Volume 3, Chapter 278 – Could There Have Been a Mistake?

Under the presiding elder’s direction, every young disciple present signed a simple Dao contract binding them to silence about the day’s events.

Song Shixuan did not sign one. He was the Young Sect Master of Lingxiao Sword Sect and the pride of the Nanhe Song Clan. The Chi family did not have the standing to ask that of him.

After Chi Xiyan finished handling everything, she took Lu Zhuxin and left the training grounds in swift, purposeful strides.

On the walk back to the courtyard, Chi Xiyan spoke lightly. “You really have given me quite the surprise.”

Lu Zhuxin turned to look at Chi Xiyan’s profile. But she could not read a single emotion from that face.

The word “surprise” was on her lips, but her tone was perfectly flat.

Lu Zhuxin couldn’t quite get a read on what Chi Xiyan’s attitude toward her was right now.

“Sister…” Lu Zhuxin pressed her lips together. “Are you angry?”

Chi Xiyan asked, “Angry? Why would I be angry?”

Lu Zhuxin ventured carefully, “But I feel like Sister seems a little unhappy. Did I do something wrong again?”

“It has nothing to do with you, Little Xue’er,” Chi Xiyan said. “I didn’t think it through. I shouldn’t have had you do the spirit root test in front of so many people.”

As it happened, Lu Zhuxin felt exactly the same way.

“Sister.” Lu Zhuxin paused. “Is there any chance there was a mistake? How could I possibly be that wretched Sword Dao Sacred Body…”

At those words, Chi Xiyan stopped walking. She turned around and looked down at Lu Zhuxin from above.

Lu Zhuxin felt a faint unease under that gaze.

From those deep eyes, she could not make out a single shade of emotion.

“Wh… what is it, Sister?”

“Little Xue’er.” Chi Xiyan lowered her voice, her expression grave. “Don’t say things like that.”

“The testing spirit platform has never been wrong.”

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“When you were being tested, I truly felt a terrifying sword qi radiating from you.”

Chi Xiyan’s gaze grew heavy.

“I am a sword cultivator myself, so my sensitivity to sword qi is sharper than most.”

“In the moment that trace of sword qi appeared, the sword qi I had been nurturing within me came to a complete standstill.”

“Before that single thread of sword qi, I felt myself no larger than an ant.”

“Little Xue’er, listen to me. This is your fortune, a gift from Heaven.”

“Your return to the Chi family is equally a great opportunity for the Chi family itself.”

“Once the family head learns of this, he will without question direct every resource toward you.”

“At the same time, opportunity is always accompanied by danger.”

“You will become a thorn in the eye of every enemy the Chi family has.”

“You will face circumstances far more dangerous than anything before.”

Chi Xiyan drew in a slow breath, and a strange, faint mockery tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Sword Venerable Reincarnate… Sword Venerable Reincarnate…”

“It is nothing less than a bonfire lit in a dark forest. No one can say what the darkness might send crawling toward the light.”

The Innate Supreme Sword Dao Sacred Body. Sword Venerable Reincarnate.

Chi Xiyan didn’t know who had first coined the phrase “Sword Venerable Reincarnate.”

But the title was, without question, the equivalent of setting the bearer over a fire to roast.

“Sister…” Lu Zhuxin swallowed with some difficulty. “What do we do now?”

“You don’t need to think too hard about it,” Chi Xiyan said. “Keep yourself safe. I’ll handle the rest.”

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Lu Zhuxin opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn’t know how to begin explaining.

She was a fox demon. The complete opposite of a sword cultivator.

After a demon took human form, they could learn a great many things the way human cultivators did. They could pursue martial cultivation, qi cultivation, the study of the Dao, and the mastery of the five elements.

But becoming a sword cultivator was simply impossible.

Qu Qingtang really had done her no small amount of harm.

Lu Zhuxin cursed Qu Qingtang a hundred times over in her head.

After seeing Lu Zhuxin back to the courtyard, Chi Xiyan turned and left with quick steps.

Lu Zhuxin walked back into the yard with a gloomy expression, only to find Bu Lianshuang watering flowers in the courtyard.

She had even changed into a green-blue servant’s dress.

Ha. So the little she-wolf has learned to tend to flowers now.

Bu Lianshuang spotted Lu Zhuxin and set down the watering can, moving to meet her. She gathered the hem of her skirt and gave a graceful bow.

“Miss, you’re back.”

Lu Zhuxin’s brows pinched together.

Every time she saw this little wolf, it made her think of Qu Qingtang.

There were ways in which she resembled Qu Qingtang, and ways in which she was nothing like her at all.

“Are your injuries any better?” Lu Zhuxin asked. “Chi Xiyan said you were hurt badly.”

Hearing Lu Zhuxin’s words, a flicker of joy passed through Bu Lianshuang’s eyes.

The little fox lady is showing concern for me.

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So what she did last night must have been an act. That isn’t who she really is.

With that thought, Bu Lianshuang said, “Thank you for your concern, Miss. I took some medicine. I’m much better now. Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh.” Lu Zhuxin gave a short sound of acknowledgment. “Good.”

Bu Lianshuang pressed her lips together. “Miss, about last night. I’m sorry.”

“I lost my temper for a moment and hit you. I owe you an apology.”

An apology?

This little she-wolf was still thinking about last night?

Bu Lianshuang’s expression wavered. “You were trying to provoke me on purpose last night, weren’t you…”

“I didn’t control my temper. It won’t happen again.”

“Can you forgive me?”

Lu Zhuxin raised a hand to press against her forehead.

Is now really the time for this? Who wants to hear this from the little wolf right now?

“Forget it…” Lu Zhuxin said irritably. “I’m not angry. Don’t bring it up again.”

“Something happened today. I might be in trouble.”

Bu Lianshuang tilted her head, puzzled. “What happened?”

She said softly, “Miss, is there anything I can do to help? I’ll do everything I can.”

Lu Zhuxin looked at Bu Lianshuang, brow still furrowed.

“Never mind… what’s the point of telling you anyway…”

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“You can’t help me with this.”

Lu Zhuxin walked straight toward her room.

She felt restless.

Bu Lianshuang’s gentle, soft-spoken manner had overlapped in her mind with the image of someone else again.

…

Meanwhile, Chi Xiyan went directly to Chi Jingwen’s study.

The moment she saw Chi Jingwen, she wasted no time. “Father, something has happened.”

Chi Jingwen set down the scroll in his hands. His expression was equally serious. “I already know.”

Chi Xiyan was not surprised.

So many people had witnessed Chi Muxue’s test result. There was no reason Chi Jingwen wouldn’t have been informed.

“I just had someone look into this constitution,” Chi Jingwen said. “Sword Venerable Reincarnate. Very dangerous.”

“Yes,” Chi Xiyan said. “Opportunity rarely comes without danger.”

“Hm. An opportunity you can’t withstand only brings ruin.” Chi Jingwen said this, then suddenly knitted his brows. “You agreed to the Song family that quickly because of this?”

“Yes,” Chi Xiyan said. “But as it touches on the Chi family’s very existence, this decision rests with you, Father.”

“You moved too fast,” Chi Jingwen said.

Chi Xiyan was silent.

Chi Jingwen tapped the desk. “Bring her here. We’ll do the test again.”