299: Chapter 299 If you can't persuade them, then fight them until they submit.

"Senior Brother Ning." Xu Ruyu spoke first.

Ning Caihe slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was clear, yet it held an irrepressible sharpness, just like the precious sword in his embrace.

"Sect Master." He merely nodded slightly, maintaining his usual reticent demeanor, not changing his attitude in the slightest just because Xu Ruyu was the Sect Master.

Xu Ruyu once again explained his ideas regarding the Qi Induction and Micro-Movement Art, specifically emphasizing how this method could help improve the precision of True Qi control and enhance the penetrative power of Sword Qi.

After listening, Ning Caihe was silent for a moment before slowly spitting out two words: "Sect Master, this is nonsense."

Immediately after, he stopped looking at Xu Ruyu and closed his eyes again. His aura faintly merged with the sound of the waterfall, and the meaning could not have been clearer—do not disturb my sword practice.

Xu Ruyu stood in place, looking at Ning Caihe's back, which was as aloof as a snow-capped mountain, and felt a wave of helplessness.

The heart of a Sword Cultivator is the most pure, yet also the most stubborn.

Trying to shake their belief in their own Dao of the sword with mere words is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Having hit a wall three times in a row, Xu Ruyu was already in a rather bad mood.

Clinging to a final shred of hope, he arrived near the area where the female Disciples of the Hehuan Sect resided.

Qingyan's Revered Master, the Fifth Elder Hua Xunhuan—that voluptuous woman who still retained her charm, behaved in a bold and fiery manner, and was well-versed in Dual Cultivation, Charm Technique, and Alchemy—was leaning against a pillar, lazily basking in the sun while toying with a fire-red Medicinal Pill in her hand.

Seeing Xu Ruyu approach, Hua Xunhuan's soul-stirring peach-blossom eyes immediately lit up. She swayed her serpentine waist as she came to greet him, laughing before she even spoke, a fragrant breeze rushing toward him: "Oh my~ isn't this our brilliant and mighty Sect Master Xu? What wind blew you over to our pile of rouge?"

Her voice was both sweet and seductive, carrying a natural allure.

Xu Ruyu's scalp tingled. He braced himself and said, "Elder Hua, I've come to find Junior Sister Qingyan; I have some business."

"Looking for Qingyan, are you~" Hua Xunhuan drew out her tone, her eyes darting around as she looked Xu Ruyu up and down, her smile becoming increasingly ambiguous: "My silly Disciple talks about you, Sect Master, every single day~ Saying something about the Black Water Pool... Oh my, these are a young woman's affairs, even I as her Master am embarrassed to hear them. She says that in this life, she will marry no one but you~"

Xu Ruyu's expression stiffened. He instantly recalled the awkward situation when he was healing his injuries at the Black Water Pool, and his ears began to burn: "Elder Hua, you jest... that was just an accident..."

"An accident?" Hua Xunhuan leaned in closer, her breath like orchids as she chuckled softly, "Sect Master, your Physique is one in ten thousand~ Having a few more female confidants, a few more wives and concubines, isn't excessive at all~ Although Qingyan is a bit green, she is a budding beauty and is obedient and well-behaved. Why don't you... just take her in, Sect Master? It would save her from daydreaming all day and neglecting her cultivation~"

"Elder Hua! Watch your words!" Xu Ruyu quickly took a step back, his face flushing red. He truly couldn't handle the Fifth Elder's brazen remarks.

"Giggle~" Hua Xunhuan laughed until she shook, "The Sect Master is actually shy~ Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Qingyan is in her own room, go on, go on. Remember... be gentle with her, okay~"

After she finished speaking, she even cast him a flirtatious wink.

Xu Ruyu felt as if he had been granted an amnesty. He practically ran out of Hua Xunhuan's line of sight, with her playful exhortation following behind him: "Sect Master~ Little Qingyan is still inexperienced in worldly matters, go easy on her, don't break her~"

Xu Ruyu stumbled, nearly falling over. What on earth was all this!

After much effort, he found Qingyan's room and knocked on the door.

When Qingyan saw that it was Xu Ruyu, her little face instantly flushed with a rosy hue. Her eyes darted away, filled with obvious shyness and joy, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Sect... Sect Master Brother, are you looking for me?"

"Yes, there is something important I need to tell you. Let's find a quiet place." Xu Ruyu tried hard to calm the emotions that had been stirred up by Hua Xunhuan.

Qingyan nodded obediently and led Xu Ruyu to a secluded hillside behind the house, which was covered in unknown wildflowers.

Xu Ruyu took a deep breath, suppressing his previous sense of frustration, and put a confident smile back on his face. He began to explain the wonders of the Qi Induction and Micro-Movement Art to Qingyan in detail, from the concepts to the benefits, speaking even more meticulously and persuasively than he had to Leng Ningshuang and the others.

However, he soon realized something was wrong.

Although Qingyan was listening "attentively" with her big, watery eyes open and nodding her little head from time to time, her gaze was somewhat unfocused. The blush on her cheeks was becoming increasingly obvious, her breathing seemed to quicken, and her hands were unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

When Xu Ruyu reached a key point, he asked her: "Qingyan, do you understand? This feeling of 'inducing a subtle ripple'..."

"Ah? Oh! Understood! Whatever Sect Master Brother says is right!"

Qingyan nodded vigorously as if waking from a dream, but the bewilderment and lack of focus in her eyes were almost overflowing.

She had clearly not listened to a word; her mind had long since drifted to the nine heavens, perhaps imagining some pink, romantic scenarios.

Xu Ruyu's voice came to an abrupt halt. Watching Qingyan in her distracted, love-struck state, a massive sense of helplessness and frustration instantly engulfed him.

He couldn't persuade them. It was impossible to get through to them!

Leng Ningshuang was immersed in her obsession with revenge and her own established path. Zhao Yan was fixated on his own Fist Intent. Ning Caihe held fast to the aloofness of his own Dao of the sword.

Even Qingyan, who seemed the most obedient, had her mind completely occupied by girlish daydreams and blind personal worship (or other feelings) toward him; she couldn't take in the serious matters he was talking about at all!

A surge of irritation faintly rose in Xu Ruyu's chest.

What was he exhausting his heart and blood, racking his brains for? Wasn't it just to make the Hehuan Sect strong as quickly as possible, to give everyone the power to protect themselves, and the possibility of returning to their homeland or even going further?

But what about these people? They were conservative, stubborn in their opinions, or their minds weren't on the right path at all!

His kind advice and patient explanations were met with coldness, prevarication, disregard, or even perfunctoriness!

Since reason wouldn't work... then he would use the most direct, crude, and effective method—let strength do the talking!

In this Cultivation World where the weak are prey to the strong, many times, fists are more useful than reason!

Since I cannot persuade you, then—I will beat you into submission!

He looked at Qingyan, who was still daydreaming with the blush on her face not yet faded, and suddenly said in a deep voice: "Qingyan!"