Chapter 78: A Gift for Master

The moment Meng Yingxing opened the box, Xiu Qingcheng seemed to catch a glimmer of light from the gap.
‘Wow! Golden Legendary!’

Xiu Qingcheng imagined this strange voice in her head, and the scabbard Meng Yingxing had ordered was fully revealed before her eyes.

It was a scabbard of the same pale cobalt blue as the Ting Tian Sword, adorned with simple yet beautiful golden lines crafted through inlay or line engraving, and even decorated with a red jewel on each side of the opening where the sword was sheathed.

That blacksmith’s craftsmanship was truly exceptional; after hearing Meng Yingxing’s requirements, he had created a scabbard that matched the Ting Tian Sword twelve-tenths perfectly.

“How is it, this scabbard… looks pretty good, right?”
Meng Yingxing asked Xiu Qingcheng cautiously.

He was actually very satisfied with it himself, but he was afraid Xiu Qingcheng wouldn’t be.
After all, when giving a gift, the recipient had to be happy.

The golden lines on the scabbard and the gleaming red jewels mostly hit Xiu Qingcheng’s sweet spot.
For the appearance of this scabbard, Xiu Qingcheng could give it a very high score.

“Cough… it’s not bad.”

Xiu Qingcheng was as unforthcoming as ever, slowly drawing her sword from the old scabbard.
Meng Yingxing, understanding without a word, took the new scabbard from the box and sheathed the Ting Tian Sword in it.

The edge of the scabbard and the guard of the Ting Tian Sword fit seamlessly, and the colors of the scabbard, guard, and hilt were almost identical, so perfect it seemed as if they were naturally one.

If others saw it, they would surely think this scabbard and the Ting Tian Sword were forged together from the very beginning.

‘Mmm mmm mmm, my disciple has good taste.’

Xiu Qingcheng continuously praised Meng Yingxing in her heart. She genuinely felt that this scabbard was perfectly matched with the Ting Tian Sword, giving the Ting Tian Sword an even more extraordinary divine weapon aura.

Meng Yingxing felt the slight swaying of the Ting Tian Sword within the scabbard and smiled faintly.
He could feel that Master was very happy.

If Master was happy, then of course he was happy too.

“Is it pretty, is it pretty? Is it handsome, is it handsome?”
Walking along the streets of Yongning City with the new scabbard, Meng Yingxing had already received this repetitive question from Xiu Qingcheng for the third time.

“Master, it’s very beautiful.”
Meng Yingxing answered Xiu Qingcheng tirelessly.
“Master has asked me so many times, so I assume you’re very satisfied?”

Xiu Qingcheng realized she was a bit too overjoyed and reined herself in slightly.

“Isn’t it that both the sword and the scabbard are carried on your back? The exposed beauty of the Ting Tian Sword is your beauty!”

“I ask this because I’m afraid this scabbard might not suit you and make others look down on you.”
“What is Master saying? Of course, I should be worthy of you, Master.”

Meng Yingxing occasionally offered a slick compliment.
“Stop buttering me up!”
Xiu Qingcheng dismissed him with a huff.

After a light-hearted bickering along the way, Meng Yingxing unconsciously found himself at the location of the Changyue Medical Clinic.

Unlike the other buildings in Yongning City that were being rebuilt, the Changyue Medical Clinic remained exactly as it had appeared on the day the demon attack ended.

Tattered banners and white cloths lay scattered, utterly ruined, devoid of any life.

“That Jiaoren girl… did she escape and not return?”

Xiu Qingcheng’s words were precisely what Meng Yingxing wanted to ask.

Meng Yingxing hadn’t seen Li Mo at the relief point at the time, and she didn’t seem to be among the victims.

But now, Li Mo had neither rebuilt the Changyue Medical Clinic nor returned.
‘Had she immediately gone to fulfill her plan of seeking her lover’s next life?’

Meng Yingxing had no way of knowing.

Next to the Changyue Medical Clinic was a(rouge shop) that had already been repaired. A middle-aged woman stood at the doorway, idly looking towards Meng Yingxing.

Meng Yingxing had seen her at Wang Zhuihai’s funeral; she was the owner of the (rouge shop).
Meng Yingxing thought for a moment, walked up to the woman, and politely asked:
“Hello, have you seen Miss Li Mo?”

