Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 393 - 128: Insomnia

In fact, Li Fengyun was indeed harboring a misunderstanding.

Jiuzhou Era may have seen the flourishing of the Immortal Dao, but the secular moral perspectives weren’t much more liberal than those in Xiangzhou today. Except for places like Qing Province, which could be considered outside the traditional sphere, areas like Central Province and Fengzhou still had relatively conservative social customs. The true flourishing was merely in the minds of people like Shang Lanfei, where the conservatives actually constituted the majority within the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Thus, when Shang Lanfei’s paper was published, it caused an uproar, especially as she brazenly attached clinical trial data at the end of her paper, indicating that she had gathered reliable raw data through numerous live experiments. This immediately drew severe criticism from traditionalists.

Accusations like "They didn’t perish on the battlefield but were instead ruined by their own kind!", "The Demon Race destroyed our material civilization, while Shang Lanfei is destroying our spiritual civilization!", "Jiu Immortal Venerables, named Righteous Immortal Venerables, are actually demonic entities, practically demons among men!"... emerged endlessly, dazzling and deeply perplexing people: with the front lines so tense and resources scarce, how was such a large group of literary warriors being supported at the rear?

Conflicts like these persisted almost from the beginning to the mid-late stages of the war between the immortals and demons. Under the leadership of Wang Jiu, Jiu Immortal Venerables advanced triumphantly on the front lines, achieving remarkable feats. Among them, a small team led by the three women—Shang Lanfei, Zhao Yuming, and Rakugo—frequently shattered numerous human social norms in addition to smashing the Demon Army.

Thus, controversies surrounding Jiu Immortal Venerables were abundant from the start, leading some to eventually declare an outright opposition to these so-called demonic outsiders.

Later, despite their immense reluctance, Jiu Immortal Venerables were ultimately powerless against fate and had no choice but to succumb to reality. With the Demon Race’s army pressing, human civilization in dire straits, they raised their swords against fellow human cultivators from the same camp, annihilating the conservative faction overnight.

That night, the number of Heaven Shattering Realm cultivators who fell under Wang Jiu’s sword exceeded double digits.

Subsequently, Jiu Immortal Venerables swiftly regained control of the situation, and within a year, they pushed back the Demon Race, directly confronting the Great Demon God Emperor with their sword’s edge.

Therefore, upon hearing Li Fengyun speak this way, Wang Jiu couldn’t help but feel regret.

This person has exceptional talent in the Sword Dao, and even during the Jiuzhou Era, they would rank among the top tier, comparable to Jiu Immortal Venerables. Unfortunately, if they had truly lived in the Jiuzhou Era, they might have ended up as Li Fengyun sashimi during the Great Purge that night.

While contemplating, the two of them had arrived at the entrance of the Ghost-faced Sect.

Behind them was Shen Ruoshi’s Heart Demon Illusion Realm, now near collapse, and ahead was the entrance back to Shen City. But upon reaching the door, Li Fengyun stopped.

"Speaking of which, Sword Spirit senior, while we haven’t yet exited, could you do me a favor?"

Wang Jiu glanced at Li Fengyun: "What precisely?"

"Could you... spare a bit of time to listen to some idle chatter from me?"

Wang Jiu was startled: "A tree hole?"

Li Fengyun was also taken aback: "That’s right, a tree hole..."

The so-called tree hole refers to a listener who only absorbs and doesn’t respond. Usually, when someone encounters troubling matters, they seek such a listener to vent their frustrations. Once spoken, that’s it, with no feedback expected—just simple emotional release.

Li Fengyun didn’t expect the Celestial Divine Sword to even understand the concept of a tree hole, while the Celestial Divine Sword was surprised that Li Fengyun proposed the same request as the Jiu Immortal Venerables did back then.

Especially Zhao Yuming and Shang Lanfei; these two would drag it to be their tree hole out of nowhere, discussing utterly incomprehensible topics like fetishism, bestiality, or the frictional resistance of a sword scabbard...

Could the Celestial Divine Sword really seem so appropriate to act as a tree hole?

With a bit of curiosity, Wang Jiu said: "Please, go ahead."

Li Fengyun nodded in gratitude and then said: "Actually... regarding Yue’e’s matter, although I spoke quite grandly in front of my father-in-law, there are still a few knots in my heart that remain unresolved. Or rather, a few dilemmas unresolved. The first question is whether human free will should be respected when it contradicts fundamental survival needs? The second question is whether virtual happiness is worth pursuing, and the third question is whether unknown beauty is self-deception? These three questions have troubled me ever since Yue’e passed away, and I’ve never found an answer. What I told my father-in-law was indeed sincere; the marriage between Yue’e and me was our choice, and we’re willing to bear any consequences. But this answer is not perfect, as there are still many questions left unanswered, so..."

At this point, Wang Jiu had already understood Li Fengyun’s queries.

Indeed, he truly deserves to be an academically inclined genius Sword Cultivator; his thought patterns bear a strong academic tint.

