A False Alarm, Combining Hardness and Softness

Seeing the beautiful woman before him remained silent for a long time, Lin Tianlu showed a confused expression:

"Madam?"

"Cough! That child..." Mao Ruoyu's mind raced, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Because of what happened last night, I had my people send her to a relative's home outside Changling County."

"Sent the child away?"

Lin Tianlu exclaimed, "Although the fire was fierce, it didn't spread here. Madam, sending the child away directly seems a bit..."

"Mister Lin, you may not know."

Mao Ruoyu shook her head. "Actually, my eyes are unusual; I can see demonic and evil things. That night, demonic energy filled the air above the cloth shop, swirling into dark clouds with a terrifying presence. For the child's safety, I had no choice but to send her away as quickly as possible."

Lin Tianlu listened with some surprise.

Did this neighbor woman actually have such a special ability?

Upon closer inspection, her eyes seemed to reflect a faint greenish hue, different from ordinary people.

"No wonder Madam Mao insisted I not approach the cloth shop last night."

"I hope you can forgive me, Mister." Mao Ruoyu lowered her head. "If I spoke of this matter to outsiders, I might be considered an ill omen. But you, Mister..."

"Madam, rest assured, I will absolutely not mention this to anyone else."

Lin Tianlu smiled frankly and bowed solemnly. "Madam, for having such a kind heart, I am already immensely grateful. I would never suspect or question you further.

Since Madam has now awakened and recovered, I will not overstay my welcome. If you need any further assistance or convenience, please feel free to ask me for help."

"Thank you for your concern, Mister." Mao Ruoyu managed a slightly weak smile.

After a few more pleasantries, Lin Tianlu quickly left the mansion, not lingering long.

"..."

Only when no one else was in the courtyard did Mao Ruoyu suddenly collapse into her chair, her smile gone. She clutched her pounding heart, breathing in trembling gasps.

"I... I managed to get away with it!"

This brief exchange felt like an eternity.

Because she wasn't a madam at all, nor did she have a child.

These were identities she had fabricated casually at the time, never expecting that she would be burdened by these lies and nearly exposed on the spot.

"Why didn't I realize... he's no weak scholar with no strength to even truss a chicken, but clearly a peerless master in disguise!"

Mao Ruoyu's face was pale, and she regretted it immensely.

She had carefully probed again just now and truly couldn't sense any aura from him.

It was as if this man before her didn't exist in this world. If not for seeing him with her own eyes, it would have been difficult to even confirm if he was standing in front of her.

Ethereal and illusory, mysterious and unfathomable, just like the Immortals of legend!

"No wonder the Heart-Enchanting Pastry and Soul-Capturing Candle had no effect on him. That display of chilling wind was probably as laughable as a child's game. I actually harbored ill intentions towards such a master; I was truly seeking my own demise!"

She couldn't help but cover her face and sigh, feeling utterly devoid of the will to live.

"--Wait."

But Mao Ruoyu suddenly lowered her hands, her face showing surprise.

"Lin Tianlu could easily eliminate evil spirits; his methods must have long surpassed the mundane and entered the sacred. His realm of cultivation is undoubtedly rare in this world. Yet, such a master acted so... politely and gently towards me, repeatedly comforting me, in the guise of a scholar. He seemed not to have noticed my various schemes against him before. Could he be...

testing me?"

Mao Ruoyu bit her red lip, her expression shifting uncertainly.

"My cultivation relies entirely on absorbing a little 'vitality' from living people in my sleep, refining Yin energy into my body. But for years, I haven't taken a life; at most, I've only caused people to have nightmares at night, feeling slightly tired in the morning. I've never incurred the karma of killing. Perhaps Lin Tianlu, that master... spared my life out of neighborly consideration?"

"But if I continue to engage in petty, underhanded acts, I fear--"

Mao Ruoyu clenched her fair hands, a sense of unease filling her heart.

He could eliminate that evil spirit with a single blow; she, an insignificant Ghost术者, might be as easily crushed as an ant.

"What... what should I do?"

Meanwhile, in the mansion.

Hua Shuya yawned lightly after finishing her washing.

"I actually fell asleep so hazily yesterday. Was I really that tired?"

She only vaguely remembered falling into a deep sleep shortly after sitting down, not even having eaten much of the delicious pastries.

And--

"It was too rude to show my sleeping face in front of Senior."

Hua Shuya sighed inwardly, touching her delicate robe, and murmured softly, "Did Senior carry me into the room?"

As soon as she woke up this morning, she realized she was sleeping in her bed. In this large mansion, naturally, only Lin Tianlu would perform such a considerate and gentle act.

But thinking about how her body was touched and how she was held in his arms while she was unconscious...

The young woman's pretty face was flushed with a rosy glow, her eyes shimmering with shy, watery light.

"No, no! I can't think of such strange things! It's too disrespectful to Senior!"

She shook her head repeatedly, casting the messy thoughts out of her mind, occasionally patting her head to regain her composure.

