I Am Overlord c1-962
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"So it's him!" Hua Cheng was hit by a realization.
Du Xuanhao had indeed mentioned to her that he had once met a young man who had comprehended saber intent. He had wanted to accept that young man as his disciple but was rejected.
So it turns out that the young man was Xiang Shaoyun. That is truly a coincidence.
"Big sister, what compensation do you want? If it is something within my reach, I will definitely satisfy your request," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Idiot. You are my little brother. I was only joking with you. Why are you being so serious?" grumbled Hua Cheng, still emanating the same boundless charm she always had.
"No, you are my big sister. Since I am leaving, I need to leave something for you," said Xiang Shaoyun firmly. "Big sister, you love the dao of zither. Let me hand you an incomplete musical composition. I hope you can one day return it to its glory."
As he said that, he passed her a zither composition named Seven Severing Tunes. Of those Seven Severing Tunes, only the first five tunes were available. It was a killing zither song that had been passed on from ancient times. According to the legends, it was a work of the Zither Devil, and it was a terrifyingly powerful composition.
This was one of the collections in Ziling Sect's Martial Skill Pavilion. Xiang Shaoyun had spent a lot of time looking for it back when he still practiced the zither. But since he was not a cultivator then, he had not been able to practice it. When Hua Cheng received the Seven Severing Tunes, she was immediately stunned by the marvelous and profound tunes.
Xiang Shaoyun reminded her, "Big sister, the dao of zither is one that is intimately linked to one's temperament. Using music to kill can easily cause one to descend into madness. You have to be careful when cultivating."
Hua Cheng quickly regained her calm. "Yes, I know. I will be careful. This composition is very precious. Are you giving it to me just like that?"
"Haha, you are after all my big sister," Xiang Shaoyun laughed generously.
"Fine, your big sister will not hesitate then. I will also teach this to Qinyin," said Hua Cheng.
"Sure, you can do whatever you want with it," said Xiang Shaoyun nonchalantly.
"Hey! I can see how much that girl likes you. After you leave, she will be heartbroken! Are you not going to see her before leaving?" asked Hua Cheng with a sigh.
"I need to check on my senior brother's injuries first. I will go see her after I ensure he is fine," said Xiang Shaoyun after thinking about it for a bit. He knew how Gong Qinyin felt about him as well, and it was time he faced it.
Chapter 343: Qinyin, You Like Me, Right?
After talking to Hua Cheng, Xiang Shaoyun entered Zi Changhe's estate to check on his injuries. After consuming the spring water Xiang Shaoyun had given him, Zi Changhe had recovered some of his vitality, but it would still take some time for him to fully recover.
Hua Cheng also offered a stalk of healing king medicine as her way of thanking Xiang Shaoyun. Xiang Shaoyun accepted the king medicine without hesitation and fed it to Zi Changhe as well.
In the eyes of many people, king medicines were extremely precious. That was not the case for Xiang Shaoyun. After consuming the king medicine, Zi Changhe had improved considerably. Before long, he would be able to regain consciousness.
To the side, Xia Liuhui and Wang Zhenchuan were behaving extremely obediently in the presence of two Emperors. They did not even dare to breathe too loudly. They increasingly grew curious about Xiang Shaoyun's identity, and for some reason, they started feeling distanced, feeling like they were from two completely different worlds.
"Ok, the two of you stay here to watch over my senior brother. We can leave after I return," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Xia Liuhui asked blankly, "Boss, are you bringing us away from the Cloud Margin City?"
"That's right. I don't want to see something like this happening ever again," said Xiang Shaoyun firmly. After a short pause, he added, "Think over it. If you don't want to leave, I won't force you either. I will get my big sister, the Zither Empress, to take care of you two instead."
Xia Liuhui and Wang Zhenchuan nodded and sank into thought to contemplate their choice. Xiang Shaoyun then left Zi Changhe's estate and went with Hua Cheng to Gong Qinyin's place.
Du Xuanhao went along with them, and he seemed to have something to say yet was in hesitation. Soon, Xiang Shaoyun was standing before Gong Qinyin's residence. Hua Cheng and Du Xuanhao did not enter, giving some space to Xiang Shaoyun and Gong Qinyin.
