After saying goodbye to Qingni, Leon took the thirteen of them for a stroll around the Luofu.
As for those cans of Soda Douzhi, they didn't go to waste.
After all, it was a gesture of goodwill.
Under the mutual competition between Phainon and Demiurge, every last drop was finished off.
"Young Friend Leon!"
While wandering the streets, Leon happened to run into Huaiyan.
"Isn't this Elder Yan?"
Leon waved his hand and nodded as a greeting.
"Eh, this title of 'Elder Yan', this old man dare not accept ah."
Huaiyan stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his mood considerably good.
"What a coincidence. I didn't expect to run into you while just strolling around."
Could he not be happy?
"I thought I would have to wait until we met at the Seat of Divine Foresight."
To be addressed as 'Elder Yan' with such honorifics by someone like Leon, the human vessel of the Reignbow...
Given this status calling him with such a respectful term for an elder, you tell him, who on the Xianzhou wouldn't be happy?
If the Marshal came, Leon would at most call out 'Marshal'.
It would be impossible for him to call her 'Elder Hua' or something. Do you understand this thrill?
Let's put it this way: even if the Mara-Struck condition acted up, for the sake of this 'Elder Yan', he would have to forcefully hold it back.
Huaiyan had always felt that living a long time wasn't necessarily a good thing.
But now, for the first time, he felt—
Damn, so being a senior veteran is this awesome?
Leon nodded in acknowledgment, then shifted his gaze to the person beside Huaiyan.
Whose child is this?
He recalled Jing Yuan mentioning earlier that Huaiyan had brought his granddaughter along this time.
Hoping to let her see the world.
It seemed he was referring to this girl holding a Berrypheasant Skewer?
Aside from the Berrypheasant Skewer,
Leon noticed that the girl was carrying a blunt, rectangular greatsword on her back.
Whose Xiao Huohuo is this?
"Yunli, quickly say hello to Heavenly General Leon!"
Huaiyan also noticed his gaze and hurriedly spoke to his granddaughter.
The girl called Yunli moved her throat slightly, swallowing the Berrypheasant Skewer in her mouth.
"Hello, Heavenly General Leon!"
With some food crumbs still hanging from the corner of her mouth, she spoke in a soft, sticky voice.
Carrying a naive respect.
Leon noticed that her gaze never left 'The Expedition' slung over his shoulder.
"Very interested?" he asked.
Yunli nodded repeatedly, staring dead at 'The Expedition' without letting go.
It was as if she wanted to see through its very structure.
"Haha, Young Friend Leon, please excuse us."
Seeing her reaction, Huaiyan was not surprised in the slightest.
As someone who had personally touched this longbow, he knew its terror better than anyone.
"This old man's entire family are artisans. Upon seeing a weapon blessed by the Reignbow, I'm afraid no one can look away."
The reason he brought Yunli here was specifically for this bow on Leon.
After all, for a genuine Xianzhou artisan, what could broaden one's horizons more than the bow used by 'Lan'?
"Looking is fine, but touching is a bit out of the question."
Leon understood.
Any normal Xianzhou native would hold admiration for 'Lan'.
Now that 'Lan's' bow was placed right in front of you,
If you could endure not looking, then you really aren't human.
However, looking was fine, but touching was definitely not.
Because it was easy for people to die. Even Huaiyan, as an 'Emanator', had nearly lost his life before.
Let alone a child like Yunli.
"Young Friend Leon need not say more; this old man naturally knows."
Huaiyan nodded, his memories of the past stirred up by these words.
The figure of 'Lan' was still vivid in his mind.
That was the closest Huaiyan had ever come to death in his long life. The Mara-Struck condition felt like a mere rookie in front of this; he still felt lingering fear to this day.
"How about it, Yunli?"
Huaiyan looked at his granddaughter's dazed appearance and said with a smile.
"Can you still hear the 'Voice'?"
He knew well that his granddaughter took pride in her talent of being able to hear the voices of weapons.
She often forcibly snatched swords away without a second word just because she heard some sorrowful weeping from someone else's sword, completely disregarding the feelings of the person who lost the sword.
Huaiyan always felt this behavior wasn't good.
She didn't want to see good swords ruined by rotten people, but should this judgment of good and bad be decided by her?
"I can't hear it..."
Facing her grandfather's question, Yunli, with a look of confusion on her face, subconsciously shook her head.
She couldn't hear any sound from 'The Expedition'.
Nor could she see through any of its structure. The only thing she could detect was a faint, looming aura of slaughter.
If she weren't on the Xianzhou,
And if Leon hadn't deliberately restrained it and turned off friendly fire,
Daring to stare so directly like that usually, the aura on that bow would likely have torn her to shreds directly.
"Then tell me, since you cannot hear this voice, should this bow be snatched from Heavenly General Leon's hands? And on what basis should you make this decision?"
