Chapter 528: Chapter 520: The Esteemed of the Three Sects_3
Suddenly, he lowered his head and saw the calm and collected Crown Prince sitting across the table, with veins faintly protruding on the back of the hand hidden beneath, his knuckles turning white.
Wu Bu was taken aback, spitting out the bone he was gnawing on, and dumbly followed Ying Xiu’s gaze to glance at the dais, immediately understanding.
He hurriedly put down his bowl and chopsticks, leaned in, and whispered, “Crown Prince, I possess an Immortal Artifact here.”
His implication was clear.
Ying Xiu’s gaze shifted, and he looked down at the Lei Wu spear resting at the corner of his desk, appearing to hesitate, then frowned, “This is my father’s spear.”
Wu Bu flashed a grin, “The Sect Master gave me the spear as a gift.”
Warmth slowly gathered in Ying Xiu’s somber eyes; he shook his hand, “You need this spear to improve your cultivation and refine thunder so as to possibly cultivate the Heavenly Thunder Body comprehensively, take full control of the Yuanli Sword, and become a true bearer of the Thirteen Swords of Tianxi.”
Seeing his refusal, Wu Bu felt not disappointment but moved by the Young Master’s consideration. He busily responded, “Even without this spear, Jin Sheng’s sword heart has shattered; he will never be able to ascend to immortality again in this lifetime. On the contrary, the Sect Master favored my innate Thunder Power, intending to cultivate me. Even without this spear, I will sooner or later catch up to Jin Sheng and take his place.”
His gaze steady, he earnestly said, “But it’s different for you, Crown Prince. Your background has always been a thorn in the Sect Master’s side for two hundred years.
The Sect Master has never relented in letting you return to Bai Tuo Mountain to take over the family business. Recently, your effort to capture the Ghost has been repeatedly thwarted by this young man, failing time after time; even the rarely-seen Ghost from three thousand years ago died.
If I could seize Xianling City for the Crown Prince, it would naturally become the greatest turning point for your return to the mountain. Moreover, the Sect Master is here right now; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although Lei Wu is precious, for the sake of the Crown Prince, Wu Bu is willing to sacrifice a promising future and pave the way for you, leading you straight to glorious heights.”
Ying Xiu was touched by his profound sincerity and felt reassured. He opened his mouth to speak, his throat choked with emotion. Clearing his throat softly, he raised his hand and patted Wu Bu’s shoulder, “In recognition of your favor today, when my father looks at me with approval, Tianxi… will assuredly have a place for you, Wu Bu. Ying Xiu makes this promise here.”
Wu Bu’s eyes were brimming with warmth. He nodded vigorously and, as a dance finished, rose with his spear and loudly called out, “Xijian Sect of Tianxi, bearer of the Thirteen Swords, Wu Bu, would like to exchange guidance with City Lord Si Chen.”
The comfortable and lazy atmosphere of the scene suddenly began to change.
The aloof Scholar put down his wine cup and cast a profound look toward Wu Bu but ultimately said nothing.
Su Guanhai commented with a smirk, “Scholar, I seem to recall that none of the current Thirteen Swords has been broken. How come we now have an heir to the swords? Your apprentice is indeed quite interesting.”
The Scholar remained silent, his gaze deep and inscrutable, lost in thought.
Yin Dufeng, who was quite inimical to the Scholar’s personality, chuckled sarcastically, “That’s why I say, why should the Sword Master bother himself with cultivating a young man with an ordinary Spirit Root and mediocre talent as a disciple, painstakingly helping him rise to the position among the Thirteen Swords only to earn an undeserved moniker? With but a minor scheme by someone from the Demon Sect, he ends up with a damaged sword heart; why bring this upon himself? Better to find another talented young man, lest you chill the heart of your own child.”
For two hundred years, Palace Master Yin had been harboring grudges with no outlet, if not for that incident two hundred years ago, his daughter, bright and beautiful as a flower, would not have ended up half-mad, half-sane as she is now.
Damn it, that guy’s actions and style had truly not changed one iota; his domineering and paranoid nature was infuriating.
At those words, the expression on the Scholar’s face turned icy in an instant. Those age-old ink-like eyes seemed to fall into a murky darkness, making his luxuriously handsome face an indescribably terrifying sight.
Su Guanhai frowned, finding Yin Dufeng’s sharp tongue to be particularly excessive. How could one bring up an old, unresolved scar out into the open again?
His heart pounding, he cautiously glanced at Su Jing on the table, feeling immensely anxious, not knowing whether she had picked up the insinuated message from earlier.
His Jing, always sensitive, he truly worried she might lose her temper at any moment.
As he looked over, Su Guanhai’s heart nearly stopped.
His daughter was sitting there, calmly distant from the affair, quietly and seriously dealing with a dish of squirrel fish.
However, for some reason, she was not using her usual right hand but was awkwardly using her left hand to handle the chopsticks.
The young man challenged by Wu Bu did not respond to the invitation. He watched Su Jing pick at the fish with calm profile and suddenly smiled lightly, unexpectedly taking the initiative again to deftly remove the fish bones for her, picking out the soft, crisp white meat, drenched in tempting sauce, and placed it within Su Jing’s chopsticks for her to grasp securely.
Then, he looked at her with a hint of anticipation.
That look was somewhat reminiscent of a human child feeding a small animal.
Su Jing silently lifted an eyebrow and gave him a glance, not saying a word, just bowing her head to obediently eat the fish.
While not exactly warm or docile, she indeed no longer resembled the Su Jing he knew.
This unusually harmonious and mundane scene left Su Guanhai feeling a complex mix of emotions. He watched Baili An, dazed and out of sorts.
For some reason, an absurd thought, like a weed’s seedling, slowly sprouted in his heart.
But then, he realized the thought was foolishly self-deceptive and quickly snuffed it out, shaking his head with unavoidably complicated feelings.