Martial Nephew Lu Seems to Be One with Heaven and Man

At the Golden Rainbow Restaurant in the marketplace.

In a private room by a window on the second floor, five young men and women sat around a round table, drinking spirit tea and chatting casually.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a bright square across the tabletop. Steam rising from their cups curled slowly through the shaft of light.

All five were surnamed Qin.

At the head of the table sat a young man who looked to be in his twenties. He had a square face and a steady, dependable air.

He wore a pale gold robe, the standard attire of a personal disciple of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect. The embroidery on its cuffs and collar was far more intricate than an inner disciple's, and a dim, dark-gold spiritual light flowed through it.

His name was Qin Huan.

Two men sat to Qin Huan's left.

One was Qin Yun, an inner disciple with handsome, graceful features, a slight upward tilt to his lips, and a free-spirited, unrestrained air. He lounged against the back of his chair, holding his teacup at such a crooked angle that it looked ready to slip from his hand at any moment.

The other was a quiet, taciturn youth named Qin Ming. He wore the clothes of an outer disciple and had hardly spoken the entire time, simply listening in silence.

Two pretty female cultivators sat to Qin Huan's right.

One had short hair and striking, open features. She looked about the same age as Qin Huan and was named Qin Xiaohe. Like Qin Yun, she was an inner disciple.

The other had a baby face, and her eyes curved when she smiled. Her name was Qin Lan, and she too was an inner disciple.

Qin Lan took a sip of tea, then suddenly remembered something and looked up. "Is Nanyue almost here? Third Uncle, she still hasn't sent you a voice transmission?"

Qin Huan smiled and set down his cup. "She sent one just now. She was waiting for a friend at the sect plaza. They should be on their way here by now."

At the words "Qin Nanyue's friend," the others at the table all looked up.

"I heard his surname is Lu?" Qin Yun lounged against his chair, tapping the armrest idly with his fingers. He smiled. "Nanyue said this friend of hers treats her well, and he's especially rich. His background probably isn't simple."

"He's an outer disciple too." Qin Xiaohe turned to the silent Qin Ming. "A Ming, do you know him?"

Qin Ming shook his head and quietly uttered two words. "Don't know him."

Qin Xiaohe gave him a look of exasperation, as if lamenting that iron refused to become steel. "As her younger brother, why haven't you paid any attention? It's rare for Nanyue to make friends with a male cultivator. You could at least have looked into his background first."

Just then, Qin Huan tapped the tabletop lightly with a finger. The two knocks weren't loud, but the others all fell silent.

"Nanyue won't let the Lineage investigate this Lu Yang." His gaze slowly swept over the group, finally settling on Qin Yun. "Don't be too direct when you meet him later."

Under that gaze, Qin Yun felt uncomfortable all over. He put on an innocent expression. "Wait, Third Uncle, why are you only looking at me?"

Qin Xiaohe chimed in with a grin. "Because you're the least reliable of us. I bet the moment we meet him, you'll be the first to charge up and interrogate him about eighteen generations of his ancestors."

Qin Yun felt the awkwardness of having someone hit the nail on the head, but he was thick-skinned enough not to show it. Instead, he rolled his eyes irritably. "That's prejudice! I never even thought of doing that. I do respect Nanyue's wishes, all right?"

The others offered no comment.

At that moment, Qin Huan took out his sect token and glanced at it. Then he stood, a smile appearing on his lips. "They've reached the marketplace. Let's go."

All five pairs of eyes lit up at once.

Qin Yun sprang to his feet and chuckled. "Come on, let's go see what this young man Nanyue keeps talking about actually looks like."

A curious glint flashed in Qin Lan's eyes. "Nanyue said he's very good-looking."

"Then we have even more reason to take a look." Qin Xiaohe took Qin Lan's hand and hurried after the others.

The five left the private room, paid the bill at the counter downstairs, and pushed open the door to leave the restaurant.

With the year's end approaching, festive colors filled the marketplace.

Red silk hung from the shopfronts on both sides of the street, and handwritten couplets adorned some of the doorways, their brushwork ranging from bold and vigorous to delicate and graceful.

People surged along the main bluestone road, making it more than twice as lively as usual. Voices, laughter, and the sounds of bargaining mingled and rolled back and forth through the streets and alleys.

The five made their way through the crowd toward the marketplace entrance.

As they neared the intersection by the entrance, they noticed that more cultivators had gathered in this area than elsewhere.

Quite a few people were simply standing by the roadside, doing nothing, yet their gazes kept drifting in the same direction.

The female cultivators in particular were staring, their expressions somewhat dazed.

The members of the Qin Household were puzzled.

What was going on?

They turned to follow the crowd's gaze.

At the marketplace entrance, three people stood quietly on a bluestone-paved open space. Two girls and a young man.

