Su Qingjiu “swished” from Lin Zhao’s back to the window in front, arranging her hair and smoothing her clothes, looking like a refined young lady. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she said, “Brother Lin Zhao, we haven't seen each other for so many days, Little Jiu has missed you.”
Lin Zhao looked at her, as he always did, connecting this stunning woman before him with the little girl by the bridge in their hometown, twirling a windmill. He smiled and asked, “Tell me, why have you returned?”
“Brother Lin Zhao issued a decree for all under heaven, how could I possibly not return?”
Su Qingjiu pursed her red lips and gently held her Xunlu sword before her chest, saying, “Little Jiu’s sword is willing to serve Brother Lin Zhao, and also willing to serve the human race and the world.”
Lin Zhao frowned, “In my plan, the place you were to go was Shanhai Pass, not the Mountain Peak Villa.”
“Absolutely not!”
Su Qingjiu’s eyes immediately turned red. “Does Brother Lin Zhao want to repeat the past? The demon race was about to attack, and you sent Little Jiu to Changming Mountain? And then went to face death alone without hesitation?”
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t care about anything else. This time, even if I die, Little Jiu will die with Brother Lin Zhao. Even as ghosts, we will wander through the heavens and earth together.”
“…”
Looking at the beautiful girl before him, Lin Zhao’s nose suddenly felt a sting.
“Brother Lin Zhao,”
Su Qingjiu said softly, “I know Brother Lin Zhao’s state of mind, wanting to be the person Mr. Qin wouldn’t be disappointed in. That’s why Brother Lin Zhao has such public-mindedness, but when it comes to arranging for Little Jiu, there’s a bit of selfishness.”
She gave a wry smile. “Brother Lin Zhao’s little bit of selfishness makes Little Jiu very happy, but Little Jiu will absolutely not go to Shanhai Pass. If I die in battle, it will be at Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, because I am Su Qingjiu, this is my hometown, I am from Mountain Peak Villa, I am the daughter of Su Liang, a former officer of the Great Chen Dynasty, I am Brother Lin Zhao’s Little Jiu…”
“Alright.”
Lin Zhao’s voice softened considerably. “I understand. Then Little Jiu will remain at Snow Domain Heavenly Pool to serve. As for Changming Mountain, how did you arrange for it?”
“Just as Brother Lin Zhao said.”
Su Qingjiu sat up straight and said, “An eleventh-realm senior sister will remain to guard Changming Mountain, and Senior Sister Liang Xi will lead disciples above the Nascent Soul realm to Shanhai Pass to contribute to the human race and the world.”
“Hmm.”
Lin Zhao nodded. “It’s good that you’re here. My plans for Snow Domain Heavenly Pool indeed require your assistance. However… Little Jiu, you don’t need to suppress your cultivation anymore. Break through now. Without the thirteenth realm, I cannot let you face Wuwang Mountain directly.”
“Breaking through…”
Su Qingjiu smiled. “My state of mind is still a little lacking. It’s late now, what’s there to eat in the town?”
“The wine shop might still be open, but the food is average,”
Lin Zhao said. “Bai City was completely finished just two days ago. After their evening work, the artisans will have a drink and a bowl of wontons at the street corner. It’s not too late yet, perhaps there are still wontons available.”
“Okay, then Brother Lin Zhao will treat me to a bowl of wontons?”
“Let’s go.”
The two of them left, not flying on their swords, but descending the mountain from Mountain Peak Villa towards the town. There weren’t many people on the road, so Su Qingjiu naturally and intimately linked her arm with Lin Zhao’s. She wouldn’t dare do this during the day; gossips like Huang Tingyu and Lin Zhujie would surely make remarks, saying Little Jiu should just pick a date and marry Brother Lin Zhao.
…
In the small town, late at night, the wonton stall was indeed still open.
The owner was an honest man, with a simple and honest face, but he made excellent wontons. The shop was small, but business was excellent; he had been in Snow Domain Heavenly Pool for less than half a year and had already gotten married.
“Mountain Lord?”
