NOVEL NEXT Chapter 176: Conversation
Chapter 176: Conversation
After returning to Pingyang County, Xu Lian arranged for Jing Se to stay at House No. 7 on First Street.
As the eldest daughter of the Jing Duke’s household, she couldn’t be treated poorly. Huo Xin’er had already moved into House No. 6, while Jiang Yunyan had returned to House No. 4, which was Xiao Xixi’s residence.
Miao Yueyue had it simpler, staying in House No. 5 with Wang Cuiyun and Yu Qingning. Everything was neatly and properly arranged.
“Reporting to the master, during this period, we took turns on duty, secretly protecting all the mistresses. Nothing unusual was discovered,” Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu reported promptly upon Xu Lian’s return.
How did it feel to have a powerful guardian, a beautiful sword maiden to serve him at night, and two sword disciples whose families would be destroyed if they were disloyal? It felt absolutely fantastic. They were incredibly useful, and Xu Lian couldn’t help but admire the Sword Pavilion. No wonder so many famous swordsmen were willing to become honorary disciples; the benefits were truly excellent.
“Very good,” Xu Lian said, taking out two treasures he had brought back from the imperial capital and presenting them to the two sword disciples. Although their loyalty was guaranteed by the threat of their families’ destruction, it never hurt to treat them well.
As his most loyal “servant-level” subordinates, giving them treasures to enhance their strength was a wise move, lest they be unable to handle stronger enemies.
“Thank you, Master, for your generosity!” Yun Conglong and Feng Conghu accepted the treasures without hesitation, immediately binding them with a drop of blood to enhance their power.
They didn’t stand on ceremony with Xu Lian, as their personal and familial fates were already tied to his. They shared his glory and his disgrace, his life and his death. There was no need to pretend – whatever the master gave them, they accepted.
“Do well under my command. In the future, when I defeat the other honorary disciples and inherit the Sword Emperor’s legacy by taking over the Sword Pavilion and becoming the new Sword Emperor, you will be heavily relied upon and your families will rise to the upper echelons of the Sword Pavilion,” Xu Lian casually painted a grand vision before waving his hand to dismiss the two disciples.
He then made his way to the “center” of First Street, where the Spirit Tree stood, to seek out the White Fox Town Guard Commander. He had many questions and hoped the commander could provide answers.
“Your humble servant pays his respects to the Town Guard Commander,” Xu Lian greeted respectfully. Even though he was now a top young genius at Grandmaster 9 level, had become the son-in-law of the Yin Dynasty and had established ties with the imperial family, and had the backing of a powerful Huo Clan guardian, Xu Lian still remained grounded.
He never forgot that he was still under the command of the White Fox Town Guard Commander, and he was deeply grateful for the commander’s guidance and support.
The White Fox’s eyes sparkled with intelligence, as if they could see through everything. “You have reached Grandmaster 9 so quickly. Even with dual cultivation techniques, such progress is unheard of. I’m almost certain that you are the reincarnation of a powerful figure. Have you recalled any memories from your past life?”
Before Xu Lian could even begin to ask his questions, the White Fox Town Guard Commander had already turned the tables and questioned him instead. Was this a way to prevent him from asking any more questions?
Xu Lian shook his head. “I haven’t recalled any memories from past lives. I am who I am. No matter who I was in a past life, I will remain true to myself.”
The White Fox nodded in agreement. “That is a good attitude. Hold on to that belief.”
Xu Lian then asked, “The Yin Dynasty didn’t actually choose a son-in-law for Tantai Xiya, but for the Imperial Princess Tantai Youxuan… Did you already know that, Town Guard Commander?”
The White Fox openly admitted, “Yes, I knew. But considering your lack of combat experience, I sent you to participate and spar with the young geniuses of your generation.”
So, he had been “tricked” by the White Fox Town Guard Commander… Xu Lian was speechless. Although he had been set up, the experience had provided him with valuable combat training. Moreover, he had become Tantai Youxuan’s husband and established ties with the imperial family of the Yin Dynasty. The gains were considerable.
Xu Lian said, “If you want me to go on such missions in the future, Town Guard Commander, could you at least inform me beforehand?”
The White Fox blinked. “If I had told you in advance, would you have fought as hard as you did during the son-in-law selection?”
