Xiang Li looked troubled. "You know my standing in front of Shan Xue isn't all that high. At most, I'm only on equal footing with her.
"What I say might well carry no weight."
Chen Shi'an curled his lip slightly. "Equal footing? You think far too highly of yourself. Here in Windrise Stronghold, you stand above ten thousand people, but beneath one."
Xiang Li refused to accept that. "I'm the dignified City Lord now. Who could possibly stand above me?"
Chen Shi'an gave him a sidelong glance. "Save those tough words until Sister Qian comes back, then say them to her face.
"I never expected a few words from you to be enough to calm Sister Qian's anger.
"I'm only asking you to explain the actual circumstances to her. Leave calming down and forgiveness to time."
At this point, he held out the Mysterious Edge Sword to Xiang Li. "This is for Sister Qian. Give it to her for me."
Xiang Li did not take it. "This sword is a fine thing. She'll definitely like it. If you want to give it to her, do it yourself. Perhaps taking the sword will dispel more than half her anger."
Chen Shi'an shook his head. "If I give it to her, she definitely won't accept it."
Only then did Xiang Li take the sword. "You said you were going to disappear for a while. Where are you planning to go?"
Chen Shi'an shook his head. "You certainly can't keep any secrets in front of Sister Qian. If I tell you my whereabouts, that's the same as telling her.
"If she learns that Tian Wenguang indirectly died at my hands, she definitely won't let me off. I'd better lie low until the storm passes."
At this point, he changed the subject. "While I'm