Moonlit night, Du You City.
A sudden, clear sword song pierced the night of Du You City... the night as seen by sword cultivators.
In Du You West City, the bustling districts where mortals gathered were as usual, lively and bustling with activity.
But occasionally, a few pedestrians on the noisy streets would stop in their tracks, look up, and close their eyes.
In Du You East City, grand buildings, variously decorated mansions, and secluded deep residences stood in succession.
On Half Moon Street, New Street, and Green Eyebrow Street in the west part of East City, major businesses lined the streets, thriving with activity and crowds of people, making it hard to believe this was a place where cultivators gathered.
At this mont, on these streets, people occasionally stopped what they were doing.
There were young nobles, leisurely escorting their female companions with folded fans in hand. One second they were flirting with their companions, and the next, their smiles faded, and they closed their eyes, lifting their heads as if gazing at the moon.
There were silent scholars, who sat in high-rise taverns under the red lanterns, leaning against the railing, suddenly spilling their wine, soaking their garnts, yet they too closed their eyes and continued to ’drink,’ motionless even after the wine had spilled completely.
And there was a heavily guarded mansion near the main street, where a refined boudoir’s shut windows were pushed open by a delicate hand, and a woman listened with eyes closed...
Scenes like these, centered around a rundown alley’s small eatery in Du You East City, rapidly ’spread’ outwards.
And then...
The wealthy nobleman strolling with his female companion bid her farewell, placing his hands behind his back and striding towards a certain direction.
The scholar, whose garnts were half wet with fine liquor, straightened his crown and, carrying a scholar sword with a tassel, solemnly stepped down from the building.
anwhile, in the exquisite little building of a certain mansion, the second-floor window flew open, and the room was already empty...
Similar situations were everywhere within the city.
At this ti, if soone disregarded the no-fly order of Youlan Prefecture in Du You and looked down from the clouds above East City, they would see figures from all directions, radiating out and slowly converging toward Wutong Street at the center...
The night sky seed sowhat different tonight.
......
Within the Taiching Four Mansions on the edge of East City.
About one-tenth of the residence students spread throughout the mansion suddenly closed their eyes.
After a mont of silence, they abruptly opened their eyes, their expressions filled with amazent.
Almost all of them donned the white sword attire of Tranquility Mansion, with sword patterns on their sleeves.
And deep within Tranquility Mansion, the simple doors of a grand hall suddenly burst open.
Sword Qi radiated in all directions.
A tall white-haired elder dressed in white, followed by a snowy white stag, walked out with large strides.
At the sa ti, within Taiyi Mansion of the Taiching Four Mansions, a woman’s voice echoed throughout, "Vice Mansion Master Yue, why have you erged from seclusion so suddenly?"
The voice paused for a mont, "Are you looking for the Master? He is not in Du You right now."
"Elder Yue, what has happened..." Then voices, both robust and deep, ca from mansions such as Fu Yao and Kunpeng, inquiring about the commotion.
The tall elder shook his sleeves, then placed his hands behind his back.
He looked towards the north and laughed out loud,
"There’s a sword chant, a powerful sword chant in East City! So kid has nurtured a Class A sword, hahaha, from the sound of it, it seems even more intense than the birth of Zhao’s elder and younger daughter’s Class A swords! This old man must go have a look and snatch it for our Tranquility Mansion before those old n from the Sword Pavilion get there first. Hahaha, this grand era that cos once in ten thousand years really seems to be upon us. First, the Zhao sisters, especially the elder Zhao, with their dual lotus-like Class A swords... unheard of in my ti..."
The burly elder paused in his speech, seemingly recalling sothing, and gave a asured hum:
"Hmm, there was an accident later on. Zhao’s girl is too naïve and inexperienced, got fooled by so riffraff from the foot of the mountain. But...
"It’s not a big deal! Zhao’s girl is still the number one talent of Taiching Prefecture in the Vast Realm. She has a chance to break that old Zhao fella’s record, who keeps trading on his age. I won’t misjudge her.
