I Have A Sword

Chapter 1081: Father, Aunt!

On this particular day, Ye Guan was in a great mood because he was assigned to clean his father's courtyard.

Although the Sword Master hadn't returned to the Ye Clan since he left, the clan had ensured that the courtyard was clean. They had assigned a cleaner to clean the room daily out of respect.

When Ye Guan stepped into the courtyard, memories of the past flooded his mind.

Years ago, he met his Aunt Ye Ling for the first time ever in this courtyard.

Looking at the two small wooden figures in the courtyard, Ye Guan couldn't help but smile. However, he refrained from approaching them because he wasn't sure whether Aunt Ye Ling could sense his presence or not.

Little Pagoda spoke up, "Thinking about it now, your father really had it tough back then. The Ye Clan wasn't the same as it is now. When your father displayed his talent and strength, he was met with suspicion and suppression.

"He has no feelings for the Ye Clan. Your Aunt Ye Ling likely has lingering feelings for this place only because she and your father lived here for many, many years."

Ye Guan smiled faintly. "The last time I saw Aunt Ye Ling, she looked happy."

Little Pagoda spoke softly, "Your Aunt Ye Ling is kind, after all."

Ye Guan was about to respond when footsteps echoed outside the courtyard. His expression changed slightly, and he quickly picked up a towel to start cleaning the wooden chair before him.

Just then, a woman walked in. She was none other than Ye Zhuxin.

Seeing her, Ye Guan bowed slightly and prepared to leave.

"Wait," Ye Zhuxin said.

Ye Guan froze. He was puzzled, but he stopped in his tracks.

Ye Zhuxin looked at him. "Are you new here?"

"Yes, Young Clan Leader," Ye Guan replied respectfully.

"Raise your head."

Although his heart skipped a beat, Ye Guan maintained his composure and raised his head to meet her gaze.

Ye Zhuxin studied him for a moment before smiling faintly. "You may go."

Ye Guan gave another respectful bow before leaving.

Once Ye Guan was out of sight, Ye Zhuxin turned her gaze toward the two small wooden figures in the distance, and her eyes revealed a complex light at the sight.

The incident with the Sword Master in the past had made the Ye Clan deeply regretful. Since then, they had become extremely cautious, especially toward their younger generation.

Moments later, Ye Zhuxin stepped out of the room and called out, "Uncle Awen."

An elderly man appeared by her side.

Ye Zhuxin asked, "What's the background of that young man just now?"

The elderly man was stunned, but he quickly replied, "He should be just an ordinary young man."

Ye Zhuxin frowned slightly. "An ordinary young man?"

"Yes, but what do you think? Young Clan Leader?"

"Ordinary servants tend to be nervous around me, but he was calm and composed. Investigate him. If he has done anything wrong, expel him from the Ye Clan and hand him over to the Justice Hall for punishment. If he hasn't committed any wrongdoing, then cultivate him."

The elderly man bowed slightly. "Understood."

Ye Zhuxin nodded and left without saying anything further.

***

After leaving the courtyard, Ye Guan felt a wave of relief. Thankfully, she hadn't recognized him. Then again, it made sense, as even Little Jia wouldn't recognize him at the moment.

Perhaps he was simply overthinking things!

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Ye Guan returned to his work.

It wasn't long before Awen returned to report to Ye Zhuxin. His voice was trembling slightly as he said, "That young man's background is somewhat unusual."

Ye Zhuxin frowned. "Unusual?"

Awen nodded. "He's an undocumented individual with no identifiable background. But he once fought a girl for a steamed bun."

Ye Zhuxin was stunned. "Fought a girl for a steamed bun?"

Awen nodded again. "Yes."

"That's... surprising."

"Should we expel him from the Ye Clan?"

"No need." Ye Zhuxin shook her head. "If he fought someone over something as trivial as a steamed bun, then he must have been desperate. I looked at him earlier and saw that he has no cultivation base at all. Expelling him now is tantamount to sentencing him to death, so let him stay."

Awen hesitated. "But his background..."

Ye Zhuxin calmly replied, "As long as he has no malicious intentions, it's all good."

"Understood." Awen nodded and retreated.

Having settled into his life in the Ye Clan, Ye Guan finally started cultivating.

However, he had decided to refrain from using the Universe Beholdment Skill, as it would attract too much attention. Instead, he chose a basic cultivation method.

Progress was slow, and he lacked spiritual crystals as well, but this didn't matter to him. After all, he had a treasure trove called "memories."

Although his cultivation base, swordsmanship, and bloodline powers were sealed, his combat awareness remained intact. Ordinary people were no match for him.

