A moment ago, the elder of Busi Manor had still thought that this was merely some mad cultivator deliberately causing trouble. But when the name “Xinrui” came from Shu Xin’s lips, even he couldn’t help taking another look at her.
Upon closer inspection, the young female cultivator’s features did indeed bear a faint resemblance to the manor lord.
Very few people in the outside world knew that, before formally inheriting Busi Manor, the manor lord had once been involved with a female cultivator from the Hehuan Sect.
However, the Hehuan Sect was ultimately a major demonic sect. Even if one deliberately avoided mentioning its status as a demonic sect, that fact could not be changed.
As an affiliated sect of the Xuanling Dao Sect, Busi Manor naturally could not allow rumors to spread about its young lord carrying on a romantic affair with a woman from the Hehuan Sect. Thus, very few people knew about the matter—and this particular elder happened to be one of them.
“Nonsense.” Even though the elder believed her words to some extent, he absolutely could not let Shu Xin continue spouting such claims. This marriage alliance was a matter between two sects, as well as a symbol of the deepening ties between Busi Manor and the Xuanling Dao Sect. At a time like this, let alone some unidentified daughter appearing out of nowhere—even if she truly were the manor lord’s daughter, she still could not be allowed to interfere with this important occasion.
“Everyone knows that female cultivators of the Hehuan Sect almost never bear children,” the elder snapped. “In consideration of your young age, I’ll advise you to leave immediately!”
A considerable number of the female cultivators in the Hehuan Sect had joined voluntarily in order to escape being kidnapped by aristocratic families or other cultivators and forced to serve as breeding machines.
As a result, most of them severed their ability to bear children in exchange for their own safety. Furthermore, competition among the Hehuan Sect’s core disciples was no less fierce than anywhere else. Some male cultivators of the Hehuan Sect were naturally fortunate enough never to have to bear children, while a female cultivator who gave birth had to use her spiritual energy to nourish the baby, causing her cultivation to decline. How, then, could she compete with others?
Over time, Hehuan Sect disciples—especially its female disciples—absolutely could not have any history of childbirth if they wished to advance in cultivation.
Once one had a child, one had attachments, and attachments became an obstacle to the Dao heart.
The Hehuan Sect was called a demonic sect precisely because its doctrine was to harvest yang to replenish yin, severing emotions and abandoning love.
While you were still useful to them for cultivation, their disciples would treat you with incredible tenderness and obedience, becoming the perfect goddess in nearly every man’s heart.
But once your yang energy was depleted and your cultivation fell below theirs, you had better escape in time. Otherwise, you might end up being sucked dry and reduced to a pile of bones.
The disciples of the Hehuan Sect were especially fond of hunting Buddhist cultivators and sword cultivators, who were famous for advocating abstinence.
Among the great aristocratic clans, the most outstanding disciples were all required to attend lessons on how to identify female cultivators from the Hehuan Sect.
A maid who threw herself at you, an orphan girl you rescued when she was on the verge of death, or a childhood sweetheart who suddenly came looking for you after many years apart—if any of them wanted to cultivate a dual practice with you, reject them all without exception!
Of course, whether that many people truly rejected them could be seen from the rate at which the Hehuan Sect’s disciples advanced in cultivation.
There were plenty of men whose minds had been clouded by lust.
A female cultivator from a sect like this might be as beautiful as a celestial goddess, but one still had to remain on full alert around her.
…But unfortunately, the manor lord himself loved precisely this kind of dangerous excitement.
Back then, Fairy Xinrui had been a highly anticipated prodigy within the Hehuan Sect. Could she really have abandoned her promising future in the sect just to bear a child for their manor lord?
“Fine, fine, so you’re refusing to acknowledge me, are you?” Shu Xin directly took out a meditation cushion and tossed it onto the ground. She sat down cross-legged, making it perfectly clear that she intended to cause trouble. “I’ll stay right here and make a scene until my father agrees to see me. The moment he does, I’ll get up. Otherwise, I’ll let every guest coming and going see how you treat me!”
“Absurd! Absolutely absurd! Guards, throw her out immediately!” Hearing Shu Xin’s shameless threat, the elder was instantly enraged. Did she really think their manor was some place where everything had to be handled reasonably?
