Star-Plucking Sword (4)

Lin Qianshuang’s lips twitched in irritation. Even someone as mediocre as Liang Jingxuan dared to challenge her. If not for the image she had crafted of a senior sister whose cultivation had fallen to the Foundation Establishment level, she would have long since struck him down with a single sword stroke and been done with it, instead of humoring him like this.

The Purple Heavenly Sword, seeing its chance to gain sword-making material slipping away, furiously rebuked him, “You blind fool of a junior! Can’t you see the girl in front of you is smiling so happily? She’s deceiving you; she doesn’t care about you at all!”

Liang Jingxuan confidently replied to the Purple Heavenly Sword Spirit, “Senior Sister Lin likes me, and she’s the most reliable person in this entire world—even more so than you.”

How did I, the Purple Heavenly Sword Spirit, end up with a master as clueless about women as you?

Frustrated, the Purple Heavenly Sword Spirit withdrew into Liang Jingxuan’s mind. Having angered the spirit into retreating, Liang Jingxuan tightened his grip on Lin Qianshuang’s hand. He dropped his affectionate tone and whispered in her ear, “Senior Sister, I went to that small shop yesterday and asked around. The Chinese knot¹ you gave Xiao Lanle was yours, so you must be a transmigrator like me.”

“A Chinese knot, how could Senior Sister Xiao have it?”

Lin Qianshuang’s mind was filled with question marks, unsure how her secret had been exposed. Why would Liang Jingxuan suddenly say this to her? What could his purpose be?

Her eyes narrowed, and the momentary panic on her face quickly gave way to a calm, surprised expression. In a barely audible whisper, she asked, “You’re also… from the 21st century?”

“Senior Sister, we are indeed destined to be together,” Liang Jingxuan said with a smile.

He slowly stepped back, his gaze fixed tenderly on Lin Qianshuang. With an ambitious tone, he continued, “Senior Sister, as a girl who’s traveled here, you must have endured immense hardships. We’ve both hidden our true selves to reach our current positions. Now, I’m being wronged by others. You and Senior Sister Xiao are close, and you’re also the eldest daughter of the Lin family’s patriarch in the Dongling Realm. If we join forces, we’ll surely be able to seize control of the Penglai Immortal Sect and dominate the entire human cultivation realm. When that day comes, I’ll host a more extravagant wedding than any in reality to marry you.”

“Bro, really, every time you try to hide your true intentions, you always end up bringing up marrying me. Do you really think I can’t see through it?”

Lin Qianshuang smiled faintly, but cursed inwardly. She had expected Liang Jingxuan to see through her identity as a transmigrator and realize she was the one causing the obstruction. Instead, she hadn’t anticipated how self-serving he would be, with her utility being the first thing that came to his mind.

She gazed at Liang Jingxuan with feigned joy and transmitted her voice, “Junior Brother, what do you want me to do?”

Liang Jingxuan struggled to carry the Purple Heavenly Sword on his shoulder and said resolutely, “Senior Sister, I didn’t expect you to appear on the competition stage, but since you’re here, let’s accelerate things. If you don’t want to marry Chen Shangying, then marry me in front of everyone.”

“How do you plan to do it?” she asked.

Lin Qianshuang’s expression turned serious, and she eyed Liang Jingxuan warily.

Liang Jingxuan walked in front of Lin Qianshuang, knelt on one knee, and pulled a brocade box from his sleeve. He placed the prepared diamond ring on her finger, kissed the back of her hand, and said, “Senior Sister, I propose to you using modern rituals. The ancient people here won’t understand what we’re doing, but I’m simply expressing my sincerity toward you.”

Lin Qianshuang stood rigidly in place, her mute acupoint sealed, immobilized by a spell. Though capable of breaking the curse, the suffocating pressure of Liang Jingxuan’s King’s Aura left her limbs locked in place. Disciples murmured across the painted deck of the pleasure barge, some jeering for the duel to resume. She bit back a curse.

