You Su had slept in later than usual today, not waking until the end of the Chen hour.
He secretly berated himself for his laxness. He had not taught his lesson last night, yet he had actually slept until now. His junior sister had probably seen how tired he was and refrained from waking him that morning.
You Su shook his head, sat up in bed, and stretched. After loosening his muscles and bones, he sensed the cultivation in his spirit platform—full and abundant, even faintly higher than before.
You Su was delighted. Each of the three stages of the spirit platform had one layer. Once all three layers had been forged, he could condense the Mystic Qi stored within them into water and break through to the Condensing Water Realm.
More shocking than his pleasing cultivation speed was his leg. After only one night, both his legs no longer felt any pain at all. Only an ant-biting itch came from the wounds. You Su touched them and found that they had already begun to scab, with some of the scabs even falling off naturally.
Was such exaggerated recovery due to the Spirit Creation Pill? Or that piece of rotten flesh? The latter was probably the greater factor.
You Su walked outside. After cleaning his teeth and washing his face, he took some pastries from the Universe Bag and casually filled his stomach. This was a wonderful new use he had discovered: the Universe Bag could keep things fresh.
After eating, he stood beneath the loquat tree again. Sunlight shredded by the leaves spilled over the young man, making him look exceptionally handsome.
You Su held his sword steady and began recalling the final sword strike from yesterday. He had no idea what had happened to him at the time. With Mistress's reminder endlessly echoing in his mind, he had possessed only one thought in that moment: he had to break free of his shackles and recklessly vent the wildness in his chest. No matter who stood before him, they could not stop that sword.
This was different from the strange surge of power that had caused his entire body to swell explosively on the night he killed True Man Ling. You Su could feel that this was his own power, unrelated to that piece of rotten flesh.
He had practiced swordsmanship for eighteen years, and this was unquestionably the strongest sword he had ever swung.
He desperately tried to regain that feeling—the feeling of being desperate yet unyielding, of urgently wanting to obtain something. But after immersing himself in it for a long while, the flash of inspiration behind that sword strike remained impossible to reproduce.
Just as he was racking his brains in confusion, a knock at the door called his mind back.
You Su knit his brows tightly. Ever since his master had left, this remote sect had received no visitors apart from the time Wu Cheng had barged in with his men. Who could be paying a visit now?
Whoever was outside, You Su only hoped it was not Gu Yao. Gu Yao's Evil-Breaking Golden Eyes that day had been proof enough that he was the person in Chuyun City most likely to discover that his junior sister and Mistress were baleful entities.
"Gu Yao, an outer sect steward of Xuanxiao Sect, has come especially to visit the Mandarin Sword Sect."
Each word was like a noose tightening ever further, binding You Su's heart tight. His entire body nearly sank into dizziness. The worst possible outcome had indeed occurred.
He nervously looked toward his junior sister's and Mistress's rooms, anxiously thinking of a countermeasure.
"Is anyone there?" Gu Yao's voice grew louder.
No! I can't let him call out again. If he calls my junior sister and Mistress out, things will be even worse. I can only gamble that the Formation Technique can fool him. Then he'll take this as an ordinary visit, and he'll have no reason to cast a spell here to search for baleful entities.
With a creak, the wooden door opened. Gu Yao was the only person outside, and You Su said with some pleasant surprise:
"Immortal Master Gu, what brings you here?"
"I came to see how your injuries are doing, and to inspect your sect while I was at it. I didn't announce my visit beforehand and came without warning. I hope I'm not disturbing you." When he saw You Su open the door, Gu Yao's stern face softened slightly.
"Not at all, not at all. Immortal Master Gu, please come in. I'll pour you some tea." As he spoke, You Su stepped aside and led Gu Yao inside. The farther Gu Yao ventured in, the higher You Su's heart climbed into his throat.
Ordinarily, such an honored guest should have been brought to the main hall. However, the side room of the main hall was Mistress's room, so You Su hesitated before gritting his teeth and saying, "Immortal Master Gu, the sect's main hall has been unused for years and is probably covered in dust. How about waiting a moment? I'll wipe it clean before entertaining you inside."
As he spoke, he also walked two steps forward, positioning himself perfectly between the main hall and the stone table and chairs in the courtyard from Gu Yao's perspective.
Gu Yao indeed noticed the table and chairs in the courtyard to the left. Remembering City Lord Liu's description from yesterday, he glanced around the old, dilapidated Sect Residence. He did not find it strange that the main hall was dusty; after all, the place truly did not look as if it received guests. Thus, he said amiably:
"There's no need. Wouldn't it be fine for us to sit over there? Beneath the loquat tree, beside the moss-covered well—how wonderful."
"How could that do? What kind of reason is there for making an honored guest sit in the courtyard? Please wait, Immortal Master. It'll be ready soon." With that, You Su was about to leave.
Gu Yao hurriedly caught hold of You Su and said with a smile, "I came on a whim, so there's no need to be so formal. No need to brew tea, either. Let's just chat casually."
You Su nodded nervously, then brought Gu Yao to sit beneath the tree together.
"Are your injuries from yesterday any better?" Gu Yao asked first.
"They're no longer serious. Thank you for the Spirit Creation Pill, Immortal Master Gu." You Su was about to offer a formal salute of thanks, but Gu Yao supported him before he could.
"It's good that they're no longer serious. Young people must avoid relying on their strong physiques and disregarding their injuries. It's very easy to leave behind a chronic ailment that will plant hidden dangers along your Dao Path." Gu Yao spoke earnestly. He was completely different from when he had faced City Lord Liu; at this moment, he seemed more like a kind middle-aged or elderly uncle.
"You Su will remember this."
"Besides, if anyone should be thanking the other, it ought to be me thanking you." Gu Yao's tone was as gentle as ever. "Forcing you to admit fault on the first day was my mistake. You were very perceptive. You must have seen that City Lord Liu deliberately used you to give me a show of force."
You Su did not dare respond. He could not tell whether Gu Yao was sincerely thanking him or deliberately probing him. Gu Yao continued, "If I said that I used my authority to oppress others only because I didn't want the Xuanxiao Sect behind me to lose face because of me, wouldn't that sound terribly hypocritical?"
"If my sect were looked down upon because of me, I fear I would make the same choice as you, Immortal Master Gu." You Su lowered his eyes halfway and replied respectfully.
Gu Yao smiled helplessly. This blind young man's mind was far too perceptive. It made him feel some heartache at wondering how the boy had grown up until now, treading on thin ice:
"You don't need to comfort me anymore. Although City Lord Liu and I are fellow disciples and senior and junior brothers, our relationship isn't good. In fact, when the sect assigned missions, I deliberately chose Chuyun City because I wanted to see him make a fool of himself. But having just arrived, I had to endure his show of force for nothing. Who would believe I had no selfish motives of my own? Yet you not only helped me recover the situation, you also did me a great favor. I had intended to thank you afterward, but there were so many matters to attend to every day that I only got the chance on this final day."
You Su hurriedly said, "Immortal Master Gu, you give me too much credit. I, You Su, am insignificant and carry little weight. Being able to help you was already a blessing. Besides, during yesterday's contest, you spoke up for me out of a sense of justice and even gave me medicine. If anything, I should be the one more grateful to you, Immortal Master Gu."
"One matter has nothing to do with the other. That victory and the Spirit Creation Pill were things you deserved in the first place, so they don't count as helping you. I came this time to bring you a gift of thanks."
With that, Gu Yao took a luxurious brocade box from his robes, its surface gleaming with the radiance of pearls and jewels.
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