The Luo Yueguan in front of him suddenly made Jiang Huai think of Luo Qingyu.
When he first met Luo Qingyu, her temper was very gentle on the surface, as if she had been easily tricked by that candy. But during the years that Jiang Huai got along with Luo Qingyu later, Luo Qingyu’s personality was also a bit strange and stubborn. Unlike Luo Yueguan, when Luo Qingyu was in a low mood, she would remain silent, stiff and motionless like a puppet, while Luo Yueguan was more like acting up, seeking some stimulation that would stir her heart.
The method he had given to deal with it was actually very simple. He never forced Luo Qingyu to change anything according to his wishes. When Luo Qingyu was silent, he would quietly sit next to her, and the two of them could sit still for a very long time until Luo Qingyu suddenly whispered, “Hug,” and then he would gently embrace her in his arms, like holding a younger sister.
It was just that.
He was never good at comforting people, nor did he think anyone could save anyone, or who could become anyone’s salvation. Those were childish fantasies. People could only move forward on their own. If they were willing to stand still and hesitate, then even if someone wanted to drag them along, they would only be treading water.
Looking at Luo Yueguan’s hazy teary eyes, Jiang Huai couldn’t help but reflect again, was what he had just said too arrogant?
A light drizzle blurred the view outside the window, and the two people in the room gazed at each other in silence.
Until Jiang Huai took out another brand-new handkerchief and handed it to Luo Yueguan in front of him. He didn’t speak, and Luo Yueguan took the handkerchief. After a moment, Jiang Huai scratched his head, “Auntie Luo, what do you want to eat this morning?”
“Glutinous Rice Cake.”
“That will have to wait until evening. I need to soak the glutinous rice first. I’ll cook some noodles. Do you want some?”
“Yes.”
So Jiang Huai stood up and walked out of the room.
He gently closed the door and hurried his steps, as if worried about leaving any slower.
And after he had finally walked far away, Luo Yueguan buried herself in the quilt, and intermittent sobs came from under the covers.
***
When Luo Yueguan walked out of the room again, she had already changed into a gorgeous light purple long dress. Her jet-black hair was also intricately and neatly braided, and her hair ornaments were exquisite and luxurious. As she moved, her skirt fluttered, and a subtle fragrance wafted.
Her expression returned to that lazy and noble demeanor, as if the woman who had been cursing him and crying moments ago was merely Jiang Huai’s hallucination. The four people in the courtyard ate breakfast together. Luo Yueguan then led them to the Sword Discussion Hall of Qingxuan Sect.
The stands for the Moon Wave Continent Grand Competition had already been set up, and the cultivators below were already anticipating the event.
The news that Tian Xuan Sect had produced a Fifth Level Transc female cultivator had already spread far and wide. Many disciples had high expectations for Wen Wanwan, whom they had never met. When Wen Wanwan appeared on the stage, many male cultivators stared at her, and even in a simple white robe, she could not hide her beautiful and elegant temperament.
Only Jiang Huai felt that Wanwan’s wifely aura was getting stronger. Wen Wanwan, whom he had first met, was cold and gentle, and the current Wen Wanwan seemed to be the same. These subtle changes seemed to be only noticeable to him. The competition was not over in one day. To ensure absolute fairness, the four of them had to compete against each of the other three. Luo Yueguan personally presided over the drawing ceremony. The first draw was for Wen Wanwan to compete against Luo Qingyu.
Jiang Huai was watching from below. He was standing still until Luo Yueguan’s divine sense moved, sending a chill down his neck. He turned his head and found that the seat next to Luo Yueguan was empty. She glanced down at him from a high position, and Jiang Huai immediately understood. After a moment of hesitation, he came to her side and sat down.
Wen Wanwan and Luo Qingyu had already walked onto the stage, holding their spirit swords, their spirit seal flying swords poised behind them. Luo Yueguan glanced at Jiang Huai indifferently and asked, “Who do you think will win?”
“Wanwan has a higher chance of winning.”
“Why?”
“I practiced swords with Qingyu before. Her sword techniques are very clever, but unfortunately, the time was too short, and she hasn’t fully understood them yet. But Wanwan has already learned all of Purple Lu True Person’s sword momentum.”
“Even though Qingyu is at the Fifth Level Transc, you still think Wanwan will win?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Then who do you hope wins?” Luo Yueguan suddenly asked.
“It doesn’t matter who wins. They won’t be too serious,” Jiang Huai leaned back in his chair and looked at the stage. The spirit seal flying swords behind the two girls were already humming, and their figures instantly turned into afterimages. It seemed as if only the streams of light from burning spiritual energy remained on the stage.
Jiang Huai could clearly see the repeated clashes of their spirit swords. Wanwan’s spirit sword was one grade higher than Qingyu’s, but her spiritual energy was much less than Luo Qingyu’s. However, sword momentum was something that could reverse rules. It was clear that they had already agreed not to hold back before the sword discussion began, so this sword discussion became extremely exciting.
The disciples below let out exclamations. As disciples of Qingxuan Sect, they naturally supported their sect more. This sword discussion lasted for two incense sticks. Both girls had a slight sheen of sweat on their foreheads. Finally, Wen Wanwan seized an instant of Luo Qingyu’s daze and placed her sword horizontally at her neck. The faint spiritual energy of the sword edge sliced open her fair skin, leaving a very shallow bloodstain.
