Chapter 46: Azure Cloud (24)

It was a dinner gathering with a very unfriendly atmosphere. A group of people sat at the same table, each harboring different thoughts. However, because “Qin Tan” was suppressing the head seat, although the group spoke with hidden barbs, most remained relatively restrained.

For instance, Yue Qianxun had ended up sitting between Xie Xuanxiao and Zhang Duixue by a twist of fate. Since he wore an eyepatch over his left eye, creating a blind spot, he simply pretended not to see the Young Palace Master’s eerie, half-smiling gaze coming from his left, and just buried his head in his food, eating determinedly.

Zhang Duixue had completely forgotten about his partner. Hugging his clothes, he was so happy he looked ready to faint. He twisted his head to look at Su Tan, both eyes filled with admiration. With excited yet restrained composure, he asked several questions regarding swordsmanship. His cultivation was already at the Fifth Realm, and he had indeed hit a bottleneck recently; some key points felt elusive and impenetrable, leaving him stuck and uncomfortable.

Sword cultivators use the sword, divided into Sword Momentum, Sword Intent, and Sword Heart. If Sword Momentum is achieved, one can part mountains and overturn seas; if Sword Intent is born, one can injure others with a mere bend of a finger; if Sword Heart is formed, one becomes a Grandmaster, capable of establishing their own sect.

Qin Tan had developed Sword Momentum at fourteen, realized Sword Intent at twenty, and had now entered the realm of Sword Heart. Added to the fact that his consciousness and mental domain resonated with the Sword Sect’s Forest of Ten Thousand Sword Tablets, he could truly be called a Sword Immortal of the current age. It was indeed most reliable to ask him about any problems regarding the Dao of the Sword.

However, the one currently conscious was Su Tan.

Su Tan was an art school undergraduate; what did he know about swords? He knew how to draw erotic art, sure. Hearing this, his mind went blank, and he could only put on a profound expression and bluff his way through with a few words: “Wait until I give my lectures; I will guide you personally.”

Zhang Duixue was immediately deeply moved. “Okay!”

The month-long entrance trial had indeed been very grinding.

Fu Fengyan hadn’t eaten in a long time. The dishes in this restaurant were perfect in color, aroma, and taste. He grabbed his chopsticks to try everything, and whenever he found something particularly good, he recommended it to He Tingtong.

Mostly, it was because Xie Xuanxiao was too lavish; he had practically ordered the entire menu, and the few of them couldn’t finish it all.

While they were eating, Xie Xuanxiao suddenly raised his teacup. “This Xie is untalented and knows nothing of the Sword Dao. Those sitting here are all students of the Sword Pavilion and classmates with A-Xue. In the future, I will have to rely on everyone to look after him.”

“I offer this tea in place of wine to toast you all, fellow Daoists.”

Actually, no wine had been ordered for the table, only flower and fruit nectar. But for the sake of the meal, everyone more or less raised their cups and clinked them.

Who didn’t know how to feign civility? In the secret realm, Xie Xuanxiao had targeted them several times. Although most of the conflict stemmed from him and Zhang Duixue, he naturally wouldn’t hate his own lover; he would only resent the people who “led his lover astray.”

Whether they could coexist peacefully in the academy in the future remained to be seen.

In any case, He Tingtong felt that with Xie Xuanxiao’s personality, they would only need to be doubly cautious going forward.

“This trial was all thanks to Brother Zhang’s care. We are now entering the Sword Pavilion together; even if the Young Palace Master hadn’t said anything, we would certainly be of one heart and mind.” He Tingtong drank it in one go, then stood up to pour more. “We caused much offense in the secret realm. Young Palace Master Xie has a great capacity for forgiveness; surely you won’t be angry, right?”

Xie Xuanxiao smiled. “The matter of the trial was a misunderstanding to begin with. Now that the final test is over, I naturally won’t hold a grudge.”

He Tingtong flattered him, “The Young Palace Master is magnanimous.”

Xie Xuanxiao raised his cup. “Fellow Daoist He is candid.”

The two sized each other up and sat back down. Fu Fengyan sent a voice transmission, Is this a reconciliation?

