Sword Heart Shattered, a Mysterious Master

A menial?

A menial could make even him unable to react with a single sword strike?

The anger on Yao Tianchuan's face vanished in a flash as he barked:

"Do not toy with me! I was merely caught off guard by that strike. You—"

Before he could finish, Xie Yuan sheathed his sword and said calmly:

"Please."

Yao Tianchuan froze, sensing a naturally tranquil, unhurried presence emanating from his opponent.

Only someone supremely confident in himself could possess such an air—calm and composed before him, drawing and sheathing the sword as his heart willed.

Yao Tianchuan's expression became graver than ever, far graver than it had been at the arena during the day.

His hand slowly settled on his sword hilt as he said in a low voice:

"You are in the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm?"

"Afraid I'll bully you?"

Xie Yuan smiled.

"I only broke through this month."

"Impossible!"

Yao Tianchuan declared flatly.

How could the speed, angle, and force of that strike possibly have come from a swordsman who had only just reached the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm?

Even he himself had not been capable of such a move back then!

As an exceptionally gifted young swordsman, Yao Tianchuan could tell from that single exchange that his opponent's attainment in the sword was anything but shallow.

Without ten or even several decades devoted wholeheartedly to sword practice, it would have been impossible to wield such a sword.

Yet Xie Yuan merely held his sword hilt in silence, offering no further explanation.

Seeing his attitude, Yao Tianchuan's resolve gradually began to waver.

Could this truly be a swordsman even more gifted than I am...?

But then he shook his head, cast aside those distracting thoughts, and focused anew on the sword in his hand.

"Hidden Sword Pavilion, Jinling Yao Family, Yao Tianchuan. Please."

Xie Yuan did not speak. He remained beneath the shade of the tree, his face hidden within the thick darkness.

Moonlight illuminated only the hem of his robes. The night wind stirred the branches, casting shifting shadows over him and lending him an air of mystery.

For some reason, even from this distance, Yao Tianchuan still could not make out his opponent's face.

When his opponent did not answer, a flash of anger crossed his face. He snorted coldly and abruptly drew his sword.

It was as though a bolt of lightning had streaked across the cliff, accompanied by the soundless roar of thunder.

Yao Tianchuan's sword was like lightning from the heavens—so fast it could not be seen, and by the time one saw it, it had already struck before one's eyes!

Xie Yuan's gaze flickered. His hand moved lightly, as though he had drawn his sword thousands upon thousands of times. Without a single unnecessary motion, his longsword flashed from its sheath and met the blow.

Clang—

The ring of colliding blades echoed through the night sky as Xie Yuan deftly parried aside Yao Tianchuan's sudden lightning-fast strike.

Yao Tianchuan's pupils contracted. He had clearly seen Xie Yuan's sword-drawing motion, flowing like drifting clouds and running water, every fraction visible.

Yet he had been unable to react.

He could see it only because his opponent's movement was too concise, too efficient, without the slightest redundancy—like clouds drifting, like water flowing, and incomparably swift.

Could I make a movement this fluid?

The thought surfaced instinctively in his mind, but his hands did not stop. In an instant, he spun around and stabbed toward Xie Yuan's lower body, using exactly the same move he had used against Xing Zhi that afternoon. It appeared to be an opening sequence.

The difference was that his opening move had been parried early. Now his sword was a full body-length away from Xie Yuan, making it much easier to respond.

Seeing this, the corner of Xie Yuan's lips lifted slightly. He ignored the sword thrust at him and instead swept his longsword sideways, making a feigned cut at Yao Tianchuan's chest.

That strike had no target. It looked as though he were merely cutting through empty air, practically handing his own legs over to Yao Tianchuan's blade.

Yet the moment Xie Yuan swept his sword across, Yao Tianchuan's wrist turned. Abandoning Xie Yuan's lower body, his sword slashed upward from below toward Xie Yuan's chest.

That circling thrust had merely been a feint!

Given Yao Tianchuan's skill with the sword, he naturally would not cling to rigid patterns. Yet he had not expected Xie Yuan to have seemingly seen through his intentions long ago. Xie Yuan's sword rested easily across the path of his blade, and his upward slash was like offering his own hand to the edge!

Yao Tianchuan jolted in alarm and halted his sword at the very last moment, avoiding the disaster of a severed hand.