Huaiyan stroked his beard, wearing an expression that said he wasn't surprised by this result.
He brought Yunli today to make her understand.
There are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens.
You usually rely on the heart of the weapon to judge whether its master has treated it well.
But if one day, the talent you take pride in fails, and you encounter a weapon whose voice you cannot read, then what will you use to make a decision?
"General Leon looks like someone who would treat weapons well at first glance!"
Yunli retorted, refusing to admit defeat.
Leon: You are right. You really have an eye for things.
"This is an object bestowed by the Reignbow! There's no need to ask at all!"
"If it were placed in your hands, Grandpa, you would have to enshrine it. Even you, dignified as a General, are like this; no one in the entire Xianzhou Alliance would fail to treat it well!"
Yunli argued forcefully with him.
"So, what is the basis?"
Huaiyan opened his eyes, which had been squinting, and no longer faced her as a grandfather but with the aura of an elder.
"Just based on your one-sided statement?"
"This isn't the first time you've encountered a weapon whose voice you couldn't hear. Do you still remember a long time ago?"
Huaiyan's tone carried a bit more solemnity.
"When you were small, you saw a child showing off everywhere with the sword that was his elder brother's relic. Anger rose from your heart, and you snatched the sword from that child's hands."
"The soul of that sword had long since dissipated with the original owner's death, so you couldn't hear its voice either."
"It was just that you unilaterally felt that the child showing off the martyr's relic sword everywhere was wrong, feeling that this behavior was tarnishing the achievements of the person and the sword."
"So you snatched the sword away."
Speaking to this point, Huaiyan sighed.
Because of his doting, coupled with her father's departure, Yunli's temperament had become a bit self-righteous.
It was fine when she was young; Huaiyan couldn't bear to lecture her much.
But now that she was older, he felt Yunli should more or less change this temperament.
"Tell me, what is the difference between now and then?"
"You feel General Leon is surely a person who loves bows, so he absolutely wouldn't tarnish it in any way."
"Then tell me."
"On what basis did you feel that being shown off by the original owner's younger brother was a tarnish to that relic sword!"
"That was the original owner's own little brother. If the soul of that sword still had a spirit in heaven, it would absolutely have no complaints, because that was the family member its master wanted to protect!"
"Yunli, tell me."
"If the family of a martyr does not take pride in their own child, then what should they take pride in?"
Huaiyan's eyes held the intent of teaching.
"Yunli, when you snatch swords from others, you do so in the name of the great cause that the weapon is crying. But when you encounter a voiceless weapon, you rely entirely on subjective personal judgment."
"Toward that child back then, it was that his behavior was wrong. Toward General Leon, it's that there's no need to ask, he definitely won't tarnish its honor. In both these instances, you never asked the weapon."
Huaiyan spoke with profound meaning.
"I will ask you only one thing. If the sound emitted by the bow on General Leon was a cry for help..."
"Would you make a move to snatch it?"
Huaiyan asked the most lethal question.
"...I wouldn't."
After a good while, Yunli replied in a small voice.
'Lan' bestowing the bow upon Leon meant that He had absolute appreciation for him.
No one was qualified to point fingers at 'Lan's' choice.
The Reignbow doing so definitely had His profound meaning.
They shouldn't question it, but rather try to interpret it.
"How are you any different from those who bully the weak and fear the strong?"
Though he said this, in reality, even if it were Huaiyan, he wouldn't dare either.
This was an act that would cost one's head. If you dare to speak rudely to Leon, you just wait to die.
After all, this person could breathe fire on whoever he wanted.
But that didn't hinder him from educating his granddaughter.
Hearing the words 'bully the weak and fear the strong',
Yunli's eyes instantly went wide!
She didn't like this evaluation one bit.
Not to mention hearing it from the mouth of her closest kin; the level of unacceptability went up another notch!
She had never bullied the weak or feared the strong!
From childhood to adulthood, Yunli had never feared any powerful authority. Regarding those who obtained Cursed Swords, whether they were accomplished Generals or nameless Cloud Knights,
She had—gone to their doors and snatched the swords away.
It was mainly that Leon's identity was too special; this really should be outside the discussion.
Yunli held back her flushed face, wanting to retort against this evaluation.
But even racking her brain, she couldn't find a way to retort, so she could only reply weakly:
"Grandpa, this is irrational logic!"
Huaiyan shook his head and said earnestly:
"Yunli, you are already grown up. In the future, you might even have to take over my position."
"When you were small, I let you have your way, but the current you can no longer do things so willfully."
"Snatching swords; you absolutely cannot make a decision based solely on the sword's one-sided statement or what is seen superficially before your eyes. You must suppress your temper and observe with your feet on the ground."
"If there is truly a problem and you snatch the sword, then Grandpa supports you."
That was all Huaiyan could say.
Yunli fell silent, her head hanging slightly low.