There was no need to reason with someone who refused to be reasonable.
However, just as the guards were about to forcibly drive Shu Xin away, a defensive treasure suddenly appeared around her body, protecting her completely.
And clearly carved into that defensive treasure were the two characters “Hehuan.” It even bore the image of a twin lotus—the emblem of a disciple of the Hehuan Sect.
“Go ahead, then. Do your worst.” Shu Xin wore a smug expression. “If anything happens to me, my sect won’t let you off. Besides, I’m only a minor female cultivator. If my death can make Busi Manor and the Hehuan Sect turn against each other, then at least I’ll have vented my anger.”
Everyone knew that the cultivators of the Hehuan Sect fought viciously among themselves, each one more ruthless than the last. They especially enjoyed destroying people both physically and psychologically.
At the same time, they were extremely protective of their own. If they discovered that one of their disciples had died for no reason, those wicked women would truly come knocking at the door.
A sect composed mostly of women had managed to secure a place among the demonic sects precisely because of their ruthlessness.
“Elder, we can’t let her keep causing a scene,” a handsome young man with smiling eyes cautiously whispered into the elder’s ear at that moment. “The other guests—and even the distinguished guests from the Dao sect—will be arriving soon. We should find a way to calm her down for now. We can deal with her quietly afterward.”
“Besides, if this woman is telling the truth, you’ll have trouble explaining yourself to the manor lord. It would be safer to inform him first.”
The elder turned around. Upon hearing the young man’s suggestion, he realized that it was indeed reasonable.
He had been too hasty.
For now, the most important thing was to control the situation and prevent this female cultivator from causing a scene in front of the distinguished guests.
“You’re right.” The elder nodded. “I remember that you only joined the manor recently. You certainly have some courage.”
“This disciple only wishes to cultivate within the manor. Since I have joined the manor, it is only natural that I should consider its interests.” The young man immediately declared his loyalty.
“Very well. Since you were the one who proposed this suggestion, you will be responsible for handling it. If you do a good job, the manor happens to be in need of a few minor stewards. I can put in a good word for you.”
Without hesitation, the elder dumped the entire mess onto the young man who had offered the advice.
If one wanted to rise through the ranks, one had to be capable of solving problems for those above.
Otherwise, one should not step forward in the first place!
The male cultivator gritted his teeth. “Yes, Elder. This subordinate will certainly handle it properly.”
“Fellow Daoist, you came to our manor to seek your family, not to seek revenge, correct? How about this: come with me first. We’ll enter through the manor’s side gate, and I’ll send someone to inform the manor lord,” the young man advised, bowing toward Shu Xin. “If this matter becomes a major scene, damaging the manor lord’s reputation and standing, surely that is not something you wish to see.”
“At least there’s one sensible person among you.” Shu Xin was willing to give him some face. “Very well. As long as you can let me meet my father, I won’t cause any more trouble.”
The male cultivator breathed a sigh of relief. “Please come this way.”
Shu Xin released the restriction on her defensive treasure.
At that very moment, the elder, who had been so agreeable just moments ago, suddenly struck out with his palm.
He clearly intended to kill Shu Xin on the spot.
“Elder, don’t—” The male cultivator obviously hadn’t expected such a move. He instinctively tried to block the attack.
But before his words could even leave his mouth, Shu Xin had already dodged.
The elder’s supposedly unexpected strike was avoided by the Core Formation female cultivator standing before him.
Instead, the male cultivator was caught in the aftershock of the elder’s unretracted palm wind. He was sent flying and crashed to the ground, coughing up a large mouthful of blood. From the looks of him, he was barely breathing in and not breathing out.
“The Acacia Sect’s Shadowstep. So you really are a disciple of the Acacia Sect.”
The elder slowly withdrew his hand, as though the attack just now had merely been an unintentional test.
“I suppose no one would go so far as to impersonate one,” Shu Xin replied. She neither grew angry nor spared the male cultivator who had tried to help her a second glance.
“Hmph. It certainly is the Acacia Sect’s way of doing things.” Seeing her reaction, the elder became even more certain of Shu Xin’s origins. “Come. I’ll take you to see the manor lord.”
“Then I have you to thank, Elder,” Shu Xin said with a smile.
