Chapter 432: I Am Just A Grandson!
A mysterious swordsman who likes wearing a blue robe and is always accompanied by a white-furred beast? Could it be Grandfather? Fuck! Ye Guan inwardly cursed out of surprise.
Xuanyuan Ling noticed the subtle change in Ye Guan's expression.
“Young Master Ye, could that swordsman be you?” she asked tentatively.
“Do you know if the mysterious swordsman has any other distinctive features?” Ye Guan asked, sounding serious.
Xuanyuan Ling shook her head. “I'm not sure. It has been so many years, after all.”
Ye Guan fell silent. Xuanyuan Ling's description made Ye Guan feel that the mysterious swordsman was Yang Ye. He truly didn't expect that Yang Ye had a connection with the Xuanyuan Clan, and the revelation made Ye Guan feel even more curious about the so-called Ancestral Sword of the Xuanyuan Clan.
A sword that Yang Ye once wielded couldn't be ordinary.
"As I said, it's a sword that's been passed down in the family, but over the years, none of our Xuanyuan Clan descendants have been able to draw it, so it has never seen the world again since it was returned," Xuanyuan Ling said.
Ye Guan snapped back to reality and asked. “Do you want me to give it a shot?”
Xuanyuan Ling nodded. "Yes!"
Ye Guan smiled. “I can give it a try!”
Xuanyuan Ling went silent upon hearing that.
Ye Guan asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xuanyuan Ling smiled wryly. “Outsiders aren't allowed to try and draw it out."
Ye Guan smiled bitterly and asked, “Why did you even ask me to come here, then?”
"Wait," Ye Guan said, realizing something. “Can a partner of a Xuanyuan Clan member try it?”
Xuanyuan Ling nodded and said, "Yes."
Ye Guan stared deeply at Xuanyuan Ling and began to mull over it.
Should I trade my body for a sword? Ye Guan hesitated. Honestly, Xuanyuan Ling was a great person.
Xuanyuan Ling blushed upon seeing Ye Guan's strange expression.
"Don't jump to conclusions. Pretending to be a couple is enough."
Ye Guan frowned. "Pretend?"
Xuanyuan Ling nodded. "Exactly."
Ye Guan asked, "How do we go about pretending?"
Xuanyuan Ling glanced at Ye Guan's face before saying, "We just have to be a bit more intimate."
Ye Guan pondered for a moment before asking, "Like holding hands, you mean?"
Xuanyuan Ling nodded. "Yes."
"Alright," Ye Guan said, nodding. His curiosity about the sword his grandfather once wielded overcame any reservations he had about the idea.
Xuanyuan Ling continued, "Since we're basically performing, we have to give it our all. From now on, I want you to address me as Ling'er rather than Miss Ling, okay?"
Ye Guan nodded. "Sure."
Xuanyuan Ling nodded as well and added, "Also, during our time together, try to make our interactions seem more intimate. Remember, it's just acting, don't overthink it, okay?"
Ye Guan nodded once more. "Got it."
Xuanyuan Ling smiled. "Has any sword here managed to catch your eye?"
Ye Guan shook his head.
"How about I show you around outside?" Xuanyuan Ling suggested.
"Sure," Ye Guan replied with a grin. He turned on his heel and strolled toward the exit.
"Hey!" Xuanyuan Ling called out.
Ye Guan cast a confused gaze at Xuanyuan Ling.
Xuanyuan Ling blinked playfully. "Have you already forgotten it?"
Ye Guan hesitated briefly before grabbing Xuanyuan Ling's hand. "Let's go!"
A furious blush painted Xuanyuan Ling's cheeks, and her heart started to pound madly against her chest. She tried her best to keep her composure, but her efforts seemed futile.
Out of the blue, Ye Guan asked, "Ling... er... um, what will you gain from helping me get your family's ancestral sword?"
Xuanyuan Ling glanced at Ye Guan and replied, "You'll find out in due time."
Ye Guan nodded and went silent.
The two exited the Sword Pavilion; Xuanyuan Ling then led Ye Guan toward the mountain behind the Xuanyuan Mansion. Along the way, the pair attracted the attention of quite a few Xuanyuan Clan members.
Word spread quickly to every corner of the Xuanyuan Clan, and Xuanyuan Ling’s face was as red as a beetroot. Fortunately, a veil obscured her furious blush.
Ye Guan suddenly came to a halt. He let go of Xuanyuan Ling's hand and stared with a serious gaze at her, saying, "Miss Ling, I think this isn't right."
