The spiritual energy was restored, and he became a mortal immortal in two days.

In late spring, the Yangtze River is shrouded in mist and waves.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the vast river surface an orange-red.

A small boat lies across the riverbank, letting the water lap against it.

"Young lady, now that we've reached the shore, why don't you board the boat?"

Chen Xuan, dressed in a plain white robe, wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat, and holding a bamboo pole, looked at the flustered woman with a strange expression.

Ever since he left the Dragon Palace, he has been drifting freely in this small boat.

The world is vast, but he doesn't know where to go, and he doesn't understand much about it.

Of course, the reason for ferrying people across the river was to earn some money to buy drinks, so as not to lose face.

"Boatman, you should go quickly, I can't let you get hurt."

Shangguan Wanyi's hair was disheveled, her clothes were torn and stained with blood, and she was on the verge of losing all her vitality; she was in despair.

"That won't do. I've waited all day and you're the only customer. If I miss out on this one sale, I'll have to cut back on my drinks."

Chen Xuan was unwilling to give up this business deal, and he guaranteed that the peach blossom wine sold in the nearby villages would be absolutely delicious.

Shangguan Wanyi glanced back, her face urgent. "You'd better leave quickly. If the Golden Armor Guards find out you spoke to me, they won't leave a single person alive in your family."

It wasn't their father's enemies who wanted their family destroyed, but the emperor of the Dayong Dynasty who wanted to eliminate them completely.

The thunderous hooves and billowing dust followed behind; the three thousand armored guards of the Dayong Dynasty would soon catch up.

Seeing that Chen Xuan was still unwilling to leave, she simply threw the last ten coins she had onto the boat, saying, "Go! This has nothing to do with you!"

Done.

She collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted, gazing at the river and the setting sun, and gave a desolate smile.

If I had known I was going to die anyway, I wouldn't have wasted my energy escaping and suffered for five years for nothing.

Tread-tap-

The sound of hooves quickly arrived, and the three thousand cavalrymen, just standing there, exuded an aura that overwhelmed the surging river.

The golden armor reflected light, making the originally orange-red river surface shimmer with golden light.

"Shangguan Wanyi, you should have been sentenced to beheading, but because of your defection, your crime is compounded!"

"Guards, nail him with soul-locking nails, drag him back to the capital, and await further orders!"

A commander stepped out from among the cavalry, exuding an astonishing aura of menace. After issuing his orders, he glanced at the riverbank.

"By imperial decree, all those whom this sinful subject's daughter has come into contact with are to be executed without mercy!"

One of the cavalrymen immediately charged out, grinning maliciously, his blood-stained spear aimed straight at Chen Xuan.

For a mere commoner to dare to look directly at the Golden Armor Guards is an unforgivable sin.

"What? That young man hasn't left yet?"

Shangguan Wanyi's heart trembled, but at this moment she was barely able to protect herself, so how could she care about others?

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have gone to the riverbank. It's my fault that you were killed... Filled with guilt, she closed her eyes sadly, unable to bear seeing the young man being tortured to death.

Swish!

A sword light suddenly appeared.

The dazzling sword light was so bright that it was impossible to open one's eyes; even the light reflected from the golden armor could not obscure its brilliance.

click-

The cavalry charging towards Chen Xuan were decapitated by the sword light, and the golden armor of the Dayong Dynasty, which was known as invulnerable to swords and spears, was torn to pieces.

"What happened?"

Shangguan Wanyi's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. The scene before her left her speechless with shock.

"Hey, crossing the river only costs five coins, what do you mean by giving me ten?"

Chen Xuan sheathed his sword, walked up to her, and carefully counted the copper coins.

Behind the young man were the golden-armored guards, their faces grim, especially the commander, whose murderous aura was palpable.

"you……"

Shangguan Wanyi looked at the young man in horror, on the verge of collapse, "We're already facing life and death, and you're still haggling over five copper coins?"

"Five copper coins are enough for me to buy another pot of osmanthus wine, so I definitely need to count them carefully."

Chen Xuan spoke earnestly.

crunch--

The golden-armored commander clenched his fist tightly.

This young man not only killed the Golden Armor Guards, but also dared to ignore them?

Do you really think that having some martial arts skills means you can act recklessly?!

"Go, go quickly, this money is all for you..." Shangguan Wanyi didn't even have the strength to speak.

"That won't do."

Chen Xuan shook his head. "In our small fishing village, we believe in reciprocity and never take more than our share of the benefits from others."

"Kid, stop babbling on and on!"

"You dare to kill my Golden Armor Guards and still act with impunity? Die!"

The golden-armored commander roared in fury, his spear shooting out a three-foot-long trail of bloody energy, filled with savagery and ferocity, as it slammed fiercely towards Chen Xuan.

𪠽——

Chen Xuan didn't turn his head or draw his sword; he simply blocked the Blood Fiend Spear with a backhand motion.

The golden-armored commander's ferocious expression suddenly froze.

"You're all too noisy."

His calm voice betrayed his displeasure.

next moment.

He turned around, drew his sword, and the earth-shattering clang of the sword made everyone's faces turn pale.

A dazzling sword light, carrying an extremely clear and cold sword intent, slashed towards the golden-armored guards along with the wind and waves on the river.

Where the sword flashed, the river breeze stilled and the water rippled.

The next second, the world fell silent.

The three thousand fully armed golden-armored guards were frozen in place before they could even utter a scream, all under the sword light.

The golden-armored commander, in particular, had bloodless lips and a pale face.

He knew he had made a mistake and had provoked the wrong person.

Then, a soft, rustling sound was heard.

Golden armor shattered, weapons broke, and dust billowed.

Three thousand elite soldiers fell to the ground, and not one of them could stand up again.

With a single sword strike, he shattered three thousand suits of armor.

The riverbank, which was filled with murderous intent just a moment ago, instantly fell into deathly silence, with only the gentle river breeze and the setting sun remaining unchanged.

Shangguan Wanyi froze on the spot, trembling all over, staring at the young man in disbelief.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. Are you trying to renege on your debt?"

Chen Xuan was quick; he quickly put away the extra five coins. "I'll charge you five more coins for helping you kill someone. That's a fair price."

Shangguan Wanyi: ...

After a long silence, she couldn't help but ask, "Sir, are you a cultivator?"

"I don't know, I don't understand."

He had never seen a cultivator, nor did he know what true cultivation was like. He just relied on his own understanding and practiced randomly.

After saying that, Chen Xuan casually tossed the iron sword in his hand onto the boat, looked back, and asked, "Are you going to cross the river or not?"

As Shangguan Wanyi gazed at the young man in white, the lost light in her eyes was slowly returning.

She performed the full kneeling ceremony, her voice trembling slightly yet more resolute than ever before, "Please allow me to follow, sir, I am willing to serve as a sword-bearing maidservant by your side."

A gentle breeze on the river, a bright moon in the mountains.

A lone boat at sunset, a sword seals the fate of a debt.

This river, with its misty waves, not only carried her through life and death, but also through her entire life.

……

"hiss--"

"No plot twist! Shangguan Wanyi really is Chen Xuan's sword-bearing maid!"

Lin Xiaoman gasped. She had thought the two were lovers or something, but it turned out they were really master and servant.

"But there are still many questions that I can't understand."

Ye Li noticed a blind spot: "Shangguan Wanyi was born in a mortal dynasty, so how did she later cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage?"

"How did Chen Xuan cultivate his swordsmanship? What else did they experience later? These are all mysteries."

She felt her mind was in turmoil; everything involving Chen Xuan seemed so mysterious.