Chapter 22 — Sword God Appears

After his wound had completely healed, Bach Trinh, Dieu Vy, Xuan Dao and To Nhat Hac set out to return to Thanh Lang Uyen, ending a long and eventful journey since the day he left Tuyet Phong Coc. On the way home, Bach Trinh's mood was no longer as heavy as the first days of his reappearance, but instead there was a new concern, a big question about the path forward that he would have to choose.

Xuan Dao, walking next to Dieu Vy, occasionally glanced at Bach Trinh with curious eyes, then whispered gently teasing words into Dieu Vy's ear about the future of the two of them, making Dieu Vy blush but inside she couldn't help but think about what was coming next. The road back to Thanh Lang Uyen, although difficult, no longer carried the constant fear like the previous trip, instead there was an atmosphere of relief, sometimes mixed with the laughter of the two sisters, making even To Nhat Hac feel much warmer in his heart after the past series of stressful days.

For eighteen years, Tuyet Phong Coc had been an inseparable part of him, where he had learned to slow down and heal his spiritual wounds with the silence of the mountains and forests. Although that place was associated with pain and escape, it had also taught him many valuable lessons about humility, about appreciating the simplest things in life. Some mornings, while sitting by the campfire on the way home, he still couldn't help but remember the sound of the gurgling stream and the chirping of birds every morning in that remote valley.

But at the same time, he was clearly aware that, now that Dieu Vy had become an important part of his life, returning to a secluded life completely isolated from the outside world no longer seemed to be a viable option. She had a pharmacy, a life, and deep relationships in Thanh Lang Uyen. It was impossible to ask her to give up everything to follow him to live in the mountains and valleys, far away from her familiar rhythm of life.

He remembered the first days he set foot in that desolate land, when he still didn't know how to build a sturdy thatched house, had to temporarily sleep in a cave for several months, taught himself how to farm, and hunted to survive. Those years of hardship, even though they were painful, also taught him a resilience and independence that perhaps if he had continued to live in the luxury of a famous swordsman, he would never have had. But now, looking back, he also realized that resilience had been built on a foundation of loneliness and avoidance, a not cheap price for those valuable lessons.

One evening, when the group stopped to rest at a roadside inn, Bach Trinh sat alone by the window, looking at the moonlight hanging in the sky, thinking endlessly about the choices before him. He thought about the invitation from the master of Tang Phong Mon, about returning to the sect as an honorary elder, teaching Hidden Wind Sword Technique to the next generation. This was an honorable choice, a way for him to contribute what he had learned to the sect that had nurtured him since childhood.

But if he chose that path, he would have to live at Tang Phong Mon, not a short distance away from Thanh Lang Uyen, which meant that the relationship between him and Dieu Vy would face many difficulties in maintaining regular closeness. He also thought about the possibility of returning to Tuyet Phong Coc, living a secluded life as before, but this time he could take Dieu Vy with him if she agreed, although he clearly understood that it would require her to sacrifice many things that had been attached to her life for many years.

He also thought of a third option that he had never dared to think of before: staying in Lang Uyen Citadel, where Dieu Vy had spent her whole life, building a new life there, being close to her, and being able to use his swordsmanship to protect this small town from potential dangers in the future, just like the way he did in the first days of his reappearance. That thought made him feel a strange warmth, different from the constant heaviness when thinking about the other two options.

To Nhat Hac, noticing Bach Trinh's thoughtful look, came to sit next to him and gently asked: "What are you thinking about that makes you feel so heavy?" Bach Trinh sighed and shared his concerns about the road ahead. The old elder listened attentively, then replied in a calm voice full of experience: "You know, sometimes the answers to the biggest questions lie in the simplest things. Just ask yourself, what is really most important to you right now, not fame, not responsibility to the past, but your own true happiness."

"For the past eighteen years, I have lived for the past, for the debt of gratitude to Thanh Phong," To Nhat Hac continued. "Now, when that debt has been paid, perhaps it's time for you to live for the future, for what you really want for your own life, not because of responsibility or obligation to anyone else, including the sect." That advice made Bach Trinh ponder for a long time, realizing that throughout his life, he had always placed responsibility and duty above personal desires, to the point of forgetting that he also had the right to choose his own happiness.

That night, Bach Trinh also remembered the sincere invitation of the master of Tang Phong Mon, who emphasized that the sect did not impose any constraints, he could completely maintain the title of honorary elder, occasionally come back to teach for a few months of the year, and could live anywhere he wanted, as long as he was willing to share the essence of Hidden Wind Sword Technique with future generations of disciples, to keep the sect's signature sword technique from being lost as happened during the eighteen years of his absence. This was probably a reasonable compromise, allowing him to fulfill his responsibilities to the sect while not having to give up the new life he was gradually envisioning for himself.

The next morning, as the group continued on their way, Dieu Vy noticed that Bach Trinh seemed more thoughtful than usual, so she asked. He honestly shared with her about his concerns, about the invitation from Tang Phong Mon, about the possibility of returning to Tuyet Phong Coc, about his fear that any choice might cause her to sacrifice too much for him. Dieu Vy listened, then smiled, her eyes shining with deep understanding.

"Sir, this young lady thinks that you are thinking too much about sacrificing for others, and forgetting to ask yourself what you want," she said, her voice gentle but full of sincerity. "This young lady doesn't need you to give up everything for this young lady, and this young lady also doesn't want you to feel like you have to shoulder responsibility for the sect just out of obligation. What this young lady wants most is to see you live a life where you feel truly happy and peaceful, no matter where it is."

Those words deeply touched Bach Trinh. He realized that he had found a partner who not only understood his past, but also respected and supported his future choices without imposing anything. In that moment, he felt an unprecedented clarity, as if the fog that had covered his mind for the past few days had suddenly disappeared completely, revealing a path that he knew for sure he wanted to follow.

He held Dieu Vy's hand, his eyes looking at her with a gentleness that he had never shown so clearly before. "Thank you," he said, his voice quiet but full of sincerity, "for patiently waiting for me to find the answer for myself, instead of imposing anything on me." Dieu Vy smiled, squeezed his hand in response, and together they continued walking on the road to Thanh Lang Uyen, each person's heart was filled with a new belief in what the future was waiting for, even though the specific path still needed more time to be clearly shaped, and both were willing to find that answer together, step by step, slowly but steadily, no longer having to be alone like before.