Chapter 25: The Wind from the Mountains and Wilderness
That night, after strolling and chatting with Su Xiao, Lin Yan’s heart could not find true peace for a long time.
The surface-level tranquility of mortal life could not mask the lingering Jianghu vigilance deep within his bones. The combat techniques and survival instincts in his mind remained crystal clear, yet this body, accustomed to sitting at a desk for long hours, was frail and lacked strength, entirely incapable of bearing the martial memories etched into his very marrow.
He was acutely aware of the cruel rules of that otherworldly dream.
While the internal energy and martial arts of the Jianghu plane could not be brought back to reality, the physical fitness, stamina, reflexes, and core strength forged by his real-world body would follow him completely, plunging into the next unknown plane.
He did not dare to gamble that this dream would only happen once.
Defeat meant permanent entrapment, with no hope of ever returning to the human realm.
From that day on, Lin Yan began to silently temper himself. After work, he persisted with night runs and strength training, day after day, solidifying his foundational physical fitness. He did not seek rapid success or overwhelming power; he only wanted to gain an extra inch of confidence to protect himself in the unpredictable flood of fate.
To others, it seemed he was just exercising to relieve stress. Su Xiao also assumed he was troubled by that heavy "Jianghu dream." No one knew that he was preparing in advance for a fateful battle with an uncertain outcome.
It was precisely during these days of ordinary companionship that his relationship with Su Xiao grew increasingly familiar.
They were no longer just ordinary colleagues who occasionally bumped into each other in the break room or ordered takeout together during lunch breaks. The thin veil of estrangement and distance melted away quietly amidst the gentle, trivial routines of chatting during commutes and exchanging casual words at their desks. Su Xiao’s gentle and pure nature was the most solid comfort for Lin Yan, who had weathered the treachery of human hearts and life-and-death battles, in this ordinary human world.
On a Friday evening, the twilight draped softly over the city.
The two walked out of the office building side by side. Su Xiao casually mentioned a quiet, secluded little mountain on the outskirts of the city, noting it had few people and a peaceful atmosphere, perfect for relaxing on the weekend.
"Are you free this weekend?" she asked naturally and casually.
"I am," Lin Yan replied.
A simple answer sealed their first private outing.
On Saturday morning, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.
The suburban mountain had a gentle slope with smooth stone steps and lush greenery. Sunlight pierced through the branches and spilled onto the ground in dappled patches. The mountain breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees, washing over them.
Su Xiao was in high spirits all the way, pointing out the streams and wildflowers along the path and chatting about trivial daily matters. Lin Yan listened quietly, responding occasionally, but his senses were already far beyond those of ordinary people.
This was the instinct tempered by Jianghu battles. His perception of risks, sounds, and the surrounding environment was etched into his consciousness, requiring no deliberate effort to activate.
When they reached halfway up the mountain, one side featured a weathered, loose gravel slope with unstable soil and shifting rocks.
Su Xiao walked on the outer side, looking down at the stone steps beneath her feet and casually chatting about a newly released movie, completely unaware of the subtle tremors from the slope above her head.
Suddenly, several fist-sized rocks tumbled down, bouncing rapidly down the slope and hurtling straight toward Su Xiao.
In the blink of an eye, a crisis was upon them.
Ordinary people would have had no time to react, but Lin Yan was different.
The moment the rocks broke free from the slope, his pupils contracted slightly. Without his brain needing to process or judge, his body had already triggered its deepest survival instinct.
A step forward, a sideways twist, a pull, and a horizontal arm block.
The entire sequence of force-deflecting defense was as smooth as flowing water, structurally perfect and precise. It was the ultimate reflex honed by countless brushes with death at the tip of a blade in the Boulder Valley.
He grabbed Su Xiao’s wrist with one hand and pulled her sharply inward, safely shielding her behind him. Simultaneously, his other forearm moved with pinpoint accuracy to intercept, heavily knocking away the first falling rock.
Thud—
A dull sound of impact rang out. The rock was deflected sideways by the force, shattering into several pieces upon hitting the ground.
In just one second, the danger was eliminated without a trace.
