Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 166 - 136: The Rising Hype of the Abyss

Overcast on October 25, 2017

There are still two months left until the official start of the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition, and as the atmosphere in the city grows increasingly fervent, a dark cloud is gradually looming over Qingyun City.

A dark cloud named Li Wanqing.

On the 15th, a brief skirmish between Li Wanqing and Qian Ye beneath the Drunken Immortal Tower has been sensationalized to the extreme by the major and minor newspapers within Qingyun City, becoming a hot topic for gossip among the countless bystanders in their idle conversations.

Among them, Qian Ye, who was effortlessly defeated, naturally became a laughing stock.

It's unfortunate that the Qian Family had started laying the groundwork for Qian Ye to win the championship long ago, spending a hundred thousand in funds and even performing the Qiankun Throw, momentarily wrapping Qian Ye in the aura of a rare prodigy not seen in decades in Qingyun City, the number one young cultivator of the time, leading the Qian Family to a road of resurgence as the contemporary Qian Liexian.

However, this rare prodigy was instantly defeated by a Bai He Demoness two years his junior, and even his girlfriend suffered a calamity... Such an experience was enough to make the unsympathetic rumor mongers laugh until their bellies ached, and the past bravado of the Qian Family now turned into slaps on their own faces. As a result, many of the industries operated by the Qian Family were becoming unprosperous.

These days, the air in the Qian Family Mansion is filled with a murderous tension, and Patriarch Qian Long is like a cold front from the southwest, freezing wherever he goes. Although he wouldn't take out his anger on others or easily flare up, once his face turned stern, it had the remarkable effect of stopping children from crying at night. Everyone in the mansion was trembling with fear these past few days.

To say so, there is only one exception.

"Yo, Sixth Uncle, good morning."

In the morning, Qian Ye beamed widely and greeted the old man passing by with enthusiasm.

The old man glanced at Qian Ye and sighed, "Ye'Er, it's been hard on you these days, don't take to heart the gossip spreading outside."

Qian Ye laughed heartily, "I won't bother with those ignorant fools. Xiangzhou is vast, and there's always someone better out there. I'm not as skilled and lost to someone, it's very normal."

The old man was stunned for a moment, seeing that Qian Ye's cheerfulness seemed heartfelt, he nodded, "Good, good! It's good to have such a mindset of not being arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat. I was worried you might be overly stressed and overthinking..."

Before he finished, a disgruntled young voice came from behind, "Sixth Uncle, you're the one overthinking. This guy has been full of himself these days."

As he spoke, the third young master of the Qian Family, Qian Yu, also passed by this place, casually greeting Sixth Uncle and Qian Ye.

Qian Ye scratched his head with a bit of embarrassment, "Oh dear, even you know about me and Zhou Yu, Third Brother..."

Qian Yu said angrily, "I didn't even say what it was yet!? And you're a damn genius! Who was it yesterday that kept bugging me to listen to stories!? I was in a meeting and you insisted on using the Communication Spirit Stone to report to me how you got your first kiss from your girlfriend!"

"Haha, mainly because I couldn't find anyone else to tell, and the scene at the time was really quite moving. Initially, when I lost to Li Wanqing, I was deeply affected both in cultivation and romance, and after drinking with Mr. Wang Jiu, I got more and more depressed, feeling utterly disheartened. But Yu'Er, understanding and comforting me, getting close to me, then we just..."

"I don't care for your sob stories to gain sympathy! And it was just a first kiss, don't make it sound like your kid just had a full-month celebration! You guys have been dating for a year already! Second Brother, you're truly disappointing!"

Qian Ye frowned slightly, "So, Third Brother, do you have a girlfriend?"

"..." With a mysterious fate, Qian Yu gritted his teeth and glared at his second brother.

"Haha, so in such matters, it's still me, as your brother, who should teach you a few tricks. For instance, selling your misfortunes. It may sound bad, but it really works..."

"I don't want to hear such embarrassing stories!"

On the other side, Sixth Uncle was already drenched in cold sweat and had walked far away.

——

Sixth Uncle Qian didn't walk far before stopping in front of a courtyard. Before him, two rows of maids were already set up in a welcoming formation, and at a glance, Sixth Uncle Qian knew this was of extremely high standard. The two rows of maids were all exquisitely selected beauties with graceful figures, artistic features, and all wore smiles as warm as the spring breeze.

These were definitely not maids for the Qian Family Mansion's own use; they were clearly top-tier courtesans from a professional conference company in Golden Jade City, absolutely well-trained, superior and dignified.

As Qian Liu walked, he asked, "Is everyone here?"

"Only a few from the Lu Family are missing, the rest are here."

"Good." Qian Liu nodded, walking into the courtyard's hall with a welcoming path lined by the two rows of stone-like maids.

Qian Long sat in the main seat with a face so stern it seemed to stop children from crying at night, making everyone from the Qian Family stay silent as cicadas in cold weather.

After Sixth Uncle Qian entered the room, he silently sat in a corner and then softly asked the person next to him.

"Old Seventh, what's going on? Why is the eldest brother still so unhappy?"

