Xue Qing had her disciple bring tea leaves, filled the teapot with water herself, and carried the steaming teapot into the study. Fang Yun and Qiao Yijun were sitting in the host's seat and the guest's seat, chatting intimately. When they saw Xue Qing enter, Qiao Yijun stood up and bowed, saying, "Uncle Xue Qing, are you feeling better?"
Xue Qing's hand trembled, and she almost spilled the tea. This was also her junior apprentice? He clearly looked older than her!
"I'm much better now, I'm much better." Xue Qing put the tea on the table and said, then added a polite address after gritting her teeth: "Nephew."
"Why be so reserved, Young Master Qiao? Qing'er is two years younger than you, just call her by her name," Fang Yun coaxed Qiao Yijun, saying that the first step in developing a relationship is to break free from societal constraints.
"I have always respected my senior uncle, how could I dare to address him by his given name and break the rules of etiquette?" Qiao Yijun said solemnly.
Xue Qing felt that Fang Yun should give up. The greatest distance in the world is not between the ends of the earth, nor between telecommunications and internet companies, but between two handsome men and beautiful women standing together, and him calling her "uncle".
"Sect Leader Fang Yun, Master has always wanted to hear your opinion on the Martial Alliance." After Xue Qing took her seat, Qiao Yijun sat down again and eagerly brought up the purpose of his trip to Fang Yun.
Xue Qing took a sip of tea and listened intently to their conversation. The Martial Arts Alliance also had a significant impact on her, because in the novel, the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance was Xiao Guiying, the male supporting character who beheaded her with a single stroke. No, she couldn't let Xiao Guiying become the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.
"The desert is becoming increasingly rampant. We righteous people should unite to fight against the enemy. If we form an alliance, the Lingyu Sect will not shirk its responsibility. However, we don't know who will be the leader," Fang Yun said.
"When it comes to contributions to martial arts and achievements in fighting the desert, which school or sect can rival Ling Yu's merits? Master's intention is to hope that Sect Leader Fang Yun can take on the responsibility of leading the Martial Alliance," Qiao Yijun said respectfully, bowing slightly.
"Master Siyou is joking. Fang Yun is a woman, and she is past her prime. She may want to serve, but she doesn't have the physical strength. Twenty years have passed since the last massacre in the desert. The martial world should be left to the younger generation. Qing'er is a good candidate, but unfortunately she has caused this disaster. Lingyu is willing but unable this time. Please forgive me, Master."
Qiao Yijun hurriedly said, "How dare I? I will certainly convey Master Lingyu's difficulties. Master is also worried about the situation in the martial arts world. As soon as the news of the establishment of the Martial Arts Alliance was spread, some people were already making moves."
"You mean Kunlun Palace? Don't worry, with me here, that old man should settle down." Fang Yun laughed as she spoke. Despite being middle-aged and having gained weight, no one in the martial arts world dared to underestimate her, otherwise Ling Yu wouldn't have been able to maintain his current status.
"With the sect leader's words, my master and I are at ease. I will go back and inform my master right away." Qiao Yijun stood up happily, clenched his fist and said goodbye.
Is he leaving already? Xue Qing felt deeply sorry for her outfit; it was too plain and made her seem unremarkable. Qiao Yijun hadn't even given her a second glance the entire time. Xue Qing tugged at her skirt and, together with Fang Yun, saw Qiao Yijun off down the mountain. She firmly believed it wasn't that she lacked charm, but that Qiao Yijun, this minor character, wasn't lucky enough to act opposite her!
"Nephew, be careful on your journey." Xue Qing waved the silk handkerchief in her hand to say goodbye to Qiao Yijun. She was both greeting and seeing off guests. Why did she feel like she was doing some kind of service industry job today?
As they were about to part, Fang Yun suddenly asked Qiao Yijun, "Young Master Qiao, which young hero in the martial arts world do you think is truly a hero?"
Without hesitation, Qiao Yijun replied, "In terms of talent and martial arts, only Dongqi Pavilion Master Xiao Guiying is the one I admire most."
Okay, Xue Qing felt she really should think more about the sphere on her neck.
