Ye Xianyu was caught between laughter and tears by Xu Xian's antics, her chest heaving with exasperation.
She didn't feel like wasting any more time on nonsense.
Instead, she brought up some serious business regarding the events in Yecheng.
She shared some of the details with Xu Xian, considering it an explanation he was owed.
The City Lord of Yecheng had been executed, along with hundreds of other officials who were beheaded.
The Crown Prince of Cangwu, who had masterminded the plot, was dead.
The Emperor, who had tacitly allowed it all to happen, was executed as well.
The three-day battle had also completely wiped out the remnants of the demonic cultivators hiding within the borders of the Cangwu Empire.
She even asked him if he was satisfied with this outcome.
Xu Xian didn't seem particularly concerned with those matters. He only asked about how the sect intended to handle the fallen disciples, such as Song Qingshu.
Ye Xianyu replied.
"They were given an honorable burial at Guidao Slope on Burial Sword Peak."
That was all.
Xu Xian said nothing more.
Of the seven peaks of the Wendao Sword Sect, six were inhabited by the living. Only one, Burial Sword Peak, had no residents.
That mountain was covered in lonely graves.
It was the resting place for every cultivator who had died fighting for the sect since its founding.
They stood in dense ranks.
A vast expanse of sword tombs.
Although the Wendao Sword Sect's Seven Peaks and Thirteen Halls had a total of only about a hundred thousand disciples, there were over a million gravestones and tombs on Burial Sword Peak.
Speaking of the events in Yecheng naturally brought back memories of that night, and a touch of sorrow filled Xu Xian's eyes.
Ye Xianyu offered words of comfort. "You did your best. There's no need for self-reproach or grief. In our Wendao Sword Sect, it's not uncommon for fellow disciples to fall in battle. It isn't a rare occurrence..."
"The dead are gone; the living must carry on."
"If you truly feel a lingering regret in your heart, then turn that grief and indignation into motivation. Cultivate well and become stronger so that you can walk the path in their stead and live on for them..."
Xu Xian understood these truths, of course.
But truths were always just words.
He gave a soft grunt of affirmation but didn't say much else.
They chatted for a while longer.
Throughout the conversation, Ye Xianyu never asked how Xu Xian had escaped death, nor did she press him on how he had obtained the Nine-Turn Spirit Lotus.
There was one thing that was exceptionally good about the Wendao Sword Sect.
The elders did not pry into the personal affairs of the disciples. They allowed them to have their own little secrets.
As long as a disciple wasn't willing to talk, no one would force them to.
For those on the path of immortal cultivation, luck and fortune were often just as decisive as talent and aptitude.
Opportunities. Blessings.
All of it played a part.
The master of the Sword Mound, the aura of the sword embryo, and even the little book spirit...
These were all part of Xu Xian's foundation and were his own private secrets—secrets that could not be shared.
Not even with Ye Xianyu.
As noon approached, Ye Xianyu issued a polite dismissal, and Xu Xian left without looking back.
Just as he was about to step out the door, Ye Xianyu asked tentatively.
"By the way, did you kill that Xiushe?"
Xu Xian remained silent.
"If you don't want to say, then don't."
Xu Xian smiled. "Yes."
Ye Xianyu gave him a thumbs-up.
"Impressive!"
Xu Xian chuckled and walked away, heading straight for Zhijian Peak.
All he wanted now was to go back and see his home. To him, the Wendao Sword Sect was a grand home, but that room in Wen Qingxue's courtyard was his own small home.
After being away for several months, it was time to return.
As for what came next, he would worry about that later.
A short while later.
Just as Xu Xian entered Zhijian Peak, he saw someone standing by the courtyard gate from a distance.
She was craning her neck, pacing back and forth, creating a picture of someone waiting with great anticipation.
It seemed she had been waiting for a long time.
Xu Xian landed his sword and looked over from a distance. Just then, the girl also looked up.
The youth curled his lips slightly and called out.
"Qianqian."
Lin Qianqian ran forward, finally stopping a few feet away from him.
