Supreme Sword Exalt

Shen Xuan’s heart dropped. “Damn it! How’d she find me that fast?!”

Boom! Boom!

The ground shook even more violently.

Shen Xuan’s face turned pale. “Little Brother, I have to leave now. We’ll meet agai—”

He disappeared mid-sentence, leaving no trace behind.

Ah Sha moved closer. “Young Master, why did he run away? His childhood friend doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

Gu Han was speechless.

Those two are clearly bored out of their minds.

At that moment, a tremor stronger than any before shook the ground and mountains. Unable to withstand the force, the beast’s cave began to collapse.

Crazy bastards, Gu Han cursed inwardly as he quickly pulled Ah Sha out of the cave.

As soon as they emerged, he froze. Before them was a pit several zhang deep. Shen Xuan helplessly lay at the bottom, pinned down by a massive purple-gold hammer. He could barely move.

Nearby, the female warrior strode over to the edge of the pit.

“Come on, run! Weren’t you so quick to flee before?” She laughed heartlessly, laced with taunt.

Shen Xuan looked full of indignation. “Don’t push me, Murong Yan! I have my pride. I’ll never agree to marry into your family.”

Gu Han was taken aback. Murong... Yan? Such an elegant and gentle name, paired with this female warrior... is a perfect match!

Murong Yan laughed coldly. “Either come back with me, or stay here forever.”

“Even if you kill me, I still won’t go back.”

“You’re just like the others. You think I’m ugly, don’t you?

“Where did that come from?! Stop twisting my words.”

Seeing the two bickering endlessly, Gu Han soon lost interest. Not wanting to stay any longer, he prepared to leave with Ah Sha.

“Let’s go.”

“Young Man,” Murong Yan called from behind him. “Do you also think I’m not good enough for him?”

Gu Han turned back helplessly. “No.”

Murong Yan didn’t seem satisfied. “Be honest with me!”

Gu Han stared at her calmly. “I am being honest with you.”

Murong Yan fell silent for a moment. She could tell Gu Han wasn’t lying. Somehow, her usual boldness wavered, a flicker of unease showing in the face of such sincerity.

“But... I-I’m not good-looking.”

“What does that have to do with whether he likes you or whether you’re a good match for him?”

“Huh?” Murong Yan was stunned.

This was the first time she’d ever heard such a perspective. Do appearances really not matter?

“If you like him, and he likes you, then you’re a good match. What others think doesn’t matter at all.”

“Well said!” Shen Xuan couldn’t help but cheer from the pit. Gu Han’s words resonated deeply with him.

Murong Yan fell silent again. Beneath her rough exterior, her insecurities had always been lurking quietly. Hence, she relentlessly pursued Shen Xuan, demanding that he marry into her family. In truth, she was merely clinging to the last shred of her dignity, trying to prove to the world that someone could indeed love her.

However, Gu Han made her realize how meaningless it all was!

As if reading her mind, Gu Han turned to Ah Sha. “Ah Sha, people used to call you stupid, right?”

Ah Sha nodded. “Lots and lots of them.”

“Did you care?”

She wrapped her arms around Gu Han’s. “Nope. Because I have you! And chicken legs!”

Gu Han smiled. “See? Even Ah Sha understands this better than you.”

Murong Yan could tell Gu Han’s intentions were pure. He was speaking from the heart.

“What’s your name?” Murong Yan asked.

“Gu Han.”

“Gu Han...” Murong Yan took large strides forward, closing the distance in just a few steps. She raised her massive hand high and placed it heavily on Gu Han’s shoulder. “Brother Gu!”

Gu Han’s entire side turned numb, as if crushed by a boulder. Now that Murong Yan was in front of him, he realized that she was a full head taller. Looking down, he saw his feet had sunk deep into the ground. He couldn’t help but suspect that Murong Yan was launching an attack.

Oblivious, Murong Yan gave his shoulder two more hearty pats. “I couldn’t have said it better myself!”

Although Gu Han hadn’t entirely erased her insecurities, he had significantly weakened them. In her excitement, she had perhaps gotten a little carried away.

On the verge of tears, Ah Sha exclaimed, “S-Sister, stop hitting him! H-he is almost as short as me now...”

Only then did Murong Yan realize what she’d done. She quickly grabbed Gu Han’s shoulders and plucked him out of the ground like a radish.

“Sorry about that, Brother Gu. What you’ve told me made me come to a realization. I got a little too excited, so...”

Gu Han’s face darkened. Had it not been for his abundant spirit power, those pats would’ve shattered his bones. On the other hand, he was also secretly astonished. Everything else aside, Murong Yan was the strongest person he’d ever seen. No wonder she could crush a Tier 4 demonic beast with ease.

Instinctively, he glanced at the purple-gold hammer pinning Shen Xuan down. This is definitely an extraordinary treasure.

Murong Yan waved her hand, recalling the hammer. “Come on up, Senior Brother. I won’t force you to marry into my family anymore. I know you truly care for me, but I was too caught up in what others thought and ended up putting so much pressure on you. I won’t do that anymore.”

