Chapter 179: Chapter 41: Sword Tomb Convention, Teasing Senior Sister
After leaving the thatched cottage, the atmosphere between the two became ambiguous.
Ling Yunpo was slightly annoyed, his mind filled with the thought, “Does the Guan Family ancestor really think we’re practicing the Sentiment Inquiry Path together, and developing affections for each other? Why didn’t Sister deny it?”
An Zhisu was also somewhat disturbed, merely fiddling with the hem of her clothes, wondering, “Why didn’t I clarify just now? Could it be because I wanted to use this misunderstanding to persuade the Guan Family ancestor to let Ling Yunpo stay?”
An Zhisu, oh An Zhisu, you really are a bad woman…
“Sister, let’s go back,” Ling Yunpo said.
“Hmm, oh, let’s go back,” An Zhisu replied in a flustered manner.
“Have you two finished your talk?” Just as they were about to leave, they saw Guan Shanyue approaching from the opposite side, who asked, “Did Po Yunpo brother agree?”
“First of all, it’s Ling Yunpo…” Ling Yunpo hadn’t finished correcting when he heard An Zhisu coldly ask, “Did you incite this?”
“Don’t joke,” Guan Shanyue dismissed, “I don’t have the influence to guide the elder. Besides, it’s only natural for someone with an Innate Sword Bone to be sought after, right?”
“You better really not be scheming behind our backs,” An Zhisu said gravely.
“Rest assured,” Guan Shanyue waved his hand, “But don’t leave just yet, for the elder will formally summon everyone in a moment.”
Implicit in his words was the fact that the Guan Family ancestor had only had a “private meeting” with the two just now.
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And the formal summoning to come had other official matters to attend to.
Ling Yunpo and An Zhisu exchanged a look and followed Guan Shanyue into a nearby courtyard.
In the open space surrounded by numerous sword steles, scattered tables and chairs had been set up, where many Sword Immortals were already seated. The Guan Family disciples were the most in number, followed by the Shushan cultivators.
Representatives from Kunlun and Penglai were also in attendance, and aside from Qiu Changtian’s third disciple Guan Zhan, Ling Yunpo also spotted Luo Yan’s eldest senior brother Linghu Chu—currently, he was deep in a discussion about sword casting with a Guan Family cultivator, apparently well-acquainted for some time now.
Ling Yunpo and An Zhisu sat in a corner, unable to integrate into the conversations of these strangers, so they began whispering to each other.
“Brother, are you really not considering it?” An Zhisu asked softly.
“Is Sister trying to send me away?” Ling Yunpo teased back with a smile.
“No, it’s just that…” An Zhisu hesitated, stopping mid-sentence before finally saying, “After all, it’s an immortal we’re talking about.”
“What of an immortal?” Ling Yunpo feigned grandeur, “Without an immortal, can I not become one myself? If it means giving up Sister to achieve the Great Dao, I would rather forsake it!”
[Unyielding character trait, Synchronization Value +1.]
“Brother,” An Zhisu looked at him with tenderness in her eyes, but even more so with helplessness and reluctance, “I’m truly happy you want to stay at Qingluo Peak… but still, I fear holding back your path…”
“More than the path, what I care about is not disappointing Sister,” Ling Yunpo stated immediately.
So, An Zhisu became shy again, her head bowed, revealing her fair neck, her long eyelashes quivering as if masking some emotion.
Ling Yunpo suddenly found that his normally steadfast and valiant Sister, occasionally being shy, was quite charming—he could tease her a little more.
“Sister,” Ling Yunpo deliberately elongated the word.
“Hm?” An Zhisu didn’t look at him, her gaze fixed on her own toes.
“The Guan Family ancestor said you practice the Sentiment Inquiry Path, is that true?”
An Zhisu didn’t answer, she just nodded imperceptibly.
She didn’t know what she was thinking; her thoughts felt tangled like a mess of threads.
At first, she wondered, “How could junior brother say something so misleading,” then she thought, “Maybe junior brother is really trying to express his feelings subtly,” then she thought, “What if junior brother just meant he can’t let me down,” and then, “But what if junior brother’s intention actually is…”
Her mind became a confusing mush until Ling Yunpo asked her if she planned to cultivate the Sentiment Inquiry Path. That’s when she broke free from those embarrassing illusions and blurted out hurriedly:
“Junior brother, whether it’s the Sentiment Inquiry Path or some other faction, that should be considered after Core Formation. It’s too early to think about this now! Too early!”
“Oh,” Ling Yunpo feigned confusion, “but why did the ancestor of the Guan Family ask us if we had all cultivated the Sentiment Inquiry Path?”
“Actually, the ancestor of the Guan Family wanted to ask us if we have…” An Zhisu spoke quickly and hurriedly, but then abruptly stopped.
“Have what?” Ling Yunpo teased her once more.
“Just that…” An Zhisu’s face turned red, and after a long pause, she suddenly exclaimed as if seizing a lifeline, “Ah, look, the ancestor of the Guan Family is coming out.”
Ling Yunpo turned around to look and saw the ancestor of the Guan Family already stepping out of the thatched hut, with the younger disciples of the Sword Immortals standing up one after another to greet the old immortal.
The ancestor of the Guan Family gestured with his hand, indicating for everyone to sit back down.
Then, he extended his hand and summoned Guan Shanyue, who approached carrying a sword.
“The sword is the king of a hundred weapons,” the ancestor of the Guan Family said slowly, taking the long sword, “My friends, why do cultivators often use Flying Swords, but seldom use Flying Daggers, Flying Spears, or other weapons?”
His gaze swept over everyone and then settled on Ling Yunpo, signaling him to speak:
“You tell me.”
“Cough,” Ling Yunpo began awkwardly, “Is it because the Flying Sword excels in assassination and can also seal Daoist Magic within it?”
“Barely satisfactory,” the ancestor of the Guan Family nodded, “Those that are good for piercing must be straight; those that are good for magic must be heavy.”
“The Flying Sword overcomes the knife with its straightness and the spear with its weight, so it becomes distinguished. Such is the nature of swordsmanship; not to seek to overpower alone but to be flawless in every aspect.”
The Sword Immortals all showed looks of sudden understanding.
Then began the time for the ancestor of the Guan Family to lecture.
In ordinary swordsmanship factions, the master’s teachings to the disciple are often limited to the “techniques,” such as how to thrust with this sword, how to block when the enemy attacks this way, and so on.
But the ancestor of the Guan Family, who is indeed a land immortal, had spoken only a few words, and the Sword Immortal disciples immediately sensed that these phrases had transcended to the “Dao,” a realm far beyond their reach yet greatly aspired to. Thus, they paid close attention, listening intently and silently reciting.
At the most exciting points, some couldn’t help but shed tears, loudly praising with admiration.
Only Ling Yunpo was perfectly calm, because he could not only record the talk with the Kunlun Mirror but also have the Green Duckweed Sword explain it to him word by word later. Therefore, he was not eager to understand it on the spot.
The ancestor of the Guan Family noticed his composed demeanor, and couldn’t help but think even more highly of him.
It’s commendable to seek the Dao with a great thirst, but to hear of the Dao without surprise is an even more excellent quality.
After the lecture, many were still immersed in an enraptured state, as if they had not yet awakened from their enlightenment.
The next moment, the blockbuster news announced by the ancestor of the Guan Family abruptly woke them:
“I have communicated with and reached an agreement with the Shushan Shangqing Faction. I will now leave the Sword Tomb to search for the lost ancient Tai Yin Suming Sword!”