I know I said I won't continue the story because I know too little about the Chinese culture, but here I am. If I make any mistakes, please let me know. I'm going to need your help. I don't know how frequently I'll update. It depends on how much time I have. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy the story!

The cure or the punishment?

She hardly slept that night. She had the slightest idea how to go on pretending. It wasn't supposed to matter. She was just a sword, after all. But she wasn't supposed to accept that stupid idea, either. And now everything was just too complicated.

The worst thing was that Bai Zihua seemed to be as bad as her upon displaying feelings.

"I am a sword, but he…. What is his excuse?" She asked.

She needed to get out. To see the world. To meet people who could provide her some knowledge about feelings and so did Bai Zihua.

"I think he needs a new disciple. Someone like Little Bone. The real Little Bone. Much as I resemble her, I would never be like her. I'm not her…."

"I need some time alone. I need to think. To feel. Maybe, they could help me understand." She told him when she brought his breakfast. She'd decided to go down to the mortal world in order to learn some things about love. It was clear that none of the immortals could provide her with the knowledge she needed.

"Yin Youruo told me you used to like it. That I used to do it. I hoped I may remember more if I were to try to do it. I'll keep doing it while I am far away. Yin Youruo will help you."

"Don't you want me to come with you? I...I'll help you. We can go back to your village. Do you remember how we met?" She shook her head. "Do you want me to tell you the story?"

"I just need some time alone." She'd spent all night thinking. A sword wasn't supposed to meditate or to question the world, but a part of her couldn't allow her to sleep or forget. Life wasn't only about wars and bloodshed. "Promise me you won't be sad anymore. You'll go to the ceremony and take a new disciple. "

"But… I'll never have another disciple. You'll always be my only disciple. Remember that?" He'd hoped she would say yes and smile and remember everything.

"Yes, I do. However, imagine how much good you can do to the one you're going to take here. This place is too cold and silent. You can teach her to control her energy. She can teach you to smile again. Take the one who smiles the most. The clumsiest. The noisiest. Just like I used to be."

"What if I ruined her, too? What if I'm going to fail her, too? What if she falls in love with me as well? I can't offer her what she needs. I'll never love another. Just come back. I'll wait for you here. I'll wait for you until the end of time if I have, too. I'll" The thought he would have to let her go cut in his soul like a sharp knife.

"You thought you'd never fall in love before you met me, didn't you? You refused to admit it before I died. Maybe, being far away from you will help me love you again. Maybe, you'll love another and you'll be happy. I guess I want you to be happy more than I want to keep you near me. I can't make you happy. Not now. Maybe never. Last night, I told you I don't want to lose you, but I feel I'm losing you day by day. You get so far from the one from my memories. The one everybody talks about. Let's make a deal. We'll part for five years. I go to the mortal world and learn to live. You take a disciple and learn to live. After that I'll never leave. Whether that you're going to need me to guard your new love or to ease your loneliness, I'll be here "

"I'll never…" She didn't allow him to finish.

"Could you just once stop trying to plan everything and live? Never is a very long time.

Little Bone traveled all around the country. From crowded places to the most secluded ones, up to the top of mountains. She met people. Lots of people. Some welcomed her in their humble homes and shared their simple food. Others closed their expensive gates in front of her.

She looked for couples. Young, beautiful and so in love. Old and yet full of respect for each other.

Others were not that lucky. She noticed couples breaking up. Wasting their time in useless conflicts. Wasting energy. Wasting their own lives. Some lacked the courage to start anew. Others had stopped believing in love and happiness.

She went from one place to another. From a family to another. She changed jobs in order to earn enough to make a living. She learned quickly. Yet nothing moved her. Neither happiness nor sorrow.

People came and went. Life passed by and despite doing her best to help, she still couldn't find a purpose for her life. Eventually, she gave up and retreated to the top of a high mountain. Almost five years had passed and she would have to return. She hoped he'd found what he was looking for and she could finally be what she was meant to, a sword.

Eventually, she arrived in a small village. It was late in the spring and the place was full of flowers. The sun was already up and Little Bone was ready to continue her journey when she noticed a young girl crying.

The little thing felt miserably and Little Bone couldn't ignore her. She seemed to be around 11 years old, but there was some sort of wisdom in her eyes that was way above her age.

"The Dragon" sobbed the little girl. "The Dragon will come to eat me. They don't have a choice."

"Who doesn't have a choice?" Little Bone asked.

"My parents. The Dragon must be fed and it's my turn to save the village."

"Save the village?"

"Yes, if we offer the Dragon someone to eat, he will leave the village alone for a while. Now, it's my turn to be eaten, but I don't want to die." The girl cried.

"You won't die." Little Bone promised. "I'll kill the Dragon."

"Will you?"

"I'll try. Will you show me the way to his cave?"

"Sure. I'll go to tell my parents. They will be so happy." The girl declared thrilled.

Little Bone watched the girl run away. It was time to do what she was created for: protect.

Bai Zihua didn't want to listen to her. He was sure he would never find another like her.

"You are too stubborn" The Lady of the Sword had told him. "Do not break another heart because of it. I don't have one. You can't hurt me any longer, but ...don't condemn you to loneliness just because you think you know better."

He wondered if he should listen to her and let himself fall in love. Yet he felt like he was betraying the memory of Little Bone.

No. He decided to wait for her. No matter how long it's going to take her to remember. He thought that, maybe, that was his punishment for being so unmerciful with her.