Chapter 231

The night was chilly and still.

A small window, a candle burning softly, incense curling gently.

Ji Lingruo sat in front of the dressing table, stroking the sword that her mother had once collected.

Just then, that familiar little thief sneaked in again.

Ji Lingruo frowned, quickly sheathed her sword and placed it aside, muttering in embarrassment and annoyance:

"Didn't we agree that we couldn't always..."

"Can't I even talk to my junior sister?"

You Su is shameless and persistent, but he won't give up so easily.

"A weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken—it's up to no good."

The girl rolled her eyes at You Su, thinking to herself that this man was truly shameless.

"What did you do with that rich kid at noon? If you're not going to tell the truth, get out."

You Su quickly pulled up a chair and sat down closer to the girl:

"What could I possibly do with a guy? We just had some tea and chatted. He seemed like a nice person. Getting to know him might be a good connection for me in Henggao City later."

You Su wasn't lying. After finishing his conversation with Lord Ash, he had a quick meal with He Kongyue and then rushed back.

"Is someone who can spend lavishly in a brothel not bad?"

Ji Lingruo looked at You Su suspiciously.

"This shows that Brother He is charitable and generous. People often say that he likes to give away his wealth in remote cities for disaster relief. So whether he is lecherous or not has nothing to do with whether he is a good person."

Upon Ji Lingruo burst out laughing in anger, "You're not going to say you're the same way, are you?"

You Su scratched his head and laughed, changing the subject:

"Who says otherwise? Oh, right, I haven't asked my junior sister about the origin of this sword yet."

Ji Lingruo knew that her actions had not escaped You Su's notice, and he must have also seen that she had a special affection for this sword.

The girl pursed her lips. "This is the sword my mother used when she was alive."

Having heard about his junior sister's background, You Su naturally felt deep resentment towards her mother's fate.

"Auntie is also a Sword Cultivator?"

Ji Lingruo lowered her eyelids and shook her head:

"My mother was skilled in Demon Race Technique Method, but she admired Sword Cultivator. She believed that Sword Cultivator gentlemen, so she always carried a sword. And because of this, she fell in love with that down-on-his-luck Sword Cultivator, and thus..."

These stories were all told to her and her sister by Granny Liu.

The purpose was to make them remember the hatred, and even more so, the hypocritical facade of humanity.

You Su heard this, she realized how similar their fates were.

He was also human, Sword Cultivator, and he also stole the heart of a snake woman.

Even though I know this has nothing to do with him, I still can't help but feel a little ashamed.

He quietly took the girl's hand, hoping to reassure her.

"We will definitely avenge your aunt."

It is indeed us. Here are You Su herself, Ji Lingruo, and of course Ji Xueruo.

Ji Lingruo didn't want to talk about these sad things, so she didn't reply and simply nodded.

"Junior sister, what's the name of this sword? Do you find it easy to use?"

"My mother's name is Ji Muyan, so this sword is called the Muyan Sword. It works alright, doesn't it..."

Ji Lingruo then placed her other hand on the sword and gently stroked it.

"Junior sister wants a sword that belongs to you, is that right?"

You Su squeezed the girl's small hand. He was blind, but his mind was very delicate.

This sword is too long; the deceased aunt must have been a very tall and beautiful woman to be worthy of such a long sword.

Although the junior sister wasn't short, this sword was still a bit too long for her. As for her comment of "it's alright," it was probably just the girl forcing herself to accept it.

Her appreciation of swordsmanship late at night was certainly not a simple reminiscence of the past.

"No... Mother's sword is my sword, and to me, Mother's sword is the best sword."

You Su, however, understood the girl's thoughts perfectly:

"That's your aunt's sword, not your junior sister's sword. You shouldn't see inheriting your mother's sword as a responsibility. You and your sister are skilled in Way of the Sword and Technique Method, respectively inheriting your aunt's ideals and reality. But ideals need to be grounded in reality. This sword is not suitable for use. You should have your own sword."

"But where can one find a better sword than Muyan Sword...?"

Ji Lingruo had always used Wooden Sword before, Muyan Sword was crafted by Ji Muyan at great expense and was indeed the best sword she had ever seen.

"Junior sister, have you forgotten what I told you? When you graduate with your Way of the Sword, I will find you the best sword."

