I Have A Sword

Chapter 1082: Father, Aunt Ye Ling, I’m Leaving

Chapter 1082: Father, Aunt Ye Ling, I’m Leaving

The girl was both agitated and angry. As she pushed Ye Guan away, tears unknowingly welled up in her eyes.

Just then, Ye Guan grabbed her hand and said, "That was my fault."

The girl looked at him and stopped pushing, silently crying.

"It's my fault. The Academy Master can definitely do it."

The girl lowered her head slightly and muttered, "I heard that the Academy Master had brought someone back to life before. H-he's really amazing, so please don't say that he can't do it, okay?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Okay."

The girl looked up at him briefly and then sat down. After a moment of silence, she said, "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay," said Ye Guan with a nod. "I've read quite a few books, and I memorized the majority of them. I'll write them down for you. If you don't understand something, you can go ahead and ask me. I can come out every night to teach you."

The girl was stunned, and her voice was trembling as she asked, "Really?"

"Really."

A radiant smile blossomed on the girl's face. "Alright."

"But you have to promise me something—don't steal or take things by force anymore, okay?" Ye Guan asked.

The girl remained silent.

"It's all because stealing is extremely dangerous, do you understand?" Ye Guan added.

"I'm too small," the girl said, lowering her head. "Nobody wants to hire me."

"That's okay. Now that I can earn money, if I have food to eat, so will you. How about that?"

The girl stared at him for a long time before shaking her head. "No!"

Then, she ran away with her books in her arms.

Ye Guan was stunned. By the time he left the dilapidated temple, the girl was still nowhere to be seen.

Ye Guan stood in place and remained silent for a long time. Eventually, he returned to the Ye Residence and continued his work. Every night since then, he would go back to the temple, but the girl remained missing.

Despite that, he refused to give up.

On the fifth day, the girl finally appeared, and she froze upon seeing Ye Guan.

Ye Guan smiled. "You're here."

The girl glanced at him but said nothing. However, she didn't turn around and leave.

Ye Guan took out a package containing some food.

"The meals at the Ye Residence are cheap. I bought some for us to share," he remarked with a smile.

After a moment of hesitation, the girl lowered her head and walked over. She took a steamed bun from her pocket and extended it over toward Ye Guan before staring quietly at the latter.

Ye Guan smiled faintly, but he said nothing and simply accepted the bun. He then ate it without any hesitation.

The girl sat across from Ye Guan, glancing at the food. After a while, she began eating as well.

Neither of them spoke any word to each other.

After they were done eating, Ye Guan smiled and said, "I wrote down another book for you to read over these past few days."

Ye Guan took out an ancient-looking scroll and handed it over to the girl.

The girl hesitated but ultimately accepted it.

Ye Guan asked, "Are you done reading those two books?"

"No." The girl shook her head. "I can't quite read them."

"I'll teach you how to read them, then," Ye Guan replied.

The girl stared at Ye Guan for a long while before nodding and lowering her head.

From then on, Ye Guan would visit the girl every night to teach her how to read. She wasn't especially gifted at learning, but she was earnest and diligent; she would ask whenever she was confused about something.

The two grew closer over time.

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

"Do you miss them?"

"Yes."

The girl went silent. She took out a gemstone necklace from under her collar. The inset featured a thumb-sized black-red gem, and it resembled an eye with a swirling black vortex in the middle of it. It was an eerie-looking gem.

The girl seemed to be lost in thought as she held the gem.

For some reason, the gem looked familiar to Ye Guan, so he couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"

"It's the only thing that my mother has left behind for me," the girl replied and put the necklace away.

Ye Guan gently patted her head, saying nothing.

The two sat quietly, and eventually, the girl fell asleep on his shoulder.

When daybreak arrived, Ye Guan returned to the Ye Residence and submitted his resignation. Once his wages were settled, he was left with twelve spiritual crystals.

The teleportation array to the Sword Sect cost five spiritual crystals per head, so he would be left with nothing but two spiritual crystals.

Life was going to be hard, but neither seemed to care.

Ye Guan walked out of the Ye Residence and smiled. "Father, Aunt Ye Ling, I'm leaving."

Then, he headed toward the street where the girl was waiting for him.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the two wooden sculptures inside a certain courtyard within the Ye Residence trembled faintly, seemingly responding to Ye Guan's words.

***

Ye Guan walked to the end of the distant street with the girl next to him.

He was still wearing the servant's uniform from the Ye Residence, and the girl was still in her coarse hemp clothes. Neither of them had chosen to change into something new, as having enough food to eat was more important than anything else for them.

Soon, they arrived at the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, which had a teleportation array that led directly to the Sword Sect.

On the way, Ye Guan suddenly asked, "Do you want a name?"

The girl turned to him. "A name?"

"Yes."

The girl thought for a moment and said, "Give me one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." The girl nodded. "You're knowledgeable and full of wisdom."

"Pfft!" Ye Guan laughed heartily at that.

"Can I have the surname Ye as well?" asked the girl.

Ye Guan looked at her. "Because my surname is Ye?"

The girl nodded. "Yes."

"Haha, I see." Ye Guan chuckled. "How about taking the surname Yang instead?"

The girl looked confused.

Ye Guan leaned closer and whispered, "Actually, my real surname is Yang. For certain reasons, I flipped my surname and my first name."

The girl blinked. "Alright, I'll be surnamed Yang, then."

Ye Guan thought deeply for a while and said, "Yang Yian. It means being safe and sound, peaceful and secure. What do you think?"

The girl didn't hesitate at all and nodded. "Okay."

Ye Guan patted the girl's head and smiled. "From now on, you're part of the Yang Family."

The girl remained quiet as she held onto the hem of Ye Guan's sleeve.

Part of the Yang family? A family?

The word "family" sounded unfamiliar in her ears.