He Tingtong replied only, He hates us for ruining his plans, but we have a backer, so he can’t do anything. He can only temporarily show weakness and put on a superficial act for Brother Tan to see.

Xie Xuanxiao thought very highly of himself. While he truly wouldn’t move against them right now, that didn’t mean the hatchet was buried.

He Tingtong had worked for the Immortal Alliance for decades. Actually, working under Xie Xuanxiao wasn’t too bad; some of his decisions were quite wise and martial. Back when the Immortal Alliance had internal strife and the Daoist Master of Wuqilu attacked the Thirty-Three Heavens, many people died. It was Xie Xuanxiao who turned the tide and stabilized the Immortal Alliance.

But whenever he encountered matters related to Zhang Duixue, he went mad as if he had lost his mind. If you say he loved him, he treated the man as a substitute, then discarded him, only to find the next substitute. If you say he didn’t love him, he locked the man up and refused to let go, then committed suicide after the man died… He Tingtong really didn’t understand the logic behind this behavior and could only temporarily assume Xie Xuanxiao was mentally ill.

The two of them were still on good terms right now. The “substitute” who might look even more like the original hadn’t appeared yet, so their current affection was normal.

He Tingtong didn’t care. He only wanted Zhang Duixue to have the ability to protect himself in this life. Whether to love or hate should be his own choice; whether to leave or stay should also be his own choice.

Their conversation drew Zhang Duixue’s attention back to Xie Xuanxiao.

“Young Palace Master,” Zhang Duixue smiled faintly at Xie Xuanxiao across Yue Qianxun. “Thank you. I am very happy today.”

Xie Xuanxiao’s gaze softened. “…Me too.”

Stuck in the middle, Yue Qianxun silently scooched his chair forward, wishing he could paste himself into the gap at the edge of the table. He looked at the two opposite him as if pleading for help, only to find Fu Fengyan picking up a piece of fish, removing the bones, and placing it in He Tingtong’s bowl.

Yue Qianxun: “…”

He shifted his gaze slightly and carefully looked toward the Guili Sword Master in the seat of honor. Su Tan met his eyes and smiled politely. “Is something the matter?”

So Yue Qianxun pointed to a dish on the table. “Immortal Lord, this tastes delicious. Would you like to try it?”

Su Tan’s heart softened. He felt like everywhere he looked, there were well-behaved children. In a good mood, he raised his chopsticks. “Then I’ll try it.”

Before his chopsticks could pick up the food, a loud, arrogant shouting suddenly came from the side near the window. “You say someone booked the place? How much did he pay? I’ll pay triple!”

Then came the thumping sound of someone running up the stairs, the flustered blocking attempts of the shopkeeper, and the voice getting closer and closer. Finally, a swaying figure appeared at the door. The door was slid open with a crash, and a bright red figure barged in. Holding the door frame, he saw the people in the private room clearly, let out an “Oho!” and said, “You guys actually didn’t invite me to eat? No loyalty at all!”

Xiangli Lingze reeked of alcohol. He stepped forward in two or three strides, pulled out an empty chair, and sat down boldly with his legs wide apart. He pulled out a bag of spirit pearls from his chest and threw it out without looking back. “The Young Master is paying today!”

The shopkeeper said awkwardly, “…Someone has already paid.”

Xiangli Lingze shouted, “Then bring wine!”

Shopkeeper: “Right away! Immortal Lord, please wait a moment!”

Xiangli Lingze held onto the chair to stand up. his mind didn’t seem very clear. “One… two… six… why are there two extra people?”

“You surnamed Xie, why are you here?” The red-robed youth shook his head and gave a start of fright. “Go away, go away, this is our celebration banquet. What are you doing here causing trouble? Defeated opponent.”

Xie Xuanxiao: “…”

He looked at Xiangli Lingze, whose eyes were already unfocused, sneered, took out his communication jade token, and reported the location to Xiangli Xuan.

“And who are you?” Xiangli Lingze propped one hand on the table and looked at Su Tan. “Why haven’t I seen you before? You’re good-looking. Can you sing?”

