Chapter 103:
Intimate Associate

 

MEANWHILE, Xiao Se and Li Qingyu had already begun dueling, with both sides relying on speed—the two of them had practically transformed into blurred afterimages. A mediocre practitioner would find it near-impossible to see how they fought, how they exchanged blows, and how each neutralized the other party’s attacks.

The moment they started fighting, it was of course impossible for them to constrain it to the competition site. A mere moment later and the two had fought from the ground to atop the nearby stone wall, using their momentum to spar in midair, then they swept over to the bamboo forest on the other side and continued dueling above it. They both had phenomenal qinggong—a tap of their toes allowed them to jump yards into the air. Li Qingyu’s sword glare and the blades of Xiao Se’s fan only enhanced each other’s brilliance; the clang of weapons rang out ceaselessly, shaking everyone’s hearts. It was a scene that was impossible to follow.

In Shen Qiao’s opinion, Li Qingyu was the best of Chunyang Monastery’s current generation, and he’d almost caught up to the world’s top ten in terms of strength. Though Xiao Se was also an excellent fighter, he still fell short of Li Qingyu. Winning wouldn’t be easy. Eventually, Yuan Xiuxiu would have to come to her disciple’s aid. Then, when Yi Pichen took true action, how would Yuan Xiuxiu handle him?

If Yuan Xiuxiu was the only lynchpin of Hehuan’s plan to cause chaos here, it would certainly fall through.

When he thought of this, Shen Qiao couldn’t help but ask, “Yu-gongzi, what do you think? The Hehuan Sect came prepared on this visit. Then, might they have a contingency plan?”

Yu Shengyan laughed. “Why do you still call me Yu-gongzi? It sounds so awkward. I’d rather you call me Shixiong!”

Shen Qiao smiled but remained silent. Though he and Yu Shengyan had come into conflict over the matter of killing the Yan family, it’d only been due to their different stances and views, not any deep hatred. Furthermore, after he’d fallen from Banbu Peak, this young man had carried him on his back for quite some time. No matter what, one should never be ungrateful. Hence, he never shifted his wariness toward Yan Wushi onto Yu Shengyan, and instead treated him with the indulgence an older brother would show his younger one.

In the end, Yu Shengyan was young and couldn’t restrain himself completely. He said, “It’s like how Xiang Zhuang’s sword dance was a front for assassinating the Duke of Pei.10 Hehuan Sect’s aggressive arrival only looked like it was directed at Chunyang Monastery—their true targets were all the sects holding Hehuan Sect in contempt. Nowadays, the emperor of Zhou only believes in Buddhism, not Daoism. He wishes to foster the Buddhist faction so they can counter Hehuan Sect. This is how emperors protect their imperial power, but he has no such needs from Daoism. Therefore, he simply ignores them, leaving them at the mercy of Hehuan Sect.”

Next to them, Zhao Chiying had been listening for a while. She didn’t know much about the current world situation, but she could tell that Yu Shengyan spoke with incredible eloquence despite his young age and that his words made a fair amount of sense. She then thought about Yan Wushi’s impressive demeanor—it was indeed true that disciples would take after their master. She couldn’t help but lament even more that Bixia Sect had no worthy successors.

Yu Shengyan continued, “If she can defeat Yi Pichen this time and paint him as mediocre, he naturally won’t be a concern anymore. Then she can take the opportunity to subdue the other forces present at the Sword Trial Conference in one fell swoop. In fact, I bet that old bald donkey Xueting must be terribly envious of her, but he needs to worry about reputation and face—he can’t do these shameless things, for they’d damage the reputation of Buddhism, but that’s not an issue for Hehuan Sect. Now that they’ve come today, they absolutely must succeed—they cannot be lukewarm and give up halfway. Yuan Xiuxiu isn’t enough to take on Yi Pichen by herself, so Sang Jingxing might be on his way already.”

Yuan Zixiao said earlier that Sang Jingxing ranked sixth in the jianghu, while Yi Pichen was between three and four. However, those rankings were only a rough approximation. Those on the list would never stop improving, so their rankings would occasionally change. Sang Jingxing placing sixth didn’t mean that he was certain to lose to Yi Pichen. One couldn’t calculate things this way. The battlefield could change a thousand times in an instant, and the slightest deviation could turn the tides completely. When experts exchanged blows, even a hopeless situation could still reverse, so the weak defeating the strong was always a possibility.