“Sister Wanwan is better than me.” Luo Qingyu put away her sword and smiled sweetly.
“You had the advantage of sword momentum. Qingyu should still have a lot of spiritual energy left, right?”
“Thirty percent.”
“I only have ten percent left,” Wen Wanwan replied softly.
“But Sister Wanwan still won,” Luo Qingyu said softly. The outcome was decided, and the two walked off the stage.
At this moment, Jiang Huai, who was standing beside Luo Yueguan, was about to go on stage. He walked onto the stage, and his opponent, riding a sword, came to meet him. He wore an indigo long robe, and his spirit sword landed in his hand. He looked at Jiang Huai in front of him, frowned slightly, and a hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.
“With your cultivation level, which lacks any spiritual energy, how did you get here?”
“You’ll know soon enough.” Jiang Huai no longer wanted to explain too much, and simply raised his hand to take out his Yening Sword. Of course, he could choose not to draw his sword; it wouldn’t make much difference. He just wanted to use a sword so as not to make the opponent lose too embarrassingly and to save some trouble.
“Ye Wanqiu, Fifth Level Transc, cultivating Qingxuan Sword Dao,” Ye Wanqiu slowly stated his name. Jiang Huai nodded lightly, “Jiang Huai, cultivating Overlord Art and Heaven Profound Thirteen Swords. Although I have no spiritual energy cultivation, my strength is immense. Be careful.”
“Alright.”
Ye Wanqiu drew his sword, and streams of sword light emerged around him. Jiang Huai raised his hand and leisurely used the edge of his Yening Sword to shatter the sword qi that was stabbing at him. At the same time, he moved forward step by step. His steps were unhurried, and the distance of each step was almost the same. The scattered sword qi that he shattered was dodged by his strange movement technique. When Jiang Huai counted seven breaths in his heart, he had already reached Ye Wanqiu’s front and swung his sword.
When Ye Wanqiu tried to block with his sword, he found that a tremendous force suddenly struck him. The immense force landed on his sword, causing his body to retreat several steps. Jiang Huai continued to walk forward step by step. Ye Wanqiu’s spirit seal flying sword stabbed towards Jiang Huai. The illusory and hazy spirit sword flashed with sharp cold light, but Jiang Huai simply swung his sword, and the flying sword shattered without a trace, turning into countless specks of starlight.
Ye Wanqiu was naturally unwilling to be defeated just like that. He suddenly raised his hand again, and his spirit sword split into two. He gripped both swords in his hands and leaped into the air, pushing his spiritual energy to its limit. All his acupoints whirled madly, and immense strength surged into his body. He seemed to be carried by the wind, then plunged down from high above, his sword light descending from the sky.
But Jiang Huai merely raised his hand and swung his sword. When the immense force landed on his two swords, all his strength was diverted. The recoil nearly cracked the meridians in his hands, and his arms trembled uncontrollably. He could no longer muster any strength. His blood churned, and he swallowed the hot blood that surged to his throat.
He fell to the ground, his sword dropping to the ground. Jiang Huai stopped.
There was silence below the stands.
If Wen Wanwan and Luo Qingyu’s sword discussion was a contest where their spirit seal flying swords and Daoist magic had their own merits, where sword techniques countered each other, continuous and unbroken, making it quite valuable to observe, then this competition was simply a case of one strength overpowering ten skills. The two people’s strength was not on the same level, so it was naturally a one-sided crush.
Even though he was unwilling, Ye Wanqiu saw the gap. After a moment, he lowered his head, “I admit defeat.”
Jiang Huai walked up to him, bent down, picked up both of his swords for him, and returned them to his hand. “Thank you for the match.”
***
The competition for the first day ended like this.
There were still a few more days of competition. But it was just Jiang Huai against Luo Qingyu, and then against Wen Wanwan. He had no more worries. Ye Wanqiu’s strength had been fully understood by him and posed no threat to Wen Wanwan or Luo Qingyu. He could relax his mentality for the remaining few days and treat it as a trip to Qingxuan Sect.
It was evening in the courtyard now. The few of them had just finished dinner. Luo Qingyu led Wen Wanwan to the Qingxuan Medicinal Garden of Qingxuan Sect. Jiang Huai watched the two of them leave hand in hand, it seemed that the sword discussion during the day had not harmed their good relationship. He leaned back in his chair and casually glanced sideways. Luo Yueguan was sitting on her chair, her eyes gazing far away at the lonely moon in the sky, her profile revealing a hint of cold and desolate loneliness.
Out of sheer curiosity, he checked Luo Yueguan’s current favorability rating, and the number he received was 70.
Jiang Huai was not surprised by this. He had already given up on the mission to reach 93 favorability within three days. It was clearly impossible for him. Perhaps the previous highest record of 87 favorability was only because Luo Yueguan had gradually become familiar with him, during which time the Ice Soul Profound Body had been completely healed, and the Heavenly Derivation Divine Acupoints had been opened. His relationship with Luo Qingyu had also gradually improved, so she was in a good mood, and his favorability had increased a bit.
Now that everything was gradually returning to normal, a decrease in favorability was the norm. After all, everyone knew that the Sect Master of Qingxuan Sect, Luo Yueguan, hated men her entire life and had never thought highly of any man.
Jiang Huai did not think that he was the special one who could make Luo Yueguan develop feelings for him.
