Nothing major happened afterwards, except for the Huayu Tower’s city-wide search for thieves that eventually faded away. The matchmaking conference date drew near.
He Liansheng was exceptionally vigilant, and Xing Shuishui still hadn’t found a chance to make her move. Taking the Spirit Suppression Tower safely seemed impossible unless He Liansheng was somehow injured to the point of unconsciousness.
But with Du Dizhu gone, hardly anyone in the entire Ninth Prefecture could hurt him. If all else failed, she would have to take it by force.
That was her plan. She couldn’t delay any longer.
Three days passed in a flash.
Soon, Guan Mulan arrived in the Ninth Prefecture. Li Guanyu received the message early and looked out the window.
It was the rainy season. Rain fell steadily, willow trees dripped with green, and the inn leaked in places, drawing complaints from many guests.
Xing Shuishui leaned against the upstairs railing, noticing Xue Sansi constantly staring at her thoughtfully below. She looked away, but He Liansheng directly blocked his view, giving Xue Sansi a cold look.
Xue Sansi returned an equally cold stare.
Tension filled the air. Xing Shuishui was startled.
Just then, there was movement at the door.
The inn’s door opened and someone came through the rain, without an umbrella, using only a giant lotus leaf for shelter. Anyone who didn’t know better might think this person was crazy.
Looking at their appearance: wooden hairpin holding their hair, loose strands falling, wearing a gray Taoist robe, with delicate features – clearly an otherworldly Taoist priestess.
She surveyed everyone with sharp eyes.
The rain was heavy, but Xing Shuishui noticed not a single drop fell on this person, and guessed her identity.
When the woman looked her way, she hid behind He Liansheng.
People began discussing among themselves.
“What’s going on? Does this inn now allow beggars to come in?”
“How can someone be so poor they can’t even afford an umbrella?”
Only Xue Sansi smiled insincerely: “Sect Leader Guan has come from so far away, have you also taken interest in that young master? Then I’ll wish Sect Leader Guan luck in finding a suitable husband.”
The subtle sarcasm nearly made Li Guanxing kick him. Li Guanyu stepped forward: “Senior.”
Guan Mulan nodded in acknowledgment, glanced at He Liansheng who stood motionless upstairs, and said expressionlessly to Xue Sansi: “I’m here to take someone.”
Everyone in the building froze.
Guan Mulan put away her lotus leaf: “Now that I’m here, all relevant parties cannot escape. If you don’t want trouble, leave the Ninth Prefecture now.”
At this point, everyone realized the lotus leaf in her hand was actually a magical tool.
Gradually people recognized Guan Mulan: “May I ask who Sect Leader Guan is here to take?”
Guan Mulan replied: “The master of Huayu Tower, Hua Yue.”
Someone else asked: “What crime has the tower master committed?”
Guan Mulan: “Lingshan’s affairs need no explanation.”
How arrogant. In comparison, Li Guanyu’s group was much more low-key. But it made sense. When juniors from Lingshan handled the same matter, it was training; when seniors came, the nature of things changed. Just like that day in her previous life when the Guan family was destroyed.
Xing Shuishui was no longer surprised, resting her hands on the bustling balcony, while He Liansheng found Guan Mulan irritating and turned to leave.
“He Liansheng.” Guan Mulan called out to him.
He Liansheng didn’t stop. Xing Shuishui looked back, meeting Guan Mulan’s gaze.
Guan Mulan ignored her and spoke to He Liansheng: “There are important matters to discuss in Guanyu’s room. Now is not the time for personal grudges.”
She finally looked at Xing Shuishui and said: “She’s not allowed to come.”
He Liansheng stopped walking and smiled mockingly: “You think I’ll come?”
Were these two about to fight? Xing Shuishui quietly stepped aside, but hadn’t gone far before He Liansheng caught her and pulled her back.
The young man crossed his arms and looked provocatively at Guan Mulan: “You want me to come? Then she comes too.”
Used as a bargaining chip again. Xing Shuishui wanted to stab a voodoo doll of him to death.
Guan Mulan was furious: “You’re being completely unreasonable!”
Li Guanxing set up a sound barrier, and after much persuasion from Li Guanyu, the two finally sat together. With Guan Mulan involved, matters concerning the Ninth Prefecture became much simpler.
Guan Mulan said: “You should understand the Sect Leader’s intentions. Shangguan Houyue is a child I watched grow up, she’s always been very respectful of me. This time she made a mistake. If I handle it, it won’t cause her to lose face but will still serve as a warning…”
Li Guanyu listened carefully. Li Guanxing was more interested in watching He Liansheng.
He Liansheng wasn’t listening at all, instead watching Xing Shuishui who came running over with fruit platters.
Xing Shuishui carried not just one platter but several, walking unsteadily as if they might all crash down any second.
Yet she seemed unconcerned, running quickly. She accidentally stepped on a raised part of the floor, cried out, and began to fall forward.
He Liansheng gathered spiritual power at his fingertips, about to cast a spell.
Guan Mulan was faster.
Xing Shuishui regained her balance, steadied the platters, and looked at Guan Mulan who had helped her. The “thank you” caught in her throat and wasn’t said. Guan Mulan didn’t mind.
Li Guanxing was stunned. He saw the spell fade from He Liansheng’s fingertips, looked at Xing Shuishui again, and his expression became extremely complicated.
