After three consecutive matches, Su Zhuyi’s reputation had already spread.

She would defeat people on the platform in just a few moves. In this match, before her Blazing Palm could even strike out, her opponent threw himself off the martial arts platform. To see such a perceptive person in a righteous sect, Su Zhuyi secretly praised his shamelessness in her heart.

After this match, only the final one remained. The final match was between her and Qin Chuan. Su Zhuyi felt no pressure at all—first place was already in the bag.

The Sword Tomb opened once every thirty years, and each time only a hundred disciples under a hundred years of bone age could enter to select swords. The allocation of these spots was related to the competition results. The first-place sect could have ten spots. If Su Zhuyi took first place, she could secure ten spots for the Gujian Sect. Qinghe’s first place would also be no problem, meaning Gujian Sect could have at least twenty disciples enter to select swords this time, quite good indeed.

Su Zhuyi also wanted to go to the Sword Tomb.

Though she had no interest in the sword dao, she was determined to obtain one particular sword inside.

The current Qin Chuan hadn’t yet obtained the Songfeng Sword.

She didn’t want the Songfeng Sword, which had been inseparable from Qin Jianglan, to fall into Qin Chuan’s hands. Though that person was gone and Heaven had stuffed a Qin Chuan into fill the gap and replace him, in Su Zhuyi’s heart, Qin Jianglan remained an irreplaceable existence.

So she wanted to obtain his sword.

People used to say Qin Jianglan only loved his sword, that he was obsessed with swords to the point of madness. Su Zhuyi felt proud in her heart—she had made that Songfeng Sword take second place. Embracing a cold, emotionless sword—how could that compare to embracing a graceful beauty? Even Qin Jianglan, that universally praised Riverside Immortal, couldn’t escape the emotions of the mortal world.

On the way back, Su Zhuyi encountered Qin Chuan again.

“Master has already agreed to let them just call me Qin Chuan from now on.” Qin Chuan stood somewhat awkwardly before Su Zhuyi, asking anxiously: “Is it alright if I’m just called Qin Chuan?”

He had told his master about meeting a childhood friend and remembering his parents, who died tragically in Changning Village. He wanted to be called Qin Chuan so that the name his parents gave him could be known by others, by more people, even by the whole world. Qin Chuan wasn’t stupid either—with this explanation, he easily got his master’s agreement without much effort.

Su Zhuyi nodded and said indifferently: “See you on the martial arts platform tomorrow.”

Even though this face was a good prospect, much more worth seducing than men like Gujian Sect’s Gu Feiyue and others, Su Zhuyi still didn’t want to bother with him.

This inexplicable persistence was probably her gratitude and affection for that old dog Qin in her heart.

The female demon head originally couldn’t allow herself to have such emotions in her heart. But since the object of her affection was a dead person, and she had only truly come to like him after his death, she frowned slightly and silently endured it.

Qin Chuan had wanted to take Su Zhuyi around to see the sights and show her around Yunxiao Sect, but Su Zhuyi seemed to dislike him and was very cold toward him. He could sense this and felt somewhat uneasy.

Did Little Master dislike him? Why?

He stood there in a daze, watching Su Zhuyi’s departing figure, feeling bitter inside. The light in his bright eyes seemed covered by dark clouds, no longer bright.

The next day, in the final match between Su Zhuyi and Qin Chuan, it didn’t take many moves before Qin Chuan was knocked off the platform by Su Zhuyi.

Qin Chuan hadn’t used his full strength. Su Zhuyi could sense this, but she wouldn’t take such trivial matters to heart. After stepping down from the platform and estimating that her senior brother’s match had just begun, she planned to go take a look.

She left the martial arts platform and went with several fellow disciples to the venue where Qinghe was competing. Seeing her smiling at everyone else, Qinghe felt even more troubled.

Little Master was the person he most revered in his youth.

She was also his savior, and when they met again, she was the person who made his heart race.

But she disliked him.

Qin Chuan silently walked toward Crane Garden, planning to return and practice swordsmanship. Only when practicing swords could he forget worldly troubles. But after just a few steps, he heard a voice say: “Junior Brother Qin, in the final match concerning our sect’s reputation, you didn’t give your all. You…”

He turned to see a fellow disciple looking at him with extreme agitation, appearing heartbroken as if she were the one who lost the match, looking so wronged she was about to cry.

“Senior Sister Qi, my skills were inferior.” Qin Chuan didn’t want to say more and turned to leave.

But Qi Yue continued: “You’re too disappointing.” As she spoke, Yunxiao Sect disciples all looked at Qin Chuan, wondering inwardly whether he truly hadn’t tried his best. However, the idea that Su Zhuyi was very formidable had already taken root, so they hadn’t thought so at the time. After all, though Qin Chuan had high talent and good aptitude, his current cultivation was mid-Foundation Establishment, several stages lower than Su Zhuyi’s. Losing was quite normal. But hearing Qi Yue’s words, they became somewhat suspicious—that match had been rather unspectacular.

Qin Chuan paused, looking at Qi Yue with a cool gaze as he slowly said: “What does that have to do with me?”

Your disappointment—what’s that got to do with me?

Qi Yue was choked by his words, her face alternating between red and white. After Qin Chuan said this, he left without looking back.

…

At this moment, Su Zhuyi had already arrived with her fellow disciples above Qinghe’s competition venue.

Qinghe and his opponent were in an illusion.

The competition venue for disciples over three hundred years old was full of traps and variables. The valley where Qinghe was located looked like a mass grave. There had originally been many buildings in the valley, but now they were all ruins.