After the warmth on her cheeks gradually subsided, she tidied her hair and walked out of the mansion with her sword.

She skillfully arrived at Lin Tianlu's home and looked around a few times, but did not find the person she was looking for.

Perhaps he went out on the street?

"These past two days, I've been busy with government affairs and have neglected Senior. I must do my best to help Senior adapt to worldly life." Hua Shuya nodded inwardly, her thoughts delicate and gentle.

But she soon frowned, looking thoughtfully at the sword she held tightly in her hand.

For some reason, she suddenly felt that the sword's weight... seemed to have become much lighter.

It wasn't that her arm strength had improved, but rather a more profound change.

Hua Shuya tried to slowly draw her long sword.

Clang--

A lingering sword hum, crisp and ethereal.

The young woman's eyes glazed over, her expression momentarily dazed.

Her whole body felt immersed in a cold river, gradually sinking to the bottom.

But as she slowly opened her eyes, she saw the scene of yesterday's sparring reflected before her, like a daytime illusion.

Lin Tianlu's seemingly casual, lazy thrust and parry seemed to carry a peculiar artistic conception, profound and indescribable. At the same time, ripples spread outwards, and the powerful Sword Intent flowed like river waves, continuous and unending.

"This is..."

The familiar figure suddenly dispersed, turning into thousands of light spots, flowing and condensing like fleeting shadows, continuously pouring into her body.

The young woman's arm trembled, and she inadvertently swung her sword sideways.

Crack!

A sword mark suddenly appeared on a nearby stone platform, scattering wisps of dust.

Hua Shuya suddenly snapped back to reality, and seeing the deep sword mark, she was speechless.

Sword energy crisscrossing, capable of splitting metal and stone... this was a skill that only Azure Spirit Realm or even Grandmaster level martial artists could unleash!

She had only recalled Senior's moves from yesterday and made a clumsy imitation, yet she was able to display such a marvelous technique!?

"Senior clearly gave me good pointers yesterday. How could I have been so dull and lazy, only realizing the profound essence of it today."

Hua Shuya tapped her head with a look of annoyance: "Senior must be disappointed and dejected seeing me act so indifferent... No! When Senior returns, I must show my sincerity!"

Tap--

"Who!!"

Hua Shuya's expression suddenly sharpened, and she let out a sharp cry.

In an instant, the young woman's delicate and lovely face turned solemn, her Sword Intent seeming to emanate from her beautiful eyes, her entire aura shifting dramatically, like a drawn sword shooting towards the door.

"Little girl, I only lingered outside the door for a couple of steps. To be so rash?"

The already ajar door was casually pushed open, and an old man with a white beard, a faint smile on his face, stepped into the courtyard.

At the same time, his footsteps vibrated, and the ancient long sword behind his back suddenly unsheathed itself, spinning and landing in his hand.

With the long sword in hand, the old man's aura erupted, and a sharp, ethereal sword force swirled outwards, making him appear like an Immortal among swords!

"--This place does not welcome outsiders. Please leave quickly!"

Hua Shuya, however, was not afraid at all. Her pretty face tensed, and she raised her long sword.

The old man's lips curled: "That peerless expert, I must meet him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold light flashed in Hua Shuya's beautiful eyes, and she immediately drew her sword and lunged forward.

"Hmm? Thirteen Forms of the Army-Breaking Sword... you're a descendant of the Hua Family?"

The old man looked surprised, but soon his lips curved, and he began to playfully twirl the tip of his sword: "Fine, let me play with you for a bit."

--Clang!

The two swords met, unleashing a dull sword hum.

The old man let out a soft "Oh?"

Pure and potent internal energy, swift and decisive sword techniques, such profound skill!

At such a young age, to possess such astonishing cultivation?

In less than a moment, the two had exchanged more than ten blows, the clanging of swords incessant, sparks flying. But the more they fought, the more astonished the old man became, finding the young woman's swordsmanship truly extraordinary!

"Hah--!"

Just then, the young woman suddenly let out a sharp cry, her sword light flashing, as if she had merged her sword techniques into one and thrust it out.

"Sword Intent?!"

Barely eighteen, and she's already grasped profound Sword Intent?!

The old man's heart shook violently. He quickly conjured several illusory sword shadows and met the attack.

Clang--!

The moment the two swords touched, sword winds and energy erupted, sending both figures staggering back.

The old man secretly stepped back with his left foot, stabilizing himself. He'd pressed a footprint-shaped indentation into the ground and exhaled a long stream of energy.

His gaze on Hua Shuya was no longer casual; it was filled with extreme astonishment.

"This woman's Sword Intent is as ethereal as a rainbow, unfathomable, yet it contains the Way of both hardness and softness. Truly extraordinary!

Could it be... this woman is the expert who eliminated the evil spirits last night?"

But that expert wasn't a pale-faced scholar; how did he become a young woman in her prime?