Su Ci
"You mean..." Fu Buci pondered whether this move was feasible; his sickly strategist's ideas were still as insidious as ever.
"Whether it's Heavenly Thunder or Sword Immortal, cough cough cough, since that person is hiding and doesn't dare to show himself, then he can't blame us for using that name." Ning Changkang covered his mouth and chuckled, while simultaneously coughing uncontrollably. "Besides the Alliance Leader, cough cough, who else could enter the Waiting Immortal Tower without reporting to the Immortal Alliance? That's irrefutable proof. Cough cough cough, the Alliance Leader's cultivation breakthrough today attracted Heavenly Thunder, and then he came to the Waiting Immortal Tower for trials, and before he knew it, he had passed the tenth floor—how perfectly logical! Cough cough—"
Fu Buci's eyes flickered a few times: "What if he shows up later? I absolutely cannot bear the stigma of being an imposter."
"How can it be considered impersonation?" Ning Changkang narrowed his fox-like eyes and said with a smile, "It's because this person refuses to show himself that the Alliance Leader has entered the game under his own name, just to force this person to show himself. If this person is useful, the Alliance Leader will be a person who cherishes talent. If this person is useless or even harmful, the Alliance Leader forcing him to show himself will be a great achievement. It is just like acting on behalf of Heaven to get rid of this villain."
Fu Buci was tempted.
Fu Buci thought it over carefully and said, "However, there is still one shortcoming. I cannot announce this news immediately today, otherwise it will seem that I am too eager for this title. Let's keep the news under wraps and give him a few days. If he still does not show up, then we will do as you said."
Ning Changkang bowed again: "The Alliance Leader is wise! Cough cough cough cough—" It sounded terrifying, as if he could cough up his internal organs.
Fu Buci glanced at him and said, "Get up. Why isn't your illness getting better?"
Ning Changkang straightened up, his eyes dimming slightly. He sighed, "My innate vital energy is insufficient, making cultivation difficult. I've only been able to stay alive these past few years thanks to the medicine given to me by the Alliance Leader. It's a miracle I'm still alive."
Fu Buci thought to himself, "Isn't it because he's always full of dirty tricks that he's been teased?"
Despite his thoughts, Fu Buci said aloud, "I've heard that Huichun Pavilion has produced a genius medical cultivator. I'll ask her to take another look at you recently. Maybe she can find a solution. All the necessary medicinal materials will be provided by Qingyun Immortal Palace."
"Thank you for your trouble, Alliance Leader!" Ning Changkang looked very touched.
"You should go and get some rest," Fu Buci said, feigning concern for his subordinate.
…………
Chao Du glanced at the "flock of birds" twice, then, feeling listless, asked his absent-minded self, "Didn't you want the Langyue Sword? Let's go."
"Ah... let me take one more look..." another murmured reluctantly, "Just how far has the gap between us widened? If it were before, I would never have hidden any of this from him. I would have happily shared with him that I had passed the tenth level of the Tower of Ascension, and he would have been happy for me too..."
Asahi lazily hummed twice, then sat up and began to meditate.
The other Asawa looked at her cautiously: "Are you disappointed in me?"
Asakawa answered with her eyes closed, "It's alright. More than being disappointed, I want to know what made you this way, and how to get you out of this kind of life."
The other Chaodu was slightly taken aback; she realized she had underestimated the patience and tolerance of her other self.
She suddenly felt a sense of pride in being noticed and embraced, a pride like a child, but also a sense of loss that paled in comparison: the other self was far superior to her in both cultivation and magnanimity.
"Why did I become like this? Is it really because of Fu Buci? Or is it because of myself? But I wasn't that different from her before..." Another Chao Du asked himself, but it was like searching for flowers in the fog, unable to find the answer.
She glanced at Fu Buci again, then finally stood up: "Let's go!"
...
Fu Buci's private treasury was located in the Qingyun Immortal Palace and was called "Guixian Pavilion". It was heavily guarded and patrolled by several teams.
Another Chao Du took out a specially made Xingyun Token and easily entered with the invisible Chao Du.
The rooms on the first floor were filled with all kinds of books.
Asakawa raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
The other Chao Du didn't stop and hurried up to the second floor, while Chao Du followed slowly.
The room on the second floor was filled with rows of priceless elixirs and rare medicinal herbs.
The other person continued upwards, and the two arrived at the third floor.
Chao Du looked up and saw a wall full of all kinds of weapons and magical artifacts.
Among them are several famous swords.
Another woman, Chao Du, eagerly searched for the Langyue Sword. Chao Du also looked around casually. Suddenly, her gaze sharpened: in the corner was a magnificent heavy sword.
This is Su Ci's sword from her original world, named "Wu Lian".
Now it's just sitting here gathering dust.