“This martial arts venue looks so eerie,” said a disciple beside Su Zhuyi.

At this time, Elder Liu, who had been in the viewing stands for a while, explained: “Yunxiao Sect wants to win, but they also know their disciples can’t match Qinghe’s strength, so they can only play some tricks with the competition environment. This sword platform contains illusions that can affect one’s mind. When the mind is disturbed, swordsmanship becomes chaotic. Whoever can quickly see through the illusion will have better odds. However, this opponent isn’t from Yunxiao Sect—they should be preparing for the final match.”

Previously, when Qinghe took the stage, he could defeat opponents with just one sword strike, making it impossible to fathom his depth. Now, with this illusion and a swordsmanship expert testing him, they could finally make Qinghe reveal his capabilities.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.

Seeing Qinghe in the illusion, Su Zhuyi sensed something ominous.

Qinghe was now essentially the Longquan Sword. If the illusion were some bloody, malevolent environment, would it cause the Longquan Sword to have problems again? Thinking of this, Su Zhuyi immediately examined the martial arts platform, sweeping it with her divine sense.

The illusion in the martial arts platform was arranged through array formations. This type of array was called Mirage Scenery, where the scenes that appeared had all truly existed. Being within the illusion was like being there in person. Yunxiao Sect had made quite an investment, using Mirage Scenery arrays just for a disciple’s sword match. Su Zhuyi walked around the viewing platform and lay down at the edge, shouting toward Qinghe inside: “Senior Brother, Senior Brother, Senior Brother, that person is three zhang to your left front—quickly strike him down!”

Today, she wore no makeup as usual, but instead of simply tying up her hair, she had arranged it in a Lingxu topknot. There were no other ornaments, only a tender pink flower embedded in her hair. Her skin was white and tender, the pink flower in her hair complementing the flush on her cheeks. Combined with her current posture of leaning against the stone railing of the viewing stand, her body leaning forward with her back foot slightly raised, she displayed an air of innocence. Though her features were the dazzling, eye-catching noble beauty of a peony, her expression and movements were like a lotus emerging from clear water—a beauty between gorgeous and pure, like that dazzling light in the sky partially veiled by clouds, softly and gently shining through, making people unable to look away, finding her pleasing to the eye and unable to shift their gaze.

Normally, watching cultivators weren’t allowed to approach the viewing stand and lean against the stone railing, but Su Zhuyi was worried about her senior brother. Standing there calling out softly, her voice melodious and pleasant, no one was so tactless as to scold her to leave. Someone even laughingly reminded her: “Your senior brother is in an illusion—he can’t hear you.”

Su Zhuyi secretly drew talismans on the stone railing with her finger. She could only use this method to send a message to Qinghe inside.

What message would be good to send? Something that would make him react?

Seeing Qinghe’s expression seemed somewhat wrong, his eyes slightly reddened, Su Zhuyi became nervous. Her mind turned, and at the moment the array talisman was completed, she shouted: “Senior Brother, finish quickly and come out! Master sent us a transmission jade slip saying she misses us!”

Elder Liu: “…”

She didn’t believe Luo Ying would say such words.

But these words were extremely effective. Qinghe moved, thrusting out his sword with extreme speed. The sword shadow was uncatchable. As the flying sword stabbed toward his opponent’s heart, Qinghe’s eyes became clear, and he moved his hand to the side, stabbing the shoulder instead.

Then, without waiting for others to dispel the illusion, he touched the ground with his toe and flew into the air, actually leaping out of the illusion and breaking the Mirage Scenery formation.

He landed beside Su Zhuyi and asked: “Where’s the jade slip?”

His presence was overwhelming, as if she would be directly cut down with one sword if she didn’t produce it. The surrounding people were all affected by that pressure and felt uncomfortable, yet Su Zhuyi could still look at him and smile: “It was in the illusion—of course, the jade slip was fake too.”

“Do you think Master would send us transmissions?”

His expression darkened as he turned to leave. After two steps, he stopped and turned back, gesturing for Su Zhuyi to come along.

When they returned to Su Zhuyi’s temporary room, he said in a low voice: “The Longquan Sword’s malevolent qi can’t be completely removed. After disappearing, it regenerates. Besides, besides…”

At this point, Qinghe’s expression changed. He paused before continuing: “Besides that method, are there no other ways?”

After all, the sword body contained his ancestor’s flesh, blood, and primordial spirit, along with countless vengeful souls and resentful qi. Though the malevolent qi was temporarily suppressed, it would regenerate. He had thought that after ten years of soaking, the malevolent qi had disappeared, but unexpectedly, it had returned. Just now, in the illusion, he had almost allowed the Longquan Sword to go on a killing spree.

“Don’t know.” Su Zhuyi shook her head.

“Little Junior Sister, why do you understand so much?” Qinghe knew that in the illusion, Su Zhuyi had helped him. He had always been quite curious but had been too lazy to ask. However, yesterday, even heavenly thunder had struck her crookedly, and the Straw Man substitute she had prepared had come in handy. This made Qinghe increasingly amazed, and he finally couldn’t resist asking.

“Why does heavenly thunder strike you? I can see this seemed to be within your expectations—you prepared early.”

Su Zhuyi glanced at him sideways and chuckled twice: “Because I’m so beautiful it angers both heaven and man, and because I’m not only beautiful but also smart.” She first cupped her face with both hands, then pointed to her head with a finger, looking completely pleased with herself.

Qinghe glanced at her indifferently, snorted lightly, and walked away with a disdainful expression.

Su Zhuyi: “…”

She was telling the truth! Wasn’t she beautiful and smart? What kind of look was that? Hmph!