Su Xiao froze instantly in place, her breath catching in her throat. A layer of cold sweat broke out across her back, and lingering terror washed over her entire body. She raised her eyes to look at Lin Yan, her gaze filled with unbelievable shock.
"You... your reflexes are just too fast."
Lin Yan rubbed his reddened, aching forearm. The dull pain in his flesh was clear and real, reminding him that this body was still merely mortal and could not withstand heavy blows.
That crisp and precise offensive and defensive dismantling he had just performed was by no means a skill that could be developed through fitness training. It was the Jianghu martial memory carved into his bones and fused into his blood.
He raised his eyes, his tone calm as he deflected the situation, "I’ve been exercising a lot recently. My stamina and reflexes have improved quite a bit. I just happened to see the rocks falling."
Su Xiao still looked utterly astonished, "It’s not just about being fast. Your movements just now were too steady... completely unlike those of an ordinary person."
In that moment, Lin Yan had been calm, composed, and precise, carrying an aura of worldly detachment that inexplicably made her heart flutter.
Lin Yan merely offered a faint smile and did not explain further.
Some past experiences of life and death, and some hidden cards of the Jianghu, could never be spoken of openly.
After this incident, Su Xiao’s trust in Lin Yan took deep root in her heart. For the rest of the mountain path, she subconsciously walked on the inner side against the mountain, unknowingly staying closer to Lin Yan, feeling a profound sense of safety and security.
Upon reaching the summit, their视野 (field of vision) suddenly opened up.
Layers of distant mountains and continuous cityscapes stretched out before them. The vast mountain breeze scattered the heat and soothed their minds.
"It’s really so quiet here," Su Xiao said softly, sitting on a rock.
Lin Yan gazed at the wild scenery across the mountain, slightly lost in thought. The wind here was gentle and the scenery warm, the human world peaceful. Yet in his memory, the mountain wind was forever shrouded in the gleam of blades, blood mist, and partings of life and death.
The winds of the two worlds were similar, yet entirely different.
"What are you thinking about?" Su Xiao asked, turning her head.
Lin Yan came back to his senses and nodded slightly. "Nothing. I just feel very at peace in the mountains."
The two sat quietly, chatting and sharing snacks. There was no deliberate romantic tension, only a relaxed and comfortable companionship, the years gentle and tender.
As the twilight softened on the way down the mountain, Su Xiao extended a quiet invitation, "A suspense movie is coming out next week. Do you want to go see it together this weekend?"
"Sure," Lin Yan agreed candidly.
A simple word sealed yet another gentle reunion.
Sunday was for resting, and Monday brought a return to the workplace.
The office was still filled with trivial work and polite social pleasantries. When the supervisor came holding the team-building list to persuade him, Lin Yan still tactfully declined.
Having witnessed life-and-death gambles and the treachery of human nature, the fake hustle and bustle and ineffective socializing of the workplace could no longer catch his eye.
A colleague at the adjacent desk teased him with a smile about having a date over the weekend. Lin Yan neither denied nor explained; he simply lowered his head and quietly focused on his work.
As night fell, a gentle evening breeze blew across the balcony of his rental apartment.
Lin Yan picked up a dumbbell, repeatedly practicing the blocking and force-deflecting movements from the mountain that day. The form of the moves was flawless, and the logic of the force was ingrained in his mind. Yet, deep down, he was无比 (incomparably) clear.
Today, he had only blocked a falling rock.
What if it were a blade, a lethal strike, a life-and-death battle? This mortal body of his was still utterly vulnerable.
He could retain all his Jianghu memories, but he could not retain the physical body of his former Jianghu self.
Sweat dripped down, soaking his shirt. Supporting himself against the railing, Lin Yan gazed at the city lights stretching out below. In his eyes was a reluctant attachment to the warmth of mortal life; in his heart lay the uncooled frost of the Jianghu.
He cherished this stable, ordinary life. He cherished Su Xiao’s pure, clean smile. He cherished these everyday moments that did not require gambling with his life or engaging in slaughter.
Yet deep within his heart, that lingering, inescapable unease remained ever-dormant.
He did not know if the fateful cycle of entering dreams had truly ended.
He only knew that if he encountered the terrifying storms of another plane on the road ahead, he would never again passively fight for survival.
If there was even a sliver of a chance, he would sharpen this mortal body in advance, earning a fighting chance to stay alive.
The surface-level tranquility of mortal life could not mask the lingering Jianghu vigilance deep within his bones. The combat techniques and survival instincts in his mind remained crystal clear, yet this body, accustomed to sitting at a desk for long hours, was frail and lacked strength, entirely incapable of bearing the martial memories etched into his very marrow.
He was acutely aware of the cruel rules of that otherworldly dream.
While the internal energy and martial arts of the Jianghu plane could not be brought back to reality, the physical fitness, stamina, reflexes, and core strength forged by his real-world body would follow him completely, plunging into the next unknown plane.
He did not dare to gamble that this dream would only happen once.
Defeat meant permanent entrapment, with no hope of ever returning to the human realm.
From that day on, Lin Yan began to silently temper himself. After work, he persisted with night runs and strength training, day after day, solidifying his foundational physical fitness. He did not seek rapid success or overwhelming power; he only wanted to gain an extra inch of confidence to protect himself in the unpredictable flood of fate.
To others, it seemed he was just exercising to relieve stress. Su Xiao also assumed he was troubled by that heavy "Jianghu dream." No one knew that he was preparing in advance for a fateful battle with an uncertain outcome.
It was precisely during these days of ordinary companionship that his relationship with Su Xiao grew increasingly familiar.
They were no longer just ordinary colleagues who occasionally bumped into each other in the break room or ordered takeout together during lunch breaks. The thin veil of estrangement and distance melted away quietly amidst the gentle, trivial routines of chatting during commutes and exchanging casual words at their desks. Su Xiao’s gentle and pure nature was the most solid comfort for Lin Yan, who had weathered the treachery of human hearts and life-and-death battles, in this ordinary human world.
On a Friday evening, the twilight draped softly over the city.
The two walked out of the office building side by side. Su Xiao casually mentioned a quiet, secluded little mountain on the outskirts of the city, noting it had few people and a peaceful atmosphere, perfect for relaxing on the weekend.
"Are you free this weekend?" she asked naturally and casually.
"I am," Lin Yan replied.
A simple answer sealed their first private outing.
On Saturday morning, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.
The suburban mountain had a gentle slope with smooth stone steps and lush greenery. Sunlight pierced through the branches and spilled onto the ground in dappled patches. The mountain breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees, washing over them.
Su Xiao was in high spirits all the way, pointing out the streams and wildflowers along the path and chatting about trivial daily matters. Lin Yan listened quietly, responding occasionally, but his senses were already far beyond those of ordinary people.
This was the instinct tempered by Jianghu battles. His perception of risks, sounds, and the surrounding environment was etched into his consciousness, requiring no deliberate effort to activate.
When they reached halfway up the mountain, one side featured a weathered, loose gravel slope with unstable soil and shifting rocks.
Su Xiao walked on the outer side, looking down at the stone steps beneath her feet and casually chatting about a newly released movie, completely unaware of the subtle tremors from the slope above her head.
Suddenly, several fist-sized rocks tumbled down, bouncing rapidly down the slope and hurtling straight toward Su Xiao.
In the blink of an eye, a crisis was upon them.
Ordinary people would have had no time to react, but Lin Yan was different.
The moment the rocks broke free from the slope, his pupils contracted slightly. Without his brain needing to process or judge, his body had already triggered its deepest survival instinct.
A step forward, a sideways twist, a pull, and a horizontal arm block.
The entire sequence of force-deflecting defense was as smooth as flowing water, structurally perfect and precise. It was the ultimate reflex honed by countless brushes with death at the tip of a blade in the Boulder Valley.
He grabbed Su Xiao’s wrist with one hand and pulled her sharply inward, safely shielding her behind him. Simultaneously, his other forearm moved with pinpoint accuracy to intercept, heavily knocking away the first falling rock.
Thud—
A dull sound of impact rang out. The rock was deflected sideways by the force, shattering into several pieces upon hitting the ground.
In just one second, the danger was eliminated without a trace.
Su Xiao froze instantly in place, her breath catching in her throat. A layer of cold sweat broke out across her back, and lingering terror washed over her entire body. She raised her eyes to look at Lin Yan, her gaze filled with unbelievable shock.
"You... your reflexes are just too fast."
Lin Yan rubbed his reddened, aching forearm. The dull pain in his flesh was clear and real, reminding him that this body was still merely mortal and could not withstand heavy blows.
That crisp and precise offensive and defensive dismantling he had just performed was by no means a skill that could be developed through fitness training. It was the Jianghu martial memory carved into his bones and fused into his blood.
He raised his eyes, his tone calm as he deflected the situation, "I’ve been exercising a lot recently. My stamina and reflexes have improved quite a bit. I just happened to see the rocks falling."
Su Xiao still looked utterly astonished, "It’s not just about being fast. Your movements just now were too steady... completely unlike those of an ordinary person."
In that moment, Lin Yan had been calm, composed, and precise, carrying an aura of worldly detachment that inexplicably made her heart flutter.
Lin Yan merely offered a faint smile and did not explain further.
Some past experiences of life and death, and some hidden cards of the Jianghu, could never be spoken of openly.
After this incident, Su Xiao’s trust in Lin Yan took deep root in her heart. For the rest of the mountain path, she subconsciously walked on the inner side against the mountain, unknowingly staying closer to Lin Yan, feeling a profound sense of safety and security.
Upon reaching the summit, their视野 (field of vision) suddenly opened up.
Layers of distant mountains and continuous cityscapes stretched out before them. The vast mountain breeze scattered the heat and soothed their minds.
"It’s really so quiet here," Su Xiao said softly, sitting on a rock.
Lin Yan gazed at the wild scenery across the mountain, slightly lost in thought. The wind here was gentle and the scenery warm, the human world peaceful. Yet in his memory, the mountain wind was forever shrouded in the gleam of blades, blood mist, and partings of life and death.
The winds of the two worlds were similar, yet entirely different.
"What are you thinking about?" Su Xiao asked, turning her head.
Lin Yan came back to his senses and nodded slightly. "Nothing. I just feel very at peace in the mountains."
The two sat quietly, chatting and sharing snacks. There was no deliberate romantic tension, only a relaxed and comfortable companionship, the years gentle and tender.
As the twilight softened on the way down the mountain, Su Xiao extended a quiet invitation, "A suspense movie is coming out next week. Do you want to go see it together this weekend?"
"Sure," Lin Yan agreed candidly.
A simple word sealed yet another gentle reunion.
Sunday was for resting, and Monday brought a return to the workplace.
The office was still filled with trivial work and polite social pleasantries. When the supervisor came holding the team-building list to persuade him, Lin Yan still tactfully declined.
Having witnessed life-and-death gambles and the treachery of human nature, the fake hustle and bustle and ineffective socializing of the workplace could no longer catch his eye.
A colleague at the adjacent desk teased him with a smile about having a date over the weekend. Lin Yan neither denied nor explained; he simply lowered his head and quietly focused on his work.
As night fell, a gentle evening breeze blew across the balcony of his rental apartment.
Lin Yan picked up a dumbbell, repeatedly practicing the blocking and force-deflecting movements from the mountain that day. The form of the moves was flawless, and the logic of the force was ingrained in his mind. Yet, deep down, he was无比 (incomparably) clear.
Today, he had only blocked a falling rock.
What if it were a blade, a lethal strike, a life-and-death battle? This mortal body of his was still utterly vulnerable.
He could retain all his Jianghu memories, but he could not retain the physical body of his former Jianghu self.
Sweat dripped down, soaking his shirt. Supporting himself against the railing, Lin Yan gazed at the city lights stretching out below. In his eyes was a reluctant attachment to the warmth of mortal life; in his heart lay the uncooled frost of the Jianghu.
He cherished this stable, ordinary life. He cherished Su Xiao’s pure, clean smile. He cherished these everyday moments that did not require gambling with his life or engaging in slaughter.
Yet deep within his heart, that lingering, inescapable unease remained ever-dormant.
He did not know if the fateful cycle of entering dreams had truly ended.
He only knew that if he encountered the terrifying storms of another plane on the road ahead, he would never again passively fight for survival.
If there was even a sliver of a chance, he would sharpen this mortal body in advance, earning a fighting chance to stay alive.