Chapter 135: A Lie So Blatant, Even Aha Is Embarrassed
A spirited young swordsman strode over, his sharp gaze sweeping across the two figures before finally settling on Jingliu. His tone was filled with earnest concern.
"Don't panic," he declared. "I'll get you out of here right now."
The newcomer was none other than Yanqing, who had slipped away from the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Jingliu let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief. She smoothly handed the paper and pen back to Leon and turned to face the young swordsman, her voice returning to its familiar, icy composure. "Thank you for coming to our rescue, little brother."
She had just been wondering how to extricate herself from this man with his strange words and even stranger actions. Yanqing's appearance was perfectly timed.
'Good, very good,'she thought.'This grand-disciple of mine is quite decent; he arrived at just the right moment.'
Jingliu naturally recognized Yanqing. Though she had fled far into the sea of stars, she had still kept an eye on this rising genius of swordsmanship from the Xianzhou Luofu.
"So it's young brother Yanqing. We're saved," Leon added with a relaxed smile, his tone light and easy.
"It's my duty, no need for thanks." Yanqing flashed a bright smile, but his expression soon turned slightly puzzled. "However, Luofu Port has already been sealed. Why are you two still lingering here?"
"I came here on a merchant ship," Jingliu began, her voice low, seemingly carrying a hint of nostalgic melancholy. "Recently, the faces of several old friends have been haunting my mind, so I thought I'd come back to see if I might meet them again and catch up..." She then turned her gaze toward Leon. "As for him, we just happened to meet here."
She silently wondered, 'This person knows my identity. Will he become a variable in my plans?'
"I'm also a traveler visiting the Xianzhou," Leon chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Jingliu before landing on Yanqing. "I accidentally got separated from my companions and ended up here. I didn't expect to have such good luck and meet a famous swordsman of the Xianzhou Luofu. It's truly a great honor."
[Aha: Are you really separated? Even I'm embarrassed for you.]
[Fuli: Ah... Light Cone unlocked: "The Lost Group Master".]
Leon was, of course, not separated from anyone. Nous and the others were currently engrossed in a game of Celestial Jade with Qingque. He had only wandered over after spotting Jingliu here.
"Heh... you flatter me. You're making me quite embarrassed," Yanqing said, scratching his head a bit bashfully.
Although he possessed the high spirits of youth, Yanqing was by no means reckless. Compared to ordinary boys his age, he was already far more reliable. He also mistakenly assumed Leon's praise was directed at him.
Only Jingliu understood that the words "famous swordsman" were likely a reference to her. A flicker of conflict stirred within her. This stranger, Leon, recognized her, yet her own grand-disciple did not.
It was clear... Jing Yuan had erased her past. Not many people on the Xianzhou Luofu still remembered the face of the former Sword Champion.
"The Xianzhou is facing some unexpected issues right now, but it won't be long before the General resolves them," Yanqing stated, his tone certain. He then adopted a serious expression. "This is no place to linger. I must take you both to the nearest Cloud Knight station."
He paused, remembering his actual mission, and asked, "By the way, have you seen a man with black clothes and long hair?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed the black silk covering Jingliu's eyes and quickly apologized. "You... you can't see? Sorry, that was rude of me."
"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Yanqing, an officially registered member of the Cloud Knights." The youth straightened his back, displaying a competence that befitted his age. "May I ask for your names?"
"I am Jingliu." She hesitated for a moment but ultimately gave her real name.
Unfortunately, Yanqing showed no particular reaction upon hearing it. The name, along with the history it carried, had indeed been quietly wiped from the Xianzhou's memory. He had no idea that the woman before him was his own master's master.
"I'm Leon," he told the boy frankly.
It was clear, however, that Leon's fame wasn't quite great enough. Yanqing only felt the name was a bit familiar, but nothing more.
"Sister Jingliu, Brother Leon, I'll take you away from here first. We might need to take a detour," Yanqing said, his expression serious as he made a solemn promise. "But I guarantee I will deliver you both safely to the Cloud Knight station."
[Aha: (Gleefully) Is it possible that you're the weakest one here?]
[Fuli: Light Cone obtained: "Yanqing: I Will Protect You!".]
"Little brother, where are we heading?"
Jingliu and Leon followed Yanqing. Before long, she noticed something was amiss with their route. She glanced at Leon, only to find him strolling along casually, seemingly oblivious.
'Is it just my imagination?'
Compared to Yanqing, she was far more worried about the man walking beside her. Although she couldn't see through him at all, her instincts screamed that he was strong.
Very strong.
Leon naturally noticed Jingliu peeking at him. He turned to meet her gaze and gave her a cheerful thumbs-up.
Jingliu said nothing. For some reason, just looking at him made her feel a strange sense of unease.
"To the docks. Don't worry, there's no danger as long as you follow me. Just watch your step," Yanqing called back with a confident smile. "Let's keep going."
Soon, Yanqing's keen senses picked up movement ahead; enemies were lying in wait.
"You two, please wait here for a moment. Don't wander off. I'll be right back."
After leaving those instructions, Yanqing's figure shot out like an arrow loosed from a bow, engaging the ambushers in battle.
"Who are you? What are you trying to do here?" Yanqing demanded, his fingers guiding several blades of light that materialized around him.
"Perfect timing, brat! We'll use your blood to nourish our Lord's miracle!" The opponent's voice was hideous; they were clearly pawns of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
Once Yanqing identified them, he didn't hold back.
"Sword of Celestial Volley!"
A torrent of sword light poured down like rain, each strike precise and sharp. In just a few breaths, all the disciples were subdued.
"Where did these guys come from?" Yanqing murmured, standing with his sword retracted, his brow slightly furrowed. "Just as the General said, the internal troubles of the Xianzhou are indeed a nuisance."
"Your swordsmanship is quite good, little brother," Jingliu couldn't help but comment.
Yanqing's talent for the sword was far greater than that of her disappointing disciple, Jing Yuan. Though they were master and apprentice, Jing Yuan had learned precious little of her actual swordsmanship.
"You can see," Yanqing stated, raising an eyebrow. He realized things weren't as simple as they appeared.
"I can hear," Jingliu corrected. "The dynamic whistle of flying swords through the air, the sharp sound of a blade cutting through flesh—these traces invisibly reveal the quality of one's sword intent."
She nodded slightly. "Like a musician listening to a zither or a poet discerning rhythm, brilliant swordsmanship leaves no discordant noise between the shifts and flows of its moves."
"To be able to control six flying swords simultaneously in a single breath... there must be only a handful of Cloud Knights with such strength," Jingliu critiqued, a note of approval in her voice.
"You flatter me, you flatter me!" Yanqing flushed, a little embarrassed by the praise.
"However," Jingliu's tone shifted, "you focus solely on attacking, revealing all your sharpness, yet you do not understand the way of concealing one's edge..."
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]