Chapter 172: An Immortal Strokes My Crown, and I Bind My Hair for Changsheng

Lian Mu could clearly feel that Wealth Bringer was trying to escape from her grasp. She clutched it tightly, only to find the hilt burning hot to the touch.

At the same time, little Ying You wiped away his tears, placed the snowman he had just finished to the side, and edged away from her touch.

As he raised his hand, Lian Mu caught sight of the cinnabar mole on his wrist, which gradually transformed into the shape of a begonia blossom.

Wealth Bringer could no longer be controlled. It flew from Lian Mu’s arms, its tip aimed straight at little Ying You. Yet, it posed no threat to him at all—the blade passed clean through his chest like a phantom, leaving him completely unscathed.

Lian Mu had no idea what had gotten into the sword. Ying You seemed affected too, glancing down at the Begonia Mark on his hand.

Just moments ago, he had been stubbornly arguing with others. Now, tears streamed down his face without end. Lian Mu had rarely seen Ying You show such vulnerability. In her memory, he had always been calm and composed, gentle to everyone, never losing control.

She stared at the mark on his wrist. That begonia—she had seen it before. Back then, she’d thought he simply liked the flower and had it tattooed on himself. She never imagined it was something he was born with.

The cinnabar mole turning into a mark… Did it only happen when they were together?

Lian Mu pondered for a moment, a strange sense of familiarity welling up inside her. There was some odd connection between her and that mark, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Wealth Bringer, after flying out, circled back again, still trying to pierce Ying You—but once again, it failed.

“What’s gotten into you?” Lian Mu grabbed the hilt, stopping the sword from moving.

Wealth Bringer was acting strangely. It clearly didn’t like Ying You.

In fact, back at White Tiger West, Lian Mu had already sensed its hostility toward him.

When Ying You had launched a sudden attack on her, she’d intended to dodge, but Wealth Bringer had moved faster than she could react, intercepting his strike on its own.

She didn’t know why Ying You had suddenly coughed up blood, but she had felt the sword’s spiritual energy surge—restless and agitated. Normally, a sword wouldn’t act against its master’s will, even a sentient one. Ultimately, it still needed a person to wield it.

For some reason, Lian Mu had the feeling that her inability to fully resonate with Wealth Bringer had something to do with Ying You.

She reached out, trying to touch the mark on his wrist, but was suddenly interrupted by a voice: “You. Come here.”

It was Ying You’s birth mother. She stood on the riverbank, carrying a bundle on her back, her expression blank as she looked at little Ying You. Tear tracks stained her face, as if she’d just been crying. On closer inspection, her body bore signs of self-harm. Fresh bruises ringed her neck—marks left by a failed hanging.

When Lian Mu approached, she heard the villagers call her Madam Lin.

Little Ying You stood up straight, but kept his head down. “I haven’t finished washing the clothes.”

Madam Lin stepped onto the stone slab and kicked over his snowman. It tumbled into the river, melting away, its features dissolving into the water.

“You don’t need to do chores like this anymore. An immortal wants to take you away. Follow him, and you’ll have wealth and glory beyond imagining.”

“Is it Father who came back?” Ying You asked.

Madam Lin slapped him hard across the face. “Don’t mention him again! He’s not an immortal—he’s a liar! One day, he’ll be torn to pieces! When you become a disciple of the immortals and learn heaven-defying skills, don’t forget to find your father and bring me his head.”

“I can’t kill anyone,” Ying You said. “Someone once taught me that the path of the Dao forbids bloodlust. Killing hinders cultivation.”

Lian Mu froze. How did he know that?

*The path of the Dao forbids bloodlust…* That was a tenet of her family in her past life. No one outside the Lian Clan should’ve known it.

“Stop spouting that nonsense from your dreams,” Madam Lin snarled, grabbing him by the neck. Her face twisted with madness. “You have to kill him. If you won’t, you’re not my son. And don’t even think about joining the Immortal Sects.”

