Chapter 146: Where Did I Lose?
Qingping Fusheng Sword.
After Gu Yingmian returned, that name filled her mind.
From the backyard to her sleeping quarters, she walked the short distance in a daze, her expression vacant.
She never understood where exactly she had lost.
Throughout her life, she had experienced defeat and had witnessed many impressive and astonishing sword intents.
But no matter how powerful the sword intent was, Gu Yingmian only felt it was impressive.
She never believed her sword intent couldn’t reach that level.
This was her absolute confidence in the way of the sword.
It was only upon seeing the Qingping Fusheng Sword today that an inexplicable despair surged in her heart, one that felt insurmountable.
She couldn’t comprehend. Was this sword intent truly so powerful that she couldn’t catch up?
But she was supposed to be the strongest swordsman in this realm.
Am I really that weak?
Gu Yingmian vaguely realized she was overthinking.
Her entire life had been devoted to the sword path.
There was no reason she would lose so inexplicably one day.
The Qingping Fusheng Sword was indeed powerful and unique, but the real reason she felt it was out of reach must lie elsewhere.
But she really couldn’t figure out what made the Qingping Fusheng Sword so formidable.
After returning to her quarters, Gu Yingmian just wanted to sleep without thinking about anything.
However, lying on the bed, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep the entire night.
…Where did I lose?
——
——
On the other side, Young Master Sang was far from calm.
As soon as he returned to his residence, he immediately ditched his earlier carefree and relaxed demeanor, eagerly questioning Nian Nian:
“Damn it.”
“Is the Qingping Fusheng Sword really that amazing?”
“Didn’t you say it was just a foundational sword technique?”
“Who knows?” Nian Nian replied vaguely. “Maybe I was mistaken earlier.”
Young Master Sang: “?”
You can make mistakes about this?!
Are you kidding me?
“Come clean. Are you hiding something from me again?”
Nian Nian, somewhat impatient with his questioning, could only sigh helplessly:
“Just think of it as this system being soft-hearted and giving you a bit of a power-up.”
Upon hearing “power-up,” Young Master Sang’s eyes lit up.
“Hey, you should’ve said that earlier.”
He moved closer to Nian Nian, eager to ingratiate himself, his face full of flattery: “I knew our Nian Nian cared about me the most. She’d never want to see me so pitiful.”
“Since you’ve given me one, it’s no problem to give me ten or eight more power-ups, right?” He rubbed his hands together excitedly.
“…Who’s yours? You’re getting too greedy.”
Nian Nian huffed softly, her gaze shifting slightly to the side, her voice a bit quieter: “W-Well, this power-up isn’t as impressive as you think.”
“Though the Qingping Fusheng Sword has been integrated into your mask mode, this sword technique only exerts extra pressure on sword users, which doesn’t mean you can actually match up against a True Enlightenment practitioner.”
“You can only spar with Crossing Tribulation Stage practitioners now, so don’t get any funny ideas about challenging the True Enlightenment folks.”
That shouldn’t be an issue, right?
There are only a handful of True Enlightenment practitioners in the entire realm. I probably won’t even run into one!
Being able to openly battle Crossing Tribulation Stage practitioners was already enough for Young Master Sang.
“Then, now that I’ve sparred with Gu Yingmian, will everything really go as smoothly as you said?”
“Just you wait,” Nian Nian pushed her glasses, her beautiful eyes calm. “In a few days, Gu Yingmian will start doubting her sword path.”
“If the effect is slow, you should spar with her a few more times.”
“Once she’s thoroughly beaten into doubting her life by the Qingping Fusheng Sword, her heart will waver, and her swordsmanship will plummet.”
“Plus, her reliance on the Dream Jun Sword is no longer going to be of help.”
“In less than half a month, a disheartened Gu Yingmian won’t even be able to wield a sword anymore.”
“And without a sword, Gu Yingmian can’t call herself a True Enlightenment practitioner.”
Young Master Sang’s eyes sparkled: “And then, I’ll return to the Demon Cult, challenge her again as the Punishment Department’s overlord!”
“Seizing the moment while she’s weakened, I’ll defeat her, take her Dream Jun Sword, gain fame, and make the Demon Cult a recognized holy ground among powers!”
“And I, the illustrious Punishment Department overlord… will finally achieve my long-awaited ambition of becoming the head of the Punishment Department!”
Such a beautiful prospect made Young Master Sang unable to contain his knowing smile.
Seeing his expression of joy, Nian Nian couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Whether things will go smoothly is still up for debate.”
“Don’t forget, she’s ultimately a True Enlightenment practitioner, a one-of-a-kind sword genius.”
“What if she turns it around herself? I advise you to consider cutting your losses and not provoke her further.”
That’s fair.
Better safe than sorry.
If it turns out she’s still a powerhouse at the True Enlightenment stage, then my face is certainly less important than my life.
“Well, at least for these next few days, I can still savor the feeling of showing off in front of a True Enlightenment practitioner.”
Thinking of this made Young Master Sang feel delighted and he happily crawled into bed.
——
——
As dawn broke, Gu Yingmian still stared blankly at the ceiling.
The entire night, she could not sleep a wink.
Every time she closed her eyes, her mind replayed Young Master Sang’s light and agile sword strike.
After a long silence, she slowly got up. The delicate blue and white nightgown wrapped around her slender waist as she stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet of her quarters.
Gu Yingmian sat in front of her vanity, gazing into the mirror at her beautiful face with almond-shaped eyes and cherry lips, which appeared a bit haggard.
She stared blankly for a while.
“…Gu Yingmian.”
“You cannot give up.” She suddenly began to talk to herself.
“You’ve poured everything into the way of the sword; your efforts will bear fruit.”
“You must believe in yourself, believe in your hard work, and also believe in the Dream Jun Sword.”
“They will not betray you.”
Saying this, she gently summoned the Dream Jun Sword, placing it on the table and stroking it gently.
The Dream Jun Sword seemed much colder to her now. In the past, as she affectionately caressed the blade, it would respond with a shiver and a sword cry.
But now, it just lay there, unresponsive.
“…Do you also think I’ve regressed?” A hint of bitterness flashed in Gu Yingmian’s beautiful eyes.
She remained silent for a long time, ultimately dispelling the confusion in her gaze.
“Stagnation won’t allow you to glimpse the true path of the sword in the future.”
“It’s just one failure.” She comforted herself, “I, Gu Yingmian, am not someone who can’t take a loss.”
“Today, I will seek Young Master Sang once more for a match.”
With that, she got up, washed, and dressed up, returning to the ethereal and unworldly founder of the Sword Palace.
What caught her off guard was that as she reached the door, she found Young Master Sang, who seemed to have been waiting there for quite some time.
“Gu Palace Master, I’ve come to shamelessly seek your guidance again.”
“May I ask if Gu Palace Master has prepared herself this time?” Young Master Sang said with a cheerful smile.
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