An ordinary martial artist would have had his entire rhythm thrown into chaos by this, and even a better one would have fallen into a disadvantage, unable to reverse the decline;

Yet Yao Tianchuan remained composed. The instant his arm halted, he changed the upward slash into a thrust without the slightest pause, as though this had been the move he had intended all along!

His opponent had anticipated him first and made a feigned cut at his chest. Though the move was exceedingly dangerous, once it was broken, his opponent's chest and abdomen became exposed. This thrust was the killing move!

Escaping the trap and then using the momentum to find his enemy's weakness, turning the trap into his own weapon—Yao Tianchuan lived up to his reputation. The strength behind his astounding record of nineteen consecutive victories had begun to show itself.

Yet just as the sword was about to pierce his enemy's chest, another clang rang out. That blade had somehow already returned, standing before the sword tip and firmly blocking the thrust.

Yao Tianchuan's gaze abruptly sharpened. He had not seen when that sword had returned to guard Xie Yuan's chest.

If that sword had not withdrawn, but moved forward instead, then I...

Gritting his teeth, he no longer dared hold back in the slightest and explosively unleashed his full strength.

The sword in Yao Tianchuan's hand danced like lightning filling the sky. With every blink came several streaks of electric light, cleaving straight toward Xie Yuan.

Under the night sky, it was as if the moon itself had fallen here.

Yao Tianchuan's sword light merged completely into one, dense and impenetrable like a hemisphere. Its dazzling brilliance illuminated every detail of the cliff—except Xie Yuan's face.

Under an assault that even a raging storm could not describe, any swordsman in the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm should have been powerless to resist. Even one in the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm would have needed to face it with caution, or risk injury!

Within the hemisphere of sword light, Xie Yuan's expression stirred at the sight of such an attack.

But he was not shaken by its power. Rather, he felt that he had seen this sword technique somewhere before.

Since he had seen it before, he was not as unfamiliar and helpless as he would have been in a first encounter, restrained at every turn. Even if he had never seen this move, Xie Yuan could have taken it with his mastery of the sword. Yet now, a method of response vaguely surfaced in his mind—one that seemed better, more exquisite.

He raised his longsword upright and traced a semicircle, perfectly corresponding to the hemispherical sword light before him.

A rapid succession of clang clang clang clang rang out as the blades collided countless times, and the sword light illuminating the cliff came to an abrupt stop.

Xie Yuan's sword edge pinned down Yao Tianchuan's longsword, revealing Yao Tianchuan's face, utterly incredulous beneath the fading light.

"You... How could you break my sword move like that?"

Yao Tianchuan's face was filled with disbelief.

Even if his ultimate move had been stopped, he should not have been so shocked.

Yet the method Xie Yuan had used to break it was beyond anything he could have imagined.

Almost every strike from his opponent had cut directly into the weak point of his sword as it moved.

Every single strike!

He produced more than ten sword strikes in one breath. Yet at such speed, Xie Yuan had still seen through every one of them and broken every one.

Was that something a disciple of the same realm could do? No—even disciples in the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm or Third Transformation Realm, he did not believe any of them could manage it through this move alone.

Breaking his prized sword technique in such a way could only be called the work of a swordsmanship grandmaster!

Yao Tianchuan's mind was shaken to the core, but Xie Yuan remained silent.

Truthfully, it had been a flash of inspiration, and even Xie Yuan himself could not explain it too clearly.

But that did not matter. Even if he did understand it, he naturally would not tell Yao Tianchuan.

As Yao Tianchuan looked at Xie Yuan, his Sword Heart, once indomitable, wavered for the first time.

Though the two had already exchanged many moves, given the dazzling speed of their swords, only a brief moment had actually passed. Had they been on the arena stage, most spectators likely would not have understood what they were seeing. They would have seen only a blur of sword light and heard clanging after clanging.

Yet after so many exchanges, Yao Tianchuan had not gained a single advantage.

Every sword strike he made, every action he took, seemed to have been anticipated by his opponent. Yet he could not understand his opponent's sword at all; or if he did understand it, he still could not keep up.

Seeing Xie Yuan still standing silently beneath the tree, his features indistinct, Yao Tianchuan felt that figure was impossible to shake, unfathomably deep.

