The atmosphere in Huayu Tower was tense.
Shangguan Houyue refused to back down, ordering: “Stop him.”
The young man sneered: “You think you can?”
He seized a sword from someone and coldly faced Shangguan Houyue. The bells on the eaves chimed – in the blink of an eye, his sword was before them. His speed and swordsmanship left everyone stunned.
Including Shangguan Houyue herself.
She raised her sword to block, sparks flying where the blades met. Soon more people fell in the tower, creating chaos. Shangguan Houyue glanced at the young man’s wrist – no red string. Her expression darkened further: “Who are you really?”
If he wasn’t deliberately suppressing his power to avoid being recognized, these two would be beyond dead! Throwing them in the Soul-Devouring River would be too kind.
“Who am I?” Though He Liansheng wanted to kill her, thinking of Xing Shuishui falling into the river made him irritated. “You don’t deserve to know.”
As Shangguan Houyue tried to pursue, the young man’s fingertips sparked with flame, instantly setting the entire Huayu Tower ablaze.
“Watch carefully. Next time will be your death.”
With that, he broke through a window and left Huayu Tower.
One moment Xing Shuishui was wondering what to do, the next she had fallen into the river. Ice-cold water flooded her clothes, bone-chilling cold attacking her as countless bubbles filled her vision.
So cold.
She’d forgotten she was afraid of water…
As a child she’d nearly drowned in a pond while playing. If help hadn’t come in time, she would have died. Xing Shuishui couldn’t worry about that now – exposed or not, the concealment talisman would fail in water anyway.
But just as she tried to cast a water-repelling spell, intense dizziness interrupted her incantation. Her head felt ready to explode, as if something was attacking her consciousness – there was something wrong with this river water!
No wonder Shangguan Houyue’s look had been strange earlier. No wonder that strike had seemed so certain.
Where was He Liansheng?
Someone as cold as him probably wouldn’t save her.
Xing Shuishui didn’t want to die. Even as consciousness grew hazier, she still struggled to surface.
When He Liansheng arrived, this was what he saw: the girl pale-faced, clothes and hair floating in the water, showing fear he’d never seen on her face before.
It seemed she’d been affected. Compared to her, the Soul-Devouring River’s water barely affected him.
He Liansheng grabbed her hand, examining her bedraggled state with mockery: “I’m here to save you. Stop struggling if you don’t want to become a water ghost.”
“You’re the water ghost. Stay away from me!”
Xing Shuishui’s mind was too affected to recognize He Liansheng. The more he held her, the more she struggled. Frustrated, he could only cross her hands and pin them together – this finally made her settle down.
He coldly looked toward the Soul-Devouring Flower at the river bottom.
This was the cause.
His Taoyuan sword flew out and cut the flower stem. The Soul-Devouring Flower withered. The previously calm river began to churn.
He Liansheng just wanted to leave this cursed river. But as he pulled Xing Shuishui up, she seemed to realize something. She stopped struggling but gripped his arm tightly as if afraid he’d abandon her.
Her grip was quite tight. Her fingers nearly dug into his clothes.
He Liansheng suddenly remembered she’d mentioned being afraid of water that day on the boat. Afraid of water…
No wonder she’d struggled so violently at first.
He turned back, finger touching her brow, about to cast a water-repelling spell. It was then that He Liansheng noticed something wrong.
Spirit energy – a very faint trace of spirit energy. So subtle it would be hard to detect without keen senses.
His eyes instantly turned cold, killing intent barely concealed. The Taoyuan sword in his hand seemed ready to draw blood.
However, the Soul-Devouring Flower had been cut. Weak water spirits avoided him completely… where did this foolish one come from?
He Liansheng thought of something and sharply looked at the only person nearby – Xing Shuishui.
Complete silence fell.
Meanwhile.
Li Guanxing heard Huayu Tower was on fire and immediately thought He Liansheng might be responsible. He pushed open He Liansheng’s door to find the room empty. Going to find his sister, Li Guanyu had just come out of Xing Shuishui’s room. They both saw worry in each other’s eyes.
“Guanxing, you didn’t find them either?” Her tone was anxious.
Li Guanxing reassured his sister: “Maybe Xing Shuishui wanted snacks and they went to buy some.”
Xue Sansi came out from the neighboring room, asking curiously: “Who are you looking for?”
Li Guanxing said: “Looks like you’re searching for someone yourself.”
Li Guanyu kept a straight face: “Master Xue, up so late – couldn’t sleep and taking a walk?”
Xue Sansi smiled, pointing at the blazing Huayu Tower in the distance: “Indeed couldn’t sleep. Came out to watch the fireworks before going back. Quite lively now, isn’t it?”
It was certainly lively. Many cultivators and great spirits in the inn rushed out when they heard the commotion, leaning on railings or using lightness skills to jump onto roofs to watch Huayu Tower. There was shock, confusion, and anger.
After all, most people had come for the Spirit Pupil Blade.
Now before the matchmaking conference even began, something had happened at Huayu Tower. Hard not to think of thieves.
“How did it catch fire? What happened? Accident or deliberate?”