"Pfft... You actually believe what you say?" Ji Lingruo's mood improved somewhat. "Even if you can find it, how long will it take before I'm fully trained?"

"Why is Junior Sister so insecure?" You Su looked at the girl and said solemnly, "Junior Sister's talent in Way of the Sword is already rare. You just lack practical experience, but you have already gained a deep understanding of the Yang Sword. Your time to graduate is just around the corner."

Ji Lingruo smiled radiantly and turned around, saying, "You're just trying to fool me. My Way of the Sword talent is rare, so what are you? It's been several months since our last match. I don't believe you can still be so calm."

"Junior sister wants to have a match?" You Su raised an eyebrow.

"What, scared?"

Ji Lingruo gracefully rose to her feet, extending her index and middle fingers to form a sword held horizontally in front of her chest.

Seeing her full fighting spirit, You Su thought to himself that it made sense; he and his junior sister hadn't sparred for a long time. Without experiencing it firsthand, he couldn't truly feel her progress. So he stood up as well and imitated her, pointing his fingers as a sword.

"It's the same as before, only swordsmanship matters, not cultivation. If Junior Sister can touch me, then I lose." You Su Sufeng said calmly. "Let's make it clear beforehand: if I lose, Junior Sister can do whatever she wants with me, and vice versa."

"Hmph! Arrogant!"

Ji Lingruo is no longer the weak girl without Demon Core. Facing the Ghost Mite, who has the strength of the Water Condensation Realm, she, who is at the Spirit Platform Middle Stage, fought desperately to the very end.

Keep in mind, this was only her first battle after regaining her Demon Core.

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's figure darted towards You Su with the grace of a startled swan.

The Yang Sword emphasizes flexibility and versatility, using a dense and complex array of sword moves to gradually drag the enemy into an irresistible vortex. Ji Lingruo clearly understood this principle well. Her right hand, which was wielding the sword, danced and swung, attacking You Su with each move precise and methodical.

Since the two were fighting indoors, there were many obstacles, which made it somewhat difficult for You Su to dodge.

As You Su dodged and weaved, he didn't draw his sword, seemingly wanting to see where his junior sister's limits were.

Ji Lingruo viewed this as nothing short of humiliation, and the young girl, enraged, lost much of her composure.

Ji Lingruo's eyes flashed, and seizing the opportunity, she thrust straight at You Su's right shoulder.

As if he had expected this, You Su turned to the side and flicked off the girl's hair ribbon with one finger, causing her long black hair to flutter.

"Junior sister, don't be impatient," You Su instructed.

Ji Lingruo bit her thin lips, her gaze becoming even more serious.

As it turned out, she was indeed lazy and needed something external to push her. With You Su's 'taunts', Ji Lingruo's attack speed became faster and faster. This was different from her previous methodical attack style. These sword moves were entirely out of her instinct.

As the girl's skirt fluttered and her long sleeves danced, her snow-white jade feet appeared and disappeared, and with each sword strike, a sword aura gradually took shape.

You Su was no longer as at ease as before, but he was not in a hurry; instead, he felt deeply gratified.

My junior sister is indeed a genius.

Their hands clashed repeatedly in the air. You Su no longer simply dodged, but also seized opportunities to strike.

Having a worthy opponent allowed the young woman to become even more immersed in the display of her swordplay.

You Su's fingers touched her waist, shoulders, and back several times, but the girl was completely oblivious. She was determined to touch You Su today; she had never taken anything so seriously before.

Finally, she had built up her sword momentum with each strike, the dim candle flickering. She tricked You Su's right hand behind her back, and her index finger aimed straight at You Su's heart.

This time, he will have nowhere to escape!

Snap!

Ji Lingruo stared blankly at her right hand, which was being held by the wrist, then looked at You Su's left hand and said reproachfully:

"You cheated!"

You Su replied innocently, "Who says you can only hold a sword with your right hand?"

Ji Lingruo asked the question, and could only stomp her feet twice in anger:

"You just can't accept defeat!"

You Su smiled and said, "Junior sister, your clothes are loose."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Lingruo's belt around her waist came undone on its own, and her loose nightgown slipped off like blooming petals.

Ji Lingruo's face flushed crimson instantly. She hurriedly clutched her loose nightgown and said angrily:

"You're shameless!"

She was so focused that she hadn't noticed anything unusual about her body until now.

