Chapter 142: Chapter 138: She Is the Divine Sword, and I Am Its Wielder
When Du Youqian went to pick up Gu Xiaofang in his Flying Boat, the guy had already finished selling everything in the Marketplace.
Rumor had it that he’d been wrapped around a hot-bodied Kun Cultivator day and night, right in the throes of a passionate affair.
But the moment he saw Du Youqian, Gu Xiaofang immediately ditched the Kun Cultivator and, under her reproachful gaze, cheerfully went along with him.
This even made Du Youqian suspicious. He tested the waters a few times, worried that Gu Xiaofang might harbor some inappropriate ideas.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
There was nothing wrong with Gu Xiaofang’s orientation.
He simply subscribed to the "brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes" philosophy.
Du Youqian, of course, criticized him for it. Brothers were indeed like limbs, but a good woman could also be a companion for life, through thick and thin.
Gu Xiaofang retorted self-righteously, "Then, Brother Fei, why haven’t you made Fang Hua your own?"
Du Youqian just chuckled. "Women only slow down my sword draw."
"Women only slow down my sword draw," Gu Xiaofang mimicked, copying Du Youqian’s roguishly charming posture and tone.
"Brother Fei, from now on, if any Kun Cultivators get clingy, I’m using that line on them."
Du Youqian rolled his eyes at him.
"Oh, right," Gu Xiaofang said, slapping his forehead. He took a few items out of his Storage Treasure Pouch. "Brother Fei, here’s what you had me prepare for Fang Hua."
Du Youqian took them and looked them over: a Flying Sword of Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact Level and an Upper Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact.
There was also a gemstone-inlaid hairpin that was not only beautiful but was also a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact with a Breaking Illusion effect.
"Not bad." Du Youqian nodded in satisfaction after inspecting them.
As for how much Spiritual Jade it cost, or whether Gu Xiaofang had skimmed some off the top...
There was no need to look into such things.
His philosophy was always: if you doubt someone, don’t use them; if you use someone, don’t doubt them.
Gu Xiaofang’s eyes were green with envy. "Brother Fei, you say you don’t want her, yet you buy her all this good stuff. Is she worth it?"
Du Youqian said calmly, "She will become a razor-sharp Divine Sword, one that’s not inferior to even those Sword Madmen from the Lingxiao Sword Pavilion. If wielded correctly, she can sweep away all obstacles and eliminate all enemies. And my job is to be the one who wields that sword."
Hearing Du Youqian’s high praise for Fang Hua, Gu Xiaofang lost any desire to be jealous.
His mood deflated. "Brother Fei, am I the most useless person you have around?"
Du Youqian glanced at him. "No, you’re very useful."
Gu Xiaofang perked up. "Really? How?"
"When I’m happy, you manage to piss me off. When I’m sad, you piss me off so much I forget to be sad."
"..."
When the Flying Boat landed at the Guardian Envoy’s Mansion in the Hundred Flowers Sect’s Blessed Land, Fang Hua was already there to greet them, looking as though she had been waiting with bated breath.
But as soon as Du Youqian stepped off the Flying Boat, Fang Hua reverted to her usual cold demeanor. "Fellow Daoist Yu," she said coolly, "you’re back."
"I am," Du Youqian said with a smile, handing her the Storage Treasure Pouch he had prepared. "For you."
"Thank you." Over the past two years, Fang Hua had grown accustomed to receiving occasional gifts from Du Youqian.
After her simple thanks, she showed no hurry to see what was inside.
「That night.」
Du Youqian was in his room, meditating and performing his breathing exercises on a cool mat made of Golden Willow Leaf.
Fang Hua stood in another corner of the room, clutching her sword.
For the past two years, they had spent nearly every night this way.
Though they shared a room, they always focused on their own Cultivation, and there had never been any physical intimacy between them.
Aside from close confidants like Gu Xiaofang, almost everyone assumed that Fang Hua had already been "plucked" and taken by Du Youqian.
After all, no one would believe it if they were told otherwise.
When his Circulation was complete, Du Youqian opened his eyes, only to find Fang Hua’s flawless face inches from his own, staring at him.
Even though it was nighttime, a Cultivator of Du Youqian’s level could see as clearly as if it were day, every minute detail visible.
He could even see the fine, downy hair on her face and watch as a blush rapidly spread, conquering her once snow-white cheeks.
Du Youqian was taken aback. She probably hadn’t expected him to complete a full Circulation so quickly. Caught off guard, she hadn’t had time to pull away.
Her long eyelashes fluttered uncertainly, and her bright eyes shimmered with a rare vulnerability and a mix of complex emotions.
The two remained frozen for a long time, so close they could hear each other breathe.
Du Youqian finally broke the silence. "What are you doing?"
"I... I..." After stammering for a moment, Fang Hua rushed to say, "Master taught me that if someone gives you an expensive gift, you must properly repay their kindness and affection."
"So?" Du Youqian smiled. "How do you plan to repay me?"
The next second, a pair of cool lips pressed against his, touching for only an instant before pulling away.
"Thank you," Fang Hua said, ducking her head as she retreated back to her corner.
Du Youqian was silent for a long moment before shaking his head.
’What was all that about?’
~~~~~~~
「The next day」
Du Youqian took the initiative to invite Fang Hua for a spar.
This was Fang Hua’s favorite daily activity. She herself said that she benefited immensely every time she sparred with Du Youqian.
