Chapter 14 Part 1
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 14: Affectionate (1)
That sword changed the sky!
The morning glow surged like a rising tide.
But when the thunder struck the backyard like a sharp blade, accompanied by an arc of radiant light, the brilliant glow quickly ebbed, dissipating as though it were retreating with the tide.
Thunderclouds flashed ominously above, and lightning, like towering iron pillars, engulfed the entirety of the Cao mansion.
“This…”
The crowd around the Cao mansion was stunned. A heavy pressure settled over them, as if an unbearable weight had been placed on their waists.
Patta.
Someone attempted to step forward but was suddenly jolted by a crackling spark.
Their clothes, trousers, and even hair caught fire.
“Help, help!” they cried.
Bai Lian took a deep breath.
Using her water spirit Qi, she extinguished the flames engulfing the person.
A profound silence blanketed the entire Cao mansion.
At that moment, no one dared approach the cage of dark blue arcs surrounding the mansion. Nor did they retreat, fearing they might provoke further disaster.
But not everyone was paralyzed by fear.
Bai Lian regarded the swordsman before her with respect for his strength, though she did not fear him.
While her current strength might not suffice to defeat him, activating her “Snow Spirit Lord” form would undoubtedly turn the tide in her favor.
A beggar crouched on the street raised his head.
His hair, disheveled like a hen’s nest, was caked in dust.
Yet beneath his tangled locks and dirty face, his bright, piercing eyes shone through.
Immortal!
The power of an Immortal!
He longed for it with every fiber of his being.
However, in the chaos, no one paid him any attention.
The epicenter of the thunderstorm was in the backyard of the Cao mansion.
The newly arrived swordsman stood calmly amidst the storm, his voice steady as he asked again, “I heard there are demons here?”
Taoist Ma was the first to respond.
As a cultivator, he recovered faster than the Cao family from the effects of the swordsman’s sword array.
“Yes, Master. That is indeed the case,” Taoist Ma replied hurriedly.
The swordsman turned to him. “Are you the master of the cat demon?”
Taoist Ma quickly shook his head in denial.
The swordsman’s gaze shifted to Bai Lian. “Is the cat demon yours?”
At that moment, Bai Lian saw three new task options appear before her:
[Task 1: “It’s none of your business!” (Reward: a top-grade Spirit Tool – Yin Yang Flying Sword)]
[Task 2: “Yes!” (Reward: Hard Skill +4)]
[Task 3: “No.” (Reward: Soft Skill +1)]
Judging from the reward for Task 1, this swordsman likely had a fiery temper.
And his strength…
Bai Lian’s heart grew heavy.
His strength was undoubtedly far from ordinary.
Perhaps, with the help of Magic Tools, he could rival a cultivator at the Transcendency Stage.
Or worse, he might possess the ultimate skill—calling upon the elders of his sect for assistance!
Bai Lian decided to proceed cautiously. She wasn’t in a hurry to earn Hard Skill +4 just yet.
“No,” she said evenly.
The swordsman’s eyes lingered on Bai Lian for a moment.
A cultivator, he assessed. Her strength likely fell somewhere between the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage and the early Soul Changing Stage.
Too weak. Not worth mentioning.
He shifted his focus to the members of the Cao family.
At that moment, the first to cry out was none other than Young Master Cao’s cousin.
“Master, this is what happened…”
She began recounting the “truth” of how the cat demon had infiltrated the Cao mansion and attempted to abduct her sister-in-law in broad daylight.
The swordsman in purple remained expressionless.
“Since this demon has no master, just kill it.”
His voice was like water from a winter’s cold pool—chilling, freezing, utterly devoid of warmth.
It was too cold.
It was unbearably cold.
Even Ling Xuan, who prided herself on her strong resistance to the cold, shuddered involuntarily.
Yet she knew she couldn’t back down.
A powerful cultivator needed only a single thought to kill someone; there was no room for hesitation. If she delayed her explanation even slightly, that big sister might die in vain.
Forcing her stiff body forward, Ling Xuan called out, “Master, this is a misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding?” The swordsman cast a sharp glance at her.
Ling Xuan nodded urgently. “That big sister didn’t intend to harm the young lady—she was trying to save her!”
She recounted everything she had witnessed.
The story made the swordsman raise his eyebrows ever so slightly.
“So, that cat demon has no connection to you?” he asked.
Ling Xuan shook her head.
The swordsman turned his gaze toward the distance and said coldly, “That’s settled, then. It’s a wild demon—kill it.”
Behind him were three swords, each of a different shape.
He reached for the white sword adorned with cloud patterns.
As the blade swayed slightly, its tip seemed to emit a faint, ethereal glow.
The white light spread out, forming a cloud that enveloped the swordsman.
Ling Xuan’s eyes widened in alarm. “How can you do that? That big sister didn’t do anything wrong!”
The swordsman sneered. “Foolish child. Just because she hasn’t committed evil today doesn’t mean she won’t tomorrow.”
Ling Xuan’s voice rose in protest. “And how can you be so sure she will do evil tomorrow?”
“And how can you be so sure she won’t?” the swordsman countered.
“You… you’re nothing but a troll!” Ling Xuan shouted, her anger boiling over.
With a calm, deliberate motion, the swordsman brushed his sword with his index and middle fingers. “Do you intend to stop me?”
“I… I can’t just stand by and let you commit such evil!” Ling Xuan declared, trembling but resolute.
“Evil?” The swordsman’s voice carried a biting disdain. “Naïve child. Trusting evil demons is no different from endangering others’ lives. For the sake of your youth, I’ll forgive your insolence this once.”
His eyes turned cold, exuding an oppressive aura.
At that moment, Ling Xuan felt as though she had plunged into a thick, rolling sea of purple plasma.
Her body went completely numb, unable to resist the overwhelming force.
