"Sure enough, Ah Bai would like a sword that youâd also like." Zhu Pingniang said, raising her hand to tuck a few strands of loose hair behind her ear.
Xu Changâanâs eyes at this moment were like those of a child seeing a rare toy.
Thatâs how young girls are; when they see something shiny and beautiful, they always love it.
Although Xu Changâan is not a girl, heâs a Sword Cultivator... Even if he has yet to take the first step as a Sword Cultivator, who wouldnât love a sword?
Seeing Xu Changâan obviously moved but staying silent, Zhu Pingniang smiled and threw him a flirtatious glance.
"Come on, do you like it or not?"
Xu Changâan: "..."
Without a word from him, Zhu Pingniang once again grasped the sword hilt and made a rather amateurish sword flourish, leaving streaks of moisture in the air with the black and white blade.
As the sword sang in the gentle breeze, the moisture slowly enveloped Xu Changâan, bringing a warm wetness that felt like a fine mist, the vapor swirling around.
The pavilion wrapped in curtains, with mist surrounding, looked at first glance like a hot spring bath.
Under Zhu Pingniangâs deliberate manipulation, the spiritual swordâs moisture gathered into clouds, converging on Xu Changâan, turning into nimble little fish that occasionally touched Xu Changâanâs hands before darting away.
Zhu Pingniang indulged her mischievousness, teasing Xu Changâan with Spiritual Power as if it were a young girl, adding a unique twist.
As the mist enveloped, it dampened Zhu Pingniangâs temples slightly, and she smiled at Xu Changâan, saying, "Donât hold back anymore. If you like it, just feel it."
Xu Changâan sighed lightly, lifted his head, and seriously said, "Itâs truly a good sword."
"Youâre only stating the obvious." Zhu Pingniang clicked her tongue, twisted the sword, and returned it neatly to its sheath.
"The one I give you, how could it not be a good sword? If it werenât for you being so disappointing, why would I seduce you?" Zhu Pingniang snorted, then furrowed her brows.
She suddenly realized.
An Immortal Reincarnation, inexplicably, had a mediocre Water Attribute talent.
Shouldnât it bypass the Five Elements Attribute and directly explore the source with a more astonishing talent?
The Spirit Platform was undoubtedly terrifyingly stable, yet the talent was so mediocre.
Water Attribute Spiritual Power claimed to be versatile, touching a bit of everything, but it falls short in all aspects until reaching certain Realm.
But water as yin did reflect his feminine disposition.
Zhu Pingniang recalled something, her slender finger pointing at the Spirit Sword: "It has no Five Elements affinity, only inclined towards the Yin Yang Dao... in your hands, it might not be called a Yin Sword."
"...?"
"It doesnât matter if you donât understand." Zhu Pingniang tilted her head, and at that moment, after she removed her hairpin, the little white flower that Xu Changâan personally placed on her finally fell.
"Senior... no, Ms. Zhu." Xu Changâan earnestly said, "Youâve invested so much effort into this sword, Changâan has no right to keep it to myself."
"If I give it to you, how could it be called keeping?"
Zhu Pingniang carefully caught the flower and placed it on the black piece on the chessboard before looking up to explain.
"This sword doesnât favor the Five Elements, it encompasses Yin and Yang. Later, I asked the sect leader for a touch of Realm to forge into it." Zhu Pingniang touched the air with her finger.
A strand of Yin Yang Qi fell to the ground, instantly spreading into a Yin Yang Array, a small Tai Chi Diagram of black and white spinning faintly in her palm.
"Nothing surpasses Yin Yang, and to this day, only the sect leader can perfectly control the Yin Yang Dao."
Itâs like Shi Qingjun, sometimes gentle as water, sometimes explosive as fire; essentially, theyâre Yin Yang transformations.
"On the path of Yin Yang Dao, clearly Ah Bai is more suited to receive the attention of the sect leader." Zhu Pingniang sighed. "But in reality, the sect leader invested more resources in me instead. Guess why?"
"..." Xu Changâan was momentarily stunned, then thoughtful.
"Donât play dumb. You already came to me asking for the Yin Yang Dual Cultivation technique." Zhu Pingniang clicked her tongue.
"Because youâre from the Hehuan Sect," Xu Changâan sighed.
"Exactly, enveloping Yang with Yin, nurturing Yang with Yin, merely dabbling in the surface of Yin Yang Dao." Zhu Pingniang sighed. "Ah Bai had such admiration for the sect leader, yet the one chosen by the sect leader wasnât her... but me. How can I have the face to give this sword to her?"
What would it mean?
A challenge?
Itâs just a pity; she knew Li Zhibai admired the sect leader and went to the trouble of seeking a Realm out of respect, but now itâs wasted, only benefiting Xu Changâan.
"?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Changâan was taken aback for quite a while and then dumbfounded.
His teacher wasnât someone petty.
Yet, Xu Changâan suddenly thought it might not be the case.
The wine Zhu Pingniang gave to Li Zhibai, which the mistress later handed directly to Qinling... itâs hard to say.
"With your relationship with the teacher..." Xu Changâan was going to say.
"What relationship do I have with her?" Zhu Pingniang interrupted. "Ah Bai knows Zhu Tongjun, not me."
Xu Changâan: "..."
Zhu Pingniang spread her hands: "Besides, I certainly know Ah Bai wouldnât give it a second thought, much less envy me for anything, but... do you remember what the girl in my shop said when she gave you silver notes?"
Xu Changâan understood.
What she gives isnât based on what you want, but on what she has.
Li Zhibai might not mind, but Zhu Pingniang couldnât get over the fact that she took Li Zhibaiâs opportunity.
He didnât think Zhu Pingniang overthought, on the contrary, he realized... Miss Zhuâs feelings for his teacher were indeed ardent.
"Of course, most importantly, even if this sword were given to Ah Bai now, she canât use it." Zhu Pingniang stretched lazily, tilting her head as she said, "If she canât use it, why should I forcibly give it to her? Just to be used as a base for the Alchemy Furnace?"