Side Chapter: Li Rou visits the Soaring Sword Sect
This chapter took place while Xue Bai was taking the second trial of the Soaring Sword Sect.
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The Soaring Sword Sect, to anyone who was not affiliated with it, was a mystery held in high regard.
And while the Hundred Flowers Sect was also like this, it was for a different reason. The Soaring Sword Sect members disdained worldly affairs and would rather spend their time comprehending their Sword Laws than receiving guests.
Because of this, to prevent anyone from disturbing their cultivation Yue Zifeng's late Master, the previous Soaring Sword Sect Leader, had made visitors prohibited from entering the Inner Sect unless they had permission from an Inner Elder or someone of higher status themselves.
So when a figure not wearing any of the markings of the Soaring Sword Sect appeared in the Core Region, many were both confused and enraged.
"Woman, who are you!" An old man in the Dharma Idol realm shouted as he pointed at the icy female figure that walked in front of him.
But instead of answering his question, Li Rou merely continued walking. She had a destination in mind and wouldn't stop because of an old man with half a foot in the grave.
However, instead of the normal cheerful, doting, and sometimes aggressive Xue Bai was used to, Li Rou currently had a face that even surpassed the coldness of Jiang Xiaorou's usual bearing.
Her eyes were indifferent, and her facial expression showed no emotion. She was more robot than human right now.
Sadly her wish to be undisturbed was destined to be unfulfilled as following the old man's shout, more and more people noticed Li Rou, the 'intruder,' and came to stop her.
The Noble Families living in the Core Region were arrogant and vain, but when a foreign entity invaded, they would unite tightly together like chainmail.
And very soon, a powerhouse much stronger than the initial accusatory old man appeared.
Flowing into the square where Li Rou was on a sword, he immediately unleashed his aura of someone in the Law Manifestation Realm, hoping to pressure her.
"Woman, answer my Third Uncle's question!" The man on the sword accused, as he even mimicked the old man's finger point.
Sadly being pointed at the second time finally managed to annoy the cold-faced Li Rou.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to point?" Li Rou coldly berated.
And with a wave of her hand, a fireball that was larger than a human flew out toward the man.
Not expecting the intruder to not only ignore his command but to even attack him, the man was slow to respond.
Coupled with Li Rou's much higher cultivation base, the man felt as if the grim reaper was at his throat.
Thankfully just before he could accept his fate, a tired voice echoed into the square.
"Sister-in-Law, surely there is no need for that?"
Following the voice, a figure that no one didn't recognize appeared in the square.
It was Yue Zifeng!
"Yue Zifeng, I've told you countless times you don't deserve to call me that!" Li Rou barked, showing more anger than she had ever shown since Xue Bai's birth.
Yue Zifeng's manner of addressing Li Rou obviously struck a chord within her.
Hearing that, Yue Zifeng could only sigh, but it didn't stop him from calling her as such.
"Sister-in-Law, follow me." Yue Zifeng spoke as he flew back toward his peak.
Snorting, Li Rou didn't say anything else but followed him, leaving the gathered Soaring Sword Sect members in a confused mess.
And since no one dared to ask either of the culprits what happened, their confusion was something that was destined to stay unsolved.
"Sister-in-Law, I see your cultivation has been well. You've even broken past your innate limit and reached the Xiantian Great Realm." Yue Zifeng complimented as the two flew in silence.
"I have not come here for your pleasantries and compliments, brute." Li Rou spoke coldly, giving the man no face whatsoever, "Bai'er is currently taking your entrance exam. I want you to receive him as a disciple. His talents are something that even your 'almighty Yue House' would take in high regard."
And while she used great words to describe it, when she spoke the words 'Yue House,' Li Rou's voice was full of sarcasm.
"Sister-in-Law, are you still so angry about that? There was nothing my house could've done." Yue Zifeng spoke tiredly.
Though she was being rude and extremely impolite, Yue Zifeng couldn't say anything about it since whenever he faced Li Rou, he was always filled with a guilty feeling that stopped him from saying anything.
However, while his words were his true feelings that he spoke to calm her down, they only served to do the opposite since Li Rou erupted at them.