Xue Qing didn't mention to Liu Ying that Yan Ming had almost strangled her to death. She only casually mentioned that the big rat hole behind the bookshelf needed to be blocked. Liu Ying, of course, knew what Xue Qing meant. That secret passage was the one Xue Qing had ordered him to dig, and suddenly ordering him to block it up left him a little confused about what Xue Qing was thinking. But he still happily piled up rubble into the secret passage. At least this way, Yan Ming wouldn't be able to freely enter and leave the Lingyu Sect. He was glad that Xue Qing was no longer so subservient to Yan Ming and could keep him out.
Even after blocking the rat hole, Xue Qing couldn't let her guard down. Yan Ming's profession was rather unique—he was the male lead! Supernatural abilities were a must; he could survive for ten days or half a month even after his head was cut off, let alone catching a minor female supporting character like her. Being born was easy, living was easy, but living in any era was never easy. Before transmigrating, in the chaotic modern world, she had to guard against perverts, hooligans, and creeps; after transmigrating, in the chaotic martial arts world, she had to guard against the male lead, the female lead, and the male supporting character. Being a female supporting character in her past life meant twisting her ankle like an Irish liqueur-roasted chicken leg—it was too much to bear!
You've misunderstood.
Xue Qing was helpless against Yan Ming, and could only hope that heaven would take pity on her as an innocent soul, and let Yan Ming immerse himself in the heroine's gentle embrace and forget about her. Dealing with Xiao Guiying was much easier; as a minor male supporting character, without the protection of the male lead's halo, no matter how much HP he had, he would eventually be taken down.
In order to defeat Xiao Guiying, Xue Qing made many preparations. First, she needed to improve her equipment and have a handy weapon. Her idea did not surprise others. Given Xue Qing's obsession with martial arts in the novel, she would not allow herself to be without a sword, just like modern people cannot live without their mobile phones.
Liu Ying led Xue Qing to the Lingyu Sect's armory. The Lingyu Sect specialized in swordsmanship, and the armory was filled with swords hanging on the walls and piled on the floor. Xue Qing knew nothing about cold weapons, and looking at them one by one made her dizzy, unable to decide which one she should use.
Among the pile of swords, Xue Qing found a rather unique sword. Its blade was silver-gray, and its hilt was shiny silver, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary sword.
Liu Ying, standing beside him, explained, "This Cold Iron Sword comes from the Broken Sword Manor in Hunan. It was forged from a single piece of cold iron without any seams, making the blade very sturdy. However, this sword emits a chilling aura, requiring constant protection with internal energy. Uncle-Master, you..."
No wonder it felt cold when I held this sword. Xue Qing threw the sword away. So what if she lost all her internal energy? She can't use weapons with additional attributes. Can't she just use a plain one?
Xue Qing looked at a few more ordinary swords. The sturdier the sword, the heavier it was. Xue Qing tried a few, and they were all cumbersome.
"Is there nothing else besides the sword?" Xue Qing asked Liu Ying.
"The disciples of the Lingyu Sect only carry swords, and the storeroom only has swords in stock. Uncle-Master, would you like to switch to something else?"
"Well, something small and lightweight, preferably one that can be hidden on your person," Xue Qing explained. Modern self-defense devices are all small spray bottles, made like fire extinguishers, so how could they be used to catch people off guard?
“That’s the hidden sword! There really is one in the storeroom, but it’s a decorative item used by Broken Sword Manor, and its appearance is a bit…” Liu Ying said.
"As long as it works, it doesn't matter if it looks bad. Just bring it to me." Xue Qing said magnanimously. Weapons are for self-defense; what does it matter if they look good or not?
When Liu Ying held the hidden sword up to her face, Xue Qing realized she had been too naive. The hidden sword wasn't ugly at all; on the contrary, as a decoration of Broken Sword Manor, its appearance was quite exquisite. It had a metal casing, was slender and ultra-thin, with a streamlined design, and the blade remained normal all the way to the end. Then, the hilt blinded Xue Qing. The pure silver hilt, which could be held in one hand, was inlaid with various gemstones. Liu Ying was right; the appearance of this sword was indeed a bit... too gorgeous!
There's an old saying that wealth should be kept hidden, not flaunted. This hidden dagger is too dazzling, and its jewels make it an easy target in a melee. Xue Qing felt that it should be kept low-key, so she asked Liu Ying, "Do you have anything simpler? Preferably without jewels."