The Qian Family elder beside him, who looked much younger, let out a bitter smile: "He was pretty happy this morning, but then he couldn't help himself and went to Golden Jade Mountain to chat with that girl Qian Yue, trying to teach her about life principles. He came out with a grim face in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

"...Internal and external troubles."

As the two brothers were sighing, a crisp chime sounded at the door, and the guest of honor at today's Qian Family meeting finally arrived.

Accompanied by several heavyweight elders of the Qian Family, Lu Xin, the representative of the current head of the Lu Family, one of the three great families of Cyan Cloud, walked slowly into the hall and cupped his hands in greeting to Qian Long: "Boss Qian, long time no see."

Qian Long forced a smile: "Elder Lu, long time no see, please have a seat."

The place for Lu Xin was right next to Qian Long, and his accompanying personnel were arranged next to Sixth Uncle Qian and Old Seventh Qian.

After everyone was seated, even before any pleasantries, Qian Long went straight to the point: "In this Cyan Cloud Grand Competition, the Qian Family and the Lu Family will join forces, combining the strengths of both families to create great results. The specifics require collaborative brainstorming. We have gathered the elders of both families here today for open discussion. When speaking, temporarily disregard budget constraints."

In the hall, many had already been informed of the agenda and only nodded slightly upon hearing this. However, some had just learned the news and quickly inquired with those around them.

For those who had only recently qualified to attend the family high-level meetings, Patriarch Qian Long's decision was indeed surprising.

Just for the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition, the Qian and Lu Families are going to join forces? Is that really necessary? It's known that for hundreds of years, the ancestors of the Qian Family had vaguely passed down a directive—to not easily provoke the Lu Family! And indeed, over the centuries, interactions between the two families have been extremely limited.

Besides, disregarding budget constraints? That doesn't seem like the style of the Qian Family at all!

Certainly, this decennial cultivator event carries various extraordinary significances, and considering the participation of the Saint Sect, it is especially important for the Qian Family. However, is it really so important as to require investing so many resources?

After all, it's just a showcase for talents under the age of 20. Winning the championship is certainly delightful, but not winning doesn't necessarily mean anything either. Li Fengyun, for instance, due to age awkwardness, couldn't make any achievements in the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition, but no one can deny that he was one of the greatest sword geniuses in nearly a century. If not for losing his beloved in his prime, he might have surpassed the threshold of the Mountain-Overturning Realm by now, reaching the near-mythic Sea Overturning Realm, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Sect Leader of the Saint Sect.

Figures like Li Fengyun are the true pillars of a family. As long as Li Fengyun stands tall, no matter how the Li Family declines, it remains one of the top Seven Great Noble Families in Xiangzhou. For the Qian Family to surpass the Li Family, a fundamental change is necessary, and the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition championship title is evidently not up to the task.

Previously, the Qian Family allotted a special budget of a hundred thousand spirit stones to strive for a good result in the competition—together with other budgets supporting training, spiritual medicine costs, etc., amounting to two hundred thousand. This already was a significant investment for the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition project. However, based on what Boss Qian implied, the resources mobilized this time are likely to far exceed the previous scale.

A young member of the Qian Family sitting in the corner of the hall asked, "Could you please explain the reason? What benefits from this Cyan Cloud Grand Competition warrant such resource investment?"

Qian Long snorted, "Two reasons. First, Qian Xing sent an urgent message from Heaven-Reaching City; this time, the Saint Sect will send an Immortal Envoy to oversee the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition..."

"An Immortal Envoy?! Such a high level of specification?"

The Saint Sect's envoys are of three ranks, with the top-tier Holy Envoys almost never showing up, as elusive as the Sect Leader himself, leading many to speculate that the Holy Envoy is actually the Sect Leader.

The next level, Immortal Envoys, are the highest level of envoys the Saint Sect can send during regular interactions with other sects and noble families. There aren't many Immortal Envoys, but each has power comparable to the patriarchs of the Seven Great Noble Families. Generally, Immortal Envoys appear only when serious conflicts or disputes arise that are difficult to reconcile. An Immortal Envoy's words carry significant weight, as they represent the will of the Saint Sect, and it can be said that a single word from them can change outcomes. Throughout thousands of years, many wars have been avoided because of a word from a Saint Sect Immortal Envoy.

In contrast, it is the Sect Envoys who frequently walk among the world. Though they also have considerable power, they don't have the scope of authority that Immortal Envoys do, often serving as messengers.

In past Cyan Cloud Grand Competitions, Sect Envoys usually served as judges, bringing the Saint Sect's blessings and awarding prizes to the winners. After all, youth talent showcases such as these generally do not warrant the appearance of Immortal Envoys.

But this time, it seems the Saint Sect intends to break tradition.

While everyone was actively discussing this news, Qian Long added: "Additionally, Qian Xing had the opportunity to meet with the Immortal Envoy beforehand and received crucial information: This time's Cyan Cloud Grand Competition winners will receive unprecedented rewards."

Boom! 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The entire hall was instantly abuzz with voices; this news was previously unknown even to the upper-level elders of the Qian Family.

And amidst the elders' discussions, Qian Long swiftly but quietly completed the second reason.

"Second, anyone can win this Cyan Cloud Grand Competition, but Li Wanqing must absolutely not win!"

Simultaneously, Lu Xin, seated beside him, nodded emphatically.