Chao Du walked over, picked up the heavy sword with one hand. The sword was made of black iron and was extremely heavy, but it was not as heavy as her feelings at this moment.
When another person went to find the Langyue Sword, he saw her carrying it and joked, "You dare to carry a new sword? Aren't you afraid your sword will get jealous?"
Chao Du gazed at the sword with a complex expression, and after a moment sighed, "This is Su Ci's sword."
Her friend Su Ci, the renowned "Heavy Sword of No Mercy," has become like this in this world: using his beauty to please others, with mediocre cultivation, vying for favor and power, and even trying to frame another version of himself through conspiracies and tricks.
"Who is Su Ci?" another Chao Du asked in confusion. "I don't think I know her."
Chao Du looked at her and sighed with a half-smile, "You know her, her original name was Su Rourui."
"Su... Rourui?!" Another Chaodu member immediately bristled, exclaiming in astonishment, "You know her too? She even changed her name?"
Chao Du nodded: "Not only do I know her, but I'm also her friend. She changed her name to Su Ci and is known as the 'Heavy Sword of No Mercy,' and she uses this sword."
Another Chao Du was still incredulous: "Are you sure Su Ci and Su Rou Rui are the same person? That seductive vixen Su Rou Rui can wield this heavy sword?!"
“I’m sure. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” Chao Du sighed. “It is indeed the same person. Perhaps the Su Rou Rui here didn’t learn heavy swordsmanship, nor did she change her name.”
The other Chaodu fell silent, then seemed to have thought of something and excitedly said, "She's your friend, why don't you save her too and turn her back into Su Ci, the 'Heavy Sword of No Mercy'!"
Chao Du glanced at her and saw right through her thoughts: "So that she won't compete with you for your favor, right?"
Another, looking away guiltily, said, "It's all for her, but it also has a small benefit for me... Ah! We found the Bright Moon Sword!"
As Chao Du watched as she carefully took the Langyue Sword from the sword rack, then held it tightly in her arms, pressing her cheek against the scabbard with a look of reluctance. Chao Du rubbed his brow and sighed helplessly.
“Let’s go!” The other voice, Chao Du’s, was overflowing with joy.
Chao Du nodded and put the Wu Lian Heavy Sword into his sleeve.
"You're going to take it away?" another Chaodu asked excitedly. "Are you really planning to turn Su Rourui into Su Ci?"
“I will try to help her,” Chao Du said. “When you go out later, if anyone asks you what you took with you, don’t mention this sword. Just pretend you never saw it.”
The other one, Asakawa, nodded repeatedly, looking extremely happy: "Don't worry, I understand!"
As soon as the two left Guixian Pavilion, someone at the entrance questioned them.
"May I ask if you took anything with you, Madam?"
Another Chao Du took out the Langyue Sword: "I only brought this."
The person in charge of registration nodded, made a note of it, and then let the other person cross the river.
Another Chao Du walked a little further away and whispered to the invisible Chao Du beside him, "Where to next... Ah, it's completely dark! Yi Xi must have already returned to the palace. I was planning to make her some golden shrimp before she came back!"
Chao Du looked at her, and she cautiously looked back at him: "I'll go make Yi Xi a plate of golden shrimp with honey, and then I'll start practicing my sword right away, okay? I've already promised her..."
Asakado said helplessly, "Do as you please."
The two returned to Qinse Palace. The other Chao Du went to confirm that Fu Yixi had returned safely, and then, amidst his daughter's complaints, hurriedly went to the kitchen to make golden honey shrimp.
Asakawa was meditating on the rooftop, but she could still clearly hear the conversation between the mother and daughter inside the house:
"Mom, why are you so late today? I've been waiting for the golden honey shrimp for ages!"
"I'm sorry, Mommy has something urgent to do today, I'll do it for you now!"
"Important matter? What important matter could you possibly have?" the girl asked, puzzled.
Silence fell in the room.
The other Asawa remained silent, whether because he was asked the question or because he couldn't answer.
Asakawa sighed softly, shook her head slightly, and then heard the conversation continuing from inside the room:
"Speaking of which, you weren't injured today, were you? Did you see that bitch Su Rourui?" It was another Chao Du asking.
The girl answered crisply, "I wasn't hurt, and I didn't see that bitch, but so many things happened today! First, there were huge black clouds in the sky, and then the Sword Immortal appeared! Wow, it was so spectacular! There's such a huge sword on top of the Immortal Tower! But I wanted to go see the Immortal Tower, but my father's guards wouldn't let me get close..."
After a while, another voice came from Chaodu: "He's not letting you get close for your own good."
"Okay, then, Mom, did you see that? The sunset in the sky is especially beautiful!"
"...I saw it, I saw it all. Here, the golden shrimp is ready, have a taste."
