Chapter 54: Extra: Ye Gucheng if Line (2) [Extra]

Perhaps, compared to his pounding heart, what Ye Gucheng wanted her to feel more was the strangeness in this place.

But he didn't really bring it up to seek credit or play the victim, he just...

just let it become a little unintentional scheming.

Moreover, on this face that looked too handsome and unworldly, the word "scheming" seemed to have no trace at all. On the contrary, because of his seductive temptation today, which was emboldened by alcohol, the air was filled with a kind of sticky heat.

Even Shi Qingruo had to admit that Ye Gucheng was the kind of person that the world's sword cultivators should envy the most.

Baiyun City's foundation made him qualified to own the most precious sword in the world. His

amazing talent in swordsmanship made him famous at a young age. Before he was thirty, he was already exploring a path that no one else could take.

But that was not all. God also gave him an extraordinary handsome face, which became more and more charming with the passage of time.

And at that moment, it was this face that glanced up nervously, as if offering a toast to the moon, its gaze lingering on the nearness.

"But you know..."

Shi Qingruo had just begun to speak when Ye Gucheng interrupted her. "The Misty Heaven Alliance now only recognizes Master Shengzhu, not Master Shengzhu's wife. Since last year's joint Northern Expedition, the Azure Dragon Society and Baiyun City have merged into the Misty Heaven Alliance, free of any romantic disputes. There's no need for such concerns. It all depends on whether you want it or not."

He spoke much more fluently this time, fearing that if he spoke even a little slower, the person before him would use another man as an excuse to reject him.

The alcohol on his face seemed to dissipate in an instant in the summer breeze.

After all, a drunk person couldn't utter such a well-reasoned statement. This could only be the confession of a sober person.

Shi Qingruo reached out and pressed her hand against his lips. "I haven't even finished my sentence yet. Why are you so anxious—"

Ye Gucheng felt as if someone had pressed a needle on his acupoint.

Yet, at that moment, moonlight fell upon his arms, its cold, fragrant breath between them, held by a finger, maintaining a close distance.

He seemed suddenly struck by a strange poison; otherwise, why would he be unable to move before the vibrant, relaxed eyes before him? He only heard her say, "But you know, my standards are always high, and you've made mistakes before. If you can't pass my test, how can you be my friend?"

She breathed closer, "I want you to do three things for me. The first, as you said, is to accompany me to Ghost Manor."

Ye Gucheng didn't even know when she removed her finger. He only felt the flutter of a butterfly across the water, its light wings creating ripples.

...

The next morning in Bianjing, before the sun rose and the morning mist had yet to dissipate, two swift horses emerged from the city, one in front and one behind.

But if someone happened to be walking by and paying attention, they would have noticed that the rider behind them, though only half a step off the mark, seemed to be gripping the reins with a weak grip, the way someone's mind wandered. More

accurately, his steps before mounting the horse seemed to float in the clouds.

Shi Qingruo couldn't help but turn around and scoff, "Ye Gucheng, you're a sword immortal, but you're not truly one. If you want to show off how you can stand after falling off a horse, I don't mind making it a bit of fun, but if you get hurt, I'll send you back now."

"Don't say it's some hangover from last night's drinking. You know whether you drank or not."

Ye Gucheng lowered his eyes and pursed his lips. He recalled Yidianhong's expression when he had asked her to take over the teaching for a month. He felt the smile, which had only faded slightly at Shi Qingruo's words, creep back onto his face.

Shi Qingruo didn't bother to talk to him anymore.

It was a rare sight to see a hint of triumphant success on Ye Gucheng's face, and she didn't mind admiring it.

The hue of the rising sun seemed to smudge onto one side of his cheek, adding a touch of color to his otherwise jade-white and stern features, a touch of...

perhaps a youthful spirit.

She waved, signaling Ye Gucheng to ride properly, and stepped closer.

"Since you're following my orders, then the way this trip goes will be up to me."