She knew him too well-his cautious, life-preserving nature meant that he wouldn’t take risks unless absolutely necessary. If he had known beforehand, he would have conceded the moment he faced Xue Wuyi in the final, prioritizing his safety.
Xu Lian could only smile awkwardly.
However, he caught something in her words. “I just returned to Pingyang County and came to see you right away. How did you know that I fought so hard during the competition? Did you also go to the imperial capital? Was it you who helped me during the finals against the Blood Sea Sovereign’s projection?”
In truth, Xu Lian had suspected this for a long time. He couldn’t think of anyone else who would help him, and the White Fox Town Guard Commander was the most likely candidate.
The White Fox replied, “It was me.”
Although he had suspected as much, Xu Lian was still shocked. “The Blood Sea’s Sovereign is the leader of a top-tier major faction. Yet, a single projection of your true self was able to defeat him… How powerful is your true form, Town Guard Commander? It’s beyond my imagination.
If your true self is so powerful, why are you only a Purple-level figure in the Yi Sect? Shouldn’t you at least be a Golden-level figure, on par with the sect leader and the elders? Besides, your Earth Flesh avatar shouldn’t be so weak, since the strength of an Earth Flesh avatar is tied to the strength of the main body.”
He fired a series of questions.
The White Fox patiently answered each one.
“Do you think the Blood Sea Sovereign is strong? It’s only because you’re not at that level yet that he seems powerful to you. In reality, the Blood Sea Sovereign is just a genius who rose from the second sequence of the previous generation in the Blood Sea. The First Sequence doesn’t get involved in such mundane matters. As for this White Fox avatar, it’s not a direct avatar of my true self. It’s an avatar of my projection. Understand?”
Xu Lian’s mouth twitched. So this Earth Flesh Avatar was a projection of a projection – basically a small account of a small account… No wonder the strength of this Earth Flesh Avatar didn’t match the true strength of the main body. Not that this White Fox Avatar was weak, but it wasn’t at the level of projection.
The more Xu Lian learned about this world, the more he realized how deep and complex it was, like a multi-layered cake. Each layer revealed another, and it was impossible to know how many there were or what the final layer might be.
Perhaps only by meeting the “true self” of the White Fox Town Guard Commander could this mystery be unraveled.
Xu Lian asked, “If the Blood Sea Sovereign is just a genius from the second sequence of the previous generation, does that mean he’s a small fry in the Blood Sea?”
The White Fox indifferently replied, “He’s not exactly a small fish. He has some strength, but he’s certainly not among the top figures in the Blood Sea. Did you think that a top-tier faction like the Blood Sea is as simple as it appears on the surface? He’s a genius from the second sequence of the previous generation.
What about the first sequence of the previous generation? Did they all die out? What about the first and second sequences of the previous generations? The Blood Sea has existed for countless years, and it has accumulated countless prodigies.
Some of them are still alive, their cultivation reaching unfathomable depths. If they had mobilized their true strength in that final battle, you would have undoubtedly lost.
It’s just that fighting for a son-in-law position in the Yin Dynasty wasn’t worth revealing their true strength, so you managed to win by luck.”
Xu Lian’s eyes widened. The Blood Sea, a top-tier faction that had existed for countless years, was truly terrifying. No one knew how deeply rooted the Blood Sea truly was, not even the Blood Sea’s Sovereign himself, as he was merely the leader of this generation.
Not wanting to crush Xu Lian’s spirit, the White Fox comforted him, “You don’t have to feel inferior. Time is like a blade. No matter how powerful the geniuses of the past were, they couldn’t escape the erosion of time or the chaos of this turbulent era.
Some died, some were crippled, and some were injured. The major factions aren’t as glorious as they seem. Not all the geniuses of each generation have survived to this day. These factions are like ancient ships floating on the river of time, already battered and patched, struggling to stay afloat.
The future belongs to your generation. You stand on solid ground, full of vitality, while the major factions are adrift in the river of time. That’s an advantage they can’t match.”
Xu Lian’s expression became strange.
Your generation’? Was she not part of it?
After spending so much time with her, he had come to understand her a bit. No matter how much a projection tried to hide it, there were always traces of the main body’s nature.
She definitely wasn’t some elderly woman, nor could she be a teenager with such power. She was most likely a prodigy who had already achieved great things in her cultivation.