“Thousand Autumn Pavilion Master, who did you say you have a grudge with?”
“You want to know? Eat and drink first, then I’ll tell you.” Mo Qianqiu looked like he was deliberately keeping Lu Xiaochan in suspense.
Surely it wasn’t that True Lord Chunning? A mere woman – even if she had thrown herself at him or slandered Mo Qianqiu, with his personality, he would have been too disdainful to argue with a woman!
After the banquet, each sect was arranged with accommodations.
Lu Xiaochan and Shu Wuxi had just settled in when Lu Xiaochan rushed to push open Mo Qianqiu’s door.
To his surprise, Mo Qianqiu was in the bathtub, leaning back with his head tilted. Lu Xiaochan caught a glimpse of his neck – fair and slender, looking like a neck waiting to be cut.
For some reason, he felt his throat go hoarse, and his heart itched.
Following Lu Xiaochan, Shu Wuxi stretched out his hand, once again blocking Lu Xiaochan’s view, gently pulling him into his embrace and turning him away.
Mo Qianqiu’s lazy voice rang out. “Little thing, why are you so annoying?”
“You said earlier that when you came back, you’d tell me who you’re seeking revenge on!”
Mo Qianqiu sighed, and slowly stood up. Lu Xiaochan’s sharp ears could discern his physique from the sound of water dripping off his body.
Slender and lean – not bad, not bad.
Just as Lu Xiaochan was identifying his shoulder and arm lines from the sound, Shu Wuxi reached up to cover his ears.
Oh… caught by Brother Wuxi.
Mo Qianqiu casually put on his clothes, and seeing Shu Wuxi was present, he seriously tied his waist belt and sat down at the table.
Shu Wuxi then released Lu Xiaochan, holding his hand and sitting across from Mo Qianqiu.
“Little thing, how do you think I look?”
“Pretty good, just… much worse than my family’s Brother Wuxi.”
Mo Qianqiu curved his lips with a hint of sarcasm. “I entered the ‘borrowing power’ realm quite early. This was thanks to Lord Liche who helped me break free from the Myriad Phenomena Lock, which made my heart feel clear and open.”
“Oh.” Lu Xiaochan secretly felt proud.
The former Lord Liche was himself, after all. Although it sounded like a story about another person, Lu Xiaochan’s toes curled up in delight.
Mo Qianqiu continued. “In the Thousand Autumn Pavilion, my two senior martial brothers were no match for me, and my master said there was nothing more to teach me. So, he sent me to Xiyuan to study.”
“Who did you meet? No, wait – who did you cause trouble for?”
Mo Qianqiu leaned back, raising his chin. “Guess.”
“How would I know?”
Mo Qianqiu tugged at the corner of his mouth, seemingly reluctant to even mention that person’s name.
“Xiyuan Sword Master, Haofu.” Shu Wuxi spoke up.
Lu Xiaochan spat out his tea. “What… the Xiyuan Sword master? Isn’t this causing trouble everywhere?”
Mo Qianqiu was surprised, looking at Shu Wuxi. “How did you know?”
“I’ve seen Haofu draw his sword. His sword handle had a tassel woven with the Thousand Autumn Pavilion’s emblem.”
Lu Xiaochan was stunned, immediately clapping. “Thousand Autumn Pavilion Master! You’re so impressive! Xiyuan Sword Sect!”
“He was the Xiyuan Sword Master at the time, not some ghost sword sect. He was a thousand years my senior in cultivation. When I came to study, he taught me many things.”
“So you fell in love with him?”
Lu Xiaochan thought, what a good story! He could smell the melodrama!
“My love is not someone like him.” Mo Qianqiu lowered his eyes, seemingly reminiscing about someone.
“Then what is your love like?”
Mo Qianqiu raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to hear me out or not?”
“I want to hear! Hurry up and tell me!”
“As the sword master, Haofu was already betrothed to his junior martial sister, Lord Chunning. What happened afterward, you can probably guess.”
“Oh! Lord Chunning didn’t like you and broke you up?”
