We were back at the open space where Haotian had taught me the cultivation technique earlier.
"Old man, the first step to becoming an Adept is choosing which Qi Application you want to specialize in."
"I want to go with Weapon Imbuement."
"Good choice. Now draw your sword and—"
"I can't."
"What? Is it broken? We can get you a new one."
"No, it's not that... I promised my wife I'd never draw my sword again. I know it sounds childish, but I'll only break that promise once. And I already know when that'll be."
"...Then how do you plan to fight?"
I held out the sword, still sheathed. The scabbard was sealed, impossible to open without a good enough force.
It was an old and ordinary sword with not much that attracted the eye.
"That's basically a stick. But alright, we'll do it your way."
"What should I do next?"
"Same as always. Keep cultivating. An Adept's Qi is ten times purer than a Refiner's, so it might take a year or more to get there."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. In the meantime, train your Weapon Imbuement. I'll give you one task every two months and check in regularly. The inn's paid for, so stay put and try not to break any more tables."
"What's the first task?"
"You see that boulder over there?" He pointed to a spot in the distance where a large boulder stood, just a little taller than me. "I want two boulders there before two months are up."
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
"That's something an Adept should handle with ease. So get it done before I come back. It would have been easier with a blade, but since you want to use it like that, it will take you twice the effort."
"You're leaving again? Where to this time?"
"I've got places to be. Don't dig too deep."
"Fine… but before you go, I want to confirm something."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Your strength."
"Hoho. And how do you plan on doing that?"
I pointed to an even bigger boulder off to the side. "Break that one! If an Adept can break the one you showed me, then someone like you should have no trouble with this, right?"
I grinned wide, and we both chuckled.
"Old man, do I look weak to you?" he asked. "You're curious about my cultivation rank?"
"Of course I am! Only someone much stronger than me should be teaching me anything!"
"Oh my, I might just be a hundred times stronger than you."
"That'd make you a Master."
"Let's just go back to the inn and rest. I leave tomorrow."
"But wait, you still haven't broken that boul—"
"What boulder?" he shrugged, already turning to walk away.
"You scammer! I'm talking about tha—" I turned to point at the boulder I'd picked earlier.
It's Gone.
Completely. Like it had never been there at all.
"What the hell?!"
"You must be hallucinating, old man. What boulder?"
A chill ran down my spine.
It wasn't the first time he'd surprised me, but this was something else. That boulder was easily twice my height and must've weighed a ton. Yet it vanished, like it had never existed.
I played along.
"Haha… I must've had one too many bottles this morning. Seeing things, huh?"
"I think you need a pair of glasses, old man. Your eyesight's going."
Maybe it was. But if he really did erase that boulder in the blink of an eye…
He might be a Master. No,maybe even… an Ascendant.
"Also, if you don't mind, can you tell me why you promised your wife you'd never draw your blade again?"
"That..."
It was a long time ago, back when I was still in the sect.
My days were mundane. I put in a lot of effort, but rarely saw results that matched my expectations.
Amidst that monotonous routine, there was one bright spot each day, the time I spent with her.
I'd always look forward to noon everyday, my master had instructed me to help her cultivate during that time.
At first, it felt like a chore. But as the days passed and we grew closer, I found myself wanting those moments to last longer.
She had no talent for cultivation. Really, she was at the very bottom when it came to strength.
But teaching her helped me forget the pressure of constantly comparing myself to the geniuses around me. I wasn't the best, but in front of her, I felt like I had something to offer. A little pride, a little confidence.
I often asked her why she trained so hard.
"Well," she said once, "if my kids are bullied, don't I need to fight the bullies?"
Another time, "Suppose my husband and I are traveling, and six thugs show up. He can take three, but what about the other three?"
Her reasons changed every time, and we'd laugh every time.
I don't know when exactly, but I started drifting off during training, imagining the two of us, standing back-to-back, fighting off those thugs together.
So I gave it everything I had. I wanted her to see my strength, to be impressed. I poured effort into teaching her everything I knew.
Eventually, she got the basics down, which took her much longer than most. Then, our master paired us up to spar and practice combat.
As always, I wanted to give it my all. I wanted to look cool. I wanted to impress her.
So in our first spar, I moved fast. I neutralized her quickly, but couldn't stop my momentum in time and ended up leaving a small scar on her elbow.
It wasn't serious. She healed well. But after that, she stopped meeting me.
I couldn't take it anymore and went to find her. I asked why she was avoiding me.
Without a word, she showed me her elbow.
The wound had closed long ago, but it hadn't healed perfectly.
I tried to laugh it off. "Oh, come on! Scars are the pride of a warrior! Be proud of it!"
She didn't utter a word.
A few days later, I finally confessed my feelings to her.
She didn't answer right away. Just looked at me, like she was measuring something. The silence stretched until I started to regret asking at all.
"Will you do anything for me?" she asked.
"Anything!" I said, without hesitation.
"Then take me far away from here. Somewhere peaceful... somewhere we won't get hurt."
There was fear in her eyes. She was no longer the girl who dreamed of growing strong, of wielding a sword to protect the people she loved. Now, she just wanted to be safe and away far from blades.
That's when I understood.
It wasn't just her elbow I had scarred.
And so, I made the promise.
I took her far away.
Somewhere quiet.
And for her peace,
All that remained was a silent scabbard.