Chapter 67: Rouge Gu (Part 3)

“Does Second Miss Zhao even know how to fight?”
Before the words finished, Xu Qianyu tilted her head, and three small cuts appeared on her neck from the sword’s energy.
“Just now, I saw her moving gracefully, and I thought she had some skill. But when it comes down to it, why is she like this? Always a step slower than others.”

“Ugh, it’s infuriating to watch.” The young brocade in brocade robes shook his fan with force.
Flower moon martial prowess; everyone has an opinion on it and loves to place bets on matches. The holy maiden seemed refined and gentle, while Zhao Mingtang was sharp and bold. As a result, more people had actually bet on Zhao Mingtang to win.

However, with Zhao Mingtang constantly being suppressed, the crowd grew agitated, cursing her as useless.
“Host, the pleasure value is increasing.”
“Understood.” The holy maiden moved gracefully like a swan and landed lightly on the other side, her flowing sleeves drawing many admiring glances.

The swordsmanship had been exchanged from the shop, with the combat mode set to its highest, limiting her opponent’s movements. Zhao Mingtang’s every move appeared in slow motion, with her weaknesses clearly marked. To the Saintess, it felt as simple as a game.

On the other hand, Xu Qianyu felt as though the air around her was as heavy as iron, weighing down her arms and forcing her to move slowly, with each motion meeting tremendous resistance.
Realizing this, she began to resist passively, standing still without moving.
“Don’t give up, Xiao Qian!” Even though Keyun had just been insulted by Xu Qianyu, seeing her sulking and giving up made him anxious. “At least put up a bit of a fight.”

Before he could finish, the holy maiden swooped down, her sword striking toward Xu Qianyu’s face. Xu Qianyu raised her sword and blocked it above her head.
“Oh, look at her acting like a turtle hiding in its shell.” The spectators below shook their heads and sighed.
However, as the two swords clashed, an enormous force exploded, and the holy maiden was instantly sent flying, leaving everyone staring wide-eyed in stunned silence.
Xu Qianyu continued to stand her ground, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
She was gathering her strength.

Since every movement consumed energy, she decided not to waste any. She would wait until her spirit energy was fully charged before striking, ensuring each attack would hit its mark.
The sword energy from her mundane blade struck into Lu You’s meridians, sending a tremor through her organs and making her feel very uncomfortable. Fortunately, due to the system’s assistance, her feet were grounded as if with suction cups, allowing her to keep her footing, though she staggered and almost fell off the pillar.

She had underestimated her! Zhao Mingtang was stronger than she had thought and had merely been concealing her strength.
For a brief moment, Lu You panicked. When she attacked again, there was a hint of hesitation and caution. But Xu Qianyu didn’t confront her directly, instead deftly retreating a couple of pillars, dodging like a game of hide-and-seek, and standing still at a distance.
Lu You bit her lip and raised her sword to approach, only for Xu Qianyu to sidestep again. Standing at a distance, she watched Lu You unblinkingly, as if provoking her.
Lu You clenched her sword, feeling unsettled.

In reality, in such a situation, even blinking was taxing, and glaring required effort. Xu Qianyu didn’t blink or make any expressions, focusing on gathering her strength.
From her opponent’s perspective, Xu Qianyu appeared calm and collected, her gaze steady, which only served to make Lu You even more uneasy.

As the holy maiden (Saintess) descended again, her killing intent filled the air. Xu Qianyu, caught off guard, raised her sword and struck, sending the saintess flying.
“What kind of fighting style is that?” Some spectators couldn’t help but mutter.
“I think that’s her only move.”

Zhao Mingtang repeatedly sent her opponents flying, disappointing those hoping for her comeback. The holy maiden’s repeated attacks, while initially stunning, grew tiresome as she darted back and forth, losing her initial allure.
As the energy waned, the spectators’ attention shifted.

Amid the crowd, a woman in a white dress had slipped in unnoticed. Her hair was elegantly tied, revealing a neck as smooth as jade, and her gown was adorned with layers of snowy feathers.
She was pure white from head to toe, but as she moved, stars seemed to fall in her wake, revealing countless jade and crystal embellishments on her dress, radiating unmatched elegance.

