*Listening to the Wind Pavilion*
The garden surrounding it was filled with a sea of flowers, with Hehuachi trees planted around. A small cabin sat in the pond, and on both sides were elegant pavilions, each with its own unique architectural style, all of which had an antique charm.
In terms of living conditions, it was far superior to Cai Maomao's shabby chicken coop!
"Living with a girl!" Yun Xiao couldn't help but feel a certain way.
The Ten Thousand Swords Sea wasn't like the Blue Soul Hills. It was a sky city, where there were few wooded mountains. Every inch of land here was incredibly valuable, as they said, "an inch of land is worth an inch of gold."
The room he got was spacious, and the windows and doors were sealed well enough to hold the antique copper coffin.
"First, settle in. Tomorrow, I will pay respects to the sword ceremony and then challenge the azure kite. Before Ye Guying leaves, I must make use of these four days," Yun Xiao's focus became sharp.
"Today's events have been unusually varied," the small black beast came out of Yun Xiao's arms, raising an eyebrow and sneering.
"Yes, the Sword Soul is being measured with three waves, one stroke! But fortunately, I haven't played all my cards yet," Yun Xiao said lightly.
"What do you think?" Lanxing asked.
"I want to drink monster milk," Chiyue drowsily replied.
Lanxing gave a sharp slap and shouted, "I didn't ask you! I asked Dao!"
"Doesn't matter what you think, just prepare to deal with it however you can. I'll first secure the position of Sword Lord and gain the upper hand. As long as I am powerful, all other schemes and tricks, no matter how they twist the truth or tell lies, are just pipe dreams!" Yun Xiao said.
"True! First, take their family property! If they treat you well, then great! If they don't, well, it doesn't matter!" Lanxing replied with a smile.
"I hope they're poor to me!" Yun Xiao said.
The northern wilds' property was enough to cover Senior Sister Zhao's 1.5 million!
He grinned, feeling delighted at the thought.
"Senior Sister Zhao is too cautious, I hope I never meet someone so diligent and thrifty when managing a household again..."
1.5 million spirit crystals!
"Right. I almost forgot to ask Lin Lin. What time tomorrow is the sword ceremony?" Yun Xiao suddenly remembered something and spoke out. "Can you check for me?"
"You go ask her yourself?" Lanxing rolled her eyes.
"It's inconvenient," Yun Xiao replied.
"Why not just storm in directly at Cloudling and push her in? That's not inconvenient," Lanxing mocked.
"Go do it yourself!"
Yun Xiao grabbed the little black beast by the neck and tossed it aside.
Before long, the little black beast returned.
"She's practicing. It's very convenient. I've opened the gate for you," Lanxing said casually.
"Okay!"
Yun Xiao stood up, heading to the western pavilion. The door was unlatched, so he opened it and said, "Lin Lin, I need to ask you something."
Crash-bang!
Lin Lin jumped out of the bath barrel.
The room was in chaos as Lin Lin fumbled for something to cover herself. Steam rose from the bath barrel, blurring the ornate details of the room, but her expression was crystal clear—rage and humiliation burned in her wide eyes.
"Get. Out!" she screamed, grabbing a nearby towel to wrap around herself. Her voice trembled with a mix of fury and embarrassment, echoing through *Listen to Wind Porch* like a war cry.
Yun Xiao, unphased, raised a brow. "I knocked, and the door was open. If you didn't want company, perhaps you should lock it next time," he said flatly, as though discussing the weather.
Lin Lin's fists clenched, her knuckles white. "You... you pervert! How dare you barge in here! Do you even know who I am?"
Yun Xiao tilted his head, his expression one of genuine confusion. "Yes, I do. The pampered princess who refused to guide me properly yesterday. Now, I simply have a question—"
"Question?!" she interrupted, her voice nearly cracking. "You think you can *question* me after this?! I should—!"
"Relax," Yun Xiao said, his voice carrying an irritating calmness. "I only came to ask when tomorrow's sword obeisance ceremony begins."
Lin Lin blinked, her fury momentarily eclipsed by disbelief. "That's it? That's what you barged in here for?"
"Correct."
