The beating has already lasted for a quarter of an hour .

  Unable to fight back, Xue Qilin is covered in bruises and dirt, cutting an extremely sorry figure .

  Despite this, Situ Mutou has no intentions of stopping .

  Until……

  “Huh?”


  Suddenly, Situ Mutou stopped and looked away .

  Seeing this gap, Xue Qilin didn’t counterattack . Instead, she dropped her long sword and collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath .

  Appearance and dignity? Who cares about that! The pain coming from her swollen body made her not care about why Situ Mutou suddenly stopped .

  “She practiced bladework . ”


  Feeling that the ground is extremely comfortable, Xue Qilin has no intention of replying .

  Although there was no response, but Situ Mutou still said: “This bladework…… Young Ancestor, what is the origin of your companion?”


  My companion? Xue Qilin finally reacted .

  She rolled over and lied with the stomach on the ground, and then followed Situ Mutou’s gaze .

  What appeared in her field of view is water-colored hair flying in the air .

  “You mean Little Yun?”


  Xue Qilin asked weekly . Situ Mutou pointed with a straight face .

  “The one who has white hair tinged with blue . ”


  “That’s Little Yun…… what’s wrong with her?”


  “Has she practiced bladework?”


  “How would I know?”


  Xue Qilin doesn’t like to look into the past of others . She can be said to be ignorant regarding Shui Yuner’s past . Naturally, she doesn’t know whether the other party practiced bladework or not .

  “She has been taught prior to joining the temple, so it’s not at all surprising that she knows some bladework, right?”


  “That’s not ordinary bladework . ”


  “What do you mean?”


  Is there something strange about it? Xue Qilin raised her eyebrows .

  There was a bright flash in his eyes, and Situ Mutou made an assertion with a tone of certainty, “That’s a special Hengdao [2] bladework . ”


  Hengdao is an epitome of cold weapons comparable to scimitar and Katana [3] .

  Is it the same Hengdao? Xue Qilin’s face brightened .

  “Hengdao? With a blade as straight as a pen?”


  Situ Mutou nodded and answered “yes” in agreement .

  It really is! Xue Qilin stretched her neck and raised her head with interest .

  “Are there any in the Merak Temple? Can I have some to play?”


  “We are a sword school . ”


  “Oh…… so there aren’t……”


  Looking disappointed, Xue Qilin lowered her head and propped her chin on the ground .

  “So? Even if she practiced Hengdao bladework, so what?”


  “It doesn’t matter . ” Situ Mutou stopped, and then carried on: “But the shadow of bladework contained in her swordsmanship…… it seems familiar . ”


  “It seems familiar?”


  Situ Mutou nodded .

  “It’s the shadow of Royal Bladework . ” He said in an oppressive tone .

  Royal? Imperial Court? Xue Qilin is shocked slightly .

  “You mean that Little Yun may be related to royalty?” After clearing her mind, Xue Qilin asked, hesitant .

  However, Situ Mutou showed a look of surprise .

  “Young Ancestor, what makes you think that?”


  It took Xue Qilin half a beat to understand what the other party said .

  “Then why did you mention that it has the shadow of Royal Bladework!”


  “Because I haven’t seen it in a long time . ”


  Xue Qilin almost spat out blood when she heard this answer .

  She jumped up suddenly and wanted to punch that innocent-looking square face of Situ Mutou .

  Perhaps the action was too violent, so it affected her injuries, and tears welled up in the lass’s eyes .

  “Ow! It hurts!”


  Xue Qilin lay back on the ground, looking up at the blue sky and white clouds .

  Today is a nice day, yet she is dejected .

  “Mutou, come on…… kill me . ”


  Even an Heaven Realm master can lose to an Earth Realm expert, Xue Qilin suddenly understood this truth .

  *

  “Oh …… stop, stop, stop! Take it easy…… you said you will be gentle…… it hurts, it hurts, its hurts – ah! Yamete [4]! I don’t……”


  “Why are you shouting!”


  Xue Qilin who was venting her pain with a loud hissing sound was suddenly slapped on the back of the head .

  The powerful impact made her head knock into a soft pillow .

  A scent of flowers scurried into her nose .

  Xue Qilin couldn’t help but hug the red pillow and rub her face with joy .

  She is lying on the bed of the Merak Temple’s Temple Master, her fine back bare .

  Although she can’t see it, but the lass knows that there must be whip marks all over her back .

  Those were left by Situ Mutou in the morning during their spar .

  “Nothing good can come out from a scoundrel’s mouth!”


  A dissatisfied voice came from behind .

  “I can’t even scream from pain?”


  Xue Qilin turned her head slightly and looked out from the pillow .

  “Little Seven, do you think you’re being reasonable……”


  Qi Qiqi is sitting by the bed .

  Her right sleeve is rolled up and her porcelain hands are glistening with something .

  “Do you even hear yourself when you scream? Someone who doesn’t know what’s happening might think that…… that I am……”


  The voice got lower and lower, while the face got redder and redder .