People glanced at her in awe, then instinctively stepped aside, allowing her an unobstructed path to the front row.
“Isn’t that the ‘Immortal’s Feather Gown’ from Fanghua Building?”Someone whispered.
The gown was flawless white, demanding a graceful presence from its wearer, or it could easily make her seem dull.
However, this woman radiated a cold purity, an otherworldly aura. Her gaze was so detached, with lips painted in a deep red that only added to her authority rather than softening her.
Her appearance was like snow sculpted into jade, like a Bodhisattva with painted lips.
The holy maiden, dressed similarly in white with an ethereal presence, suddenly seemed dull and overshadowed in comparison to this radiant woman.

Gradually, the audience’s gaze shifted from the stage to her.
Though surrounded by murmurs, Shen Suwei appeared unfazed.
He was watching the sword fight.
Whenever he observed swords, he did so with undivided attention, as if he were in the midst of battle.

Lu You’s sword technique, a common “Akoi” style from Penglai, had no apparent flaws.
Xu Qianyu was skilled enough to dismantle puppet techniques, so why was she merely defending and not attacking? Was she feeling unwell, or was something holding her back?
On the third floor of Fanghua Building, in a private seat, Building Master Liu Yian turned his teacup, looking down toward the second floor.
Seeing the crowd part to give Zhao Qinghe space, he let out a mocking laugh.

Half an hour earlier, Shen Suwei had arrived, holding the immortal’s feather gown, asking if he could borrow it.
Liu Yian eyed the young woman and asked, “Who are you?”
“Zhao Mingtang’s elder sister.”

“Do you not have a name?” Liu Yian, known for his pride, sneered coldly. “Is your name ‘Mingtang’s Sister’?”
Yet Shen Suwei’s face remained unchanged, her thin lips barely parting as she replied ambiguously, “Surname Zhao.”
Liu Yian was momentarily speechless. This one was sharp.

“Fine, fine. You’re beautiful; I’ll give you that,” Liu Yian said, noticing the teardrop mole shared by the sisters. “No need to borrow it; I’ll gift it to you.”
The gown was originally intended for Zhao Mingtang. Since she didn’t want it, her sister taking it made no difference.

Yet Shen Suwei showed no joy. “I don’t accept favors for free.” She glanced around. “I’ll tidy up for you here in return.”
Before her words settled, frost covered the second floor of Fanghua Building.
Moments later, the frost melted away, erasing all traces of the mud and footprints left from Xu Qianyu’s earlier battle with the earth demon. Even the mud splashes on the signboard were gone, and any remaining demonic energy was thoroughly cleansed, leaving the surroundings pristine.

Liu Yian halted mid-sip, his eyes sharp as swords. “So, you’re a cultivator?”
The frost blanketing the room had been produced through sword energy. The intense cold of the sword aura had caused the moisture in the air to crystallize.
For this person to cover the entire second floor with sword energy showed immense power, likely indicating a sword lord at least at the Golden Core stage.
Shen Suwei returned his cold gaze. “The Soul Lock (Soul-Restraint Lock) isn’t in Fanghua Building, so why did you trick those two into fighting?”

“How insolent! ” Liu Yian was both surprised and angered, slamming down his cup. “Who gave you the right to search Fanghua Building?”
Using the cover of cleaning up, Shen Suwei had already swept her spiritual sense across the building, searching every corner.
A moment later, Liu Yian’s bluster faded. He looked awkward, his neck tense and the feathers on his hairpiece trembling with his indignant breaths. Shen Suwei’s spiritual sense had wound around his throat, constricting him.
With a sarcastic glint in his eyes, Liu Yian asked, “Whose disciple are you, exactly? I have longstanding business ties with Elder Lin Jin of Penglai. Most of Penglai’s expenses for banquets come from Fanghua Building’s funds. Offend me, and you’ll face punishment back home.”
Shen Suwei remained unchanged.