【…Wow. If an ordinary Acacia Sect disciple had come here, she definitely wouldn’t have dodged that just now,】the Sword Spirit exclaimed. 【That was meant to be a killing blow.】
“It’s perfectly normal. If you can’t solve the problem, then solve the person who brought it up instead,” Shu Xin replied. “Is that male cultivator all right?”
【He only broke a few bones. He won’t die. You did secretly save his life, after all,】the Sword Spirit said irritably. 【I hadn’t realized it earlier, but when you secretly kept him alive, I noticed that he looked familiar.】
“Mm. He was probably arranged here by Jingzhi,” Shu Xin said casually. “He always liked to plan ahead when we played chess. This piece he planted is truly ingenious. If used properly, it may be worth more than years of arduous cultivation.”
On the road to revenge, one naturally had to use every possible means.
Especially when facing a cultivator who was overwhelmingly powerful.
Most of the people Situ Jian had recruited shared a blood feud with the Longevity Dao Sect. That male cultivator was likely no exception.
However, the male cultivator’s methods were clearly lacking. Without Situ Jian, he probably wouldn’t have been able to avenge himself at all.
【But I don’t understand. That cultivator had just helped the elder come up with a plan, and the elder even let him take you to see the manor lord. Why kill him when he was trying to kill you? That old bastard is at the Dao Infant stage. Wouldn’t it be easy for him to control his strength?】
“Because, in front of everyone in the manor, the elder couldn’t resolve the matter, yet a newcomer managed to do it for him,” Shu Xin explained. “In the workplace, unless you have powerful backing, you must never step forward and make your superior look incompetent. Not only will you fail to earn gratitude, you’ll become your superior’s imagined enemy.”
【What? But what if the problem really can’t be solved?】The Sword Spirit was utterly baffled.
Wasn’t solving the problem the most important thing?
“How could it be unsolvable? You find your superior privately, tell him how to solve it, and then take the initiative to put his name on it. Most of the time, the credit can be split between you,” Shu Xin said casually. “Otherwise, you end up like that male cultivator. You offer the solution, but as long as you’re gone, the method becomes someone else’s. Look at what’s happening now. Isn’t this elder the one taking me to see the manor lord?”
As for that male cultivator, if he was lucky enough to survive, he would naturally learn to be wiser.
Tsk. It seemed this was his first infiltration mission.
To infiltrate a place, the most important thing was not to reveal any ambition to rise through the ranks. It was to find yourself a patron first.
【You humans have the nerve to accuse foxes of being scheming? You’re the truly calculating ones,】the Sword Spirit said, thoroughly dizzy from listening, though it had more or less understood.
Shu Xin merely smiled.
The male cultivator, meanwhile, lay on the ground for quite some time before slowly climbing to his feet.
Several of the manor’s cultivators saw him, but none went over to help. At the same time, with everyone watching, no one made a move to finish him off either.
“Newcomer, be a little smarter next time.”
“Being clever alone isn’t enough to survive here.”
“Hopefully, the elder didn’t remember you.”
…
The male cultivator merely nodded lightly, then dragged his battered body back toward his bunk, inch by painful inch.
Cultivators like them had no private rooms of their own. All they had were communal sleeping quarters, with several hundred people crammed into each one.
Sure enough, things were just as his master had said.
To carry out this mission, caution was the most important thing.
It was laughable that he had thought he could do better.
The male cultivator sighed and extinguished every trace of ambition in his heart.
From now on, he would simply wait obediently.
Since his master had said that all he needed to do was wait, he wouldn’t do anything unnecessary again.
For the sake of revenge, any amount of waiting was worthwhile.
“Wait here. I’ll go inform the manor lord.” The elder brought Shu Xin to sit in a side hall, then ordered several maids to bring her food and drink before leaving.
Shu Xin knew that the elder would be easy to deal with. The real test would be Xi Fu.
If she wanted to successfully get him to acknowledge her as his daughter, what she needed was courage and a sharp mind.
And, as a bonus, she had to pray that Xi Fu was an intelligent man.
An intelligent person knew how to seek advantages and avoid harm. A fool would only make things worse.
After an unknown length of time, a handsome, extravagantly dressed cultivator appeared before Shu Xin and silently watched her.
