Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

"Ah... You’re...? Young Master!" Chunlan and Qiuyue opened the door and saw Ling Xiao and the woman in black behind him. They were stunned for a moment, then their faces filled with delight.

Ye Wen Ni stood behind Ling Xiao, astonished. ’Ling Xiao’s appearance has changed dramatically since his disguise, and even his build is different,’ she thought. ’I can’t believe these two maids could actually recognize him!’

Ling Xiao was also taken aback for a moment, then gave a faint nod and walked into the room. Chunlan and Qiuyue glanced at Ye Wen Ni, secretly puzzled. ’The Young Master has been gone for so long. Why would he bring back such an ordinary-looking woman?’ Then it dawned on them. ’If the Young Master can change his appearance, this woman’s face must also be a disguise.’

With this in mind, Chunlan and Qiuyue couldn’t help but study Ye Wen Ni a bit more. Seeing her delicate and shapely figure, they figured she must be a beauty underneath. A pang of jealousy soured their hearts, but at the same time, they couldn’t help but feel proud of their Young Master. The two maids had recently been studying under Shangguan Yutong and occasionally saw Xie Xiaoyan from the advanced class. They had always looked down on that beautiful girl, unanimously agreeing that abandoning their Young Master was the biggest mistake of her life.

"How... how did you recognize me?" Seeing the unrestrained joy on the two maids’ faces, a warmth spread through Ling Xiao’s heart. It felt like coming home.

The outspoken Chunlan laughed. "Young Master, even though you’ve changed a lot, your eyes haven’t. To be precise, it’s the look in your eyes!"

Qiuyue, standing to the side, gave a shy nod in agreement.

Ling Xiao smiled, then pointed to Ye Wen Ni and said, "This is Ye Wen Ni. She’ll be staying with us for now."

Chunlan and Qiuyue introduced themselves, and their attitude toward Ye Wen Ni became a little warmer.

Ye Wen Ni finally couldn’t contain her surprise. ’These two beautiful maids are amazing! And it’s obvious they both adore Ling Xiao.’ A bitter feeling crept into her heart. ’Young nobles are all like this; faithful ones are just so rare. And there are probably even fewer upstanding gentlemen like Ling Xiao.’ As she thought this, she couldn’t help but blush. ’It’s not like I’m anything to him. What’s wrong with liking him? Does liking him mean I have to be with him?’

Even though it was very late, Chunlan and Qiuyue were still so excited that they prepared a late-night snack for Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni. Ye Wen Ni couldn’t help but sigh internally. ’This guy really is a noble! A noble’s life is so luxurious. Back in my old life, if I got hungry at night, I just had to endure it. Who would make you exquisite pastries for a midnight snack? That’s something I couldn’t even dream of.’

Chunlan and Qiuyue were very curious about Ling Xiao’s month-long adventure, but Ling Xiao was a man of few words. He might not even answer if asked, and the two maids didn’t dare to ask anyway.

After the two had finished eating, Ye Wen Ni looked at Chunlan and Qiuyue with their bright eyes and pearly teeth and asked Ling Xiao, "How do we get our original appearances back?"

Ling Xiao pulled a few small, green blades of grass from his ring and said, "Just crush these and rub them on your skin."

He had found this herb at the Huangpu Family’s auction house, mixed in with other herbs. Ling Xiao had casually picked it out. Since Huangpu Cangsong didn’t recognize it, he had naturally gifted it to Ling Xiao. If Ye Wen Ni knew that Ling Xiao hadn’t possessed this herb just a few days ago, and that she would have had to wait many more days for the disguise’s effects to wear off, she would have probably cursed him to death in her mind.

After a comfortable bath, Ling Xiao changed into his sleeping robes and lay down on the soft bed, finally getting a peaceful night’s sleep. Ling Xiao realized he was growing more and more accustomed to this identity as a noble. In the past, he probably would have spent the entire night meditating and practicing his skills. This was, in fact, related to his current condition. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to practice Cultivation, but that he had no way to do so.

He thought about everything that had happened recently. First, he had gotten to know Adventurers like Wang Chao and his group. The friendship between Tang Ming and Wang Chao, Anya’s cleverness, Gaia’s simple honesty, and Wu Liang’s cunning had all been a vivid lesson for Ling Xiao, who had previously had little contact with people.

The events that later transpired in the bar helped Ling Xiao understand a principle even more clearly: this world was even more complex than the Cultivation Realm. People’s hearts were hard to predict, but in the end, one thing remained the same—strength reigns supreme!

’Were they really in the wrong?’ he thought, recalling the arrogant Mercenaries he had killed. ’Not necessarily. But by the same token, I wasn’t wrong either. If they hadn’t been the ones to die, it would have been me. And I am certainly not noble enough to sacrifice myself for the sake of others.’

As for killing Rock Shenke, Ling Xiao felt no burden at all. ’That kind of person deserved to die.’ Then he thought of the little thief, Ye Wen Ni, and a warm smile touched his lips. ’She’s clearly a simple and gentle girl at heart, yet she was trained to be a Golden Finger.’ Sometimes Ling Xiao really wanted to ask about Ye Wen Ni’s past, but he held back. If she was willing to talk about it, she would.

Ling Xiao had brought Ye Wen Ni back with the intention of having her stay. The value of a Tier Six Great Sword Master was extraordinary in itself, and Ye Wen Ni was still so young; her future was bound to be limitless.

More importantly, Ling Xiao wanted Ye Wen Ni to enroll in the Imperial Academy to study! ’It’s not that I want to show off through her,’ Ling Xiao thought. ’I genuinely want to help her move past her former identity.’ All along, though he never said it, Ling Xiao had been very grateful to Ye Wen Ni.

This much was evident from the fact that he had brought Ye Wen Ni directly back here. Ling Xiao wasn’t one to make empty promises; he believed that actions spoke louder than words.

Meanwhile, the three girls were huddled together, chattering away. Chunlan and Qiuyue had grown up in the General’s Mansion. Although they were smart and clever, their worldliness was no match for Ye Wen Ni, who had grown up at the very bottom of society. It didn’t take long for Ye Wen Ni to have them laughing happily. Chunlan and Qiuyue held firm to one principle: the Young Master’s interests came first! But as long as the topic had nothing to do with Ling Xiao, the two were more than happy to chat with Ye Wen Ni, from whom they learned many new and interesting things.

Ye Wen Ni was also very careful. She guessed that since Ling Xiao had appeared at the auction house in disguise, he clearly didn’t want his true identity to be discovered. Therefore, she didn’t tell Chunlan and Qiuyue any of the specific details of their adventure, only speaking of other things.

This was enough to get the two maids excited. The thought that their Young Master had actually gone out on an adventure made them feel very proud. ’So many other young nobles only know how to throw their weight around in the Imperial Capital...’

The next morning, Ling Xiao rose early and did some morning exercises in the courtyard. He felt his mental state was much better, and his physical fitness was also quite a bit stronger than before. Ling Xiao believed that if he were to take the assessment now, he would have no trouble passing as a Tier Three or Four Sword Master!

Thinking about the looks on people’s faces when they saw his progress, a faint, self-deprecating smile appeared on Ling Xiao’s face. ’Have I really... fallen to the point where I need the astonishment of those weaklings to satisfy my vanity?’

He shook his head and exhaled. ’Stone Bamboo Grass! I will find you soon!’