In Penglai, she was in charge of arranging banquets, so she knew this very well.
Seeing no reaction, Liu Yian couldn’t help but say, “So what if I tricked them? I was going to give them treasures anyway, just not the Soul Lock (Soul-Restraint Lock). What harm did it do them? Today’s treasure display on the second floor was meant to attract customers to Fanghua Building. They fought that hard, and I haven’t even asked Zhao Mingtang to compensate me for the damage.”
Shen Suwei replied, “The disciples are in the middle of their trial. Your actions are wasting their time.”
Liu Yian sighed. “Fine, I’ll stop them. Now, release me.”
“No need,” Shen Suwei said. “The Phoenix-Beak Butterfly, please return it.”
“That was a gift from Zhao Mingtang. Do you want it back too?” Liu Yian took a breath. Earlier, he had deceived Xu Qianyu, knowing she wasn’t familiar with demonic creatures, and took it as a small fortune, only to find himself outsmarted.

Shen Suwei replied, “Any creature hunted by Penglai disciples during the autumn trials belongs to Penglai. Zhao Mingtang had no right to give it away.”
The Phoenix-Beak Butterfly contained a demonic core from an earth demon, and destroying the core was required to complete the exorcism. Since the demon hadn’t died at Xu Qianyu’s hands, she hadn’t earned any points. Returning it would also serve as proof.

Liu Yian said, “I’ve already soaked the butterfly in a resin solution, a process that takes forty-nine days. Removing it early would damage it.”
Shen Suwei placed a paper on the table. “Then write an IOU. Someone will retrieve it in forty-nine days.”

“Are you paying me for my processing fee?” Liu Yian was irate, but Shen Suwei’s chilling sword energy pierced into his bones like torture. With his neck stretched awkwardly, Liu Yian hastily wrote the note. Seeing Shen Suwei’s unyielding stance, he glared. “What else do you want?”

Shen Suwei noticed two faint red glimmers drifting behind Liu Yian, realizing he was truly angry. His opponent’s true form was a thousand-year-old fire ibis, comparable to a Divine Monarch Realm. If they were to fight, victory wasn’t certain.
However, as Shen’s water and ice spiritual root countered Liu Yian’s element, he could temporarily suppress him. But if the sect master were to reveal his true form, both would suffer severe injuries. So he retracted his spiritual sense and said, “I’ll borrow a bit of rouge.”

Liu Yian: ?

Later, in his room, Shen Suwei opened a vibrant palette of rouge that Tea Lady had sent him, filled with dazzling colors and starlike glimmers, and was silent for a moment.
This was the extent of the sect master’s aesthetic.
Since he had to wear it, he looked up into the mirror.
The Liuxian Dress was adorned with pearls and jade, luxurious yet understated. Without some embellishment, it felt incomplete.
Raising his hands to the back of his neck, he gathered his hair into a high bun—an action he hadn’t repeated in many years.

For a fleeting moment, the reflection in the mirror began to overlap with his childhood face, memories and nightmares flickering: blood, lightning, tears, screams.
Yet he did not flinch, staring straight into the mirror, almost masochistically.
After a moment, his inner demons receded, though beneath his dark lashes, his eyes still carried a faint mist.

He dipped his fingertip in a bit of crimson rouge and, staring at his reflection with an expressionless face, applied it to his lips.

…

Unlike Lu You, who was intensely focused on attacking, Xu Qianyu didn’t need to concentrate too hard while in a stance. Hearing the voices below insulting her suddenly quiet down, her gaze shifted down to see what was happening, catching a glimpse of a figure in white.
Was that… the Liuxian Dress?
Senior sister was here?!
She couldn’t make out her face due to the distance, but her senior sister had clearly said she wouldn’t wear it, so why had she come to watch?
How long had she been there, and did she see Xu standing still the entire time? The influence of the koi protagonist was something only the involved parties could understand, and to outsiders, it looked like Zhao Mingtang was simply outmatched, resorting to passive resistance, which was quite embarrassing.

Although Xu Qianyu couldn’t see her senior sister’s expression, just knowing someone familiar was watching made her feel deeply self-conscious.
The two had exchanged over a hundred moves. The onlookers, having grown accustomed to their rhythm of one strike and one block, were already chatting and laughing when Zhao Mingtang suddenly made a move!
With a single step, her body rose like the blossoms of spring, soaring into the air.