He suddenly realized that, until now, his opponent had only defended and had never once actively sent forth a strike.

Yao Tianchuan asked hoarsely:

"Why do you not attack?"

Xie Yuan said softly:

"I am afraid you would not enjoy yourself to the fullest."

Hearing that familiar answer, a flash of ashamed anger crossed Yao Tianchuan's face. He said furiously:

"Attack, then! I want to see whether you are truly as formidable as you claim!"

"Fine."

Xie Yuan moved his hand, and his longsword suddenly rose in a drifting, elusive motion, reflecting silvery-white sword light beneath the moon.

Mist suddenly rose over the cliff.

Yao Tianchuan's vision instantly turned into a sheet of white haze, and he could see nothing clearly.

At that moment, he could no longer tell whether this was his opponent's dazzling sword light or the Cloud Mist blowing in from beyond the cliff.

He felt as though he had stepped into the clouds. For a moment, he did not know sky from earth. He could not see where his opponent was, much less the sword.

Yao Tianchuan looked about in confusion, an inexplicable fear rising in his heart as he wondered when a killing blade might emerge from the Cloud Mist.

Even though it was a sword—the thing he knew best—why did it inspire fear...

His heart tightened. Suddenly, he felt a chill down his back and whirled around.

A massive dragon's head hung beyond the cliff. Its yellow eyes were like enormous lanterns, casting light upon his figure.

"!"

The next moment, the cloud dragon lowered its head and lunged to devour him.

Yao Tianchuan's entire body stiffened, his mind went blank, and he had already forgotten to defend himself.

His vision blurred. The sword light dispersed, and a gleaming longsword stopped before him.

The first form of the Cloud Dragon Nine Forms, Cloud Dragon Probes its Head.

This move possessed overwhelming might. Once the sword emerged, it was truly as if Cloud Mist had filled the air and a divine dragon lowered its head from the clouds, stealing one's very soul and leaving one unable to resist.

Yao Tianchuan's face turned deathly pale. Staring at the sword tip before him, he swallowed and suddenly shouted:

"You are not in the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm!"

"How am I not? Do you not even possess that much judgment?"

Xie Yuan said calmly.

Yao Tianchuan gritted his teeth. Though his opponent's Blood Qi realm had always been at the First Transformation Realm, even lower than his own, he refused to believe that a Sword Sect disciple in the First Transformation Realm could possess such attainment in swordsmanship.

"Your swordsmanship suppresses mine at every turn. It would be impossible without decades of sword practice. You even know the Cloud Dragon Nine Forms! How could a disciple in the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm wield such a profound sword technique? You must be some grandmaster of the Yunshan Sword Sect who came here with your realm suppressed!"

Xie Yuan smiled when he heard this.

"Yao Tianchuan, do not overestimate yourself. There is no need for a grandmaster to step forward merely to deal with you. Is it difficult to cultivate swordsmanship that suppresses yours? I practiced the sword for three months, and that was enough to defeat you."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The great Dao of the sword is boundless in its depths. How could you reach such a level in merely three months?"

Yao Tianchuan abruptly waved his hand, his face filled with agitation.

"A frog at the bottom of a well—how could it know that beyond man are greater men, and beyond heaven are greater heavens? The sword is indeed a great Dao, but what you have seen is merely a lesser path."

Xie Yuan smiled faintly.

"Why would I deceive you about practicing the sword for three months? The way of the sword is only one of my methods."

He lightly swung his sword, and a blast of force carved a deep mark into the ground. Then he sheathed his sword and drifted away. After only a few steps, he vanished in an instant.

That sword strike had carried saber force.

Its power and attainment were not the slightest bit inferior to Yao Tianchuan's swordsmanship.

Yao Tianchuan's hand trembled violently. Suddenly unable to hold his sword any longer, he dropped it to the ground with a clang.

Yao Tianchuan stood rooted to the spot like a stone statue. Before long, a figure swiftly appeared at his side. His features were open and clear, his bearing easy and unrestrained—it was Song Qingping.

Although the disciples of the Hidden Sword Pavilion all wore indigo robes, Song Qingping alone loved to dress in white. He had always been one to go his own way, and even Wei Dong could do little about him.

Having heard the commotion, Song Qingping hurried over and frowned at Yao Tianchuan.

