“No longer a major concern” was an understatement.
She felt transparent, as if every channel in her body had been scrubbed clean.
Her energy was boundless, leaving her with a restless urge to do something—anything.
But what?
Distracting thoughts flooded her mind.
Yi Xuan was, after all, no longer an innocent, ignorant young girl.
She stood at the doorway, having no desire to offer further explanations.
Her mind was a chaotic mess, filled entirely with the image of Jiang Suan’s smirking face as she had left…
He had heard every one of those wretched moans.
She truly had no face left to show anyone.
“It’s getting late.
Your master is truly fine, so please, just go to sleep.
Be good, my disciples, go to bed.”
This flustered attempt at concealment only served to arouse more suspicion.
Ling clenched her fists, a sense of unease blooming in her heart.
Unlike Fufu, Ling had Fairy.
Street surveillance showed that their master’s final destination had been Jiang Suan’s home.
She had been inside for several hours.
When she finally emerged, she had fled in a panic, her face flushed red like a young girl who had just seen the man of her dreams.
What on earth had happened?
She was worried sick!
“Master is acting so flustered…
is she hiding something from us?”
“No, Ling.
I know you’re a good girl, so don’t ask any more questions.
Your master is perfectly fine; we were just discussing some matters.”
“…”
Yi Xuan was practically pleading with her own disciple to stop torturing her and let her forget the wretched events of the past hour.
She just needed a moment to breathe and calm her heart.
Since she put it that way, Ling couldn’t push any further.
But as she looked at her master’s shamed expression, she silently tightened her grip, certain that the charlatan must have done something outrageous.
Had her trust in her master’s safety been a miscalculation?
It was all her fault…
She should have told Senior Sister Fufu where their master had gone sooner.
But at the time, she feared that if their master couldn’t win, they would only be a burden.
And so, the grief-stricken disciple returned to her room to start doxing Jiang Suan.
Yet, even with the super AI that covered all of Lidu, she couldn’t dig up even a shred of the man’s background.
It was as if he had appeared in this world out of thin air.
*Damn you, Jiang Suan!
What did you do to Master?!*
*Could it be…*
…
Meanwhile, the “vile person” who had just completed two rounds of massage was lying on the very bed Yi Xuan had occupied, legs crossed, showing no hint of reservation.
*Tsk.*
*Does this count as her warming the bed for me?*
A faint, delicate fragrance lingered in the air.
There were still tear stains on the pillow; the lovely woman must have had a vivid dream, perhaps seeing the sister she had lost many years ago.
Jiang Suan shook his head with a chuckle and began to tally today’s spoils.
That top-tier massage technique was indeed formidable; he expected to enjoy its benefits for a long time to come.
[Master of Oral Arts: Source – Hong Dou.] [The versatile proprietress is quite the smooth talker, but in secret, she has mastered incredible oral arts.
She can mimic anything from birdsong to insect chirps, and is even skilled in ventriloquism, allowing her to imitate the voices of others.] [Uses are many; for the host to discover.]
Knowledge of the oral arts quickly surged into Jiang Suan’s brain, bringing with it fragments of Hong Dou’s memories of learning the craft as a child—little girl Hong Dou, teenage Hong Dou…
Quite nice.
The proprietress of the Tea Immortal was the best.
[Sense Perception Technique: Source – Yi Xuan.] [The foundational entry-level technique of Yun Kui Mountain.
It is the basic skill for perceiving Ether and inducing Ether resonance.
It has been automatically mastered by the host.] [Congratulations!
The host has become a Theoretical Master of the Sense Perception Technique!] [Work hard at cultivation, and you will surpass Yi Xuan!]
Jiang Suan shook his head upon hearing the prompt.
Who wants to work hard when they have cheats?
All that fighting and killing was far too troublesome.
He was just a fortune teller; slacking off and reading hexes was his proper business.
However, with this…
His plan to masquerade as the Ancestor of Yun Kui Mountain was now much more solid.
His plan to fool Xiao Guang was practically a sure thing.
And wouldn’t you know it?
Speak of the devil.
