Note: Before reading please note, I want to tell everyone that it's a combanation of the anime and the Sword Dao movie. So there might be some information that will confuse some of you that haven't watch the movie yet. So watch the movie it's really good. You can watch it at 9anime. Now on with the show.
Xiao Wu bounced along the bustling evening streets of Nuoding City, the promise of a silver spirit coin and a new adventure making her steps light. She arrived at the appointed place—a respectable, mid-tier hotel frequented by merchants—and paused for a fraction of a second at the entrance.
A faint, strange aura brushed against her senses, something powerful, yet carefully concealed. It felt like a slumbering giant. She shrugged it off. Probably just some high-level Spirit Emperor staying here. Nothing to do with her!
With a final hop, she pushed the door open and strode inside.
The lobby was quiet compared to the street. Seated in plush chairs near the hearth were two men. One was a middle-aged man dressed in elegant, understated silks, his demeanor calm and scholarly, his eyes holding a depth of intelligence and authority.
The other was an older man with a stern, chiseled face and a posture as straight as a blade. His eyes, when they flicked to her, felt like being assessed by an unsheathed sword.
The older man's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. He sensed something… unusual from this lively young girl. It was something else entirely—a mystical enchantment that clung to her martial spirit, subtle and elusive. But it held no discernible malice, so he remained silent, though his vigilance heightened.
The well-dressed gentleman smiled warmly, breaking the brief tension. "Hello there. Are you the tour guide we requested?"
Xiao Wu, never one for formalities, grinned back. "Yep! That's me! Are you the ones who wanted a tour of the town?"
The man's smile widened, amused by her directness. "Both right and wrong. I did hire a guide, but the tour is not for me." He gestured to the comfortable chair opposite him. "Please, have a seat for a moment. She can be... a little slow to get ready. My name is Ning. And you are?"
"Xiao Wu!" she said, plopping into the chair without ceremony. She glanced around the nicely appointed lobby. "This is a nice place. Way fancier than our dorm. You here for business, Mister Ning?"
"You could say that," Ning Fengzhi replied, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "We're passing through and thought we'd see what this area has to offer. I hear the spirit forest nearby is quite... productive."
"Oh, it's the best!" Xiao Wu agreed enthusiastically. "Lots of good herbs if you know where to look, and the rabbits are super fat this time of year!" She then caught herself, remembering this was a wealthy guest. "Uh, I mean, it has a diverse ecosystem suitable for cultivation."
Ning Fengzhi chuckled softly at her correction. Just then, his attention was pulled away as he turned slightly and called out toward a hallway, "Rongrong, come here! Your guide is here!"
A melodious voice, laced with impatience, floated back. "I'm coming, Father! I was just telling Uncle San how boring he's been! The other disciples weren't any fun either!"
"Patience, Rongrong," Ning Fengzhi called back, his voice gentle but firm. "Your guide is here. I'm sure you'll find something fun to do. Now come and greet your guide properly."
At this, she looks at her father with a bit of skepticism. But it didn't dampen the shine of excitement in her eyes.
A moment later, a girl who appeared to be about Xiao Wu's age skipped into the room. She was dressed in exquisite, pale turquoise robes that spoke of immense wealth, her features delicate and fair.
She had an air of playful arrogance about her, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity. This was Ning Rongrong, young mistress of the Seven Treasure Glass Sect.
Xiao Wu blinked. There was something… familiar about this girl, but she couldn't place it. "Hey," she said, tilting her head. "Have we met before?"
Ning Rongrong looked her up and down, a slightly haughty but not unkind smile on her lips. "I don't believe so. I'm not from around here. I would remember someone like yours." She then immediately grabbed Xiao Wu's arm, her earlier boredom forgotten.
"So, are there any fun shops? Any good places to eat? Or maybe a place to see spirit beasts? This town is so small, but Father says even small towns have their secrets!"
She began pulling a slightly bewildered but amused Xiao Wu toward the door, already chattering a mile a minute about all the things she wanted to see.
Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glass Sect, watched his daughter drag the lively guide away, a fond yet weary sigh escaping him. "When will that child ever grow up?" he mused aloud.
He half-expected the usual gentle admonishment from the man beside him. Sword Douluo Chen Xin was usually quick to remind him that Rongrong was still young and deserved to enjoy her childhood.
But no response came.
Ning Fengzhi turned. Chen Xin was still staring at the door through which the two girls had disappeared, his expression one of deep contemplation, his fingers stroking his chin.
"Uncle Jian?" Ning Fengzhi asked, using the familiar address. "What is on your mind?"
Chen Xin snapped out of his reverie, his sharp eyes focusing on his Sect Master. "That girl… the guide."
Ning Fengzhi's amiable expression tightened slightly with concern. "What about her? Did you sense something dangerous?" The safety of his daughter was his utmost priority.
"Not dangerous," Chen Xin stated, his voice low and measured. "That is what is so peculiar. The aura I sensed from her was not one of threat. It was… an enchantment. A very old, very powerful one clinging to her spirit. It doesn't feel human, but it doesn't feel precisely like a spirit beast either. It is something ancient, something… other."
Intrigued now, Ning Fengzhi's political mind, always assessing potential and risk, began to turn. A girl with a strange, ancient enchantment, working as a guide in a small city near the Spirit Forest? It was an oddity. And in his experience, oddities were either trivial or significant. It was best to know which.
He lifted a hand and made a subtle gesture. Two disciples, who had been blending into the background, immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Sect Master."
"One of you, follow them. Discreetly," Ning Fengzhi instructed, his voice calm but firm. "Ensure Young Mistress's safety, of course. And one of you finds information about that guide. See what you can learn about her. Who is she? Where does she come from?"
The disciple bowed again. "Understood." He melted back into the shadows of the hotel, his movements silent and efficient.
Outside, bathed in the golden light of the sun, Ning Rongrong was already pulling a laughing Xiao Wu down the street, demanding to be shown everything fun the city had to offer.
Not far from them, Tang San's heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fear that propelled him through the crowded streets.
Visions of shadowy figures and malicious intent flashed in his mind, each one fueling his speed as he darted through the evening throng, his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track allowing him to move like a swift, anxious ghost.
He burst into the square near the hotel, his eyes frantically scanning for a flash of scorpion braided hair.
And then he saw her.
There, under the warm glow of the sun, was Xiao Wu. She wasn't frightened or in danger. She was laughing, gesturing animatedly at a street vendor's cart to a girl dressed in fine silks who looked to be about her age.
The two of them looked like any other pair of young friends enjoying the evening, the supposed "client" seeming just as excited about the tour as the guide was.
A wave of profound relief so powerful it made his knees feel weak washed over Tang San. The tension drained from his shoulders, and he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. It was fine.
It was all fine. He felt a little foolish for his panic. He offered a small, unseen smile from the shadows of an alleyway, deciding to slip away and find Mei to let her know the crisis was averted.
But just as he turned to leave, a familiar voice chirped right beside him.
"Brother San!"