Chapter 222 - 187: A Handyman
Situ Qin sat in the study, her face murderous.
But with her delicate, pretty face and snow-white skin, her spirited eyes glaring and cheeks puffed out in anger, her features were simply breathtaking. Even as she grit her teeth, to those close to her, she looked more adorable than intimidating.
But Situ Qin was clearly genuinely upset. Her young face was dark with rage.
"Aunt Hong, bring me my qin!"
Aunt Hong sighed and tried to placate her.
"Miss, why bother getting angry with someone like him? It wouldn’t be worth it if you were harmed in the slightest..."
"That Yao Tianchuan? Hurt me?"
Situ Qin sneered.
"It’s one thing for him to act so arrogantly in front of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, but if he runs into me, he’s a dead man."
Aunt Hong hesitated, and Li Tai shook his head.
"Even so, there’s no need to take such a risk."
"Facing him is hardly a risk."
Situ Qin shook her head repeatedly.
"You’ve protected me all this time, but can you protect me for a lifetime? Sooner or later in my cultivation, I’ll have to fight my own battles."
For once, Li Tai seemed hesitant.
"What you say is true, but..."
He and Aunt Hong exchanged a look, each knowing what the other was thinking.
Perhaps under their protection, it was no big deal if Situ Qin was discovered exploring the Sword Sect or climbing the walls of the Inspector General’s mansion.
But confronting someone from the Eight Great Families, especially the Yao family, was a different story. They were mortal enemies who would show no such courtesy. The other families might still be wary of the Emperor’s past decree, but the Yao family—and Yao Tianchuan in particular—wouldn’t pass up a chance to harm Situ Qin in secret.
Furthermore, from their perspective, Yao Tianchuan’s strength was not to be underestimated. Even if he was no match for Situ Qin, the consequences would be unpredictable if he were to go berserk.
Aunt Hong let out a breath and said softly,
"Why don’t I just go and kill him?"
Hearing her say it so casually, Situ Qin’s anger actually subsided a bit. She replied helplessly,
"That’s going a bit far... Killing him now would be too much trouble and isn’t necessary. Let me teach him a lesson myself!"
Seeing they couldn’t persuade her, Li Tai and Aunt Hong frowned and looked toward Xie Yuan, who was standing to the side.
"Xiaoxie, try to talk some sense into the Miss."
"Me?"
Xie Yuan pointed to himself, pondered for a moment, and then pushed the pastry plate toward her.
"Miss Qin, things being as they are, why don’t you have a pastry first?"
Situ Qin, who had expected Xie Yuan to say something profound, gave him a sidelong glance, not imagining he would just tell her to eat something.
For a moment, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was about to push the plate away in a huff, but her hand paused over it, unwilling to let go. Still pouting, she picked up a pastry and took a huge, angry bite.
After a couple of bites, the sweet fragrance of the exquisite pastry—her absolute favorite—began to quell her temper.
As they watched Situ Qin’s anger dissipate with each bite, Li Tai and Aunt Hong exchanged a look of astonishment.
’He really knows how to handle the Miss...’
The two wore complicated expressions. They had long known that the relationship between Situ Qin and Xie Yuan was not simple, having seen it develop, and they did not oppose it.
As long as her decisions weren’t too outrageous, they tended to let her have her way. Besides, while Situ Qin might seem carefree, a girl of her standing was often precocious; she knew what she was doing.
Seeing Situ Qin’s inner foodie emerge, Xie Yuan chuckled. He waited for her to calm down a little before speaking.
"Miss Qin, a person of your stature shouldn’t take needless risks. Goading you into a fight is exactly what Yao Tianchuan wants. If you accept the challenge, aren’t you just playing right into the villain’s hands?"
Situ Qin pouted.
"It’s just one fight. What can he do to me?"
"The dignified Miss Qin, jumping into a brawl the moment she’s provoked? That’s beneath you!"
Xie Yuan said in an exaggerated tone,
"You need to maintain your strategic composure! Don’t fall for the enemy’s scheme. The more the enemy wants us to do something, the more we must refuse to let them succeed..."
Seeing Xie Yuan ramble on in his Little Stone Village dialect, Situ Qin burst out laughing, the last of the gloom vanishing from her face.
She smiled, then pursed her lips and said,
"Then what do you suggest we do? Just let him off the hook like this? Won’t that just embolden him?
