The Divine Sword Sect, deep within the mountains piercing the clouds like a sharp sword, had a simple sword hut.
In the sword hut, a young girl was seated.
Her hair was as black as a waterfall, cascading down her back. The girl's features were delicate, her skin fairer than snow, exuding a beauty capable of toppling a nation. Her expression was serene and gentle, but there was a hint of longing in her bright eyes.
In her mind, the image of a boy half a year younger than her appeared from time to time.
In her ears, his words that amused her to no end still echoed vividly.
"Xinxin, your heart is not at peace yet," a voice came from behind the girl as she was lost in thought.
The girl stood up and turned around, apologizing to the kind woman before her, "Master, I have disappointed you."
The woman appeared to be a young lady in her twenties, not exceedingly beautiful, yet a beauty in her own right.
However, she was the female Sword Saint of the Divine Sword Sect and was actually sixty-six years old.
The serene girl before her was Ye Xin, the betrothed fiancée of Lin Qian.
"I am truly curious about what kind of charm that boy possessed in the past to captivate you so," the female Sword Saint sat beside Ye Xin, her voice tinged with wonder, "Why not share with your master?"
Ye Xin's cheeks turned rosy, a bit embarrassed, "It wasn't any charm; Little Qian just had many clever ideas."
"He often told some interesting stories, which were quite humorous. He called them jokes. When I was tired from practicing swordsmanship, he would often come to cheer me up."
"In the snowy winters, when many people wouldn't step outside, Little Qian taught us games like skiing and snowball fights that he had invented."
"Little Qian was very smart, humorous, and brave. Once, after a quarrel with my father, he ran out of the city and encountered a Soul Beast. I panicked, not knowing what to do."
"When I froze in fear, Little Qian found me and held my hand as we fled for a long time. Ultimately, he was the one who shielded me from a Soul Beast's claw aimed at my head."
"Little Qian's stomach was ripped open; I remember that patch of snow turned red with blood. If Uncle Lin hadn't arrived in time, we would both have died."
"Luckily, Aunt Yun knew alchemy and saved Little Qian; otherwise..."
"Oh!" the female Sword Saint nodded in sudden realization upon hearing this.
Her student and the boy were betrothed since childhood, childhood friends, and he even saved her heroically.
Gradually, Lin Qian must have already left an indelible mark on Ye Xin's heart.
"My father punished me by making me kneel by Little Qian's bedside, and no matter how Uncle Lin and Aunt Yun pleaded, my father wouldn't permit me to stand. Later, it was Little Qian, after he woke up, who persuaded my father," Ye Xin said, her face showing happiness.
"Hmm? Now I am interested. What did he say?"
"He glared fiercely at my father and said, 'Don't bully my wife, or I'll get up and fight you!'" As she spoke, Ye Xin put on an angry expression, which made the female Sword Saint laugh heartily.
"Haha, what an interesting boy," the female Sword Saint chuckled, shaking her head.
"Master, how strange. You usually dislike when I mention Little Qian; why ask now?" Ye Xin suddenly realized this and looked at her master, puzzled.
The female Sword Saint sighed deeply, patting Ye Xin's head, "I think of you as my daughter and feel discomfort knowing such an exceptional disciple like you would marry a man thought incapable of cultivation."
"But since he is the one my dear disciple loves, what can I, as your master, do? Discussing him with you only brings about my own distress."
Ye Xin was even more perplexed now, but her smile was sweet, "Did Master come to understand and want to know more about Little Qian? He is indeed exceptional, even if he can't awaken a Martial Soul for cultivation."
Hearing Ye Xin's words, the female Sword Saint realized, murmuring, "No wonder the rumors say he can't wield Elemental Weapon Armament. It's because he lacks a Martial Soul. But if that's the case, how could he have such power?"
"Master?"
Seeing Ye Xin's inquisitive gaze, the female Sword Saint smiled, "Xinxin, I received news that the Great Spear Sect has conspired to massacre the Ye family in Bashan City to disrupt your Heart Realm. The traitor has also been dealt with."
