Sword... Granny?

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, main hall.

(Gender-bent Sword Douluo)

At this moment, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong sat on either side, while Chen Xin had unusually taken the seat of honor. Her breathtakingly beautiful face was so gloomy it seemed capable of summoning a torrential storm.

Before the three of them stood Jiang Xuan, whom Chen Xin had personally dragged back. He did not dare raise his head.

The atmosphere had originally been extremely tense as Chen Xin, seated in the place of honor, pondered her words.

Yet unexpectedly, Gu Rong on her right suddenly chuckled for some reason, then immediately held it in.

This instantly caught Chen Xin's attention. Her exquisite face turned toward him with a death glare.

"What were you laughing at just now?"

No joke—Gu Rong genuinely sensed killing intent in Chen Xin's gaze, so he hurriedly denied it.

"Nothing! I wasn't laughing! You must have heard wrong!"

Under normal circumstances, Chen Xin would probably have let it slide with a smile after hearing that.

But Chen Xin was sensitive to the extreme right now. She clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily.

"Impossible! I clearly saw the corners of your mouth curl up just now! Tell me, were you laughing at me?"

As she demanded this, Chen Xin's snow-white, delicate hand had already gripped her martial soul, the Seven Kill Sword.

Make no mistake—if Gu Rong's next answer displeased her, she would absolutely draw her sword and start chopping people up, venting the resentment in her heart.

The sect's two peak experts were about to fight each other. As the sect master, Ning Fengzhi should have stepped in to mediate and stop them.

Yet at the sight before him, he could not help letting out a small snort of laughter as well.

It could not be helped. Chen Xin's aura was indeed overwhelmingly powerful right now, but the contrast created by that breathtakingly beautiful face of hers was simply too much for Ning Fengzhi!

The supreme expert who protected the sect had turned into a peerless beauty who liked grabbing people by the pigtails and picking fights. Who could possibly keep a straight face?

Though Ning Fengzhi's stifled laugh was quiet and he suppressed it quickly, Chen Xin was far too sensitive at the moment. She nearly instantly turned her head and sent him the same death glare.

"What are you laughing at now?"

Seeing that playing dumb had not worked for Gu Rong, Ning Fengzhi simply steeled himself.

"I just thought of something happy?"

The killing intent filling the air seemed to grow even heavier at those words.

"Oh? What happy thing? Why not tell us about it, so Old Bone and I can be happy too?"

Chen Xin's smile that did not reach her eyes made cold sweat pour down Ning Fengzhi's back. But he knew he could not show weakness now, so he replied with feigned calm.

"You both know that Rongrong has reached level 20 soul power. Once she obtains her second soul ring, it may rise sharply again. How could that not make me happy?"

Hearing this, Gu Rong immediately gave Ning Fengzhi a thumbs-up in his heart.

How had he not thought of such a perfect excuse just now?

But it was not too late to follow suit.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's right! I was happy for Rongrong too just now. There was absolutely no other meaning. Old Sword, you mustn't misunderstand!"

Gu Rong thought himself very clever, but Ning Fengzhi let out a deep sigh.

This was bad!

Under ordinary circumstances, Chen Xin would certainly have been happy along with them.

But in the current situation, she merely sneered at Gu Rong.

"Oh? You were happy for Rongrong too?"

"Could that be false? Everyone in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect knows how much I dote on little Rongrong."

Chen Xin did not respond directly. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Jiang Xuan, who thought he had escaped disaster.

"Xuan'er, how many of the pills you gave little Rongrong do you have left?"

Jiang Xuan had not expected that after Chen Xin forcibly brought him back to the sect's main hall, the first thing she said to him would be this question...

"In reply to this granny, this junior still has eight."

The instant he said this, the entire hall fell silent. Terrifying killing intent flooded every corner of the great hall at an astonishing speed.

"What did you just call me?"

"Granny. What's wrong?"

Jiang Xuan put on an utterly innocent appearance, as though he had not sensed the killing intent surrounding him at all. He then explained with a serious expression.

"Although this is my first time meeting Granny, I still understand the proper order between elders and juniors. Since Granny can sit in the seat of honor reserved for the sect master, your status must be higher than Uncle Ning's. As a junior, calling a senior Granny surely cannot be wrong."

Ning Fengzhi had already been preparing to collect Jiang Xuan's corpse, but after hearing those words, a flash of admiration immediately appeared in his eyes.

Those words showed that Jiang Xuan had not recognized Chen Xin, whose gender had been changed by the pill, at all. He merely regarded her as a senior he had never met in the sect. He had firmly established himself as an innocent, ignorant young man who respected his elders, completely cutting off any room for Chen Xin to find fault with him.

The only question was whether the boy had spoken from the heart, or whether he had come up with it in a flash of inspiration.

The former was fine. But if it was the latter...

Then this kid really was a genius!

Chen Xin had clearly been bluffed by Jiang Xuan's "heartfelt words" as well. Her killing intent-filled expression stiffened, and for a moment, she did not know what to say.

"Does Senior dislike this junior presumptuously using such a familiar form of address? If so, this junior has been presumptuous. I hope Senior can forgive me..."

After saying this, Jiang Xuan began working up his emotions. Then, in a wronged tone, he continued.

"This junior lost his parents at a young age and grew up alone from childhood. Fortunately, I encountered seniors from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, who brought me back to the sect!"

"From that day onward, I regarded the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as my own home and every senior in the sect who cared for and loved me as family!"

"I called the senior who brought me into the sect Grandpa Sword, and I called the sect master Uncle. Because of habits formed over many years, I instinctively called you Granny at first. If you truly dislike it, then this junior will apologize and admit his mistake here..."

If he was going to act, he naturally had to see it through.

Thus, after speaking, Jiang Xuan made as if to kneel.

Yet the result naturally did not exceed his expectations.

Whether Chen Xin had been moved by his explanation or her thoughts had been affected by her gender-swapped body, no one knew.

In any case, before he could kneel, Chen Xin had already risen to her feet and flashed before him in a fragrant breeze. She stretched out both arms and pulled him into her embrace.

"Good child, I misunderstood you. It was my fault. I never meant to blame you. From now on, you can call me whatever you like. I will never blame you!"

The crisis seemed to be over.

Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong exchanged glances, the same thought arising in both their minds.

But before they could be happy for long, Chen Xin, having recovered herself, gently patted Jiang Xuan's head and spoke in a mild voice.

"Xuan'er, could you give me two of the pills you refined? There is no other meaning. Your Grandpa Bone and Uncle Ning also want to taste your craftsmanship. Would you be willing to satisfy us?"

Chen Xin's tone was absolutely gentle.

But to Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, it sounded like the whisper of a demon.