Cohabitation with Sword Spirit

Chapter 492 - 77: First Annihilate Shaolin, Then Destroy Wudang

May 5, 2018

"...So you traveled all the way here just to tell me to learn to give up on life!? What’s wrong with your brain!"

At the lakeside camp, Shen Qingming was completely in awe of Lu Xin. What kind of bizarre thought process did it take for her to say something like that!?

Lu Xin remained calm and earnestly advised, "It’s not about giving up on life, but rather understanding that sometimes letting go is a form of gain."

"Let go of life and gain humiliation?" Shen Qingming retorted angrily, "I admit I’m not smart, but you can’t really think I’m an idiot! Now tell me, why are you really here!?"

As for Lu Xin’s persuasion, Shen Qingming didn’t interpret it in a negative direction.

This stepmother, who was almost as tall as herself, always said one thing and meant another. Life in Shen Garden, Cyan Cloud City was particularly difficult back then, thanks in no small part to this contradictory nature of hers. So Shen Qingming assumed her real intention was to encourage her to muster the courage to confront the top figure in Xiangzhou.

Lu Xin, however, looked a bit awkward.

If you were to ask her true intention, she did want to support Shen Qingming. Regardless of their family ties, just because Shen Qingming belonged to the Li Family—though she didn’t bear the Li surname—Lu Xin, as the head of the Li Family, couldn’t just sit back and watch her suffer humiliation without doing something.

But... recalling that breathtaking, magnificent sword light, Lu Xin found it hard to persuade herself to encourage Qingming to become its enemy.

After all, once the two started to fight, whose side should she take?

Should she stand with Shen Qingming, who isn’t related by blood, has an Intelligence Index of only 2.3 as determined by experts, and has been unconventional since childhood?

Or should she side with Zhao Chenlu, who is peerless, possesses extraordinary skills, and is hailed as the top person below the Saint Sect, a master of Sword Dao?

Indeed, it’s a tough decision.

So, to avoid this dilemma, Lu Xin decided to persuade Shen Qingming to consider the bigger picture no matter what.

"I just want to say, you guys have been away from home for too long, and the family is worried."

Before she could finish, Li Wanqing laughed, "Hahaha, impossible, impossible. Sister Xin, you’re telling jokes again. Those two would never worry about me. We’ve already signed an agreement a long time ago, and the only thing that could make them worry about me now is something like a new book from the Three Lives Stone."

Lu Xin gave her a sideways glance, "Normally, they wouldn’t mention you, but if a pregnant teenage girl is crying day and night at your door, they can’t help but worry about you."

Li Wanqing practically exploded on the spot, "What pregnant teenage girl!? She’s overeating, huh? And what’s wrong with their heads, worrying about me over something like this? How could I make a girl pregnant!?"

Lu Xin replied, "For anyone else, it indeed sounds unbelievable, but if it’s you, anything is possible."

"Sister Xin, you’re giving me too much credit. If I really had such divine powers, there’d definitely be more than one woman with a big belly lining up at my door. Besides, how could I make a girl cry over me?"

Lu Xin continued, "Oh, so confident? Do you know how many girls have been blocking the Li Family’s gate asking for you during the months you’ve been away from Cyan Cloud City? And that pregnant girl, her last name is Wen. Do you remember her?"

Li Wanqing lowered her gaze immediately, remaining silent.

Of course, she remembered—a pitiful girl deceived by a scumbag, whom she comforted gently until she could move forward again. But now, with her belly swollen, it was clearly an unusual situation.

"Her ex-boyfriend committed a heinous act against her while you were away from Cyan Cloud City."

Li Wanqing asked, "He should be dead by now, right?"

"Yes, I had someone take care of him," Lu Xin sighed, "but I can only deal with the perpetrator, not the victim. That’s something only you can do."

Hearing this, Li Wanqing finally conceded helplessly.

Objectively speaking, that Wen girl’s role in her life was fleeting and insignificant, but Li Wanqing’s style had always been to never dismiss anyone. Especially now, with the girl facing such hardships, she couldn’t just stand by idly knowing about it. As for Qingming...

Honestly, if she could give up her illusions early and face life realistically, wouldn’t that be the best thing she could wish for? Exclude an outlier opponent like Wang Jiu, and there wouldn’t be a more suitable partner for Shen Qingming than Li Wanqing. Then, this simple yet proud Spirit Cat girl could finally fall into her embrace.

"I understand, I’ll return to Cyan Cloud City in a couple of days."

After dealing with Li Wanqing, Lu Xin turned her attention to Li Chaolu.

Li Chaolu became alert, "I, I’m going to stick with Mr. Wang Jiu, you know."

"Your mother misses you a lot."

"That’s why I often write to her to stay connected. Our mother-daughter bond transcends thousands of miles!" Li Chaolu countered immediately, showing no vulnerabilities, "She fully supports me in pursuing true love!"

Lu Xin added, "While you were away from Cyan Cloud City, Wang Jiu’s fan club already changed leaders."

