Gift

There were no servants in the Soft Flower Garden. Only Su Rourui and Fu Buci were drinking and chatting happily in the pavilion full of pink and purple swallowtail flowers. Beside the pavilion were several clusters of pearly crabapple blossoms like rosy clouds, and a pond of purple-gold water lilies that shimmered with light.

The two were very close in the pavilion. Su Rourui poured wine for Fu Buci and fed him food directly into his mouth. They were very intimate and affectionate.

Asakawa has excellent hearing and can even hear the two of them talking.

"That man today was truly hateful; I must kill him!" It was Fu Buci's voice.

After thinking about it for a moment, Chao Du realized that the hateful person Fu Buci was talking about must be herself. Oh, she's only been here for less than a day, and she's already on his kill list?

However, since it concerned her life, she had to listen carefully to his grand plan.

With a few light leaps, Chaodu swiftly passed through several layers of defensive formations like the wind, landing on the purple crystal wisteria trellis on the north side of the Soft Flower Garden, directly opposite the pavilion covered in flowers.

Su Rourui offered a cup of wine and advised, "Immortal Lord, please calm down. How could that person be a match for you? He's just putting on an act of mystery. If he had real skills, why would he hide and refuse to show himself?"

Fu Buci agreed, "That's right, he's just a useless coward! He should show himself if he dares!"

Asakawa pondered. Her concealment should be fine, right? This sounds like a provocation to lure her out. Or do these two just like to belittle their opponents as rats when they talk, as if that's how he, the cat, has already won without a fight?

However, she did not expect Fu Buci to be so timid. She had not even shown herself, yet she had scared him like this. He was more like a mouse than a cat.

Then Fu Buci said, "Even if he doesn't show himself, I have ways to find him!"

Su Rourui quickly praised, "As expected of an Immortal Lord! What wonderful method do you have?"

Chao Du became interested and listened attentively.

Fu Buci smugly swirled his wine glass and laughed, "I've already had Cen Ling summon Yan Ke, the head of the Star Gazing Sect. He'll arrive tomorrow. With Yan Ke's divination skills, he can't hide anything. He can calculate his name, location, wife, children, past, and future clearly!"

Asawari: Wow, that's amazing. I'm kind of looking forward to it too.

Su Rourui said happily, "In this way, we will definitely be able to catch this overconfident rat!"

“That’s right!” Fu Buci said, downing his wine in one gulp and letting out a comfortable sigh. “He’s doomed! The Sword Immortal can only be me, and I can only be the first to become an immortal!”

Chao Du thought to himself, "Your wish seems to be more easily fulfilled through dreams, and it can only be fulfilled through dreams. Why don't you think of a way to revive the Dream Weaver?"

"Of course." Su Rourui refilled his glass, gently handing it to him with a charming smile. "You are undoubtedly the best in the world! How can he compare to you!"

Fu Buci narrowed his eyes, did not take the wine glass, and instead put his hand on Su Rourui's waist.

Su Rourui leaned into his arms.

Their gazes grew increasingly intense and lingering.

Asaka felt that what was about to happen might not be suitable for her to watch, but she still had a gift to give.

Chao Du raised his hand, and the heavy sword Wu Lian appeared in his hand.

She lifted the heavy sword, weighing several hundred pounds, with one hand as if it were a feather, effortlessly and gracefully.

She infused the "feather" with a wisp of spiritual power, and then threw the "feather" into the pavilion in the courtyard.

The massive and heavy Wulian Greatsword was like a light and swift hidden weapon, heading straight for "Number One Under Heaven" in the pavilion in the blink of an eye!

However, in the next instant, a sword aura flew out of the pavilion, deflecting the heavy sword and causing it to plunge into the pond beside it, creating a wave more than ten feet high and disturbing the peaceful purple lotuses sleeping in the pond.

Amid Su Rourui's exclamation, a figure wielding a sword appeared before Chao Du.

It was Fu Buci, whose clothes were already slightly disheveled.

He swiftly swung his sword at the invisible Chao Du, who slightly raised the corner of his mouth, dodged slightly, and stood a dozen feet away to the side. Seeing that Fu Buci had lost his target, he gritted his teeth.

"I know it's you. Show yourself if you dare!" Fu Buci said angrily.

Chao Du smiled, deliberately letting out a wisp of his aura, which prompted Fu Buci to draw his sword again at lightning speed.

