38: Chapter 38 The Pride of a Poor Swordsman?

The prosperity of Sword King City's inner city was far beyond what the cultivation markets along the way could compare to.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, and from time to time, Cultivators riding Flying Swords would zip through the air. Led by Zhao Heng, a Deacon of the Sword Sect, Gu Yi's group went straight to the highest-spec guest house in the inner city—Tingjian Pavilion.

Tingjian Pavilion was built alongside an artificial Spiritual Vein rich in Spiritual Qi. The lobby was paved with solid slabs of Warm Jade tiles, and the surroundings were adorned with Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Agarwood that emitted a faint fragrance, putting on a full display of grandeur.

As representatives from major Sects had gathered, the guest house lobby was currently bustling with noise.

As the leader of the Xuantian Sect, Gu Yi was naturally led to the most spacious seat with the best view in the center of the lobby.

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue and Junior Sister Lin Wanying sat on either side of him. Liu Qingwan, who never minded a bit of drama, leaned against a soft couch opposite them with her wine gourd, her watery peach-blossom eyes darting back and forth between Gu Yi and the two sisters.

Other Sect Disciples and Loose Cultivators in the lobby would occasionally cast looks of awe and curiosity toward their table.

Just as the waiter was moving through the crowd to serve everyone signature spiritual tea and pastries...

A figure completely out of place in this luxurious lobby stepped firmly over the high threshold of Tingjian Pavilion, braving the strange looks from those around him.

The newcomer was none other than Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen.

His coarse gray robe, with its worn and patched edges, looked particularly conspicuous among the Cultivators dressed in brocade and fine silks. The long object on his back, wrapped heavily in greasy rags with only half of a rusted hilt showing, drew many side-eyes.

Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen turned a blind eye to this.

His eyes, hidden under messy bangs, looked past the layers of people in the lobby and fixed accurately on Senior Sister Mu Qingxue at the premium seat.

While watching from the city gate earlier, he had sensed the aura of a top-tier sword bone within this white-clothed woman—one that had not yet fully awakened but was outrageously pure.

As the Ancient Sword Emperor who had reached the pinnacle in his previous life, Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen possessed absolute pride in his heart.

He firmly believed that a peerless beauty with such top-tier sword talent must also be proud and admire the strong to her core. Those Sect young masters in flashy robes, reeking of money, couldn't possibly catch the eye of such a pure Sword Cultivator.

As long as he revealed a sliver of that supreme Sword Intent from his peak in his previous life, he would surely trigger a resonance in her Soul. With just one exchange of glances, she would understand who the true orthodox authority of the sword was in this cultivation world.

At that thought, Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen puffed out his somewhat thin chest.

Under his worn sleeves, his fingertips secretly formed a fragmented sword seal.

A sharp, desolate Sword Intent, carrying a sense of the vast ages, surged up from his spine and turned into an invisible ripple, sweeping straight toward Senior Sister Mu Qingxue.

With the release of this Sword Intent, the teacups on several nearby tables emitted a faint vibration.

"How bold!"

A richly dressed True Disciple of the Sword Sect slammed his teacup onto the table, stood up, and pointed at Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen's nose with a cold sneer.

"Where did this destitute Loose Cultivator come from? Do you have no manners? Today, the Prodigies of the major Sects are gathered at Tingjian Pavilion, and Chief Gu of the Xuantian Sect is here as well. Who do you think you are, daring to show off such crude Sword Intent here?"

As soon as this Disciple finished speaking, a wave of agreement immediately rose from the surroundings.

To curry favor with the Sword Sect and Xuantian Sect, several Loose Cultivators at a neighboring table ruthlessly joined in the mockery.

"Exactly! Dressed like a beggar, that sour stench can be smelled from three tables away. With such meager skill, you deliberately release Sword Intent—aren't you just trying to catch some Fairy's attention?"

"Hahaha, what a joke! A toad lusting after swan meat, you should look in a mirror first. Even the floor tiles of Tingjian Pavilion are worth more than that rusted piece of scrap iron on your back!"

The harsh mockery rose and fell like a flurry of slaps, ruthlessly hitting Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen's face.

The shock and worship Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen had expected never appeared. His face, chronically malnourished, now flushed a deep liver-red, alternating between pale and ashen.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the looks that treated him like a clown, and cast his last sliver of hope toward Senior Sister Mu Qingxue.

These commoners were blind, but that woman with the Extreme Yin Sword Body would surely understand the supreme imperial might within his Sword Intent!

Meeting Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen's gaze, which was practically spitting fire...

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue sat beside Gu Yi and didn't spare even an inch of her attention.

That desolate Sword Intent, which was enough to startle an ordinary Cultivator, was silently neutralized by the icy true essence naturally circulating within her body when it reached three feet before her, failing to even lift a corner of her clothes.

She leaned down slightly and used her hands, which looked like they were carved from white jade, to pick up a pair of long silver chopsticks.

The tips of the chopsticks gently picked up a piece of translucent Osmanthus Spiritual Cake adorned with golden petals.

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue turned her head. Those cold phoenix eyes, which always held an icy 'keep away' attitude toward the outside world, completely melted into an overflowing tenderness the moment she looked at Gu Yi.

"Junior Brother, this Osmanthus Spiritual Cake has a sweet herbal Qi and tastes excellent. Have a taste."

She obediently held the spiritual cake to Gu Yi's lips, her voice so soft it could practically melt into water.

In the eyes of this cold and ethereal Senior Sister, never mind some Ancient Sword Emperor's Sword Intent—even if the Heavenly Emperor himself descended, it wouldn't be as important as feeding a piece of cake to her beloved Junior Brother.

Gu Yi looked at Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen, whose body had begun to tremble slightly from extreme shame and indignation not far away, and a warm, gentle smile curved at the corners of his mouth.

He naturally opened his mouth, bit into the Osmanthus Spiritual Cake Senior Sister Mu Qingxue fed him, and chewed and swallowed it carefully.

"Thank you, Senior Sister. This cake is indeed sweet and fragrant." The smile in Gu Yi's eyes deepened. His voice wasn't loud, but it followed the complex spiritual fluctuations in the lobby perfectly into Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen's ears.

These light words, paired with Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's affectionate gaze, were more piercing than any mockery from the surrounding Cultivators.

Deep within Gu Yi's Sea of Consciousness, the crisp mechanical prompt arrived as expected.

[Ding! Detected that the Son of Luck failed to show off in public, suffered mass mockery, and was completely ignored by the Daughter of Luck.]

[The Son of Luck's Dao Heart is frustrated, his reputation is ruined, and his attempt to act cool has suffered an extremely severe physical and psychological blow!]

[Villain Points +200!]

Gu Yi picked up his teacup and leisurely brushed away the tea foam.

Near the threshold not far away...

Looking at Gu Yi, who was surrounded like a moon by stars and being hand-fed by the 'sword talent' he had his eye on, Ancient Sword Emperor Xiao Chen felt a surge of blood in his chest, and even his breathing took on a metallic, sweet taste.