The owner looked surprised. “So late… you’re out for wontons?”
“Mm.”
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile. “Boss Chen, you’re still open so late?”
“Not yet.”
The owner smiled. “There are many martial artists in the barracks practicing their fists south of the mountain. After their practice, they’ll come over for wontons and some steamed buns.”
“Is that so…”
Lin Zhao smiled. “Give me and Little Jiu a bowl of wontons each.”
“Certainly.”
Not long after, two steaming bowls of wontons were served. Lin Zhao said, “Boss Chen, the battle in Snow Domain Heavenly Pool is about to begin. You should leave early. Don’t wait until the demon race attacks to try and leave; Bai City will surely be under martial law then, to prevent demon spies from infiltrating.”
“Forget it, I’m not leaving.”
The owner smiled. “The town is so empty now, someone has to stay to make food for everyone, right? Those martial artists in the army, if they don’t have my food, they might have a hard time at night.”
“Listen to me.”
Lin Zhao smiled slightly. “Tomorrow at dawn, pack up and head south to Yun Province, preferably to Ji Province. Wait until the situation in Snow Domain Heavenly Pool stabilizes before returning. I’ll keep your stall for you. If the demon race destroys it, I’ll pay to rebuild it and invite you back.”
In an instant, the owner’s eyes turned red. “Mountain Lord… Thank you. Then I… will leave tomorrow?”
“Mm.”
Lin Zhao nodded. “I apologize… it’s our incompetence that forces everyone to leave their homes.”
“Ah, Mountain Lord, what are you saying…”
At this moment, Su Qingjiu had already picked up a small spoon and started eating her wontons. After the first wonton, her pretty face was filled with satisfaction. She squinted, her beautiful eyes turning into crescent moons, and smiled, “Delicious, delicious! It tastes just like it did when I was a child.”
Lin Zhao chuckled. “If it’s delicious, eat more.”
“Mm!”
As a result, after Su Qingjiu ate several wontons in a row, the slight lack in her state of mind was immediately filled. A strand of golden sword intent light surged around her. Even her beautiful pupils, previously squinted, now showed a deep golden hue. In an instant, an unimaginably powerful sword intent erupted, and she had already begun to break through.
Furthermore, she was breaking through with Sword Heart Connecting to the Divine, a fortune unparalleled in the world!
In an instant, figures appeared on the street. Huang Tingyu, Xu Zhi, Tang Guangjun, and Lin Zhujie, all sword cultivators, had arrived. Seeing Su Qingjiu sitting by the small stall eating wontons in the distance, smiles bloomed on their faces.
At this moment, the most abundant sword dao fortune in which world was no longer important.
Su Qingjiu breaking through in a small town in Snow Domain Heavenly Pool seemed to be in accordance with heaven’s will, the best arrangement.
Moreover, Su Qingjiu’s breakthrough to the thirteenth realm with Sword Heart Connecting to the Divine didn’t require much sword dao fortune. Having cultivated in Changming Mountain, she had already consumed more than half of the sword dao fortune from the southern regions of the human race, effectively storing it in Sword Heart Connecting to the Divine, and was now refining it all at once.
It was also a gesture of respect to the southern sword dao sects like Lingyan Sword Sect. Otherwise, with Su Qingjiu’s capabilities, she wouldn’t have left even half of that sword dao fortune.
“Congratulations!”
Huang Tingyu plopped down next to Lin Zhao. “Mountain Lord, Little Jiu has broken through and become an incredible thirteenth-realm sword cultivator. Should you be treating us? At least a bowl of wontons for each of us.”
“Yes, yes!”
Lin Zhao laughed heartily. “Everyone, sit down. Today’s meal is on me. Boss Chen, a bowl of wontons for everyone.”
He then looked at Tang Guangjun, who was devouring everything in sight and whose eyes were sweeping over the steaming baskets, making Lin Zhao speechless. “And twenty more baskets of meat buns.”
“Mountain Lord, so generous!”
Tang Guangjun gave a thumbs up.
