"You went into seclusion for three months... shutting yourself away from the world! There have been some changes in the Wei Dao Si, and you still don't know about them."
"The Wei Dao Si headquarters plans to establish a steward position under the regular and deputy commanders of the Hound and Snake Guards, to prevent the regional branches from forming little fiefdoms of their own."
"The Hound Guard will have four stewards, each overseeing several Hound Guards. The Snake Guard will be the same."
"Once this was announced, those Lineages that had been suppressed in Jinling Commandery saw their chance to rise. They joined forces and wanted to seize one or two steward positions."
"Lord Sinan also didn't want to hand the power in his grasp over to the Lineages. So he nominated you, Lin Beihai, and Jiang Feng to serve as stewards of the Hound Guard."
"Then what about the last steward position?" Xia Qi'an blurted out, cutting in.
Hong Xian rolled her eyes at Xia Qi'an. "Naturally, it's being reserved for someone chosen by the Lineages in the city... They can't be denied even a single bowl of soup, can they?"
"All right... So Su Changqing schemed against me because Lord Sinan recommended me to become a Hound Guard steward?" Xia Qi'an stroked his chin, speaking thoughtfully.
"That should be it!"
Upon hearing this, Hong Xian looked at Xia Qi'an and gently nodded.
"I see. That explains everything. But... will those Lineages scheme against Instructor Jiang and Instructor Lin too?"
Hong Xian teased him, "They won't... Jiang Feng and Lin Beihai are different from you. The two of them have deep roots, and their family backgrounds are equally illustrious. You're a newcomer without any family backing..."
Xia Qi'an let out a sigh, sounding aggrieved and resentful. "Looks like they've taken me for a soft persimmon..."
"Isn't that the truth!..." Hong Xian chimed in.
She then added, "But a recommendation is only a recommendation. Whether you can truly take the steward's seat will still depend on your own strength."
"The Steward Examination will be like a tournament! You'll have to accept challenges on the stage from every Hound Guard interested in the steward position."
"If you win, everyone will be happy. But if you lose, not only will you fail to become a steward, you'll probably find it difficult to rise in the Wei Dao Si from then on. Those Lineages that have joined forces won't let you have an easy time either..."
Xia Qi'an naturally understood this principle.
"That's perfect... I've never liked beating around the bush. It's best to let my fists do the talking—simple and brutal." Xia Qi'an's eyes shone brilliantly as he spoke with absolute confidence.
Seeing his confidence, a trace of sorrow surfaced in Hong Xian's eyes, and she said mournfully, "Your martial talent is extraordinarily high. It really makes people envious..."
When Xia Qi'an saw Hong Xian suddenly turn melancholy, the charm between her brows vanished completely. He couldn't help asking, "What's wrong with you?... We were having a perfectly good conversation... Why did you suddenly become like this...?"
Hong Xian rose and turned her back to Xia Qi'an, as if she had recalled some painful past she was unwilling to face. "It's nothing...!"
But this only made Xia Qi'an even more curious. "We're friends now, aren't we...? If something's wrong, you can just tell me... I'll help if I can! If I can't help now, I'll help once I'm capable enough."
"No one could help with something like this... But... if you want to hear it, I can tell you..."
The scene and atmosphere were perfectly suited for recounting old memories, and Hong Xian found herself wanting to confide in someone.
She then told him about a long-buried event from her past.
As it turned out, Hong Xian's real name was Xiahou Hongyao, and she was descended from the surviving subjects of the former dynasty of the Qiluo Kingdom.
From the moment they were born, members of the Xiahou Lineage were condemned to lowly status and forbidden from ever entering government service. Their meridians were also destroyed, leaving them unable to practice martial arts.
The Xiahou Lineage chose to engage in commerce.
But even so, the Xiahou Lineage still failed to escape the reckoning that came for them.
When Hong Xian was five, the entire Xiahou family was annihilated by a mysterious martial artist.
Of the more than fifty members of the clan, only the five-year-old Hong Xian and a wet nurse from another family survived by sheer luck. Not a single other person lived.
Hong Xian grew up under the wet nurse's care and later became the manager of Jinling Commandery's Duobao.
But her meridians had been destroyed when she was young, making martial arts impossible for her. Taking revenge had become nothing more than a dream.
That was why she felt envious whenever she saw Xia Qi'an's extraordinary martial talent.
After listening to her story, Xia Qi'an couldn't help thinking of his own grandfather.
That allowed him to understand what it felt like for her and her wet nurse to depend on each other for survival.
Compared to him, however, Hong Xian's circumstances were even more tragic.
"These past few years, I've often had nightmares. The person who slaughtered my entire family has never let me rest!... I only hate that I can't practice martial arts and avenge my clan with my own hands..." By this point, Hong Xian was gnashing her teeth, her entire body trembling faintly as her emotions neared the breaking point.