Her sword strike was ferocious, aimed directly at the holy maiden (saintess).
The holy maiden (saintess) was caught off guard, retreating two steps. Zhao Mingtang, however, didn’t allow her a moment to recover, launching rapid, relentless attacks.
The speed and ferocity of her following moves left everyone stunned.

Only Xu Qianyu knew that her wrist was trembling, cold sweat pouring, exerting a force several times greater than when she fought her heaviest sword dummy. Every strike was strong enough to cleave iron and part the air, appearing light and effortless to onlookers.
Under such unrestrained movements, the surrounding air quickly grew thin, and her breath became ragged. Her compressed lungs carried a metallic taste.
The system was alarmed: Help, she’s about to suffocate!
Lu You stepped back several paces, confused. Why was this happening? Why wasn’t her opponent affected by the system? Did the combat mode’s limitation fail?
In her distraction, Xu Qianyu’s sword was already upon her, and she hurriedly raised her hand to block in panic.

Xu Qianyu’s hair was soaked, her gaze unfocused, and her spiritual energy long since depleted. But at that moment, golden flowers blossomed in her spiritual pool as she advanced in cultivation, expanding her spiritual reservoir. A flood of spiritual energy rushed into her, granting her a breath and enabling her to inhale.
This final strike carried overwhelming force. With a resounding “clang,” her sword sliced Lu You’s weapon cleanly in two.
The crowd gasped.

Lu You, holding half a sword, stood rooted in shock, while the young boy loudly rang the bronze gong: “The victor is decided. Miss Zhao has won.”
She had lost! Lu You, the natural sword master of this world, had lost in a sword duel!
A moment of silence swept over the crowd, followed by wild celebration.

They had placed their bets on Zhao Mingtang, and she had turned the tide in the end.
Xu Qianyu, sword in hand, stood alone on the pillar like a solitary red shadow, reminiscent of a spring swallow.
Suddenly, the crowd erupted in exclamations as a girl in white leapt across the water to stand before her. She walked on water as if on solid ground.

Xu Qianyu, oxygen-deprived and dizzy, finally managed to focus and found herself face-to-face with a beautiful figure.
The Liuxian Dress on Zhao Qinghe looked graceful and poised. Despite her claim of not knowing how to apply makeup, her rouge was applied with practiced ease, making her exceptionally beautiful.
Xu Qianyu, disheveled from battle, felt a surge of jealousy seeing her senior sister so immaculate and suddenly didn’t want to pay her any attention.
Shen Suwei noticed she neither called her sister nor looked her way, seemingly displeased, and felt puzzled.

Xu Qianyu had insisted he wear it and watch her fight, but now he wasn’t even looking—why was she unhappy?
After a moment’s thought, he reached out his hand to her.
Standing on the plum blossom pillar above the water, Xu Qianyu saw her perfectly dressed senior sister reaching out to her despite the crowd. If she took that hand, she could leap down from the pillar. Her heart fluttered. “Sister, did you come just to pick me up?”

“Mm.”

Xu Qianyu’s ears grew warm as she glanced away, feeling countless curious, admiring gazes on her. Satisfied, an odd sweetness blossomed in her heart, and she couldn’t help but smile, rubbing her hand behind her back.
Her hand was bloody and might stain the Liuxian Dress.
Seeing her hide her hand, Shen Suwei leaped up onto the pillar. The crowd gasped as the skirt floated down layer by layer, exuding an ethereal aura.
Shen Suwei lowered his gaze and grasped Xu Qianyu’s sword.

“Hey,” Xu Qianyu hurriedly tightened her grip on the hilt.
But Shen Suwei wasn’t trying to take her sword; he simply turned and walked away, holding the tip of the sword. Xu Qianyu, clutching the hilt, was pulled along the pillar behind him.

The snow white figure led the way. Xu Qianyu took a few steps behind him, then leapt forward, grasping the blade. Leaping again, she took hold of the sword’s end. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller.
Finally, with one last leap, she reached his side, holding his cold hand.

Shen Suwei paused, not turning back, holding Xu Qianyu’s hand with his left hand. He retrieved the fallen sword and pushed it backhandedly.

The sword flew through the air and, with a “snap,” landed perfectly into its sheath.