Liang Jingxuan strode toward her, brushing dust from his sleeves with exaggerated nonchalance. He retrieved a robe from his storage jade slip and draped it over his shoulders, exuding effortless regality. “Senior Sister Lin concedes,” he announced, sweeping a magnanimous gaze across the crowd. “Who dares challenge me next? No one?”

When no one emerged, his arm snaked around Lin Qianshuang’s waist in a possessive grip. “You’ve all misunderstood our relationship. Senior Sister and I share profound affection!” He brandished the Star-Plucking Sword, its blade glinting. “Today, I gift her this sword. Tomorrow, I’ll petition the Chen family head to formalize our betrothal in Dongling Realm. The tryst beneath the Matchmaking Tree was no scandal—we were framed! As for my ailment…” His voice dropped theatrically. “The Lingxiao Sword Sect’s master vowed to restore my honor if I triumphed. My sole demand is justice for Senior Sister Lin and myself!”

Lin Qianshuang seethed at his audacity. Without her consent, he’d embroiled her in this farce. She focused on circulating qi to break the spell—her acupoints yielded quickly, but Liang Jingxuan’s proximity left her limbs treacherously weak, his oppressive aura clung to her like smoke.

A resonant hum pierced the air. The Plain Inquiry Sword tore free from Lin Qianshuang’s grasp.

A white shadow stood tall and graceful before Lin Qianshuang, blocking the path between her and Liang Jingxuan.

Lin Qianshuang’s eyes flickered as she saw the newcomer clearly, her face freezing in astonishment. “Junior Sister Xiao? Why is it her?”

Xiao Lanle, holding the Plain Inquiry Sword, pointed it directly at Liang Jingxuan. Her usually bright and elegant face was as cold as ice. “Who said no one would challenge you? Senior Brother Liang, as long as I am here, you will not take the Star-Plucking Sword!”

Without waiting for Liang Jingxuan to react, Xiao Lanle unleashed a deadly sword strike. The Oceanic Shark Pearl floated beside her, radiating a mesmerizing aura, but the sect disciples and the sect leader watching the battle from the painted boat remained oblivious.

Liang Jingxuan immediately noticed the Oceanic Shark Pearl floating beside Xiao Lanle and realized she was fighting with true intent. Gripping the heavy Purple Heavenly Sword, he swiftly released his King’s Aura to repel her. However, her relentless assault showed no signs of slowing.

The system alerted that the King’s Aura had completely lost its effect on Xiao Lanle.

How could Junior Sister Xiao fall for someone else? Is Chen Shangqing the one she loves?

Liang Jingxuan’s heart churned with turmoil. Xiao Lanle was clearly his pawn, devoted and under his control. He knew her unwavering loyalty and obsession, but could a brief separation erase over a decade of cultivated feelings?

“Senior Brother Liang, if you don’t take this seriously, don’t blame me for cutting you.”

Xiao Lanle swept past Liang Jingxuan with her sword, the blade grazing his neck. Had he not tilted away in time, his throat would have been slit open.

The Purple Heavenly Sword Spirit, enraged by its master’s helplessness, trembled with fury. “Junior, do you really want to anger me to death? Draw your sword! Draw it now! Otherwise, you’ll gain nothing and only end up humiliated by this girl!”

But once the Purple Heavenly Sword is unsheathed, blood will surely spill.

Liang Jingxuan would end up harming Xiao Lanle. Renowned for his compassion and cherished as a beauty, he hesitated, the shared sweet past with Xiao Lanle weighing heavily on his heart as he wielded the Purple Heavenly Sword against her relentless pressure. Yet, in the end, he gripped the pink scabbard and threw it to the ground.

The Purple Heavenly Sword emitted a strange light, its cracked blade pulsating to life as the sword spirit seized control. A powerful gust of sword wind swept across the air in a semi-arc of spiritual light. Seeing this, Xiao Lanle sheathed her sword and retreated.