Her body trembled, both from the lingering embarrassment and the sheer audacity of the man before her. She took a deep breath, then another, trying to find some semblance of composure. "It begins at the hour of the dragon, as everyone already knows. Now *get out* before I—"
"You're sure?" Yun Xiao cut in, leaning slightly against the doorframe. "I can't have any delays tomorrow."
Lin Lin grabbed a porcelain hairbrush from a nearby vanity and hurled it at him. "OUT!"
Yun Xiao sidestepped effortlessly, the brush shattering against the wall. With a shrug, he turned to leave. "No need to get so worked up. A simple answer would have sufficed."
As he closed the door behind him, her scream of frustration erupted once more, followed by the sound of more items being thrown. Yun Xiao couldn't help but smirk as he walked back to the eastern pavilion.
"Women are so temperamental," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
***
Inside her chambers, Lin Lin collapsed onto a stool, her entire body still trembling. She buried her face in her hands, her mind racing. How dare he treat her so casually, as if she were just another disciple? No one had ever dared to humiliate her like this. And yet, Yun Xiao's infuriating nonchalance made her feel powerless to fight back.
For the first time, she questioned whether her father's decision to bring this outsider into Sword Cloud had been a mistake—or if, perhaps, this Few Sword Lord was far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.
The tension within Sword Cloud had reached its boiling point. The once unshakable unity of its ranks was beginning to fray under the weight of the Sword Lord's decisions. Lin Chen, calm and composed, continued to stroke the hilt of his White Sword Soul. Its ethereal glow flickered under the moonlight, mirroring the flickering resolve within his heart.
"Yun Xiao..." Lin Chen muttered under his breath. "He's the center of this storm, the catalyst for everything. A mere outsider, yet he carries himself as if Sword Cloud belongs to him."
The others exchanged uneasy glances. They, too, could feel the unease rippling through their sect. For generations, Sword Cloud had been the epitome of honor and discipline. But now, with Yun Xiao's arrival and the Sword Lord's seemingly blind support of him, their foundation felt precariously close to crumbling.
The orange-robed girl broke the silence. "Dust elder brother, do you think he'll survive tomorrow's obeisance sword ceremony? The other young sword lords won't take this lightly. They see him as a threat to everything Sword Cloud stands for."
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed. "He has talent, that much is undeniable. But talent without discipline is like a blade without a sheath—dangerous to everyone, including the wielder. If Yun Xiao oversteps tomorrow, it won't be just the young sword lords he'll have to face. Even the ancestors' patience has its limits."
Northern Ningxia, still burning with frustration, slammed his fist against the table. "Dust elder brother, with all due respect, why do we wait? Let us confront him now. End this madness before it taints Sword Cloud further!"
Lin Chen raised a hand, silencing him. "No. Tomorrow will decide his fate. If he survives the ceremony, he'll have proven his worth to some degree. But if he falters, if his arrogance costs him, then the elders will have no choice but to reconsider their stance."
The yellow-robed youth chimed in, his voice filled with anger. "And what if he thrives? What if his strength overshadows us all? Do we just bow to him, to an outsider who knows nothing of our ways?"
Lin Chen's grip on his sword tightened. "If that happens..." His voice dropped, laced with cold determination. "Then it falls to us to ensure Sword Cloud's honor remains intact. Whatever the cost."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Lin Chen's words settling over them. Each of them understood what he meant. If Yun Xiao proved too strong to be stopped by the ceremony, they would have to act outside of the rules—something unthinkable for disciples of Sword Cloud.
Finally, the orange-robed girl spoke again, her tone somber. "The elders may try to explain this to the Taboo Tower, but if we lose face in Ten Thousand Swords Sea because of him, the repercussions will be disastrous. Dust elder brother, are you ready to make that call?"
Lin Chen looked up, his gaze sharp as a blade. "I'll do what's necessary. For Sword Cloud."
---
Elsewhere, Yun Xiao sat cross-legged in his chamber, the air around him shimmering with Spirit Qi. His focus was unwavering, his mind clear. But deep down, he knew tomorrow would bring a clash not just of swords, but of wills and ideals.
"Let them come," Yun Xiao murmured to himself, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "No matter who stands in my way, I'll carve my own path. Sword Cloud, Taboo Tower, or anything else—none of it will stop me."
The antique copper coffin behind him hummed softly, as if in agreement, as the night deepened.