Chapter 256: Chapter 123: Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber Breaks the Limit! Storm in Cyan Yang Ancient City

And now that the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber had broken its limit, applying the "Zhong Yue" Trait to the Nine Blood Soul Blades had given the Evil Qi-based saber technique such terrifying destructive power!

He could only imagine how terrifying it would be if the "Zhong Yue" Trait were applied to the Ninefold Thunder Shock Saber itself and fused with the Ninefold Blade Force!

Chu Fan took a deep breath, an indescribable exhilaration swelling in his chest.

"Hey!"

Cyan Snake Xiaobai clamored from behind him. "When are you actually going to help me find my sister?"

"It’s not that I won’t help. I just don’t know how." Chu Fan turned and sheathed his saber. "Haven’t I been taking you out with me these past few days? You haven’t sensed your sister’s Demonic Qi at all."

"That’s what’s making me so anxious!" Cyan Snake Xiaobai said. "If she were hiding somewhere, she would have definitely sensed my arrival..."

"But three days have passed, and she still hasn’t come to find me."

"And I can’t sense her presence either!"

"Don’t worry," Chu Fan said. "The Government Office is still searching for her everywhere. She’s probably hiding somewhere to heal, so it’s not a good time for her to see you."

"I’ll take you out tonight. Cyan Yang Ancient City is only so big. We’ll search street by street. We’re bound to find her eventually."

He said as much, but in his mind, he was thinking, ’Maybe I can kill a few members of the Moon Worship Sect tonight and loot some more gloves to weave my Inner Armor.’

"Okay!" Cyan Snake Xiaobai’s body shifted, and she transformed back into a small snake, burrowing into Chu Fan’s sleeve. "Let’s go now!"

"Not so fast," Chu Fan said. "I’m preparing to attempt my Mortal Transformation soon. I need to ask Master Cao for some Cultivation Techniques first."

...

Inside the reception hall of the Seven Stars Gang.

Outside, the branches of an old locust tree drooped, filtering the sunlight into fine, dappled patterns. A breeze rustled the leaves, and the gentle sway of bronze bells on the eaves created a serene and tranquil air.

Within the hall, sandalwood tables and chairs gleamed with a soft luster. Two flowers stood in a celadon vase, their subtle fragrance ghosting through the air.

Duan Qingling sat ramrod straight on a sandalwood chair, her slender fingers tracing the rim of a celadon cup. Wisps of steam rose from the emerald tea within.

Her gaze, however, kept drifting toward the door. ’Qingxue said Chu Fan would be here tonight,’ she mused. ’Why haven’t I seen any sign of him?’

"My lady, isn’t it a bit presumptuous for us to visit so suddenly?" her maid, Juhua, asked in a low voice. Her round eyes darted about, curiously studying the weapon diagrams hanging on the walls.

Duan Qingling gently set down her teacup, her expression composed. "I haven’t seen Qingxue in a long time. Is there anything wrong with coming to visit her?"

Despite her words, her fingertips unconsciously tightened around the silk handkerchief tucked in her sleeve.

In truth, she had been tossing and turning for nights, her mind consumed by thoughts of the "young genius who rejected the Duan Family’s marriage proposal." She had come today mostly just to catch a glimpse of him.

Juhua pursed her lips into a smile. "Yes, yes, of course, my lady. But I would guess the one you *really* want to see is that Young Master Chu Fan, the one whose fame has been skyrocketing lately, yet who had the nerve to reject a marriage proposal from the Duan Family. Am I right?"

A blush crept up Duan Qingling’s cheeks at having her thoughts exposed. She shot Juhua a glare. "Don’t be ridiculous."

She recalled the regret in her mother’s voice when she’d mentioned Chu Fan yesterday. In response, a rebellious curiosity sparked within her. ’Just what kind of person is he, to dare to slight the Duan Family?’

"My lady, someone’s coming," Juhua suddenly whispered.

Duan Qingling immediately sat ramrod straight, her posture perfect, but her peripheral vision remained locked on the far side of the courtyard.

A figure in green was walking toward them through the sunlight. His steps were steady, and he carried himself with the air of a Martial Artist.

He was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in green martial attire.

He carried a longbow on his shoulder, and the tips were still flecked with bits of grass, suggesting he had just come from outside.

His skin was tanned, a sign that he spent much of his time outdoors. While not classically handsome, his expression held a look of stubborn, unyielding determination.

"My lady, what a coincidence!"

Juhua whispered, "Look, he’s carrying a bow, he’s known for using a saber, and he’s the right age. That has to be Young Master Chu Fan!"

"I heard his archery is incredible. He even took Master Chen Xuan of the Moon Arrow Martial Arts Hall as his teacher..."

"They say Master Chen can’t stop smiling about landing such a genius. He praises him to everyone he meets!"

Duan Qingling nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the young man. Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

’So that’s Chu Fan?’

’He might not be as fair-skinned as the young masters from the Noble Families, but there’s a solid, down-to-earth quality about him that is quite reassuring.’

The bow-carrying young man entered the hall. Seeing that there were guests, he offered a small smile and a polite nod to Duan Qingling and her servant before heading straight for the inner hall, quickly disappearing behind a screen.

Just as Duan Qingling was about to speak, another young man entered through the doorway.

She immediately shot Juhua a look, her fists tightening slightly—she had to confirm if that man was really Chu Fan.

Juhua hurried forward. "Excuse me, sir. Might I ask if the man who just entered the hall is Master Cao’s favored disciple?"

"Ah... yes, he is!" the young man nodded. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"My lady, it really was him!" Juhua muttered under her breath after the young man left. "Why is he so tanned?"

"Don’t judge people by their appearance!" Duan Qingling chided softly.

But in her heart, she was thinking, ’What do looks matter?’

’That determined air of his is a hundred times better than those powdered-faced sons of Noble Families who do nothing but write sentimental poems about the wind and the moon!’

She paused, a trace of admiration unconsciously coloring her tone. "As clear as the moon, as refreshing as the wind... a fine and upstanding young man indeed."

Juhua blinked, smiling slyly. "My lady, have you fallen for him?"

Duan Qingling realized her slip of the tongue and was about to scold her maid when Juhua continued with a serious expression, "But really, besides being a bit tanned, Young Master Chu Fan is quite a catch. More importantly, his talent is outstanding. I bet that once the young ladies from the other families hear about him, they’ll all be setting their sights on him!"

The tips of Duan Qingling’s ears burned even hotter. She lowered her head and picked up her teacup to hide her flustered state. In truth, she was also worried—’Would someone so outstanding already have his heart set on another?’