Ying Heng, an Immortal Lord of the Sword Sect, was a Sword Sect elder and a cultivator who had reached the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage.
In his youth, he won first place in the Cultivation Realm’s Heroes Ranking during his early Nascent Soul stage, earning the famed sword, Chunying.
Ying Heng had a gentle disposition, and Chunying seemed as though it had been forged from the same mold as him. Its sword intent was mild and tender, entirely different from Sang Dai’s Zhiyu.
Though Sang Dai was Ying Heng’s disciple and had largely inherited his temperament, her sword intent carried a touch more ruthlessness than her master’s.
She had seen the Chunying Sword many times. That sword, much like Ying Heng himself, had always been protective of her. A life-bound sword would rarely allow anyone other than its master to touch it, yet before Sang Dai obtained Zhiyu, she often used Ying Heng’s Chunying Sword in combat.
Because her master trusted her, the Chunying Sword trusted her as well. It was akin to Su Xuan’s Qingwu Sword—because its master trusted Sang Dai, the life-bound sword allowed her to wield it too.
Ever since Ying Heng was revealed to be the true culprit behind the destruction of the Guixu Spirit Vein and subsequently fled the Four Realms, he took the Chunying Sword with him, and both disappeared without a trace.
Now, Liu Lixue claimed that the Chunying Sword had appeared at Linglong Town.
Sang Dai blinked in confusion and asked, “If Chunying is at Linglong Town, then what about my master?”
Realizing something, she urgently grabbed Su Xuan’s hand and asked, “Is he there too? Where is the sword? Is he in danger, or has someone else taken his sword?”
Gripping Su Xuan’s hand tightly, Sang Dai fired off one question after another in rapid succession, her urgency apparent.
She was usually calm and composed, rarely showing such emotional fluctuations. Yet everyone knew how important Ying Heng was to Sang Dai. After so many years, this was the closest she had ever been to Ying Heng, making it nearly impossible for her to remain unaffected.
Su Xuan allowed her to hold onto him and, turning his hand, pulled Sang Dai into his embrace. “The information hasn’t been confirmed yet, Dai Dai. This matter may not be true. Immortal Lord Ying Heng might be there, or it could just be his sword, or perhaps neither. No matter the outcome, at least we now have a lead to investigate. We’ll take it step by step.”
“Dai Dai, you need to stay calm. Let’s plan carefully.”
Sang Dai murmured helplessly, “Su Xuan…”
“Dai Dai, I’m here.”
Sang Dai closed her eyes, leaning her cheek against Su Xuan’s chest, inhaling the scent on him, and forcing herself to stabilize her emotions.
Su Xuan was right. The information wasn’t confirmed, and everything was uncertain. She could only maintain her composure to think clearly and deal with the unknown.
Liu Lixue added, “Yes, this matter hasn’t been confirmed yet. A demonic cultivator we sent out reported seeing what appeared to be the Chunying Sword. It’s uncertain if it’s truly Chunying or if the person wielding it is Immortal Lord Ying Heng.”
Su Xuan gently kissed her hair. “Dai Dai, if Immortal Lord Ying Heng is still alive, there must be a reason why the mastermind hasn’t killed him. Don’t worry. Whether it’s true or not, we’ll know once we go to Linglong Town. But when we get there, you must remain calm at all times.”
“Dai Dai, don’t panic. We’ll investigate this together.”
Sang Dai stayed silent for a long while as Su Xuan softly patted her back, his gentle voice soothing her. Though his tone was soft, it drowned out the sound of raindrops striking the protective barrier.
After a while, Sang Dai opened her eyes and spoke in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I lost control of my emotions just now. Did I hurt you?”
She remembered grabbing Su Xuan earlier with some force, yet he hadn’t even furrowed his brows.
“Let me take a look.”
“It’s fine.”
As Sang Dai tried to pull away from Su Xuan’s embrace to check, he pressed her back into his arms, his hands holding firmly onto her waist.
“I’m fine, Dai Dai.”
In a corner where she couldn’t see, Su Xuan quietly erased the scratch marks on the back of his hand with spiritual energy.
Sang Dai pushed him lightly, and this time, Su Xuan relented, releasing her from his embrace.
Instinctively, she grabbed his hand and examined it back and forth. The little fox’s palm was large, his fingers slender, with distinct knuckles and an elegant appearance. His pale skin made any injury immediately noticeable.
Not seeing any marks, Sang Dai breathed a sigh of relief.
She gently kneaded the little fox’s paw.
“Sorry, I really am sorry.”
Su Xuan exchanged a glance with Liu Lixue, who raised an eyebrow slightly before making his way to the other side of the mustard seed boat.
Now alone, Su Xuan leaned down and kissed Sang Dai’s cheek.
Sang Dai raised her eyes, only for him to kiss her again, this time gently pecking her red lips.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore, really, Dai Dai.”
[A kiss makes it all better, it doesn’t hurt at all.]
With this little back-and-forth, Sang Dai’s heart calmed, and her thoughts cleared.
After over a hundred years, she had finally gotten a shred of news about Ying Heng. It was no wonder she had been so agitated earlier.
Sang Dai made a promise. “Su Xuan, I’ll stay calm. No matter what we encounter at Linglong Town, I’ll do my best to keep my composure.”
Only by doing so could she keep Su Xuan from worrying. When Sang Dai was clear-headed, there was almost no one who could defeat her.
Su Xuan’s lips curved into a smile. “I know. I’ve always trusted you.”