"Delicious! Sweet and crunchy, I love Mom's cooking the most!"
"Eat more if you like it! Come on, let's go back to the palace and eat slowly. It's not proper for us to eat here."
"Nobody's watching us," the girl muttered softly.
Following the footsteps inside the house, Chao Du stood up, stretched, and lightly stepped across the eaves and roof ridge, following the mother and daughter back to Qinse Palace.
After a while, Qinse Palace finally quieted down.
Another Chao Du arrived at the empty side hall and asked softly, "I've lulled Yi Xi to sleep, are you there?"
Chao Du used his wall-penetrating technique to pass through the roof and landed directly in the dark and silent side hall.
"Here, but are we spies sent by the Demon Lord to secretly meet here?" Chao Du asked somewhat helplessly, while waving his sleeve and using his spiritual power to light all the copper lamps and candles in the hall.
"Wow! It's so bright!" Another person closed their eyes for a moment before opening them again. They quickly looked around at the windows and asked worriedly, "But if we turn them all on, won't other people notice?"
As Chaodu surveyed the empty side hall, he thought to himself that it was quite suitable for practicing swordsmanship, and then helplessly reminded him, "You are the master of this palace, and whatever you do is reasonable. Don't be afraid."
"Alright! I'll start practicing my sword now! Sorry to keep you waiting." The other Chao Du smiled apologetically at her, "Yi Xi only loves to eat the golden honey shrimp that I make myself."
Asakawa sighed softly, "It's alright, you've had it tough too, keep practicing."
Another person nodded to Watari and asked, "Where should we begin?"
Chao Du thought for a moment and said, "Since you have also experienced the Battle of Jinxiu City, you should be familiar with the sword techniques of the Shan Hai School. Let's start by practicing the Shan Hai Sword Technique."
"Aren't you going to teach us something new?" another Asawa asked in surprise. "Aren't there any more powerful sword techniques?"
Chao Du chuckled: "For now, practicing the Mountain and Sea Sword Technique is enough for you. The Mountain and Sea Sword Technique is a pretty good sword technique, and the essence of all sword techniques is the same."
Asahi heard another version of herself wondering, "Could it be that she's too lazy to teach me anything new?" Hmm, she guessed a little bit right... But she is indeed suited to the Mountain and Sea Sword Technique now, so she should review what she already knows and find the feel of her old skills.
The other Asakawa didn't ask directly, but simply answered "okay," then nervously added, "But I don't think I remember that very clearly either, after all these years..."
“That’s easy.” Chao Du retrieved his memories of the Mountain and Sea Sword Technique from his sea of consciousness, and directly condensed a book in his hand, annotating each page with his own insights and experiences.
Another Asakawa happily took the sword manual, opened the first page and began to practice. After watching for a while, Asakawa commented, "It's quite good, not bad at all."
"Really?" The other Asakawa was overjoyed and swung his sword with even more vigor.
Chao Du watched for a while longer and then said, "Practice like this. You keep practicing, I'm going out for a walk."
"Where are you going?" another person asked.
Chao Du looked out the window and asked, "Where does Su Rou Rui live? I want to go see her."
"Alright, alright! Go ahead!" Another Chaodu was even happier. "That bitch, uh, Rourui lives in Rouhua Garden, south of Qinse Palace."
When Chao Du heard about Rouhua Ting, he remembered that Su Rourui was indeed known as the "Rouhua Fairy" before she became Su Ci. It was said that she could summon the spring breeze and make all the flowers bloom. The fragrance of her presence would last for three days, and petals would fall from her petals.
After becoming Su Ci, she also loved flowers and cultivated a fairyland-like sea of flowers in Qionghua Valley, but she didn't easily show it to outsiders. Only her trusted friends could enter, and Chao Du was honored to drink tea and admire the flowers with her in that flower fairyland.
“Then I’ll go,” Asakawa said.
"Go quickly! Go well!" another Asakado sincerely wished.
Chao Du waved his hand with a headache, leaped through the wall onto the roof, and strolled leisurely along the rows of roof ridges. While observing the surrounding layout and searching for "Rouhua Garden," he pondered what constituted "help" for Su Rou Rui in the present moment, and how he should "help."
What is honey to one is poison to another; this principle applies to people at different times. For Su Rourui now, her "help" might actually "harm" her, so she must be extremely cautious and, ideally, understand Su Rourui's own thoughts first.
Soon after, a fragrant breeze wafted over, and a courtyard full of blooming flowers, as beautiful as a fairyland, came into Chaodu's view.
That must be Rouhua Garden.
Chao Du took a few more steps and suddenly stopped: there were two people in the courtyard, one was Su Rou Sui and the other was Fu Bu Ci.
What a coincidence, he was there too.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com