"Tian Chuan, what happened?"

Yao Tianchuan's eyes were unfocused as he merely murmured:

"More than ten years of bitter work, inferior to three months of swinging a sword... Swordsmanship is a lesser path; he possesses his own great Dao..."

Seeing that Yao Tianchuan's mind had been seized and he was oblivious to all around him, Song Qingping's brow furrowed tighter. He shouted:

"Yao Tianchuan, wake up!"

That shout contained true essence. Yao Tianchuan's whole body jolted violently, and he finally regained his senses.

Looking at Song Qingping, he gritted his teeth.

"Martial Uncle Li, I lost... I was no match for him at all."

"Who was he?"

Song Qingping's gaze sharpened as he asked.

By now, several more disciples had rushed over at the sound and formed a circle around them. Hearing that Yao Tianchuan had lost the match—and been reduced to such a state—they all exchanged bewildered looks.

Yao Tianchuan muttered:

"I do not know."

"You do not know? Did he not give you his name?"

Song Qingping asked with a grave expression.

Yao Tianchuan shook his head.

"He only said that he was a menial... But though his cultivation was not high, his swordsmanship was divine, just like a grandmaster's. I... I was completely no match for him... He... three months..."

His voice trembled, and his eyes became unfocused again. Seeing him like this, Song Qingping drew a breath and instructed the disciples:

"Help him inside and let him rest properly!"

The disciples all looked grim. Yao Tianchuan's condition was already a sign that his Sword Heart had shattered.

As they supported Yao Tianchuan away, they quietly exchanged glances.

What sort of person could have beaten Junior Brother Yao into such a state?

Junior Brother Yao was exceptionally gifted and highly capable. Whether within or beyond the sect, his battle record was illustrious. That afternoon, he had easily defeated a Sword Sect opponent and already carried the bearing of one invincible within his realm;

With his strength, even if someone in the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm had bullied the younger with superior cultivation and defeated him, he should never have become so despondent that his Sword Heart was damaged.

Only upon feeling a vast, insurmountable gulf between them would he begin to doubt himself, doubt the sword in his hand, and end up like this.

A martial artist in the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm probably could not have reduced him to such a state—among those at the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm, not many could surpass Junior Brother Yao in swordsmanship alone.

Even if they won, it would only be due to the gap in cultivation. With Junior Brother Yao's resolve, he should have known shame and striven forward, rising up to catch up.

Unless... it had truly been an opponent of the same realm, one who fought Junior Brother Yao and defeated him. But even then, someone in the First Transformation Realm could never have opened such a gap in swordsmanship that he ended up like this...

What kind of opponent, what kind of swordsmanship, could achieve such a thing?

Could it truly have been a grandmaster stepping in?

Several disciples were deeply shaken. Watching Yao Tianchuan walk along woodenly, his sword discarded on the ground, they all sighed to themselves.

He did not even want his sword anymore...

One of the disciples broke away to pick up his personal sword, while the others escorted Yao Tianchuan into the guest courtyard.

Song Qingping watched Yao Tianchuan enter the courtyard, his brows tightly furrowed.

He withdrew his gaze and swept his eyes over the battlefield beside the cliff. Catching sight of wisps of lingering Sword Qi, his expression turned grim.

Tian Chuan had already gone all out, yet he still seemed unable to do anything against this opponent...

His Blood Qi realm had indeed been the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm. How could this be?!

Losing would have been one thing, but for someone of the same realm to defeat him so utterly, to the point of shaking his Sword Heart—it was simply impossible!

Song Qingping's Sword Heart was crystal-clear, his gaze burning like a torch. In an instant, he gleaned the course of the battle from the faintest clues.

Yet after seeing it all, he found it even more inconceivable, disbelief appearing on his face.

He lowered his head and stared at the mark on the ground, his brows knotting even tighter.

Using the sword to drive blade force? What was that supposed to be? Did the Yunshan Sword Sect have blade practitioners too?

Song Qingping pondered for a moment, then snorted.

"Could some sinister old bastard have suppressed his realm to take revenge? Despicable and shameless! No, I need to demand an explanation from them!"

With a sweep of his sleeve, he vanished from where he stood in the blink of an eye, heading up the main peak to demand answers.

