Chapter 193: You Can Call Me Ye Shijie From Now On

"I heard you wrote a book?"

In the Xiang Jianzong's Hall, Li Ke, walking behind Xu Xing, paused at these words.

"Disciple merely compiled and summarized some of your deeds—it doesn't really count as something I wrote myself." After explaining, she asked, "How did you find out?"

Who said that? Who said that! "Jiu Yu's note on you says, 'Sister who didn't give me the book.'"

"..."

Damn! It's that damn fish again—again and again!

"Do you have it on you? Let me see." Xu Xing said casually.

Li Ke stiffened, then unusually refused.

"Better not..."

Just imagining her written content seen by her master...

Might as well just die!

"Fine." Xu Xing didn't press, instead asking, "What are your plans after this?"

Li Ke's expression turned solemn: "Naturally, I'll swap duties with my brother—this period is my assigned patrol term."

She wasn't the type to shirk responsibility.

"That's not urgent." Xu Xing waved a hand. "That disobedient disciple is currently the Head of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, right?"

"Yes, the Head of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall is indeed Master Yan."

Master had many disciples, but only Yan Ming was called "the disobedient one."

"How has the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall fared under his leadership compared to before?"

How has the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall fared under his leadership compared to before...

"Master Yan is highly capable; under his leadership, the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall has indeed improved significantly."

It was the truth.

"Then if you were to take over the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, could you do better than him?"

"Hmm... isn't there a saying, 'Each profession has its own expertise'?"

In short, she had no confidence.

"Then who do you think would be more suitable than him?"

"Disciple doesn't know."

She hadn't paid attention to that at all.

"Master, do you know about Master Yan..."

Master wouldn't ask these questions without reason.

"Yes."

As expected!

Master definitely knows Master Yan likes Ye Shijie Ji!

"But that's only one reason."

Xu Xing explained: "He's been too complacent for too long. Before I entered seclusion, he was already at the Profound Mystery realm—now he's still there."

For a swordsman, laziness makes further advancement incredibly difficult.

So Xu Xing planned to send him out for some hardening.

Li Ke said no more.

"Forget it. I'll decide on this after I return from Ling Yin Fang."

Yan Ming's cultivation isn't sufficient to serve as Star Domain Warden, and no other suitable candidate currently exists for Head of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall—so it must be put on hold.

For now, Ling Yin Fang's affairs take priority.

"Remember to inform the Sect Master and ask for his opinion."

"Yes!"

Tsk tsk!

Master Yan is in for a rough time this time.

But he really has been slacking off these past years.

Good for Master to discipline him! "By the way, Master, will Ye Shijie take that little one as her disciple?"

She meant Zhang Yunlu, of course.

"Mm, yes. It'll probably happen within the next few days."

I see...

Then she'd better prepare a gift in advance.

Several days later again.

Inside a small courtyard.

Lush green trees hung heavy with faintly red fruits; beside them stood a grape arbor, its winding vines climbing the tree tops and covering the top of the swing.

"Woo-hoo!" Chi Jiu Yu sat on the swing, swinging high.

Zhang Yunlu, who had just awakened, stood behind, waiting for the swing to descend before pushing it again.

On the stone table before them, the golden-green longsword was cracking open a kind of nut, collecting the kernels in a bowl, and sweeping the shells into the trash bin.

What a diligent spirit blade!

Zhang Yunlu: "..."

She had just witnessed with her own eyes the moment Chi Jiu Yu psychologically manipulated her own spirit blade.

But she still seemed a little embarrassed, occasionally rubbing the back of her head.

"Stop! Stop! That's enough!" Chi Jiuyu hurriedly called out.

Zhang Yunlu stepped aside; after the swing settled once more, it did not rise again—Chi Jiuyu had stopped it with her foot.

She jumped off the swing and grinned: "How's this place I picked for you?"

"Hmm, looks good."

Jianzong disciples who reached the Foundation Establishment realm no longer had to live in high-rise apartments but could move into private courtyards.

After all, cultivation was a deeply personal matter; the higher one's cultivation realm, the greater the personal space required.

The courtyard Chi Jiuyu had chosen for Zhang Yunlu was among the better ones.

She'd originally planned to take her straight to the small courtyard she'd lived in during her own Foundation Establishment and Jin Dan stages, but someone else had moved in, so she had to pick this one instead.

Walking to the table, Chi Jiuyu grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl and pretended to inspect them carefully.

"Excellent, excellent—the force was perfectly controlled. That's enough for today."

She opened her hand, ready to recall her Spirit Sword, but the emerald-gold blade circled around her once.

A thought reached her: the training method had become useless, and she wanted a more difficult one!

"Don't worry—I've already designed an advanced version for you. It'll start soon!" Chi Jiuyu said solemnly.

The emerald-gold blade finally seemed satisfied and returned to her.

'Damn! This sword's getting smarter by the day!' Chi Jiuyu muttered inwardly.

If this keeps up, won't I one day get completely outmaneuvered?

No—no way!

After repeatedly denying the thought in her mind, she turned to Zhang Yunlu.

"Come on, eat, Xiao Yunlu—these are delicious."

Hearing this, Zhang Yunlu stepped closer and picked up a single nut from the bowl.

It was plump, undamaged in the slightest.

She glanced at the trash bin filled with nutshells.

The cut surfaces were smooth and even—each had been severed by a single sword qi, revealing astonishing control.

"Your sword is amazing."

When my own sword gains enough spiritual vitality, I'll train like this too.

Ah? Chi Jiuyu, who had just grabbed a handful of nuts, froze with a strange expression.

Wait—I was just fooling my sword into serving me. How did I fool you too?

Is this what they call the idol-fan filter? Looks like I've got a pretty high status in Xiao Yunlu's eyes!

Hmm…

She gave up thinking: "Xiao Yunlu, actually, I've got some good news to tell you."

"Is it related to the previous mission?"

That was easy to guess—after all, it was a mission personally assigned by the Sword Sovereign. How could there be no reward?

"Exactly, exactly!" Chi Jiuyu nodded vigorously. "Can you guess what the reward is?"

"... Contribution points?"

"No way—that's too common!"

Common? Zhang Yunlu gave her a puzzled look.

Didn't you used to lie awake at night and forget to eat just for Contribution Points? Now you think it's common? "A magical artifact? Pills?"

"Nope."

"A divine technique?"

"Our Jianzong only requires special permissions for a few dangerous sword scriptures—everything else is freely accessible in the Transmission Hall once you reach the right realm. How could it be that?"

"... I can't guess."

"Ahem, listen closely."

Chi Jiuyu set down the nuts, clasped her hands behind her back, and turned away from her.

"From now on, you may call me Ye Shijie!"

Zhang Yunlu froze.

Ye Shijie…? Second update, please subscribe!! (End of chapter)