Elder Xueyin arrived in a towering rage, sending a wave of shock through the surrounding disciples.
Recalling the analysis of the rat-like disciple from moments ago, they couldn’t help but feel that the Grand Elder was indeed furious, coming to the cultivation ground to reprimand his rebellious disciple.
They couldn’t afford to be caught in the crossfire of a Grand Elder’s wrath.
“Quick, make way, make way! Stand back if you want to watch the show!”
With that thought in mind, the disciples quickly and consciously stepped aside to clear a path under the direction of the rat-like cultivator.
“…?”
As he made his way through, An Daosheng looked at the disciples who were voluntarily making way for him with subtle expressions on their faces.
He felt incredibly surprised, not understanding why these young men were all staring at him with such fear and trepidation.
‘Is my face really that terrifying?’
Without giving it much thought, An Daosheng continued toward the entrance of the cultivation ground.
His path was unobstructed, and he soon clearly saw the pair of disciples interacting and practicing inside.
An Daosheng stood where he was and watched, nodding from time to time with a cold, stern expression, saying nothing.
In reality, his heart had long since blossomed with joy.
‘My, my… Ling Ran, my silly daughter, has finally seen the light! Look at that, look at that. Only one day has passed, and Ling Ran’s relationship with her Junior Brother, He Qiu, has already developed to this point. Tsk, tsk, this sparring is truly heartfelt, teaching Junior Brother He Qiu how to dance with a sword hand-in-hand.’
‘This way, as long as the relationship between An Lingran and He Qiu continues to deepen, won’t the marriage engagement eventually turn from fake to real? Once the deal is sealed and the Immortal Venerable finds out, our Xueyin Lineage will have climbed onto the immortal gate and ascended!’
‘Oh my goodness!’
‘Just thinking about such a future is exhilarating!’
The more he let his imagination run wild, the more excited he became.
The Grand Elder of Xueyin really wanted to laugh out loud on the spot, but he managed to maintain his facial expression for the time being.
‘Stay calm, stay calm. I am the Grand Elder of a sect. What kind of decorum would it be to burst into laughter while watching my daughter and disciple being intimate in public?’
Thus, An Daosheng hardened his expression once more.
With his hands behind his back, he stood silently in place, continuing to observe An Lingran and He Qiu practicing their sword arts.
Nearby, the disciples gulped in unison, their hearts racing with even more excitement as they watched the drama unfold.
‘Good heavens, he’s actually rendered Elder Xueyin speechless! Look at the Grand Elder’s cold, ashen face. The fire in his heart must have reached its limit!’
‘It’s over, it’s all over…’
In all their time since joining the sect, they had never seen the usually gentle Elder Xueyin show such a cold face.
It was truly terrifying.
On the other side, Zhou Hang and his rat-like lackey wore wicked grins, looking forward to what An Daosheng would do next.
Perhaps, in a fit of rage, he would cripple the cultivation of that ignorant little scholar He Qiu, who had dared to defile the Saintess’s jade-like hands, and then kick him down the mountain?
‘Tsk, tsk, he deserves it! Just thinking about it feels great!’
With another cold sneer, Zhou Hang’s face was practically radiating schadenfreude.
And just as everyone’s expectations reached their peak, An Daosheng, who had been standing still in the center of the crowd, finally moved.
“Ling Ran.”
As the Grand Elder spoke, his voice carried across the grounds.
Deep within the cultivation ground, An Lingran, who was focused on instructing her Junior Brother, turned her head toward An Daosheng upon hearing him.
She raised an eyebrow slightly and was about to walk toward her master to pay her respects, but then she heard An Daosheng’s next sentence.
“Continue helping He Qiu with his cultivation. I won’t disturb you further.”
This instruction was deeply meaningful!
A smile played at the corners of An Daosheng’s mouth, like an old father who had finally seen his daughter find a boyfriend.
Every word and every look was imbued with relief and hidden implications.
Then, he turned and walked away with a flourish.
Remaining in place were only the bewildered disciples.
Zhou Hang was stunned.
‘Wait, this isn’t according to the script! What on earth did Elder Xueyin mean by those words? Could it be that even the Grand Elder supports the Saintess and that little scholar being together?’
Countless doubts swirled in his mind.
Zhou Hang couldn’t make sense of it, and he was so angry he was beginning to question his very existence.
At that moment, a disciple patted him on the shoulder.
