Chapter 234: Ling Shuangxue's Surprise
Feeling the warmth of the teacup in his hand, Luo Wusheng quietly waited for a response from the person across from him.
Opposite him, Ling Shuangxue gently poured herself a cup of tea.
"The sword never lies."
She paused briefly, took a small sip of tea, and continued:
"You are dressed like a sword cultivator, and indeed you possess sword intent, which makes you appear similar to a local Sword Province sword cultivator... However, despite having a cultivation level close to Nascent Soul, your sword intent shows no signs of refinement. In my opinion, you lack the aura of someone who has practiced the sword for years. There likely wouldn't be someone like you among Sword Province sword cultivators."
After finishing, she took a few more sips of tea.
It was rare for her to say so much at once.
However, compared to when they first started talking, her tone had become noticeably more natural.
'The "friend" who came to Sword Province with Yuli... perhaps it's him.'
'But regarding that matter... I still need to confirm a few things.'
Hearing Ling Shuangxue's explanation, Luo Wusheng was visibly stunned for a moment. A somewhat awkward expression crept onto his face.
'Good grief… was it really that easy to see through my façade as a fake sword cultivator?'
'And here I thought I had perfectly disguised myself as the white-robed sword immortal I imagined…'
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Luo Wusheng downed the tea in his cup in one go.
But the next moment, he froze.
After the tea entered his stomach, he clearly felt his newly formed sword intent becoming slightly more refined.
"This tea..."
With surprise in his eyes, Luo Wusheng looked at the Sword Province across from him.
The tea he had just drunk wasn't from the teahouse—it had been brewed right in front of him by the veiled woman herself.
Luo Wusheng had initially assumed this gesture was merely a way to ease the atmosphere between two people who didn't know each other's real identities.
But given the effects of this tea...
"This is Sword Nurturing Tea. It has a decent effect on sword intents that have yet to undergo transformation."
Hearing Ling Shuangxue's calm explanation, Luo Wusheng swallowed hard.
Decent effect?
That single cup I just had probably equals the benefit of absorbing a human-tier Soulblade Specter!
The name "Sword Nurturing Tea" also rang a bell for Luo Wusheng.
In the original story, this was known to be a limited specialty product of the Sword Sect, typically distributed only to Nascent Soul Realm Peak Masters.
Which meant—this woman's identity as a Sword Sect Peak Master was now completely confirmed.
While he was still processing this revelation, he suddenly noticed that his cup had been refilled at some point.
"—If you like it, I can gift you a few jars of this tea."
Ling Shuangxue looked at the young man before her with soft eyes, watching his reaction.
The Sword Sect's yearly allocation of Sword Nurturing Tea to each Nascent Soul Peak Master was indeed limited. However, due to her formerly cold personality and the fact that Frosty Snow Peak had been mostly deserted—except for her own disciple—she had accumulated a large stash of it over the years, having almost forgotten it existed.
It wasn't until she recently broke through to the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm and received another batch of tea from the sect that she remembered her previous stockpile.
Hmm, part of this situation was also due to her disciple's abnormal progress.
Sword Nurturing Tea wasn't suitable for those who hadn't formed sword intent—forcing it could be harmful. Conversely, once a cultivator's sword intent reached a certain level, the tea's effects became minimal. However, her disciple had progressed from no sword intent to mastering it at rocket speed, leaving her no chance to offer any.
Soon after, she had taken a wrong path in cultivation and fell into a state of demonic possession...
However, what Ling Shuangxue said next completely shocked Luo Wusheng.
'Gift... a few jars?'
Wouldn't that make her the equivalent of a rich lady in the Sword Sect?!
Instinctively, he sized up the girl sitting across from him once more.
Looks, status, strength, wealth—and unattached...
As these thoughts drifted through his mind, Luo Wusheng gently turned the teacup in his hand, meeting the eyes behind the veil across from him.
"Fairy generosity is... truly tempting. But thinking about it, this would mean that matter you wish to discuss with me isn't so simple, is it?"
Ling Shuangxue was slightly taken aback but soon understood Luo Wusheng's implication. She softly shook her head.
Her earlier words had been driven purely by instinct, without any ulterior motive.
However, she didn't bother to explain. After all, letting the conversation take this direction suited her just fine.
She took another sip of tea.
"Your sword intent—did you obtain it by chance after slaying a Soulblade Specter?"
"Indeed."
Luo Wusheng admitted it without hesitation.
Since she had already seen through his lack of genuine sword training, it wasn't hard to guess that he had acquired his sword intent through unconventional means.
Before Ling Shuangxue could speak further, he continued:
"And I assume your purpose in coming to Daybreak City also has something to do with Soulblade Specters?"
Seeing the flicker of surprise in her eyes, Luo Wusheng drained his cup once more.
"When you acted earlier today, I happened to catch the message hidden in the sword light you used to repel those sword cultivators."
This explanation made Ling Shuangxue realize the truth. Still, her beautiful eyes instinctively sized up the young man in front of her.
For someone who rarely showed strong emotions, this level of surprise was unusual.
"As expected... you are no ordinary peak Golden Core cultivator."
A deeper glint appeared in her gaze.
"You're right. My visit to Daybreak City is indeed related to a Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter."
Luo Wusheng's expression remained calm—this matched his initial guess.
However, he was slightly surprised that she openly admitted her target was a Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter.
As his mind worked through the implications, his eyes flashed with understanding.
"You want my help to capture the Soulblade Specter..."
He paused, frowning slightly.
"A Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter's strength rivals that of an early Nascent Soul cultivator. Against sword cultivators, it can display even greater power. But given your cultivation level, you should be more than capable of handling it alone... Unless—there's something wrong with your condition?"
"Mm."
Ling Shuangxue nodded lightly, suppressing her lingering surprise.
"I sustained some injuries on my way to Daybreak City. Dealing with the Soulblade Specter alone might not be an issue, but..."
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
Luo Wusheng softly uttered the phrase, quickly grasping the situation.
Based on hints from that burly man earlier in the day, he easily pieced the matter together.
Ling Shuangxue refilled Luo Wusheng's cup with Sword Nurturing Tea and pushed it toward him once more.
"Currently, the Soulblade Specter resides in Daybreak Mountain outside the city. Several teams, each led by early Nascent Soul cultivators, have surrounded the mountain. However, they're all wary of the Soulblade Specter's 'Soul Shattering Sword' technique and are on guard against each other. For now, no one dares to make the first move."
"—As you've already guessed, I do indeed wish to ask for your assistance."
"As for the reward..."
Ling Shuangxue closed her eyes briefly, then patted the storage bag at her waist.
A small, plain box adorned with a sword pattern appeared on the table.
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