Fu Buci's sword energy was fast and accurate, as fierce as a raging tiger or leopard. If it were to cut into the ground several feet deep, even a slight touch would be fatal. But at this moment, it hovered lightly above the fairy flower planted by Su Rourui, as if frozen into ice, and even emitted a faint light.

Fu Buci looked at the floating glimmer of light, his brows gradually furrowing.

Chao Du was relaxed and carefree, his hands behind his back. He deliberately let out a wisp of his aura and then concealed it again. When Fu Buci drew his sword again, the even faster and sharper sword energy was frozen.

Chao Du didn't give Fu Buci time to think deeply, appearing and disappearing repeatedly, causing Fu Buci to keep drawing his sword but to get nothing, which only made him more and more irritable and angry.

"Hiding and sneaking around like a dog, are you so ashamed to be seen in the light of day?!" Fu Buci asked angrily, a hint of barely perceptible panic in his voice.

So far, all his sword energy has either been blocked in mid-air and frozen into "ice" or disappeared without a trace, without harming that person in the slightest!

Chao Du smiled but remained silent, looking at the faint lights in the courtyard, and nodded in satisfaction.

Then, she deliberately revealed her presence one last time, leading Fu Buci to the top of the pavilion so that he could see the masterpiece he had left behind.

Standing atop the pavilion, Fu Buci could no longer sense the person's presence. His gaze turned grave as he carefully observed the courtyard. Suddenly, he noticed the crooked sword energy marks hanging in the air; from this angle, they formed three somewhat hastily written characters:

You don't deserve it.

Fu Buci: "...!!!"

He let out an angry roar before finally realizing that he had been tricked!

He could imagine the other party's contemptuous gaze and tone. Recalling the "exchange" just now, he realized that the other party had not accidentally revealed his aura at all, but was toying with him like a cat playing with a mouse!

But the two were fighting so fast that the man even changed positions several times in an instant. He also quickly unleashed several sharp sword energies to attack, and his competitive spirit was getting stronger and stronger, so he didn't even notice this!

"Guards! Guards!" Fu Buci angrily summoned the guards around him—they had been keeping a safe distance outside the courtyard, not wanting to disturb Fu Buci's good time tonight.

When they arrived, Fu Buci glanced at them and then quickly waved them away with a look of disdain.

Su Rourui asked worriedly, "Aren't we going to let them search?"

Fu Buci sneered: "These useless people won't be able to find him; it's a waste of time."

He closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and when he reopened them, his anger had lessened, replaced by calm: "Take men and investigate the origin of this heavy sword. Follow the clues to find as many leads as possible. By the time Yan Ke arrives tomorrow, we should at least be able to find out his identity and location. I will send word to the other six Immortal Servants who are on missions outside to return. He won't be able to escape."

“Yes, he can’t escape.” Su Rourui raised her hand, and the water lilies in the pond suddenly grew rapidly, wrapping the heavy sword around their vine-like stems and slowly and laboriously dragging it ashore.

"Wait!" Fu Buci suddenly said, squinting as he carefully examined the heavy sword. "I think I've seen this sword before... This is... the Wulian Heavy Sword? It should be kept in the Guixian Pavilion, how did he get his hands on it?!"

Su Rourui: "This..."

Fu Buci gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Taking the twelve swords from the Waiting Immortals Tower today wasn't enough for him, he even set his sights on my Returning Immortals Pavilion?! Isn't throwing the swords here a provocation?! Go and investigate! See what else is missing from the Returning Immortals Pavilion!"

Su Rourui was about to leave after receiving the order when she suddenly saw Fu Buci raise his hand and unleash a burst of spiritual energy. In an instant, all the "ice" in the air above the garden shattered, and countless bricks, stones, and flowers were blown up from the ground! Dust mixed with brick fragments and fallen flowers rose more than ten feet high, and even the artificial mountain was broken into dozens of pieces, which fell everywhere.

Not satisfied with that, Fu Buci waved his hand again, blasting the pavilion where they had just been drinking into dust.

The once exquisite and beautiful Soft Flower Garden was instantly transformed into a chaotic ruin.

Su Rourui stood frozen in place. The defensive necklace she was wearing came into play, releasing a circle of light that kept the loose dirt and rubble at bay, preventing them from hitting her.