Shen Xuan, who was covered in dust, crawled out of the pit. He looked about to cry. “Junior Sister, you’ve finally come to your senses! Thank you, Brother Gu!”

Shen Xuan was endlessly grateful. With just a few words, Gu Han had alleviated Murong Yan’s long-standing insecurities, which was nothing short of a miracle. If not for the others present, he’d have knelt before Gu Han right then and there.

Ah, if only Gu Han had appeared sooner! He wouldn’t have had to live in constant fear, hiding everywhere!

Gu Han rubbed his swollen shoulder. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave—”

“Brother Gu, where are you and this little girl headed?”

“Great Qi Martial Academy.” Ah Sha puffed up with pride. “He is the most talented person in Tianwu City!”

Shen Xuan was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. “Martial Academy? That’s great! What a coincidence! A mere martial academy can’t possibly teach someone of your caliber, though! When the time comes, we’ll meet again! Hehe!”

Gu Han glanced at his shoulder. His bones were nearly broken.

Meet again? Hehe, no thanks. How about never again?

With a salute, he took Ah Sha’s hand and left. Before they could get far, Murong Yan came chasing after them again. “Brother Gu, wait!”

Gu Han’s lips twitched, and he quickly stepped aside. Another pat, and he’d really fall apart.

“Take this.” To his surprise, Murong Yan handed him a palm-sized, black iron token.

“Essence crystals and pills are too tacky, so I won’t give you those. Take this token instead. This will come in handy when you reach the imperial capital. Any shop owned by the Murong family will treat you as their most honored guest!”

Gu Han was speechless. Honestly, essence crystals and pills would’ve been just fine. Not wanting to reject her goodwill, he reluctantly accepted it.

“Thank you, Miss Murong.”

Growing even fonder of Gu Han, Murong Yan feigned displeasure. “Why act so distant and formal? Just call me ‘Sister’!”

His face twitched again. “Sister... Murong!”

Gritting his teeth, he forced out the address, eager to put as much distance as possible between himself and this bizarre pair. With that, he hurried away with Ah Sha.

As Shen Xuan watched Gu Han leave, he went up to Murong Yan. “Tsk tsk tsk! He’s no ordinary guy!”

“What do you mean?”

“Though he’s young, his temperament is steadier than ours. I mean, just look at his mindset! He’s either the reincarnation of a mighty figure or has endured unimaginable hardships. Either way, he’s a once-in-a-century talent!”

“Exactly. Our sect’s useless disciples don’t hold a candle to him... Hm? Senior Brother, are you thinking of...” Murong Yan caught on.

Shen Xuan smiled. “Not yet. Let him train at the martial academy first. When our sect opens its doors again, we’ll bring him back together.”

“Great idea!”

“Speaking of which, Junior Sister, did you just give away that token? If Elder Murong finds out, he’ll be furious.”

Murong Yan glared at him. “I can do whatever I want with that token! Besides, I trust Brother Gu.”

Shen Xuan rubbed his temples. “Alright, alright. Do as you please. But...”

He turned awkward. “Junior Sister, let’s drop the whole marriage into your family thing, alright? Ahem... When we return, I’ll have the master propose to Elder Murong on my behalf. I may not marry into your family, but I can propose to you. Besides, those two are always arguing about us anyway. It’s exhausting.”

Murong Yan’s eyes reddened. “Senior Brother, I... I’ll never hit you again!”

Overcome with emotion, she pulled Shen Xuan into a tight embrace.

Shen Xuan blushed—from suffocation, anyway. “B-broken! Junior Sister! My bones... are breaking! Let go...”

***

Ah Sha and Gu Han sat under an ancient tree over ten zhang tall. Her heart ached as she carefully applied medicinal powder to his injuries. Meanwhile, Gu Han examined the heavy, black iron token, flipping it over and over. The craftsmanship was crude. On one side was the word “Mu,” and on the other, “Rong.”

That’s it? Honored guest? A few thousand essence crystals would’ve been more useful!

Once the powder was applied, Ah Sha glanced around. “Young Master, should we keep looking for spirit herbs?”

Gu Han froze. Spirit herbs? Oh yeah!

He’d been so caught up with Murong Yan that he’d almost forgotten about the Purple Crystal Vine. Judging by Shen Xuan’s reaction, it was truly priceless.

As he looked into the distance, his expression abruptly shifted.

“Young Master, what’s wrong?”

“Someone’s coming.”

With his sharp hearing, he detected multiple faint footsteps approaching. Standing up slowly, he gripped his sword and gently pulled Ah Sha behind him.

As the footsteps drew closer, a badly injured man stumbled before them.

Gu Han was stunned. “You...?”

It was Chen Ping, whom he’d met outside Divine Physician Xue’s door.

Chen Ping was equally surprised. “L-Little Brother? Quick, run! They’re right behind me!”

As if to avoid dragging Gu Han into his mess, he changed direction and plunged into the dense forest. Soon, shouts came from the distance.

“Where’d he go?”

“With those injuries, he won’t get far. Look for him!”

“Be careful. Keep the pills Divine Physician Xue gave him intact, or all our efforts will be wasted!”

Four or five figures then emerged, coming face-to-face with Gu Han.