If a problem cannot be perfectly resolved, find a partially perfect solution first and leave the remaining issues to be dealt with later. Until an absolutely perfect solution appears, partially perfect is perfect.

Indeed, Li Fengyun had his doubts. Back then, Shen Yue’e chose to break with her family out of her own free will, decisively joining with Li Fengyun, and later exhausted herself in perfecting the Wind and Cloud Divinity Transformation Technique, dying young... Is such free will really worthy of respect? Perhaps she should have been constrained like Shen Ruoshi did, forcing her to stay in Shen City, for once a person dies, they are truly gone, but being alive offers infinite possibilities. Extending from this issue, after Shen Yue’e’s death, if those who mourned her chose to enter a place akin to a Heart Demon Illusion Realm to continue living with a virtual Shen Yue’e, would that be viable? Take Li Fengyun for example, as the Patriarch Li, his personal cultivation and wealth are more than enough to build a perfect dream world for himself and live there till his lifespan ends. The third question goes even deeper, precisely because reality is filled with imperfections and confusions, humans engage in cultivation, attempting to find salvation through the Immortal Dao. It’s said that upon entering the Void Realm, humans transcend reality in all aspects, reaching a Perfection Realm. But from ancient times to the present, there hasn’t been anyone who truly reached the Other Shore Level. Even entities like the Celestial Divine Sword, who supposedly possess Other Shore Level power, cannot be definitively called transcendent. So, is it worth it for humans to painstakingly cultivate for several hundred years for such an unattainable ideal?

After the three questions, Li Fengyun let out a long breath and shook his head, "Thank you for listening, sir. My questions are like this, I’ve never found a suitable opportunity to discuss them with anyone, only keeping them stifled in my heart. Being able to express them today is truly relieving."

After this, Li Fengyun stepped forward, walking out of the Ghost-faced Sect without looking back.

Wang Jiu followed a step behind and softly said as Li Fengyun crossed the threshold, "These three questions wouldn’t exist if you could transform into a sword."

——

As soon as they left the Ghost-faced Sect, Wang Jiu and Li Fengyun saw Shen Yueying waiting anxiously.

"How are you guys? Are you alright?"

As she spoke, Shen Yueying had already moved forward. With the meticulous heart of a young woman, she even carried a multi-purpose first aid kit when she ran over. The top layer was filled with miraculous elixirs and fabric for bandaging, and beneath the fabric, Wang Jiu vaguely saw some papers with words like marriage agreement and will.

As she approached, Shen Yueying was surprised, eyes wide as she looked at the spots of red on Li Fengyun’s chest, "Ah, Fengyun, did you cough up blood? Did you fight with father? How bad is it?"

Li Fengyun pondered for a long time and couldn’t find an explanation he could utter. The prosperity of the Jiuzhou Immortal Dao is really not something the average person can endure; the truth of the matter is better left buried in his heart forever... so he had to say, "It’s nothing, we didn’t fight, it’s just an insignificant accident causing the bleeding."

"What kind of accident could make the dignified Patriarch Li cough up blood!?" Shen Yueying complained loudly but did not press further, just opened a porcelain bottle and poured out a round spirit pill, "Quickly take it to replenish your qi and blood."

Li Fengyun was a bit surprised, "There’s no need for such precious elixirs!"

"If word got out that the Patriarch Li coughed up blood in Shen City, the issue would be far more serious than one spirit pill!" Shen Yueying glared at Li Fengyun with disinterest, then asked, "Have you... finished speaking? How’s father?"

Li Fengyun thought for a moment and said, "Your father, he probably won’t ever come out again."

"Ah..." Shen Yueying said, "Actually, I had vaguely foreseen this. With father’s character, once he went in, he probably wouldn’t come out again. But that’s okay, even if it’s in a dream, being able to make up for past regrets is good for him. If my guess is right, my father’s Heart Demon Illusion Realm is probably being with my sister."

Li Fengyun opened his mouth but decided it was better not to say anything.

"Alright, if you’re done here, come back with me. I’ve prepared a welcoming banquet for you as the Patriarch Li. It’s not large, only a dozen people, but most of them were your acquaintances back then..."

Shen Yueying prattled on as she led the way, but after only a few steps, she suddenly stopped and slowly turned back, looking with incredulity at the rumbling open Ghost-faced Sect door.

Behind the door, an elderly man with silver hair and dressed in black came out with tightly furrowed brows and eyes full of blood-red veins.

"Father?!"

The next moment, Shen Yueying flew over with surprise, "You came out?! I thought you’d never return!"

Li Fengyun was equally shocked, "Father-in-law? Why... won’t you continue sleeping?"

The words were not yet out when his vision blurred. Shen Ruoshi pounced over like lightning, and with one Sand Gathering Divine Fist forced Li Fengyun into his Sword God Body form.

"You damned brat dare to ask! You and your gang fed me such a huge bowl of yellow soup! No way could anyone sleep with that!"