19: Chapter 19 Perhaps this is life, full of regrets.

[The Great Qing from the north suddenly passed through the pass.]

[When the news arrived, the entire Yunzhou was shaken. The iron cavalry of the Great Qing drove straight in from the north, with neighboring Cangzhou bearing the brunt. Battle reports came back one after another, all bad news—the three northern counties of Cangzhou had fallen, the Cangzhou defense line was breached, and the Cangzhou garrison general was killed in battle...]

[You sat in the courtyard of the Shuangyue Martial Arts Hall, listening to the chatter of people coming and going on the street, your expression calm.]

[But you knew clearly in your heart that Cangzhou and Yunzhou were only separated by one mountain. Once Cangzhou fell, Yunzhou would be next.]

[Sure enough, after the news of the Cangzhou prefectural capital being breached arrived, the atmosphere in Qingyang County suddenly became tense. Wealthy households in the city with some assets began to move inland, dragging their families along, with an endless stream of carriages and horses. More than half of the shops on the street were closed, and those that remained open looked panicked.]

[Your Shuangyue Martial Arts Hall was also affected. Students came less and less; some even dropped out directly and moved away with their families. Those who remained were absent-minded, looking around while practicing, always fearing that a squad of Great Qing soldiers would suddenly rush in from outside the door.]

[You looked at the sparse few students on the martial arts training ground, your heart filled with mixed emotions.]

[It had been over a decade. This martial arts hall had grown from nothing, from the initial twelve people to hundreds later on, from a single "Shuangyue Martial Arts Hall" plaque to becoming the number one figure in the entire Qingyang County Martial Forest circle. You had taught batch after batch of students here, watching them transform from little girls and boys who couldn't even stand steadily in a horse stance into Martial Artists capable of standing on their own.]

[This was the period in the simulation where you lived most like a human being.]

[No fleeing, no hunting, no resentment. Just teaching steadily, living life steadily.]

[But you knew it was time for it to end.]

[You stood up and walked to the center of the training ground.]

["Everyone, come over."]

[The students gathered around. Chen Xiaoyu stood at the very front, already a calm and capable Innate Martial Artist. She looked at your expression and vaguely guessed something.]

["Let's disband the martial arts hall." You said it very plainly.]

[There was a commotion among the students. Chen Xiaoyu's lips moved as she whispered, "Master..."]

["Cangzhou has fallen, and Yunzhou won't last long." You looked at them, "While the roads are still open, hurry up and pack your things to go home, and take your families south or west. Life is more important than anything else."]

[A few of the younger students had red eyes.]

[Chen Xiaoyu stepped forward: "Master, I'm not leaving. I'll stay and follow you."]

["I'm not leaving either! Master, wherever you go, we go!" several old students also shouted.]

[You looked at them and were silent for a while.]

["I am going back." you said.]

["Back? Back where?"]

["Home." You didn't explain too much, "I still have some unfinished business."]

[Your gaze fell on Chen Xiaoyu.]

["Xiaoyu, you are an Innate Martial Artist now. Take good care of your Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, find a safe place to settle down, and open a new martial arts hall. I have passed everything from the Shuangyue Martial Arts Hall to you."]

[Tears fell from Chen Xiaoyu's eyes. She knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily three times.]

["Master, take care."]

[You reached out, pulled her up, and patted her shoulder.]

["Go."]

[After the students dispersed, you began to pack your luggage. There wasn't much: a sword, a few changes of clothes, some silver, and a few martial arts notebooks.]

[Under the influence of internal injuries, you knew you didn't have many years left to live. The cracks in your Meridians were continuously worsening, and every rainy day, the pain kept you awake all night. The True Qi from the Azure Sky Heart Method was struggling to maintain your bodily functions, but it only delayed the speed of decay.]

[It was time to go back.]

[Return to Yunjin City, return to that place where it all began, to see if your mother was still there, to see if Wei Feisen was still alive, and if he was, to see if you could slaughter him.]