Xie Yuan quietly returned to the Servant Courtyard. Pretending he had merely gotten up in the middle of the night, he staggered back to his spot in the Common Sleeping Quarters and became one of the servants again.

With his eyes closed, he relived the sword match from not long ago and nodded to himself.

"The first battle after reaching the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm felt pretty good."

After reaching the Qi and Blood Transformation Realm, both the speed and power of his moves were utterly different from before. Coupled with his exquisite swordsmanship, his strength was already formidable even among those in the same realm.

In that battle, he had brought his swordsmanship into full play, completely displaying the might of perfected basic swordsmanship.

If they spoke only of Blood Qi and cultivation, he, having only just broken through, was far inferior to Yao Tianchuan. If they truly compared strength and speed, he should have been at a disadvantage.

However, he had already comprehended the essence of the sword path and perfected the basics. Whether drawing or withdrawing his sword, he was three parts faster.

It was like yesterday's external practice contest. Both sides had been swordsmen, yet the Hidden Sword Pavilion disciples had been a step faster than the Sword Sect disciples, and the result had been utterly one-sided.

If Yao Tianchuan had not been a swordsman, and had not been so obsessed with swordsmanship, Xie Yuan likely would not have won so easily.

Of course, if Yao Tianchuan had not used a sword, Xie Yuan would not have used one either. A great treasure had always been strapped to his belt.

"The Cloud Dragon Nine Forms is incredibly powerful. As expected of swordsmanship that points directly toward the grandmaster level!"

Xie Yuan was delighted. Even the first form alone could conceal one's intentions, seize the enemy's mind, and smash through foes with a fierce strike, making it impossible for opponents of the same realm to resist.

It was the first time he had learned such profound martial arts. Having tested its effects, he could not help feeling exhilarated.

"And that move that broke his ultimate technique... I somehow had an instinct in my heart. Had I seen it in the Black Heaven Book, some flash of inspiration cultivated from there?"

Xie Yuan's eyes flickered. This Black Heaven Book of the sword path truly brought additional gains.

It was so marvelous that, when he got the chance, he would have to spend more time cooling off in the Rock Crevice.

"This kid should settle down now. I wonder whether he can still pick up a sword."

Having tested his strength and vented his anger, Xie Yuan felt immensely satisfied. He leaned his head back and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The third day of the sword matches.

Hosts and guests took their seats beside the arena, filling the place to capacity.

Yet unlike the previous two days, although so many people stood around the arena today, it was deathly quiet, and the atmosphere was exceedingly strange.

Yesterday, Yao Tianchuan had thoroughly humiliated the Yunshan Sword Sect and escalated the matter, nearly sparking a clash between grandmasters from the Soaring Dragon Ranking. The friendly yet competitive exchange of martial insights between the two sects had suddenly changed in flavor.

Especially after the arena matches, disciples of the two sects had clashed again, fighting who knew how many private duels. There were many gaps in today's ranks, with quite a few people taking leave to nurse their injuries or confined to bed.

The private duels had further worsened the relationship between both sides, but that was not all—

In the middle of the night, Song Qingping had gone to the main peak and caused a huge uproar, claiming that Yao Tianchuan had been bullied!

Yao Tianchuan had been bullied?

The entire Yunshan Sword Sect looked at one another in bewilderment, completely at a loss.

Had he not been so flamboyant and powerful during the day? Why was he now crying to his elders that he had been bullied?

It was somewhat ridiculous, and also rather satisfying...

But the key was, with his strength, who in the same realm could possibly bully him?

Clearly, no one in the Sword Sect knew anything about it.

Song Qingping insisted that the Yunshan Sword Sect had used the strong to bully the weak. He cursed and raged until Li Xingtuo stepped forward to suppress his anger, saying that they would find the disciple who had sparred with Yao Tianchuan.

But it was absolutely impossible that a grandmaster had bullied him.

After finally placating Song Qingping and sending him away, the sect master and elders questioned their disciples one by one, only to learn nothing. They wore baffled expressions.

Since when had the Sword Sect possessed such a powerful disciple in the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm?

They exchanged strange looks, wondering which fellow had secretly been training and hiding his true skill.

In truth, that was naturally unlikely. There could not possibly be such an extraordinary First Transformation Realm disciple anywhere on Yunshan Mountain. If there had been one, they would have sent him into the arena long ago.

