Chapter 137: Long Xiaoyun Has Finally Become Human

The people from the Money Gang came quickly and left quickly.

Some walked out of the estate; others walked out of this world.

"Gu Qing, how could you expose Xiao Yun?"

Li Xunhuan and Lin Shiyin arrived together; they had heard every word Gu Qing spoke, and their faces carried anger as they stepped out.

If word of the Lianhua Mirror spreads, how can Long Xiaoyun ever have peace again?

"The Jianghu is soaked in blood and stench—does it only blow against others, not Long Xiaoyun?"

Gu Qing's gaze was silent, his voice flat and calm.

That brat Long Xiaoyun seems sly and calculating, chats and laughs freely with Jianghu folk—but he's never been targeted by them. Is he truly clever, or just cunning? The Jianghu must test him.

"This is too much!"

Lin Shiyin's tears streamed down; she had always opposed Long Xiaoyun entering the Jianghu, and now Gu Qing was forcing him into it.

"Don't worry!"

Gu Qing patted Long Xiaoyun's head and said, "Uncle will shield you from wind and rain."

Don't ask where the wind and rain came from, or why your uncle's umbrella looks like a sieve…

Lin Mazi had just seen off Shangguan Fei when he brought another guest—a man in black robes, holding a long sword. He entered the hall without a word and began studying the corpses on the ground, examining the wounds.

After being targeted by Gu Qing, Long Xiaoyun dared not approach, fearing the Jianghu folk might turn hostile toward him.

Li Xunhuan stared at the black-clad man, his heart stirred, and asked, "Sword of Songyang?"

The black-clad man replied, "Indeed—Guo Songyang."

Guo Songyang ranked fourth on the Weapon List; his swordplay was already exquisite. He came to Xingyun Estate not for treasure, but for Li Xunhuan.

Yet now, Guo Songyang looked at the corpses around him, his gaze locking onto Gu Qing, and asked, "Using the enemy's own method against him?"

Gu Qing nodded.

Guo Songyang beamed with delight and said, "Excellent! Today I've met two worthy opponents!"

The Sword of Songyang has been too lonely.

"You've already killed today; your killing aura has faded. So I'll take Li Xunhuan first."

Guo Songyang glanced at Gu Qing, then fixed his focus on Li Xunhuan and said, "How does the Sword of Songyang compare to Little Li's Flying Dagger?"

Li Xunhuan fell silent for a moment and said, "I don't want to know the answer."

Guo Songyang demanded battle sharply.

Li Xunhuan glanced back at Lin Shiyin and Long Xiaoyun; his heart grew unsettled. With the Lianhua Mirror exposed, Long Xiaoyun would have no peace in the Jianghu. If he lost this fight and died…

"Uncle Li, don't worry."

Long Xiaoyun bowed and said, "I won't let Mother get hurt. We believe you'll win."

Gu Qing's inhumanity forced Long Xiaoyun to become human.

Right now, Long Xiaoyun only wanted Li Xunhuan's heart to steady—only then could Li Xunhuan win and protect his family, for the leak of the Lianhua Mirror had made even Long Xiaoyun unsafe.

Li Xunhuan's gaze turned again to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing was speechless. In his view, Li Xunhuan was like Xiao Feng—a man who overestimates his opponents and burdens himself with pressure, only to pass that pressure onto his foes when the fight begins.

"Rest assured, I'll take good care of Shiyin."

Gu Qing gave Li Xunhuan a reassuring word.

"… "

Li Xunhuan fell silent. Gu Qing always clung to his past mistakes.

Guo Songyang noticed Li Xunhuan's hesitation and said, "We must fight today!"

Li Xunhuan tried to refuse.

"If we don't fight today, I fear that when we become friends tomorrow, I won't be able to strike."

Guo Songyang said.

For a martial cultivator, opponents like Li Xunhuan are rare.

Thus, Li Xunhuan had no choice but to accept the challenge.

The duel between Guo Songyang and Li Xunhuan took place in a maple forest in late autumn.

