Chen Zui paid no mind to her confusion.
He raised his right hand and tapped lightly in midair.
A faint, almost imperceptible strand of sword qi seeped from his fingertip. Though nearly transparent in the moonlight, it caused the surrounding air to freeze for a brief moment.
That was one of the three strands of sword qi Liu Yinsheng had gifted him at Qingya Academy.
The strand in his left shoulder, meant for defense, had been used to block Cao Zhengchun's fatal blow. The strand in his right arm, meant for offense, had been exhausted in Jinyang City when blocking Qingyangzi's self-detonation.
Now, only this strand behind his heart—meant for entrapment—remained, nurtured deep within his meridians all this time.
The pale green sword qi swirled around his fingertips. Sharp yet restrained, it was like a gust of clear wind trapped within a cage.
With a flick of his finger, the strand of sword qi drifted gently to the spot between Jiang Lai's eyebrows before sinking swiftly inside, coming to rest quietly in her sea of qi.
“This is one of the three strands of sword qi Senior Liu Yinsheng gave me at Qingya Academy back then.
I no longer have any use for it, so today I pass it on to you.
Though this sword qi is meant to trap rather than kill, should you run into danger, it will be enough to ensure your safe journey home.”
Jiang Lai froze completely.
She could clearly feel the strand of sword qi floating peacefully in her sea of qi, resembling a miniature cold moon. Its sharpness was fully concealed, yet it harbored enough power to shatter any expert in the Mountain-Viewing Realm or even the Abyss-Facing Realm to pieces.
Liu Yinsheng.
He was a Sword Saint universally recognized across the Two Realms, a Boundless Realm Grandmaster who had entered the Way of the Sword through Confucianism.
A single strand of his sword qi was a priceless treasure that any martial artist could only dream of obtaining.
Though her Jiang family was one of the Eight Great Families of Grand Shuo with several Martial Arts Grandmasters serving as clan retainers, even her father might not have ever witnessed the sword qi of a Boundless Realm Grandmaster with his own eyes.
“Th-Thank you, Grandmaster Chen!”
She cupped her hands in a bow, bending much lower than before. The silver bells near her ears chimed softly. Gone was her arrogance from earlier today, replaced by the flustered hesitation of a young girl receiving a grand gift.
“Will Grandmaster Chen not come with this junior to visit the Jiang family?
If my father learns that Grandmaster Chen saved my life, he will surely host a banquet in your honor.
Given your status, your presence alone would be an honor to our entire family.”
Chen Zui waved his hand.
“I won't be going.
However, if the opportunity arises in the future, I will definitely attend your wedding with that kid Xiao Chengyan to drink a toast.
I'll be there to support you both.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lai instinctively opened her mouth to object.
Yet she swallowed the words right back down.
She kept her head down in silence for a moment. When she raised it again, there was no anger on her small face, which was flushed red from the northern wind, but rather a thoughtful expression.
She didn't understand why this world-renowned Grandmaster thought so highly of Xiao Chengyan.
However, for a figure like Chen Zui to acknowledge him, could that Xiao Chengyan truly possess something special she didn't know about?
Perhaps she could try getting to know him?
Meanwhile, in the corner, Li Wu was crouching on the ground, clutching his rusty sword to his chest.
His back was still throbbing with numbness—the lingering pain from being sent flying by the man in black's palm strike earlier.
Chen Zui walked over to him and looked down at him.
One standing and one crouching, the two remained silent for a long moment.
The night wind swept through the courtyard, slowly dispersing the dust kicked up by the earlier fierce battle.
Moonlight bathed Li Wu's grime-streaked face, rendering his expression unreadable.
Yet both of his hands held the sword far tighter than usual.
Chen Zui looked down at the cut on his arm, sliced open by a piece of gravel, and spoke in a gentler tone than usual.
“Is the injury serious?”
As if snapped back to reality by his voice, Li Wu raised his head abruptly. Meeting Chen Zui's gaze, he quickly lowered it again, his voice tight.
“N-Not serious. Just scraped off a bit of skin.”
His fingers gripping the hilt loosened and tightened repeatedly. His gaze darted away, his lips quivering several times as if wanting to say something, only to swallow it back down.
