After washing up, Muyun Qin changed into a magnificent silk robe, dressed like a dashing young nobleman. When in a foreign land, he naturally dressed modestly. But now that he had returned to his hometown as the second young master of the Qin family, he couldn't afford to lose face for the Qin family.
"Good morning, Second Young Master."
"Good morning, Second Young Master."
Muyun Qin strolled through the mansion, and the servants all bowed and greeted him.
As he looked at the plants and trees, the winding paths, and the meandering corridors in the mansion, he felt a strong sense of familiarity. He quickly arrived at the martial arts training ground.
Next to the training ground, there were weapon racks, and there were archery targets against the wall in the distance.
"The training ground." Muyun Qin revealed a faint smile. His father used to train here, and so did his elder brother. Even when he was young, he endured hardships and sweat while practicing his swordsmanship here. His mother would often sit at the stone table nearby, watching with a smile.
The realm of "unity of man and sword" was one level higher than the realm of "flawlessness."
Flawlessness meant achieving the pinnacle of a postnatal creature, where every aspect of the body was flawless, with perfect control even over a single strand of hair. Once a sword technique was learned, it wouldn't become rusty even after a long period of non-practice.
In theory, reaching the state of flawlessness wouldn't require daily intensive training. However, although Muyun Qin had reduced his sword practice time, he still maintained the habit of daily sword training.
"Whoosh."
His long sword unsheathed from his waist.
Muyun Qin stood in place, occasionally moving his steps slightly, while his sword danced freely in his hand. The sword movements didn't seem fast, but the sword radiated a misty brilliance, like a drizzling rain in March, ethereal and dreamlike, exuding an intoxicating beauty. It no longer seemed like a killing sword, but rather a poem or a painting.
A person appeared by the side of the training ground, and it was his elder brother, Yun Qin. Yun Qin observed with curiosity but didn't interrupt.
Muyun Qin didn't stop either. He continued practicing his sword for a while before finally ceasing his movements and sheathing his sword.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Second Brother, why is your sword so slow?" Yun Qin finally spoke with confusion. "Although I feel that your sword is beautiful, even more beautiful than the sword dances of those brothel women, it's still too slow. How can you kill enemies with such a slow sword?"
"Haha..." Muyun Qin laughed. "This is my self-created sword technique, the Misty Rain Sword. What you've seen is just one aspect of the Misty Rain Sword."
"One aspect?" Yun Qin pondered. "Well, when you were ten, you defeated me, and at fifteen, you were the top among the young generation in the Appear Heaven County. I could at least tell back then that your swordsmanship was formidable, but now I can't understand your sword at all."
Muyun Qin smiled and changed the subject. "Brother, you're here so early. It's not yet time for breakfast. You traveled from the South City to the West City?"
"We haven't seen each other for six years, so we naturally need to spend more time together," Yun Qin sighed. "I've been worried about you while you were away, afraid that you wouldn't return. Well, let's not talk about that! It's strange though. For the past six months, I've been feeling tired every morning when I wake up. I went to see the physician, but they said I'm not sick. But today, I feel quite energetic."
A thought flashed through Muyun Qin's mind.
"Worried about me? If you were worried about me, why was I fine for over five years, and suddenly you're feeling unwell these past six months?" Muyun Qin scoffed. "You've been affected by demonic energy."
"Demonic energy?" Yun Qin's face changed.
Muyun Qin didn't hide anything from his elder brother. After all, they had experienced great hardships together since their youth, enduring many hardships. The concept of being affected by "demonic energy" was something his elder brother could easily accept.
"I noticed it yesterday," Muyun Qin said.
"Why didn't you say anything yesterday?" Yun Qin asked, puzzled.
"I didn't want to alert the enemy prematurely. What if they become desperate and do something reckless? It was better to act as if I knew nothing, investigate secretly, and last night, I uncovered everything and resolved the problem before informing you," Muyun Qin explained. "By the way, don't mention this to anyone else."
"Of course, I know that," Yun Qin nodded repeatedly. "Is my body alright?"
"Don't worry, there's still a way to save you," Muyun Qin smirked.
Saying that, he took out a prepared talisman from his pocket and said, "This 'Dispel Illness Talisman' was snatched from my good friend. I can't draw it myself!" He infused his true energy into the talisman, causing it to ignite without fire. Invisible power merged into Yun Qin's body, and he felt a cool sensation throughout his body. The slight heaviness he had felt before disappeared, and he became much more comfortable.
"Most of the demonic energy has been expelled," Muyun Qin said. "However, some of the demonic energy has permeated your organs, and the Dispel Illness Talisman cannot remove it."
"What should I do then?" Yun Qin asked anxiously.
"Haha, now that the demon no longer harms you, the remaining demonic energy within you is like a sourceless water. You're still young and strong. Even without the Dispel Illness Talisman, your body would gradually improve over three to five years. Now that most of the demonic energy has been expelled, the remaining small amount won't have a significant impact on you. It will naturally dissipate in a few months," Muyun Qin marveled. "The body's vitality is truly miraculous."
Yun Qin immediately breathed a sigh of relief and then asked with curiosity, "Second Brother, how did a demon come to harm me? I'm just a small merchant. Why would a demon target me? Is it because of Father?"
"Yes," Muyun Qin nodded. "I'll explain everything in detail when Father returns."
Yun Qin quickly calmed down and smiled. "Second Brother, when you were thirteen and already at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, I knew you would surely enter the realm of immortals and cultivate the path of immortality. Now that I see you can perceive demonic energy and deal with demons, it seems you have indeed entered the path of cultivation."
Muyun Qin smiled. When he obtained the inheritance of the Sword Immortal, he only told his father about it. His father strictly forbade him from revealing it to anyone, not even his mother or brother, fearing that a slip of the tongue would bring disaster.
"Entering the realm of immortals is not easy," Muyun Qin simply replied.
...
The two brothers had breakfast together with their mother and chatted for a while. Suddenly, a servant came in to report, "Second Young Master, there is someone outside the mansion who wants to see you. They claim to be your good friend."
"A good friend? Someone wants to see you immediately after you returned yesterday?" Yun Qin expressed his confusion.
"Let's go and see who it is," Muyun Qin stood up.