Liang Jingxuan stood firm, but his aura had transformed entirely. The Purple Heavenly Sword slipped from his grasp and, with a dragon’s roar, soared directly toward Xiao Lanle.

“Shark Pearl, form the Formation.”

Xiao Lanle spoke softly, her body radiating the twenty years of cultivation that Mu Weiyin had imparted to her. However, she couldn’t sustain this for long and needed to resolve the situation quickly.

In an instant, the Shark Pearl burst forth with dazzling light, enveloping the Purple Heavenly Sword. Faint silver-blue dots appeared beneath Xiao Lanle and Liang Jingxuan within the formation, and they vanished into the array in the blink of an eye.

Lin Qianshuang was blinded by the intense light and couldn’t open her eyes. When her vision finally cleared, Liang Jingxuan was standing dazedly at the edge of the competition platform. The Purple Heavenly Sword trembled uncontrollably on the ground, and his body swayed precariously. His eyes turned black, and he lost consciousness, plummeting headfirst into the lake. Water splashed upward before the lake returned to its calm state.

The sect disciples on the painted boat remained silent for a long time, reacting only after a while with startled cries. Several disciples immediately leaped into the water to rescue him, pulling Liang Jingxuan—wet and unconscious—from the icy lake and dragging him onto the boat.

Lin Qianshuang’s vision returned, and she saw that Xiao Lanle had already grasped the Star-Plucking Sword on the competition stage. As if sensing Lin Qianshuang’s gaze, Xiao Lanle deliberately turned toward her and smiled suddenly.

Standing tall like a jade bamboo, her white robes fluttering in the air, Xiao Lanle exuded an ethereal grace. Her smile stretched across her face, revealing a demeanor that was both elegant and fiercely independent, like that of a celestial being.

Lin Qianshuang looked like she’d just seen a celestial being step out of a painting, her eyes wide with astonishment. But her wonder was short-lived, as a dense murderous aura surged from the ground, snapping her back to reality.

The Purple Heavenly Sword trembled violently before shooting toward Lin Qianshuang’s left chest like a hostile force. Reacting swiftly, she slapped it to the ground with a palm charged with demonic energy. “Tsk,” she muttered, “still trying to ambush me? Does he really think I’m an idiot?”

The sword jutted crookedly from the ground once more, but this time, it veered toward Xiao Lanle, who was engrossed in examining the Star-Plucking Sword. How could she have forgotten the Purple Heavenly Sword’s nature—once it emerges, it craves blood?

Without hesitation, Lin Qianshuang grabbed the sword, cutting her palm in the process. In a flash, she snatched the hilt of the Purple Heavenly Sword, her movements sharp and decisive.

The hilt of the Purple Heavenly Sword pressed against Lin Qianshuang’s torn palm, and the blade wavered, as if a chunk of broken metal had hit the ground. The pink scabbard reappeared, enveloping the sword, its thick steel pressing tightly against the slender blade, sealing it completely.

“You just wait for me, you damn girl!” the Purple Heavenly Sword Spirit shouted angrily from within the scabbard. “I’ll bring my useless master and teach you a proper lesson!” With a burst of determination, it sprang off the ground, intent on finding Liang Jingxuan.

“Fine, I’ll wait,” Lin Qianshuang replied, indifferent to whether the spirit heard her. “I’d like to see what other tricks your master can come up with.”

“Sister, your hand is injured,” Xiao Lanle said suddenly, leaning close. She lifted Lin’s palm, her fingertips brushing the wound. Inhaling deeply, her nose touched her finger as she whispered, “It smells so good—why is your blood so fragrant?”

Lin Qianshuang hadn’t forgotten the terrifying reaction that occurred in the Demon Realm after Xiao Lanle had fed on her blood. Her face filled with terror as Xiao Lanle was brought her fingertip to her lips. She quickly pulled out a silk handkerchief, wiping her fingers clean.