." Liu Zhengfeng laughed heartily, patted his shoulder, and said gently, "We elders can shield them from the storms of life for a while, but we can't protect them forever. Let them be."
Upon hearing this, Qu Yang let out a long sigh. His gaze shifted from his granddaughter in the distance to the young man:
"Brother Liu, look, this is the young man I mentioned to you, Shen An. Over the past ten days or so, I have seen him clearly, both openly and secretly. This young man is consistent inside and out, and he has a rare kindness and benevolence towards ordinary farmers and street craftsmen."
Liu Zhengfeng's face was serious, his eyes piercing. He observed in silence for a long time before slowly speaking: "This young man's character and wisdom are indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people. To be able to remain righteous and benevolent under a powerful figure like Zuo Lengchan is truly rare. To stir up a storm in a city with a fabricated story—this skill will lead to limitless achievements in the future."
"Yes." Qu Yang sighed, his tone tinged with desolation and resolve. "I'm practically half-buried now. If something were to happen to me, my biggest worry would be Fei Fei. This child seems mischievous, but she's actually kind-hearted. I'm afraid she'll be bullied. I think Shen An is righteous and resourceful; perhaps... he's someone I can entrust Fei Yan to."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhengfeng frowned. He shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Brother Qu, you absolutely mustn't be so rash!"
"From what you've said, this young man has great ambitions, and I believe he won't make any major mistakes. But precisely because of this, I have another concern." Liu Zhengfeng's gaze sharpened.
"Brother Qu, if a person's heart holds the whole world, it's often difficult to make enough room to carefully nurture the flower beside them. Could he, for the sake of the so-called bigger picture, treat Fei Yan as a pawn to be sacrificed? Could he turn her joy today into a sigh on the chessboard tomorrow?"
He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "He's willing to play along with her, perhaps just because he finds her amusing and wants to relieve his boredom; it doesn't bother him. How can we know how genuine his apparent kindness truly is?"
Qu Yang was speechless for a moment. He only saw Shen An's good qualities, but he did not think deeply about the hidden worries behind them.
"We have to give him a try," Liu Zhengfeng said, each word distinct, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"How do I try it?"
"Don't test his martial arts skills, don't test his wisdom, and don't test his views on the principles of chivalry."
Liu Zhengfeng's gaze fell on Qu Feiyan's somewhat lonely figure in the distance, and he slowly said:
"What we need to test is his heart. We need to see just how much Fei Fei means to him."