Chapter 378: Deserves to Die!
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Faced with Luo Wusheng's suggestion, Ling Shuangxue frowned slightly but didn't pull her hand back from his grip.
'I'm really spoiling him too much...'
She sighed inwardly.
After doing dual cultivation with him for quite a few times, she had actually grown used to her Dao Companion expressing his affection in these playful, slightly mischievous ways... Even though just moments ago, he'd looked like he had no energy left at all.
Luo Wusheng, clearly pleased, held her soft, pale hand in his own hand and didn't directly answer her question.
"Dear, now that your Innate Sword Body has fully formed, you're thinking about heading to the capital to see how Yuli performs in the Human Immortal List, aren't you?"
His voice was gentle, though it carried a touch of seriousness.
Ling Shuangxue blinked, then nodded once she processed what he said.
"That's right. Is there something wrong with that?"
She really had been considering it. Originally, she expected the process of forming her Sword Body to be much longer, that's why she had sent a message to Yuli saying that she would await her return at the Sword Sect.
However, if she went to the capital now, she'd have to take that back.
Well… she could treat it as a surprise for her disciple. Though the bigger surprise would still be the Soulblade Specter later on…
That thought made her hesitate.
She had intended to talk it through with her Dao Companion, but now, it seems his brain had run off in a totally unexpected direction.
"If this was before, I wouldn't want you heading to the capital right now."
Luo Wusheng paused, noticing the puzzled look on her face, and continued:
"The situation in the capital... is extremely complicated. You've heard about the Immortal Nation's recent operation to eliminate the Netherkin inside the city, right? But what most people don't know is that wasn't the full story. Even within the capital, only a handful truly know what happened."
"And I just happen to be one of those few."
"My master sent me there to represent the Demon Sect and assist the Immortal Nation—"
. . . . . .
The Royal City.
Dusk had passed, and the city gates were closed for the night.
"Looks like Senior Brother really won't be coming back today…"
In a quiet, serene room, Bai Xiaoyao glanced at the sunset outside the window before turning her attention back to Lu Yuliu who's sitting across from her.
Right now, the Sword Sect genius wasn't in the best mood.
Lu Yuliu wrinkled her cute little nose and let out a soft huff.
"I already told you that if he was coming back early, he would've sent word first. Since there's been no message, it means he's still busy."
Though Lu Yuliu said this with confidence, her delicate eyebrows were still scrunched tightly together. Eventually, her lips twitched with frustration and she slapped the game board in front of her, causing two black chess pieces to jump.
"This is boring. I'm done playing!"
Watching the flustered girl, Bai Xiaoyao just smiled sweetly.
"Hehe~ No wonder Senior Brother wanted to play chess with you this morning. Now I understand—your playing style is... so fun."
Bai Xiaoyao looked like she was trying hard not to laugh, clearly enjoying herself.
Who told you to show off the fact that you can message Senior Brother whenever you want? Serves you right!
"He's not like you, Sister Xiaoyao. Couldn't you go easy on me a bit?"
"Oh? Are you saying my Senior Brother would go easy on you?"
"Of course he would…"
That annoying guy would let her get ahead at first—just so he could crush her in one sweeping move right when she thought she was winning.
Just thinking about it made Lu Yuliu grit her teeth.
That bully's just so annoying.
"Ehhhh~~~"
Seeing Bai Xiaoyao give her a disbelieving look on purpose, Lu Yuliu's face darkened, but she didn't argue.
"So what, you came here just to check if he sent me any messages?" she said, clearly irritated. "Didn't I already make a promise to you before? That I'd give you one of the wooden swords and send you know when he sends any message about his location?. I'm not going to break it."
She tilted her head slightly.
"And besides, this is not the first time he's gotten so busy that he forgot to message me. He never tells me what he's doing either—always so secretive. Everything he gets involved with is like that."
Hearing this, Bai Xiaoyao looked thoughtful but shook her head.
"Senior Brother's entanglements in the capital are just too many. The Netherkin alone is enough of a reason for him to keep a low profile."
As a thoughtful and understanding junior sister, Bai Xiaoyao was quick to defend her Senior Brother.
"Hmph—Even if he's as strong as a normal Nascent Soul cultivator, the things he's involved in are way too dangerous even by his standard."
Lu Yuliu pouted as she spoke, though her eyes held a trace of worry.
"My master is a true Nascent Soul cultivator, but even she has never taken on such dangerous tasks… Isn't he your Demon Sect's Holy Saint? Did your Sect Master really just let him go off and face all this danger?"
The chicken Netherkin from a few days ago, the earliest rat Netherkin incident, and the Netherkin Extermination Operation carried out by the Immortal Nation—
The girls who had been sticking close to Luo Wusheng all this time didn't say it out loud, but they were well aware of the dangers he constantly faced.
Especially Lu Yuliu—she still remembered the terrifying headless Buddha statue she'd faced during one of her episodes.
If her identity as the Sword Ancestor's successor hadn't been revealed then, that man might have died protecting her.
Hearing her friend vent, Bai Xiaoyao chuckled meaningfully.
"You really think my master hasn't done his fair share of crazy things?"
It didn't take long for Lu Yuliu to understand what Bai Xiaoyao meant.
Her expression darkened as she remembered a certain engagement that still made her feelings complicated.
'Well done, Demon Sect Master. Really, just… well done.'
'You deserve to die!'
But then she turned back to the girl sitting across from her.
"So? About that engagement—what's going on with it now?"
'Weren't you supposed to take care of it? So why haven't I heard anything? And more importantly, why haven't you used it as an excuse to give me and that guy some alone time?'
"No need to worry, Yuli. I won't let that marriage happen," Bai Xiaoyao replied casually.
She had taken some action. On the very first day the Demon Artifact Pavilion reopened, she'd secretly ordered all the disciples who knew about the engagement to keep their mouths shut.
As for anything beyond that… was there really any need to do it?
Wasting time on inefficient efforts might just give some sneaky cat a chance to steal her fish.
Besides, her Senior Brother didn't seem the least bit concerned about the engagement himself.
However…
"By the way, don't you think Sister Ji's attitude toward him was kind of strange lately?"
Lu Yuliu, after a moment of deep thought, suddenly asked the question. Bai Xiaoyao's face immediately twisted into a complicated expression.
'Did this naive girl really start asking stupid questions like this?'
'Has she finally lost track of her own position?'
Bai Xiaoyao fell silent.
It wasn't just the Daoist Sect's Chief Disciple who was acting strangely. That Kirin from the Six Gate Bureau was also suspicious…
She hadn't met the Empress herself, but could tell that woman held her Senior Brother in extremely high regard.
Then there was the courtesan from Red Blossom Pavilion, who disappeared completely after the incident at the Wandering Immortal Inn…
Fortunately, for now, nothing seemed to have escalated too far.
With that thought, she shook her head.
"I don't know the Daoist Sect Chief Disciple as well as you do."
Lu Yuliu, oblivious to the implications, nodded innocently.
"Oh right—Sister Yuli, back in Sword Province, was the Daoist Sect Chief Disciple the only one who got close to my Senior Brother?"
"...There was one other—he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and used a heavy sword."
"I see, Is there anyone else?"
"N–nope."
. . . . .
Inside the Sword Emperor's Secret Realm.
As she listened to her Dao Companion describe in detail the Netherkin schemes threatening the capital, Ling Shuangxue couldn't help but have one recurring thought echoing through her mind:
The Sect Master of the Demon Sect Master really deserves to die!