However, Xiao Se and Li Qingyu was clearly not a case of the weak defeating the strong. Li Qingyu’s attacks were steady, and after a hundred moves, he channeled his strength into Qiushui. His swordplay rained down like the scattered flowers from a celestial maiden, and his sword qi overflowed with a dazzling light. Xiao Se was clearly outmatched—though the blades of his fan were formidable, his openings gradually revealed themselves. The skilled spectators like Yi Pichen, Shen Qiao, and Zhao Chiying could all see those openings, so how could Li Qingyu miss them? He summoned a sword screen like rain that blotted out everything, leaving Xiao Se with nowhere to move. He was forced to retreat several steps, and once he found his footing, he conceded defeat.

“They say that Chunyang Monastery boasts fantastic swordplay, far surpassing that of Xuandu Mountain,” he said. “Now that I’ve seen it, its reputation is truly well deserved!”

Xiao Se had praised Chunyang Monastery, not Li Qingyu, implying Li Qingyu’s power came not from himself but from his sect. He even tried to implicate Xuandu Mountain, hoping to sow discord between Shen Qiao and Yi Pichen.

Unfortunately, he’d targeted the wrong person with his scheming. Li Qingyu remained expressionless, looking at Xiao Se like he was merely a tree. He had no emotional fluctuations to speak of, and even his tone was flat. “Originally, your talents weren’t mediocre, but unfortunately, you have too many things on your mind, so you’re unable to focus on the martial path. It’ll be difficult for you to make further progress.”

Xiao Se was so furious he laughed instead. “This distinguished master need not trouble himself over my potential progress!”

Li Qingyu’s gaze shifted away from him, falling on Yuan Xiuxiu instead. After what Yuan Xiuxiu had said to Yi Pichen just before, neither of them had moved. It was unclear whether they were waiting for the outcome of Li Qingyu and Xiao Se’s match first.

“May Li Qingyu have a bout with Sect Leader Yuan?” he asked.

Yuan Xiuxiu pursed her lips and smiled. “You’re no match for me.”

“Match or not, we can’t say so without trying.”

Still smiling, Yuan Xiuxiu said nothing. She suddenly flung her sleeves outward, splitting her energy into two streams that surged toward him. Caught off guard, Li Qingyu was forced to step back. But Yuan Xiuxiu flew forward, pursuing him relentlessly.

Chunyang Monastery’s qinggong was incredible, but Yuan Xiuxiu’s was on another level. Her clothes fluttered as her sleeves billowed like clouds. At first glance, she looked like the reincarnation of the nymph of the Luo River—not at all like a demoness from Hehuan Sect.

Li Qingyu had never fought Yuan Xiuxiu before; he’d assessed her abilities through her disciple. Previously, he assumed that even if Yuan Xiuxiu was stronger than Xiao Se, she couldn’t be much stronger. There were also the rumors that Hehuan Sect took shortcuts to increase their internal energy through parasitic cultivation, which everyone held in disdain. But unexpectedly, certain things only became clear with a fight. It wasn’t only Li Qingyu who was surprised; even the spectators were stunned as they completely dropped their previous contempt.

Zhao Chiying couldn’t help but exclaim, “Yuan Xiuxiu is indeed formidable enough to be a sect leader!”

When she had listened to Yuan Zixiao rank the world’s heroes, placing Yuan Xiuxiu in ninth place while she herself failed to rank at all, though she hadn’t said anything aloud, Zhao Chiying’s heart had been unconvinced. Now that she saw her fight, however, it was clear that the ranking was grounded in fact. If she were the one dueling Yuan Xiuxiu now, she might perform no better than Li Qingyu.

As Zhao Chiying spoke, Yuan Xiuxiu had already used her preemptive advantage to force Li Qingyu to the cliff’s edge. Just as he was about to launch a counterattack, she suddenly withdrew her hand and retreated. She drifted airily away, falling back dozens of paces in an instant before landing on a flag that Chunyang Monastery had staked into the ground.

The flag’s soft fabric fluttered in the wind, yet she was able to stand atop it, as if she weighed nothing. This display of skill was so astonishing it drew dumbfounded stares from all around. Before this, some people had underestimated her because she was a woman or because they were unconvinced that she could rank within the world’s top ten. But now they saw just how wrong they’d been.

“As I already said, you’re no match for my venerable self.” Yuan Xiuxiu’s tone was gentle, but her words were imperious beyond compare.