Ye Gucheng nodded, "All as you say."

If the veteran swordsman at Ghost Villa could hear this exchange, he'd probably be furious.

Ghost Villa, hidden from the world, plotting a grand scheme, seemed to blend seamlessly into the miasmic forest surrounding it, a place truly inaccessible. The martial arts of those within the villa, while not as skilled as the top masters currently gathered in the Misty Heaven Alliance, were still renowned in the martial arts world.

Especially the old swordsman who presided over the affairs of the villa, a top-notch expert.

However, Shi Qingruo described the trip to Ghost Villa as nothing more than a "game."

Yet, it seemed she had the confidence to say so.

When she had previously killed Yuan Shisanxian, she had needed to be deliberate and unintentional, mobilizing every available helper to facilitate Yuanxian's demise. But since she assumed the position of leader of the United Front, all the gains she had accumulated over three rounds had been reactivated.

The system, seemingly regaining consciousness, informed her that a previous operational error had inadvertently led her here, causing the save files to merge. After leaving behind the corresponding internal energy, it vanished without a trace.

Even if she were to cease to be the leader of the Misty Heaven Alliance, all the rewards she had already earned would not suddenly expire. And this formidable internal energy would be more than enough to fully digest and support her in her future aspirations for the top of the martial arts world.

Although she estimated it would take several years to reach the realm of Guan Qi in the past, that didn't stop her from heading to Ghost Manor in person.

Now with Ye Gucheng involved, it was up to someone else to fend for themselves.

...

For example...the guard at the entrance to Ghost Manor.

The soul-catcher's face looked as if it had been shaved flat by a knife, and when he appeared on the chains shrouded in mist, he looked even more terrifying.

But when he saw Ye Gucheng standing at the other end of the suspension bridge, he could read shock and fear in his flat, eerie features and those crater-like eyes.

He glanced at the whistle in Ye Gucheng's hand, then at the sword at his waist, and stuttered barely audibly, "Why are you here?"

The tall, graceful man remained calm, "Where else could a dead person go besides Ghost Manor?"

The soul-catcher: "..."

That made perfect sense. Combined with Ye Gucheng's unfailing face, the story was even more convincing.

Even within Ghost Villa, located in the southwestern borderlands, the bloody wedding at the Anyang black market had spread widely. Ye Gucheng risked his blood to restore the sanity of his Saint Master and entrusted Baiyun City to her. It sounded like a heartwarming love story.

But the people of Ghost Villa didn't believe in love, and certainly didn't believe Ye Gucheng was such a love-struck man.

His presence here seemed to align with a popular theory:

if Shi Qing attempted to seize Ye Gucheng's Baiyun City, Ye Gucheng would be doomed. This was the truth in the minds of conspiracy theorists.

The fear in the Soul Catcher's eyes briefly faded. "Please wait here, City Lord Ye. I need to inform the others at the villa before I can decide whether to let you in."

"That's not necessary."

"Who!" The Soul Catcher's face froze.

The reply came not from Ye Gucheng, but from a female voice.

He looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a tight white dress sitting in a tree not far from Ye Gucheng. He hadn't sensed her presence before, as if she fit the name "ghost" even better than he did. However,

the Soul Catcher had seen her portrait and heard her name several times from Ye Guhong, the "Little White Dragon of Wudang." He knew she was no ghost, but a very important figure!

Even though she was dressed simply, like a beautiful young woman just entering the martial arts world, it didn't stop the Soul Catcher's first reaction. He didn't want to fight back, but to run.

But before he could turn, he was already frozen in place.

Ye Gucheng's sword was swift, and his movements even faster. In a split second, he had sealed his acupoints.

Shi Qingruo clapped her hands and jumped down from the tree, her face filled with displeasure at the Soul Catcher's behavior. "I told you, there's no need to go to all this trouble. Ghost Villa accepts the dead, as the world would consider them. I've brought you here, so you should let me in. Otherwise, you're spreading rumors and being inhospitable. Come again!"

