Record of the Heroine

In the second year of Guangshun, an anonymous benefactor in Qinghe donated three hundred taels of gold to the Inkbound Order. In his letter, the man stated that he had lost his parents in his youth and wandered the martial world alone, until he was fortunate enough to be saved by a righteous swordswoman, finally seeing the light of day. Now united as husband and wife, they live in perfect harmony. His wife possesses a kind heart; thus, he wishes to embrace and practice kindness, hoping to atone for the regrets and unspeakable sins of his past years. However, upon reflecting on his life, he realized he owned nothing of value. Even his clothes and shoes were not truly his. Only these three hundred taels of gold, earned through solitary toil with naught but a begging bowl and a woven hat, remained utterly pure and untainted, fit to aid others. I therefore accepted this gold into the Order to fulfill his wish, dedicating it entirely to the education of orphaned children, which was also the heartfelt desire of his wife. The first to receive this grace was Ren Huigu. She was a refugee from the north, exceptionally brilliant yet entirely destitute. At that time, still a young child, she hesitated bitterly between filling her stomach and pursuing studies. The arrival of this gold was like sunlight piercing through the clouds. She was admitted into the Inkbound Order and, by karmic destiny, became a disciple under my tutelage. Now, having studied for over a month, she recites the Thousand-Character Classic with absolute fluency and has chosen a formal name for herself: Ren Feixiang. People were puzzled, asking why she did not choose a name from the fragrant herbs in the Songs of Chu. She replied with a solemn face, "All appearances are but non-forms, born of fleeting karmic conditions. I wish to wield the historian's brush for the martial world, recording the ultimate truth and falsehood of all forms!" For a child's words to resonate so closely with the Great Way is truly marvelous! Recently, however, my disciple has grown perplexed when choosing between the study of historical annals and martial scriptures. Observing this, I feel deeply comforted. In the past, amidst hunger and cold, she had no choices to make; today, she has the luxury to choose her path, and that is a profound blessing. The answers to all things in the world emerge solely from practical experience. I advised her to travel to the Shengle Sect in person. Once her historical records of the events there are complete, she might discover what her heart truly seeks. The past remains deeply mysterious. I only hope my disciple stays safe on this journey, fulfills her wishes, and returns to me soon!