“She also ruined my reputation. She claimed I had inappropriate intentions toward her, just like today when I was sitting in a big bathtub. I could say she inappropriately looked at me! It provoked the entire Xiyuan to treat me as an enemy and want to drive me away.”
“Truly, women and small-minded people are difficult to deal with.”
“Lord Chunning is not just a woman, but also small-minded.” Mo Qianqiu curved his lips, his smile full of mockery. “She damaged Xiyuan’s magical artifact and left my sword tassel at the scene. Everyone in Xiyuan thought I was seeking revenge and was absolutely certain I did it.”
Although Mo Qianqiu described it simply, Lord Chunning’s framing wasn’t particularly sophisticated.
But the simpler something was, the more easily people believed it. Moreover, Xiyuan already had a bias against Mo Qianqiu, and he was left with no way to argue.
“What about Haofu? Did he believe it?”
Although Mo Qianqiu spoke casually, Lu Xiaochan could sense how wronged and angry he must have been at the time.
“He didn’t believe it. But what use was his disbelief? I hate being falsely accused, so I issued a challenge to Lord Chunning to settle things at the Inquiry Platform.”
“Good job! That’s the way!”
“Who would have thought that on the night she received my challenge, she was injured, claiming someone had ambushed her.”
“How insidious! She was implying it was you, right? You wouldn’t have needed to ambush her – you could have just defeated her!”
“You haven’t seen Lord Chunning fight. How do you know I could definitely defeat her?”
“I just know you could definitely beat her.” Lu Xiaochan stated decisively.
Mo Qianqiu laughed. Lu Xiaochan saw the light spiritual energy around him quivering and his mischievous curved lips, and he had no doubt that if Shu Wuxi weren’t sitting nearby, Mo Qianqiu would definitely pinch his face.
“Right, because Lord Chunning couldn’t attend, she sent someone to fight in her place.”
At that moment, Lu Xiaochan felt a sharp pain in his heart, vaguely guessing what happened next. “The one who fought in her place was Xiyuan Sword Master Haofu?”
“Yes. I couldn’t defeat Haofu.” Mo Qianqiu lightly laughed and put down his teacup.
“If Haofu believed you, he shouldn’t have fought for her.”
“Don’t you understand? If Lord Chunning lost, the disgrace wouldn’t be just hers as a woman, but the entire Xiyuan’s. The Xiyuan Sword Sect at the time ordered Haofu to fight.”
Lu Xiaochan lowered his head and laughed sarcastically, “A prestigious immortal sect, a sword sect, actually not investigating right from wrong, caring only about reputation?”
“Ah, it’s precisely because this Xiyuan Sword Sect was so vulgar that they remained stagnant at the first level of the great power realm. In that immortal-demon war, they became cannon fodder.” Mo Qianqiu squinted and smiled.
“What happened afterward? Even if Haofu fought, he wouldn’t have been completely merciless, right?”
“Haofu, once he decides to fight, will go all out and never hold back. So I lost, and lost quite badly.” Mo Qianqiu touched his nose. “I was driven out of Xiyuan. He personally escorted me, preventing Xiyuan’s various factions from causing me trouble, and even knelt before my master to apologize after sending me back to the Thousand Autumn Pavilion. But what use was that?”
“Your reputation was already ruined. No wonder that Sect Master Yu spoke to you with such sarcasm, saying you would seduce the female disciples of her sect.”
“No. Since everyone says I’m shameless, I’ll be shameless for them to see. Otherwise, if people gossip about me behind my back and I bear a bad reputation undeservedly, how unfortunate would that be?”
“That works too. Do whatever you like, free and unfettered.”
“Exactly!”
“What about that Lord Chunning? She didn’t marry Haofu, right?”
“No. I hadn’t heard about her for a long time. Later, during the immortal-demon war, the Xiyuan Sword Master was destroyed. Haofu, who fought alongside the Sword Master, was seriously injured. After returning to Xiyuan and taking over the Sword Master position, he closed himself off for cultivation until today.”
“Oh! So this time, you’re going to challenge Lord Chunning again?”
“Yes! This time, I want to see who else she can find to fight for her.” Mo Qianqiu’s smile was brilliant.
