Wei Liang leaned closer, his voice fell into a faint whisper audible only to Lin Jiu: “The Wang family’s main house happens to have a single Aura Conduit Stalk.”
Lin Jiu, knowing very well that this guy was going to rob the Wang family again, smoothly followed his lead, “Be careful when you head to Yunshui Plain.” She replied aloud. “Once you find the Essence Solidifier Herb, return. Whether you encounter the Aura Conduit Stalk depends on fate, don’t force it.”
‘You’re going to clean up the Wang family’s treasure house, aren’t you?’—She spoke with her eyes.
But the eavesdropping disciples, who knew nothing about the secret conversation between the pair, all nodded in appreciation. They were quite impressed to find that the woman their sect leader had just married was not as greedy and shameless as the rumors made her to be—perhaps, those rumors were misleading. If her intentions were purely selfish, she would have pleaded with the Sword Monarch to bring her the Aura Conduit Stalk, instead of appearing nonchalant and telling him not to exert himself.
With that in mind, the disciples began to look at Lin Jiu with a bit more approval.
Earlier, when the Wang family came provoking, although Sword Monarch Wei Liang had suppressed them with his overwhelming sword intent, many disciples still harbored some resentment. Yet, this woman suddenly appeared, shutting down the Wang family with her sharp and quick-witted words, which brought a sense of satisfaction to the disciples. While some more self-righteous individuals found Lin Jiu’s behavior somewhat improper, deep down, they couldn’t deny that it was refreshing to have someone else handle the situation while they stood by and watched with relish.
“I will return in three to five days. Prepare yourself. When I return, I will help you form your Golden Core.” Wei Liang gave Lin Jiu a meaningful look and said calmly.
To others, these words sounded completely proper and serious, but Lin Jiu, the only one who knew Wei Liang’s true nature, could see a hint of lust in his deep, dark eyes. ‘What a cunning man you are, Male Lead!!’
This male lead was truly… difficult to describe.
As soon as Wei Liang left, a sharp female voice reached Lin Jiu’s ears. “What are you feeling good about? Have you all lost your minds? Do you even remember who the Sword Monarch is? He’s the strongest cultivator in the world! She’s just playing a long game, fishing for a bigger prize, you idiots! If I were in her shoes, I’d also pretend not to want the Aura Conduit Stalk. That’s how you capture a man’s heart! Only fools like you would fall for it. I’ve seen plenty of women like her!”
The speaker hadn’t bothered to lower her voice, clearly intending for Lin Jiu to hear. But Lin Jiu didn’t even bother to care—though this woman harbored malice toward her, it wasn’t even enough to trigger the karma lotus. Since the lotus looked down at this pitiful amount of malice, Lin Jiu ignored the voice completely.
She waved her hand dismissively and retraced her steps back to Wei Liang’s abode on the main peak. Under daylight, Wei Liang’s simple abode looked even more desolate and shabby. At the end of the stone steps stood a lone wooden house, hastily decorated with red fabric, serving as their bridal chamber.
But this was normal. After all, the Wanjiangui Sect had just lost many people in the war, with the eldest disciple Qin Yunxi still struggling for his life. Who had the time to properly arrange this forced marriage? Because of the misguided teachings of Zheng Ziyu, the original Lin Qiu relied solely on men to validate her self-worth, which led to her discontent, but Lin Jiu was completely unconcerned.
Just as she was about to enter the house, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw a female disciple approaching with a bright smile, holding a wooden tray in her hands.
“Good morning, Madam, I’ve brought you breakfast! You must still be getting used to things, right? Don’t worry, after a few days, you’ll feel at home! If you need anything, just let me know. My name is Xiong Yulian, and I am a disciple under the Great Sword Immortal Liu Qingyin. Because my master is frequently away, she puts me in charge of meals and chores. Please feel free to call me Yulian!”
The girl was enthusiastic, like a typical flatterer. If Lin Jiu hadn’t recognized her slightly sharp voice, she wouldn’t have noticed her deep scheming.
“Thank you,” Lin Jiu didn’t show anything on her face and simply nodded with a smile,
Xiong Yulian walked into the bridal chamber with a smile, placing the tray on the table. “You may not know, Madam, but I personally decorated your and the Sword Monarch’s new home!” She prattled on, seemingly without any filter. “My master was upset with me for days because of it—but what could I do? I know about the situation between her and the Sword Monarch, but as a mere disciple, what could I do?” She waited patiently for Lin Jiu to ask about the ‘situation’ between Liu Qingyin and Wei Liang.
Lin Jiu silently agreed and nodded to herself—‘Right, I’m also more than well aware of the complicated relationship between the male lead and female lead, but what could I do? I’m already here, and there’s no turning back!’
With that thought, Lin Jiu felt a strange sense of camaraderie with Xiong Yulian, as if they shared the same helpless fate.
Xiong Yulian waited for a moment, but when she saw that Lin Jiu showed no sign of anger or curiosity, she grew impatient and finally spoke up, “Madam, you’re really quite lucky! Countless women dream of marrying the Sword Monarch, you know! But it’s such a shame… his heart is set on someone he can never be with—”
She pretended to have slipped up and hurriedly covered her mouth with a feigned shock while continuing to reveal more details under the guise of regret. “Oh no, I shouldn’t have said that! My master and the Sword Monarch are master and disciple—how could there be anything else between them? It’s just nonsense rumors from some people, who dare to claim that the Sword Monarch refuses to seek a Dao companion1 because of my master, Liu Qingyin…”
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This Xiong Yuilan is totally not in the same league as our FL for instigating. The ML is seriously so sus. He must be a transmigrator too. The whitemoon light herself said she had confessed before the wedding and he was all heartbroken but now he ignores her? So sus