Although the cultivator was using a special technique, how could it possibly escape Shu Xin’s perception?
Even so, Shu Xin pretended to be startled. She immediately jumped to her feet.
“Who are you?”
“You claim to be the daughter of Xinrui and me, yet you don’t even know who I am?” The newcomer was none other than Xi Fu, the manor lord of the Busi Mountain Manor.
“Isn’t that normal? My mother never intended to have me come here and acknowledge you. But something went wrong with her cultivation, and she was sabotaged by her fellow disciples. She no longer had the strength to compete for a core disciple position within the sect, and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to protect me. That was why she told me to come and seek refuge with you.”
Shu Xin’s lie had been perfectly prepared long ago.
Most importantly, Fairy Xinrui had already died.
There were no witnesses left to contradict her.
“If that’s the case, then it would be better if neither of us acknowledged the other.” Xi Fu carefully examined Shu Xin’s spiritual roots and aptitude. They were indeed excellent, with every indication that she might surpass her mother.
Under different circumstances, he might have been interested in acknowledging her as his daughter and raising her as a little pet.
But now, he was on the verge of forming a marriage alliance with the Xuanling Dao Sect. At a time like this, not even his own mother could disturb him, much less a biological daughter.
“What do you mean?” Shu Xin demanded indignantly. “Are you saying that my mother damaged her cultivation just to give birth to me, and now you refuse to take responsibility?”
However, in the next moment…
Shu Xin was already being crushed beneath an inexplicable pressure. She could barely keep herself upright and had to brace herself against the chair beside her to avoid collapsing to her knees.
Xi Fu merely looked at her coldly.
“First, your mother was a cultivator of the Acacia Sect. Among the men she was involved with, there were at least eighty, if not a hundred. I wouldn’t even make the top three, so there’s a very good chance you aren’t my daughter. Second, even if I refuse to acknowledge you, what can you do about it? You’re only one child. If I wanted more, there would be plenty of female cultivators willing to bear them for me. I have no shortage of you. This Manor Master is overlooking the matter because of the Acacia Sect and because today is my wedding day. Otherwise, you would already be a corpse.”
Shu Xin’s face immediately filled with disappointment, anger, unwillingness, and a host of other emotions.
The Sword Spirit cried out in astonishment, “You’re acting way too well!”
“Oh? Whether I’m your biological daughter is easy enough to determine. You only need to use a bloodline art to verify it.”
Very good. Not only was he a smart man, he was also a cold-blooded one.
That was even better.
“A ridiculous suggestion. How would this Manor Master know any demonic art of that sort?” Xi Fu’s fingers twitched, though he made no move for the moment.
“But my mother said you know it.” Shu Xin stared into Xi Fu’s eyes and enunciated each word. “Are you really saying you don’t?”
Xi Fu and Shu Xin silently confronted each other.
How could he not know the bloodline art?
The hidden master of Busi Manor was Cui Yuhua of the Blood Demon Sect. The Blood Demon Sect was best known for bloodline arts. In fact, it could even be said that this technique had originally been a divine art used by humanity’s ancestors to oppose demons, but had been transformed into a demonic art that struck fear into everyone’s hearts only after generations of Blood Demon Sect cultivators altered it.
Therefore, Xi Fu definitely knew the bloodline art. But he absolutely could not admit it, much less use it.
That was precisely the possibility Shu Xin was betting on.
In modern terms, this was like someone showing up at your door claiming to be a relative, then taking the initiative to suggest a DNA test—and even allowing you to choose the testing facility.
That alone made the lie far more believable.
“What is it? Manor Master Xi, are you afraid to try?” Shu Xin pressed. “If you don’t know how to use it, should I return to the sect and ask the elders to make a copy of the technique for you, so that Manor Master Xi can learn it directly?”
Xi Fu looked at Shu Xin, and the murderous intent in his eyes gradually became more apparent.
Did this female cultivator know about his connection to the Blood Demon Sect, and was she bringing up the bloodline art to test him?
Or was there some other reason?
In an instant, Xi Fu’s mind raced through countless possibilities.
At such a critical juncture, a cultivator claiming to be his daughter had suddenly appeared—and had even taken the initiative to mention the bloodline art.
Could an ordinary Core Formation cultivator really know about this technique?