Guan Mulan continued: “Leave Shangguan Houyue to me. I still need her to explain about Qitong and the matchmaking conference. You don’t need to interfere much. I’m just worried she has backup plans. On my way here through the outskirts, the energy there felt very wrong. To be safe, Guanyu, you should check it out first.”
Xing Shuishui heard the latter half and paused while holding the fruit platter, suddenly remembering what Venerable Bai Cang said before dying: My master wants all of you buried here.
It clearly wasn’t so simple.
She lowered her eyes, concealing her emotions. She wondered if these Lingshan people would discover there was another person involved. If not, she would have to handle it herself.
With Guan Mulan overseeing the Ninth Prefecture city, things would be more stable for a few days. Many cultivators and demons heard that a respected master from Lingshan had arrived and could only accept their bad luck and leave the city to avoid Lingshan’s scrutiny.
Li Guanyu’s group needed to investigate the outskirts. Xing Shuishui packed some fruit to eat on the way, but after walking out the door she encountered Li Guanxing.
Li Guanxing stopped her and said: “Let me ask you something.”
He checked repeatedly that no one was around. Xing Shuishui looked at him puzzled. Li Guanxing pulled her aside and asked: “What you said on the boat last time, does it still hold true?”
Xing Shuishui asked: “What did I say?”
Li Guanxing reminded her: “You said you could never fall in love with He Liansheng.”
Xing Shuishui: “What about it?”
Li Guanxing studied her expression: “Nothing. You’re doing the right thing.”
He suddenly became very serious: “Once He Liansheng sets his mind on something, he won’t let it go. If one day he forces you, you must tell me and my sister immediately. There are many things in the cultivation world that a mortal like you can’t get involved in. Many talented people from Lingshan view mortals as insects. Find your relatives and leave quickly, understand?”
Xing Shuishui: “?”
What had triggered him around He Liansheng to suddenly say such strange things? She understood each word but together they made no sense.
It was just… very sudden.
Seeing her confusion, Li Guanxing finally smiled and said: “Never mind.”
Xing Shuishui tried but couldn’t figure out what he meant. She made a sound of acknowledgment and walked past him. Perhaps she vaguely guessed something, but she rejected that answer and didn’t think deeper about it.
When it got dark, they went to the outskirts.
The forest there was dense and gloomy. Black branches intertwined to block the sky, and wild grass grew frantically as if possessed, nearly reaching Xing Shuishui’s knees. Walking inside, ordinary fire would extinguish immediately – only spiritual fire could provide light. It seemed like an untamed place where no one had ever set foot, without even bird calls.
Li Guanyu walked in front, staying alert: “Indeed. Senior was right, the energy here is very wrong. How did we not notice when we entered the city?”
Li Guanxing crossed his arms: “Sister, did you forget? As soon as we entered the city, didn’t someone drag us to the west side to catch people?”
But the place had been empty.
Xing Shuishui held up a lantern and muttered: “I hope no demons suddenly appear.”
Li Guanyu said: “There doesn’t seem to be any demon energy.”
Xing Shuishui was just asking casually, wondering what Venerable Bai Cang’s master was planning that would prevent them from leaving the Ninth Prefecture.
Just then, the spiritual fire lantern in her hand went out. She was startled – not really afraid of demons and ghosts, but the atmosphere was scary.
She reached out and grabbed He Liansheng.
He Liansheng just glanced at her: “You’re already scared?”
Xing Shuishui said: “If it’s not demons then it’s ghosts. I can’t use magic, of course I’m scared.”
Li Guanyu: “Guanxing, do you have any protective magical tools that Shuishui can temporarily use? The situation ahead is unclear, who knows what we’ll encounter.”
Li Guanxing searched for a while and only found a Qiankun Ring. He threw it back to Xing Shuishui, but the Peach Spring Sword knocked it out of the air.
Clang—
He Liansheng lowered his sword and produced a luminous white jade bracelet. Xing Shuishui was startled – the jade bracelet was crystal clear, obviously not an ordinary magical tool.
The young man said coldly: “Don’t embarrass yourself by bringing out something that could be destroyed by ten casual hits.”
He grabbed Xing Shuishui’s wrist and forcefully put the bracelet on her. Xing Shuishui stared at the bracelet, raising her hand then lowering it, pulling up her sleeve then rolling it up slightly, clearly very pleased.
She praised: “What a beautiful bracelet!”
He Liansheng stared at her expression for a long time before looking away, emotions constantly surging and flowing in his eyes, never peaceful for a moment.
When Li Guanxing saw this, his eyes nearly popped out: “Wait, isn’t this your mother’s keepsake? Aren’t you afraid she’ll lose it?”
He Liansheng looked up at him: “Is this any of your business?”
Li Guanxing honestly replied: “Fine.”
His mother’s keepsake? Xing Shuishui was stunned for a moment – he was actually willing to part with it? But then she thought, he probably just didn’t want her to die in the forest and cause them trouble.
But Xing Shuishui still lowered her hand and looked up to thank him: “Actually He Liansheng, you can be quite nice sometimes. You’d be even better if you weren’t always so fierce with me.”
In the quiet forest, her words were especially clear.
It was the first time anyone had called him nice. He Liansheng stared at her face for a long time, suddenly wanting to laugh.
Only she would say such a thing.
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