Just like that, Ye Guan worked during the day and secretly cultivated at night. Progress was steady but slow, as he took time to focus on refining each stage.

Ye Guan's cultivation base had advanced too quickly back then. Now, he had the opportunity to start anew.

Rather than seeking speed, he decided to seek stability.

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and payday soon arrived.

When Ye Guan received his salary—ten spiritual crystals—he couldn't help but laugh with the small fortune in hand.

Ten spiritual crystals!

His storage ring was filled with countless Eternal Crystal and Creation Crystal, so spiritual crystals were so insignificant that he wouldn't even glance at them, but now, he was overjoyed at the sight of them.

More than anything, he had earned these crystals through a month of sweeping floors and hard labor.

Laughing, Ye Guan took the afternoon off and went on a shopping spree in the city.

On the evening of the same day, Ye Guan made his way to a familiar dilapidated temple. The girl was still there, and she was reading a book beneath the faint moonlight.

The girl froze in surprise upon seeing Ye Guan.

It was all because Ye Guan was carrying a huge bundle of something. He set it down in front of her and opened it to reveal a roasted lamb, along with several side dishes.

The girl stared at him in confusion.

Ye Guan grinned. "I brought this for you."

Instead of being happy, the girl became furious. She punched Ye Guan on the shoulder and yelled, "You wastrel! You're such a wastrel!"

Ye Guan was completely dumbfounded.

The girl glared at him angrily. "Do you know how many steamed buns you could have brought for this one roasted lamb?! Let's go! We're returning it right now!"

The girl wrapped the lamb again and dragged Ye Guan along to try and get a refund for the food.

Caught off guard, Ye Guan hurriedly said, "It's already cooked. We can't return it."

The girl slumped down and pouted in frustration.

Ye Guan chuckled. "Try it. It's delicious."

He unwrapped the lamb, tore off a leg, and handed it to her.

The girl hugged her book and refused to reach for it.

Ye Guan looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"I don't deserve it," the girl muttered hesitantly and lowered her head.

Ye Guan had no idea whether to laugh or to cry.

"If you're not eating, then I won't eat either."

The girl glanced at him. "You shouldn't be so wasteful."

"This is the last time."

The girl hesitated before accepting the lamb leg. She took a small bite, and her eyes lit up. She then proceeded to take more bites.

When she realized that Ye Guan was staring at her, she blushed slightly.

Ye Guan looked away and tore off a piece of the lamb for himself.

The girl ate faster and faster. Clearly, she had never tasted lamb before.

Just then, she stopped and hugged her books.

"What's wrong?"

The girl responded, "Let's leave some for tomorrow."

"Alright." Ye Guan nodded.

The two wrapped up the leftovers.

Ye Guan suddenly said, "I have a gift for you."

The girl looked at him curiously.

Ye Guan took out two books from his robe and handed them to her with a smile.

"These are yours!"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

The girl accepted the books.

Ye Guan then promptly explained, "The books are titled 'Night Voyage Boat' and 'Conversations by the Hearth.' I've read them before, so I wrote them down over the past few days. They contain a lot of fascinating knowledge, so I think you'll like them."

The girl froze, staring at him in astonishment. "You wrote these... just for me?"

"I guess so."

The girl looked down, silent. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"What's wrong?" asked Ye Guan.

The girl softly asked, "Are you leaving soon?"

"Yeah." Ye Guan nodded. "I have to go to the Sword Sect. Have you heard of it?"

"Yes." The girl nodded slightly. "Is it because you want to become a swordsman?"

"Yes. I want to become a swordsman. The sixth-strongest swordsman!"

"The sixth?" The girl blinked. "Why not the strongest?"

"It's hard to aim for the top," said Ye Guan, sighing. He then looked at her and asked, "What about you? Do you have any goals or dreams?"

The girl remained silent for a moment before whispering, "I want to read. A lot of books."

"And then?"

The girl hesitated for a long time before softly saying, "I want to meet the Academy Master."

Ye Guan was stunned. "The Academy Master?"

The girl nodded.

Curious, Ye Guan asked, "Why?"

"I heard that the Academy Master is almighty. I want to see my parents again, so I want to ask for his help."

"Turning back time... the Academy Master can't do that."

"Don't talk nonsense!" the girl exclaimed, glaring at Ye Guan. "The Academy Master can definitely do it. He can! I asked around, and I heard that he once brought back someone from the dead."

"What if he wasn't the one who did it but someone from his family—"

"Nonsense! Nonsense!" The girl pushed Ye Guan away and scolded him. "Go away. Go! I don't want to see you ever again!"