A pleasant melody was coming out from the residence, a melody causing one’s heart to be filled with worries. He could also hear the longing in the melody that painted a scene of a woman waiting outside her home for a husband who had been drifting about outside. The intense yearning in the melody was one that could touch anyone's heart.
The sensation seemed to be squeezing Xiang Shaoyun's heart, giving him a suffocating feeling. After the song ended, Xiang Shaoyun stepped inside the courtyard. A frail figure entered his vision. Her concentration, her bearing, and the faint sorrow she was emanating gave one the urge to step forward, take her into one's arm, and offer her comfort.
When Gong Qinyin saw Xiang Shaoyun standing at the entrance, she immediately stood up. A bright smile appeared on her face as she said, "Shaoyun, you're here!"
Her voice was as melodious as a singing bird, a voice filled with grace. Xiang Shaoyun felt a warm current envelop his heart when he heard her voice; his mood instantly lifted.
"I'm back," said Xiang Shaoyun with a faint smile.
Gong Qinyin stared at Xiang Shaoyun in daze while Xiang Shaoyun stood there with a brilliant smile, a smile capable of pulling someone into a trance.
After a long while, a flush crept up on Gong Qinyin's face as she lowered her head and said, "I'll make you a pot of tea."
It was at that moment that Xiang Shaoyun stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were akin to the brightest of stars, causing Gong Qinyin's heart to flutter and her body to slightly shake.
What is he going to do? Gong Qinyin thought bashfully.
"Qinyin, you like me, right?" Xiang Shaoyun said, his magnetic voice striking straight into Gong Qinyin's heart.
At the question, Gong Qinyin looked up at his face, revealing the entirety of her beautiful face before Xiang Shaoyun. A firm look covered her face as she replied, "Yes. I like you, Xiang Shaoyun. I wish to be with you."
Gong Qinyin had never been one to hide her feelings. Since Xiang Shaoyun had already asked her so straightforwardly, she would not shrink away.
"I knew it. This young master is so handsome, how can you not like me?" remarked Xiang Shaoyun in a narcissistic manner. Slowly, his face approached Gong Qinyin's face.
Gong Qinyin instinctively shut her eyes, the blush on her face growing deeper. Looking at Gong Qinyin who was fully engrossed in the mood, Xiang Shaoyun spoke gently, "Qinyin, today, I am here to bid you goodbye. Forget me, alright?"
Gong Qinyin abruptly opened her eyes and grabbed Xiang Shaoyun's neck. She planted a kiss on his lips. She was a very inexperienced kisser, yet she was extremely bold and wild. She caused Xiang Shaoyun to have difficulty breathing, and her teeth knocked into his mouth so hard it hurt him. Suddenly, her tongue snaked through his lips to ravage his mouth.
Just as he was about to lose control and reciprocate, a sharp pain assailed his tongue, causing him to quickly push her away. He hissed as he rubbed the blood dripping out of his mouth. Staring at her, he said, "Have you gone mad?"
"Yes, I have gone mad! Why are you so cruel? Why do you give me hope only to crush it like this? Don't you know how heartless you are?" said Gong Qinyin with a sorrowful face.
Xiang Shaoyun smiled helplessly and said, "Listen to me. I am not from the Cloud Margin City, and I only came here for reasons out of my control. Now that my whereabouts have been leaked, it will be too dangerous for me to stay. I will cause you boundless trouble. You should know about the previous incident, right? All that was because of me. I am le
aving not only to protect myself, but to protect all of you as well."
Looking at the sadness in Xiang Shaoyun's eyes, Gong Qinyin felt her heart aching. She stepped forward and declared, "I don't care what trouble you are in, but I am willing to shoulder it with you. I don't want to lose you. What should I do without you in my life?"
As she spoke, scenes of their first meeting and their previous interactions flashed past her mind. From foes they became friends, and now, she was in love with him. Everything had happened so suddenly, and she found it hard to control herself.
She could no longer imagine a life without him. She jumped into Xiang Shaoyun's arms and hugged him tightly, her tears falling onto his clothes.
Gently, Xiang Shaoyun rubbed her hair and said, "My enemies are very powerful, and I can only run from them for now. Therefore, you can't come with me. I won't be able to focus on cultivation and protect you as well. If you really want to be with me, please cultivate hard. If in 10 years you can enter the Dragon Ascension Realm, you can help me have my revenge. We can then be together."