She looked up slightly, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. Her eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, but when she finally spoke, it was only a few.
"Xu Xian, you're back."
The youth grinned. "Yeah, I'm back."
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!" the girl muttered to herself. Then, she asked worriedly, "The Sect Master didn't give you any trouble, did she?"
Xu Xian feigned ignorance. "What kind of trouble could she give me?"
"You tell me!"
Xu Xian kept her in suspense and changed the subject. "Why are you here?"
Lin Qianqian pursed her lips.
"You're asking what you already know."
Xu Xian looked thoughtful and teased, "Oh, I see. You're here to collect a debt."
Lin Qianqian was displeased to hear this and shot him a glare. "You... is that how you see me? Am I that kind of person?"
"Aren't you?"
Lin Qianqian said against her true feelings, "I just came to see if you were dead or not."
"Really?"
"You..." she said, her voice rising, "I wasted my worry on you."
Xu Xian took two steps forward, looking down at Lin Qianqian, and said softly:
"I'm sorry."
Lin Qianqian was taken aback.
"Huh?"
"For making you worry," Xu Xian said.
For a moment, Lin Qianqian was dazed and lost in thought. Then, her eyes darted away as she said insincerely, "Hmph, who was worried about you? Not me, okay? I was just afraid that if you died, no one would pay me back."
Xu Xian didn't mind at all. He opened his arms and said playfully, "Come here."
"For what?"
"We haven't seen each other in a long time. Let's have a hug."
Lin Qianqian's face instantly turned bright red, the flush spreading from the tips of her ears to her cheeks. She clenched her small fists and said huffily:
"Pah! In your dreams! You're shameless!"
With that, she fled like a little rabbit encountering a big bad wolf.
She strode into Wen Qingxue's courtyard.
Xu Xian rubbed the bridge of his nose sheepishly and laughed happily.
"Women! So petty..."
Then, he followed her inside.
Wen Qingxue was also in the courtyard, seemingly having waited for a long time as well.
Upon seeing Xu Xian, the icy girl rose as usual and cupped her hands in a salute.
"Little Grand-Uncle."
Xu Xian said casually, "Oh, Little Wen is home too. That's perfect; it saves me the trouble of looking for you."
Wen Qingxue furrowed her brows.
"..."
Xu Xian sat down, and Lin Qianqian sat down as well, still looking puffed up with anger.
It was hard to tell if she was truly angry or secretly happy.
Xu Xian told Wen Qingxue to sit and reached out to ask for the dao jade.
Wen Qingxue guardedly protected the storage ring on her hand.
"I don't have any merit points left!"
Xu Xian was speechless. It seemed the consequences of his previous shamelessness had begun.
A crisis of credit had emerged.
Caught between laughter and tears, he said, "I'm not asking for your points. I'm paying you back."
"You're really paying me back?"
"Of course!"
"Oh!"
Wen Qingxue handed the dao jade to Xu Xian. With a grand gesture, Xu Xian directly transferred five thousand merit points to her.
Wen Qingxue was overwhelmed by the sight.
"So many?"
Xu Xian smiled and said, "One thousand is what I owed you, one hundred is the interest I promised, and the remaining three thousand nine hundred will be my rent for the year. I can't exactly stay here for free, can I?"
Wen Qingxue's eyes flickered as she hesitated.
"Little Grand-Uncle..."
Xu Xian said generously, "If I tell you to take it, take it. Don't be polite with me. Your Grand-Uncle isn't short on money right now."
Wen Qingxue swallowed hard and said seriously, "I wasn't talking about that. I wanted to say that in order to find you, I added thirty thousand points to the bounty mission. Do you think... you could pay me back for that?"
Pausing for a moment, Wen Qingxue specifically added:
"You don't have to pay it all back. I don't need the points the Mission Hall took as a fee, nor do I need the rent or the interest. Just pay me back twenty-three thousand points..."
Xu Xian: "..." She certainly calculates fast!!
Wen Qingxue asked humbly, "Is that okay?"
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