Of course, Du Youqian hadn’t initiated the spar to go easy on her or even to let her test out her new Flying Sword.
He wanted to gauge the changes in her state of mind through the way she wielded her sword.
He needed to see if her blade had grown dull.
The results were good. Fang Hua hadn’t become hesitant or indecisive because of the previous night’s little episode.
Her swordplay was still clean and decisive, filled with an untethered, ethereal beauty.
"Starting today, you will learn a new set of Sword Formulas from me," Du Youqian said seriously, sheathing his Flying Sword after the spar.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, a look of joy spread across Fang Hua’s fair, flawless face.
She nodded emphatically. "Yes!"
As the north wind began to chill, Du Youqian successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment Third Layer.
He had also achieved initial mastery of the Concealing Breath Secret Technique he’d obtained from Feng Bin, the Mystic Clear Concealing God Hidden Breath Skill.
One day, as Du Youqian stood alone in the cold of winter, he suddenly felt the urge to visit some people from his past.
He left Gu Xiaofang, Luo Jinyu, and the others behind, gave a few brief instructions, and departed the Blessed Land in a Flying Boat he rarely used.
In just half a day, he arrived at Soul-shaking Mountain.
This time, he didn’t hesitate, landing the Flying Boat slowly outside the Grand Array.
By the time he stepped out of the Flying Boat, he had already changed his appearance to that of his former identity, Qiu Yuanqing.
Not even Lin Sha would have been suspicious, because his aura and Divine Sense fluctuations were now indistinguishable from Qiu Yuanqing’s.
Liao Minmin, dressed in a red skirt, had heard the commotion and came running out.
Upon seeing Du Youqian, the gracefully mature woman froze on the spot, a look of utter astonishment fixed on her face.
Then, joy slowly dawned, and her eyes, which were not exceptionally beautiful, grew misty.
"Ancestor!" she choked out, temporarily deactivating the Grand Array.
She desperately wanted to go over and touch him, to see if the Ancestor was truly real, if he had actually come back.
Or was she, once again, lost in a beautiful dream that could never possibly come true?
Du Youqian took a few steps closer and greeted her with a smile. "Finally reached the Qi Cultivation Middle Stage? You must have been too busy having children to focus on your Cultivation."
"That’s not true! I’ve been working very hard! It’s just... Cultivation is really difficult." In front of Du Youqian, the 42-year-old Liao Minmin felt as if she were a young girl again.
The Ancestor hadn’t changed a bit; he still looked like a handsome young man, only his Cultivation was even more terrifying.
Her subconscious probing revealed that the Ancestor’s seemingly frail body held an immeasurable power.
It was as vast and unfathomable as the ocean.
Liao Minmin wiped her teary eyes. "Ancestor, have you been well all these years? You said you were going off to face a powerful enemy, but after you left, we never heard from you again. I thought... I thought..."
Du Youqian smiled. "Back then, I did indeed face immense danger. Fortunately, I managed to turn peril into peace. I also met a benefactor and came upon a great opportunity. I have simply been occupied with matters until now and have only just found the time to come see you."
As he spoke, he extended his senses toward the auras within the broken Daoist Temple.
Two auras were approaching rapidly—likely the siblings, Du Yuhuan and Du Yuxi.
But there were another eight auras...
’Eight?’
’Did Du Yuxi and Liao Minmin have more children, or...?’
Du Youqian wasn’t in a hurry to figure it out.
For now, he just wanted to let the quiet joy of this reunion linger in his heart a little longer.
’Who says Cultivators have to be unfeeling logs?’
’He wanted to be happy, too.’
When Du Yuxi and Du Yuhuan arrived, they both looked as if they had seen a ghost.
The reunion that followed was another mix of laughter and tears.
Du Yuxi was thirty-seven years old, but he had maintained his appearance well and still looked like a young man in his twenties.
As for Du Yuhuan, who was the same age as Liao Minmin, she had astonishingly become a Martial Arts Innate Grandmaster. She still had the physical appearance of a woman in her early twenties and carried the distinct air of a Grandmaster.
But in front of Du Youqian, she seemed to revert to the timid girl from years ago who always kept her head down.
"Let’s go inside to talk, Ancestor. You can see my children, as well," Du Yuxi said with the utmost respect.
"Very well."
They could hear the boisterous sounds of children playing long before they reached the Daoist Temple.
The smile on Du Yuxi’s face was a strange mix of resignation and fond exasperation.
"Ancestor, please don’t mind them. My little monkeys are all quite mischievous."
Du Youqian laughed. "It’s good for children to be mischievous. Mischievous children are clever."
What parent doesn’t like to hear their children praised?
Especially when the praise came from someone they regarded as a legendary Immortal.
Liao Minmin and Du Yuxi beamed, cheerfully taking turns introducing their six children—five years had passed since Du Youqian had last come to retrieve his treasure.
In those five years, they had had one more child.
By the time they reached the Daoist Temple, Du Youqian had already formed some initial impressions of their six children.
Their eldest, a boy, was already nineteen years old.
He was handsome and strapping but had a rebellious streak. He refused to practice his techniques diligently or study, preferring to spend his days wandering the mountains and hunting.
The youngest was only three, yet he could already run like the wind and was as sturdy as a young calf.
The children in between, a mix of boys and girls, each had their own brand of mischief, but every single one was the apple of Liao Minmin and Du Yuxi’s eye.