Through the halo, she looked around with bewilderment and heartache, and cautiously asked, "Immortal Lord, what is this...?"

"These traces can't be left; they're making this garden even more unsettling." Fu Buci vented his frustration, let out a long sigh, and felt much better.

He looked at Su Rourui, who was still standing there, frowned, and asked in a cold voice, "Why aren't you going yet?"

Su Rourui deactivated her aura, opened her mouth to speak but choked on a mouthful of dust, coughing for a while before recovering. She whispered, "These flowers... I've been growing them for many years..."

"Just a few flowers," Fu Buci said dismissively. "If you want something else, just have someone find it. I'll also get you a new garden."

After several breaths, Su Rourui lowered her eyes and slowly nodded.

"Then hurry up and go," Fu Buci urged. "Don't delay important matters."

"Yes," Su Rourui replied with her head down. Then she bent down, picked up a broken crabapple blossom that had fallen to her feet, put the flower in her sleeve, and turned to walk towards the door.

When she reached the entrance of Rouhua Garden, she couldn't help but turn back and take a deep look at the courtyard that had been reduced to ruins, with tears still glistening in her eyes.

After Su Rourui's figure disappeared through the door, Fu Buci shook his head and sneered, "Useless, just a few worthless flowers."

He turned and left the desolate ruins, not deigning to look at them a second time.

...

Su Rourui summoned her maids and trusted confidantes, and also selected several managers from Guixian Pavilion to check the inventory list together. They quickly finished checking it.

The only thing missing was the heavy sword, which had vanished without a trace. No clues were found, and it was even unknown when it disappeared.

But coincidentally, Chao Du came by today and even took a sword.

Normally, Su Rourui would definitely make a big deal out of Chao Du, even if it had nothing to do with Chao Du, she would definitely create some connection to drag Chao Du down with her.

But today she suddenly didn't want to do it anymore. She glanced at Chao Du's name, closed the booklet, and exhaustion washed over her like a tide, enveloping and consuming her, making it hard for her to breathe.

I'm so tired.

She staggered back to Rouhua Garden, but Fu Buci was no longer there; only ruins remained.

She had carefully nurtured and cared for these precious flowers for many years, cultivating such a fairyland-like courtyard. Today, it was not damaged much by the assassin, and Fu Buci's sword energy was completely suspended in mid-air or disappeared. However, the entire courtyard was destroyed in a single thought by Fu Buci, leaving nothing behind.

She unconsciously walked into the courtyard, then stood there blankly, wanting to sit down and reminisce for a moment, but there wasn't a single clean and intact place left for her.

She wanted to complain, but she couldn't, and there was no one to complain to—Fu Buci would only think she was nagging, incompetent, and useless, and she had already seen the consequences of being disliked by him on Chao Du.

Ironically, she had once greatly admired the deep affection between Fu Chao and his wife, to the point that she lacked confidence in the task assigned to her by her family.

Even she herself didn't expect that she would succeed, and succeed so easily.

When she realized she had succeeded, Su Rourui couldn't quite describe her feelings at that moment—whether it was triumph and joy, or despair and fear.

That seemingly perfect couple, envied by thousands, actually broke up with a gust of wind.

Su Rourui stood in front of a flowerbed ruin, waving wearily, "Go find out where the Immortal Lord went. I'm resting here for a while."

The maids around her dispersed.

Su Rourui stood alone in the ruins, staring blankly at the former "fairyland," when she suddenly noticed something shimmering in the soil beside the original water lily pond.

She walked over in confusion, raised her hand, and summoned the remaining water lilies in the pond to pull the shimmering thing out from the rubble and rubble.

"The Wulian Heavy Sword?" she asked in surprise. Fu Buci hadn't taken it with him; it seemed he didn't care much about the sword.

Indeed, Fu Buci doesn't use heavy swords much. Although this sword is on the list of famous swords, not many people crave it because not many people use heavy swords.

She suddenly felt a pang of pity for it: because it was on the list, collected by Fu Buci, because it was hidden in Guixian Pavilion, used by that unknown person to ambush and provoke Fu Buci, and finally left here, ignored by everyone.

...Just like her, she was also powerless, no one ever asked her what she wanted, and she was also a pawn.

She seemed to see her future reflected in that sword.

She gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile, took out the tattered begonia flower from her sleeve, and gently placed it on the dust-covered blade of the Wulian Heavy Sword.