The Soul Catcher: "...What do you mean, come again?"

He knew immediately .

Rumor has it that Ye Gucheng was deeply in love with Master Shengzhu. Now, having traveled to the borderlands, seeing her as a rude guest, he only watched her misbehaving with a doting and indulgent look.

He repeated what he had said before. "Where else can a dead person go besides Ghost Manor?"

Shi Qingruo stood beside the Soul Catcher and replied hoarsely, "Nowhere else. Please enter, City Master Ye."

"Very well, thank you for the invitation. Unfortunately, this is someone impersonating Ye Gucheng, looking to cause you trouble."

Shi Qingruo stepped onto the dangling chains with her hands behind her back.

The Soul Catcher's face was ashen—if he could still hold his head high.

From the moment they learned Ye Gucheng was still alive to the moment someone brazenly set foot in Ghost Manor, plotting to destroy them, a mere moment passed.

In just these few words, she had clearly laid out how to announce it to the public.

After all, they wouldn't have the chance to tell anyone that Ye Gucheng was still alive and working as a thug for Master Shi Sheng. There was no point in saying anything.

Shi Qingruo's footsteps on the chains were astonishingly light, like a bird briefly landing on a branch. Ye Gucheng, holding him hostage, didn't slow down even a bit.

The chains didn't budge, yet the three of them had already reached the other side of the cliff.

Shi Qingruo looked up at the fog-obscured sunlight and uttered a compliment to Ye Gucheng: "You've picked a great place for a vacation, and you can even play hide-and-seek."

The Soul Catcher in Ye Gucheng's hand rolled his eyes and fainted.

When he awoke, he saw that everyone in the villa had been apprehended, even Old Daoba. But after counting, he realized there was one more person.

Ye Gucheng was holding Shi Qingruo's hand, slowly wiping the dirt off it.

The half of his face, lit by the bonfire, was sharply outlined in shadow, making his deep eyebrows and high nose appear even more prominent, illuminating the tenderness in his eyes.

"Next time, I'll take care of this kind of thing,"

Shi Qingruo said. "I had no idea there was someone in the mud. Luckily, we didn't let him escape. We'll send him to Wudang so everyone can identify him."

"Mu Dao Ren—" She suddenly turned to look at the elderly leader and asked, "I hope I didn't miss anyone."

The leader, known as "Old Knife Handler" by the Ghost Villa crowd, had now been stripped of his mask, revealing a face familiar to the martial arts community of Bian Jing.

Previously, Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuxue had scheduled a duel by the Jinshui River. Wudang elder Mu Dao Ren, a renowned swordsman, had naturally been in attendance.

Unfortunately, he had retreated early, claiming to have gained "swordsmanship insights," and missed the subsequent event.

More accurately, he hadn't gone back to retreat, but rather to Ghost Villa, to embark on his grand plan.

The rising swordsmanship of younger warriors like Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuxue only fueled his resentment and hatred for this frustrating world. Why was he only an elder and not the head of Wudang? Even in the subsequent joint attack, he wasn't the first among the Wudang group.

He gathered a group of "dead" villains, intending a revenge plot that would overturn the martial arts world. However, before his plan could begin, two uninvited guests arrived who were most undesirable.

Ghost Manor was a shattered ruin, but their superior numbers still failed to secure victory, and instead, they were all taken captive.

He had no doubt he would soon be sent to Wudang. The others who had once been "killed" by Ximen Chuxue would also face punishment once again.

Whether this was yet another case of Lu Xiaofeng misjudging his friends was of the utmost importance.

Taoist Mu closed his eyes and asked with difficulty, "I want to know what mistake I made to allow Master Shengzhu, who should have been in charge of the situation in Bianjing, to come here? I want to know the truth even if I die."