Still, two possibilities came to mind:

The troublemaker was actually one of Situ Qin's people, or some bad-tempered elder within the sect.

However, if an elder had cultivated until now and was still only in the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm, then even with several extra decades of experience, he likely would not have been Yao Tianchuan's match. It was more likely that some elder had truly used the strong to bully the weak...

Li Xingtuo had merely said that grandmasters would never intervene. It was possible that some older Sword Sect member in the Second or Third Transformation Realm had gone after him, though for the moment they had no idea who it was.

But could an expert at that realm truly, as Song Qingping had accidentally let slip, throw Yao Tianchuan's Sword Heart into disarray?

Only Qin Zhenyang, who had been awakened by the commotion, stirred slightly as he inexplicably recalled that mysterious senior from recent days.

Though this matter was satisfying, if it were true, it would actually be somewhat disgraceful.

The Sword Sect members might have secretly relished it, but naturally could not show it openly; the Hidden Sword Pavilion members were all grave and reserved, making it inconvenient to mention too much.

Still, news that Yao Tianchuan had been beaten until his Sword Heart nearly shattered naturally spread. Other guests heard the news and produced all manner of versions. Some even claimed, "There is a Sword Spirit on Sword Peak, and it acted to punish a madman." They suppressed their excitement and whispered endlessly among themselves.

Thus, the area beside the arena was exceptionally quiet today, strange in an indescribable way. The host and guest sects did not speak, while everyone else communicated with their eyes, as if each person were scrutinizing those around them and secretly searching for the mysterious expert who had appeared last night.

Yet whether they were disciples of the Sword Sect or Hidden Sword Pavilion, or other guests, none had considered that a disciple of the same realm could have utterly defeated Yao Tianchuan. Still less did they think to search among the servants, even though such a rumor seemed to be faintly circulating.

Quite a few people instead looked toward Situ Qin. If it were the person who stood faintly behind Situ Qin, sending a prodigious demonic disciple of the Qi and Blood First Transformation Realm from the First Under Heaven Cult to defeat Yao Tianchuan head-on and shatter his Sword Heart, that somehow sounded plausible.

For a time, this version spread widely, and many people nodded to themselves.

Xie Yuan's image also changed from a hot-tempered senior of the Yunshan Sword Sect into a prodigy of the demonic cult, the Holy Maiden's descendant and hidden guard, a great villain who specialized in hunting the geniuses of righteous sects.

Many gazes secretly turned toward her. Yet Situ Qin wore an innocent expression, turning her little face slightly to one side as she said with a smile that was not quite a smile, "It seems the wicked have their wicked nemesis. Mm, I should thank this wicked person too."

Her tone was gentle. Her lively, bright eyes contained unmistakable shock as she glanced, both delighted and astonished, at a certain servant behind her who was watching his nose, his nose watching his heart.

He had truly won—and it had even been a resounding victory?

How had he done it...

"Yes, yes, Qin Mei is right! I found that guy unpleasant too! Only..."

At a table beside them, Xue Yanwen leaned over and sighed emotionally.

"I was not talking to you!"

Situ Qin withdrew her gaze in displeasure and said disdainfully.

"Uh, you were not talking to me...?"

Li Tai and Red Aunt sat quietly on either side of Situ Qin. They exchanged a faint glance, both their eyes profound.

Only they knew who this "mysterious expert" truly was.

Others guessed he was one of their people, then guessed he was some powerful senior of the Sword Sect—

It could only be said that both answers were half right.

Xie Yuan was not yet one of their people, though he might be soon...

And while his performance made him a fine disciple-level expert within the Sword Sect, he was not a senior.

The eyes of the two grandmasters shifted. Neither had expected Xie Yuan to actually defeat Yao Tianchuan.

After all, in their eyes, the gap in cultivation between the two was rather great. Yet they had never expected Xie Yuan to win so overwhelmingly, leaving them dumbfounded.

Li Tai naturally greatly admired an outstanding, decisive young man who had stood up for Miss; meanwhile, Red Aunt thought that his talent was even more astonishing than she had expected. Miss would likely be even more stirred in her heart now, with no room in her eyes for anyone else.

Amid the countless wandering gazes, Xie Yuan stood silently, just like every other ordinary servant disciple, utterly inconspicuous.