"What? How could this happen?" Ye Xin's pretty face turned pale, her heart tightened.
"Do not worry; the Ye family is safe. The Young Emperor of the Wanxiang Sect has already resolved the crisis." The female Sword Saint comforted her disciple, gradually explaining the situation.
After listening, Ye Xin was quite shocked. "The Young Emperor of the Wanxiang Sect is indeed as extraordinary as rumored. We really owe him our thanks this time."
"Speaking of which, this Young Emperor shares the same name as Little Qian," Ye Xin sighed, looking towards her master.
But she noticed that her master, the female Sword Saint, was looking at her with a peculiar expression. "Your father sent word, and your cherished Lin Qian has already returned to Bashan City. Furthermore, Lin Qian is Lin Qian."
"..."
In the sword hut, silence prevailed. Ye Xin gazed at her master, the female Sword Saint, with disbelief, her mouth agape.
Ye Xin had once speculated whether the Young Emperor, Lin Qian, might be her childhood fiancée.
However, she dismissed the idea, thinking it improbable, as Lin Qian could not awaken a Martial Soul and cultivate. How could he be the Young Emperor?
But now, her master was telling her that the Young Emperor of the Wanxiang Sect was the Lin Qian she had longed for and who had been missing for four years.
Ye Xin trusted her master could not deceive her.
In the end, the female Sword Saint left a family letter and departed from the sword hut.
Holding the letter inscribed with her father's handwriting, Ye Xin covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
Tears of joy.
After a while, Ye Xin wiped away her tears. Her long eyelashes trembled, and she closed her eyes, smiling as she entered tranquillity.
Her previously restless Heart Realm became calm as still water, with turbulent Soul Power fluctuating around her, filled with sharp Sword Intent, as though to shred everything.
Standing outside the sword hut, the female Sword Saint watched the activity within, nodding with a smile.
"Sister, have you changed your mind?" A beautiful woman beside the female Sword Saint observed her expression and asked, frowning.
"Initially, considering Sister's grandson as a match for Xinxin was a good thing. Sister's grandson was extraordinarily talented, a prominent figure in the Coastal State, much better than someone who vanished without a trace."
"But now it's different. This nobody has returned, and he is no longer a nobody. He is the War Emperor's disciple, the Young Emperor of the Wanxiang Sect. The important thing is, Xinxin likes him."
Watching her sister speak these calm words, the beautiful woman sneered, "The War Emperor? I've heard he is dying soon. The Young Emperor of the Wanxiang Sect, a brute who can't awaken a Martial Soul, can't reach the Nirvana Realm."
"Can such a person be compared to my grandson? Love is truly childish. Once the War Emperor is dead, what will this Young Emperor mean? When the Young Emperor dies, Xinxin will abandon these thoughts."
At this, the beautiful woman's eyes glistened with viciousness as she looked at the female Sword Saint, "Sister, will you stop me?"
"I won't interfere in this matter. If Sister can kill him, it means he lacked the skill," the female Sword Saint spoke indifferently as if unconcerned about her disciple's fiancé's life.
The beautiful woman was slightly surprised by her sister's words, but she knew her sister meant what she said.
The earlier intention of pairing her grandson with Xinxin was merely a suggestion, not a decision.
But a stated decision like this would never change.
When the female Sword Saint said she would not interfere, she indeed would not.
Watching her older sister leave, the female Sword Saint summoned an opened letter into her hand. With a surge of Soul Power and a resonant sword hum, the letter became white confetti, vanishing into the air.
"The War Emperor Wei Wushuang's illness has been completely cured by that boy Lin Qian. To kill the disciple of the War Emperor is sheer folly," the female Sword Saint murmured, turning away.
Had the beautiful woman heard this, she would likely be scared out of her wits.
Moreover, how did the female Sword Saint of the Divine Sword Sect know so much?