Sang Dai’s eyes also curved into a smile. “Alright.”
Su Xuan reached out to hold the sword cultivator’s hand. “Let’s go inside the mustard seed boat first. There’s still some distance to Linglong Town. You can get some rest.”
“Alright.”
Su Xuan never held back when it came to himself. Even the mustard seed boat was exceptionally luxurious, with a spacious interior large enough to accommodate a thousand people. Liu Lixue seemed to have her own room and disappeared inside without a word.
Sang Dai and Su Xuan went to the room they had stayed in before, where a few fire stoves were set up.
In the Beast Realm, once late autumn arrived, it often brought rain and frosty chill. Sang Dai sat by the window and pushed it open slightly.
Thanks to the mustard seed boat’s spiritual energy barrier, no rain came inside, only the thick, heavy rain clouds visible outside.
She gazed at the scene for a long time, as though the wind on her face helped clear her mind.
Suddenly, a ball of Hellfire was placed in her lap, and someone draped a cloak over her shoulders from behind.
Turning her head, Sang Dai saw Su Xuan lowering his gaze to fasten the ties of her cloak.
“It’s not cold, Su Xuan. The rain can’t get in.”
“Still, it’s high up in the air. There’s bound to be a bit of a chill.”
Su Xuan pinched his little sword cultivator’s cheek. It wasn’t quite cold, still retaining some warmth, though not as toasty as it had been earlier in the morning.
He took a seat across from her, and between them was a small tea stove. Su Xuan was skilled at brewing tea. Though his movements were relaxed, they were pleasant to watch, giving the impression of a refined young master raised in a noble family.
She propped her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the Beast Realm city below the curtain of rain. From her vantage point, she could see rows upon rows of uneven buildings, densely packed and orderly. These were the citizens of the Beast Realm.
Su Xuan placed a cup of tea in front of her and followed her line of sight.
“Looking at the Beast Realm?”
“Mm, it’s quite large.”
Su Xuan chuckled softly. “Of course, it’s vast. What about the Immortal Realm?”
Sang Dai’s voice turned slightly wistful. “It’s also very large, yet at the same time, very small.”
Large enough to hold millions of people, yet small enough that it couldn’t accommodate her.
“Dai Dai…”
Sang Dai smiled faintly. “Let’s not talk about that. Let’s discuss the matter at hand. I’ll tell you about Linglong Town.”
She picked up the tea Su Xuan had brewed and took a small sip, warmth spreading through her stomach.
Su Xuan nodded. “Alright.”
Sang Dai spoke calmly. “Linglong Town is in the Immortal Realm and falls under the Zen Sect’s territory. The Lord of Linglong Town once invited me to his 700th birthday celebration, but I was busy dealing with an evil spirit and couldn’t attend.”
Su Xuan asked, “Do you know him well? His sudden breakthrough to the peak of the Nascent Soul stage seems suspicious.”
Sang Dai cradled her tea and drank it slowly, speaking as she did. “I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard of him. He’s a friend of Sang Wenzhou and is also acquainted with Shen Ciyu’s father, Shen Feng. Shen Ciyu once told me about him.”
Su Xuan fell silent.
Sang Wenzhou had been personally killed by Sang Dai—an event that was nearly common knowledge. The Sword Sect had been tried by the Immortal Alliance, and those involved were placed under a kill order, with Shen Ciyu himself executing the decree.
Just two days ago, Shen Ciyu also officially succeeded as the new sect master of the Sword Sect. Although the inauguration ceremony had yet to be held, his name was already listed under the Immortal Alliance. However, rumors circulated that his health was in poor condition.
Sang Dai finished her tea and handed the empty cup to Su Xuan. The little fox adeptly refilled it for her, and she picked it up to continue drinking.
“The Lord of Linglong Town is named Wu Hanshu. He has an Earth-grade spiritual root, so his talent is average. However, several hundred years ago, he helped the previous city lord in a time of need. The previous city lord had no children and passed the position to him. When Wu Hanshu was young, he was overly reckless and made many enemies. Now that he’s older, he lives a rather idle and unremarkable life. Every time there’s an evil spirit, he calls on the Zen Sect to deal with it, while he enjoys his position as a carefree city lord.”
Su Xuan frowned. “The Zen Sect helps him too?”
Usually, only when the cultivators within a city couldn’t handle an evil spirit would they call for external assistance.
Sang Dai set down her teacup and said, “The Zen Sect cultivators are generally gentle and steady in temperament…”
She paused briefly, as if remembering someone who gave her a headache. Her expression shifted slightly, and she carefully added, “Except for Tan Huai. Apart from Tan Huai, most Buddhist cultivators are quite composed, especially the sect master of the Zen Sect, who is famously good-tempered and helps anyone in need. So, whenever Wu Hanshu calls for their help, they always go.”
Su Xuan brewed a fresh pot of tea and remarked calmly, “If this were the Beast Realm, Wu Hanshu would have been removed long ago. A city lord who doesn’t do his job should just retire and live as a commoner.”
Sang Dai folded her legs and closed the window.
“Wu Hanshu is content with his indulgent lifestyle. Besides, most Earth-grade spiritual roots only advance to the Nascent Soul stage at best. For so many years, he never broke through beyond the Nascent Soul stage, and this sudden advancement likely has hidden factors behind it. Moreover, the mastermind seems intent on luring me to Linglong Town. I believe Wu Hanshu’s breakthrough may be connected to him.”
“Mm, go on,” she said.