"What do you mean?" Xuanyuan Ling asked, sounding puzzled.
Ye Guan explained, "This isn't going to affect me that much, but this will tarnish your reputation. Won't this impact your marriage in the future if word gets out that you're so intimate with a man outside of marriage?"
Xuanyuan Ling met Ye Guan's gaze but remained silent.
Ye Guan continued earnestly, "It's my fault. I didn't think it through. We'll clarify things with your parents later; hopefully, we can still salvage the situation."
"I thought you were interested in that sword?" Xuanyuan Ling questioned.
"I'm interested in it, and I definitely want to see it, but this isn't right," Ye Guan said, shaking his head. "This is going to have a huge negative impact on you."
Xuanyuan Ling smiled and grabbed his hand.
"It's okay," she reassured.
However, her reassurance made Ye Guan feel even more confused.
"It's normal for girls to have a few boyfriends here until they're married," Xuanyuan Ling explained.
Ye Guan had no idea what to say.
"I'm not joking," Xuanyuan Ling chuckled and said, "Come here, follow me."
Xuanyuan Ling then dragged Ye Guan away.
"Does it also apply to men?" Ye Guan asked.
Xuanyuan Ling nodded. "Yes, but not at the same time..."
Xuanyuan Ling then frowned and looked at Ye Guan. "Why do you ask?"
Ye Guan hastily shook his head. "I was just curious..."
Xuanyuan Ling fixed her gaze on Ye Guan and warned, "Don't overthink it, okay?"
Ye Guan nodded. "Yeah, I was just curious, really!"
"Is that so?" Xuanyuan Ling chuckled and said, "Let's go, then. I'll take you somewhere."
The two continued on their journey, and they soon reached the summit of the mountain behind the Xuanyuan Residence. From the summit, they could see the entire Xuanyuan Residence and even Yanjing in the distance.
"Hey!" Xuanyuan Ling called out.
Ye Guan turned to her.
Xuanyuan Ling smiled and said, "I didn't bring you here to sightsee. Feel the air."
Feel the air? Ye Guan was confused. He closed his eyes, and his eyes shot wide open almost immediately.
"Spiritual energy!" Ye Guan exclaimed. A significant amount of energy was in the air on the summit of this mountain.
Xuanyuan Ling grinned and explained, "It's tiny, but there's a spiritual vein here. I remember you saying you needed spiritual energy, so I brought you here. You can go ahead and absorb some spiritual energy here."
"Why?" Ye Guan asked, sounding hesitant. The Blue Planet was barren, so spiritual energy had to be an extremely precious resource here. In addition, Ye Guan reckoned that the spiritual vein he was standing on at the moment could be the Xuanyuan Clan's one and only spiritual vein.
"What do you mean?" Xuanyuan Ling asked, looking puzzled.
Ye Guan cast a serious gaze upon Xuanyuan Ling and said, "Miss Ling, the spiritual energy in the air here is extremely precious. I'm sure you know that."
Xuanyuan Ling shook her head slightly and looked away, seemingly a bit irritated.
Ye Guan was confused.
"Have you ever thought about the value of the gifts you gave me?" Xuanyuan Ling asked, "Aren't they even more precious than a bit of spiritual energy? I reckon that I wouldn't be able to find anything similar to what you gave me, even in the Milky Way Clan."
Ye Guan went silent.
Xuanyuan Ling turned to face him with a hint of annoyance. "I just told you to absorb some spiritual energy. Why overthink it?"
Ye Guan sighed, "It's not what I meant. The spiritual energy here is too valuable. You brought me here to absorb it without your parents' permission, so I'm afraid that they might scold you."
Xuanyuan Ling chuckled. "They aren't that petty. Go ahead and start absorbing."
Ye Guan still seemed hesitant despite Xuanyuan Ling's reassurance. Still, he truly needed spiritual energy, so he could only nod and say, "Alright."
Ye Guan sat cross-legged and circulated his cultivation method. The spiritual energy in the air soon converged above him, creating a vortex.
Ye Guan decided to absorb the spiritual energy in the air rather than directly absorbing the spiritual energy inside the spiritual vein beneath him. Ye Guan was afraid that the spiritual vein would wither if he were to do such a thing.
After a while, Ye Guan stood up. He had gathered a ton of spiritual energy—ten times more spiritual energy than he had before he started absorbing, yes, ten times!
This meant that Ye Guan would no longer have any issues fighting a Master.