A withered flower and a discarded sword—that's quite fitting.

Speaking of which, she quite liked greatswords when she was a child. Greatswords looked majestic and imposing. No one could ignore a huge greatsword, nor would they dare to underestimate its owner.

If she had a heavy sword, she could protect the lovely flowers she had carefully cultivated, preventing them from being given away casually as gifts by her family. She could also protect herself from becoming a pawn.

However, her family forbade her from touching such "fierce" weapons.

All she had to do was be a good fairy and wait for a high-ranking "celestial lord" to protect her.

She gave a mocking smirk, tears glistening in her eyes, her fingertips brushing against the dust-covered greatsword: "You were destined to never have a good master, and I was destined to never have a greatsword of my own...?!"

The light of the Unyielding Heavy Sword suddenly became several times brighter, enveloping her entire vision. In an instant, countless images and sounds appeared before her eyes like bubbles.

"Give it a try. Life is long. Give yourself a chance to do what you really want to do."

A somewhat familiar voice spoke, and a pair of hands handed the Wulian Heavy Sword to a beautifully dressed girl with a face like a begonia.

"This girl...is that me?!" Su Rourui exclaimed in astonishment. "When did this happen?! Is this an illusion?"

Su Rourui watched as "herself" struggled to take the Wulian Heavy Sword. Although she could barely hold it, she gripped the hilt tightly and refused to let go.

Next, in a secret realm where day and night stopped, "oneself" diligently practiced swordsmanship with the owner of the voice, and calluses gradually formed on their originally tender hands.

"Perhaps, to think things through, you have to let go first," the somewhat familiar voice said.

“I understand. I am willing to sacrifice myself so that I may get what I want.” That “self” put on a mask, carried a heavy sword, stood tall with a sharp gaze, and was completely different from the one who couldn’t even hold a sword properly before.

"May our Su Ci be reborn."

She abandoned her original name, her identity as a young lady of the Su family, the title of "Gentle Flower Fairy," and the "Hundred Flowers Technique" she originally cultivated...

Not long after, the cultivation world gained a fearsome figure known as "Heavy Sword of No Mercy," who became famous and influential throughout the land in just a few years.

'...What are these things?!' Amidst her shock and confusion, another scene flashed before her eyes:

A pair of hands sheathed the black jade longsword, and opposite him was "himself" carrying the Wulian Heavy Sword, or rather, Su Ci.

Su Ci stood there, his clothes stained with blood, but he was calm and composed, his shoulders and back straight, exuding confidence and authority without anger.

The somewhat familiar voice called out to Su Ci with a smile: "Sword Master Wulian, you are quite impressive! It seems that the Su family has a new candidate for the young master."

'The young master of the Su family?!' Su Rourui was stunned; she had never dared to dream of that position.

The "self" in the picture calmly nodded and even took off the blood-stained mask.

Beneath the mask was a face that resembled Su Rourui in appearance but not in spirit: her features were still bright, but more relaxed and composed than before, with a sharper edge between her brows.

With a slight smile and an air of confidence, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Those incompetent people in the Su family should take a break."

As the light gradually dimmed, another scene emerged. It was that somewhat familiar voice, smiling and saying, "With the new Immortal Alliance formed, Young Master Su, you must come and lend me your support."

The person extended her hand, and Su Ci placed her hand in return, shaking it as she smiled, "Of course. By the way, I've been growing some flowers in Qionghua Valley. Would you like to go and see them?"

"Great, it would be my honor," the somewhat familiar voice replied.

The next instant, the boundless sunset, dyed purple and gold, and the vast sea of ​​flowers, beautiful as a fairyland, leaped into Su Rourui's eyes.

That was her dream, a sea of ​​flowers that belonged only to her, filled with the flowers she loved... It wasn't a gift to be given by her family, but something that belonged only to her, something she would protect.

Su Rourui stared blankly at the dreamlike sea of ​​flowers, so much so that when the light completely disappeared, she unconsciously reached out as if to hold it back.

But dreams cannot be held onto.

Wait, is this a dream? What is this?

Was this an illusion created specifically for her? And who was that familiar voice in her dream...?!

Su Rourui froze, then suddenly remembered—it was clearly Chao Du's voice!

Although the tone and manner of the voice were quite different from the Asahi she usually knew, it was indeed Asahi's voice!