Chapter 20 — Sword God Appears

Dieu Vy ran to Bach Trinh's side as soon as she saw him appear from the direction of Vong Hon Alley. Her eyes were fixed on the wound on his arm, her voice trembled with worry: "Are you seriously injured, sir? This young lady has been worried all night, and can't stay and wait with peace of mind." Bach Trinh smiled to reassure her, even though the pain in the wound was still dull: "It's just a skin wound, nothing to worry about. Everything is over, Dieu Vy. Thien Ba has paid for his crime."

Hearing that news, Dieu Vy stood still for a moment, the emotions in her heart were indescribably mixed, both relieved that the danger had finally passed, and somewhat sad at the thought of her father's revenge, even though it had been paid, could not bring him back to life. She held Bach Trinh's hand tightly, and they both stood silently under the rising dawn, letting the lingering emotions of a long and arduous journey pass in silence.

Xuan Dao, standing not far behind, also quietly wiped her tears with her sleeve, her eyes never leaving Bach Trinh, who not only saved her life from the hands of assassins, but also brought complete peace to the girl she considered her real sister for so many years. She secretly looked at the way Dieu Vy and Bach Trinh looked at each other, a small smile flashed across her lips, as if she had long recognized the growing feelings between the two before they were even clearly aware of it.

To Nhat Hac, after listening to Bach Trinh recount the entire battle's events and Thien Ba's last words, could not help but sigh heavily. "A human life full of talent, ultimately ended in tragedy caused by his own jealousy and cowardice," he said, his voice full of regret. "But anyway, the truth has been exposed. The old man will personally return to the Tang Phong Mon, report the entire incident to the remaining elders, to exonerate Thanh Phong and close the suspicion that has dogged the sect for the past eighteen years."

The news that the head of the Ghost Police Department, named Black Eagle, was actually Nguy Thien Ba, the traitor to the Tang Phong Mon in the past, who was destroyed in a fair duel by the sword god Vu Bach Trinh, quickly spread throughout the world at breakneck speed. That news was like an earthquake, shaking even the darkest corners of the underworld, causing many forces that had secretly cooperated or feared the threat of this mysterious assassin organization to be surprised.

Without a leader, the Demon Shadow Police Department system, which was built on a distributed model, with each branch only receiving orders through a single focal point, is now quickly falling into chaos. Many small branches, lacking unified direction, began to compete for power with each other. Others panicked and disbanded. Low-level assassins fled everywhere, trying to hide their whereabouts to avoid being hunted by the righteous sects that were taking the opportunity to clean up the remnants of the organization.

Some branch leaders, who dreamed of inheriting the Black Eagle's position, sought to unite the remaining fragments of the organization, but due to the lack of Thien Ba's prestige and strategic talent, those efforts quickly failed, even leading to bloody mutual purges between factions vying for power, further weakening the organization from within without the intervention of any righteous force.

Thanh Van Sect, under the direction of Ly Ton Dao, coordinated with several other sects in the land of Lang Uyen, to organize many raids targeting the remaining bases of the Ghost Shadow Police Department. Within just one month after Thien Ba's death, most of the assassin network that had spread terror for many years was almost completely destroyed. The few remaining stubborn assassins were gradually arrested or had to retire and return to live in seclusion to avoid retaliation.

Few people noticed that, in the short days before leaving Tran Ha Chau to find Thanh Van Phai, Bach Trinh secretly asked an acquaintance there to spend his own money, hired fishermen from the fishing village to rebuild a small house right on the old ground of Ky Van Son, and placed a simple wooden stele engraved with his name, recording a few short lines about a life of quiet chivalry that silently ended with a letter to save lives. Now, when everything was over, the news from that acquaintance had just reached him: the house had been built, the stele was safely in the shade of an old tree along the river. He told himself that although the vast world might soon forget the name Ky Van Son, at least the people along the river where he used to fish and grow vegetables every day would still remember him as a silent benefactor, not just a victim in a seemingly accidental fire.

