The Silent Path of the Swordsman

Chapter 7 - Qiao Yu

“Luo Yi... is that really you?”

The gentle yet disbelieving voice brought Luo Yi's steps to a halt. He slowly turned toward its source.

About seven zhang away, a young woman stood near the entrance of the Qiao Clan. She wore an ivory-white robe that shimmered faintly beneath the afternoon sun, embroidered with golden threads along the collar and sleeves. Her black hair was neatly tied behind her head with a light purple ribbon.

The moment their eyes met, Luo Yi recognized that gaze. It was the same gaze he had seen when he was humiliated before the crowd at the Sky Sword Sect. While everyone else looked upon him with contempt, only one person had regarded him with silent sympathy. Now, that same gaze met his once again. It had not changed, though this time it was filled with astonishment.

“Yes, it's me, Miss Qiao,” Luo Yi replied calmly.

Qiao Yu stood frozen. Her eyes traced Luo Yi's now more mature face, his upright posture, and the calm, profound gaze that seemed capable of soothing those who met it. 'Can this really be Luo Yi?' she wondered in disbelief.

She slowly stepped forward. There was hesitation in her movements, but also a desire to be certain.

When only a few steps remained between them, Qiao Yu looked up at him and asked, “Are you really Luo Yi?”

A faint smile appeared on the young man's face. “I am. I'm Luo Yi.”

'I remember him being much shorter than this,' Qiao Yu thought.

“I haven't seen you in three years, so I was quite shocked by how much you've changed,” Qiao Yu said, although disbelief still lingered on her face. Even though the young man's physique had changed dramatically, his face still clearly belonged to the Luo Yi she had once known. “Where have you been all these years? No one has seen you.”

“I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I made a promise to someone to keep that place a secret. I hope you can understand,” Luo Yi answered honestly. Although Hua Lianyi had instructed him to keep Lianhua Forest a secret, she had also taught him never to lie. So this was the answer he chose to give Qiao Yu.

'He's so calm when he speaks. I don't remember Luo Yi ever being this composed,' Qiao Yu thought. Her curiosity about the remarkable change in him only deepened.

“Well then, I'll be on my way.” Luo Yi turned and continued toward his home in the Luo Clan, but Qiao Yu's voice stopped him.

“Wait!”

Luo Yi calmly turned around, looking at Qiao Yu as she approached him.

She then asked, “Are you heading home?”

Luo Yi answered calmly, “Yes.”

Qiao Yu said, “I don't think your mother is home. I saw her accepting a mission at City Hall this morning.”

Luo Yi asked calmly, “What mission did my mother accept?”

“I don't know. I only happened to see her from outside while I was walking around the city,” Qiao Yu replied.

“Thank you for telling me, Miss Qiao. I'll wait for my mother at home.” Luo Yi turned around and continued on his way.

Qiao Yu didn't know what else to say to stop him. In truth, she wanted to talk with him much longer. She was genuinely fascinated by how the young man had transformed into someone so handsome, composed, and dignified.

---

As Luo Yi entered the territory of the Luo Clan, countless eyes turned toward him. They were the same looks as before—looks filled with contempt. Whispers spread among the people as they talked about him. But Luo Yi was no longer the boy he had once been. He walked calmly onward, completely unfazed by the treatment he received.

Seeing how different Luo Yi was from three years ago, a man who appeared to be around twenty-five years old leaped down using a lightness technique and landed directly in front of him.

Luo Yi stopped walking. His face remained calm, as though the man blocking his path did not bother him in the slightest. Even so, he could already guess what was about to happen.

“Are you Luo Yi, the son of the Yin Yang Swordsman who was born with a crippled dantian?” the man asked.

“Yes,” Luo Yi replied briefly yet calmly, causing everyone nearby to stare at him with growing curiosity.

Luo Lian, the man standing in his way, carefully examined him, his eyes traveling from Luo Yi's feet to his head before he spoke. “You look completely different from before. It seems you've trained hard somewhere over these past three years. But you should know this—a cultivator with a crippled dantian like you will never become strong. I don't care if you're the son of the Yin Yang Swordsman. A worthless cultivator like you has no right to remain in our clan!”

Luo Yi remained perfectly calm, showing not the slightest trace of anger. His composure only made Luo Lian and everyone around them even more curious. “A truly strong person is not someone who possesses extraordinary power, nor someone blessed with a dantian, nor even someone who has reached a high cultivation realm. True strength belongs to those who can remain calm and patient no matter what situation they face,” Luo Yi said serenely. They were the very words Hua Lianyi had once taught him.

Seeing Luo Yi calmly lecture him in such a composed manner, Luo Lian felt as though he were being looked down upon. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately drew the Chitiyan Sword from his storage ring and pointed it at Luo Yi.

“Then prove that your words are true!”