“Qingyu is indeed inferior to Sect Leader Yuan. He’s embarrassed himself before her.” The speaker was Yi Pichen. “Let this humble Daoist seek guidance instead.”

If it weren’t for the recent match between Li Qingyu and Yuan Xiuxiu, no one would have expected much from a duel between Yuan Xiuxiu and Yi Pichen. But now that they’d seen Yuan Xiuxiu’s strength, everyone was eagerly anticipating this next match.

However, the moment Yi Pichen finished speaking, another group of people came up the mountain. At the front was a man, and behind him were several girls, one of them someone Shen Qiao was deeply familiar with: Bai Rong.

As for the man in front, he wasn’t a stranger to Shen Qiao either. He’d fought him in the outskirts of Chang’an once. In the end, one man had been severely injured while the other had lost all their martial arts.

As he recognized the man, the man naturally recognized him as well. Their eyes met from afar, and Sang Jingxing’s gaze was filled with an almost graphic lasciviousness. It scanned Shen Qiao from head to toe, and there was also a marked kind of cruelty and rage within those eyes.

Shen Qiao possessed an extraordinary appearance; that was beyond all doubt. At first glance, he looked gentle as a spring breeze, and only those who’d encountered him before would know that a cold and indestructible pride lay within his bones. Having fought Shen Qiao before, how could Sang Jingxing not know this? Last time, he’d thought the other man soft, harmless, and weak. Never had he expected there to be nothing but steely bone, and he’d ended up with a mouthful of sand.

But this had only aroused Sang Jingxing’s thirst for conquest and sadism. Up until now, he hadn’t recklessly sought out Shen Qiao. For one thing, Shen Qiao’s whereabouts were elusive and difficult to ascertain. For another, he’d heard that his martial arts had greatly advanced, that he’d even killed a couple of Hehuan Sect’s elders. Though Sang Jingxing had a deep love for beauties, he had no interest in losing his life for one.

It’d been a long time, yet a single glance was enough for Sang Jingxing to identify Shen Qiao in the crowd. He only felt that the other man had grown even more gorgeous, with the aura of an immortal and appearance like ice and snow. Even without accounting for clothes and adornments, there was something remarkably pure and transcendental about him. It made Sang Jingxing want to strip him naked and play with him in full view of everyone, watch his face fall as he cried for mercy. How refreshing would that be?

Thinking of this, an indescribable flame blazed to life within his heart.

Sang Jingxing’s gaze was incredibly obscene; everyone could see it. But Shen Qiao remained like an old monk in meditation, his eyes half-closed as he treated Sang Jingxing like air.

Yu Shengyan rose and moved to stand in front of Shen Qiao. “To think that a great and lofty elder of Hehuan Sect would act like a starving dog in front of a meaty bone! How shameful!”

Standing up for Shen Qiao was only his secondary aim. Huanyue Sect and Hehuan Sect had always been at odds, and after Yan Wushi had left the capital and fallen to the ambush, Hehuan Sect had defected from Qi and thrown themselves into the arms of Yuwen Yun. With the emperor’s support, they’d absorbed Huanyue Sect’s authority. Yu Shengyan had long disdained Hehuan Sect—it would have been stranger for him to say nothing at all.

Sang Jingxing sneered. “Even your shifu Yan Wushi wouldn’t dare to speak to me like that!”

His words were infused with internal energy, similar to the Buddhist discipline’s Vajra Lion Roar technique, but Sang Jingxing’s was far superior. It reached the ears of everyone present without exception, and they felt their ears throb, especially Yu Shengyan. When he’d spoken those words, he’d been prepared for a swift attack from Sang Jingxing, but he was shocked to find that he’d still underestimated him. With Sang Jingxing targeting him, the force behind the voice he heard was many times greater than what the rest of the crowd experienced. His face instantly paled as his heart jolted, and he almost coughed up blood.

Fortunately, a hand reached out to steady him in time, accompanied by a stream of true qi. It flowed through him like a murmuring stream, immediately alleviating Yu Shengyan’s discomfort.

“Posturing before a junior? I trust that Elder Sang must feel quite ashamed of himself,” Shen Qiao said coolly.

His words were also imbued with internal energy, but it wasn’t wild and unrestrained like Sang Jingxing’s. Rather, he focused his voice straight ahead, sending it directly at Sang Jingxing.

