Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 82 - 71.7: Love Knows No Age

Evening of August 17, 2017

In the Birthday Banquet Hall of the Wind and Cloud Tower, Wang Jiu entered first, immediately drawing the attention of everyone present, especially the young people’s gaze.

Some young girls even let out excited cries they couldn’t suppress.

Shen Garden’s Wang Jiu, two months ago was personally invited by the patriarch Li Fengyun to become a family Honored Guest Elder — given Li Fengyun’s frugality in social engagements, he hadn’t personally received an outsider for years, so this title carried a lot of weight. However, he did not live in the mansion but stayed in Shen Garden, the residence of the patriarch’s youngest daughter, living reclusively. Around July, he gradually became a mysterious idol among the small circles of young ladies in QingCyan Cloud yun City.

There are many inexplicable aspects to Wang Jiu’s popularity. For instance, although he seldom appears in public, rumors about him circulate continuously within circles. Some say he is the illegitimate son of patriarch Li Fengyun from years ago, and the name Wang Jiu is merely an alias. Others claim he is a Holy Sect Envoy from Heaven-Reaching City, and some even say he is a human puppet from the year 22XX who traveled back in time to help the struggling Shen Qingming push forward with future immortal cultivation techniques... Of course, the most widely circulated gossip at present is the explanation that Wang Jiu is a celestial crane saved by Shen Qingming in her childhood, now transformed into human form to repay the favor. Also, even though Wang Jiu is incredibly handsome, in the vastness of Xiangzhou, it’s not as if he leaves everyone else far behind in appearance. Especially among actors and performers, who truly rely on their looks to earn a living and strive for perfection in their appearance and physique, they aren’t necessarily inferior to Wang Jiu. Yet, young women seem to have a peculiar fondness for Wang Jiu, screaming at every one of his appearances.

The phenomenon lacks a reasonable explanation so far, but renowned bestselling author, immortal cultivation theorist, and sociologist Li Jinglun is conducting research on the phenomenon and is set to publish a related book soon. The book is beautifully illustrated and includes Wang Jiu’s signature on the limited first edition copies, each with a unique number, making them highly collectible. It’s said that many young girls have already saved up their money for the first edition, with one girl from the Qian Family budgeting over a hundred Spirit Stones to secure the first numbered copy.

In any case, Wang Jiu is no longer a Whiteboard Dull Sword unknown on a street stall, but a celebrity of moderate repute in QingCyan City, capable of capturing the attention of the masses.

However, as people in the Birthday Banquet Hall focused their attention on him, Wang Jiu ignored everyone present and began to curiously observe the Wind and Cloud Tower at the core of the Li Family Mansion.

Compared to these miscellaneous people, the Wind and Cloud Tower was of far greater value.

As Shen Qingming had previously explained, this high tower, shaped like a long sword, has been standing for over three thousand years. It was erected by the ancestors of the Li Family after establishing QingCyan City, serving as a family totem.

Its sword-like shape stands as proof of the generations of sword cultivators in the Li Family, and a testament to the martial courage of their ancestors relentlessly pioneering and campaigning through the Chaos. Four thousand years ago, the fertile land of QingCyan City was a dead zone submerged in Chaos. Only through the dedication and hard work of countless people did it finally transform into a mighty city at the heart of Xiangzhou, expanding the civilization boundary of Xiangzhou Continent by over a hundredfold.

Today, the Wind and Cloud Tower has become a historic monument, its plaques in front frequently replaced as the Li Family’s power transitions, from the Celestial’s Edge Tower to Celestial City, and then from Celestial City to the Wind and Cloud Tower — yet it’s seldom used in actuality. The patriarch of the Li Family stopped residing there centuries ago, having developed new estates nearby for the family to reside in separately. Except for special occasions like the fiftieth birthday banquets, it’s not even open for the family internally.

Perhaps in the eyes of most Li Family members, this high tower is obsolete, but through Wang Jiu’s eyes, he saw something different.

Its design bears an uncanny resemblance to the Demon-slaying Blade from the Sword World, and those structural characteristics likely cannot be explained as mere coincidence.

Not coincidence, but indeed intentional; the Li Family predecessors who built the Wind and Cloud Tower must have known of the Demon-slaying Blade.

The appearance of the Demon-slaying Blade was known even to the Jiu Immortal Venerables back then, but those who understood its structure and function most deeply were none other than the Grandmaster in Sword Forging Skill, Li Jiulong. In fact, the process of Wang Jiu’s transformation from the Nameless Sword God to the Celestial Divine Sword owes much to Li Fengyun’s assistance. The grandiose scale of the Sword World was primarily designed by Wang Jiu himself along with Li Fengyun.

Now, upon seeing this familiar tower shape, a tide of memories washed over Wang Jiu. He thought of the historical fragments mentioned occasionally by Lu Xin in letters over the past two months... After that great battle, many things underwent heaven-and-earth-shattering changes, but this seemingly new Xiangzhou is intricately connected with the past Jiuzhou Continent.

Wang Jiu, lost in thought as he observed the Wind and Cloud Tower, began to step forward, simultaneously bringing forth a petite and young female figure from behind him.

The focus of everyone’s attention smoothly shifted toward her, with dozens of gazes like blades, spears, swords, and halberds, piercing through the already immensely nervous Shen Qingming, leaving her immobile in her place.

The girl sighed inwardly with grief. She had previously taken the long way around and let Wang Jiu take the lead just to avoid becoming the center of attention right away...