"However, I never imagined that tonight, a formidable child would erge. That sword chant is fierce, hahaha, I do hope it’s a boy, to put so pressure on the two Zhao girls."
The burly elder’s laughter was hearty.
Inside the Taiching Four Mansions, the individuals of not insignificant status who had spoken earlier were now quietly listening, without interjecting.
This Senior Yue, nad Yue Nanxing, was the head of Tranquility Mansion and also the Vice Mansion Master of the Taiching Four Mansions.
He was a native of Wangque Continent, who had also originated from the Taiching Four Mansions of Wangque. In his youth, he was one of the top Sword Immortal Seeds, whose na is still inscribed high on Taiching’s Talented List.
Later on, Yue Nanxing traveled throughout the Nine Provinces with his sword, challenging others, spending half his life roaming before finally returning to Wangque to serve and cultivate in seclusion within the Taiching Four Mansions.
Senior Yue was among the most senior in terms of experience within the Taiching Four Mansions and loved to promote the next generation, with his students spread all over Wangque.
If it weren’t for the fact that most of the Masters of the Taiching Four Mansions were parachuted in from Central Continent and his own lack of ambition, he would have been able to turn his "Vice" title into a "Master" title long ago.
In recent years, the burly elder often secluded himself for cultivation; however, he still had a great eye for talent and always kept an eye on the cultivation matters of the young Sword Cultivators within the mansion.
For example, Zhao Lingfei from Tranquility Mansion, who now reigns over her peers, was initially discovered by him, and he favored her greatly.
Yue Nanxing went against public opinion and allowed her to skip the Fu Yao Mansion stage imdiately upon entering the Taiching Four Mansions, joining Tranquility Mansion, which was sowhat the leader among the four mansions. To so extent, she beca the "little senior sister" for her cohort of Residence Students...
Yue Nanxing even made the bold statent that "this girl will definitely reach the Golden Core stage before the age of twenty."
He backed Zhao Lingfei, enabling her to beco famous throughout the Taiching Four Mansions even before reaching the Vast Realm.
As for the behind-the-scenes skepticism and rumors of illegitimacy, they were thoroughly crushed the mont Zhao Lingfei stepped into the Vast Realm one morning, as the first streak of dawn appeared in the sky.
Most Residence Students of the Tranquility Mansion still vividly rember the sword chant from Zhao Lingfei’s breakthrough into the Vast Realm, which caught the attention of Sword Cultivators within thousands of miles around Du You City and gathered a crowd outside the Mansion, a rare spectacle.
However, Sister Zhao already belonged to their Tranquility Mansion, making it impossible for the elders of the Sword Pavilion and other Sword Sects of Du You to snatch her away...
However, since the beginning of the year, ever since Zhao Lingfei went back to her hotown and then returned to the Mansion, her cultivation has been stuck at a bottleneck.
Thus, the whispers started to rise again, and it seed like the burly elder was having trouble saving face...
Currently, Yue Nanxing stroked the head of a white deer beside him, his figure flickering like a phantom as he quickly reached the gate.
"I was planning on leaving seclusion in a few days, to take care of Zhao’s girl’s issue first and seek justice against that scoundrel down the mountain for her. But now, I’ll leave seclusion earlier to snatch up the youngster from East City, haha. I don’t even know if this kid is a boy or girl, or whose child it is... Could it be... from so branch of the Zhao family?"
He muttered a few words to himself and shook his head with a laugh, finding the possibility quite unlikely.
The burly elder waved his large hand, "You all go about your business; don’t mind . Disciples of Tranquility Mansion, follow out!"
He carried the proud white deer and took a large stride out of the Taiching Prefecture Gate, leaving behind only a grand, lingering figure.
The people inside the Prefecture were used to it and well-acquainted with the elder’s personality.
Tranquility Mansion instantly bustled with activity as a large group of Residence Students followed him out.
Even the Residence Students from other mansions joined in droves, eager to see the commotion and curious about whom the mysterious newcor, who might compare or even surpass Zhao Lingfei, could be...
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Ps: A bit short. Another update to co, timing uncertain...
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