In the dead of night, under the hazy moonlight.
It was exactly the time when a young girl felt most lonely and empty.
The girl named Ye Shunguanguan stayed in the Taoist temple on Yun Kui Mountain, quietly pushing open her window to catch the moonlight.
It was a bit chilly.
Dressed only in her chemise, she couldn’t help but shiver, yet she giggled to herself as if she were doing something naughty and fun.
In her hands, she held a thick diary.
She quietly opened it to write down her worries and secret thoughts—
[I don’t dare turn on the light.] [If I do, Elder Lu Hengzhou will scold me.
As the Master of the Qingming Sword, I’m not allowed to stay up late.
My body is not my own.] [It is the most precious property of the entire Yun Kui Mountain.]
As Ye Shunguanguan wrote this, her large, fluffy tail drooped.
She felt dejected.
She knew she was the Qingming Sword Master, burdened with the glory of the sect and the responsibility of saving the world.
But the years in the mountains were long and boring.
Cultivating and practicing the sword every single day, over and over.
The Elder watched over her like a bird trapped in the mountains.
She longed for the world outside, but she wasn’t allowed to leave.
[You belong to yourself!]
A strange handwriting suddenly appeared.
Along with it, she saw the man’s earlier entry and self-narrative…
He had bullied his junior, Yi Xuan, at Chenghui Square?
Wasn’t that Master?
And then…
[That disciple of hers called Xiao Guang probably needs looking after.
After all, the side effects of the Qingming Sword are no joke.
The problem is, how do I meet her?] [After sleeping for so many years, how many people in this world would still recognize me?
I can’t even use a cell phone properly.
Sigh, I’m old, I’m useless now…]
Her hand holding the pen trembled uncontrollably.
Had she…
had she encountered something supernatural?
[Xiao Guang: Who are you?
Do you know me?]
[Jiang Suan: I am the former Sect Master of Yun Kui Mountain, Jiang Suan.
Looking at what you wrote, you are this generation’s Master of the Qingming Sword, Ye Shunguanguan?
This diary seems to have undergone some changes even I don’t understand.
Little one, do not fear.
This old man is not a bad person.]
[Xiao Guang: Se-Senior?
I am Xiao Guang.
I’m not afraid.
You just said you dealt with my master—did Master Yi Xuan offend you?]
[Jiang Suan: Hoho, it was a trivial matter.
I merely gave her a few swats on the backside.
But let’s talk about you.
The great Qingming Sword Master is actually trapped in the mountains and disciplined by an Elder?
What a joke!]
Leaning against her headboard, Ye Shunguanguan had more or less accepted the situation, but then came this blunt scolding.
Her toes curled against the bedsheets in frustration…
How could a senior be like this?
Perhaps the night was too seductive, leaving no place for her emotions to hide.
At this moment, Ye Shunguanguan was not only exposed in her attire but also in her heart; tears nearly welled up in her eyes.
She wasn’t that pathetic!
[If I run around, many people will worry.]
[Are you weak?
Is the Elder stronger than you?]
[No, I am very strong.
No one can beat me except Master.
I could take on ten Elders at once.
But the Qingming Sword has side effects.
Master is afraid I’ll use it recklessly if I encounter danger.]
[Bah!
That Yi Xuan doesn’t know a damn thing about the Qingming Sword!
She’s just overprotective.
The Qingming Sword merely gives you the capital to risk your life; the less you use it, the more dangerous it becomes.]
Jiang Suan felt great laying into Yi Xuan.
He knew she had PTSD after seeing her master and sister die because of the Qingming Sword, so it was natural for her to be overprotective of Ye Shunguanguan.
But when could a fledgling ever spread its wings and fly?
What was the difference between locking her in a cage for her whole life and killing her?
Moreover, there were so many people in that mountain with ill intentions…
And so, Jiang the Great Deceiver began his earnest persuasion.
[Listen to me.
The Qingming Sword feeds on sword intent.
The more you refuse to accept it, the more it will consume you.
I once used this thing myself; it contains a hidden realm.]
[Don’t panic.
Senior will guide you…]