  The red eyes are shifting left and right .

  What a thin-skinned gal! Xue Qilin smiled playfully .

  “What do you mean? Let me hear it . ”


  “You wretch!”


  Pow! Qi Qiqi slapped Xue Qilin’s back mercilessly .

  “Owwwwwwww…… you hit me! I was almost beaten to death by Situ Mutou! Yet you not only take no pity on me, but even hit me when I’m down…… ”


  Xue Qilin’s face twisted in pain .

  “Augh! It hurts!”


  “It’s you fault for acting indecent . ”


  Enerved, Qi Qiqi crossed her arms, but then hurriedly released her hands .

  Just now, she rubbed medicine on the lass’s wound, so her hands are still dirty . She must have remembered this, and thus reacted this way .

  Qi Qiqi looked down at her dress and noticed stains . Looking at Xue Qilin and her clothes alternatively, she bit her white teeth hard .

  “I’m so mad now! It’s all your fault!”


  “You can’t blame me for this!”


  Xue Qilin is baffled by the outburst .

  “If you hadn’t angered me, this wouldn’t have happened!”


  “Everyone, come take a look at how unreasonable the Merak Temple’s Temple Master is!”


  “Stop, stop shouting!”


  Looking at Qi Qiqi who is at a loss of what to do, Xue Qilin doesn’t know whether to cry or laugh .

  “.…… What are you panicking, there’s no one else around . ”


  “Uncle Teacher Ye might hear you……”


  Qi Qiqi replied, discontent . Xue Qilin’s expression stiffened .

  “No way?”


  “Uncle Teacher Ye is still dealing with official documents in the study…… His ears are particularly sharp . Besides, he’s a Heaven Realm master……”


  The Snow Facing Abode and the study are not far away from each other . With his Heaven Realm hearing ability, he may really able to hear them .

  “He wouldn’t be this perverse, right?”


  “Uncle Teacher Ye of course won’t eavesdrop deliberately . ”


  Qi Qiqi is adamant . She seems to be convinced by Ye Zhen’s character .

  “Then what are you afraid of?”


  “Better be safe than sorry……”


  “You’re a classical case of someone afraid of the sky falling . ”


  Xue Qilin took exception to Qi Qiqi’s statement .

  “Rather than worry about this, you should treat my wounds . I still have to go back to outer temple . ”


  “Then lie down properly . ”


  Qi Qiqi slapped Xue Qilin on the buttocks .

  Xue Qilin responded with an ‘oh’, and then adjusted her posture and buried her head in the pillow again .

  The fragrance poured into her nose again, and the lass couldn’t help but take a big sniff . That’s the scent of Qi Qiqi’s hair, and it smells very good .

  There is a warm sensation moving on her back .

  The place where Qi Qiqi rubs is getting hotter . The Dit Da Jow seems to be working .

  Xue Qilin groaned comfortably .

  “Anyhow, is Little Zong [5] still doing that thing to you?” The lass asked . With her head buried in the pillow, her voice sounded particularly indistinct .

  “How annoying . What do you mean by ‘doing that thing to you’.…… This way of speaking can easily lead to misunderstandings . ”


  “Hey, it’s already clear enough, or do you need me to spell it out?”


  “I really don’t know what to do with you……”


  Qi Qiqi sighed helplessly .

  “Uncle Teacher Liu [6] isn’t bothering me anymore……”


  Then Qi Qiqi said, “But . ”


  “But what?”


  “Um…… Uncle Teacher Liu recently seems to be ……” Perhaps she doesn’t know whether she should say it or not, but her tone became that of hesitation: “Checking someone……”


  “How do you know he is investigating someone?”


  “That’s not the point! It’s something Uncle Teacher Ye [7] overheard . ”


  Xue Qilin turned her head, narrowed her eyes, and stared at Qi Qiqi . Qi Qiqi’s face puckered .

  “.…… What’s with that look of contempt……”


  “No, I just remembered someone saying that Little Zhen [8] wouldn’t eavesdrop……”


  “How is this the same? Uncle Teacher Ye just happened to overhear it . He didn’t eavesdrop…… ”


  Xue Qilin propped her head up, not caring whether she exposed part of her body or not . She spoke with an enigmatic smile: “Yo yo yo, weren’t you at odds with Little Zhen before? So how come you are on good terms now? And you even defend him . ”


  “That’s not it!” Qi Qiqi pouted and continued, dissatisfied: “Why do you sound so sour?”


  Sour? Xue Qilin’s eyes widened .

  Why does Little Seven think that I sound sour? Slow down…… am I jealous? This thought has just popped up in her head, when Xue Qilin tossed it away .

  That’s impossible! What am I thinking!

  “Okay, let’s not talk about this anymore . ” Xue Qilin decided to return to the topic, “So who is Little Zhong checking?”


  Qi Qiqi was silent .

  After a long time……

  “Shui Yuner . ”


  A name escaped her full lips .

  The name of the water-colored girl .