No one knew if she listened, but judging from her performance, she should have taken it in.
"...Grandpa's teaching today, Yunli will engrave in her heart."
After a long time, Yunli spoke up:
"However, regarding the swords created by Hanguang, I will not make any concessions. The Cursed Swords must be completely recovered by me. A debt of the father is paid by the son; since he owed the cause."
Yunli could make concessions on anything, but only this point was non-negotiable.
"Then there must be a result."
In the future, when snatching swords, ordinary swords, she would definitely make a move only after reaching a true conclusion.
But Cursed Swords were not okay, because their existence itself was a mistake.
Regardless of whether there was a reason or anything else, as long as she saw one, she would absolutely not let it go!
"It's enough that you are willing to promise not to snatch people's swords indiscriminately in the future."
Huaiyan sighed.
The Cursed Swords were his granddaughter's obsession. As her grandfather, he naturally knew she couldn't easily let it go, so her being able to promise not to snatch swords indiscriminately in the future was already very good.
"Heavenly General Leon, shall we go find General Jing Yuan together?"
Huaiyan said so, just about to invite Leon to go to the Seat of Divine Foresight together to discuss that matter of cause and effect.
But he discovered he couldn't find the person.
He was somewhat confused, and at this moment, he heard the crackling and sizzling sound of fire rising from the side.
Huaiyan turned his head to look.
The first thing that entered his line of sight was a long queue.
"Hmm? You guys continue."
Leon had not a shred of interest in this two-person family argument.
One could only say, what a corny grandfather and grandson pair. Fortunately, it didn't have much to do with him, otherwise it would be bad luck.
He was too lazy to listen to them argue anyway.
And coincidentally, there was a restaurant nearby.
Leon thought since he hadn't eaten yet, he brought the Golden Progeny to sit down here.
Watching Huaiyan continue to educate his granddaughter with the nature of an onlooker eating melons.
He had wanted to order a few dishes to eat, but Demiurge said the cook here wasn't good.
The smell of the smoke lacked the proper heat control.
Leon then paid to buy the usage rights of this shop for half an hour.
And then, it resulted in the scene before his eyes.
Demiurge's dishes were like they had been laced with meth; the Xianzhou people's praise was endless.
Making business directly explode; the owner was so envious his teeth were crushed.
And Phainon, who joined the battle after being provoked by Demiurge, looked at the full house next door and the situation where people would rather wait in a long line than settle for him.
He fell into deep thought.
"Why don't you choose Chef Bai's stir-fry?"
Phainon stopped a customer who was just passing by. He couldn't not ask.
"Uh, because his stir-fry has more Wok Hei."
The customer finished answering and also went to queue at Demiurge's line.
"Wok Hei?"
Don't joke around; he was the cook who knew how to toss a wok best in the ten miles and eight villages of Castrum Kremnos!
Phainon, refusing to admit defeat, cranked the firepower to the max.
Preparing to stir-fry a portion of fried rice on the spot, to let these people see what is called Wok Hei!
"Go find Old Jing?"
Leon heard Huaiyan's words.
"Sure, I'll wander around a bit more and meet up at the Seat of Divine Foresight later."
He nodded, signaling for Huaiyan to go first; he would arrive shortly.
"Then this old man will go a step ahead."
Huaiyan didn't mind too much, nodded, and left the place with Yunli.
...
...
Seat of Divine Foresight.
Leon greeted the Golden Progeny.
After announcing the start of free activities like a lead teacher on a spring outing, he came to the Seat of Divine Foresight to keep the appointment.
Both Jing Yuan and Huaiyan were there.
Yunli wasn't; heard she was very interested in the swordsmanship of Luofu swordsmen and had issued a challenge invitation as a Zhuming swordsman to Yanqing, who served as the General's Retainer.
The latter accepted readily.
Huaiyan knew she had heard the voice of the sword again and wanted to fight against injustice for it, using the victory of the spar to tell Yanqing he wasn't worthy of his sword.
What comforted Huaiyan was,
This time she didn't just grab it directly, and her words were full of etiquette.
No longer rudely saying directly that Luofu swordsmen were all trash or something.
It seemed she had truly taken in the teaching just now.
Huaiyan was quite happy.
And aside from these two people, there was another person he hadn't expected to be at the scene.
Dan Heng.
Why would this current High Elder be here?
"General Leon has arrived; you came just in time."
Seeing him come, Jing Yuan greeted him with a smile, squinting his eyes.
"Greetings, General Leon."
Dan Heng bowed respectfully toward him.
"If there are any problems, you can just say them directly."
Leon pressed his hand down, gesturing for them to be quick and not go through the damn process.
"Since General Leon says so, let's get straight to the topic."
"Regarding that matter of 'Causality', Jing has just obtained some new intelligence here."
"First, the conclusion—
It is highly likely related to that Mentor of mine!"
_____
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