[Even if you couldn't do anything, at least go back and take a look.]

[You packed your luggage and stood in the training ground for a while longer.]

[The moonlight shone on the empty weapon rack, and the wooden stakes still bore the dents and pits left by the students during their practice.]

[You withdrew your gaze and walked toward the gate.]

[A person was standing at the entrance.]

[Chief Constable Liu Jiangyue.]

[Not seen for over a decade, he had changed a lot. The handsome youth in his early twenties had become a middle-aged man, with a few white hairs at his temples. His face was still upright, but there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his jawline was not as sharp as it was when he was young. Wearing a dark gray robe with a long sword at his waist, he stood in the moonlight like an aged pine tree.]

[You looked at him, somewhat surprised.]

["County Magistrate Liu." You called out. His father had passed away some years ago, and he had taken over the position of County Magistrate.]

["Hall Master Lin." He cupped his hands, his voice much steadier, lacking the sharp spirit of his youth. But when he called you "Hall Master Lin," there was something very light in his tone, like some sort of cautious habit.]

["Why have you come?" you asked.]

["I received news," he said, "The Yunzhou Governor has secretly defected to the Great Qing army and is preparing to open the city gates to let the Great Qing soldiers in. In half a month at most, Yunzhou will no longer be safe."]

[You nodded, not expecting that the Great Qing had already rotted to such an extent.]

["I am preparing to take my family and some acquaintances and move south." He looked at you, paused, "Would you be willing... to come with us?"]

[The moonlight fell on his face, revealing that thin layer of light in his eyes. It had been over a decade, and that light was actually still there, only much fainter than when he was young, faint enough to be almost invisible, but you saw it.]

[A small part of your heart stirred, very lightly, like wind blowing over a calm water surface, creating a ripple, and then it quickly flattened out.]

["No." You shook your head, "I still have unfinished business, and it is time to go and settle it."]

[Chief Constable Liu Jiangyue did not ask what the matter was.]

[He stood at the entrance, watching the bundle on your back, clenching his fists. The moonlight stretched your shadow long, casting it onto the empty training ground.]

["Senior Sister Lin Shuang." He suddenly called out to you.]

[You stopped and turned back.]

[He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he just smiled.]

["Safe travels."]

[You nodded and turned away.]

[You did not look back.]

[You walked out of the alley, onto the street, and passed through the city gate.]

[What you didn't know was that the moment you walked out of the martial arts hall gate, Chief Constable Liu Jiangyue watched your slightly hunched back, and what flashed through his mind was that breeze at the entrance of Wangjiang Tower over a decade ago.]

[The instant the veil was lifted, the lantern light reflected on your profile.]

[At that time, you were sincere, straightforward, and focused, with only the Martial Dao and unfinished business in your eyes, and never him. You lived magnanimously, lived with backbone, and lived like a sword that refused to sheath once drawn.]

[He had seen countless women in his life, but none were like you.]

[But you never belonged to him.]

[Not even for a moment.]

[Chief Constable Liu Jiangyue stood at the entrance of the empty martial arts hall for a long, long time, until the moon was obscured by clouds, before he turned and slowly walked back into the city.]

[You did not see any of this.]

[You were already on the road back to Yunjin City.]

Outside the simulation.

Lin Shuangwan watched the gradually blurring image in the mirror and fell silent.

She couldn't describe what she was feeling right now.

Perhaps that is life, filled with regrets in everything.

However, you also learned a key piece of information: the Great Qing army will pass through the pass in 23 years. But presumably, by that time, you probably won't be eating beef anymore.

The image was still continuing.

In the simulation, she was walking alone on a desolate official road, heading toward Yunjin City, her hair gray, her steps slow, her back aged.

But her hand was still gripping her sword.

Lin Shuangwan took a deep breath and refocused her attention on the mirror.

The simulation had not yet ended.

And she didn't know what would be waiting for her after returning to Yunjin City?