Changing Faces

"Say no more about the Wu family's business in the future." The old man's words settled the matter with finality. As he spoke, he glanced back at Ning Gang. Bowed low, Ning Gang instantly felt an inexplicable wave of pressure. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Chu Xingxian slowly withdrew his gaze, stood up, and looked down toward Cang Lu, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Seeing this, Li Guanqi inwardly cried out in dismay. He quickly turned to Cang Lu and asked, "Cang Lu, do you belong to any sect right now?" "If not, on behalf of the Northern Region's Great Xia Sword Sect, I welcome you to join us!" Cang Lu was caught off guard by Li Guanqi's sudden invitation. Scratching his head somewhat self-consciously, he said, "The Northern Region's Great Xia Sword Sect? That sect... am I qualified to join?" "Besides, I'm not a sword cultivator... I'm..." Li Guanqi smiled faintly and said softly, "You are!" "A middle Core Formation cultivator under seventeen would be a deserved favored son of heaven even in the entire Great Xia Domain. Why wouldn't you be?" "Not being a sword cultivator is no problem either. The sect will help you find a suitable path of cultivation." "I know—a zither cultivator, right? Otherwise, how could your fingers be kept so well-protected?" Cang Lu's eyes shone with immense brilliance. He hadn't expected Li Guanqi to guess his path of cultivation! Smiling, Cang Lu nodded. "All right! I'll join!" At this moment, Yun Mengxi was completely dumbfounded. She stood rooted to the spot, struggling to process everything she had just heard. "Great Xia Sword Sect... Great Xia Sword Sect!!" "In the entire Northern Region right now, only that soaring super-sect—renowned as one of the top three in the Northern Region—is called the Great Xia Sword Sect!!" "Middle Core Formation? How is that possible?! How could he possibly be in the middle Core Formation realm?!" Yun Mengxi shrieked involuntarily, her eyes brimming with disbelief. Hadn't the Great Xia Sword Sect, hailed as certain to become the top sect of the Northern Region in the future, secluded itself from the world? A wave of jealousy surged wildly through her heart. Pointing at Li Guanqi, she cried out furiously, "Impossible! You liar!" "The Northern Region's Great Xia Sword Sect has already secluded itself, and their standards for taking disciples are extraordinarily strict right now. How could they possibly accept Cang Lu just because of your word?!" "Middle Core Formation? Impossible! You're all lying to me!!" His eyes cast downward, Cang Lu released his aura without a word. Instantly, a profound, vigorous pressure erupted with a roar! Just as Yun Mengxi was about to say something more, Chu Xingxian on the dais abruptly cut her off. The old man stepped before Li Guanqi, who hurriedly bowed in greeting. Feigning displeasure, the old man said, "You brat, the rare moment I take a liking to a talent, you go and cut in line." "Even out on a training journey, you don't forget to reap benefits for your sect. If only my Wind Thunder Sect could produce a few more talents like you." With that, the old man turned to Cang Lu, patted his shoulder, and smiled. "Brat, you're quite impressive." Yun Mengxi's face had drained of all color. Even now, she could hardly believe it... The youth she had always looked down upon possessed such monstrous talent that even the sect leader treated him with high regard. "Perhaps anyone else truly couldn't make the Great Xia Sword Sect break its rules to recruit a disciple," "But he certainly can." With a face full of indignant resentment, Yun Mengxi asked, "Why?!" By this point, she had already deduced something from the old man's attitude toward her master. After an incident of this magnitude, once this matter concluded, the Wind Thunder Sect would likely have no place for her. With an indifferent gaze, the old man said, "Because he is Li Guanqi of the Great Xia Sword Sect." "What?!" At those words, Yun Mengxi's eyes widened in sheer shock as she stared at Li Guanqi. "Li Guanqi of the Great Xia Sword Sect"—to countless young cultivators, those words were all too familiar. Many had heard the tales of Li Guanqi's famous battle back then. And the rise of the Great Xia Sword Sect was largely thanks to his existence. Beside them, Cang Lu looked at Li Guanqi with brilliant eyes, murmuring inwardly, 'Huh? It's actually him?!' At this point, the dust had finally settled on everything. Yet at that very moment, the despondent Yun Mengxi looked at Cang Lu, and it was as if she had suddenly grabbed onto a lifesaving straw! Since he was Li Guanqi, Cang Lu was guaranteed entry into the Great Xia Sword Sect! And his status would certainly not be low. If... if she could follow him in as well, wouldn't this misfortune turn into a blessing?! With that thought, the woman darted before Cang Lu and threw her arms tightly around him. Tears burst forth at once. Yun Mengxi locked her arms tightly around Cang Lu's waist, refusing to let go no matter how he struggled. Weeping, Yun Mengxi cried, "Cang Lu, can we get back together? Please?" "I was tricked by that bastard! I still care for you!" "I was wrong, it was all my fault. Please forgive me, won't you...?" "Cang Lu, I beg you, please forgive me! I promise I'll treat you well from now on!" The woman wept like a pear blossom bathed in rain, a sight to melt anyone's heart. Even Li Guanqi found it awkward to say anything in the face of such a scene. A situation like this could only be left to Cang Lu's own choice. Yet Cang Lu showed none of the fluster or pity Li Guanqi had anticipated. Channeling the primal energy within his body, he blasted the woman flying away. Thud! Crashing to the ground, the woman looked up in utter disbelief, even stunned shock. In her blank stare lay helplessness and terrified dread of an uncertain future. Scrambling on her knees, she crawled over to Cang Lu, clutched the hem of his trousers, and pleaded, "Cang Lu, listen to me!" "I truly know I was wrong. Forgive me, and I will devote myself to treating you well with all my heart!" "My parents died young. Once I entered an immortal sect, I only wanted to find a backer! My aptitude is mediocre—I don't even know if I can ever break through to Nascent Soul in this lifetime!" "I just wanted a better life too! I was only blinded by deception!" Cang Lu looked down indifferently at the woman by his feet, watching her with a chilling gaze. That look was like watching an actor performing on stage, changing her masks again and again before his eyes, to the point where he couldn't tell which face was the real her. Softly, Cang Lu said, "There's no need." "From the moment you tore up the marriage contract, we became strangers." "What happens to you from now on has nothing to do with me." "The favor my father owed has long been repaid. Between us, neither owes the other anything." With that, Cang Lu turned and walked away without looking back, bowing slightly toward Chu Xingxian before leaving. He left behind only the woman, slumped on the ground, her eyes dead and numb. Li Guanqi burst into hearty laughter. "Good! Backbone! Just take this jade slip and go to the Great Xia Sword Sect!" With that, Li Guanqi handed over a jade slip containing a recorded message from him. After Cang Lu left, Chu Xingxian glanced at the woman and stated bluntly, "You may leave as well." He then turned to Ning Gang and said in a heavy voice, "Ning Gang took bribes. Effective today, he is stripped of his elder status and confined to the Cliff of Reflection for one year!" Bowing low, the old man hurriedly answered, "Yes." Chu Xingxian turned to Li Guanqi and smiled. "Come, let's sit down and have a chat."