74: Mask Gift

Su Tianyu had run off somewhere.

Only Jiang Xun and Su Changfeng remained in the courtyard, sitting on bamboo chairs.

The wind blowing was very comfortable.

Jiang Xun's head was full of question marks.

"Brother Su, so you are experiencing life?"

Su Changfeng smiled and said, "Not at all, this is my life."

"Don't disbelieve it."

Su Changfeng and Jiang Xun began to chat; he spoke very casually, yet his words always carried a hint of lingering melancholy.

"I was originally the eldest son of the family." Su Changfeng leaned against the back of the chair, squinting at the sky.

"I have two younger sisters. The old man does silk business, and we have a bit of wealth in Qinghe County. Normally... I should have inherited the family business."

He smiled as he reached this point:

"But when I was young, I was obsessed with cultivation. I felt that those Cultivators who could fly through the sky, burrow into the earth, and slay demons with flying swords were truly elegant. Those trivial matters at home, like flicking abacuses and checking ledgers... just looking at them gave me a headache."

Jiang Xun listened quietly.

"So I ran away," Su Changfeng said bluntly. "I joined a small sect in the mountains to cultivate. The one with the highest cultivation in the sect... was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage."

He shook his head self-deprecatingly:

"I stayed there for a few years, learned some basic sword techniques, and reached the Eighth level of Qi Refining. I felt that was about enough, so I went down the mountain."

"What did you do after going down?"

"To act as a hero and uphold justice." Su Changfeng's eyes lit up. "I called myself the 'Sword Hero,' wandering specifically around the Qinghe area."

"If there were bullies in the village, I'd go."

"If there were bandits on the road, I'd go."

"If there were outlaws causing trouble in the mountains, I'd go too."

As he spoke, he gestured a few times as if swinging a sword:

"In those years... hey, I really made a name for myself. Wherever I went, people would call me 'Hero Su'."

Seeing his animated expression, Jiang Xun also smiled:

"It sounds... very satisfying."

"It was satisfying, alright." Su Changfeng sighed. "But my old man wasn't happy. Every few days, he'd send someone to find me and demand I come home. He said if I didn't return, the family property would be handed over to others."

He picked up a coarse ceramic bowl from the table and took a sip of water:

"In a family like ours, we care about the son inheriting the father's business, but I didn't like it. My two younger sisters... tsk, each one is more capable than the last, but the old man just feels that daughters are outsiders after all."

Jiang Xun nodded:

"You are your father's only son, so perhaps he doesn't want the family business he worked his whole life for to end up in the hands of outsiders."

"Vulgar, too vulgar." Su Changfeng waved his hand repeatedly. "I'd rather carry a hoe than flick an abacus."

As he spoke, he crossed his legs, his tone carrying a hint of pride:

"I told the old man, if you want someone to inherit your lousy family business, forget it."

"Don't I still have two younger sisters? It would be fine to let them take in two matrilocal sons-in-law. Why bother me?"

Jiang Xun was amused by his words.

After laughing, he let out a soft sigh:

"But in this world... the hardest thing is to be able to live according to one's own heart."

"I don't care," Su Changfeng said stubbornly. "I'll follow it as much as I can."

He stood up, walked to the earthen wall, and picked up a longsword leaning there.

The sword was not unsheathed; he held it together with the scabbard and swung it a few times.

Then he turned to look at Jiang Xun:

"I just want to continue being a Swordsman."

Jiang Xun said, "I'm afraid this excuse is only one of your reasons!"

Su Changfeng's Spiritual Sea was destroyed, and he could not retain spiritual power.

Practicing the sword again could only serve as physical exercise.

But Jiang Xun saw that when Su Changfeng held the sword, a faint trace of spiritual power from within his body flowed into the blade.

Moreover, his gaze was very sharp.

Su Changfeng did not answer Jiang Xun's question.

It seemed he was intentionally avoiding it.

"Daoist Friend Jiang, in a couple of days... I will also give you a gift," Su Changfeng said.

