Chapter 90: Left Li's Legacy

After a long wait, the carriage finally started moving again, but the thoughts of those inside and the coachmen were still dwelling on the recent encounter.

With the fog dispersed, there was no longer any need to lead the horses. All the coachmen had returned to their seats and were driving the carriages forward.

After the carriages had driven far away, a shadow shifted on a large tree by the roadside, and Ji Yuan finally jumped down from the tree.

"Whether it will be done, and how much use it will ultimately be, is not for me, Ji, to decide!"

Ji Yuan had a particularly good impression of the green fish. This favorable impression differed from his feelings towards Lu Shanjun and the Red Fox, and was unlike his view of the old turtle. It was even more distinct from his impression of the River God White Dragon—it was a pure, unadulterated fondness.

Especially later, when it, craving wine, swam over to his small boat, it was out of a desire for good things like rice wine. It showed no fear or attempt to curry favor with Ji Yuan. To Ji Yuan, it represented a rare sense of "purity."

"We will definitely meet again someday!"

With that thought, Ji Yuan smiled and, as he walked forward, took a dried biscuit from his bag. Surprisingly, it hadn't spoiled due to the spiritual energy, so he confidently munched on it.

He stuck to the main roads and asked for directions whenever he had the chance. This time, Ji Yuan didn't prioritize the convenience of a direct path. He was willing to take detours, avoiding the risk of stumbling into another remote valley.

Although Ji Yuan was not yet the carefree immortal he aspired to be, he was confident in his walking speed, which was certainly no worse than a galloping horse, and his stamina and recovery were significantly better. Even so, it still took him over half a month to walk out of Jizhou territory, giving him a more intuitive understanding of the entire Great Zhen empire's map.

Of course, this also had to do with Ji Yuan's route and his relatively regular routine. And although he felt he was constantly on the move, he had also spent some time along the way watching acrobatic shows, seeing monkey performances, enjoying village feasts, and seeking out local wine.

***

June 21st, the Great Heat solar term.

Unbeknownst to him, he had already entered the height of summer, the hottest period of the year. Ji Yuan had finally arrived at Aidushan, the location of Zuo Kuangtu's tomb.

It was only upon seeing the mountain range that Ji Yuan finally understood the peculiar name of this mountain.

Looking out, he saw that all the peaks of Aidushan were relatively gentle and low-lying, many resembling bulging "general's bellies." Tall, towering peaks were rare. The local villagers had indeed given it a simple and straightforward name.

"Zuo Kuangtu passed away decades ago. I wonder if anyone maintains his tomb, or if it's been buried or collapsed..."

Ji Yuan muttered to himself as he found a nearby spot along the main road to enter the mountain, intending to first locate the "Navel Peak Line" he had discerned from the Sword Intent Scroll.

He searched from morning until afternoon, finally discovering what the so-called "Navel Peak Line" was.

Looking at the rock formation before him, barely over a meter and a half tall and less than seven meters wide, surrounded by dense weeds and wildflowers, Ji Yuan was somewhat speechless.

That this could be called a "Navel Peak" was truly a testament to Zuo Daxia's abstract style. If one were to be precise, there were at least a dozen places on Aidushan that could be called "Navel Peaks."

Ji Yuan crouched down and used his oil-paper umbrella to push aside a patch of tall weeds, revealing a weathered tombstone and a partially collapsed earthen grave behind them.

The inscription on the tombstone appeared to have been carved with a sword, clear blade marks visible along its edges. It read: "Tomb of My Father, Zuo Li, erected by your unfilial son, Zuo Qiu."

"So Zuo Kuangtu wasn't really called Zuo Kuangtu. Perhaps after several decades, few martial artists in the martial arts world still know his true name."

Seeing the overgrown grave, Ji Yuan couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Zuo Daxia! To think you were once unparalleled in martial arts, unmatched in the martial arts world, yet in the end, there's no one left to sweep your grave on Qingming Festival, not even to add a handful of dirt..."

The Zuo family must have encountered some misfortune, or perhaps Zuo Li had given specific instructions, or simply his descendants had forgotten this tomb. Even though Ji Yuan knew that several decades was a very long time for an ordinary family, Zuo Li had, after all, once stood at the pinnacle of the martial arts world. Even Ji Yuan, in the present, couldn't help but feel a touch of melancholy.

Cupping his hands in respect, Ji Yuan bowed three times before Zuo Li's tomb. Then he lightly leaped onto the rock formation behind the grave.

The large rock was also covered in a layer of soil and dense weeds. Ji Yuan lifted his foot and stomped heavily onto a patch of exposed rock base.

