The two women's muttering did not escape Zhuo Yifan's ears.
He looked at them and said, "Ladies, you really can't take this sword away."
"Someone who can make the decision will be here shortly."
"You can talk to him!"
Zhuo Yifan really was terrible at dealing with women.
He could only wait for his master to arrive and handle this.
Just then, Li Shouyi approached with Lin Shuishui, who was already on the verge of falling asleep.
"What's going on?"
Hearing Li Shouyi's voice, Su Wan'er and Pei Zhujiu seemed to have found their pillar of support. Both hid behind him and said, "Master, there's a lunatic here who won't let us leave."
Su Wan'er's voice was loud enough to draw the attention of those who had just emerged from the Secret Realm.
The rogue cultivators, who belonged to no sect or school, all walked toward them after hearing her.
The moment they spotted Zhuo Yifan, they asked respectfully, "Immortal Master Zhuo, do you need our help?"
Li Shouyi followed the voice and looked at the speaker.
Sure enough, it was the One-Eyed Man who kept picking on Pei Zhujiu.
Zhuo Yifan waved him off. "No need. This is between our Heavenly Sword Sect and these friends!"
"Heh, you're too kind, Immortal Master Zhuo."
"If any stray cats or dogs dare challenge the Heavenly Sword Sect's prestige, we are duty-bound to act."
After speaking, the One-Eyed Man shot Li Shouyi and the others a contemptuous look.
Fuck!
After shouting that inwardly, Li Shouyi sized him up.
He looked the One-Eyed Man up and down and said, "Do you know what we call this sort of behavior back where I'm from?"
"Hmph. What?"
"We call you a dog, and what you're doing is a dog catching mice—meddling in someone else's business."
"Say that again if you dare."
"Is that the only comeback you know?"
"Or did your mother not only squeeze your eyeball out when she gave birth to you, but squash your brain on the way out too?"
After speaking, Li Shouyi studied the One-Eyed Man's head closely, as though checking whether it differed from an ordinary person's.
His words instantly left the One-Eyed Man panting like an ox, his face crimson with rage.
Yet the scene repeated itself with startling familiarity. Before the One-Eyed Man could speak, something happened.
Two figures wreathed in ethereal immortal grace flew down from Heavenly Sword Mountain.
Upon seeing them, Zhuo Yifan hurriedly greeted them with respect. "Greetings, Master, Martial Uncle."
His voice caught everyone's attention.
Everyone followed his gaze. Once they saw the two figures clearly, they too hurriedly offered respectful greetings. "Greetings, seniors."
Of course, Li Shouyi and his disciples were not among them.
"You wretched disciple. I'll deal with you later."
The elderly man in front first rebuked Zhuo Yifan, then smiled at Li Shouyi and the others. "I am Zhang Daoling, sect master of the Heavenly Sword Sect."
"My young friends, might you do me this courtesy?"
"Please return our ancestral master's sword. Rest assured, our Heavenly Sword Sect will let this young lady choose another spiritual treasure as compensation."
Zhang Daoling appeared very magnanimous, whether one considered his standing as a senior in the cultivation world.
Or his exceptionally high cultivation, which would have allowed him to crush them with his authority, or simply seize the sword by force if necessary.
Yet he chose the gentlest approach. That alone showed there was a reason the Heavenly Sword Sect had become one of the Five Great Sects.
It also showed that this sword truly mattered to the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Having worked that out, Li Shouyi bowed to him with a smile. "This junior is Li Shouyi. Greetings, senior."
"These are my three unworthy disciples."
Only after seeing their master bow did the three women bend at the waist as well.
After sensing the three women's cultivation, Zhang Daoling smiled at Li Shouyi. "All three young ladies are favored daughters of heaven. You are a fortunate man, young brother!"
Having said that, the old fellow discreetly winked his left eye at Li Shouyi.
The gesture made the corner of Li Shouyi's mouth twitch.
He wasn't sure whether he was imagining it, but he felt this esteemed senior had just meant more than he said.
Upon hearing Zhang Daoling's praise, Su Wan'er blushed and said coyly, "Oh, no, no. I'm only moderately impressive."
Pei Zhujiu and Lin Shuishui merely lowered their heads with flushed faces and hid behind Li Shouyi, forming a stark contrast to the bold Su Wan'er.
"Shut up. Tell you you're fat, and you start panting."
After scolding Su Wan'er, Li Shouyi turned back to Zhang Daoling with a smile. "Senior, what is your Heavenly Sword Sect willing to offer in exchange for your ancestral master's sword?"
"Brat, don't spit on the respect you're being shown. Elder Zhang is an esteemed senior of the Cultivation World. Naturally, he won't shortchange you. Hurry up and return his sword, or I, One-Eye, will be the first to teach you a lesson."
After speaking, the One-Eyed Man turned a respectful, smiling face toward Zhang Daoling, eagerly hoping this supremely powerful senior would cast him an approving glance.
To his surprise, however, Zhang Daoling merely gave him a complicated look before ignoring him.
Seeing this thing stir up trouble again, Li Shouyi's lips curled into a cold smile. "Senior, as an esteemed elder of the Cultivation World, you keep your word, don't you?"
"Of course. Name your conditions, so long as you're willing to return the sword."
Li Shouyi did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Pei Zhujiu and asked softly, "Disciple, do you trust your master?"
Pei Zhujiu nodded like a chick pecking at grain.
"Return the sword to them first. I'll find you a better one in the future."
"Here, Master."
Without the slightest hesitation, Pei Zhujiu held the sword out to Li Shouyi.
Pleased by how sensible his disciple was, Li Shouyi nodded and reached to take the Shadow-Bearing Sword.
But Zhang Daoling suddenly called out a warning. "Don't! Don't touch that sword!"
The shout startled Li Shouyi. He turned to Zhang Daoling with a puzzled expression.
Zhang Daoling walked over and solemnly accepted the Shadow-Bearing Sword before smiling at him. "You may not know this, young friend, but if this sword has not acknowledged you, touching it will injure you."
"Oh. Thank you for the warning, senior."
Then realization struck him. He looked at Pei Zhujiu, then at Zhang Daoling, and was about to say something.
But when Zhang Daoling fixed him with a smiling gaze, Li Shouyi swallowed the words that followed.
This old man clearly isn't anything good. His heart must be filthy, he thought.
"Young friend, you may state your conditions now."
Li Shouyi cleared his throat, then said, "I only have two conditions. First, when we have time, let my disciple visit your Heavenly Sword Sect in person to choose a treasure. As for the second!"
He paused, turned toward the One-Eyed Man, and pointed at him. "Slap him as far away as a single slap can send him."
"No problem."
The moment Zhang Daoling finished speaking, he appeared beside the One-Eyed Man as though he had teleported.
Smack... The One-Eyed Man instantly became a streak of light and vanished from where he stood.
In that wide-open space, the crisp sound of the slap was wonderfully pleasing to the ear.
After slapping the One-Eyed Man, Zhang Daoling smiled at Li Shouyi. "I forgot to tell you. I'd already wanted to slap him myself."
"That fucking idiot just wouldn't shut up..."
Before you continue