If This Isn't Love

After helping Ning Caichen refine his Zhenyuan, there was one more person walking the path of Demon Extermination.

Xiao Han glanced at his side quest progress—it was nearly ninety percent complete.

So on the road to Guobei County, aside from the more powerful demons that were troublesome to deal with and which Xiao Han handled himself, the weaker ones all became training tools for Ning Caichen.

When he taught Ning Caichen the Myriad Swords Technique, he had informed Yan Chixia beforehand. Otherwise, Yan Chixia would have just passed on the Magic Formula to him, only for him to turn around and use it as a favor—that kind of behavior would have been deeply off-putting.

After spending these days together, Yan Chixia could see that Ning Caichen was genuinely a good person in this chaotic world, practically an innocent little white flower. He only hoped there could be more good people like him, so he had no objection to Xiao Han teaching Ning Caichen the Myriad Swords Technique.

However, Xiao Han's own swordsmanship hadn't yet reached the Pinnacle, so the one guiding Ning Caichen now was often Yan Chixia, watching the two of them from behind as they made their moves.

All those days of watching Xiao Han and Yan Chixia beat down demons weren't wasted. Aside from being a little scared when first drawing his sword, after stabbing one demon to death, Ning Caichen quickly got into the groove, adjusted his mindset, and formally entered the state of a Taoist Priest.

The three of them traveled for over a week before finally reaching Guobei County.

On the very day Xiao Han and the others arrived in Guobei County, a heavy rain began to pour.

Since there was no great hurry, they followed Yan Chixia to sit under a pavilion.

By the way, a few days earlier, Xiao Han noticed Yan Chixia and Ning Caichen carrying large bundles that were quite inconvenient, so he gave them two low-grade Storage Rings he had bought from the Mittel Auction House. After getting these curious little trinkets, the two of them had a blast playing with them.

And so, the three sat in the pavilion. Ning Caichen and Xiao Han meditated to cultivate, while Yan Chixia watched the pouring rain and drank the liquor Xiao Han had brought from the Douqi Continent.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He turned to look at a figure walking out of the rain curtain and cursed loudly, "Damn it, what lousy luck! Xiahou, you bastard, why do you follow me like a dog everywhere I go?"

"Yan Chixia! Everyone says you're the greatest swordsman under heaven! I don't accept that! Ah!!! Take my sword!"

The figure in the rain drew closer. When he was about ten meters from Yan Chixia, a powerful sword intent erupted from his body.

Yan Chixia snorted coldly. A sword intent even fiercer than the Xiahou Swordsman's burst forth, suppressing the other's sword intent back.

Clang!!!

A crisp sword cry rang out, startling Xiao Han and Ning Caichen from their cultivation. Feeling the sword intent that was in no way weaker than Yan Chixia's, they quickly turned their gazes to the figure standing in the rain outside the pavilion.

"Xiahou, you dog! Taste this old Daoist's sword!!!"

Yan Chixia roared, drew the Xuanyuan Sword, and charged out of the pavilion, clashing with the black-robed swordsman outside.

Their duel involved no divine powers or Daoist Magic—it was purely a contest of swordsmanship. Though Yan Chixia loathed this man, his pride as a swordsman made him disdain using divine powers or Daoist Magic to bully his old rival.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two strongest swordsmen of the era crossed blades, their Precious Swords clashing repeatedly with the sound of metal striking metal.

Xiao Han and Ning Caichen held their breath, watching the rare swordsman duel with rapt attention.

Sword qi crisscrossed in all directions. The blurry flashes of blades and swords sent chills down Xiao Han and Ning Caichen's spines. Such a terrifying contest between swordsmen actually split the curtain of rain itself, forming a domain of sword qi!

If this had been before he met Xiao Han, a pure sword duel would have left Yan Chixia unable to defeat the Xiahou Swordsman for a good while. But these days, he had been delving into Xiao Han's Cloud Crushing Swordplay, and his swordsmanship had increased more than tenfold!

Yan Chixia could have defeated his foe with a single strike, but the Xiahou Swordsman had chased him for seven full years. No matter where he went, the Xiahou Swordsman followed, and it had truly grown tiresome.

So this time, he intended to shatter the Xiahou Swordsman's confidence once and for all, making him give up.