Both girls were strikingly beautiful, one valiant and spirited, the other gentle as water. Either should have stood out like a crane among chickens in a crowd.

Yet everyone's gaze was drawn involuntarily to the young man beside them.

He stood tall and straight as a pine, his features so clear and handsome that he hardly looked mortal. His skin had a faint, jade-like sheen in the sunlight, without the slightest blemish.

A gentle, clean smile rested on his face, neither too pronounced nor too faint, but just right.

He was doing nothing, simply standing there in silence, yet it was as if he alone was in color and everything else around him had become the background.

Qin Huan's breath caught slightly.

Qin Yun opened his mouth. The folding fan he had been playing with fell from his hand and clattered to the ground, but he didn't notice.

His eyes widened, and his voice held undisguised shock. "My heavens... That's the Lu Yang Nanyue was talking about? He... What's with those looks of his?"

Even the usually taciturn Qin Ming was having trouble collecting himself.

He hadn't expected there to be such a person among the outer disciples.

He didn't need to speak or display his cultivation. Just standing there was enough to make people instinctively feel that he was anything but ordinary.

The two female cultivators, Qin Xiaohe and Qin Lan, took a full beat longer than the others to recover.

Qin Lan quietly pressed a hand to her chest and found that her heart was beating much faster than usual.

Qin Xiaohe, meanwhile, awkwardly averted her gaze and took several deep breaths before steadying herself.

After his initial astonishment, however, Qin Huan's expression gradually grew grave.

His eyes flickered as he studied Lu Yang in the distance again and again. His voice carried a note of uncertainty. "This... Martial Nephew Lu seems to have an air of being one with heaven and man. Could he have already begun comprehending the Great Dao of heaven and earth?"

The moment those words left his mouth, the other four turned to him in unison, as if struck by lightning.

"How is that possible?!" Qin Yun's voice changed pitch. "Don't you have to reach the Golden Core Realm before you can even begin to comprehend the Great Dao of heaven and earth?"

According to common knowledge in the cultivation world, cultivation in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Realms had nothing to do with the Great Dao of heaven and earth.

Qi Refinement tempered Spiritual Qi, while Foundation Establishment forged one's foundation. Both were stages for laying the groundwork.

Comprehending the Great Dao of heaven and earth was something that came after reaching the Golden Core Realm.

And Nanyue had clearly said that Lu Yang had only recently entered the outer sect and was merely at Mid-stage Qi Refining.

Qin Huan frowned slightly and watched Lu Yang for another moment. Finally, he shook his head, his expression relaxing. "Perhaps I'm overthinking it. Maybe Martial Nephew Lu's bearing is simply so extraordinary that it gave me the wrong impression."

Qin Xiaohe breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "I think it must be his bearing."

The others nodded in agreement.

After all, the idea of someone comprehending the Great Dao of heaven and earth in the Qi Refining Realm was a little too outrageous.

"Come on, let's go over." Qin Huan composed his expression and stepped forward first.

Qin Nanyue was chatting with Lu Yang and Lin Ying at the marketplace entrance when she caught sight of the five approaching out of the corner of her eye.

Her face immediately broke into a smile, and she raised an arm and waved briskly. "Third Uncle! Brother Yun! Sister Xiaohe! Sister Lan! A Ming!"

Lu Yang and Lin Ying looked up at the sound of her voice.

A smile appeared on Lin Ying's gentle face, and she gave the approaching group a small wave.

She had known Qin Nanyue for several years, so naturally she knew these members of the Qin Household.

It was Lu Yang's first time meeting them, though.

His gaze passed over the five of them one by one. Both their bearing and manner were quite extraordinary.

It was the confidence that came from distinguished family backgrounds and exceptional talent.

Qin Huan and the others came up to them and first greeted Lin Ying with smiles. After Lin Ying replied gently, Qin Huan turned his gaze to Lu Yang beside her.

"You must be Lu Yang?" His smile was warm and natural, and his voice was unhurried. "I'm Nanyue's third uncle, Qin Huan. I've heard her mention you."

Lu Yang cupped his hands in greeting, his tone casual and open. "Third Uncle."

Qin Huan and the other four were all taken aback.

Qin Nanyue's heart immediately skipped several beats, and her face grew slightly warm.

What was with this guy?!

Why did he call him Third Uncle the moment they met?

Someone who didn't know better might think there was already something between them.

She took a deep breath, however, and quickly suppressed her embarrassment. Smiling, she explained, "Lu Yang and I are good friends. My family is his family too."

Qin Huan and the others looked at one another, exchanging somewhat subtle glances.

Qin Huan soon regained his warm, enthusiastic smile and went along with Qin Nanyue. "Then I'll be shameless and accept it. How about I call you A Yang from now on?"

Lu Yang smiled freely. "No problem."