Xia Qi'an didn't know how to comfort her, so he placed a piece of meat in her bowl and handed her a handkerchief. "Eat first...!"
Xia Qi'an refilled her cup of wine, then asked, "What was that person's name... and what was their cultivation realm?"
"What... Are you going to avenge me?" Hong Xian turned her head and looked at Xia Qi'an with complicated emotions. Gratitude, hope, and another indescribable feeling all mingled in her gaze.
"Of course... If you can offer a sufficient price, I wouldn't mind playing assassin for once!"
Hong Xian gently shook her head and sighed. "That person was already at the early stage of Spirit Condensation back then. By now, they've probably advanced even further!"
"Actually, I want even more to kill my enemy with my own hands. Only then can I dispel the nightmare that has haunted me for so many years! But unfortunately... I'm probably out of chances in this life...!"
Seeing how stubborn she was, Xia Qi'an hesitated over whether he should mention the dual-cultivation method to her.
The Yin Yang Harmony Manual was an Immortal Dao cultivation method created by cultivators. Its effects were nothing short of miraculous. Not only could it rapidly increase one's cultivation, it could also improve one's spiritual roots and martial meridians. It could even restore the damaged meridians of ordinary people.
However, the restrictions of this cultivation method were truly difficult for a normal person to accept.
After hesitating again and again, Xia Qi'an finally said slowly, "There is a way to restore your meridians... It's just that the conditions are somewhat harsh! As your friend, I can tell you about it."
"What? Is what you're saying true... You're not lying to me?" Upon hearing this, Hong Xian instantly became agitated. She grabbed Xia Qi'an's hand and asked urgently.
Xia Qi'an then explained to her the cultivation method and side effects of the Immortal Dao technique known as the Yin Yang Harmony Manual.
Unexpectedly, Hong Xian rolled her eyes again and again after hearing it. "There's really such a cultivation method in this world? You're not trying to trick me into giving you my body, are you!..."
"Though I may seem wanton on the outside, I'm still a virgin to this day! Do you think I'm some filthy woman whom any man can have?"
Xia Qi'an shook his head like a rattle, caught between laughter and tears.
He had no choice but to take out the ancient cultivation manual. "Everything I said is true... Immortal cultivators really do exist in this world. It's just that the world has changed, and cultivators no longer reveal themselves easily."
The Yin Yang Harmony Manual had to be cultivated by two people together, and one of them had to possess exceptionally excellent meridians.
Once cultivation began, it would be like Old Man under the Moon tying a red thread between them, automatically linking their Primordial Spirits and thereby forming a master-servant contract.
Therefore, even if Hong Xian memorized the scriptures and talisman diagrams in the ancient manual, it would be useless.
That was why he openly flipped through it in front of Hong Xian.
Seeing that Xia Qi'an's tone did not seem false, and seeing the actual manual he had produced,
Hong Xian believed him for the most part, and the anger in her heart gradually faded.
The fury that had originally filled her eyes faintly transformed into flames of longing.
"If this dual-cultivation method can truly restore my meridians and let me kill my enemy with my own hands, then what does it matter if I give you this stinking body?"
As she spoke, Hong Xian grabbed Xia Qi'an's hand and pressed it against her chest.
Caught off guard, Xia Qi'an's five fingers sank slightly into its ample softness.
The exquisite sensation of something so beautiful that one hand could not encompass it was simply beyond words.
He couldn't help giving it a squeeze, but fearing he would lose control of himself, he quickly pulled his hand back and said solemnly, "I do intend to find someone for dual cultivation. But not now. It'll have to wait until I break through into Spirit Condensation!"
Upon hearing this, an intoxicating flush spread across Hong Xian's face. Mist swirled in her eyes, clearly showing that her emotions had truly been stirred. "I thought you were a lecherous demon... I didn't expect you to have principles..."
How could Xia Qi'an fail to see that a woman like Hong Xian, burdened with hatred, would become dry wood and raging fire once ignited—ferocious as a wolf and ravenous as a tiger?
He immediately snorted, pinched Hong Xian's delicate chin, and spoke with a hint of reprimand. "Hmph... Rein in that fox-spirit air of yours... Once I step into Spirit Condensation, I'll let you savor the might of my weapon...!"
"By then, I'll make sure you beg for mercy...!"
After delivering his harsh words, Xia Qi'an fled as though escaping, rising and leaving at once.
He moved as swiftly as a ghostly shadow.
However, Xia Qi'an's teasing threats did not calm Hong Xian in the slightest.
She leaned forward and rested against the table, panting softly. The haze in her eyes transformed into an unfathomable springtime longing, like a pool of spring water wrinkled by a gentle breeze, rippling with countless tiny waves.
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