"Your Yue House has more than a dozen Spirit Purification realm experts and 3 Spirit Expansion realm powerhouses, and you dare say you could've done nothing about the fall of mine! Yue Zifeng, if you're going to speak, do it with your mouth, not your ass!" Li Rou shouted as she stopped following Yue Zifeng.
"You know what? That's it. I knew I should've let Big Brother Feng come and not me." Li Rou shook her head as she turned around, "I've told you my demand. Just do it. But don't you dare tell him about the past! Or your relationship with him! You don't deserve to be his Uncle!"
However, before she started flying away, Li Rou said, "Also, if a single hair on the head of my son is missing the next time I see him, then!"
Not finishing her threat, she flew off, returning to the hotel in Soaring Sword City.
Yue Zifeng also let her go, not bothering to try and make her stay. He knew it would be futile.
"Sect Leader, isn't that woman too impudent? You treated her with such respect, yet she threw it back into your face."
After Li Rou flew out of their line of sight, a Core Elder from his faction flew up and asked.
Yue Zifeng didn't even dignify the man with a response and merely gave him an ice-cold stare before returning to his mountain. Li Rou's visit had reminded him of the past and made him too depressed to speak, especially to such an oblivious man.
Back at his peak, Yue Zifeng didn't take any unnecessary turns and went directly to his temple.
Inside, Yue Zifeng walked to a random normal-looking wall and, after making sure no one was around him, pushed a specific tile, opening a secret room where he soon entered.
The small room didn't have much, only a simple mat to sit on, along with a few wine jugs and bowls for drinking.
But the main theme of the room was a portrait of a woman that sat on a dresser in front of the mat.
The woman wasn't a heaven-defying goddess or a seductive succubus but instead had her own unique beauty. She was like Xiao'er, who had an innocent look, like the girl next door.
However, if Xue Bai were here, he would've seen that the woman in the picture looked almost exactly like Li Rou!
From the eye color to the cheekbones, it was as if the two were made from the same mold! The only thing that was different was their countenances. When not in front of Xue Bai, Li Rou always looked serious and shrewd. In comparison, this woman looked to be just as cheerful and merry-go-happy as Ye Rou.
Sitting on the mat, Yue Zifeng grabbed a full wine jug and poured out two bowls, placing one in front of him and the other in front of the portrait.
"Fei'er, Little Rou came by again. Her cultivation even broke past her innate limit! Isn't that something great?" Yue Zifeng forcibly laughed as he downed the bowl of wine.
But as he downed it, his face visibly cringed from the bad taste. He didn't like the wine.
"I know Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law would be so happy knowing that the least talented girl in your family actually managed to reach the Xiantian Great Realm."
"But she still hates me with her very being. Even after marrying and getting a son, she still hasn't put down the hatred. I know you told me not to get angry or say anything about the past, but it's too hard. She still thinks that it was my Yue House's fault that your Li House fell. Saying that we should've helped."
"Little Rou also birthed a great son. He's just as talented as you and has the same fire element High Black-grade Martial Vein. She also wanted me to take him on as a disciple. But she warned me not to speak about the past. She most likely doesn't want him to become a puppet of revenge like you."
"She even said that I can't even tell him that I'm Uncle. My luck. I have to raise my nephew as my disciple and can't even tell the boy that we're family."
"This should be my karma for being such a fool in my youth. Being a stupid skirt chaser while I. should've holed up and cultivated like the rest of my House."
Yue Zifeng would also continue talking about other things beyond current events and reminiscing about the past. However, he never stopped downing bowl after bowl of wine, ignoring the horrible taste.
"Well, that's about everything from the last time I was here," Yue Zfieng sighed as he stood up from the mat.
Taking the now empty wine jug, Yue Zifeng cleaned the room of anything dusty or wet before leaving.
Standing at the door once again, he looked back at his now-dead wife, "I'm sorry, Fei'er, but I still can't keep that promise. The years since you left haven't dimmed the flame inside me one bit. I'll avenge you myself."
Shaking away the mistiness that had welled up in his eyes, Yue Zifeng put on a determined face before closing the secret room.
No one could know of this room. Anyone who did wouldn't see the morning sun.