That hesitant, speech-tied look was inexplicably awkward when paired with his usual loud-mouthed, fearless demeanor.
Seeing him like this, Chen Zui couldn't help but chuckle. Squatting down beside him, he nudged his shoulder lightly with his sheath.
“What, did you get hit in the crown jewels? Why are you acting so sissified?”
Hearing this, Li Wu froze on the spot.
He raised his head to look at Chen Zui's nonchalant face, which was no different from usual.
Just moments ago, everyone in the courtyard had been utterly respectful to Chen Zui. Master Yuanzhen had been so excited he nearly ruined his cultivation focus, the young lady of the Jiang family had bowed deeply in gratitude, and even those men in black had chosen poison over facing his blade.
Because he was a Grandmaster in the Wind-Riding Realm, an unrivaled, towering figure across the Two Realms.
Whereas he, Li Wu, was merely an unaffiliated wanderer of the martial world in the Candlelight Realm. He bragged about being a top expert every day, yet couldn't even beat a single finger of Chen Zui's.
He had thought that his brotherhood with Chen Zui would come to an end tonight.
Yet hearing Chen Zui's familiar banter...
The tightness that had been stifling his chest since earlier suddenly dissipated.
His eyes stung a bit, but he forced it down. Raising his hand, he punched Chen Zui in the shoulder and swore back with a grin.
“Damn you, Chen Zui!
You kept me in the dark for so long!
No wonder you were so cool and collected every time we ran into a tough nut! I thought you were just stupidly brave, but after all this time, you're a fucking Wind-Riding Realm Grandmaster!”
Chen Zui didn't dodge, taking the punch squarely as he raised an eyebrow.
“What did I hide from you?
Didn't I tell you right from the start that my name is Chen Zui?
You were the one who refused to believe it and went around telling everyone I was an imposter.
And now you're blaming me?”
Choked up, Li Wu's face flushed red. He stiffened his neck and argued a few lines, but realizing he was indeed in the wrong, he decisively changed the subject.
His eyes fell upon the battered sword at Chen Zui's waist. Suddenly finding a lifeline, his eyes lit up.
“Then where's your spear?
Aren't you a Spear Grandmaster?
Why are you using a sword like me?
Don't tell me...”
He dragged out his words, a thoroughly smirking, punchable smile breaking out on his face.
“Are you trying to compete with me for the title of World's Number One Swordsman?
Let me tell you, brothers are brothers.
But there is no way in hell I'm giving up the position of World's Number One Swordsman to you!”
“Who wants your 'World's Number One Swordsman'?”
Chen Zui sneered, standing up and reaching out a hand to pull him up.
“I practice the spear. In the future, I'll be an Earthly Spear Immortal.”
Pulled up by him, Li Wu casually sheathed his rusty sword back at his waist and slapped the dust off his rear.
Though his mouth was still acting tough, his heart had completely settled down.
To hell with Grandmasters, to hell with the Wind-Riding Realm.
Brother Chen was still Brother Chen.
Everyone in the courtyard stared dumbfounded at the duo throwing jests back and forth, unable to believe their eyes.
That was Chen Zui.
Yet this Grandmaster Chen was actually putting his arm around a loud-mouthed scoundrel, speaking even vulgarer than street hoodlums.
Gazing at their departing backs, Yuanzhen uttered a Buddhist chant thoughtfully.
Just as the two walked across the courtyard toward the meditation room, Jiang Lai's voice called out from behind.
“Li Wu!”
Li Wu paused in his steps and turned around.
Jiang Lai stood beneath the moonlight, her silver bells chiming softly in the night wind.
She cupped her hands toward him, her voice crisp and solemn.
“Thank you for drawing your sword to help earlier.
Even though... you didn't really help much, I, Jiang Lai, will remember this favor.”
Li Wu froze for a moment, then said with utter seriousness:
“Miss Jiang, don't be like that. You're not going to say something about offering yourself in marriage next, are you?
That Xiao family Prince is Brother Chen's friend.
A friend's wife is off-limits! And a friend's friend's wife is definitely off-limits to me, Li Wu!”
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