The autumn colors were heavy, red leaves falling like rain. Guo Songyang suddenly drew his sword and flung its scabbard toward Gu Qing, then unleashed a torrent of sword qi at Li Xunhuan.

Li Xunhuan held his flying dagger but only dodged.

Their battle resembled the legendary clash between Chu Liuxiang and Xue Yiren, the world's greatest swordsman—one attacking, the other evading. But Li Xunhuan's lightness skill could not match Chu Liuxiang's; under Guo Songyang's sword strikes, Li Xunhuan was finally cornered.

"Clang!"

Guo Songyang's sword swept through, slicing off Li Xunhuan's flying dagger.

Li Xunhuan looked at the dagger in his hand, then slowly lowered his arm.

"I've lost."

Guo Songyang said, voice hollow, "I thought I'd never utter these words, even if I died—but saying them now feels… exhilarating. Exhilarating. Exhilarating…"

Guo Songyang said "exhilarating" three times.

Because Li Xunhuan had spared him three times.

Lin Shiyin and Long Xiaoyun watched from the side. Seeing Guo Songyang cut off Li Xunhuan's dagger yet admit defeat, they were stunned—they couldn't grasp the subtleties of the duel.

After repeating the three words, Guo Songyang pointed his sword at Gu Qing and said, "Gu Qing, you've killed, I've lost—both of us have lost our edge. Let us fight now!"

Guo Songyang had heard of Gu Qing's attack on Li Xunhuan the day before. Now that he'd been spared by Li Xunhuan, he was fully convinced—and turned his ire toward Gu Qing.

Long Xiaoyun turned his head, glancing quietly at Gu Qing. He saw Guo Songyang's scabbard spinning between Gu Qing's two fingers like a windmill, then flicked back with a sharp *clang*, sliding neatly into its sheath, causing Guo Songyang to dull his sword's edge.

"Let's fight another day."

Gu Qing said calmly.

"My strength hasn't diminished much today…"

Guo Songyang was speaking when his eyes caught the scratches on the scabbard—lines like sword paths. His words halted. He flipped the scabbard over, stared at the other side, and suddenly sweat broke on his forehead.

"I'll seek your instruction another day!"

Guo Songyang sheathed his scabbard and turned away.

Gu Qing nodded.

Lin Shiyin and Long Xiaoyun were even more baffled.

"Remarkable. Truly remarkable."

Suddenly, a girl with braids clapped her hands and approached, her eyes bright with amusement: "These two battles have left me content to die."

Gu Qing looked at Sun Xiaohong and smiled: "Why two?"

"Of course two."

Sun Xiaohong grinned: "First, Li Tanhua versus Guo Songyang. Li Tanhua spotted three openings but never struck. Guo Songyang could've killed Li Tanhua at the end—but didn't. They respected each other, shared brotherhood. This duel surpassed the legendary clash between Chu Liuxiang and the Water Mother."

Sun Xiaohong idolized Li Xunhuan to the point of absurd praise.

"Don't fake it."

Gu Qing said coolly: "If you judge by who didn't kill whom—Chu Liuxiang didn't kill the Water Mother, and she didn't kill him. They fought from sky to sea, ended with a kiss, and reconciled. That's far more classic."

Sun Xiaohong froze—she'd blown her cover to an expert.

"To surpass that duel, Li Xunhuan and Guo Songyang would have to end it with a kiss."

Gu Qing set the standard.

"Your grace far surpasses ours."

Li Xunhuan didn't argue or compete on this point.

"Now tell me about Guo Songyang's second battle."

Gu Qing said: "Can this second battle surpass the duel between Blue Master and the Emperor Valley Lord?"

Gu Qing wanted Sun Xiaohong to overpraise again.

Sun Xiaohong narrowed her eyes: "What if the second battle isn't impressive?"

"Then we start the third."

Gu Qing's right hand twitched. Since learning the Soul-Shift Hand, he'd been itching to test it on a woman.

(End of Chapter)