"No, I was minding my own business. I even thought his arrogance was a little interesting, but then he turned his fire on me. And he even dared to say... that..."
As she spoke, her expression darkened, her anger flaring up again.
"No, absolutely not! You all won’t let me go, so we’re just supposed to let him be this arrogant? How am I supposed to swallow this insult!"
"It’s simple. I’ll go in your place."
Xie Yuan pointed to himself.
"You?"
Situ Qin stared at him in surprise, while Li Tai and Aunt Hong also turned their gazes toward him.
"That’s right. Me."
Xie Yuan nodded.
"I didn’t like the look of him today either. I’ll just go find him tonight and trade a few blows. Let me vent this frustration for you."
Hearing the anger in Xie Yuan’s voice, Situ Qin’s heart warmed, knowing his indignation wasn’t just on behalf of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect. But when he said he would go challenge Yao Tianchuan, her expression immediately became hesitant. She chose her words carefully.
"Master Xie, I appreciate the thought! Mm, but you don’t have to go challenge him."
Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"What, you don’t trust me? Afraid I’ll get beaten up?"
"It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just... I suddenly feel like getting angry at a guy like him, well, it’s pointless."
Xie Yuan gave her a sidelong look.
"You were gritting your teeth so hard they might have cracked, and now you say it’s pointless? Nope, I have to do this for you!"
"Er... Sometimes it’s better to take a step back and see the bigger picture."
Situ Qin found herself trying to talk Xie Yuan down.
"I’m not angry anymore. Don’t you go getting tangled up with him."
At this point, Situ Qin had completely given up the idea of causing trouble for Yao Tianchuan.
Aunt Hong and Li Tai watched, nodding to themselves. ’A brilliant strategy, feigning an attack to force a retreat. He truly understands the art of war...’ And yet, they felt a strange sense of unease.
’It feels like he has the Miss completely wrapped around his little finger. She’d rather swallow her pride than let him overexert himself.’
Aunt Hong, standing to the side, shook her head repeatedly, frustrated by Situ Qin’s lack of fight.
But then, Xie Yuan continued,
"So what if he has his family and masters to protect him? How can he run his mouth like that and not pay a price? If he dares to insult you, he’d better be ready to face the consequences."
He spoke with a calm and serious tone, as if stating an undeniable truth.
Li Tai and Aunt Hong snapped their heads around, their faces showing their astonishment.
They had assumed Xie Yuan was just saying that to get Situ Qin to back down, but now it seemed... he was actually serious?
’This... Such a reckless youth.’
Both of them looked like they wanted to say something but held back.
Hearing the seriousness in Xie Yuan’s voice, Situ Qin’s expression softened, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. Nevertheless, she still shook her head firmly.
"Forget it, Master Xie. You saw Yao Tianchuan’s strength today; he’s quite capable. You’ve only just broken through to the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm... You can avenge me later! In a little while, you’ll definitely be able to handle him. Besides, wouldn’t the great Master Xie also lose face by falling for his taunts?"
"You’re still worried about me."
Xie Yuan smiled faintly.
"It’s fine. I’ll just go test the waters and scout him out for you. You know what I’m capable of. If I can’t win, I can run. It’s no big deal. If I lose, you can go settle the score tomorrow, avenge me, and vent your own anger. How about that?"
Hearing this, Situ Qin thought it made some sense. He was promising to let her handle it herself if he couldn’t win, so what was there to lose? Besides, with that miraculous Secret Technique of his—one that even Aunt Hong couldn’t fully perceive—Yao Tianchuan would never be able to catch him if he decided to flee.
Her large eyes darted about for a moment before she finally instructed,
"Then we’ll do as you say! But don’t be reckless. If you can’t win, run away immediately."
"Don’t worry. I’m not an idiot."
Xie Yuan chuckled at her words and took his leave.
After he left, Situ Qin was still a little worried, but also a little happy. With a sound that was half a laugh and half a sigh, she murmured,
"That guy..."
Seeing Situ Qin’s expression, Li Tai and Aunt Hong exchanged a look.
Aunt Hong shook her head.
"That boy is smooth. The Miss is completely outmatched."
Li Tai was silent for a moment before saying,
"Overestimating his own abilities just to win the Miss’s favor... It’s incredibly foolish."
Aunt Hong shot him a look and huffed.
