Chapter 21: A Strange Emotion

Xiu Qingcheng brandished the Ting Tian Sword, effortlessly sending out a wave of sword qi.

Although the sword qi looked ethereal, the majestic sword intent it contained was a realm Meng Yingxing could not hope to reach at his current level.

The sword qi split the earth and shattered stone, carving a deep trench in the ground as it rushed straight for the fat and thin duo who had just been sent flying by Xiu Qingcheng.

The fat and thin duo had yet to get up from the ground. The moment they tried, they saw the sword qi cleaving towards them with unstoppable momentum. Terrified out of their wits, they scrambled to roll away.

The sword qi slammed into the alley wall with a thunderous explosion.

Dust and smoke instantly billowed out, and when it cleared, an incredibly clean-cut gap had been sliced through the wall.

The fat and thin duo no longer had the arrogance they displayed when they tried to kill Meng Yingxing.

They crawled on the ground, covered in dust, but Xiu Qingcheng gave them no chance to breathe, closing in and bringing her sword down on them.

Every one of Xiu Qingcheng’s strikes landed precisely on their bodies, yet none were immediately fatal.

‘Daring to harm her precious new disciple like this, they truly are tired of living!’

Meng Yingxing watched Xiu Qingcheng.

She was like a performer taming beasts with a whip; she used her sword as a whip, lashing the fat and thin men until they spun on the ground like tops.

No matter how the fat and thin duo tried to dodge, they were ultimately struck by Xiu Qingcheng’s sword.

“Aiyo! Aiyo! Young mistress, please let us go! We won’t dare to do it again!”

“Young mistress, young mistress! We beg you! We’ll give you anything you want!”

The two men continuously pleaded for mercy, begging for Xiu Qingcheng to be benevolent and spare their worthless lives.

Unfortunately, such pleas were useless against Xiu Qingcheng.

Like a school leader’s speech at an assembly, her ears let them in one side and out the other, without a single trace remaining in her mind.

Having been a sword for so long in the Divine Weapon Pavilion and in her past life, Xiu Qingcheng’s heart had long grown as cold as the Ting Tian Sword itself.

Xiu Qingcheng’s eyes were icy.

She kicked each of the men, and with cries of pain, they crashed into each other, their scarred arms overlapping.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiu Qingcheng thrust the Ting Tian Sword with a reverse grip, pinning their overlapping arms to the ground with a single stab.

The fat and thin duo screamed, unable to utter any other words.

“Which hand hurt my disciple? Speak up. If you don’t, you can leave both hands behind.”

Xiu Qingcheng threatened, twisting the Ting Tian Sword that was impaling their arms.

They let out even more wretched screams, clearly unable to answer Xiu Qingcheng’s question.

Xiu Qingcheng sneered, “Not talking? Then leave both hands behind!”

As her voice fell, Xiu Qingcheng pulled the Ting Tian Sword from their arms.

A flash of cold light followed, and a line of blood streaked across the hands of the fat and thin duo.

The duo’s horrific screams instantly tore through the sky.

Their hands were suddenly separated from them, but the blood, as if it hadn’t reacted yet, only began to gush out several seconds later.

Afterward, Xiu Qingcheng floated back gracefully and pulled Meng Yingxing up from the ground.

Not a single drop of blood had stained her body during the entire process.

After getting to his feet, Meng Yingxing stared at the fat and thin duo in the distance, who were crying in agony while clutching their severed hands, and seemed to be in a daze.

“What, you think I was too cruel?” Xiu Qingcheng said teasingly by Meng Yingxing’s side, twirling the Ting Tian Sword into a beautiful flourish before holding it in a reverse grip.

Meng Yingxing shook his head and gave a weak smile: “This is Master standing up for me. I… I’m very happy.”

He wasn’t lying.

The feeling of having someone back you up was truly different.

It was like something soft and large had filled his entire heart.

“Besides… people who commit such evil deeds must pay a price.”

Meng Yingxing’s attitude toward the duo was just as firm.

They were in cahoots with that crooked shop, and who knows how many people they had harmed before him. They deserved no sympathy whatsoever.

If you have strength, you can rob.

But if you don’t have strength, you have to leave your life behind when you rob.

The strong reign as kings. Meng Yingxing had understood this principle since he was a child.

Meng Yingxing automatically tuned out the duo’s screams.

He was more concerned about his master now.

“Disciple, are you badly hurt? Is your leg broken? Do you need me to carry you?” Xiu Qingcheng held the Ting Tian Sword in one hand and patted Meng Yingxing all over with the other, thoughtfully dusting off his clothes.

And because this Jiaoren girl was much taller than Meng Yingxing, Xiu Qingcheng took the opportunity to condescendingly ruffle his hair a couple of times.

“Master,” Meng Yingxing said, staring at the body Xiu Qingcheng currently occupied.

“Hm?” Xiu Qingcheng tilted her head.

“So, this body you’re in now, where did it come from?” Meng Yingxing’s gaze swept over Xiu Qingcheng’s current body, sweeping past the fine scale on her neck.

He remembered… Master had just said this was a Jiaoren. It was the first time he had ever seen or even heard of such a being. They looked very similar to humans.

“Oh, this Jiaoren girl was passing by and happened to pick me up. Then when I saw you were in trouble, I gave it a try, and I could actually… borrow her body!” A sense of joy overflowed in Xiu Qingcheng’s words.

Seeing a stranger holding the Ting Tian Sword, a strange emotion stirred in Meng Yingxing’s heart.

It was like his favorite toy had been snatched away.

Without a word, Meng Yingxing reached out and took the Ting Tian Sword from the Jiaoren girl’s hand.

With the Ting Tian Sword no longer in the Jiaoren girl’s hand, Xiu Qingcheng could no longer borrow her body.

Now, Xiu Qingcheng’s chirping voice appeared only in Meng Yingxing’s mind.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

“I wanted to experience being human a little longer!”

The Ting Tian Sword spun rapidly in Meng Yingxing’s hand, forcefully expressing Xiu Qingcheng’s protest.

“Master, occupying someone else’s body is a practice of the demonic path.”

“I won’t say anything, but if you occupy someone else’s body, you might be ‘purged’ by others.”

Meng Yingxing’s voice was faint, as if tinged with displeasure.

“You brat! What do you mean, ‘occupy’! It’s ‘borrowing’, you understand, borrowing!” Xiu Qingcheng grumbled, but she couldn’t refute it.

In the cultivation world, forcefully taking another’s body was indeed a demonic practice.

It was just the feeling of Meng Yingxing’s words just now… why did Xiu Qingcheng feel like her disciple was PUA-ing her back!?

Perhaps because Xiu Qingcheng was no longer ‘borrowing’ the Jiaoren girl’s body, the girl mumbled a few words, blinked her eyes, and woke up.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the injured Meng Yingxing.

But the Jiaoren girl’s first reaction wasn’t to scream, but to grab Meng Yingxing’s arm with a face full of panic and worry.

“Little brother, why are you covered in so much blood!?”