"With no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king, it’s perfectly normal," Li Chaolu hummed, visibly displeased, "But that kind of club doesn’t hold any real significance. Even if you’re the leader, isn’t the only one who can stay by Mr. Wang Jiu’s side still me?"

"They recently hosted a sharing meeting for Mr. Wang Jiu’s personal items, including cushions, water cups, and hand towels..."

"What!?" Li Chaolu jumped three feet high, "Where did those personal items come from? How come I don’t know!?"

Lu Xin said, "Your Jiulinglu Company had an office before, and the contents inside were auctioned off once."

"Who allowed them to auction it off!?"

"Mr. Wang Jiu himself agreed to it. You all have been neglecting your duties for so long that Jiulinglu Company faced cash flow issues. Someone wrote to him asking if he wanted to auction off personal belongings to recirculate cash, and he happily consented."

"Who would ask such a shameless question!?"

"Qian Yue." Lu Xin gave an unsurprising answer, "And the person who paid a high price to buy all the personal belongings was also her."

"This opportunistic, shameless little creature!"

"So, how much longer do you plan to delay outside? It’s time to go home." Lu Xin patted Li Chaolu’s head, feeling the girl’s wavering, and took advantage of the moment, "Also, even though you’ve been by Wang Jiu’s side all this time, have you made any progress these past few months?"

This sentence was like a Celestial Divine Sword striking the Demon Emperor’s vital point, causing Li Chaolu to spit blood.

"There will be, at least I have the advantage of being close at hand!"

"Being close at hand for so long, have you achieved anything?" Lu Xin continued to twist the knife, "While you’re by his side, have you considered how crowded it is up there? Engaging in close combat with these people, how much chance do you have to win? Whereas Qian Yue, she has been quietly managing things without a word, then stunned everyone with a single strike when the opportunity came. In comparison, do you have even a slight advantage?"

"But..."

"Listen to me, sometimes taking a roundabout way is necessary. When it’s hard to gain an advantage on the front battlefield, developing behind enemy lines is also a strategy."

"...Really?"

Seeing Li Chaolu still hesitant, Lu Xin sneered, "Don’t forget, I am a victor from a battlefield akin to the Asura field. It’s not an exaggeration to call me an authority."

"Ah? Is that so, wait a minute, it really is!?" Li Chaolu took some time to recall the love-hate entanglement between his uncle Li Fengyun, Shen Yue’e, and Lu Xin.

In a certain sense, Lu Xin is indeed considered a winner in life. Although she was crushed on the front battlefield, laughter that lasts till the end is the best. Although Shen Yue’e and Li Fengyun’s relationship barely lasted ten years, Lu Xin accompanied Li Fengyun until now and into the future. However, this victory born out of enduring years doesn’t quite invoke envy.

"Do you think I lost to Shen Yue’e, so I’m not a winner? But have you thought about it? Back when Fengyun roamed the world with a sword, the girls who liked him were countless, not just Shen Yue’e and me. No matter how you calculate, at least I’m second place! And given your current situation, what qualifications do you have to look down on second place?"

This statement was truly eye-opening.

Indeed, a woman who fiercely competed with countless love-struck girls, claiming second place and laughing last... calling her an authority is not an overstatement!

"I understand, I’ll prepare to go back to Cyan Cloud City as soon as possible... But I will definitely return."

Having resolved Li Chaolu, Lu Xin then turned to look at Li Xinyu.

Li Xinyu promptly stated, "Wherever Chaolu goes, I will go."

Lastly, it was Shen Qingming.

Seeing the persistent expression on the girl’s face, Lu Xin was also troubled.

Ordinarily, a girl would have given up by this point. The situation is at an absolute disadvantage, and her companions are being dismantled one by one. Generally, a person wouldn’t have enough determination to keep going, but this child, whether it’s a missing screw or natural resilience... No matter how disadvantaged the situation, she never knows how to give up.

Just like in the past few years when she lived isolated in Shen Garden.

However, recalling the misunderstandings between them during those years, Lu Xin was even more determined to help her out of this misery.

"Qingming..."

"Stop, I won’t give up," Shen Qingming firmly replied, "You know my relationship with him. Even if we don’t consider any other factors, even if I end up completely beaten, I will not leave his side."

"Even if it means losing your family and friends?"

Shen Qingming said, "At my lowest, he was the one who helped me get through... not my family or friends."

This sentence was like a knife twisting in Lu Xin’s heart, but she still maintained a stern face and continued, "Even if your presence might be a burden to him?"

This time, it was Shen Qingming’s turn to feel the heartache, as this was her current greatest pain point, previously prodded repeatedly by Zhao Chenlu, leaving her anguished.

Perhaps, she really should leave sooner?

Yet, just as Shen Qingming fell into a momentary confusion...

"Qingming, there’s something I need to ask you to do."

Wang Jiu’s voice was like a heavenly sound.

Shen Qingming suddenly understood the feeling of the Celestial Divine Sword being awakened in infinite darkness.