Chasing for seven whole years—even a love-struck fool wouldn't go that far, would they?

If that's not love, then what's left to be sad about?

If the Xiahou Swordsman were Female, Yan Chixia could be her father!

Under Yan Chixia's sword strikes, which came like a raging storm, the Xiahou Swordsman was forced back step by step, soon unable to hold his ground.

Yan Chixia seized the moment. A flash of sword light shot out and struck the Handguard of the Xiahou Swordsman's longsword.

A tremendous force traveled through the Sword Body. The Xiahou Swordsman lost his grip, and his longsword flew from his hand, clattering onto a stone.

"You can't even hold your sword properly, and you call yourself a swordsman?!"

A terrifying sword intent locked onto the Xiahou Swordsman, freezing him in place.

Why? Why, in such a short time apart, had Yan Chixia become so terrifying?

The Xiahou Swordsman didn't know the reason, but the sharp sword at his throat told him it was all real. For the first time, facing Yan Chixia's swordsmanship, he was utterly powerless, crushed and defeated without resistance.

The Xiahou Swordsman opened his mouth, struggling to look at Yan Chixia as he said, "I... lost. The greatest swordsman under heaven truly lives up to his reputation."

"Hmph! Since you know my strength, don't bother me again. For these seven years, if I hadn't seen that you only sought to duel in swordsmanship and meant me no harm, I would have killed you with one sword long ago."

Yan Chixia snorted coldly. After seven years of fighting, there was still some feeling between them. But the Xiahou Swordsman was obsessed with fame and glory, which was why his swordsmanship was stuck in a mediocre place.

Because the Xiahou Swordsman now occupied an awkward position: second under heaven.

Above him was Yan Chixia, whose strength was overwhelming. His swordsmanship had been honed through Demon Extermination, and even a Great Demon a thousand years old would have to kneel and call him father.

As for the nameless swordsmen weaker than the Xiahou Swordsman, they just practiced casually. They knew they were trash themselves, and in this chaotic era, they only trained in swordsmanship for self-defense.

But the Xiahou Swordsman—stuck between going up and staying down—felt those weakling swordsmen weren't worthy to play with him. Yet he couldn't rise higher himself. So this position was the most awkward, trapped there with no way out. He wanted to challenge Yan Chixia but couldn't win, so he could only maintain the status quo.

Thus, his only option was to keep challenging Yan Chixia, because he was also certain Yan Chixia wouldn't kill him. So he never took Yan Chixia's warnings to heart.

Giving Yan Chixia a deep look, the Xiahou Swordsman shook his head stubbornly. "When my swordsmanship reaches the next level, I'll come back for you, Yan Chixia! Just wait!"

After throwing down his harsh words, the Xiahou Swordsman turned, picked up his sword, and vanished into the rain.

"Damn it! You bastard, why don't you listen to reason?!"

Yan Chixia burst into rage. "Get lost, get lost, get lost! Don't let me see you again!"

Entering the pavilion, Yan Chixia circulated his Zhenyuan to steam the rainwater off himself and cursed irritably: "That bastard, obsessing day and night over the empty title of 'Number One Swordsman Under Heaven.' I've told him I'd yield it to him, but he insists he must defeat me for it to count.

He's chased me for seven full years—damn annoying! I let him off this time, but he'll probably be back again before long!"

Xiao Han took a cup of tea from his Storage Ring, heated it by circulating his Fire Attribute Zhenyuan, and handed it to Yan Chixia: "Hero Yan, that Xiahou Swordsman just now is clearly a stubborn man. If you defeat him next time, he'll still come again.

Since he's like this, why not just go along with him?"

"Yeah, Hero Yan. Look, a grown man ignoring even his wife, chasing after you day and night—that's proof enough of how badly he wants the title of Number One Swordsman Under Heaven."

Ning Caichen also leaned in with a grin.

"What wife?"

Yan Chixia shot Ning Caichen a glare. "That bastard Xiahou Swordsman, just to challenge me, he abandoned the marriage contract his parents arranged for him! To this day, he's still unmarried!"

Hearing Yan Chixia's words, Xiao Han's mind went into overdrive.

Chasing after Yan Chixia to the point of giving up his wife?!

So you two are the real soulmates, aren't you?!

Please, just get married right here and now!