Every sword cultivator has a lifebound sword, yet no one in the cultivation world has ever seen the Sword Venerable draw his, and almost no one knows its name.
One day, Master Zi Qiong came to drink with the Sword Venerable and joked, "What kind of sword cultivator keeps his sword sheathed all the time? And it even floats little flowers around. It's so pretty it's ridiculous, all frills and no substance."
The Sword Venerable's sword was called Wan Ye Qing Fang. Its blade was pale yellow, and delicate white flowers would sometimes bloom along it. It even glowed. It was practically a walking target.
In any case, it didn't look like the sword of the legendary Sword Venerable.
The Sword Venerable smiled. "Only I know whether my sword is any good. And no matter how useless it is, it's still a sword cultivator's lifebound sword. No one else gets a say."
So Master Zi Qiong watched with his own eyes as Wan Ye Qing Fang, hanging at the Sword Venerable's waist, trembled twice.
After they finished drinking, Master Zi Qiong left, and the Sword Venerable took his only disciple down the mountain to gain experience in the mortal world.
Through an illusion, the disciple glimpsed a fragment of the Sword Venerable's past and completed his training. Then the Sword Venerable ascended with his sword, and from that day on, not a trace of him was ever seen in the mortal realm again.
Only his disciple knew that the Sword Venerable's sword was there to remind him of someone. Through it, he was looking at the love of his youth.
Pairing: Sword Venerable x sword. First-person, camera-like recollections. An idea recorded on 2022-12-13. Tragic ending.
Theme: Though the pillow lies empty, the night is still long; a faint fragrance sometimes returns in the quiet. Cherish the one before you.
