Chapter 288 - 177: Lucky

Chapter 288: Chapter 177: Lucky

Xu Ran looked at Zhang Zhentian.

The Evergreen Sword Saint’s face hadn’t changed; he still had the appearance of a young man in his twenties. But when their eyes met, Xu Ran could clearly feel that the man before him was no longer young.

The responsibilities of a Sect Supreme Elder had stripped him of his youthful arrogance. Beneath his dark martial attire were the shoulders of the boy who had once been a little terror—shoulders that were now incredibly broad and strong.

Xu Ran remembered the first time he’d seen him in the Instructor Hall: a bull-headed youth, chin up and defiant, who had dared to publicly question the Qing Xuan Master.

He remembered the boy’s stubbornness after being defeated—how he’d played the part of a model student for an entire year, just to earn a second chance to challenge him.

And he remembered him returning from the Evil Demon Battlefield, tempered by iron and blood, telling him, "Senior Brother, I’ve grown up now."

Time was truly a strange and wondrous chisel.

Lately, whenever Xu Ran saw Zhang Zhentian, he felt the man had become somewhat melancholic. ’That can’t be a good sign. If the Evergreen Sword Saint grows sentimental, will his sword still be as sharp as it once was?’

That was precisely why he had wanted to take this opportunity to talk with him tonight.

"Junior Brother," Xu Ran began, his voice especially clear in the quiet courtyard. "Watching Daoyi and the others always makes me think of the old days."

Zhang Zhentian turned back, a questioning look in his eyes.

"I remember you as a boy, calling a whole crowd of your little friends to watch you fight in the arena. When you lost, they all scattered in an instant, leaving you standing there all alone, stunned."

Xu Ran smiled, the expression holding the faint glimmer of memory. "I remember how you forced yourself to stay out of trouble for half a year in Teacher Qing Xuan’s class, all for the sake of a match against me."

"Back then, you were reckless and proud, afraid of nothing in heaven or on earth. You felt the future was limitless and couldn’t wait to replace Senior Brother Ye Shan as the new standard-bearer for the Sect."

As Zhang Zhentian listened, a faint smile appeared on his face—a smile tinged with self-deprecation, but mostly with acceptance. "Yeah, back then... I truly didn’t know the first thing about the world."

"But now," Xu Ran’s gaze turned serious and gratified, "you’re the Evergreen Sword Saint, a pillar holding up the Sect. You’re the Supreme Elder who gives the disciples a sense of security and trust."

He paused, recalling the deep-seated filial piety Zhang Zhentian had hidden beneath his rebellious streak when he’d spoken of his grandfather, and his childish complaint: "Think about it, Senior Brother. Who wants a parent hovering over them all the time?"

’Some things, after all, are bone-deep. They never really change.’

Zhang Zhentian fell silent for a moment, his gaze once again drifting toward the distant darkness where mountains stretched in an unbroken silhouette.

"Senior Brother, when I see Daoyi and the others, sometimes I wonder... if my time has truly passed."

His voice was calm. "The ones most talked about in the Sect now are Daoyi, Chu Lingxiao, and Luo Qianxue. They talk about an alliance between the three great sects, about changing the landscape of the Eastern Domain, about defeating the prodigies of the Demon Race... Their ambitions are grander than ours were, and they have more courage."

Xu Ran nodded. "Time always moves forward. Every generation has its own mission and its own stage. Senior Brother Ye Shan illuminated his era. You took up his mantle, stabilized the Sect, and forged the renowned name of the Evergreen Sword Saint."

"Now, Daoyi and the others are trying to build a completely different future. This isn’t about being replaced; it’s about passing on a legacy. It’s the best possible outcome."

"I know." Zhang Zhentian turned back to Xu Ran, the complex emotions in his eyes having settled, replaced by his usual composure.

"I’m not dejected, Senior Brother. On the contrary, I’m happy, and I’m looking forward to what they’ll do. Watching Daoyi and the others... it’s like watching a sword you’ve painstakingly honed finally find a Swordsman who can unleash its full potential on a much larger battlefield. It’s a good feeling, really."

Xu Ran stepped forward and gently patted Zhang Zhentian’s shoulder. It was a gesture he’d made many times, ever since Zhang Zhentian was just a boy on the cusp of manhood.

But back then, his hand had landed on a thin, tense shoulder. Now, it rested on one that was broad and solid as a rock.

"But, Junior Brother," Xu Ran’s tone grew solemn, full of brotherly encouragement, "don’t forget, passing on the legacy doesn’t mean the curtain has fallen on your act. It certainly doesn’t mean you can stop now. You’re still young."

Zhang Zhentian was taken aback.

"For a Cultivator with such a long life, you are in your prime right now." Xu Ran looked him straight in the eye, his gaze intense. "You once said that your goal was always to reach the heights Senior Brother Ye Shan achieved, and maybe even... surpass him."

Xu Ran continued, his voice low but every word distinct. "You say you’re excited to see how far Daoyi and the others will go, what kind of future they’ll build."

"So what about you? It’s a fine thing to secure the home front for them, to stand guard over the Sect. But is your sword truly content to be only a guardian’s blade? Does it no longer yearn for the view from greater heights?"

The courtyard fell silent once more.

Even the chirping of the insects seemed to quiet down, as if taking the hint.

"Don’t worry, Senior Brother." A smile touched his lips. It was no longer the sharp, aggressive grin of his youth, but the steady, powerful smile of one who had weathered countless storms yet still held fast to his original purpose. "My goal has never changed. The road is long. Senior Brother Ye Shan set the bar so high, it feels like all you can do is gaze up at it from a distance... But I have never given up the chase. Not before, not now, and not ever."

Hearing his words, Xu Ran nodded slightly. "Seeing you so melancholic earlier, I was starting to think the Evergreen Sword Saint had finally gotten old. I’m relieved to hear you say that."