Chapter 1377: Haven't You Lived in Vain?

The Mister in the green robe walked along the road, a Geographical Map in his hand. With every place he passed, he drew a little more, capturing all the mountains, rivers, and lakes upon this single map.

"You are truly an interesting person. Instead of focusing on your Cultivation, you insist on drawing these useless maps."

The person beside him lay under a tree, a blade of foxtail grass dangling from his mouth.

Chen Changsheng put away his brush and ink. "Is it not all Cultivation?"

"What Cultivation?" The youth shot him a sidelong glance.

Chen Changsheng did not explain. Instead, he asked, "What about you? You finally managed to cultivate into a spirit and take human form. Why not focus on your Cultivation instead of thinking about wandering the jianghu of the Mortal World?"

"Because I like it." The youth tilted his head back. "Even if it is a mess, I just like it. Settling grudges and returning favors without hesitation, the chivalry of the jianghu—isn't it great? Isn't it far better than all that scheming and deception?"

Chen Changsheng paused at that, then nodded. "Indeed."

In this jianghu, debts of vengeance were always repaid and grudges settled, with fists doing all the talking. Often, that really was vastly superior to constant scheming. Yet, once the faintest scent of conspiracy bled into the jianghu, it gave rise to countless deceptions.

"It is a pity that This Chen has never ventured into the jianghu."

"Haven't you lived in vain, then?"

"I would not say that."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "I simply haven't experienced certain things. How does that count as living in vain?"

"Look at you. You are human, at least, and a cultivator of the Mortal World. Which cultivator in the Mortal World these days didn't carve their way out of the jianghu? Are you just that lucky?"

"Yes."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "This Chen was born with this fate."

The youth scoffed, sounding a bit displeased to hear this.

He pressed on, "If you haven't roamed the jianghu, you really have lived in vain."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng could not help but ponder. "What counts as roaming the jianghu?"

"At the very least... at least you need to leave behind a reputation in the jianghu."

The youth continued, "Look at the Fish Sword Immortal. After hundreds of years in the jianghu, her reputation for slaying a demon with a single sword strike still remains. Even now, so many people remember her."

"You make it sound as if she is dead," Chen Changsheng pointed out.

The youth blinked. "She isn't dead?"

"Of course she isn't."

"You know more than I do."

"I simply know a few things."

Chen Changsheng then asked him, "What about you? What reputation do you have in the jianghu?"

"The White Dragon in the Waves, Long He!"

"Aren't you a snake demon?"

"I will become a dragon."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "That is still a long way off."

"It will happen in the blink of an eye," Long He said. "If the Ink Dragon Lord could travel the waters and undergo Dragon Transformation, and that demonic dragon could use the water fortune of the Sheng River to become a dragon, then I can do the same after a few more years of Cultivation."

"That relies heavily on heavenly timing."

Chen Changsheng breathed a sigh. "Sometimes it also depends on fate. When the Ink Dragon Lord underwent Dragon Transformation back then, it was a narrow escape from death. As for that demonic dragon you mentioned, if an unforeseen event hadn't occurred, she wouldn't have had any chance at Dragon Transformation at all."

"Huh?"

Long He was confused. "Who told you that?"

"I saw it with my own eyes," Chen Changsheng replied.

"You are bragging."

Long He did not believe his words.

Chen Changsheng offered no further explanation. Putting away the Geographical Map, he said, "Alright, thank you for chatting with This Chen and relieving my boredom. After this, we will likely only meet again if fate allows."

"Who was relieving your boredom? You had better make that clear."

"We had a very pleasant conversation. Is that acceptable?"

"That's more like it."

Long He cast a glance at him. "Seriously, you really should go see what this jianghu is like. It's great. If you haven't seen it, you truly have lived in vain."

Hearing his words, Chen Changsheng could not help but fall into deep thought.

He nodded and bade him farewell.

The man and the demon departed in different directions. Their brief encounter was entirely the work of fate.