Someone must be manipulating her from behind the scenes.
Even if she truly was his daughter, he absolutely could not allow her to leave the manor alive.
“It would be best if Manor Master Xi didn’t try to attack me.” Shu Xin smiled. “Very well, I’ll tell you the truth. We cultivators of the Acacia Sect are extremely interested in the person behind you.”
She deliberately spoke in an extremely vague manner, leaving Xi Fu to fill in the blanks himself.
“My identity is merely an added bargaining chip. When my mother gave birth to me, she was thinking more along the lines of keeping a rare commodity in reserve. Now that she’s heard you’re going to marry a disciple of the Xuanling Dao Sect, I was sent here.”
The more one said, the more mistakes one made.
By keeping things half-hidden and half-revealed, she could instead let Xi Fu put the pieces together himself.
Shu Xin had no idea what Xi Fu had inferred, but the murderous intent in his eyes gradually faded. Even so, he still refused to reveal anything. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Believe me or don’t.” Shu Xin knew that since he no longer intended to kill her, the matter had become much easier to handle. “The Xuanling Dao Sect has already begun to decline, and the person behind you is getting restless, hoping to take a bite out of it. Our Acacia Sect doesn’t want much. We merely want to use this opportunity to claim a share of the spoils. As for anything else, Manor Master Xi can rest assured. Our sect advocates severing emotions and desires. Whatever my true identity may be, it will never interfere with your future plans.”
Xi Fu’s expression gradually softened.
If the Acacia Sect truly intended to insert itself into the situation, he would need to return and discuss matters carefully with his master to determine what they should do next.
“We’ll discuss these matters later.” Xi Fu could not possibly agree so easily.
“Then I’ll wait.” Shu Xin smiled. “I intend to stay at Busi Manor and serve as the sect’s point of contact. Manor Master Xi needn’t be so worried. On the contrary, you should be pleased. If one more person is willing to place a bet on your side, doesn’t that mean someone has even more confidence in you?”
“This is a critical moment in my marriage alliance with the Xuanling Dao Sect. I can’t suddenly produce a daughter out of nowhere.” Xi Fu still refused to agree.
“She doesn’t have to be your biological daughter. She can be your adopted daughter.” Shu Xin took a step back and immediately cupped her fists toward Xi Fu. “I have wandered alone for half my life without ever encountering a worthy lord. Adoptive father, please accept this daughter’s bow.”
Xi Fu looked at the female cultivator before him, his eyes filled with complicated, unreadable emotions.
He did not agree at once.
But Shu Xin was not in a hurry. He could take his time thinking. She could afford to wait.
“Honestly, someone like you would thrive wherever you went.” The Sword Spirit sighed once again. “These demonic cultivators may be a little more ruthless and a little more selfish than you, but in every other respect, they’re practically recruits compared to you.”
Who knew where Shu Xin had learned all those twists and turns?
What kind of life had she lived before?
“You wouldn’t understand. When simply surviving becomes a struggle, people naturally focus on how to stay alive. As long as the strong prey on the weak, that’s enough.” Shu Xin smiled. “But when people live in peace under a well-established legal system, and still want to fight among themselves without causing deaths or injuries, they can only put their efforts into all sorts of unconventional schemes. The tricks and stratagems involved are constantly updated—there’s practically a new version every day.”
Shu Xin might not have been good at much, but back then, she had taken a few extra classes.
“Mm. Aside from the Hu and Fan families, you’re about to bring about the downfall of a third clan.” The Sword Spirit glanced at the scale of Busi Manor and spoke sourly. “The speed at which you destroy clans and bring down sects isn’t even a little slower than that of my former masters.”
They had merely carried their swords and slaughtered their way through, making all those corrupt forces disappear.
Shu Xin used a different method.
Yet she could bring down one cultivator force after another without spilling a drop of blood.
The irony was that Shu Xin, who destroyed the foundations of entire clans and wiped them out at the root, remained unknown, with others even believing her to be a good person. Meanwhile, the Sword Spirit’s former masters had been branded as fiends who would bring about the destruction of the world.
Compared with Shu Xin’s desire to change the rules of the entire cultivation world, and her habit of destroying the foundations of entire clans at the slightest whim, its former masters had practically been saints!
