Chapter Sixty-Six: Sword Manor

Xiao Ding braved the depths of Sunset Mountain alone and, by chance, rescued the siblings Ou Muyun and Ou Mulin from Sword Manor. When he asked why the siblings were there, Ou Muyun unexpectedly broke into tears.

“Big brother, could you please help us save Uncle Fu first? We encountered some bad people ahead, and Uncle Fu stayed behind to hold them off so we could escape. But it’s been so long now, and Uncle Fu still hasn’t come to find us…” Ou Muyun said.

“Were you two traveling with Uncle Fu, or were there others?” Xiao Ding asked.

“We were with Uncle Fu, following a group led by Jin Millionaire into the mountains. At first, there were over twenty of us. But last night, we were attacked by a pack of wolves and lost more than ten people. The survivors ran into another group of bad people today, and during the fight, Uncle Fu protected us siblings and told us to run while he held them off…” Ou Muyun choked up as he spoke.

“How long have you been hiding here?” Xiao Ding asked, thinking to himself that it was no wonder the wandering martial artists said there were old people and children in Jin Millionaire’s group—they must have meant these two.

“It’s been less than half an hour, I think. My sister and I were so scared, we just kept running along the marked trail they left. When we got here, my sister accidentally stepped on a viper. It bit her and slithered away…”

At last, Xiao Ding understood the situation. He glanced at Ou Mulin, who was still unconscious, and said to Ou Muyun, “I’m not trained in martial arts, so I may not be able to defeat those villains. But I can take you to look for Uncle Fu. If we’re lucky enough to find him, all the better. If we run into enemies, you must keep silent and follow my instructions, or we could all lose our lives!”

“Yes, yes, I’ll do exactly as you say, big brother!” Ou Muyun nodded eagerly.

Xiao Ding bent down and lifted Ou Mulin onto his back. Ou Muyun gathered their few belongings, and the two of them followed the markings along the path.

When Xiao Ding saw the two water pouches slung over Ou Muyun's shoulder, he licked his lips. He was sorely tempted to ask for a drink, but then thought better of it—these children’s water must have nearly run out after two days, and who knew when they’d find fresh water again? Besides, he was carrying an injured girl. He’d have to endure his thirst for now.

They had walked for less than half an hour when Xiao Ding caught the scent of blood. He slowed his pace and signaled for Ou Muyun to approach quietly. A few yards from the scene, he saw bodies strewn across the ground.

He halted, observed carefully for a moment, and, seeing nothing unusual, cautiously carried Ou Mulin forward. Ou Muyun, following behind, saw the corpses and hurried ahead, examining them one by one.

Suddenly, he cried out, “Uncle Fu!” and knelt beside a blood-soaked old man, shaking him and calling his name.

Xiao Ding quickly laid Ou Mulin gently aside and checked Uncle Fu’s injuries. Finding the old man still breathing faintly, Xiao Ding immediately channeled his spiritual energy into Uncle Fu’s body.

A moment later, Uncle Fu’s eyelids fluttered open. He saw Ou Muyun and managed a joyful expression before noticing Xiao Ding, who was transferring energy into him. Uncle Fu shook his head and whispered, “Don’t waste your strength, young man. I’m beyond saving, but thank you for your kindness… cough, cough…”

After a bout of coughing, he looked at Ou Muyun and asked, “Where’s Lin’er? Isn’t she with you?”

“Uncle Fu, my sister was bitten by a viper. This big brother saved her, but she hasn’t woken up yet…” Ou Muyun replied, sobbing.

Uncle Fu turned to Xiao Ding once more. “Thank you for saving us, brave sir. May I ask your name, so that I may remember your kindness even after I’m gone… cough, cough…”

“My name is Tian Xiaoding. There’s no need for thanks, sir—I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Xiao Ding replied. He used his spiritual sense to examine Uncle Fu’s body and saw that the old man was beyond saving—already aged, now gravely wounded, with his internal organs irreparably damaged.

“Sir Tian, I know my time is short. Before I depart this world, I wish to ask a favor of you. Would you, for the sake of a dying man, agree to hear my request? Cough, cough…” Blood trickled from the old man’s lips as he coughed.

“Please, speak your wish…” Xiao Ding thought to himself, The cry of a bird is mournful before its death—how much more so a man’s last words? Whatever the request, he would agree for now, if only to ease the old man’s passing.

“You may not know, brave sir, but we come from Sword Manor of You Prefecture. Muyun and Mulin are the only surviving children of our master, Ou Pengfei. I am the old servant of the Ou family, my name is Ou Shanf,” the old man said, coughing again.

After a pause to catch his breath, he continued, “I don’t know if you’ve heard of Sword Manor. Our manor is renowned for its mastery of forging, with a history spanning over a thousand years. An ancestor of the Ou family, Master Ou Yezi, was a legendary swordsmith who, after crafting peerless blades and mastering his arts, could ride the sword through the skies and eventually ascended beyond this world. Many of his disciples also achieved great power and could fly on swords—thus the name Sword Manor. But… cough, cough…”

Xiao Ding listened quietly without interruption.

“…But in the past few centuries, the manor has declined. Where once there were hundreds or even thousands of disciples, now only members of the Ou family remain. And even our family has dwindled with each generation. Only in the time of Master Ou Pengfei’s father did things improve slightly—he had three sons and hoped to revive the family. But… cough, cough…”

Ou Shanf spat out several mouthfuls of blood and, after resting, continued, “But just last month, a group of black-clad strangers attacked Sword Manor and slaughtered everyone they found… Master Ou saw the situation was hopeless and ordered me to lead the two young masters through a secret passage to safety… cough, cough…”

“After escaping with Yun’er and Lin’er, I hid them in a safe place, then snuck back to the manor. I found that all three branches of Master Ou’s family had been wiped out—no one left alive, not even the dogs and chickens… cough, cough…”

At this point, Ou Shanf was overcome with emotion, weeping as blood ran from his mouth. “When I found Master Ou, he still clung to life. With his dying breath, he entrusted the children to my care and urged me to flee as far as possible, to hide our names, because the enemy might still be searching for survivors…”

“I promised him. He also said Sword Manor once had close ties with Tianwu Sect of Yong Prefecture, and that I should take the children there. But when I reached Tianwu Sect, they refused to shelter us. With nowhere else to go, we wandered Yong Prefecture City, where we heard rumors of a divine artifact on Sunset Mountain. We thought that if we could obtain it, perhaps we could avenge our master, so we followed the crowd here…”

Xiao Ding sighed inwardly—how many people had come to Sunset Mountain nursing such desperate hopes, only to meet their end?

“Cough, cough… Now these two children are all that’s left of the Ou family. I can no longer care for them. I can see you’re a good man, brave sir, so I beg you—please take care of these poor orphans for me…”

As Xiao Ding listened, everything fell into place. He had already guessed as much from the old man’s story, and now that Ou Shanf had spoken his final wish, could he really refuse?