Lin Zhujie grinned from the side. Putting everything else aside, he had managed to mooch this meal. He would have to eat at least two baskets to make it worthwhile.
…
Dawn was breaking.
A Confucian saint in white arrived at Tianran Ju, holding a talisman stone with a solemn expression. “I have set up two formations. One is called the ‘Mud Ox Entering the Sea’ formation, which uses the celestial and terrestrial constellations to drag the grand momentum, thereby alleviating the descent speed of Wuwang Mountain. The other is called the ‘Big Dipper Shifting Stars’ formation, a teleportation formation controlled by aura.”
He looked up at the stars. “Lin Zhao, just as you predicted, Wuwang Mountain’s descent speed is increasing. It has reached an unimaginable level now. Should we act immediately?”
“No rush.”
Lin Zhao looked towards the kitchen. “Dongcang and Li Ying are making breakfast. We’ll talk after we eat.”
“Alright.”
Inside Tianran Ju, Su Qingjiu, Huang Tingyu, Xu Zhi, and Tang Guangjun, four thirteenth-realm great sword immortals, stood tall. Additionally, there was Lin Zhujie, a twelfth-realm sword cultivator. At this moment, it seemed half of the human world’s sword dao resided in one Mountain Peak Villa.
As for the group of martial artists, Chen Ben, Yu Wanning, Chu Yu, and Mu Wawa were bewildered, not knowing what Lin Zhao was planning.
“Listen up, everyone.”
Lin Zhao looked at the assembled group, his expression serious. “Wuwang Mountain has been descending for a long time, and its speed is now very fast. If Wuwang Mountain impacts the lower realm at this speed, the consequences will be devastating. Even without the demon race on Wuwang Mountain acting, Snow Domain Heavenly Pool might already be flattened by the impact force.”
Huang Tingyu, Su Qingjiu, Xu Zhi, and the others’ expressions turned solemn. They hadn’t considered the issue as thoroughly as Lin Zhao and had not thought of this aspect at all.
“Therefore,”
Lin Zhao said in a low voice, “I’ve asked Brother Han Xin to set up a ‘Big Dipper Shifting Stars’ grand formation. My intention is to send Little Jiu, Huang Tingyu, Xu Zhi, Tang Guangjun, and Lin Zhujie, these five sword cultivators, to Wuwang Mountain in advance. We will be teleported to the base of Wuwang Mountain. Everyone will draw their swords from below upwards, and with all their might, alleviate the descent speed of Wuwang Mountain.”
He gritted his teeth. “If the plan fails, Brother Han Xin will guide us back. However, Wuwang Mountain is full of ascended demon cultivators, extremely perilous, so it’s highly likely we won’t be able to return once we go.”
“As long as we can kill demons, that’s enough.”
Su Qingjiu smiled faintly. “We don’t care!”
“Right!”
Huang Tingyu, Xu Zhi, and the others nodded with smiles.
“Brother Lin Zhao!”
Chen Ben frowned. “Aren’t you taking us martial artists up?”
“No.”
Lin Zhao shook his head. “The martial artists’ realms are generally too low; they’ll easily be killed.”
“Mountain Lord…”
Yu Wanning pursed her red lips, wanting to retort, but finding no grounds to do so.
“Let’s take one, at least.”
Han Xin said, arms crossed, his eyes seemingly piercing through some predestined thread. “At least take Chen Ben. This kid’s punches are heavy and powerful, and he has natural strength. He can even support mountains. Perhaps his punches will be more useful than the swords of the sword cultivators.”
“Yes!”
Chen Ben eagerly said, “Brother Lin Zhao, I’ll go with you!”
Lin Zhao frowned. “Alright, Chen Ben will come along. The rest of you will stay behind to guard Bai City. No more arguments.”
“Little Uncle.”
Suddenly, a voice echoed from below the mountain. As the voice arrived, so did the person: a handsome and refined scholar named Gu Lingyu, dressed in a Confucian robe. He smiled slightly. “I’ll go with you too. I can definitely help.”
“Good.”
Lin Zhao nodded. “Let’s all eat breakfast together, and then we’ll act.”