Shi Qingruo said helplessly, "You did nothing wrong. Someone just wanted to show off before me and chose you as a target. You're just unlucky."

But he had to thank Taoist Mu. After she handed the people over to Wudang, she would have more confidence to command their men.

Taoist Mu's forehead jumped, and he wanted to break free from his chains, cursing why he was given such a perfunctory excuse.

But the next moment, he heard Ye Gucheng ask, "Have I accomplished this?"

Shi Qingruo pondered for a moment, then replied, "You've passed. Once we get to Wudang, I'll tell you what the second task is."

The Soul-Catcher, who had just woken up, felt like fainting again.

Unfortunately, as a captured villain, a destabilizing factor in Master Shengzhu's control of the martial arts world, the only treatment he received was being packed off to Wudang.

Shi Qingruo, who had overturned a den, had already set off with Ye Gucheng. After descending from Wudang Mountain, they headed for Xiangyang.

The Divine Condor was still with the Mitian Alliance in Bianjing, and it was unclear whether the strange snakes here had lost their natural enemies. As she led Ye Gucheng deeper into the mountains, she felt as if they were slaying far more snakes than before.

Fortunately, Ye Gucheng's sword was swift, and before they could get close, he'd cleaved them in half with his sword energy.

When the two reached the sword tomb atop the cliff, they looked untouched, like a pair of isolated, detached immortals.

Although Ye Gucheng saw Shi Qingruo pull the heavy black iron sword from the sword tomb the next moment, and turned to look at him with a look of eager anticipation, she no longer looked like a sage.

Ye Gucheng didn't quite understand what she had thought when she took the heavy sword, but since he wanted to give himself a chance, he simply followed her instructions.

"This senior Sword Demon never found a rival in his life, nor did he leave behind a true swordsmanship legacy. It's a pity. I previously obtained the Ziwei Soft Sword and Brother Diao, a friend, from this place. I'm considered his half-disciple, so I should do something for him."

Ye Gucheng pursed his lips. "Does this count as recognition from the master?"

Then he should have kowtowed twice more when passing by the stone tomb. He had no living parents, and neither did Shi Qingruo. This senior Sword Demon was his only remaining master.

Shi Qingruo remained silent: "...Not really."

Before Ye Gucheng's face could register a hint of frustration, she thrust the over eighty-jin heavy black iron sword into his arms.

"I want to create a manual of the sword techniques that Senior Dugu taught Brother Diao. I also want to ensure that even without Brother Diao guarding this place, future generations can still comprehend Senior Dugu's four realms and receive the true inheritance. What do you think we should do?"

Ye Gucheng glanced at the heavy sword in his arms.

The black iron sword was even finer than the ebony-sheathed sword he held. It was indeed a fine sword, but not one for everyone.

He gazed at the now-opened stone slabs before him, seeing the lines of inscription carved by Dugu Qiubai, and slowly replied, "Then forge another sword."

A sword that would allow a sword prodigy to shine at the age of twenty, yet one that would ultimately be discarded.

This inheritance, along with his understanding of the sword, could be hidden within it, waiting for a day when a dedicated warrior in the martial arts world would discover it. Perhaps decades or even centuries from now, it would become a legendary legend. The

thought that this inheritance had been left here by him and Shi Qingruo made the forging of this sword all the more necessary. It was as if this wasn't just a sword for future generations, but a token of love.

That is...

"I didn't think I said I had to forge this sword myself?" Ye Gucheng observed, bewildered. After Shi Qingruo and he returned to Xiangyang City with the Black Iron Heavy Sword, they rented a blacksmith shop and then pushed him to the furnace.

Shi Qingruo bit his lower lip. "But didn't you say it yourself? You said you didn't know what young people like. If I want something, I'll just say it directly. In ancient times, there was Ji Kang forging iron. I see City Lord Ye also piling up stones like jade and standing tall with pine trees like emerald green. Wanting to see the legacy of the past, isn't that amiss?"