Lu Xiaochan extended his hand. “Great! No problem! I fully support you! Give that bad woman some punishment!”
“Of course. With Haofu in closed cultivation, I don’t think anyone in Xiyuan is my match.”
After the story ended, Shu Wuxi pulled Lu Xiaochan back to their room.
Lu Xiaochan felt around and found the bed.
The accommodations in Chongluan Palace were quite good. The bed was covered with soft bedding. Lu Xiaochan lay face down, rubbing his face on the bed, with his feet hanging off the edge, waiting for Shu Wuxi to take off his shoes.
Unexpectedly, Shu Wuxi sat down at the bedside but made no move.
Lu Xiaochan was about to turn over when Shu Wuxi pressed him back down.
“Brother Wuxi, what are you doing!”
Lu Xiaochan tried to prop himself up but was firmly pressed back by Shu Wuxi.
Lu Xiaochan gathered his spiritual energy, wanting to bounce Shu Wuxi’s hand away, but didn’t expect the opponent’s deep spiritual energy to press down, almost causing the bed to collapse.
Since he was no match for Shu Wuxi, he obediently lay flat.
“Brother Wuxi, if you’re angry, just tell me clearly. Otherwise, even if you’re furious enough to destroy Chongluan Palace, I won’t know why.”
“You were quite engrossed watching Mo Qianqiu bathe today.”
Shu Wuxi’s voice was cold, like an icy blade hanging at Lu Xiaochan’s neck.
“Ah? He was just bathing. What he has, I have too! What’s there to be engrossed about?” Lu Xiaochan hurriedly explained.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, of course!”
“I don’t think so.” Shu Wuxi leaned down, his hair sliding across Lu Xiaochan’s cheek.
So soft and delicate, yet making one’s heart itch.
“I was just imagining…”
“What were you imagining?”
“I was imagining you bathing… sitting in the bathtub, with your arms draped over the edge… your wet hair sticking to the back of your neck… eyes closed, leaning against the bathtub… waiting for me…”
Of course, waiting for me to taste you!
Lu Xiaochan stopped midway, thinking it was better to be more subtle.
“Waiting for you to do what?” Shu Wuxi pressed even lower, his voice falling on Lu Xiaochan’s nape.
“Waiting for me to give a kiss!”
As soon as Lu Xiaochan finished speaking, he was flipped over by Shu Wuxi.
Before he could catch his breath, Shu Wuxi’s kiss forcefully pressed down, his tongue pushing into Lu Xiaochan’s mouth, causing such a wild assault that Lu Xiaochan almost lost his breath.
At that moment, a humming sound of sword formations colliding came from Mo Qianqiu’s direction.
Shu Wuxi clutched Lu Xiaochan’s back, lifting him from the bed.
“What happened?”
Was something wrong with Mo Qianqiu?
Shu Wuxi tightly gripped Lu Xiaochan’s wrist, closed his eyes, and spread his spiritual energy to investigate.
Someone had launched a sneak attack on Mo Qianqiu, and their skills were formidable.
They used Haofu’s unique sword formation.
But Mo Qianqiu was no pushover. In an instant, he formed a sword formation and counterattacked, striking the attacker.
This attack alarmed the Xiyuan disciples. When they arrived, they saw Mo Qianqiu’s room destroyed, and Mo Qianqiu riding his sword in pursuit of the attacker, flying out of Chongluan Palace.
Mo Qianqiu launched three sword formations in succession, pressing towards the attacker. The opponent didn’t counterattack but skillfully dodged.
Lu Xiaochan closed his eyes, able to vaguely discern the battle situation.
At this moment, True Lord Faning entered their room and bowed. “Apologies for disturbing you both at this late hour. I heard the Thousand Autumn Pavilion Master was ambushed. What exactly happened?”
“We’re not clear about the details. The Pavilion Master is chasing the attacker. Several Xiyuan disciples are following him,” Lu Xiaochan answered.
True Lord Faning sighed. “Tonight seems quite turbulent. Would the distinguished guests of Thousand Autumn Pavilion like to move to a more populated area for safety?”
Lu Xiaochan didn’t want to beat around the bush. “Isn’t this because Xiyuan looks down on our Thousand Autumn Pavilion? You arranged us in this desolate place. Only after our Pavilion Master was attacked did your people finally arrive. Was this intentional?”
True Lord Faning looked somewhat embarrassed, but he was indeed in the wrong.
If the Thousand Autumn Pavilion Master was attacked in Xiyuan, coupled with their previous tensions, and was arranged in a remote location, outsiders might indeed think Xiyuan was seeking revenge on Mo Qianqiu.
“You didn’t know our Pavilion Master was going to issue a challenge to someone in your sect, and knowing that person couldn’t defeat our Pavilion Master, so you deliberately arranged a sneak attack to injure him?”
True Lord Faning quickly waved his hands. “No, no! How could that be!”
Lu Xiaochan knew Mo Qianqiu had suffered grievances in Xiyuan and had no good feelings towards Xiyuan’s people, including True Lord Faning.
“Let’s go,” Shu Wuxi rubbed his shoulder.
Lu Xiaochan grew worried. “The person who attacked Mo Qianqiu seems quite skilled. Isn’t it dangerous for him to chase after them alone?”
“Mo Qianqiu is better at judging situations than you. Since he’s chasing, that person must have something that attracted him,” Shu Wuxi replied.
Lu Xiaochan felt slightly disgruntled. What did he mean Mo Qianqiu was better at judging situations? Wasn’t he, Lu Xiaochan, smart?
But this was a grudge between Mo Qianqiu and Xiyuan. Outsiders intervening might only complicate matters.
Fortunately, they had no luggage and could simply follow True Lord Faning to their new quarters.
Chongluan Palace, like Tailing Pavilion, had many overlapping virtual spaces that made navigation difficult.
To show respect to Chongluan Palace and avoid potential collisions, sword flying was prohibited in the corridors. Lu Xiaochan could only walk behind True Lord Faning.
After walking for a long time, they still hadn’t reached the room True Lord Faning had prepared, and Lu Xiaochan noticed from True Lord Faning’s footsteps that he seemed hesitant and uncertain.
“True Lord Faning, aren’t we there yet?”
True Lord Faning stopped. “This… I’m not sure what’s happening… The virtual space order has always been predetermined. Could someone have adjusted it?”
Lu Xiaochan narrowed his eyes. First, someone attacked Mo Qianqiu to lure him away, and now True Lord Faning was leading them and getting lost!
Every major sect’s internal virtual spaces were complex, and even if the order was occasionally disrupted, someone like True Lord Faning, who had lived in Chongluan Palace for thousands of years, couldn’t possibly be so lost.
Unless someone deliberately designed the virtual space as a maze!
“True Lord Faning, do you have any signal? Send it out and let your sect’s disciples check the virtual space arrangement!” Lu Xiaochan said.
“How would I have expected to get lost in Chongluan Palace? What signal?” True Lord Faning spread his hands, looking utterly helpless.
Lu Xiaochan noticed that throughout their journey, they had encountered no one else, which seemed deliberately orchestrated.
Mo Qianqiu was simply being lured away.
Looking at True Lord Faning, it was no wonder he couldn’t become the sword master of Xiyuan!
At that moment, a pure white spiritual sword broke through the wind at the corridor’s end, rushing directly at True Lord Faning’s face.
“Ah!” True Lord Faning formed a sword formation, which was instantly shattered.
Lu Xiaochan pressed down True Lord Faning with one hand and drew his sword with the other, but the opponent’s sword was too fast, about to pierce Lu Xiaochan’s nose.
Shu Wuxi’s spiritual energy boiled, and with a finger point, a sword formation no larger than a needle tip precisely blocked the white spiritual sword.
Lu Xiaochan’s hair was blown up by Shu Wuxi’s sword formation.
“Lord Lianyue Yuan.”
Shu Wuxi pulled Lu Xiaochan behind him, his voice filled with cold air.
“What a coincidence, we meet again.”
Lianyue stepped out from the darkness, calling back his sword with a wave of his finger.
“Haven’t seen you in days, Xiaochan. You actually have your own sword now?” Lianyue tilted his head and smiled. “This wouldn’t happen to be the last supreme sword forged by Supreme Lord Yehua, would it?”
Lu Xiaochan had just slightly drawn his sword from its sheath, then pressed it back with his thumb.
It was better to stay low-key. Getting targeted before being capable enough would be troublesome.
“Ugh, every time you appear, nothing good happens!”
Lord Lianyue Yuan looked melancholic. “But I’m really a good person!”
Lu Xiaochan almost rolled his eyes. “Only your foolish junior nephew Ye Linshuang would think you’re a good person!”
Lord Lianyue Yuan shrugged and laughed, with an uninhibited, carefree attitude.
“Xiaochan, do you know that these virtual spaces can change and transform, making defense impossible?”
“What?”
As soon as the words fell, Lu Xiaochan’s feet suddenly went empty, and he dropped down.
The Wuhen Sword instantly appeared beneath his feet, quickly lifting him, but the virtual space above was about to close.
Shu Wuxi stretched out his arm to pull him up, but unexpectedly, Lord Lianyue Yuan’s sword struck, sending a sword formation that nearly shattered the entire virtual space.
Shu Wuxi’s eyes narrowed, countering with the Heaven’s Palace Sword Formation, but he couldn’t grab Lu Xiaochan.
Lu Xiaochan suspended himself by sword, but realized there were no living beings around, so he could see nothing and didn’t know where he was.
The two sword formations clashed. Lord Lianyue Yuan was blown back several zhang. Through the smoke, a figure instantly appeared before him – Shu Wuxi’s cold, furious eyes made him shiver.
The Lianyue Sword flashed back but couldn’t match Shu Wuxi’s speed. Shu Wuxi grabbed Lord Lianyue Yuan’s throat.
“Where is he?”
“Help me with something, and I’ll return him to you,” Lord Lianyue Yuan said, curving his lips in a smile.
The Lianyue Sword protected its master, striking towards Shu Wuxi’s back. Somehow, Shu Wuxi dodged, catching the sword between two fingers.
Lord Lianyue Yuan bitterly smiled. “Looks like the demon has almost drained my cultivation. You can handle me without even using a sword.”
“Where is Xiaochan?”
Shu Wuxi’s fingers gripped tighter, nearly crushing Lord Lianyue Yuan’s throat.
Lord Lianyue Yuan was indifferent to life and death, calmly looking at Shu Wuxi.
The virtual spaces were countless, leading not just outside Chongluan Palace, but possibly even to the Demon Capital.
“What do you want me to do?”
Ultimately, Shu Wuxi released his hand, throwing Lord Lianyue Yuan aside.
Lord Lianyue Yuan coughed, supporting himself with his sword, slightly staggering.
“Take Linshuang away from Chongluan Palace. Once he leaves, I’ll tell you where Lu Xiaochan is. Time is limited – I can’t hide him for long. If he falls into the demon infant’s hands, the elixir core will be lost.”
After speaking, Lord Lianyue Yuan rode his sword, with countless virtual spaces layering between him and Shu Wuxi.
Meanwhile, Mo Qianqiu pursued the figure who had attacked him, flying out of Chongluan Palace. They moved so quickly that they lost the Xiyuan disciples following them.
The person ahead wore a cloak, obscuring their form, heading towards the narrowest and deepest crevice in Xiyuan.
Mo Qianqiu lightly hummed, stopped pursuing, and suspended his sword, calling out loudly. “You’ve already lured me out of Chongluan Palace – what do you want now?”
The other person suddenly stopped.
“You’re not Lord Chunning. She would become nervous the moment she saw me, but you – the servant who came to clean the bathtub – your attack was fast, precise, and fierce. Your sword formation is robust, much more advanced than Lord Chunning’s cultivation.”
Mo Qianqiu settled back on his sword.
The other person still didn’t turn around.
“If you’re going to keep hiding, I won’t accompany you. I’m going to sleep now.”
Finally, the person turned – and it was actually Lord Zhao Lan, one of Haofu’s three great disciples.