Thump!

As the sound echoed, Ji Yuan listened carefully. Then he smiled, walked to the center of the large rock, pulled out the weeds, and with a surge of energy, used a small stone slab to dig. After a dozen attempts, he hit something hard.

Moving aside the obstructing stones, he found a dark yellow wooden box hidden beneath. Beside the box lay a largely decayed object that looked like a sword hilt.

Ji Yuan's face lit up with joy. He reached in and took out the heavy wooden box. He then tried to lift the long sword, but upon grasping the hilt, he found it completely rotted and it disintegrated at his touch. He had no choice but to lift the sword by its slightly rusted metal tang.

This legendary long sword, "Qingying," showed none of the appearance expected of a divine weapon. Its hilt had rotted away, its scabbard was completely gone, and even the blade itself was covered in rust.

An ordinary martial artist might have been greatly disappointed, but Ji Yuan knew these were mere appearances. To his eyes, the long sword before him was remarkably clear, and a sense of vitality flowed within its blade.

Ji Yuan reached out and flicked the sword's blade.

Ping!

The sound was remarkably clear and crisp, and the blade vibrated, sending out unseen ripples of air.

Ji Yuan gently ran his hand along the blade to its tip, as wisps of spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips into the sword. In a calm and gentle voice, he softly asked the long sword,

"Would you be willing to see the light of day again with me, Ji?"

As soon as he finished speaking,

Hum!

The sword itself actually trembled lightly, shaking off much of the dust on its blade.

"Good, good, good! What a sword! It truly possesses innate spiritual essence!"

The long sword Qingying brought Ji Yuan immense delight. Surely the sword art manual would be even more astonishing?

Filled with this strong sense of anticipation, Ji Yuan, unable to contain his excitement, sat cross-legged on the stone. He placed Qingying across his knees and, with solemn hands, opened the wooden box, which appeared to be made of nanmu wood.

The edges of the box were sealed with thick wax. When opened, a faint scent of nanmu wood emanated from within, and a martial arts manual lay at the bottom.

Ji Yuan picked it up and saw its imposing title: "Zuo Li's Sword Canon." Unable to resist his curiosity, he began to flip through it, even though he knew his eyesight was poor.

The manual must have been written with Zuo Li's profound dedication. As a peak innate master, it contained a trace of his underlying intent. Although not as clear as the Sword Intent Scroll, Ji Yuan was surprisingly able to discern most of the text despite the slight blur.

However, this initial delight gradually faded as he delved deeper into the reading.

In the middle of the night, Ji Yuan remained seated on the stone, the book now resting casually on his lap.

"What is this? Where's the profound mystery of the Sword Intent Scroll, where intent takes form and one forgets oneself? No matter how exquisite this manual is, how is it different from an ordinary internal cultivation manual with a series of sword forms? Even if it's exquisite, it's still... Is there another hidden compartment beneath the stone?"

Still somewhat unconvinced, Ji Yuan scrutinized the small pit again, then slapped his palm onto the rock.

Thump!

Since it was late night, the sound was even more pronounced in the quiet. Listening carefully, he still couldn't detect any hollow spaces within the stone. Ji Yuan realized that his slap was merely self-deception.

After a long while, the slight feeling of disappointment gradually faded.

"Heh heh, I've got the Sword Intent Scroll and the long sword Qingying. What more could I possibly be dissatisfied with? Zuo Daxia has been good enough to me, Ji!"

Tucking the manual into his satchel, Ji Yuan picked up the long sword and supported the nanmu box. He then lightly jumped down from the large stone.

Seeing the hiltless sword, an idea struck Ji Yuan out of amusement. He casually broke off a vine of suitable thickness nearby and wrapped it around the sword's tang. As he infused it with spiritual energy and mana, a faint mist enveloped it. The vine slowly turned a vibrant, dripping green, forming a unique emerald vine hilt.

"Though your spiritual essence is formed, you are limited by metal. This green vine, rooted to the sword, will perfectly complement your Qi flow. From now on, it will be your hilt, merging with you, and I will continuously nourish it with spiritual energy."

After saying this, Ji Yuan stood before Zuo Li's tomb, holding the sword. He had initially intended to clear the weeds, but after looking around, he felt that its current state was quite fitting.

He simply left a biscuit and his last uneaten braised rabbit leg in front of the tombstone, then Ji Yuan walked away.

"Enjoy your meal, Zuo Daxia!"

Even though he knew there was no ghost in the tomb, Ji Yuan's parting words still echoed before it.

The nanmu box might fetch some silver, and as for the manual, he would return it to Zuo's descendants... if there were any left.