Chapter 46: It Was Him Who Won Me Over

Looking down, Shen Tang was still in a daze, her small mouth half-open; that appearance stood in extreme, stark contrast to her usual rational gentleness and her domineering manner when facing enemies, making Lu Xingzhou's heart involuntarily skip a beat, leaving him momentarily dry-mouthed and speechless.

Both could hear the other's heartbeat, thump-thump, as if a symphony.

Not knowing how long had passed, Shen Tang was the first to regain her thoughts; looking up and seeing Lu Xingzhou's dazed expression, she somehow felt like laughing instead, and her shyness had mostly dissipated. As her gaze shifted, the hidden allure reappeared: "You... how long are you going to hold me?"

Lu Xingzhou also came to his senses, calmly adjusting Shen Tang's position in his arms so she sat on his lap with her back against him.

Only then did he free a hand; one arm encircled her waist while the other pushed the wheelchair into the room: "Until we get back, I suppose."

With her back to him, Shen Tang pouted slightly and secretly spat.

Still pretending to be calm; what hard thing is pressing against me? Dare you say it?

With the wheelchair rolling and bumping, it pressed up and up.

This terrible posture... how did it become like this...

From the courtyard to the bedside inside the room was truly not far, yet this short distance felt as long as a year.

Finally reaching the bedside, Lu Xingzhou lifted Shen Tang down and placed her back on the bed, speaking calmly as ever: "I will refine some more bone-forging and tendon-strengthening medicines for you to use in combination; thereafter, let Miss Qingli help you walk every day. I feel that in another ten days or so, you will be completely recovered."

Without waiting for an answer after speaking, he turned and flashed away, as if nothing had happened.

Leaning against the headboard, Shen Tang bit her lower lip tightly; her expression was unclear whether it was crying or laughing, her face flushed brilliantly like clouds at sunset.

After staring blankly for who knows how long, she suddenly seemed to come back to life and shouted loudly: "Dead Bai Mao, come out for me! Is this how you protect me?"

Du Gu Qingli appeared with a swish: "You cannot call me Bai Mao; it is extremely rude."

Shen Tang laughed in anger: "He can call me that? No, is that even the main point right now?"

【16】 "He is also rude, but at least he didn't add the word 'dead'." Du Gu Qingli said: "Come to think of it, since it is the two of you, doing the same improper thing does not seem surprising."

"He was also rude, but at least he didn't add the word 'dead'," Miss Qingli said. "Come to think of it, since it's the two of you, it's hardly surprising that you'd do the same inappropriate thing."

Shen Tang was almost distracted enough to forget why she had called her; after a moment of dazed silence, she said angrily, "I asked if you just watched me fall; is this how you protect people?"

Du Gu Qingli said: "I thought about it; I cannot move the Household Administration Bureau here, but I can place you on top of him."

Shen Tang: "?"

Du Gu Qingli tried to translate: "I think you would prefer him to catch you."

"Why would I prefer that? Can you stop thinking for me?"

Du Gu Qingli was even more puzzled than she: "You two are clearly different from everyone else in your mutual regard; anyone can see it. I do not understand why you refuse to admit it with your mouths."

Shen Tang stood dazed for quite a while, then turned over weakly to lie face down on the pillow, mumbling, "What if it were you?"

"I would definitely tell him directly, wondering what the point of holding back is." Du Gu Qingli said: "Just as he told me directly."

Shen Tang: "??"

Oh no, is the loop closed?

Du Gu Qingli added: "But such a hypothesis is meaningless, because I will never have such emotions."

Shen Tang glanced at her: "When you reach a certain time, this day will always come; I will wait for the moment you tell him directly, and you must notify me to observe."

Questioning Sheng Yuanyao, understanding Sheng Yuanyao, becoming Sheng Yuanyao.

"I will never have that day." Du Gu Qingli said matter-of-factly: "My cultivation is unique; I am inherently indifferent to emotions. Moreover, my master remained alone her entire life; I will only emulate my master."

"Then what about your master finding a man?"

"That is something that will never happen."

Shen Tang showed a polite smile: "I hope you can remain this confident forever."

Du Gu Qingli said: "Regardless of how I am in the future, anyway, it was no problem that I did not catch you just now, so I am leaving."

Just as she was about to turn, she heard Shen Tang sigh: "Don't do this in the future... it will make us very awkward."

Du Gu Qingli frowned: "Why?"

"I am not in the mood for romance, and neither does he want it, and..." Shen Tang smiled: "He has someone in his heart."

Du Gu Qingli was somewhat surprised: "How do you know?"

"Intuition." Shen Tang said calmly: "Actually, in this world, a man having several women is not a rare thing, and I am not a jealous woman. If the person in his heart is me, and he has a few others outside to relieve his loneliness, I really wouldn't care that much... but I, Shen Tang, cannot be the one used to relieve loneliness; do you understand?"

Du Gu Qingli stood there dazed, feeling somewhat conflicted, as if her system was about to crash.