He felt a tingling sensation all over his body, even his bunny was hit... a tingling, numb feeling...

It was through these subtle maneuvers that he quietly untied her sash.

"Has Junior Sister admitted defeat?"

You Su examined his two fingers that were forming a sword with an air of importance. Ji Lingruo a glance what the blind man was reminiscing about, and she gritted her teeth in anger.

"This is outrageous!"

Upon hearing this, You Su quickly withdrew his hand and sincerely praised:

"Junior sister is indeed very skilled. Your only problem is that you lack practical experience. When you first started making moves, you didn't know how to adapt, so your senior brother could easily counter them. But later, as you gradually started to use your sword instinctively, that became the True Intention of the Mandarin Duck Sword. I gradually became powerless to keep up, and if I hadn't had a flash of inspiration and switched to holding the sword with my left hand, I'm afraid I would have really been defeated."

Ji Lingruo blinked her beautiful eyes. In fact, she knew that the rules of the competition were unfair. You Su had poked her so many times and still hadn't won, but she only needed to poke You Su once to win.

She was certainly not a sore loser; now, praised by You Su, she realized she had indeed made progress and perhaps wasn't far from catching up with her senior brother. The girl immediately felt a surge of pride, crossed her arms, and said arrogantly:

"Hmph, don't be so smug for long. I'll soon be cutting you down."

You Su smiled gently, naturally agreeing with her junior sister at this time, "Then it seems I need to find an Immortal Sword as soon as possible."

Ji Lingruo's smile widened even more. "Of course."

Unbeknownst to You Su, he had already arrived in front of her.

He gently embraced Ji Lingruo's soft, fragrant body. Because of the intense exercise they had just done, he could almost feel the girl's burning heat even through her clothes.

"Junior sister, are you willing to accept the consequences of your bet?"

Ji Lingruo knew things would turn out this way, and she shrank back:

"What... what do you want to do?"

Without warning, he took out the fox tail that the girl had been hiding under her pillow.

Ji Lingruo seeing this, unaware that You Su had taken away this shameful thing.

"I want to see my junior sister... disguised as a fox demon..."

Wangshu held the picture book given to her by her junior brother and read it with great interest.

Another few days of practice followed.

As the sun rises in the east, golden morning light pierces through the clouds and spills onto the chilly Lotus Peak, bringing a rare moment of gentleness to the cold winter.

You Su was reviewing his Swordsmanship as usual, a pure white figure silently approached.

"Senior Sister." You Su turned her head and smiled gently.

The newcomer had a beautiful figure and fair skin, but wore a jade Rabbit Mask, obscuring her true appearance.

Wangshu wore the new clothes she and Ji Lingruo had bought in Jinhua City. Although the clothes were mainly pure white, they were embellished with some blue silk, which made this aloof Fairy seem less unapproachable.

However, while her clothes may change, the Snow Fox Fur draped around her swan-like neck will remain the same.

You Su was aware of this, and for some unknown reason, his sword-like eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Junior Brother's cultivation has improved very quickly," Wangshu Fairy suddenly praised.

Upon You Su's expression stiffened. Senior Sister... had discovered it?

Dual cultivation was very effective for Ji Lingruo, and it was certainly the same for You Su. Dual cultivation was most beneficial to dao companion with similar cultivation levels.

Given her inquisitive nature, she shouldn't be subtly praising his cultivation improvement...

"The Mystic Qi on Lotus Peak is abundant. Only by cultivating here did I realize that my previous experience in Chuyun City was like sitting in a well and looking at the sky from the bottom of a well," You Su flattered.

"I'm glad you like Lotus Peak, Junior Brother." Wangshu Fairy's eyes curved into a smile.

You Su sensed the genuine joy in the other person's heart, and he even felt a little guilty. He felt that he and his junior sister were secretly cultivating together behind their senior sister's back, which was somewhat unfair to her... It always felt like they were having an affair...

For a moment, he couldn't figure out where his guilt came from. Was it because he had kept something from his senior sister? Or was it because he felt he had something good but wasn't sharing it with her?

What are you thinking about!

You Su hurriedly rubbed his head, trying to banish those inappropriate thoughts that shouldn't be there at this stage.

"Why did you hit yourself, Junior Brother?" Wangshu Fairy quickly grabbed You Su's hand to stop him from continuing, even though You Su hadn't actually used any force.

