Contesting the Dao

Yin Ye watched her disappear into the distance and muttered, "She didn't have any scent at all before, but just now, a hint of floral fragrance appeared. She says she's like a sword and befriends swords, but when all's said and done, she's still human."

Having no scent meant she held neither goodwill nor malice. She had come only to seek the sword, with nothing else in her heart. Now that she had a floral scent, it meant that although she had said, "This junior feels the same," she had in fact remembered Xue Qingqiu's gesture of showing her the sword and felt goodwill toward her.

In the end, people were still people, with their seven emotions and six desires, their joys and sorrows. No matter how they trained, they could never become a sword.

Xue Mu glanced at Yin Ye. This girl had trained until she seemed like a child, inside and out, only because she was so clear and pure that she could reflect people's hearts. But that didn't mean she truly had a child's understanding. In reality, she was a Dao Seeker of twenty-four, with a firm path of her own.

There was a very clear implication in the words "still human": the Sword Inquiry Sect's Dao was nothing but an illusion. It was an unmistakable declaration that their paths were different. Coming from Yin Ye's childlike exterior, the feeling was all the more uncanny.

Xue Mu couldn't help asking, "What did she comprehend from the sword?"

"Nothing more than some kind of sword intent. Whether it suits her is another question. A divine sword is merely an external object. It's better to question yourself than to question the sword. What she comprehended has nothing to do with you or me. I'm not interested." Xue Qingqiu replied nonchalantly. Beside her, Yin Ye bobbed her little head like a chick pecking at rice.

Xue Mu sighed. The Dao of these various schools truly ran in opposite directions. He suddenly felt that even if they argued for another thousand years, they would never get anywhere...

What was there to argue about? They were all adorable girls. The most important thing was to be happy...

Just as he was thinking this, Xue Qingqiu shot him a sidelong glance. "What, do you think she's right?"

Only an idiot would say she was right at a time like this. Xue Mu smiled. "You admire her purity, so of course I do too. But I know there's one thing the Sword Inquiry Sect is absolutely wrong about."

"Oh? What's that?"

Xue Mu said leisurely, "A beauty like Mu Jianli should be wearing silky undergarments and expensive ornaments that bring out her loveliness, smiling gently on a bed—that's a magnificent sight indeed. How could they let those shoddy clothes rough up her tender skin, or let those damn straw sandals rub calluses onto her little feet, all for the sake of their ascetic practices? What a waste! The Sword Inquiry Sect is the demonic path, if you ask me!"

Xue Qingqiu: "..."

Yin Ye: "..."

"Yin Ye." Xue Qingqiu rose to her feet, her face expressionless. "Lock this lecherous bastard in the secret room. Don't give him dinner today."

Yin Ye stared blankly, not yet moving, but Xue Mu smiled first. "My dear elder sister, I think you've forgotten that Xiahou Di invited us to dinner. We're already very late."

Xue Qingqiu glared at him. "I've already figured out the business tricks you and Xiahou Di use. Don't think I can't manage without you!"

Xue Mu sighed. "Not to criticize you, Sister, but this is a whole new way of doing things. Even I have to feel my way through it. What can you and Xiahou Di accomplish by just staring at each other?"

"..." Xue Qingqiu stared at him expressionlessly for a long while, saying nothing. Instead, she turned to Yin Ye and said, "Strengthen the defensive formations around Xue Mu's residence. Use every resource available to set up the highest level of security. Many people will soon learn how important Xue Mu is. He must not come to harm."

"Oh," Yin Ye replied blankly.

Only then did Xue Qingqiu glare at Xue Mu. "Let's go."

When they arrived at Hundred Flowers Garden from Bamboo Pavilion, they found a sea of guests, packed in like a surging tide. The premises at Hundred Flowers Garden could no longer accommodate them, and they were desperately short-staffed. Zhuo Qingqing and Meng Lan, who normally stayed behind the scenes, were both out front, drenched in sweat as they directed the crowds.

Xue Mu waved, and Meng Lan hurried over, panting. "Young Master."

"What's with all the business? This shouldn't be happening."

"It's because Pleasure-Seeking Pavilion was wrecked by Mu Jianli's sword energy. All the customers have come here."

"You can't keep handling things like this." Xue Mu plucked a menu sign off the wall, wiped away the dish names, and broke it into several pieces. Then he picked up a chopstick, carved the numbers "one, two, three" into them, and handed them to Meng Lan. "Make dozens more like these. Have everyone take a number and wait in line. Give the people waiting a short story to read, so they won't get impatient. We can take this opportunity to release our second story, too."

Meng Lan's eyes lit up. "As expected of you, Young Master." She bowed to Xue Qingqiu, then hurried off to get things done before they could talk any further.

A short while later, the number tickets were handed out. As expected, the chaotic scene quickly settled down and became orderly. The waiting customers sat in a line in the main hall, each holding a little booklet and reading with great interest.

Xue Qingqiu had watched quietly as Xue Mu gave orders and made arrangements. Only now did she sigh. "You really are impressive. In the blink of an eye, you've brought order to the chaos, and even promoted the second story while you were at it. When it comes to business strategy, I really can't compare to you."

People waiting for a number at a massage parlor were a common sight. You're the ones who haven't seen enough. Xue Mu humbly replied, "Just a little trick. I'm still not as skilled as you, Sister."

They walked out side by side. After a dozen steps, Xue Qingqiu finally said, "Actually, I haven't agreed to release the second story yet."

"Needs must," Xue Mu replied. "We couldn't just leave everything in chaos. Besides, in the eyes of ordinary people, the story doesn't carry the deeper meaning you and I see in it. There's no need to overthink it."

"What deeper meaning do you and I see in it?"

"Uh..." Xue Mu fell silent.

Xue Qingqiu suddenly said, "You're a little different today—rather wooden and serious. Normally, you'd probably take this opening to tease me. But what you said just now about Mu Jianli was clearly still you. You haven't changed."

Xue Mu still didn't say anything.

"Because of Chan'er?"

"Yes." Xue Mu finally answered. "The river flowed on and on, while her lonely figure receded into the distance. The sound of the flute still lingers in my heart, even now. How heartless would I have to be to tease her master at a time like this?"

"So you admit you've truly fallen for Chan'er now?"

"To be honest, I don't know." Xue Mu lowered his voice. "Xiao Chan and I were supposed to forget each other and go our separate ways. I also thought I clearly preferred you... uh..."

"Why stop there? Do you think I can't tell what you were going to say?" Xue Qingqiu wasn't angry. She said calmly, "Take three days and sort yourself out."

What did that mean? Xue Mu turned to look at her in astonishment. Xue Qingqiu's face was as still as an ancient well, and he couldn't read her thoughts at all.

"You're at least half an hour late," Xiahou Di's displeased voice called from ahead. Xue Mu stopped and looked up. A dignified building stood before them, flanked by a pair of mighty stone lions. A conspicuous Bronze Cauldron stood in front of the entrance, its surface shimmering with light, mysterious and boundless. Above it, enormous gilded characters adorned a black plaque: Six Fan Gates.