Sang Jingxing lifted his sleeve and shook it once, negating the better part of Shen Qiao’s attack. As for the remaining fraction, he relied on his powerful and profound internal cultivation to take it head-on, forcibly absorbing it.

In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged a round of attacks without batting an eyelid, but it was impossible to tell who was stronger or weaker with only those incomplete moves.

Sang Jingxing could feel that Shen Qiao’s martial arts had greatly improved, and Shen Qiao also felt that Sang Jingxing was worthy of Yuan Zixiao’s ranking him as a grandmaster-level expert. They looked at each other, then Sang Jingxing suddenly smiled and said, “Now that Daoist Master Shen has regained his vision, his eyes have become bright and spirited, making him even more captivating. Eyes are indeed the windows to the soul: no matter how lovely a beauty is, they still need a pair of good eyes.”

Since he’d ascended the mountain, Sang Jingxing’s attention had been fully focused on Shen Qiao. Yuan Xiuxiu silently frowned to herself about how he was ruining things, then followed up with a smile. “In the Young Palace Mistress’s words, Elder Sang is ranked sixth in the world, while I am only ninth. Therefore, it would be too humiliating to Abbot Yi if I were to fight him.”

Sang Jingxing then shifted his gaze from Shen Qiao to Yi Pichen. “Since I am ranked sixth,” he said to Yuan Xiuxiu, “may I ask what place Abbot Yi holds?”

“Just now, Liuli Palace’s Young Mistress Yuan said that Abbot Yi’s martial arts rank in either third or fourth place, yet to be determined,” she replied.

Sang Jingxing gave a mocking laugh. “In that case, if I defeat Abbot Yi, wouldn’t the position of third place in the world become mine?”

Yuan Xiuxiu smiled. “Since today is the Sword Trial Conference, the Hehuan Sect should also follow the rules of the jianghu and fight one on one. That way people won’t gossip that our Hehuan Sect are territory-trashing thugs who only know how to flaunt our superior numbers. Our humble sect’s Elder Sang wishes to seek guidance from Abbot Yi. Would he be willing?”

Yi Pichen already knew that Hehuan Sect had come well-prepared and that there was no way they’d let the matter rest so easily. To him, there was little difference between Sang Jingxing or Yuan Xiuxiu. Regardless of which it was, he had to beat Hehuan Sect into retreating. If he couldn’t intimidate them, then forget about winning over people’s hearts—the alliance would fall through completely. The people from other sects would be greatly disappointed in Chunyang Monastery.

Although Sang Jingxing had a reputation for being lecherous and cruel, that couldn’t conceal the fact that he was an expert of the highest order. If someone were to underestimate him based on his reputation, they would be the only one who’d end up suffering.

Yi Pichen held his sword in hand and gave a small smile. “Since the Sword Trial Conference is open to everyone, naturally, we won’t turn Hehuan Sect away at the door. I have long heard of the famous Carving Dragon Palm, so today this humble Daoist wishes to seek guidance.”

Though Sang Jingxing was egotistical, he still dared not underestimate the master of Chunyang Monastery. “As you wish. Please start, Abbot Chen.”

Before Yuan Zixiao had ranked the world’s martial experts, people considered Yi Pichen for top three in the world. Though Yuan Zixiao now said that Yi Pichen’s martial abilities ranked between third and fourth, this slightly lowered ranking didn’t diminish his status and prestige in everyone’s eyes. It would have been fine for him not to act, but now that he had agreed to the challenge, it would surely be an earth-shaking battle.

Sang Jingxing was famous for his Carving Dragon Palm, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to use a sword. At this moment, he extended his hand behind him, and Bai Rong immediately presented a longsword to him with both hands. The sheath was old-fashioned and plain, and Sang Jingxing didn’t take it either. Instead, he drew the sword directly. The blade glinted as it was revealed, akin to the evening sun piercing through mist. Just one look was enough to see that it was a good sword.

He flicked the sword downward, and his true qi immediately traveled through the blade and into the ground, sending dust and sand flying everywhere. Stones rose off the ground, as if drawn by his true qi, and then surged toward Yi Pichen in a massive wave. Sang Jingxing followed right after them, flying forward, his figure and sword merging into one. It was a dazzling sight, the epitome of perfection.

At this point, the people who’d been certain Yi Pichen would win dared not stand by this conclusion. The crowd watched the battle before them with wide eyes, deeply afraid of missing a single second of this magnificence.

