From a mountain peak several li away, two people stood, an old man and a young man, observing this direction.
The elder was fair-faced and beardless, dressed in a long robe, exuding a scholarly aura.
The young man wore a t-shirt and leather shoes, his attire a stark contrast to the elder beside him, as if from different eras.
He wore a strange pair of glasses, gazing at everything by the river.
Upon seeing Liu Nanfeng and the others fall into the river, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Are we really not going to intervene?"
The elder beside him chuckled, "The seeds they sowed, the fruits they reap themselves. Why should we interfere?"
"Captain, can you speak more directly? I only graduated from high school, I don't quite understand."
"You… Huh?"
Just as the elder was about to speak, he suddenly raised his arm. The hairs on his arm stood on end, and his expression turned to one of alarm. He grabbed the young man beside him.
"Let's go…"
His figure flickered again, and he was already tens of li away.
At that very moment, a beam of sword light shot up from the surging river.
The rolling thunderclouds in the sky were split in two.
The churning river water was cut in half, leaving a massive ravine.
Mao Yanfang, on the bank, turned to flee but was a step too late. His entire body was silently cleaved in two.
The entire world seemed to have fallen silent.
Wherever the sword light passed, everything was sliced apart silently.
Even the elder and young man, who had retreated tens of li, felt a stinging sensation on their skin.
"How can they be so powerful?" the young man exclaimed in disbelief.
The elder remained silent, his gaze fixed gravely on the river.
Meanwhile, in a mysterious location within the river, Zhu Yin'e, sitting on a chair with a serene expression, watched her playful daughter chase a fish. Her expression changed drastically, and she suddenly stood up, looking up at the surging river.
"Yu Chan, Yu Chan…" she called out loudly.
Zhu Yuchan hurried out of the house upon hearing her.
"What is it, Miss?"
"Did you personally give that sword to Master Liu?" Zhu Yin'e asked with a grave expression.
Zhu Yuchan froze for a moment, somewhat confused as to why Zhu Yin'e was asking this.
However, she quickly replied, "Yes, I personally gave it to Master Liu."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin'e's expression became incredibly strange.
She continued to gaze up at the rolling river overhead, as if piercing through the void to see the soaring sword energy.
Feng Hongjin, who had been chasing a porpoise in the water, also stopped, a look of confusion on her face as if she had sensed something.
Zhu Yin'e's gaze shifted to her, her expression becoming complex.
"Did Master Liu arrange a time to meet Xiao Yu again?" Zhu Yin'e suddenly asked.
Zhu Yuchan shook her head.
"He just said to contact Xiao Yu with the echo shell when he had time, but didn't specify when."
Zhu Yuchan was a little perplexed as to why her mistress was asking this.
"Is that so? Then next time Master Liu meets Xiao Yu, please inform me."
"Understood," Zhu Yuchan quickly agreed.
At this moment, Feng Hongjin had already retracted her gaze and was happily chasing a large catfish. These fish were common in the river and were not protected animals; she intended to give one as a gift to her good friend.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yin'e fell into deep thought. Years ago, due to her weak condition during pregnancy, that person had given her the sword for protection. The sword sealed a strand of sword energy that could be unleashed to repel enemies.
However, she had never used it all these years, and with Feng Hongjin's birth and her own recovery, she had even less need for it.
Feng Hongjin, having found someone who genuinely cared for her, had reciprocated the affection by having Zhu Yuchan gift it to Liu Nanfeng for his protection.
But the power unleashed by the sword energy now was something she herself couldn't achieve even if she forced it.
Unless…
At this moment, the sisters Su Jinxiu and Su Huamei had found Liu Nanfeng at the bottom of the river.
The two, with centuries of cultivation, had taken a heavy blow. Although injured, they were not mortally wounded.
After falling into the river, they were like fish in water. They had intended to escape with Liu Nanfeng along the river current.
However, Liu Nanfeng, who was unconscious with his eyes closed, suddenly raised the short sword in his hand and lightly slashed in the river water.
The two women's bodies were immediately frozen, like insects trapped in amber, completely unable to move. The bone-chilling sharpness seemed capable of piercing their skin into a thousand tiny holes.
Then, they could only watch as a beam of sword energy shot up into the sky, shattering the dark clouds and lightning, splitting the river water for several breaths before sinking back to the riverbed.
After the sword energy dissipated, the two sisters regained their mobility. They quickly swam closer and dragged Liu Nanfeng out of the water.
"Sister…"
After surfacing, Su Huamei looked at Su Jinxiu beside her with impatience, the shock still evident in her eyes.
"Let's talk on shore," Su Jinxiu said.
By now, they had noticed the massive crack on the bank and a giant rock split in two nearby. This rock was the true form of Mao Yanfang.
The two sisters, supporting Liu Nanfeng, landed ashore and examined him. They found that he had only sustained some internal injuries and was unconscious, otherwise unharmed, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Only then did they take the time to survey their surroundings. They found that apart from the thin, long sword mark stretching for several li, the ground within a radius of several hundred meters was riddled with countless small holes, as if swept by a hail of gunfire.
"Sister, why is it like this?" Su Huamei asked in surprise.
"This is all caused by the overflow of sword energy," Su Jinxiu replied with a frown, her expression serious.
"My husband… when did he become so powerful?" Su Huamei asked, gently stroking Liu Nanfeng's cheek with a look of astonishment.
Su Jinxiu shook her head. "When I achieved my demonic transformation and attained enlightenment, he had already died and re-entered the cycle of reincarnation. Although I later followed in his footsteps and learned some of his deeds, it was all from hearsay."
As Su Jinxiu spoke, she rose and walked towards the rock that had been split in two.
Who would have thought that this giant rock was the renowned Mountain God of Mao Mountain.
Now, not only was its true form cleaved, but its soul was also slain by a single sword stroke, completely vanishing from heaven and earth.
Looking at the Reincarnation Mirror, also split in half, Su Jinxiu let out a deep sigh.
However, she still bent down to pick it up, along with a few personal belongings of the Mountain God of Mao Mountain.
"Let's go, let's go home,"
Su Jinxiu walked back, took Liu Nanfeng from Su Huamei's arms, and pressed her face tightly against his chest.
"Sister…" Su Huamei called out softly, biting her lip.
"It's all fate. When he wakes up, I'll explain everything," Su Jinxiu said with great sadness.
Hearing this, Su Huamei said no more, turning her gaze towards the car parked nearby.
The entire car body was pockmarked with holes, affected by the sword energy.
"I wonder if insurance will cover this?" Su Huamei mused.
Su Jinxiu, who had been feeling sorrowful, couldn't help but smile.
Then, with a push, the Mercedes rolled into the surging river.
Watching them leave, the two observers who had been watching from afar approached.
"Wow, that sword strike was so powerful! One of those two female demons actually possesses such formidable sword cultivation?" the young man exclaimed in awe.
The elder, however, shook his head. "That was a sword strike from the young man."
"That's right. If they were that powerful, they would have struck earlier and wouldn't have waited until they fell into the river. But is he really that strong? How did he cultivate such power?" the young man marveled.
"Humanity has never lacked those with exceptional talent. Throughout history, there have been several sword saints. It's a shame that humans don't achieve immortality, otherwise, these evil spirits would have no place," the elder said with a sigh.
"Why is that? It's so unfair!"
"Fair? Humans can possess the ability to subdue demons and vanquish evil within mere decades of cultivation. You talk to me about unfairness? Let's go, we need to write a report."
"Huh? Do I have to write it?"
"Are you expecting me to write it?"
"It's not impossible, after all, you have more experience than me, old man."