At Tang Phong Sect, when the news about the truth behind Thanh Phong's death was fully reported to the entire sect by To Nhat Hac, the atmosphere was initially one of extreme shock, then turned into a wave of deep emotion when everyone understood the noble sacrifice that their respected brother had silently endured for the past eighteen years without anyone knowing. The elders decided to hold a solemn ceremony to confer the title and restore full honor to Chuc Thanh Phong, and at the same time officially declare to erase all doubts that had covered his mysterious death.

In the presence of all the elders, Dieu Vy solemnly handed back to To Nhat Hac the worn-out notebook and the secret paper that her father left behind, the token that had accompanied her and Bach Trinh through many dangers throughout their recent journey. "This is what this young lady's father risked his life to keep," she said, her voice trembling but steady, "please let the elder replace this young lady and keep it at Tang Phong Mon, so that future generations will remember that the truth, no matter how long it is buried, will eventually find its way to the light." To Nhat Hac took it with both hands, respectfully placed the notebook in an agarwood box, and declared that he would keep it forever in the sect's archives as a token of loyalty, so that future generations of disciples, every time the name Chuc Thanh Phong was mentioned, would have a concrete evidence to remember, not just word of mouth that could fade over the years.

Bach Trinh, despite being invited to attend the ceremony as the person who directly solved the case and avenged the sect's revenge, still maintained a humble attitude, refusing any excessive praise that some young disciples gave him. He understood that, even though the truth had been exposed, even though the revenge had been paid, the losses of the past eighteen years still could not be fully compensated, and the most important thing now was not personal glory, but ensuring that a similar tragedy would never be repeated.

Dieu Vy, during the posthumous ceremony for her father, stood in front of the temporary altar set up in the Tang Phong Mon hall, for the first time hearing the most detailed and complete story about her father's life that she had never had the opportunity to understand. The elders, one by one, recounted memories of Thanh Phong, about his outstanding swordsmanship talent, his kind heart, and his extraordinary courage when he chose to sacrifice himself to protect the entire sect from a sinister plot.

Tears rolled down Dieu Vy's cheeks throughout the ceremony, but they were no longer tears of simple loss like before, but tears of deep pride, of infinite gratitude for the father she now understood better than ever, even though she could only meet him again through other people's stories. She silently promised herself that she would live a life worthy of that noble sacrifice, continuing the path of humanity that her father had pursued all his life.

After the ceremony, the current master of the Tang Phong Mon, one of Doan Moc Thanh's future disciples, personally came to meet Bach Trinh, offering to invite him to return to the sect, take on the position of honorary elder, and help teach the Hidden Wind Sword Technique to the younger generation of disciples, because during the past eighteen years, no one in the sect had been able to fully grasp the essence of the Hidden Wind Sword Technique like him. Bach Trinh was grateful for the invitation, but asked for more time to think, because in his heart there were still many things that needed to be arranged, especially the relationship that was gradually becoming deeper with Dieu Vy.

Aunt Ngoc Hien, when she received news from Thanh Lang Uyen that the danger had finally been completely resolved, could not hide her immense joy, immediately arranged to reopen Nhan Tam Duong pharmacy, and at the same time prepared to welcome Dieu Vy back. She also did not forget to send her sincere thanks to Bach Trinh, whom she now completely trusts and considers a close member of the family, no longer remaining cautious and cautious like the first days of meeting.

The martial world, after the turmoil caused by the collapse of the Demon Shadow Police Department, gradually returned to the peaceful rhythm of life as before. Merchants no longer have to fear mysterious assassinations, small sects are no longer threatened by the invisible hand of the assassin organization that has spread terror for many years. People began to spread the story of the sword god Vu Bach Trinh's return to the world, of the eighteen-year feud finally being resolved, as a new legend that would be told for many generations to come.

There are passersby, when stopping at roadside tea shops, who often tell this story to each other with admiration, adding more or less details according to the narrator's imagination, turning it into a legend mixed between truth and legend, like many other wanderer stories that have been passed down through many generations. But for those involved, that story is not simply an anecdote for fun, but a journey full of tears, blood and redemption, a journey that has ended but at the same time opened new pages in the lives of those who went through it, new pages that none of them could predict where they would lead.