Shen Qiao was watching the battle intently when Yuan Xiuxiu walked toward him, a smile on her face. “It’s already been several years since my last fight with Daoist Master Shen. I heard that the Daoist Master has made great martial progress. May Xiuxiu have the fortune of seeking guidance?”

According to the rules of the jianghu, if someone initiated a challenge, that challenge couldn’t be declined, for doing so would make you look like a coward avoiding the fight. Even if the person challenged didn’t care about their reputation, others would inevitably hold them in contempt and ridicule them in the future. Moreover, since Yuan Zixiao had just ranked Shen Qiao ahead of Yuan Xiuxiu, it was even more impossible for him to decline the challenge—otherwise he’d look unworthy of his reputation.

Before Shen Qiao could answer, though, Yu Shengyan stood up and said, “Why bother Daoist Master Shen? I’m willing to have a duel with Sect Leader Yuan.”

At any other time, he would have happily watched the show from the sidelines. Demonic practitioners were not that kind and benevolent. Even if Yu Shengyan was close to Shen Qiao, it was impossible for him to shield Shen Qiao whenever something happened. However, before his visit this time, Yan Wushi had instructed him, saying that he should “absorb some troubles for Shen Qiao when needed.” Though Yu Shengyan hadn’t understood what he was thinking, he had to strictly carry out his shizun’s instructions.

But of course, Yuan Xiuxiu didn’t take him seriously. “If your shizun came himself, I would be forced to cede some ground to him.”

The clear implication behind her words: When you’re the only one? You should just step aside!

Of course, Yu Shengyan understood. He just wanted Yuan Xiuxiu to back off, so he name-dropped Yan Wushi more directly: “Shizun isn’t far from here. He’ll arrive soon.”

Yuan Xiuxiu smiled sweetly. “Did Daoist Master Shen sell himself to Yan Wushi? To the point that he needs his consent to fight? If he’s not here, is Daoist Master Shen too afraid to make a move?”

Shen Qiao inclined his head slightly. “Since Sect Leader Yuan has invited this humble Daoist, he shall accompany her.”

He did not fall victim to Yuan Xiuxiu’s provocations. Though Hehuan Sect had impressive numbers, not all of them were grandmaster-level experts. In the end, the only true threats were Yuan Xiuxiu and Sang Jingxing. Sang Jingxing was fighting Yi Pichen, and their relative strengths had yet to be determined. However, Yuan Xiuxiu was undoubtedly superior to Li Qingyu. Among all present, it seemed that no one other than Shen Qiao could deal with Yuan Xiuxiu.

If Shen Qiao didn’t make his move today, then there was no doubt he’d witness Hehuan Sect sabotaging the Sword Trial Conference. And if Yi Pichen made any mistakes in his battle, even more people in the jianghu would be too fearful to oppose Hehuan Sect in the future.

“Truly a decisive person, Daoist Master Shen!” Yuan Xiuxiu smiled, and her figure suddenly rose from the ground as she spoke these gentle words. Two streams of black swept out of her sleeves and shot toward Shen Qiao, so quickly they left no time to react!

Those with sharp eyes could tell that the two streaks of black were a pair of longswords, but the rest were unable to see anything—they could only assume they were powerful concealed weapons of some sort.

In the blink of an eye, the flying swords were already in front of Shen Qiao, just inches from his eyelids!

His opponent’s movements were really too swift!

Fan Yuanbai and Zhou Yexue couldn’t help but yell in surprise. It seemed that Yuan Xiuxiu had held back during her duel with Li Qingyu and left him some leeway. But now she was attacking with her full strength, and as distant bystanders, they were completely unable to react in time, let alone think of how Shen Qiao should respond.

Shen Qiao didn’t draw his sword. He shook his sleeves, and his true qi surged out in two streams, rushing toward his opponent’s black swords. As the swords whistled through the air, they were blocked by a powerful wall of true qi that stopped them in their tracks. For an instant, they froze in midair.

And using just this instant, Shen Qiao drew the longsword from behind him and slashed at the air!

The sword glare was like the layered petals of a flower, blooming ring upon ring. Its magnificent beauty concealed a razor-sharp edge, one that made others afraid to look, that left them unable to meet it head-on.

Agitated by the sword qi, the black swords reversed directions and flew back, no longer under Yuan Xiuxiu’s control. Giggling, she simply grabbed both swords, then swept directly toward Shen Qiao.

Their fight was different from that of Yi Pichen and Sang Jingxing. The latter two used their presences to pressure each other—not only were they competing in swordplay, they were also sparring over whose internal energy was more profound. However, Shen Qiao and Yuan Xiuxiu were both masters of the sword. Although their internal energy was clashing and vying for supremacy, this was accompanied by their sword qi and sword mastery, and not one could be missing. Their fight drew the eye even more than the duel between Sang Jingxing and Yi Pichen, and not by a small margin. Though the crowd’s attention wavered between both fights, most were more inclined to watch Shen Qiao’s battle.

But fighting wasn’t dancing: it couldn’t be contained to a particular area, and this was no spar. Although the two of them weren’t staking their lives on the fight, they were bringing their full power to bear. Shen Qiao had already achieved the echelon of sword heart. Even leaving aside Yuan Xiuxiu, there were but a few people in the world who could compare with him. However, Yuan Xiuxiu was no pushover. Against her full might, Shen Qiao couldn’t prevail with just a few moves. If he could, that would only prove that Yuan Xiuxiu’s strength didn’t live up to her reputation or that she didn’t want to fight at all.

So the two of them fought from the gates of Chunyang Monastery to the roof, and then from the roof to the stone wall. Both parties’ qinggong had already attained the pinnacle—they immediately descended along the stone wall, their sword qi overlapping. From afar, they looked like paper dolls affixed to the stone wall, but this was, in truth, a manifestation of their formidable, transcendent qinggong.

Not only was the younger generation left dumbfounded—even Yu Shengyan couldn’t believe his eyes. After all, when he’d first picked up Shen Qiao, the man had lost almost all his martial arts, on top of being grievously injured and blind. Now, only a short time after, he’d already become this powerful. If this was the true strength of a grandmaster-level expert, then, never mind Yuan Xiuxiu—Shen Qiao might even have a chance facing off against his shifu Yan Wushi. And Yu Shengyan had just been blindly trying to make Shen Qiao call him shixiong! Thank goodness for Shen Qiao’s excellent temper, otherwise he would have never let it slide!

Zhao Chiying gave a quiet sigh. “Looks like Daoist Master Shen has been going easy on us during our sparring sessions!”

Shen Qiao was gentle and approachable, but his sword qi was exceptionally imperious and powerful. Shanhe Tongbei hummed within his hand, accompanied by its sword glare. With enough power to overturn the oceans, it resonated with heaven and earth. Though Yuan Xiuxiu seemed to have a numerical advantage by wielding two swords, Shen Qiao grew bolder as he fought while she found him increasingly strenuous to handle. That powerful, imperious sword glare was almost bearing down on her head, the pressure on her multiplying many times over.

The two of them continued fighting, from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain. It was impossible for everyone to follow them down the mountain to continue observing. When Yuan Xiuxiu saw that no one was around them, she couldn’t help but call out to him, “Wait a minute, Daoist Master Shen. I have something to say!”

Since she’d told him to stop, of course she couldn’t keep fighting. She immediately swept back, breathing a sigh of relief when Shen Qiao ceased his pursuit and feeling the immense pressure bearing down on her head suddenly disappear.

With a smile, Yuan Xiuxiu said, “When I first heard that Daoist Master Shen had killed two of our sect elders, I still couldn’t quite believe it. Looking at it now, I was indeed too blind to recognize Mount Tai.”

Though she looked relaxed, she knew in her heart that if the fight continued, she definitely would not be Shen Qiao’s match.

Shen Qiao’s heart was as clear as a mirror, open-minded and transparent. “Sect Leader Yuan deliberately led me down the mountain. I trust that it wasn’t to praise my martial arts?”

Yuan Xiuxiu pursed her lips and smiled. “Daoist Master Shen is indeed wise. I’ll be honest with you. I do have a good offer for you. Are you interested?”

“Please speak,” said Shen Qiao.

“I know you and Sang Jingxing loathe each other deeply,” she said. “He’s cruel, bloodthirsty, and lustful to the bone. There’s also Chen Gong, who repays kindness with enmity, who’s repeatedly made trouble for you, but now he’s colluding with Sang Jingxing. He even used Tai’e to ingratiate himself for an aristocratic title. He is truly a scoundrel, through and through. I also detest him. If Daoist Master Shen is willing to leave here today, to stay on the sidelines and avoid interfering with the affairs of Chunyang Monastery, I’ll hand Chen Gong over to you and help you kill Sang Jingxing as well. How about it?”

Shen Qiao slowly shook his head.

Yuan Xiuxiu raised her eyebrows and said, “What, is this not an excellent offer?”

“It’s indeed an excellent offer for me.”

“Then why did Daoist Master Shen reject it?”

“There is a long-standing enmity between Sang Jingxing and Sect Leader Yuan,” Shen Qiao replied. “Sect Leader Yuan wishes to get rid of him, but she’s had this notion for a long time. So why use this humble Daoist as an excuse? As for Chen Gong, though he is indeed a scoundrel, we don’t particularly hate each other. Even if it turns out I need to take care of him, I will find him myself, so Sect Leader Yuan need not trouble herself.”

Yuan Xiuxiu sneered. “You are so close to Yan Wushi yet refuse to cooperate with me. It seems that Daoist Master Shen is not only a hypocrite but also looks down on women!”

Shen Qiao sighed and said, “Sect Leader Yuan, your words are excessive. There’s a reason behind my relationship with Sect Leader Yan, but it’s a long story and inconvenient to elaborate on. I’ve never held any thought of looking down on Sect Leader Yuan. The world values men over women, and even if the jianghu has fewer restrictions, it’s still a hundred times more difficult for women to establish themselves within it compared to men. This is one of the main reasons why Hehuan Sect has been a repeated target for the secular world. However, under Sect Leader Yuan, Hehuan Sect has stood firm, which is naturally proof of Sect Leader Yuan’s abilities. Though this humble Daoist has also served as sect leader, my performance was far inferior to yours.”

Yuan Xiuxiu was a bit surprised. She hadn’t expected Shen Qiao to speak in her favor. Ever since she’d entered the jianghu, there had always been people who’d call her witch or demoness. Later, as her martial arts grew powerful, they no longer dared say it to her face but continued to do so behind her back. Hehuan Sect knew no taboo when it came to murder, and they took ruthless action. But if one asked around the jianghu, was there anyone who hadn’t killed before? And of the three demonic sects, Hehuan Sect wasn’t the only ruthless one. Instead, a large part of Hehuan Sect’s notoriety lay in their parasitic and sexual cultivation practices, which gave the rest of the world an impression of extreme depravity.

Her eyes sparkled brilliantly as her expression softened a little. “Daoist Master Shen’s words have touched me deeply. It’s rare to hear someone speak on behalf of Hehuan Sect. In the beginning, when Bai Rong kept showing you mercy, I thought that she was simply young and easily deceived. But now I see that she really possesses a good eye!”

Shen Qiao smiled. “I’m not speaking on behalf of Sect Leader Yuan; I was only being impartial. To tell the truth, I do not like how your honored sect conducts itself. The likes of Sang Jingxing and Huo Xijing deserve far more than death, and they are unworthy of sympathy. Those who walk different paths cannot work together, and that’s why I will never cooperate with Hehuan Sect. Right now, you are trying to stop the Sword Trial Conference, so I absolutely cannot follow your wishes. We hold different stances and viewpoints, so it’s natural that we’ll end up meeting on the battlefield.”

Yuan Xiuxiu’s appearance didn’t show her age—she looked like a young woman in her twenties, which gave her smile even more charm. “Daoist Master Shen is so considerate that even I can’t hold on any longer. Would you be willing to become an intimate associate of mine? If you don’t like the Hehuan Sect, you won’t have to deal with anyone beneath me. I also have several villas elsewhere, if Daoist Master Shen is willing…to keep our relationship a secret. No one else will know.”

How did the two of them transition from fighting to discussing matters of romantic love? Shen Qiao truly didn’t understand, but he was a sincere person, so he couldn’t use cutting remarks the way Yan Wushi did to force others to back down. Instead, he simply cupped his hands. “Thank you, Sect Leader Yuan, for your loving kindness.”

After speaking, he turned around, about to leave.

Yuan Xiuxiu smiled slightly, then flashed in front of him, blocking his path.

“Why is Daoist Master Shen in such a hurry to leave? We were having a good conversation just now! Looking at you, surely Yan Wushi hasn’t taken you to his tent. It seems to me that he doesn’t enjoy that kind of thing either. Or do you like Bai Rong more? I think that little girl also likes you a great deal. Why don’t I help the two of you get together?”

Shen Qiao felt that Yuan Xiuxiu’s attitude was somewhat odd. A flash of understanding hit him, and he blurted out, “Are you trying to stall for time, to keep me here on purpose?”