“Qingchen, I have long heard of your name.”
After she said that, she gave Lin Xiao a deep look.
Then she turned around and followed the elders and the Sect Master toward Guan Yun Pavilion for the banquet.
The maid Qingluan followed behind Chu Qingchen, never saying a word.
The plaza fell silent.
The smile Chen Tianhao struggled to maintain had become a bit stiff.
He slowly walked down from the platform.
When he passed by Lin Xiao, he paused, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
“Senior Brother.”
Xiao Luoyi clung tightly to Lin Xiao’s sleeve.
“Mm. Senior Brother is here.”
Lin Xiao replied to Xiao Luoyi and patted the back of her hand.
In the game, when Chu Qingchen first appeared, her eyes held only a princess’s reserve and a sword cultivator’s sharpness.
But that one glance just now…
There was inquiry, confirmation, and something he had only seen in the ending of his previous playthrough…
Possessiveness.
Inside the banquet hall, Chu Qingchen sat down at the first seat on the left.
Qingluan knelt behind Chu Qingchen.
The Sect Master and several elders, as well as the true disciples of each peak, also took their seats.
The third seat on the right was Chen Tianhao.
The Liuyun Peak Master had personally arranged the seat, facing Chu Qingchen, yet not overly improper in etiquette.
Although it was a banquet, there were no extravagant dishes, only spirit grain and fresh fruits.
“Your Highness has come from afar. The mountains are crude, and our hospitality is poor.”
The Sect Master raised his cup.
“Sect Master is too kind.”
Chu Qingchen picked up tea and used tea in place of wine.
“For cultivators, such pure Spiritual Food is just right.”
Her tea-drinking was unhurried, but her gaze drifted across to the opposite side.
Lin Xiao was at the very last seat on the right.
Soaring Moon Peak had only two disciples, but their qualifications were too low.
For the sake of full etiquette, the Sect Master had no choice but to arrange them here.
Xiao Luoyi was right next to Lin Xiao, the two squeezed together at one table.
Xiao Luoyi picked up a piece of Spirit Bamboo Shoot and placed it in Lin Xiao’s dish.
“Senior Brother, this one is full of spiritual energy.”
The hall was already quiet.
Her voice, neither loud nor soft, was heard by everyone.
Several elders raised their eyelids, their gazes sweeping over without a trace.
Lin Xiao coughed.
“I’ll do it myself.”
Xiao Luoyi did not even raise her head and passed another Spirit Fruit over.
“This one replenishes qi.”
Her eyes held only Lin Xiao, as if everyone in the room had nothing to do with her.
Chu Qingchen set down her teacup.
“The disciples under Elder Ling are deeply affectionate.”
She spoke with a teasing tone.
“May I ask what this junior sister’s name is?”
Xiao Luoyi raised her head, her gaze meeting Chu Qingchen’s.
“Xiao Luoyi.”
Three words, simple and clear, without warmth.
“Junior Sister Xiao.”
Chu Qingchen smiled.
“Earlier at the Mountain Gate Plaza, the way you stood up for your senior brother was quite straightforward.”
“I protect my senior brother. It is only natural.”
These words were blunt and hard.
The Sect Master’s brows furrowed.
By rights, the princess was a guest, and a disciple should stand up to reply.
But she stayed seated without moving, and her tone was so aggressive.
Chu Qingchen did not mind.
Her smile only grew deeper.
“It is indeed only natural. On the path of cultivation, having someone who wholeheartedly protects you is a blessing.”
She changed the subject and looked at Lin Xiao.
“Senior Brother Lin, what do you think?”
Lin Xiao had just picked up his tea when he was suddenly called on.
His hand paused.
He put the teacup back, his voice showing no fluctuation.
“The bond between fellow disciples should be one of mutual support.”
“The bond between fellow disciples…”
Chu Qingchen rolled these four words around in her mouth, her fingertip tracing the warm wall of the cup.
She let out a light laugh.
“Senior Brother Lin is right.”
She picked up her tea again.
“The bond between fellow disciples is also a rare fate.”
