“Peach Origin Sword, come forth.”
This was the first time Xing Shuishui heard He Liansheng call his sword’s name.
She watched as the silver sword flew from He Liansheng’s hand. Unlike before, its speed and power were breathtaking. Silver arcs flashed like starry rain, spawning deadly peach blossoms that were beautiful yet dangerous. The sword’s intent pressed down like a vast blanket.
The City Lord’s face changed. He couldn’t believe He Liansheng’s cultivation level.
“Celestial Master?”
“You’re a Celestial Master!”
“That’s the He family’s swordplay. You’re from the He family? How is this possible? So young yet at the ninth level! Impossible!”
Hundreds of puppet strings snapped and fell like shooting stars in the blink of an eye.
The Soul-Trapping Formation also dispersed as its core was destroyed. Pale sunlight filtered through the dark clouds above.
“I told you you’d die more miserably,” He Liansheng walked toward him slowly with his sword, looking down at him. “You were blind in this life. Be more careful in the next.”
He pressed his sword against the other’s chest, his lips curling coldly. He didn’t strike immediately – when the other stepped back, he stepped forward, seeming to enjoy the torment.
Just as He Liansheng was losing patience, the City Lord grabbed the sword tip, his voice icy: “We’ll meet again.”
As the puppet strings scattered, the City Lord’s eyes shifted from fearless to confused to frightened. He collapsed on the ground staring at He Liansheng’s Peach Origin Sword, his previous arrogance gone: “Master, please spare me!”
He Liansheng looked bored.
Xing Shuishui seized the moment to run over and ask: “What’s going on between you two? Why was there a Soul-Trapping Formation in your mansion?”
City Lord: “This humble official… doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”
He Liansheng pressed his sword to his throat: “Do you know now?”
The City Lord was terrified: “No, don’t kill me! I had no choice. That ghost immortal came to me himself, threatening my family’s lives. My poor young daughter died by his hand! He said if I followed his instructions, he’d give me an immortality elixir after succeeding. I was foolish for a moment—”
“I don’t even know what this thing is! I just did what he told me!”
Li Guanxing rolled his eyes: “So you followed his orders to send people jade sculptures that would kill entire families? You colluded with him, caused so many deaths, and set up evil formations. If he told you to eat shit, would you do that too?”
City Lord: “Master, I was forced! I didn’t want to do this. Think about it – he’s a ghost, I’m human. How could a mere mortal like me fight against a ghost?”
Li Guanxing crossed his arms: “Slick talker. Our Li family’s previous generation Uncle Shixu was good friends with the notorious Yinshan Patriarch, yet he didn’t lose his principles when it mattered. As soon as he discovered Guan Zizi practicing evil arts, he reported him to Lingshan. What did you do?”
The City Lord broke into a cold sweat: “I’m just a lowly ninth-rank official with elderly parents and a family to care for. How can I compare to Immortal Li! Besides, that bastard killed my daughter – I hate him too! Please, immortal masters, you must avenge my daughter.”
Li Guanyu sighed: “Guanxing, let it go. Why keep pressing him? If we must blame someone, blame that crafty demon.”
Li Guanxing: “Sister! He killed so many people and just tried to harm us.”
Li Guanyu said: “We’re fine, aren’t we?”
“I don’t care, there must be justice in this world, otherwise every evil cultivator’s lackey will cry wrongful persecution. I’ll send word to the local governor. Let them handle this.”
The City Lord’s face turned pale.
Xing Shuishui stared at the siblings, lost in thought. She only noticed He Liansheng standing behind her when she felt Qitong’s murderous intent in her sleeve. She composed herself and turned to boast: “Wasn’t I clever? Anyone else would have hesitated.”
Not hesitating was actually a big giveaway – if she hadn’t seen a Celestial Master’s power in her previous life, she wouldn’t have been so decisive.
He Liansheng looked her up and down before making a cutting remark: “Sure, save your energy for spouting such nonsense to Li Guanyu.”
Though as harsh as ever, there were no other probing questions.
Xing Shuishui secretly sighed in relief. It was good he wasn’t suspicious.
The group walked out of the City Lord’s mansion. The weather was unusually nice, with the sun high and clouds gilded. Before the Soul-Trapping Formation was broken, the whole sky had been gloomy.
Li Guanxing said: “I told you the weather here was strange, always gloomy like it was about to rain. Sister, you didn’t believe me at first.”
Li Guanyu smiled: “Of course Guanxing knows better.”
Li Guanxing said: “Nonsense, Sister is the best in the world.”
Xing Shuishui didn’t want to hear him speak and walked a bit to the side. Li Guanxing said irritably: “The matter is basically resolved, why are you still following us? Don’t tell me you want to follow us to Fengdu?”
Xing Shuishui said: “Demons are everywhere. I’m safest with you all. Who else should I follow?”
“Where are these demons you speak of?”
Xing Shuishui said innocently: “Whoever speaks to me is a demon.”
“You!”
Only Li Guanyu worried: “The mastermind has seen Shuishui. They might seek revenge against her. This isn’t over yet.”
Xing Shuishui smiled: “Sister Guanyu, you’re the best.”
Li Guanxing: “Fine, follow if you must. Don’t blame me when the netherworld officials appear and scare you to death!”
Xing Shuishui kept a straight face. Netherworld officials…? Not bad, still less scary than He Liansheng.
Near mealtime, they found a restaurant that was already packed with people. The dishes and snacks looked, smelled, and tasted wonderful.