Gong Qinyin raised her head, a resolute look on her face, and said, "Becoming an Empress in 10 years? I can definitely do it!"
Chapter 344: I Have Wronged the Martial Hall Palace
At Hua Cheng's place, when she saw that Du Xuanhao seemed to be in deep thought, she asked, "Big Brother Du, what are you thinking?"
Du Xuanhao replied absently, "No, nothing."
"You can't lie to me. There must be something on your mind." Hua Cheng stepped closer and asked gently, "Can you tell me?"
Du Xuanhao heaved a long sigh before answering, "I need a better cultivation method. I need to enter the Soul Foundation Realm and become a Sovereign as quickly as possible!"
When speaking those words, his eyes shone with a radiance as sharp as the best of blades and burned hot with desire.
"You still can't forget her, Big Brother Du?" Hua Cheng asked resentfully.
Everyone knew Hua Cheng liked Du Xuanhao, and the two were indeed very close. But nobody knew that they were still not lovers as there was a woman Du Xuanhao had never been able to forget. Unfortunately, that woman was long dead.
"How can I forget about her before avenging her? She died because of me!" said Du Xuanhao with an intense hatred in his voice.
"Big Brother Du, you are hoping to get Shaoyun's help?" asked Hua Cheng in realization.
Du Xuanhao nodded. "Yes. Since he can casually take out a tier-6 cultivation method, it can only mean that he is at least from the main line of a tier-6 organization. If he can help me by giving me a tier-6 cultivation method, I will have a chance to enter the Soul Foundation Realm. I will then have a chance of avenging her!"
Just from the fact that Du Xuanhao needed to first become a Soul Foundation Realm cultivator before he could take revenge, it was obvious how powerful his enemy was.
"I will ask Shaoyun. He will definitely agree out of respect for me," said Hua Cheng after a slight hesitation.
Du Xuanhao shook his head. "No, he has already given you a zither composition. If you still ask for more, it will seem like you are greedy. I will do this myself. No matter what, I need a tier-6 cultivation method."
...
Xiang Shaoyun stayed at Gong Qinyin's place for half a day. During this time, she brewed tea and played the zither for him, the two interacting like lovers. Just like that, they stayed together in harmony as if they were not going to part soon.
Gong Qinyin had thoroughly readjusted her mental state. Becoming an Empress in 10 years would be a difficult feat, but she had already decided to try her best no matter how hard it was. She did not know that it was merely an excuse Xiang Shaoyun had used to protect her feelings.
His actual plan was to return to his sect and take revenge in 8 years. The 10 years he gave Gong Qinyin was simply for the sake of giving her something to pursue for now. Perhaps she would forget him after a few years.
After half a day, Xiang Shaoyun left. Before leaving, he left some soul spring water and spirit crystals for her to help her in cultivation. As for the Seven Severing Tunes, he was confident Hua Cheng would not keep it from her. There was no need for him to do more than required and give her another copy. After all, the Seven Severing Tunes was not something a Transformation Realm cultivator could practice anyway. She needed to be at least a Queen.
Gong Qinyin sent Xiang Shaoyun off, her eyes filled with a reluctance to part. Inwardly, she vowed, I know I am still not good enough to be with you right now, but in 10 years, I will definitely find you wherever you are. Not only will I become your lover, I will also become your strong ally!
After leaving Gong Qinyin's place, Xiang Shaoyun went looking for Liang Zhuangmin and Hua Honglou. During his trip to the Land of Soul Springs, the two had insisted to stay by his side, which was a gesture that had moved him.
Thus, he had to at least thank them and bid them his farewells. He returned to his previous estate and summoned Long Hui over. Long Hui was one who had the Nether Dragon Soul Curse planted in him by Xiang Shaoyun. Thus, his loyalty was unquestionable. He told him to call Liang Zhuangmin and Hua Honglou over, and he did as told. Unfortunately, Xiang Shaoyun was disappointed as he was told that neither of them were in the pavilion. They had been missing since the trip to the Land of Soul Springs.
It made Xiang Shaoyun anxious. "Had something bad happened to them?"
He remembered that when he battled Linggu Haonan's group, the two had slipped away. They should be safe.
"Oh, right, the Land of Soul Springs is actually quite far away from the pavilion. Without mounts, they are probably still on their way back," said Xiang Shaoyun in realization with a slap to his forehead.
Even on a flying mount, the trip would take half a month to cover. It had only been half a month since the incident with Linggu Haonan. It was understandable that the two had yet to make it back. After all, they did not have Demon Emperors as mounts like him. They wouldn't be able to return as fast as he did. At that thought, Xiang Shaoyun ceased worrying.
"Long Hui, after they return, you will be in charge of their safety. If I find out that you have been disloyal, I will immediately take your life," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Don't worry, young master. Long Hui will do his best to protect them," promised Long Hui.
Xiang Shaoyun then returned to Zi Changhe's place.
After about half a day of recuperation, Zi Changhe had regained his consciousness. However, he still looked somewhat pale.
"Senior brother, you are finally awake!" Xiang Shaoyun said joyfully.
Zi Changhe smiled bitterly. "Yeah, I nearly went to the afterlife. Good thing you came in time."
"I was the one who had brought trouble to you," said Xiang Shaoyun guiltily.
"What bullshit are you talking about? The Young Lightning King's group were the ones creating trouble," said Zi Changhe with a wave of his hand. He paused for a bit before asking, "I heard from Zhenchuan and Liuhui that you are leaving?"
He had long known that Xiang Shaoyun had an extraordinary origin. Thus, he wasn't too surprised, but he did feel some reluctance to part with him.
"Yes. My whereabouts have been exposed, so I can't stay here anymore. It will only bring more trouble to the people here," said Xiang Shaoyun. With a gloomy tone, he continued, "I'm afraid the Martial Hall Palace is no more, and that is because of me."
"What?" Zi Changhe, Wang Zhenchuan, and Xia Liuhui were shocked. They all came from the Martial Hall Palace. Hearing about its destruction brought them sorrow and shock.
Xiang Shaoyun blamed himself. "I have wronged the Martial Hall Palace."
Xia Liuhui spat furiously, "It was those bastards! They actually vent their anger on innocents! How vile!"
"Martial uncle, who are they exactly? Why are they so ruthless?" asked Wang Zhenchuan.
"Sigh. They are the traitors of my family's sect, and I am the person they greatly wished to kill," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Zi Changhe, Xia Liuhui, and Wang Zhenchuan sank
into silence.
They knew Xiang Shaoyun was the reason all that had happened, but he himself was also a victim. With their close relationship, they couldn't bring themselves to blame him, but they did not know who else to lay the blame on.
When Xiang Shaoyun saw them staying silent, he said, "I will be staying at the Chen Clan's place for a few more days. Consider it properly whether you want to leave with me or not. If you want to stay, nobody here will dare to do anything to you."
He then left. He could understand how they felt about the Martial Hall Palace, and in truth, he felt terrible for what had happened as well.
Chapter 345: Chen Zilong's Ambition
Xiang Shaoyun then went looking for Chen Zilong, preparing to return to the Chen Clan with him. He did not believe Chen Zilong had travelled with him just because he wanted to return to the Cloud Margin Pavilion. Rather, he was sure Chen Jiayan was the one who had arranged for them to travel together in hope that Xiang Shaoyun would give Chen Zilong some help. Since he owed the Chen Clan a favor, he did not mind returning it. On their way back to the Chen Clan, Hua Cheng and Du Xuanhao appeared before them.
"Shaoyun, you're leaving already?" Hua Cheng asked.
"Yes, it's better if I don't stay here any longer than necessary," said Xiang Shaoyun.
"Ok, remember to visit your big sister whenever you get the chance. Your big sister will miss you," said Hua Cheng earnestly. After a short pause, she continued, "But don't you remember you still owe me something?"
Xiang Shaoyun blanked out slightly before slapping his forehead. "Right, I nearly forgot about that." He then took out the soul raising stone and handed it to Hua Cheng. "Mission accomplished."
Hua Cheng was overjoyed. "So you did manage to find it after all. Great job!"
She had thought that Xiang Shaoyun had failed to find a soul raising stone, but it turned out he had actually succeeded.
But she did not accept the stone. Instead, she said, "Since you have already given me the Seven Severing Tunes, you can keep this soul raising stone."