Hearing the word "gift," Jiang Xun's heart instinctively tightened.

He waved his hand:

"No need. Brother Su, please don't trouble yourself."

"You won't be able to refuse this gift." Su Changfeng tucked the sword behind his waist and said mysteriously, "You'll find out when the time comes."

...Two days later.

Jiang Xun was squatting in the courtyard, feeding chickens with Su Tianyu.

Su Tianyu was no longer afraid of him; ever since receiving that golden bell, she felt that this uncle with a scar on his face was actually a very good person.

She grabbed a handful of millet, and Jiang Xun grabbed a handful as well. Together, they scattered them on the ground, watching the flock of chickens gather to peck at the food.

"Cluck, cluck, cluck—"

"Time to eat!"

The voices of the young man and the child blended together, and the courtyard was filled with Life Qi.

"Daoist Friend Jiang!"

A thick and powerful voice came from far away.

It was Su Changfeng jogging over from the entrance of the Yellow Shirt Forest, holding a cloth bundle.

He had been out for a while, and Jiang Xun didn't know where he had gone.

Su Changfeng, panting heavily, walked up to Jiang Xun and handed over the cloth bundle:

"Here. I said I'd give you a gift... well, I just got it today."

Su Changfeng's forehead was dripping with sweat; he looked truly exhausted.

"Brother Su, what is this?"

"Don't mind me, you take a look first and see if it fits."

Su Changfeng had a look of expectation on his face.

Jiang Xun took the cloth bundle and opened it.

Inside was a bronze half-mask.

The craftsmanship of the mask wasn't exquisite, but it was clear that a lot of effort had been put into it; the edges were polished smooth so they wouldn't scratch the skin.

There were no patterns on the surface, except for a simple flowing cloud pattern carved at the corner of the eye.

The size was just enough to cover the left half of his face.

"I had a blacksmith master at the foot of the mountain make it," Su Changfeng said. "See if it fits. If not, I'll take it back to have it adjusted."

Jiang Xun held the mask, saying nothing.

Su Changfeng thought he had misunderstood and quickly explained:

"Daoist Friend Jiang, don't misunderstand. I'm not looking down on the scar on your face or deliberately giving you a mask because of it."

"I just think that people who wear masks are very cool! And as it happens... you also need a mask."

He spoke very sincerely, his gaze clear.

He was afraid Jiang Xun would misunderstand.

Jiang Xun looked at him for a moment and suddenly laughed.

He laughed quite unreservedly.

The corners of his eyes curved, and even the scar on his left cheek smoothed out a bit.

"I appreciate your kindness, Brother Su," he said. "This gift... I like it very much."

After saying that, he put the mask on his face.

The size was perfect.

The bronze mask felt cool against his face.

The cord went behind his ears and was tied in a knot at the back of his head.

Once worn, the scar on his left cheek was completely covered, revealing only the undamaged right half of his face.

Su Changfeng circled around him twice, clicking his tongue in praise:

"Daoist Friend Jiang, in the past... did you deceive many girls from good families?"

Jiang Xun was taken aback.

"Do I look like that kind of person?"

"You do."

Having rested for the past couple of days, Jiang Xun's mental state had improved; he no longer looked as he did at the beginning, with sunken eyes and a weak, exhausted appearance.

"You're still this handsome with only half a face showing," Su Changfeng said solemnly. "If your whole face were revealed, wouldn't that be incredible?"

Jiang Xun was amused by him.

"The thing I dare least in this life..." he said softly, "is to deceive women."

"I don't believe that for a second." Su Changfeng waved his hand. "When I was young, I said the same thing to you."

As the two were talking, a frustrated female voice suddenly came from the distance:

"Brother—! Have you seen a ghost? Why are you running so fast!?"

Su Changfeng sighed, leaned close to Jiang Xun's ear, and lowered his voice:

"Look! The nuisance has arrived."

Jiang Xun looked toward the sound.

On the path through the Yellow Shirt Forest, two slender figures were walking toward them.