“I have. After the demonic beasts were quelled by the Tianfeng Sect, Li Mo returned once, but she left very quickly.”
The owner of the (rouge shop) nodded, truthfully telling Meng Yingxing what she knew.
‘It seemed, as he had thought, Li Mo had gone to pursue that incredibly absurd, dream-like plan.’
‘Reincarnation, to continue their destined love.’

“Then do you know where Wang Zhuihai was buried?”
“If there’s anything that could make Li Mo return, it could only be Wang Zhuihai, who couldn’t be buried in time due to the rampant demonic beasts that day.”

Meng Yingxing had thought that people around would know Wang Zhuihai was properly buried by Li Mo, but to his surprise, the owner of the (rouge shop) shook her head.
“I don’t know about that. When Miss Li Mo came back, she didn’t go to bury her father; she probably found a place to bury him herself,” the owner of the (rouge shop) said.

‘After all, he was her beloved. Perhaps before the burial, she needed some time alone.’
Xiu Qingcheng said, indicating understanding.

‘The love of demons was always somewhat unconventional; even for a handful of yellow earth, it was an eternal love for one’s beloved.’
Meng Yingxing took her words to heart, thanked the owner, and prepared to leave.

“Hey, young man, want to buy some rouge from me?”
‘Perhaps feeling a connection with Meng Yingxing, the(rouge shop) owner eagerly invited Meng Yingxing to make a purchase.’

“Uh… I might not need it?”
Meng Yingxing turned back, subtly declining.

“Hey! My rouge is of excellent quality, you should buy some to carry with you! In the future, if you have a girl you care about, you can give it to her directly!”
To promote her products, even to the single young Meng Yingxing, the owner of the (rouge shop) truly spoke with flowery rhetoric.

“My rouge not only looks good when applied, but it also has various fragrances! It’s perfect for giving to a young lady!”
As she spoke, the owner pulled out a small jar of rouge from her sleeve, opened the lid, and let Meng Yingxing smell it.

Meng Yingxing subconsciously sniffed it; the rouge had a faint floral scent.
The delicate floral fragrance was refreshing, subtly stirring Meng Yingxing’s heart.
So Xiu Qingcheng then heard Meng Yingxing, with a grand gesture, make a strange decision.

Meng Yingxing: “Then I’ll… I’ll buy one.”
Owner: “Thank you for your patronage!”
Xiu Qingcheng: “???”

‘Xiu Qingcheng suddenly wanted to reincarnate as a human and open a general store at Meng Yingxing’s doorstep.’
‘With a few words, she could earn millions of spirit silver from Meng Yingxing, thereby making money and getting a raise, becoming a general manager, taking office, marrying a rich and beautiful woman, and reaching the pinnacle of life!’

Afterward, Meng Yingxing walked along the road, looked at the jar of rouge, then tucked it into his pocket.

“I say, what are you buying this stuff for?”
Xiu Qingcheng really couldn’t understand why Meng Yingxing would spend a few copper coins on this item used by girls.

She suddenly had a bold idea, an idea so ahead of its time that Xiu Qingcheng unconsciously blurted it out.
“Are you going to become a male cross-dresser behind my back!?”

Such an avant-garde term only left Meng Yingxing utterly bewildered.
Xiu Qingcheng collected herself from her lapse and made a more reasonable guess:

“You’re not going to give it to Liu Chenxin, are you?”
‘Damn it, my disciple wouldn’t think Liu Chenxin is actually a good person, and try to raise her favorability, then give her things, would he!?’

‘Don’t do that!’
‘Xiu Qingcheng would absolutely not allow it!’
‘She wanted to see who dared to agree to such a thing, and she would immediately chop off the head of anyone who did!’

Meng Yingxing struggled a bit to keep up with his Master’s train of thought and shook his head.
“It’s for you, Master.”

“After all, now you’re not just in sword form, Master; when I give gifts, I have to consider both of Master’s forms.”
“The owner just said this item is suitable for giving to a young lady.”
“So I think it’s very suitable for you, Master.”
‘Master is also a young lady, after all.’

Now, when Meng Yingxing thought of Xiu Qingcheng, the image that came to his mind was no longer the peerlessly sharp sword.

Instead, it was the woman whose sword dance could topple cities.