Wangshu's hands were soft and boneless, and icy cold, but You Su felt a warmth in her heart.

"It's nothing, Junior Brother is just spurring himself on. Senior Sister, hit me too, to encourage me to cultivate even harder."

You Su spoke with righteous indignation.

Wangshu held You Su's hand with one hand and affectionately patted You Su's head with the other. Her movements were very gentle, as if she was worried that You Su would feel uncomfortable.

"Junior brother has already worked very hard and doesn't need any encouragement. Actually, with your senior sister here, it's perfectly fine if junior brother doesn't work as hard."

It was as if a warm spring flowed into You Su's heart, and this cold girl was as warm as the sun in this cold winter.

Wangshu Fairy's eyes suddenly blinked, and she reluctantly withdrew her hand:

"Junior brother, the First Elder is waiting for you at the foot of the mountain."

"First Elder?"

You Su was still enjoying her sweet moments with her senior sister when First Elder arrived at a really bad time.

But he dared not neglect the elderly man of such high status, and had no choice but to prepare to leave.

Before parting, he flipped his right hand, and a sprig of winter plum blossom appeared in his hand, which he had picked that morning while cultivating in the mountains.

You Su approached Wangshu Wangshu, who was clearly taken aback, but she did not back down, completely trusting You Su.

You Su gently placed a flower in Wangshu Fairy's hair.

The petals, a blend of white and pink, and the stamens trembled slightly in the breeze, each adorned with a few dewdrops, making this ethereal Fairy appear even more otherworldly.

"I'm leaving, Senior Sister," You Su said with a smile and a wave. "The flowers suit you perfectly!"

Ji Lingruo leaned against the window, watching all of this, and muttered to herself:

"He's clearly blind, yet he has the nerve to praise the gift he gave me. He's shameless..."

"Thank you, junior brother."

Wangshu Fairy nodded slightly.

As she watched You Su's retreating figure, she felt a strange emptiness in her heart.

She took off the flower from her hair and examined it for a long time.

She suddenly reached out and patted the head of the Little Flower that served as a hairpin, and said in an unusually serious tone:

"Little Flower, you mustn't be disgusted. This was a gift from my junior brother. He's just as beautiful as you..."

"First Elder, you wanted to see me?"

As expected You Su found the First Elder at the foot of the mountain. There was no one within a thousand meters, which must have been due to some kind of Technique Method cast by the First Elder.

"Um."

The First Elder waved his hand, indicating that You Su did not need to perform such a grand ceremony.

After saying that, he took out a scroll from his sleeve. "Here you go, a new mission."

"So fast?"

You Su was somewhat surprised, not expecting the first task from the Evil Warding Department to come so quickly.

He took the scroll, which was made of bamboo beads and bound together, and was secured with Mystic Qi.

"Those people are waiting to test our new divine son. If I hadn't interfered, you would have left the sacred mountain a week ago."

You Su wasn't afraid of the mission; he simply didn't want to remain in seclusion in the mountains.

"Thank you, First Elder."

"This is your first mission after officially becoming the Evil Warding Department, and it is of great significance. Therefore, you need to complete this mission alone, and it would be best if you could complete it perfectly." The First Elder's tone was kind. "Are you confident?"

"Nature."

You Su answered clearly, word by word.

Having chosen this path, You Su would not back down. He put the scroll into his Universe Bag and examined it with his Divine Sense.

Rumor has it that a secret realm has appeared in the Lingxu Mountain Range near Lingxu City. This mission requires him to travel to the Central Continent Mountains to explore the secret realm left behind by a powerful immortal before her ascension. The secret realm contains countless treasures. Moreover, this immortal was a Sword Cultivator in her lifetime, and it is very likely that her natal immortal Immortal Sword is left in the secret realm.

However, seizing the fortuitous opportunity was only You Su's surface task; his real mission was to investigate the cause of this giant's death.

According to reliable sources, she may have ventured deep into the open sea and come into contact with extremely secret evil spirits.

The Immortal Sword?

You Su couldn't help but recall the night he competed with his junior sister. He had originally planned to use the gift given by the Fifth Elder to retrieve a sword from the Crimson Rainbow Sword to give to his junior sister, but now a more suitable sword has appeared.

Isn't this like someone bringing you toilet paper right after you've taken your pants off?