By then, night had fallen.
Li Guanyu asked the waiter about families planning funerals soon and sent a spirit crane with a message to that family’s master.
Xing Shuishui was very curious how Lingshan communicated with netherworld officials. After all, in her previous life when her sister died, she had desperately wanted to visit the netherworld to see her.
She’d heard only Lingshan people had this art of communicating between the mortal realm and netherworld. Even though Lihua Manor was on bad terms with Lingshan then, she still went to beg. She’d forgotten what the sect master from a hundred years ago looked like, only remembering that he made her kneel for three days. She did it, but they broke their word. They used those three days to set up a trap, and when she fled back to Lihua Manor, she was seriously wounded.
She wondered if He Liansheng’s master was that hateful old man from back then.
Indeed, birds of a feather flock together – master and disciple were equally detestable.
“If you’re eating, just eat. Why stare at He Liansheng for so long? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him?” Li Guanxing’s words were shocking.
He Liansheng looked up coldly. Li Guanxing’s bowl instantly turned to dust. He immediately jumped up to complain: “Sister, was that necessary? It was just a joke.”
Xing Shuishui snapped back to reality and cried out: “I know you don’t like me, but do you have to joke about a lady’s reputation?”
Li Guanyu became angry at once: “Apologize to Shuishui! Don’t say such things again.”
Li Guanxing looked at his sister very pitifully before finally managing: “Sorry…”
Xing Shuishui: “Didn’t hear that.”
Li Guanyu: “Say it again.”
Li Guanxing said through gritted teeth: “I’m sorry!”
They thought that would be the end of it. But He Liansheng said coldly: “I didn’t hear clearly.”
Li Guanxing didn’t dare provoke him and practically shouted the words “I’m sorry,” causing everyone around to turn and look.
“If you have nothing better to do, go practice formations with your useless sister. Next time you might not even recognize the formation’s core and embarrass your master. Don’t let me hear inappropriate things from your mouth again,” He Liansheng looked at him with contempt. “If there’s a second time, don’t think I won’t kill you.”
He spoke so arrogantly, but Li Guanxing could only swallow his anger. Xing Shuishui almost laughed seeing his face puffed up like a pufferfish.
He Liansheng turned to look at her. Xing Shuishui knew he attacked indiscriminately and lowered her head to look at the fish in her bowl.
The young man said: “Didn’t you want me to praise your cleverness?”
Xing Shuishui shook her head frantically. That would be asking for trouble.
He Liansheng looked down. She ate very lightly – her bowl contained okra, vegetable leaves, and steamed fish. Though there was sweet wine on the table, she only poured herself water.
He smirked and suddenly called to the waiter: “Bring some realgar wine.”
Li Guanyu: “He Lian, what are you doing?”
Xing Shuishui looked up with a bad feeling.
Realgar wine… Wasn’t that what made Lady White Snake reveal her true form in the legend?
He Liansheng narrowed his eyes: “You look very nervous?”
So he had never stopped being suspicious. How exhausting…
The realgar wine came quickly. Xing Shuishui really disliked its pungent smell. She put down her chopsticks and said quietly: “I don’t drink. I can’t handle alcohol.”
She pushed the wine cup away, but He Liansheng pushed it back.
“The wine’s already here and you’re telling me you won’t drink?”
He Liansheng smiled, clearly running out of patience. He stared into her eyes, his voice cold: “Don’t haggle with me. When I tell you to drink, you drink.”
Xing Shuishui stared at him blankly. He Liansheng showed no mercy, determined that she must drink today.
After a moment of silence, Xing Shuishui picked up the realgar wine and took a sip.
Li Guanxing watched her intently too. He had also long felt something odd about Xing Shuishui. How could He Liansheng be blind to it? He had targeted her several times trying to make her leave, yet she stupidly kept following. Didn’t she know how cruel He Liansheng could be?
The realgar wine went down her throat like fire, the spiciness making Xing Shuishui close her eyes in discomfort.
She drank it and didn’t transform.
A quarter hour passed, still no transformation.
Everyone was surprised. Xing Shuishui was still Xing Shuishui, just looking a bit unsteady. She “accidentally” knocked over the remaining half cup of realgar wine, spilling it all over He Liansheng.
The young man’s white clothes were stained with wine. He looked down at them, his expression darkening.
She smiled at him apologetically.
Li Guanyu felt very sympathetic: “Enough. Look how uncomfortable she is. I’ll take her back to her room first.”
Xing Shuishui was actually quite clear-headed.
Realgar wine? That was what Du Dizhu had tried every way possible to make her drink in her previous life, thinking forcing her to reveal her true form would make her easier to deal with. But after drinking it, nothing happened. They only later realized realgar wine only worked on animal spirits – peach blossom spirits were plants.
Idiots! These Lingshan people really were inexperienced.
She clung to Li Guanyu, smiling: “Sister Guanyu is so nice. Sister Guanyu is the best person in the world. That wine really tastes awful, I don’t understand why he had to force me to drink it.”
Li Guanyu seemed to want to say something but stopped. Xing Shuishui was thinking, finally I can get away from that difficult He Liansheng!
He Liansheng saw she could still smile and felt inexplicably irritated. He stood up and grabbed Xing Shuishui’s arm.
“Let’s go.”
Xing Shuishui looked confused. Another scheme? What was he up to now?
The more she acted this way, the more He Liansheng wanted to make her cry. He smiled coldly: “Didn’t you want someone to take you back to your room?”
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