“The Lingyu Sect is supposed to only have longswords. Uncle may not remember, but this sword was a birthday gift from Jian Wuxin, the second young master of Duanjian Manor, on your tenth birthday. You threw it into the stove in the kitchen. I felt it was a pity, so I picked it up and put it in the storeroom. It is the only hidden sword in the Lingyu Sect.”
Does that mean she had no other choice? Something is better than nothing; she can just find a good craftsman to remove all the gems someday. Xue Qing carefully examined the sword again for cracks and rust. Fortunately, it was well-preserved. Only a line of delicate characters was engraved on the back of the blade—"The sword has no heart, but is devoted to Qing." If it were just the phrase "The sword has no heart, but is devoted to love," Xue Qing would only think it was the sword maker's pretentious sentimentality. But he replaced the word "love" with Xue Qing's "Qing," giving Xue Qing reason to suspect he had ulterior motives.
"Liu Ying, you're saying this strange hidden sword was given to me by Jian Wuxin, the second young master of Broken Sword Manor?"
"Yes, my master would send someone to deliver a gift every year on his birthday, and without exception, he would throw them away. It would be a pity to destroy this sword, so I put it into the storeroom."
Xue Qing understood why the original Xue Qing had thrown the sword into the furnace. She was wholeheartedly devoted to Yan Ming; why would she care about something given by another man? Xue Qing didn't feel such a burden and readily accepted the sword. Firstly, she couldn't find a better one, and secondly, she still couldn't find a better one.
Qiao Yijun's inflexibility did not discourage Fang Yun; she remained relentlessly persistent in Xue Qing's marriage. Every day, Fang Yun would ask the same question in unison: "Qing'er, do you see any promising young men in this vast martial arts world that you fancy?"
"Senior sister, my future husband must be an outstanding man, with a majestic bearing, superb martial arts skills, capable of both governing the world and establishing an empire. I will not marry him if he is even slightly lacking in any way." Xue Qing said this, setting high standards so that Fang Yun would not introduce just any Tom, Dick, or Harry to her. This was Xue Qing's strategic decision.
That morning, Xue Qing rejected two marriage proposals arranged by Fang Yun and was celebrating her newfound freedom when she saw Sun Fang rushing past her in a panic. Sun Fang was an honest and well-mannered disciple and would not usually act so rashly. Xue Qing suspected something was amiss and had Liu Ying stop Sun Fang.
"Uncle-Master," Sun Fang greeted.
"Forget the formalities, what are you rushing around for so early in the morning?"
"Reporting to Martial Uncle, we have just received news that a battle has broken out between the East Qilin Pavilion and the West Qilin Pavilion, resulting in heavy casualties," Sun Fang replied respectfully.
Sun Fang's words struck a nerve with Xue Qing. Viewers should remember that the current leader of the Eastern Qilin Pavilion is Xiao Guiying, the very same Xiao Guiying who beheaded Xue Qing in the original story. A century ago, the last leader of the Qilin Pavilion died childless and failed to appoint a successor. After his death, the two most respected elders took control of the Eastern and Western Qilin Pavilions respectively, each claiming to be the rightful heir. Their intermittent struggle continues to this day, often resulting in bloodshed. However, this situation is about to change. The current leader of the Eastern Qilin Pavilion is no ordinary man; Xiao Guiying will unify the two pavilions and rebuild the Qilin Pavilion. He will then leverage the Qilin Pavilion's power to control the martial arts alliance. When he becomes the leader of the martial arts alliance, Xue Qing's death will be imminent. Of course, this is the timeline before Xue Qing's transmigration; now, Xue Qing must nip her own demise in the bud. If Xiao Guiying hadn't become the leader of the martial arts alliance, I might not have died. If Qilin Pavilion hadn't been rebuilt, Xiao Guiying wouldn't have become the leader of the martial arts alliance. I can't let Xiao Guiying swallow up Xilin Pavilion!
"This matter is of great importance. I'll go with you. Liuying, wait for me in my room." After saying this, Xue Qing led Sun Fang quickly toward Fang Yun's study.
Fang Yun didn't react much to the bloodshed between the two factions. Small fights every three days, big brawls every month, and more than a dozen people dying every month—the news from the two factions was like menstruation to Fang Yun; he was still terrified but had become numb to it. This kind of thing was difficult to manage. It was an internal strife, and it wasn't appropriate for outsiders to interfere. But if he didn't intervene, it would be inhumane. The prestigious and righteous factions were all connected and couldn't stand idly by.