“Young Master Zhou, Elder Xueyin said he wouldn’t disturb them. We idle people should leave quickly. Didn’t the Grand Elder imply that we should stop hanging around and crowding the place?”
“Yes, yes, look at the Elder’s meaningful tone. He was probably hinting for us outsiders to leave immediately!”
Everyone chimed in with their guesses and took their leave sensibly, not daring to go against a Grand Elder’s wishes.
Seeing this, Zhou Hang and the rat-like lackey were indignant, but since everyone else was leaving, they didn’t dare stay behind.
If the Grand Elder’s words were indeed a subtle warning, who would dare to walk into the line of fire?
“Damn it! You just wait!”
Leaving behind this angry curse, Zhou Hang suppressed his rage and departed.
For a moment, only the Saintess and the youth in white remained in the Shura Field, both still focused and practicing seriously.
The Saintess taught, and the youth listened.
The Saintess danced with her sword, and the youth observed.
The Saintess let the youth practice, and the youth swung his sword.
The Saintess discovered new problems and continued to teach, while the youth continued to listen…
***
The sky grew darker as evening approached.
Deep within the cultivation ground, An Lingran finished the final set of sword arts, withdrew her ice sword, and walked toward He Qiu.
“Senior Sister Lingran’s sword dance is truly like circling phoenixes and swirling snow. I could never grow tired of watching it…”
He Qiu delivered another wave of praise.
This was already the ninth time he had complimented An Lingran’s sword dance today.
Every time An Lingran finished a performance, He Qiu would politely offer a round of praise before meticulously analyzing the details of the sword dance and listening intently to the instructions for his own cultivation.
And every time He Qiu finished his flattery, An Lingran’s cheeks would turn slightly red.
He Qiu’s praise echoed in her ears, leaving her pink lips parted and unable to speak for a long moment.
‘This… this Junior Brother… how is he so good at praising people?’
One compliment followed another, and his vocabulary was becoming increasingly exquisite.
The words were certainly pleasant, and being praised made her feel wonderful inside.
However, it felt a bit strange.
Being admired so earnestly by the youth during her sword dance made An Lingran feel an inexplicable itch in her heart.
She felt that the joy in the depths of her soul wasn’t quite right.
Logically speaking, An Lingran had been exceptionally talented and peerlessly beautiful since childhood.
She had never lacked praise for her looks and talent throughout her upbringing.
But she had always treated such words as wind passing by her ears, believing that verbal compliments were too superficial and not worth mentioning.
Only her Junior Brother, He Qiu, was different.
Not only was he gentle, modest, and unassuming, but every praise he uttered seemed to carry a strange magic.
Once it entered An Lingran’s mind, it would echo repeatedly for thirty minutes, making it impossible to forget for a long time.
‘Is it possible that I, the Saintess, am actually being made to feel shy by my own Junior Brother’s praise?’
‘No, that’s impossible.’
‘This is just a sword dance for teaching techniques, not some seductive dance between a man and a woman.’
After simply calming her state of mind, An Lingran resumed her usual iceberg-like expression and spoke coldly, “Junior Brother, it is getting late.”
“Yes, Senior Sister. You must be somewhat tired after personally demonstrating the sword dance. It is time to rest.”
He Qiu nodded, took two steps back, put away his wooden sword, and cupped his hands in gratitude.
“Thank you for your guidance today, Senior Sister. I have benefited greatly.”
An Lingran’s beautiful blue eyes flickered, and she gave a slight smile.
Because it was dark, the blush on her face wasn’t obvious.
“We are of the same lineage; there is no need for such formalities.”
“Go back and rest early tonight. Do not stay up all night practicing again. It is bad for your health.”
“I will. Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister.”
He Qiu nodded politely.
“Then, I shall take my leave first.”
“Mm…”
Watching the back of the youth in white as he departed alone, An Lingran’s gaze was somewhat dazed.
The scenes of sparring with her Junior Brother during the day played back in her mind, leaving behind a wonderful feeling and memory.
When practicing the sword, He Qiu was obedient and polite.
His comprehension wasn’t bad either, and his attitude toward cultivation was upright and serious…
He was practically a model “good student” that any teacher would love.
Therefore, An Lingran, who was in charge of pointing out his sword arts, had been in a very good mood while teaching today.
He Qiu could understand the details she mentioned, and the two of them were perfectly attuned to one another.
The teaching and learning were very harmonious.
‘It might be nice to come and accompany my Junior Brother in his cultivation more often when I have time in the future…’
With that thought, An Lingran also turned and departed on her sword.