Chen Changsheng found himself continuously pondering Long He's words.

Perhaps he really had lived in vain?

'Then should I take a look?'

Thinking this, Chen Changsheng instinctively raised his hand and grasped the Listening Rain Sword.

"Then I will take a look."

He couldn't just live in vain, after all.

...

Just half a month later, a swordsman in a green robe suddenly appeared on the Southwest Road. With just one man and one sword, he swept across the region, entirely eradicating the vicious bandits and brigands that plagued the Southwest Road.

Figures of exceptional swordcraft sought him out to test their blades, but they were defeated in a single strike.

No one knew where this man came from. They only knew that the sword in his hand was called Listening to Rain. With a single Flying Sword, neither humans, demons, ghosts, nor monsters could get anywhere near him.

"A Sword Immortal..."

Naming him after his sword, the people of the jianghu called him the Listening Rain Sword Immortal.

This Sword Immortal, who had abruptly emerged in the jianghu, drew the attention of many.

"To appear with the posture of a Sword Immortal right from the start?"

"He must surely be a cultivator."

"Yes. If the chance arises, I would truly like to test my blade against his."

Sitting in a roadside relay station, Chen Changsheng listened to the lively discussions of the people around him.

Thinking it over, he couldn't help but recall Long He's words.

'Does this... count as roaming the jianghu?'

Chen Changsheng pondered it, but he did not quite feel like it did.

Where was the promised thrill of settling grudges and returning favors? He hadn't experienced that at all.

He had merely eliminated a bunch of bandits.

Having no desire to bother with it, he finished his tea and continued his journey, marking the small relay station he had just passed on his Geographical Map.

Unexpectedly, not long after stepping out of the station, he saw a person blocking his path.

"You are the Listening Rain Sword Immortal the rumors in the jianghu have been talking about lately, right?"

Chen Changsheng looked over and saw that the man had a scruffy beard and a face full of weathering and hardship.

Chen Changsheng stopped in his tracks and asked, "Do you wish to test your sword against mine?"

The man opened his mouth but shook his head. Before Chen Changsheng could react, he suddenly fell to his knees.

With a heavy thud, the man knelt right on the main road.

"I bow in gratitude to the Sword Immortal for avenging my family."

Chen Changsheng was taken aback. "Stand up first. When did This Chen ever..."

"The bandits of Mount Ainiu came down and pillaged my home years ago. My entire family, along with the servants—twenty-seven people in total—were all brutally murdered. Only I survived by hiding inside a water vat."

Chen Changsheng stared blankly for a moment. He stepped forward and pulled the man to his feet.

He looked at the weather-beaten man before him, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Which mountain was this Mount Ainiu you speak of?"

"It's..." The man was confused. He pointed in a direction but could not explain it clearly.

Chen Changsheng simply took out a Geographical Map.

"Point it out to me."

The man froze for a second, then lowered his gaze to the map. After a brief search, he pointed to a spot.

"Here."

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng drew his brush. With a wave of his hand, he borrowed a drop of dew from the mountain stream to serve as ink, and wrote the three characters for Mount Ainiu upon the Geographical Map.

Watching him, the man thought for a moment and offered, "I know a bit about the other mountains as well."

He then rattled off the names of several more mountains.

Chen Changsheng continuously noted them down on the map.

Then, the man suddenly spoke up. "My name is Xu Chengyuan. I studied in my early years, and my martial arts have already reached the Sixth Rank. I am willing to follow by the Sword Immortal's side and serve as an attendant."

Chen Changsheng was a bit surprised. After thinking it over, he said, "This Chen is used to traveling alone."

Xu Chengyuan hurriedly pressed, "Sword Immortal, this Xu is well-versed in geography and skilled at negotiating with people. I can help the Sword Immortal perfect this map."

Chen Changsheng looked at him, then let out a light laugh. "If you are willing, do as you please."