Xuanyuan Ling smiled. "How does it feel?"
Ye Guan took a moment to sense the spiritual energy inside him and smiled. "Ever thought about flying?"
Xuanyuan Ling blinked and asked, "On a sword?"
Ye Guan nodded.
"Yes!" Xuanyuan Ling said eagerly.
A thought was all it took for Yunxiu to take to the skies. The elegant sword carved beautiful arcs in the air. Ye Guan held Xuanyuan Ling's hand and assisted her in hopping onto the sword. Then, the sword transformed into a streak of light that zipped through the sky.
Ye Guan chose to employ the Royal Sword Art to manipulate the sword rather than to use the meager spiritual energy that he had gathered painstakingly.
Xuanyuan Ling screamed and clung desperately to Ye Guan as the two of them flew across the skies. Ye Guan stiffened. He didn't expect that Xuanyuan Ling would end up screaming and clinging to him for life.
Ye Guan felt a bit awkward as Xuanyuan Ling clung desperately to him. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Miss Ling, don't be scared. Open your eyes and take a look around."
Xuanyuan Ling cautiously opened her eyes, but she immediately closed her eyes upon seeing that the mountain beneath them had shrunk to the size of a basketball, and she went beyond pallid at the realization that they were so high up in the skies.
Ye Guan frowned, sensing something amiss. "What's wrong?"
"I-I-I'm afraid of heights!" Xuanyuan Ling exclaimed.
Afraid of heights? Ye Guan was taken aback. Moments later, he shook his head and smiled. He then held Xuanyuan Ling's waist and said, "Don't be scared. I'm here to support you."
However, Xuanyuan Ling shook her head vigorously.
Ye Guan chuckled and pointed out. "I thought you wanted to become a swordsman and that you wanted to fly on a sword? What's the point of learning how to fly on a sword if you're afraid of heights?"
Xuanyuan Ling trembled upon hearing Ye Guan's remark. Moments later, she opened her eyes slowly. She was still afraid, but she was no longer as afraid as she was earlier.
Ye Guan also decided to slow down.
After a while, Xuanyuan Ling let out a lengthy exhale. Then, excitement filled her eyes as she exclaimed, "I really am flying on a sword!”
Ye Guan smiled."Yes, you really are flying on a sword."
As Xuanyuan Ling was about to speak, a sudden realization painted her face red. They were very close to each other, and her hands were still wrapped around Ye Guan's waist. In addition, there was a pinkish air around them.
Xuanyuan Ling was about to retract her hands out of embarrassment, but she stopped, clearly conflicted.
Ye Guan sensed Xuanyuan Ling's hesitation and gradually steered the sword back to the mountain summit. The two soon descended, and Ye Guan helped Xuanyuan Light alight from the sword. Xuanyuan Ling promptly let go of Ye Guan's hand upon alighting from the sword, but her eyes glimmered with a bit of disappointment.
Ye Guan grinned. "How was it?"
"It was pretty great..." Xuanyuan Ling muttered. Then, she stared excitedly at Ye Guan and asked, "One day, can I fly on a sword like you?"
Ye Guan nodded. "Certainly! The spiritual energy on this summit and your talent are more than enough for you to learn how to fly on a sword! It's all a matter of time!"
Xuanyuan Ling lowered her head and said softly, "But... I'm scared."
Ye Guan chuckled and said, "No worries. I'll be your guide by then, and I'm sure you'll overcome the fear of heights after a few flights."
"You're going to guide me?" Xuanyuan Ling said, "That's a promise, okay?”
Ye Guan nodded.
Xuanyuan Ling grinned and said, "Okay, let's go down!"
The two then went down the mountain while holding hands. During their descent, Xuanyuan Ling suddenly asked, "Is your desire to see my family's Ancestral Sword related to that blue-robed swordsman?"
Ye Guan nodded without saying anything.
Xuanyuan Ling stared at Ye Guan and asked, "Do you know that swordsman?"
Ye Guan responded, "Yes, I do."
Xuanyuan Ling's eyes shone in curiosity, and she asked, "If you can use the entirety of your cultivation, who is stronger between you and him?"
Ye Guan shook his head and chuckled. "I'm just a 'grandson'[1] in front of him!”
Xuanyuan Ling had no idea what to say.
1. Ye Guan is technically Yang Ye's grandson, but he's also humbling himself before Yang Ye by saying that he is Yang Ye's grandson. Confusing, I know xD. ?
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