He was probably truly too drunk; his behavior was wild, his words and actions unrestrained, treating this restaurant as if it were the Xiangli clan’s own property. Seeing that he was about to climb onto the table, He Tingtong stood up abruptly, dragged Xiangli Lingze into the inner room, closed the door, and slapped a water talisman onto his face to sober him up.

“What are you doing!” Xiangli Lingze shivered from the cold, wiped the water off his face, and said in exasperation, “Even though I accepted you as a little brother, don’t push your luck.”

“Xiangli Lingze, although you are in the Heaven Sound Pavilion and the teachers of the Sword Pavilion can’t control you, I can certainly beat you up,” He Tingtong said expressionlessly. “Sitting opposite you is the Guili Sword Master, my teacher. Don’t be too presumptuous.”

Water droplets dripped down from his hair. Xiangli Lingze’s eyes cleared up a lot. He shivered and opened his mouth, seeming to want to apologize, but swallowed the words just as they reached his lips. He sat on a low stool, wiped the water off his face, turned his head away, and said nothing.

He was likely still somewhat at a loss, but the more he knew he was wrong, the harder it was for him to bow his head. His ears turned red with anger, though he didn’t know what he was angry about.

So He Tingtong softened his voice a little. “Are you alone?”

Xiangli Lingze’s face was taut. “Being alone is quiet. I just happen to dislike crowds. I disturbed you just now, sorry about that. I’m leaving.”

He stood up. Water dripped from his hair and cheeks, wetting his robes; he looked a mess.

In previous years, the top scholar of the final trial would usually be surrounded by friends, enjoying the favor of teachers and the admiration of classmates. Rarely was there someone like him, drinking alone in depression.

Xiangli Lingze had always been a loner. To put it nicely, he was proud and aloof, not getting close to others. To put it harshly, people avoided him like snakes and scorpions.

The Third Young Master of the Xiangli clan, notorious for his bad reputation.

Eccentric and willful, acting recklessly, behaving crudely, disrespectful to elders—he had turned his home upside down and was exiled to Azure Cloud Academy to learn some rules.

There were many unsavory rumors about Xiangli Lingze. He Tingtong had heard plenty of gossip in his previous lives.

Some said he took customers in brothels in his teens and his ass had long been played rotten; others said he was illegitimate and seduced his older brother into incest; still others said he was promiscuous, sleeping around in the red light districts, utterly dissolute… In previous lives, when Xiangli Lingze heard these rumors, he would often find the rumor-mongers, pull out their tongues, and force them to eat them.

Cruel, leading to an even worse reputation—a vicious cycle.

Xiangli Lingze had only two endings: either die at the hands of Xiangli Xuan or perish in a heart demon tribulation.

Seeing him like this now, he had probably heard some gossip and ran out alone to vent.

“Have you eaten yet?” He Tingtong asked, pointing to the table outside. “Xie Xuanxiao is treating. Have a bite before you go.”

Xiangli Lingze paused his hand on the door, turned to look at him, bared his teeth in a grin, and said slouchily, “Treating me so well, have you taken a fancy to me?”

He Tingtong: “Brother Lingze.”

Xiangli Lingze shivered at being addressed like that by a male voice for the first time. “Can you be normal?”

“I still remember what you said, that you’d cover us. Sigh, having offended Xie Xuanxiao, Xiangli Xuan, and Fu Baiyu, for the next four years, my friends and I will be helpless. Who knows how much targeting we’ll suffer.” He Tingtong sighed. “If we get bullied…”

Xiangli Lingze raised his eyebrows, then slid open the partition door. “A gentleman’s word is his bond. If anything happens, just come find me directly.”

Outside the partition, Xiangli Xuan, dressed in wide robes with large sleeves, stood straight, offering a toast to Su Tan in the main seat. “My younger brother is young and his conduct is unruly. He has offended the Sword Master; please do not blame him. To express my apology, this meal is on me.”

Xiangli Lingze: “…”

And so, two more people were added to the private room, and the table was completely packed.

The shopkeeper received three bags of spirit pearls, making a massive profit.