Fusang Sword Heart Diagram

Chapter 94 The oath of alliance
The houses in Jiyue Village are all built very low, with the tallest only two stories. In a mud-brick tavern, a man coughed a few times, and a sticky pool of blood fell into his palm.

He Qu poured a glass of water over: "Father, rinse your mouth and suppress the smell of blood."

"If one doctor can't cure you, we'll find a second, a third, and there's always a skilled healer who can bring you back to health!"

He Qu helped his father sit up against the headboard and fed him warm water.

He Zhan cleared his throat and calmly instructed, "A-Qu, go and close the door and open the soundproof barrier."

After putting down the bowl, He Qu did as his father instructed, closing the doors and windows and opening the protective barrier.

He Zhan beckoned to her: "Come here. Your father has something to tell you."

"You must keep what I am about to say in mind and not let a third person know it."

He Qu asked instinctively, "Can't Brother Rongshan tell us either?"

He Zhan's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "Anyone, naturally including Rong Shan."

His tone softened slightly, and he spoke earnestly: "Aqu, although Rongshan is my adopted child, he is not related to you or me by blood."

He Qu nodded as if he understood, and assured, "Father, don't worry, I won't tell Rongshan what I said today."

He Zhan smiled with satisfaction, but in an instant, his face turned worried: "Aqu, my dantian is damaged, and I will not be able to protect you in the future. You must become strong on your own so that you can live well in this world. Remember, no one can be relied on. The only one you can rely on is yourself."

He Qu shook his head: "Father, don't say that. Brother Rongshan will definitely find a healer to treat your injuries!"

Hearing these words, which sounded like he was giving his final instructions, He Qu felt inexplicably uneasy, as if interrupting his father would prevent anything from happening.

"A-Qu, let your father finish speaking, cough cough..."

He Zhan raised his hand and gently patted the storage bag. A jade slip flew out of the storage bag and landed in He Qu's palm.

"This is the Taiyin Xuanling Technique, which has six levels. You should cultivate it diligently in the future, without letting anyone notice. Once you have mastered the technique, you will have a little bit of self-protection in this world."

"Aqu, remember this: you can only believe three-tenths of what anyone says at most."

The girl clutched the jade slip tightly and murmured, "Can we only believe three-tenths of what Brother Rongshan says?"

"Cough cough!" He Zhan coughed violently, and the girl quickly put the jade slip into her storage bag and freed her hand to help him catch his breath.

A voice rang in her ears, and the girl's body suddenly stiffened.

“A-Qu, you can’t believe three-tenths of what Rongshan says, you can only believe one-tenth.”

He Zhan's voice, like a spell, lingered in the girl's mind.

"The closer someone is to you, the more likely they are to harm you, and the harder it is to guard against."

Even though Rongshan was very filial to him, He Zhan was still worried about him.

He dared not gamble on how much sincerity the other party had, whether they truly regarded him as a father or were merely afraid of his authority. Now that his dantian was damaged and he could not gather spiritual energy, the status among the three of them could be overturned at any moment without anyone noticing.

He Zhan seemed tired and unwilling to say anything more, so he instructed He Qu to open the barrier in the room.

"Father, Rongshan is back."

The girl stood by the door, and after seeing Rongshan approach the tavern, she turned and said something inside. A moment later, the young man appeared in the corridor. He Qu grabbed his arm and hurriedly asked, "Brother Rongshan, have you found a doctor who can cure Father?"

Rong Shan opened his mouth, but faced with the girl's expectant gaze, he didn't know how to speak. He Zhan shouted from inside the room, "A Qu, let go of your brother Rong Shan and let him come in to talk."

He Qu let go of her hand with a sullen expression. She looked into the room and saw the two people talking, but no sound came out.

After speaking for about half an hour, Rongshan came out of the house.

He looked at He Qu and asked her, "Does A Qu know what Master told me?"

The girl looked bewildered and shook her head.

Rongshan said softly, "My master asked me to become your Daoist partner, so that we can support each other and depend on each other for life."

He Qu's eyes widened. A cold wind blew through her hair, revealing the dark spots on her cheeks. She remembered something and quickly raised her hand to cover her cheeks, her tone hesitant: "How could Father let you marry me, Brother Rongshan?"

When her father clearly told her not to trust Rongshan, why did he still betroth her to him? Was it simply so that Rongshan would take care of her?

The girl looked surprised, but Rong Shan didn't think much of it and patiently asked, "A-Qu, are you willing to become my Daoist partner, to be together through life and death, and to support each other?"

He Qu and the young man already had a bond. After the initial shock, she felt a slight flutter and joy in her heart. However, when she thought of her face, her expression darkened: "Brother Rongshan, don't you mind the dark spots on my face?"

Rong Shan's expression was unreadable, and he laughed, "Silly Aqu, how could I possibly despise you? Beneath the beautiful exterior, you're nothing but a skeleton, what difference does it make?"

He Qu felt a sweet warmth in her heart and nodded.

The two entered the house and, witnessed by He Zhan, became Daoist partners. Afterwards, He Zhan made an excuse to send He Qu away, leaving only the master and disciple in the house.

“Rongshan, I regard you as my own son. I have seen you running around searching for a doctor for me, and I am both gratified and moved. However, my injuries are too serious. My dantian is damaged and difficult to repair. I know that my time is coming, so I entrust Aqu to you.”

Tears welled up in Rong Shan's eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but He Zhan raised his hand to stop him.

He looked up at the rolling black mountains outside the window and said, "I want you to swear an oath before Black Dragon Mountain that you will treat A-Qu well for the rest of your life. Can you do it?"

In this world, there is a kind of faith covenant that binds cultivators, called the "Mountain Alliance and Sea Oath," which is made with the mountains and sworn to the sea, and cannot be broken.

Unless one day mountains turn into plains and seas become mulberry fields, the oath will remain forever.

He Zhan had his reasons for choosing Black Dragon Mountain. The Ghost Market before them was built around Black Dragon Mountain and had gathered all sorts of rogue cultivators and demonic cultivators. Rong Shan did not have the ability to destroy Black Dragon Mountain.

If he were to break his promise to move the mountain in the future, the cultivators of Black Dragon Mountain would not let him off the hook. He Zhan had devoted himself to his only daughter, considering every detail meticulously.

Rong Shan's heart stirred slightly. He hadn't expected that his master would know the Way of the Mountain and Sea Alliance. Even A Qu probably didn't know this.

He stepped forward and opened the window fully, revealing the majestic and continuous Black Mountain range in a clear view. Then he raised three fingers and said, "Random cultivator Rongshan, today I swear an oath to Black Dragon Mountain, making a covenant to treat my wife Aqu well for the rest of my life and never break my vow!"

He Zhan coughed lightly twice, his fist clenched, and looked relaxed. Rong Shan helped him sit down.

"This is the technique of the Black Mountain Seal. Today, I am passing it on to you. I hope you will study it diligently and surpass your teacher."

"Furthermore, this is the wealth I have accumulated over the years. I treat you and Aqu the same way, and I will treat you both equally. After I leave, you two can divide it equally."

“Master…” Rong Shan was moved, his lips moved but he could not speak.

(End of this chapter)