The banquet continued.
“I heard that Your Highness Princess learned Sword Intent on your own from royal texts, and thus embarked on the path of sword cultivation?”
“May I ask if you could grace us with a few words about Your Highness’s understanding of Sword Intent, and discuss the Dao with our sect’s disciples?”
The Liuyun Peak Master’s change of topic was smooth, both elevating the princess’s talent and steering the banquet toward a discussion of the Dao.
The hall suddenly fell silent.
The true disciples sat up straight one by one.
This was a rare opportunity.
If they could show their faces before the elders, it would be a tremendous fortune.
Chu Qingchen picked up her teacup and took a light sip.
“Qingchen’s humble opinion: Sword Intent is one word, fate.”
“Fate?”
The Liuyun Peak Master frowned.
“What does Your Highness mean by that?”
“Swords have spirituality and will choose their own masters. Intent has a soul and will arise in response to fate.”
As she spoke, her gaze, intentionally or not, kept drifting toward the last seat.
“All things speak of one word: fate. The sword and you, you and the sword, are all fate.”
Chu Qingchen’s fingertip lightly tapped the rim of her cup.
“Some fates are destined. For example…”
She suddenly stopped speaking.
Her gaze drifted to the last seat again.
This time, it did not return.
Lin Xiao raised his head and just met her gaze.
Their eyes met.
The corners of Chu Qingchen’s lips curved into a very faint arc.
She did not say in this setting that she had dreamed of Lin Xiao.
“For example, in my dream I discussed swords with Elder Ling—that is fate.”
“Your Highness speaks truly.”
The Sect Master stroked his beard.
“The matter of Your Highness discussing swords with Elder Ling in a dream is indeed a fine tale.”
The elders all nodded.
The Liuyun Peak Master brought the conversation back.
“Your Highness’s insight is profound. Our sect’s disciples also have many insights in sword cultivation. Tianhao… what do you think?”
Chen Tianhao stood up and cupped his hands.
“This disciple has cultivated the for three years. The word I have gained the deepest insight into is ‘momentum.’ The sword has no constant form; water has no constant momentum. It can be soft or hard, gather or scatter…”
He began to speak endlessly about his understanding of momentum.
There were many worthwhile points in his words, and the elders nodded frequently.
But Chu Qingchen only nodded politely, her gaze still drifting toward the last seat from time to time.
That gaze was so focused it made one’s hair stand on end.
Then the other true disciples also stood up to speak one by one.
Each spoke with their own characteristics.
When it was Soaring Moon Peak’s turn, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Xiao Luoyi lowered her eyes.
She had no intention of speaking at all.
The Liuyun Peak Master’s gaze rested on her for a moment, then finally landed on Lin Xiao.
“Martial Nephew Lin.”
His voice revealed neither joy nor anger.
“Everyone just shared their views. Do you have any thoughts?”
“This disciple is dull and has no insights.”
He stood up and answered.
“Hey, come on, say something.”
A disciple from another peak who enjoyed watching the fun said.
“Elder Ling’s Sword Technique is divine. Her true disciple can’t possibly be unable to say a single word, right?”
There was a sting in his words.
Who did not know that he and Xiao Luoyi had only been true disciples for three days?
Xiao Luoyi suddenly raised her head, her eyes cold as knives.
Under the table, Lin Xiao gently pressed her hand.
“In that case, this disciple will say a few words.”
Lin Xiao released her hand, stood up, and cupped his hands.
He now represented Soaring Moon Peak and could not lose face for his master.
Since he could not escape, in this situation he could only happily play the ‘plagiarist’.
Except what he copied was the introduction to a Red Fragment Manual cultivation method from the game.
If this fragment manual were given to any sword cultivator NPC in the game, it would directly max out favorability.
Using the introduction to handle the Dao discussion was enough.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over those faces watching the joke, and finally stopped on Chu Qingchen.
Chu Qingchen was also looking at him, her gaze burning.
Lin Xiao spoke, his voice not loud.
“Sword Intent is me.”
Four words, unremarkable.