What's wrong with young people liking this?

Ye Gucheng suddenly realized that Shi Qingruo had remembered everything he'd done that day under the influence of alcohol.

Now was the time for her to truly get back at him.

This was a sweet torture for Ye Gucheng.

He had always clad himself in white, but never like this. Because the fire was so intense, he had been wearing only a single layer of clothing, bound with a loose belt, since the fire was lit.

The material of the heavy black iron sword was so special that once the bellows heated up even more, he had simply removed the covering of his shirt to forge the iron.

The blazing fire enveloped his face and upper body in a thick glow.

Amidst the heat, a thin layer of sweat quickly formed on his body, gathering into beads that trickled down his graceful, defined muscles.

If it were just that, it would be fine, but a pair of eyes watched his performance with intense interest.

Though they hadn't touched him, their gaze had woven a vast net, entrapping him.

"Ye Gucheng, you say..."

The forging hammer in Ye Gucheng's hand tilted.

Shi Qingruo clapped her hands and laughed, "Yes, yes, that's right. This sword needs to be sharp, but it can't be flawless. Otherwise

, even if I hold it, I'll regret whether to discard it or leave some flaws." Ye Gucheng: "...I think you're not testing that lucky guy later, you're testing me."

Shi Qingruo blinked, "But I already said this was your second test."

"So, did I pass?" Ye Gucheng couldn't help but ask.

Even the most imperturbable man would find it difficult to maintain composure in front of his beloved dressed like this.

Shi Qingruo could clearly see Ye Gucheng's strong back tense with tension, as if he could really hide himself in a pit if anyone saw Ye Chengzhu's ridiculous forging. But his willingness to tolerate her behavior also...

was a good way to show his superiority.

So how should I put it, although the sword has not yet been cast, Shi Qingruo thought about it and replied: "You have passed. There is a third thing."

...

The sword containing the sword manual, along with a piece of molten black iron, were placed under the two stone slabs of the sword tomb on the cliff.

Shi Qingruo held a sharp stone and carved two lines of words on it, and then left with Ye Gucheng.

The two rented a boat from the dock in Xiangyang, Hubei, and went east along the river.

The summer heat dissipated in the water vapor on the river, and was swallowed up by the cold moonlight.

No matter who sits at the stern of the boat and looks at the bright moon on the river, they will only feel a sense of openness.

It was not until someone sat down next to Ye Gucheng that he felt the heat rising from the soles of his feet again.

He tilted his head, gazing at the relaxed Shi Qingruo, and asked the question that had been nagging him for days: "What's the third thing?"

Having already passed two tests, success seemed only a step away.

No matter how calm and composed he usually was, it was hard not to get anxious.

But the girl beside him strolled leisurely, unfazed.

Shi Qingruo rested her chin on her hand, a half-smile on her face: "You really want to do it so soon? What if this third thing is difficult?"

Ye Gucheng shook his head: "No matter how difficult it is, since I've decided not to back down, what's the difference between early and late?"

"Well then—"

Shi Qingruo stretched out her foot, spreading the moonlight from the stern. Looking up, a carefree smile flashed through Ye Gucheng's mind, a vague memory of her expression back in Baiyun City. It was as if time had rewound to a time without the Mitian League, Fengyu Tower, the rebellion in Bianjing, and any other interference.

Amidst the moonlit shadows of the flowing waves, Shi Qingruo slowly spoke, "The third thing is, if one day you no longer please me—"

"Let me kill you with my own hands."

Ye Gucheng's eyes trembled, and he was stunned to the spot.

On this lonely boat on the river, the sound of the water below blended with the cries of monkeys on both sides, making the mountains, the moon, and the people seem even smaller. But every word Shi Qingruo spoke still reached his ears clearly.

He wasn't frightened by the second half of the sentence, but rather, it was the first half that seemed to echo in his ears.

It was a thousand times more beautiful than any other sentence.