Zombie Bodyguard-Chapter 1528 - 1525: Amidst the Crowd, I Recognized You

"You say the Ji Family is orthodox, but if Ji Xuanyuan had a legacy, who is truly orthodox?" Lin Tian retorted. He had a skeptical attitude about such legacies; matters from ancient times were not clear in modern days.

The young man with a crew cut probably had never seen someone dare to question the Ji Family like this. He was momentarily stunned, and then his expression turned a little unpleasant.

He looked around, saw that no one was paying attention, and then whispered, "Brother, questioning the Ji Family like that, do you have a death wish?"

Lin Tian shrugged, innocently saying, "I’m just asking a question; is that not allowed? Is the Ancient Martial World this dark?"

"It’s not about darkness; it concerns a family’s reputation. No family would allow others to casually speak about their affairs. Besides, even without talking about orthodoxy, the Ji Family is still powerful. Among the younger generation, their strength is the highest, with some already advancing to the Innate Realm. Do you see the young man sitting behind Mr. Ji?"

"His name is Ji Zimo, the only one of the younger generation with a seat because he advanced to Innate in his twenties. If it weren’t for his lower seniority, he could have been seated in the first row. Look at the Situ family’s best, Situ Yufeng; though he is also outstanding, he is far behind compared to Ji Zimo."

"Advancing to Innate in his twenties, only Tang Ziqing of Qingshuang Pavilion can compare, but her seniority is higher, so Ji Zimo is the foremost among the younger generation."

The young man with the crew cut spoke quickly, sharing a lot in one go. Lin Tian understood: in short, the Ji Family is impressive, from the elders to the younger ones.

"Stunned by all this, brother? But don’t worry, families like the Ji Family wouldn’t pay attention to small figures like us." Seeing Lin Tian silent, the young man with the crew cut thought Lin Tian was overwhelmed and couldn’t help but smile and comfort him.

Lin Tian just smiled, not explaining anything, and asked instead, "Brother, you just mentioned the Ji Family’s legacy from Emperor Zhuanxu. What is the treasured weapon of the Ji Family? Could it be the Xuanyuan Sword?"

"Wow, brother, your imagination is quite wild; you even thought of the Xuanyuan Sword. That’s a legendary Divine Sword; who has seen it?" The young man with the crew cut widened his eyes, exclaimed, and then whispered, "Think about it; if they had the Xuanyuan Sword, would the Ji Family still come here to see the Hua Ying Sword? Let me tell you, the Ji Family’s treasured weapon is the Sky Soaring Sword."

Sky Soaring Sword? Lin Tian’s heart stirred, recalling the ancient records. It is said that the Sky Soaring Sword and the Hua Ying Sword were a pair, both being swords of Emperor Zhuanxu.

The Ji Family truly came for the Hua Ying Sword. Lin Tian’s gaze slightly sharpened as he glanced at the few Ji Family members inside.

"Alright, brother, I’ve told you this much for now. If you’re interested, we can chat more later. The sword appreciation gathering is about to start." The young man with the crew cut glanced around the venue and ended his animated speech, squeezing forward.

On the central platform, Tang Ziqing had already stepped forward. She clasped her hands, made a bow to the surroundings, and then said in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, today’s sword appreciation gathering stems from one event. Some time ago, my disciple Xiao Manxuan unexpectedly acquired the Hua Ying Sword, an ancient treasure sword of extraordinary origin."

"Such a treasure sword is akin to a sect’s treasured weapon and is a rare treasure for sword cultivators. Our sect also follows the path of the sword, which is a godsend opportunity. However, I wish to make one thing clear: even if the Hua Ying Sword is akin to a sect’s treasured weapon, my Qingshuang Pavilion will not seize the student’s possession."

"The Hua Ying Sword belongs to Xiao Manxue, whoever obtained it!" Tang Ziqing paused here, glancing around at the various ancient martial families.

Tang Ziqing’s last statement was very clear: Qingshuang Pavilion will not require the student to submit the treasure sword. In other words, the peers should not have any designs on the Hua Ying Sword. Although no one immediately refuted Tang Ziqing’s words, the looks from the families were flickering with different thoughts.

Lin Tian was slightly surprised; he hadn’t expected Qingshuang Pavilion to publicly announce the non-seizure of the Hua Ying Sword. A prominent sect, saying and doing this openly, he had thought Qingshuang Pavilion would claim the Hua Ying Sword as part of the sect.

It seems that the women of Qingshuang Pavilion aren’t all that bad, Lin Tian contemplated, slightly changing his view of these aloof women.

Tang Ziqing paused and continued, "To meet your requests and witness the Hua Ying Sword’s magnificence, we are holding today’s sword appreciation gathering. We hope everyone will view the sword civilly..."

Pfft...

Lin Tian almost burst into laughter because Tang Ziqing’s mention of "view the sword civilly" reminded him of another phrase: "view the ball civilly." Here, "ball" refers to ’bosom,’ and to view civilly means to approach with calmness and civility.

Tang Ziqing continued speaking, using typical ceremonial language. Some ancient martial artists grew a bit impatient, but Lin Tian knew, among those who were impatient, the simpler ones just wanted to "view the sword civilly." The ancient martial families that seemed calm likely had impure motives.

So, as soon as Tang Ziqing finished speaking, an ancient martial artist loudly said, "Miss Tang, we gathered from afar in Tang City just to take a look at the Hua Ying Sword. But as of now, it hasn’t appeared. You wouldn’t show us a video, would you?"

This elicited a burst of laughter from the crowd, though most meant no malice, as the ancient martial artists had indeed waited several days. The ancient martial families, however, had smiles that seemed a bit false, difficult to fathom.

"Everyone knows that Qingshuang Pavilion prohibits bringing mobile phones or entertainment electronics inside, so even if you wanted to watch a video, it’s not possible," Tang Ziqing replied calmly.

"All right, everyone, please be patient. I will now have my disciple present the Hua Ying Sword." With the crowd settling down, Tang Ziqing announced.

This announcement brightened everyone’s eyes, including Lin Tian’s. Others were here for the Hua Ying Sword, but he was here for Xiao Manxue. Ever since parting ways in England, it had been some time since they last met, and Lin Tian found himself missing that domineering lady CEO.

With a "dong," a female disciple in the audience struck a copper bell. The resonant sound spread through the valley, and soon, a woman walked over from afar.

The woman was dressed in a white dress, a garment Lin Tian was very familiar with, made from the silk of ice silkworms by Qingshuang Pavilion, resistant to blades and flames, one of Qingshuang Pavilion’s treasures.

Miss...

Watching the woman gracefully approach, Lin Tian quietly murmured, feeling a vague joy, as if he had seen someone he had long yearned for.

Xiao Manxue appeared, carrying the Hua Ying Sword, as if a fairy had stepped out of a painting. She had been staring straight ahead as she made her way to the plaza, but suddenly felt a surge of emotion, an inexplicable connection, leading her to glance at one corner of the plaza, where her gaze met a pair of familiar eyes.

Seeing these familiar eyes, and then that familiar face, Xiao Manxue was taken aback and stopped in her tracks.