Even though she indeed returned to the family this time with great determination and courage to apologize for her immaturity, the current scene was still far too solemn!

At the same time, Lu Xin also sighed inwardly, wondering why things always seem unable to go as planned.

Before the birthday banquet, she painstakingly developed dozens of contingency plans to prevent awkward situations like the present, yet a strange twist occurred the moment someone knocked at the courtyard door and then disappeared, rendering all subsequent procedures invalid. A cascade of reactions unfolded, leading to the current state of affairs.

At this moment, only she, as the hostess, could step forward to alleviate the awkwardness for Qingming.

But just as she took a soft breath, preparing to speak, someone else spoke first. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Qingming, you’re here? It’s been years, and you’ve grown even more beautiful. Don’t just stand there, come and sit down for a meal. Lu Xin and Zhao Yan put a lot of effort into preparing these dishes, haha. You know, it’s rare for me to enjoy such fine cooking in Lingshan City."

The speaker is sitting at the main table, kind and gentle-looking, with hair and beard all white. He is Li Shouyi, the patriarch of the Lingshan City branch, and the highest-ranking cultivator present. Although this old cultivator over a hundred and fifty years old does not have high cultivation, he is kind-hearted and open-minded, especially fond of looking after the younger generation, and is deeply loved by family members.

With Li Shouyi speaking up to ease the situation, everyone present turned their gaze away, no longer letting the young girl continue to feel awkward... Only Lu Xin looked like his spotlight was stolen, feeling a lump in his throat, as if he could explode at any moment, filled with anguish.

Shen Qingming gratefully nodded to the elder in thanks, then prepared to quickly take her seat.

However, Li Shouyi then noticed Wang Jiu walking in front of the girl and exclaimed in surprise, "What a handsome young man, is he your husband?"

"Pfft!"

At one of the tables, a young girl sprayed out her mouthful of tea. Her face still carried traces of childhood, yet her figure was tall and voluptuous, curvy and shapely. She was Li Chaolu, from the third branch of the mansion.

"Great-grandfather, he is just a Honored Guest Elder hired by Big Uncle, not Shen Qingming’s husband at all!"

Li Shouyi looked at the righteously indignant Li Chaolu in surprise, then turned his gaze, examining Shen Qingming and Wang Jiu back and forth, nodding as he said, "So that’s how it is. Then, Qingming girl, you should seize the opportunity and not miss out."

"Pfft!" Li Chaolu sprayed out her tea again in shock.

Li Shouyi continued to share his life experience with the younger generation enthusiastically, "Qingming girl, you are also 14 this year, right? Although talking about marriage might still be early for us cultivators, who says cultivators have to wait until they are over twenty or thirty to seek love? Don’t always imitate your grandfather and father, who only thought of marriage after thirty. What’s wrong with being like me and getting engaged to your great-grandmother at thirteen?"

Fortunately, Li Shouyi’s words weren’t finished before two other old men with similarly white beards stuffed his mouth with pastries and tea.

"Shut your mouth, and just eat your tofu pudding. So old and still not dignified, trying to matchmake teenagers every day..."

"I’m telling you, I moved from Lingshan City branch to Heaven-shaking Mountain because I was fed up with you bragging about getting engaged to a twelve-year-old girl every day!"

"Engaging yourself to someone at just twelve! Worse than a beast!"

This little interlude fortunately diverted the attention in the hall. Although there was still discussion at the tables, at least Shen Qingming was no longer the focus, and people privately shared stories about Li Shouyi and his partner of nearly a hundred years.

However, some wouldn’t let this tardy girl go.

"Hmph, I can’t believe you actually had the nerve to show up. Small in stature, but thick-skinned indeed."

Shen Qingming had just taken her seat, ready to lift her tea and greet her relatives at the same table, when she heard the ridicule from Li Chaolu, and the blood vessels in her temples began to throb. But before she could retort, Li Chaolu’s target shifted to the person beside her.

"Mr. Wang Jiu, long time no see."

Wang Jiu confusedly lifted his teacup, "I remember the last time we met was just three days ago during the company meeting."

Li Chaolu blushed, smiling, "That’s why the ancients said, a day apart feels like three autumns."

With such a bold statement as if expressing love, the eyes of the young men and women at the table immediately gathered.

Beside her, Li Xinyu looked at the porcelain cup in his sister’s hand with some alarm and asked, "Chaolu, are you sure you’re drinking tea? Why do I feel like you’re drunk?"

"Then go outside and sober me up." Li Chaolu said, unceremoniously poking Li Xinyu with the Hundred Flowers Sword Qi, making him draw a sharp breath.

Then, Li Chaolu explained to two girls of similar age at the same table, "Qingshuang, Junyi, since you usually don’t live in Cyan Cloud City, you might not know much about Mr. Wang Jiu, but he’s actually quite the figure here. Not only is he handsome, but his cultivation is phenomenal. Even Big Uncle praises his talent highly. What’s more, he has a gentle and considerate personality, showing great compassion for disabled people. Recently, he’s been giving psychological counseling to a rebellious and twisted girl at the Shen Garden..."

While spreading the utterly unreliable gossip from the fan circle as facts to brainwash her sisters from the Lingshan City and Heaven-Reaching City branches, Li Chaolu completely ignored Shen Qingming’s angry glance, continually toasting Wang Jiu with tea.