“I heard thieves broke into Huayu Tower tonight. That thief was impressive – the tower master still hasn’t caught them!”
“Damn, what about my spirit blade? I even tricked my sister into coming to use her beauty to help!”
“Ha, looking like that and talking about beauty?”
“You want a fight?”
The voices were chaotic. Li Guanxing’s mouth twitched.
Xue Sansi asked as if casually: “Where’s He Liansheng?”
Li Guanxing paused before saying: “Isn’t that obvious? He’s never interested in these things.”
Xue Sansi: “Oh? Is that so?”
Li Guanxing ignored him.
Back at the room, he still couldn’t help knocking on He Liansheng’s door. Li Guanyu was worried since He Liansheng hadn’t told them anything.
One knock.
Two knocks.
Three knocks.
No response.
On the fourth knock, an impatient voice came from the room: “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Li Guanxing was overjoyed but didn’t show it, giving a challenging look at Xue Sansi nearby. Xue Sansi just smiled again, opened his fan and went into his room.
Knowing He Liansheng had returned, they didn’t rush to ask questions, each returning to their rooms. If anything was wrong, he’d tell them tomorrow. But just as they were about to return, Li Guanyu suddenly received a message. Li Guanxing looked questioningly at his sister. Li Guanyu stood stunned for a long while after hearing the message.
Li Guanxing thought He Liansheng had revealed some earth-shattering secret. He moved closer to ask: “Sister, what did he say?”
Li Guanyu’s expression stiffened before she finally said: “He asked me to help get a clean dress.”
Li Guanxing only cared about one thing: “We’re paying?”
Li Guanyu’s smile stiffened again: “He’s paying.”
“That’s good then.”
Amidst all the chaos, He Liansheng laid Xing Shuishui on the bed.
Unlike outside, the room was very quiet.
He had a purifying spell in his room. Sandalwood incense also helped clear the mind.
Fresh from the river, Xing Shuishui was soaked through, water dripping from her hair and dress hem. Her consciousness was still affected by the Soul-Devouring Flower, leaving her unconscious.
He observed for a while.
He Liansheng couldn’t forget the spirit energy he’d sensed in the Soul-Devouring River.
The energy was scattered and faint, characteristic of minor spirits.
But he’d tested several times before. There had been no sign at all.
The young man lowered his head, eyes narrowing as his fingers pulled her collar slightly aside, revealing a crumpled concealment talisman.
The talisman was failing from the water, allowing the peach blossom spirit’s energy to spread from Xing Shuishui. As he’d guessed, it was weak – the kind of minor spirit they usually caught easily, the kind that trembled at their sight.
Yet she’d danced under his nose for so long.
He recalled their earlier confrontation.
“Why hide? Will I eat you?” — “He Liansheng, step aside, I can go back to my room alone.”
“Are you afraid of me?” — “I was wrong.”
Why she hid, why she feared, why she always deflected with “I was wrong.”
Everything became clear, finding its answer.
Outside, stars fell and fires blazed – a spectacular sight. Cultivators and great spirits stayed awake all night, celebrating and discussing the Huayu Tower fire. Insects chirped endlessly as moths circled lanterns.
Inside, someone had unfortunately uncovered a deception.
After learning everything, He Liansheng felt no sense of betrayal. His mood was surprisingly calm.
It was just fucking funny.
Sitting by her bed, staring at Xing Shuishui who looked so obedient while sleeping, not lying to anyone.
His bitter thoughts wouldn’t stop.
Is this how you draw a concealment talisman? — No wonder it fails in water.
Such crude talisman techniques. — Which idiot taught her to draw like this? One symbol is completely wrong, crooked like that. If Master saw this drawing he’d probably cough blood from anger.
The young man’s gaze was contemptuous as spirit fire ignited in his hand, instantly consuming the failed concealment talisman. Then a new talisman paper hung in the air. He bit his finger to draw the talisman, making it glow dark red.
He added an illusion – making it identical to Xing Shuishui’s.
Now even the Jade Emperor himself would think she was human.
He Liansheng stood up, moonlight covering his shoulders. The young man’s expression was cold, whitening his handsome features.
He lowered his eyes, recalling his conversation with Hua Yiling in the dimensional space.
He Liansheng asked: “What are the conditions for the Heart-Linking String technique to work?”
Silence for a long while.
He Liansheng continued: “I’m asking you a question, old man.”
Hua Yiling smiled: “Conditions? Haven’t you guessed yourself?”
“It’s – a moment of heart movement.”
“Harsh, isn’t it? Even lovers can’t always meet this condition. I didn’t expect Little Yue to use this technique, perhaps she wanted to test you. Yet it actually worked.”
He Liansheng couldn’t help but laugh.
Perhaps that day on Fanheart Cliff, when Xing Shuishui ran over with an umbrella saying: “I thought about it – if I left alone, you might be very lonely…”
Whether sincere or not, whatever the purpose, the Heart-Linking String technique had worked.
Not because of these words. Not because of this action. He Liansheng hated it most when people gave him fake pity. It was just because at that moment as spring rain fell, she lowered her head, hair pressing against her brows, the sadness in her eyes impossible to fake.
Not pity, not sympathy.
But empathy.
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