Wuxia: My Martial Arts Database Can Analyze All Things

Qinglan Sect lies hidden among green mountains. It is no secret cultivation realm for slaying demons, but a sanctuary for protecting the common folk, carrying on a century-old spirit of "guarding." A hundred years ago, Su Xuan suppressed demonic energy with his sword and left behind bronze tools engraved with the character "Guard," including a plowshare, a dyeing pestle, and a sugar spoon, as well as a notebook of maxims: "The sword's intent is to keep the rice jar full, the cloth coat warm, and the candle flame bright."

A century later, demonic energy resurfaces, hidden in the villagers' everyday lives: rice in the granary turns black, silk in the dyehouse develops dark stains, and charcoal from the kiln gives off choking fumes. Sect Master Lin Hao and Su Qing, guardian of the sect's legacy, lead their disciples Zhou Xiaochuan and the little girl A He. They use no flashy spells, relying only on the bronze tools to identify demons: if the plowshare reveals black smoke rising from the grain, it is demonic; if the dyeing pestle stirs up a black mist, the dye needs purifying, and water mixed with bodhi leaves can then dispel the demonic energy. More importantly, they teach the villagers how to do it themselves: Uncle Zhang learns to use a measuring scoop to sift grain, A Qiao learns to inspect the dye with the pestle, and A He grows from a child who merely hands over tools into a young keeper of the tradition who can teach others how to guard against demons.

In the twelfth lunar month, villagers carry new rice, cloth, and sugar up the mountain. Clutching their well-polished bronze tools, they smile and say, "We can guard things ourselves." As it turns out, Su Xuan's sword intent was never in the sword, but in full granaries, warm clothes, and sweet sugar. It is a legacy of everyday life that lets ordinary days pass in peace.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.