She squeezed his neck until his face turned red, then suddenly burst into tears again. Letting go, she pulled him into her arms, her demeanor shifting completely. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I couldn’t give birth to you in the Prime Minister’s Manor. I couldn’t give you a good life. It’s all on me.”

“You’re nothing like him. You take after me.” Madam Lin caressed his face. Their features were strikingly similar. “I’ve lived a foolish life. I don’t want you to suffer like I did. We’ll go find that immortal now. You’ll go with him. He won’t mistreat you.”

Little Ying You seemed used to her erratic behavior. He said nothing, only glanced back at the lake. The snowman had already half-melted.

He brushed off his clothes and gently took Madam Lin’s hand.

Madam Lin’s eyes were red as she smiled. “You really are like me—so easy to coax.”

“I haven’t given you a name yet. You’ve been frail since birth, but you’ve managed to survive. I hope you’ll keep living strong. How about ‘Changsheng’(Longevity)? Don’t take that bastard’s surname, and don’t use mine either. Ask the immortal for a new one. Start fresh. Don’t ever come back.”

{Note: Liang Mu’s Sword from previous life was named Longevity (Changsheng) }

“Changsheng, promise me—just this once. Don’t let anyone sweet-talk you into leaving again.”

Changsheng. Begonia…

Lian Mu’s heart suddenly jolted. She raised her hand, formed a spell seal, and tapped between little Ying You’s brows.

Moments later, an identical begonia blossom appeared on her own wrist.

It all came rushing back—this was her Sword Contract Seal from her past life. She had formed the bond when she was just a child. After arriving in this world and focusing solely on rebuilding her cultivation, she had forgotten all about it.

The Sword Contract Seal she shared with Changsheng… Why was it appearing on Ying You?

Lian Mu didn’t know what had gone wrong. Instinctively, she looked toward little Ying You. He was already following Madam Lin up the bank, but at the exact moment she raised her eyes, he turned back too—and their gazes met.

Lian Mu was looking at him, but she knew—he was looking at the snowman on the lake.

She followed after them, setting aside all thoughts of Fengyun Yi for now. At this moment, she only wanted to uncover the truth behind the Sword Contract.

And only now did Lian Mu finally understand why Wealth Bringer had reacted so violently, and why, back at the Sword Pavilion of the Returning Immortal Sect, all the swords had instinctively avoided her.

Because she bore the Sword Contract. No matter who held it, as long as it remained unbroken, it would always be connected to her.

A senior brother from the Sword-Keeping Pavilion had once said that a single-sword cultivator could only wield one sword, and the swords in the pavilion would never choose someone who already had a bonded blade.

Though Wealth Bringer had been forged by her own hands, it had always resisted forming a deep resonance with her. Perhaps, in its eyes, she was like a scoundrel with a sword at home but still sneaking around outside—utterly lacking in character.

Lian Mu felt she had to get to the bottom of this, find a way to break the Sword Contract, and properly appease Wealth Bringer. Otherwise, she’d be stuck riding a broomstick for the rest of her life.

Madam Lin took little Ying You out of the village and walked in one direction for two days. Lian Mu followed them for two days as well. When she saw the snow-capped mountains in the distance, a wave of confusion swept over her.

It rarely snowed in Vermilion Bird South, and the Azure Profound Sect’s home on Vermilion Ridge enjoyed spring all year round. Why had they come all the way here?

As Lian Mu was pondering this, Madam Lin crouched down, let go of little Ying You’s hand, and said to him, “Go up the mountain, and you’ll meet the immortal. I can only take you this far. From here on, you must walk alone.”

Ying You nodded. Madam Lin looked at him, and tears began to fall uncontrollably once more.

Ying You stood on tiptoe and wiped her tears. “I’ll work hard and learn everything I can.”

Madam Lin brushed his hand away, turned around, and walked off without looking back. Her footprints in the snow were quickly covered, as if she had never been there at all.

Ying You followed the mountain path upward. The snow reached past his calves, yet he didn’t feel cold. He just kept walking.

Lian Mu couldn’t help but say, “The Azure Profound Sect isn’t on this mountain.”

But he couldn’t hear her. Even as his legs froze stiff, he kept walking.

Madam Lin had lied to him. There were no immortals on this snow mountain—only packs of snow wolves.

By the time his body was too frozen to move and he collapsed into the snow, he finally realized he’d been tricked again. But there was no way back, and no strength left to descend.

Lian Mu watched as he slowly closed his eyes in the snow. Then, the ground beneath her feet began to tremble.

This trial had failed. The Heart Realm was about to collapse. Ying You’s consciousness would fall into the next cycle, repeating this memory over and over until he passed the trial—or until this Illusion Realm ended.

Just as she wondered whether she would be dragged into the cycle with him, a sudden force of detachment surged through her body, as if something were trying to forcibly pull her out.

Lian Mu looked down and saw red cords wrapped around her wrists and ankles—she didn’t know when they’d appeared. She raised her sword and slashed through the cord on her hand, but before she could deal with the rest, her divine sense was yanked away.

When she opened her eyes again, she was suspended in a void, countless fragments flashing before her. Within them, she saw people from the Azure Profound Sect—these seemed to be other memories of Ying You.

She reached out and picked up one fragment. In the blink of an eye, she found herself in the Azure Profound Sect.

In the sect’s main hall, Ying You lay pale-faced on the Life-Sustaining Stone, surrounded by a group of elders in Azure Profound Sect robes. One of them, with a head full of white hair and a kindly face, spoke up.

“Sigh, I waited at his home and asked his mother to summon him back. Who would have thought she’d take him straight to the snow mountain? Thankfully, he still had a breath left when we found him.”

“The Pearl-Seeking Instrument didn’t lie. He truly is a prodigy sent from the heavens—a Sword Bone Physique. When he entered the sect, even the Flying Swan Sword sought him out on its own. With proper training, he’ll surely become a great cultivator, renowned among the Immortal Sects.”

“Unfortunately, his body has been tormented beyond recognition. Judging by his fate, he may not live past twenty.”

Just then, Ying You stirred on the Life-Sustaining Stone. He opened his eyes, dazed. Seeing the group of extraordinary figures around him, he sat up and stepped down from the stone.

“Are you the immortals here to take me away?” he asked softly.

The white-haired elder smiled at him. “Yes. Young one, I wish to pass on the way of the sword to you. Will you acknowledge me as your master?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation. “Master.”

He had nowhere else to go.

The elder picked up a sword beside him and handed it to Ying You. “This sword is yours now. What is your name?”

“My name is Changsheng. Please, immortal, grant me a surname.”

“Changsheng… a fine name. But since you’ve joined my Azure Profound Sect, you must sever ties with the past.” The elder drew his sword and cut off a lock of Ying You’s hair at the temple. Then he sliced off a piece of his own white hair, tied it to Ying You’s temple, and fused it into his flesh—it became part of him.

The begonia flower mark on Ying You’s wrist gradually faded into a cinnabar mole.

“This strand of hair is my gift to you. It will protect your longevity and suppress the ominous mark of unknown origin on your body,” the elder said. “Life is like a wild goose stepping through snow—its traces vanish in an instant. This sword is called Flying Swan. It has chosen you. From now on, your surname shall be ‘Ying.’ I’ve examined your aptitude—an upper-tier Water-element Heavenly Spiritual Root. You’ve wandered rootless in your early life. Let your given name be ‘You.’ How does that sound?”

“Thank you, Master.” Ying You bowed deeply to the elder.

Watching all this, Lian Mu: “…”

What did he mean by ‘ominous mark’? Was her Sword Contract really that cursed?

Still, his words gave Lian Mu a clue—perhaps the key to breaking the Sword Contract lay in that strand of white hair Ying You now bore.

Lian Mu snapped back to herself. The memory within the fragment had ended, and she was once again floating in the void. Among the many fragments, she caught a glimpse of Fengyun Yi’s face.

Without hesitation, she reached out and grasped that fragment.