"You unromantic oaf, what do you know? When he comes back bruised and beaten, the Miss will only grow more attached to him. That boy... if I hadn’t seen that he’s genuinely a good person and truly cares for the Miss, I would have eliminated him long ago as someone with ulterior motives."
When Xie Yuan returned to the handyman courtyard, he was surprised to find everyone riled up, talking about the many private duels that had taken place during the day and their brutal outcomes.
He had been in the Flower Valley guest courtyard all this time and had no idea the conflict had escalated so much. A Grandmaster elder had even been forced to intervene to prevent an all-out brawl.
However, when the conversation turned to Yao Tianchuan, everyone could only grit their teeth in helpless frustration.
Everyone had witnessed his powerful performance; he was practically invincible within the Qi Blood First Transformation Realm. No one in the entire Cloud Mountain Sword Sect could match him. What could they do but swallow their anger?
As for sending someone from the Second Transformation Realm to teach him a lesson, they were a Major Sect. Not only could they not afford the loss of face, but many even doubted whether an ordinary Second Transformation expert could actually defeat Yao Tianchuan.
This suspicion was outrageous on its face. Each step in the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm was a true transformation, making it nearly impossible to defeat someone in a higher realm. But Yao Tianchuan’s performance had been so impressive, and combined with his record of similar feats, it had shaken the confidence of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect disciples and crushed their morale.
Xie Yuan chimed in with a few words, then drew water to wash up. He regulated his breathing, waited for the sky to grow darker, and quietly slipped out.
Outside one of the guest courtyards.
Yao Tianchuan stood at the edge of a cliff, practicing his Swordsmanship with his Long Sword.
He finished one set of forms and moved on to the next. Only when a light sweat beaded on his brow did he finally stop to rest.
Although the silver moon had already risen, the day’s spars had not been satisfying enough for him. Practicing a few more sets of Swordsmanship was far more gratifying.
Moreover, he was quite displeased that Situ Qin had not accepted his challenge.
At this thought, Yao Tianchuan’s expression darkened. He viciously thrust his sword, piercing straight through a giant boulder beside him.
BOOM! The massive rock exploded. Shards of stone flew everywhere, pelting his body, but he didn’t even flinch.
He slowly sheathed his sword, gritting his teeth.
"Demoness, for this blood feud, I will have my revenge, or may I end up like this stone!
"And as for the Demoness’s daughter, I will definitely..."
"You’ll definitely what?"
A quiet voice echoed out. Yao Tianchuan’s expression changed, and he whipped his head around.
Under a large tree by the cliff, a figure in the robes of the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect had appeared at some unknown time. Their face was hidden in the shadows, impossible to make out clearly.
Yao Tianchuan’s brow furrowed, and he shouted,
"Who... A handyman? Weren’t you all told to leave this area? Is this how the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect disciplines its disciples? Did they not teach you that spying on someone else’s training is a major taboo?"
He felt a sense of unease. The person was wearing a handyman’s uniform, yet he hadn’t noticed their approach in the slightest. ’How could I have been so careless?’
Yao Tianchuan strode toward the figure and said coldly,
"I told all of you to get lost. What are you still doing here? Are you trying to steal my techniques? State your name! I’d like to have a word with your masters!"
Xie Yuan stood under the tree, his face concealed, and chuckled softly.
"With those clumsy, third-rate moves of yours? You think they’re even worth stealing?"
Yao Tianchuan’s expression shifted. He said in a low voice,
"Arrogant! A mere handyman dares to speak so brazenly. Speak! What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing? I heard you weren’t satisfied with your matches today. I’ve come to grant our esteemed guest his wish."
Xie Yuan said calmly.
Yao Tianchuan froze for a second, then a look of disdain crossed his face.
"You, a mere handyman, think you’re worthy of making me draw my sword? All your senior brothers have been defeated, and you alone..."
Yao Tianchuan’s words came to an abrupt halt.
A cold light flashed, like a dragon emerging from the clouds.
Xie Yuan’s hand had barely moved, but his Sword Edge was already pressed against Yao Tianchuan’s throat. An inch further, and it would have pierced his neck.
Yao Tianchuan specialized in swift strikes, but he had failed to defend against this one. For a moment, he didn’t dare move a muscle, his eyes narrowing.
Xie Yuan smiled.
"Now, may I trouble you to draw your sword?"
"Who... who are you?"
Yao Tianchuan’s throat bobbed as he asked, his expression grave.
Xie Yuan replied coolly,
"A handyman from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect."