Rise of the Sword Son-in-Law

Chapter 534 Late Night Talks

The banquet that followed had nothing special about it.

The banquet ended soon, and Xu Ping’an returned to the Lieyang Royal Mansion with Situ Lie and the others.

Xu Ping’an also returned to his own courtyard.

And just as he arrived at the courtyard, a figure appeared within.

This person was none other than Qiu Lu.

"Who exactly are you? Why would you know the master’s secret code?" Qiu Lu asked, looking at Xu Ping’an with a puzzled face.

Xu Ping’an was not surprised by Qiu Lu’s appearance.

Because when he had exchanged glances with Qiu Lu, he had secretly transmitted to her the words known only to her and him in his past life.

Indeed, it was those words that greatly shocked Qiu Lu.

"Who do you think I am?" Instead of responding directly, Xu Ping’an asked with a smile.

"Could you be the master’s disciple? Has the master not died?" A flustered Qiu Lu pondered and pressed urgently.

Xu Ping’an shook his head, "I indeed am the disciple of my teacher, but the teacher has already passed away."

Upon hearing this, a deep sorrow immediately crossed Qiu Lu’s face.

Her heart was filled with grief, and her eyes grew quite moist.

Xu Ping’an silently watched Qiu Lu’s expression, and upon seeing her look like that, he knew he had bet correctly.

Yes, he was betting—betting that Qiu Lu hadn’t truly pledged her allegiance to Ling Qingyao.

Now it seemed that Qiu Lu truly did care about her master, him.

"I’ve been guarding the Immortal Hall in the Heavenly Spirit Realm, waiting for the day when the master could return and retake the hall. I never expected the master has truly already..." Qiu Lu spoke with a face full of pain.

"Even if the teacher were alive, he wouldn’t have had the heart to return to the Immortal Hall," Xu Ping’an said calmly.

He indeed had no intention of reclaiming the Immortal Hall again.

This life, he had learned too many secrets, and regarding the control over the Immortal Hall, Xu Ping’an no longer harbored such thoughts.

The Immortal Hall of the Heavenly Spirit Realm would only restrict him, becoming his shackle.

This life, what he wanted was to surpass his past, achieving an unprecedented peak.

"Where did you meet the master?" Qiu Lu hurriedly asked.

"I once encountered a Soul Mark of the teacher, acquiring his legacy, and afterward, the teacher’s Soul Mark disappeared," Xu Ping’an fabricated a lie.

"A Soul Mark? Ling Qingyao has mentioned that indeed, a part of the master’s remnant soul vanished back then; maybe he truly did leave behind a Soul Mark," Qiu Lu suggested.

A flicker of surprise crossed Xu Ping’an’s eyes.

Qiu Lu actually knew this point; that’s right, if his soul had completely dissipated, there would be no chance for reincarnation.

"Did the master leave any words before he passed away?" Qiu Lu urgently inquired.

"No, but the teacher once said that since he had died, all the grievances of this life should dissipate with smoke and clouds," Xu Ping’an replied.

"Impossible. Ling Qingyao was the beloved of the teacher. How could he just swallow the betrayal by his beloved?" Qiu Lu demanded, staring intently at Xu Ping’an with suspicion in her eyes.

Seeing Qiu Lu’s reaction, a trace of a smile crept onto Xu Ping’an’s face.

He was testing Qiu Lu to see if she had genuinely submitted to Ling Qingyao.

It appeared that Qiu Lu’s heart was indeed still with him.

"Why is it impossible? The teacher has seen through everything. Since he has passed away, why can’t he let go of the hatred?" Xu Ping’an asked.

"Impossible. Given Ling Qingyao’s betrayal, how could the master be contented?" Qiu Lu said with a look of indignation.

"Then why are you still by Ling Qingyao’s side?" Xu Ping’an countered.

"As I said, I remain by Ling Qingyao’s side, waiting for the return of the master. In this life, I, Qiu Lu, will only be loyal to the master," Qiu Lu declared with resolve in her eyes.

Xu Ping’an looked into Qiu Lu’s eyes and saw that her gaze was incredibly sincere, appearing not at all feigned.

"The teacher won’t be coming back. Even if he could, he wouldn’t retake control over the Immortal Hall," Xu Ping’an stated.

"No... that can’t be. The master couldn’t possibly give up on the Immortal Hall," Qiu Lu said, her eyes clouded over, voice trembling with fear.

Clearly, the belief that had sustained her over these years was that the Sword Immortal Emperor would return, but now Xu Ping’an told her that the Sword Immortal Emperor would not come back.

How could this not cause her to collapse?

Seeing Qiu Lu fall into a daze, a hint of pity appeared on Xu Ping’an’s face.

What was the point of all this?

He was already dead, and yet people like Qiu Lu were hoping he could return.

This made Xu Ping’an feel a debt towards Qiu Lu.

"Don’t worry, though. Even though the teacher has passed away, he did say that he could reincarnate. Maybe he has already been reborn now," Xu Ping’an said.

"Really? Has the master truly reincarnated?" Qiu Lu’s eyes lit up immediately.

"It’s very likely, but even if the teacher has reincarnated, he might not have the memories from his past life," Xu Ping’an added.

A trace of disappointment appeared on Qiu Lu’s face.

But she quickly regained her composure.

"As long as there is a chance for the master to return, even if it’s just a one in ten thousand hope, I will wait," Qiu Lu said with determination in her gaze.

Xu Ping’an sighed inwardly.

What was the point of all this?

At that moment, Qiu Lu turned to Xu Ping’an again, "Since you’re the master’s disciple, that makes you the young master. If you have any requests, feel free to make them."

"I do indeed have a favor to ask of you," Xu Ping’an said.

"Tell me. If it’s within my power, I will surely help you," Qiu Lu replied.

"What was your purpose in coming here?" Xu Ping’an asked.

"To recruit disciples for Ling Qingyao. She wishes to take a princess from the Great Flame Immortal Dynasty as a disciple and have me bring her back to the Heavenly Spirit Realm," Qiu Lu explained.

"What I need you to do is precisely this matter. You cannot take the Thirteenth Princess back to the Heavenly Spirit Realm," Xu Ping’an stated.

As expected, Ling Qingyao had set her sights on his aunt.

"Why?" Qiu Lu asked, puzzled.

"There are no whys. Just tell me whether you can do it or not," Xu Ping’an said.

"I can promise you that, of course. But I am not the only one who has descended to the Lower Realm this time; there’s another formidable figure. If he decides to forcefully take the Thirteenth Princess away, then even I would not be able to stop him," Qiu Lu responded.

"Who?" Xu Ping’an inquired.

"A once-talented individual from the Heavenly Spirit Realm, who pursued her before Ling Qingyao married the master. You wouldn’t know him," Qiu Lu replied.

"Is it him? Ji Ling?" Xu Ping’an asked.

"How do you know?" Qiu Lu looked at Xu Ping’an with extreme surprise.

She clearly couldn’t believe that Xu Ping’an actually knew of Ji Ling.

"It really is him; then that is indeed troublesome," Xu Ping’an said with a wry smile.