Shen Tang looked at her, finding it somewhat funny: "What is that expression? Were you not able to talk eloquently just now?"

Du Gu Qingli hesitated: "Where is there such a complicated matter? Since you have thought this much, shouldn't you feel that you should make yourself the person in his heart?"

This time it was Shen Tang's turn to stand dazed; after a long while, she said, "What if I cannot become that person?"

"Then you cannot become that person; what difference is there compared to now?"

Shen Tang was dumbfounded.

Du Gu Qingli looked at her sympathetically: "You have practiced the Imperial Ultimate Shocking World Sutra too much; your mind is full of chaos. Just practice swordsmanship properly."

After speaking, she turned and left; Shen Tang watched her back and ground her teeth.

You practice swordsmanship; you understand it so well?

Just wait!

A moment later, a rhythmic light knock came from outside the window: "Your Highness."

Shen Tang took several deep breaths to adjust her emotions and said indifferently: "Enter."

Someone entered through the window and knelt on one knee: "Regarding the terrain issue Your Highness consulted on, after discussion we believe it requires connecting with an array formation to solve, but the specific type of array needed still needs deliberation. Mainly, we need to know the general significance of this terrain, such as whether treasures are buried there, or if it is related to a lost secret realm... or perhaps it is itself a type of Shanhe array formation arranged by humans; only after knowing the arranger's purpose can we determine how to solve it."

"As long as we know, do you have a way for any type required?"

"Some may not be possible; perhaps we can consult the Imperial Preceptor then?"

"Understood; I will investigate further."

"Yes."

"Go notify Uncle Zhong and the others; it is time to ascend Danxia Mountain... henceforth, Danxia Mountain will be the new mountain gate of the Tianxing Sword Sect."

The visitor hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping.

"What is it? Speak if you have something to say."

"When we first heard that Your Highness led the remnants to flee and hide, we never imagined that in such a short time, a mountain gate with over a thousand people could be established, two mountains forming a pincer, with Tian She stretching endlessly... This Mr. Lu is quite capable; we must court him properly."

Shen Tang stared at the ceiling again, dazed, and only after a long while spoke softly: "Shen Qi..."

"Ah?"

"All along, it was he who courted me... He made me stand up, helped Tianxing Sword Sect achieve today's grandeur, and even had A'nuo send a batch of low-level scriptures to enrich the Sword Sect's Scripture Tower... What have I given him? A Five-Elements Grass? Or that fruit? The fruit wasn't mine, and I used it myself."

Shen Qi: "..."

"He attaches great importance to the secret of this terrain... If it truly benefits him, I will do everything in my power to help him accomplish this."

Shen Qi said: "Recently, there have been undercurrents in Xiazhou, even shadows of other powerful sects from neighboring prefectures... Your Highness should not be too distracted."

Shen Tang sneered: "Incense Tower?"

"Incense Tower is just one; there are others," Shen Qi said. "Among them, Huo family's Yang Dechang has conspired with many, secretly inciting almost all Xiazhouzong Sect factions; we do not yet know their ultimate aim."

"Nothing more than causing us embarrassment at the Grand Ceremony, making the newly recruited Danxia members and other onlookers disappointed in us. Once the sect's reputation is ruined, development will naturally be hindered. Furthermore, whatever we do next, they will compete to snatch it, trapping us in an industrial quagmire." Shen Tang said coldly: "Now they dare not openly oppose me; they can only suppress us from these angles, as long as they prevent us from rising."

"Since Your Highness knows their intentions, do you have a contingency plan? If it involves open duels or the like, I am not very convenient to appear; relying solely on Tianxing Sword Sect..."

"If matters on the surface all require you, then what use is my cultivation to this day?" Shen Tang said lazily: "Whether others embarrass us or we crush Xiazhou in one stroke, it is right now."

Shen Qi paused, then remembered that his own Highness was a dignified fourth-grade powerhouse... Previously, she had seemed broken and fragile, simply because her leg was broken and she had deliberately concealed her cultivation.

But she is almost fully recovered now.

A complete Shen Tang herself is a banner, enough to make the imperial succession struggle wary; let alone a mere Xiazhou?

The new edition of the "List of Heroes" has not yet been released, but each prefecture has reported to the General Office in preparation for printing. Among them, Dugu Qingli and A'nuo were deliberately omitted and did not appear on the list, while Shen Tang, as the Sword Sect's flagship representative, naturally no longer hides.

Shen Tang, the new Sect Master of Tianxing Sword Sect, twenty-two years old, a fourth-grade sword cultivator, ranked thirtieth on the Great Qian New Talent List.

The top thirty on the New Talent List are already considered a banner in people's eyes; once released, it will surely shock Xiazhou. But that is because when Sheng Yuanyao reported, she reported based on her broken leg, and the combat power assessment was based only on her past performance and her flying sword performance in recent demon wars; the Imperial Ultimate Shocking World Sutra was not included, and the combat power assessment given by the Demon Suppression Bureau was too low.

No one knows what her actual ranking should be.

(End of this chapter)