"You little brat…"
…
Watching the two depart into the distance, a young girl in a sailor uniform emerged from the river. She looked at their retreating figures, pouted slightly, and then her gaze fell upon the massive sword mark on the ground…
…
"Slash…"
"Slash…"
Liu Nanfeng felt his head buzzing, as if someone were constantly whispering "slash" in his ear.
"Are you awake?" a gentle voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Liu Nanfeng opened his eyes to see Su Jinxiu sitting by the bedside, looking at him with a smile.
"Wife?"
Liu Nanfeng's mind was still hazy, not yet fully clear.
"You return…"
Before he could finish, memories flooded back, and he remembered everything.
"Are you injured? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
Liu Nanfeng sat up abruptly, grabbing Su Jinxiu's arm and examining her carefully.
His last memory was of Su Jinxiu and Su Huamei lunging at him, shielding him from a heavy blow.
He had no memory of what happened afterward.
Seeing Liu Nanfeng's anxious expression, Su Jinxiu's heart warmed. She gently stroked his cheek and asked, "I'm fine. How about you, do you feel unwell anywhere?"
Liu Nanfeng shook his head. Apart from feeling a bit groggy, he didn't feel any discomfort.
At this moment, he suddenly remembered something. Was the person in front of him Su Jinxiu or Su Huamei?
He quickly looked up at her head.
Name: Su Huamei
Race: White Bone Demon
Cultivation: Three hundred ninety-three years
Identity: Wife
Past Cause: Not triggered
"So my wife is a White Bone Demon," Liu Nanfeng sighed inwardly. There was no surprise, no fear, and no discomfort.
He reached out and gently embraced her.
Su Jinxiu also leaned softly against Liu Nanfeng's shoulder, feeling the warmth he brought.
After a while, Liu Nanfeng gently pushed Su Jinxiu away. Looking into her eyes, he hesitated and said, "Wife, I have something to tell you."
He was hesitant mainly because of Su Huamei. After all, knowing her identity and still… engaging in intimacy with her was a bit awkward.
"Mhm, I also wanted to ask you, where did you get that sword?" Su Jinxiu asked with a smile.
"The sword?"
Su Jinxiu pointed to the bedside cabinet.
Liu Nanfeng turned his head and saw that the sword given to him by Feng Hongjin's mother was placed there.
"Oh, Hongjin's mother gave this to me."
"Hongjin? Zhu Yin'e's daughter?" Su Jinxiu frowned slightly.
"Oh, you know her?"
Liu Nanfeng was somewhat surprised. But recalling what Zhu Yuchan had said about her knowing the Su sisters, it didn't seem strange.
"I've only heard of her, never met her. How do you know her?"
"I was just about to tell you about that."
Liu Nanfeng decided not to hide anything and recounted the entire story from beginning to end.
From how he gained the ability to discern demons and monsters with [Atlas of Mountains and Seas] to how he met Feng Hongjin and received the short sword, he concealed nothing.
"So, you knew Huamei's identity from the beginning?" Su Jinxiu's beautiful eyes widened as she heard this, a hint of playful reproach in her voice.
"It was after I obtained the scroll, not from the beginning…" Liu Nanfeng quickly defended.
"Then why didn't you make it clear to Huamei? Were you deliberately playing dumb? Taking advantage of the situation?"
Su Jinxiu pouted her lips, like a young girl trying to appear angry.
"No, no… Who wouldn't be panicked encountering a demon? And she even transformed into your likeness. I didn't know if you were safe, so I could only suppress my fear, feign compliance, and slowly search for your whereabouts. That's why I followed her to Jingkou, but I didn't expect…"
As Liu Nanfeng spoke, he almost convinced himself.
Indeed, Su Jinxiu's anger dissipated upon hearing this. She then asked, "Are you not afraid now?"
Liu Nanfeng shook his head. "I'm not a block of wood. You two have such deep affection for me, how could I betray you? Besides, in this world, humans are far more terrifying than demons."
Su Jinxiu was deeply moved by his words and embraced Liu Nanfeng, pressing close to him.
Suddenly, she realized there was something amiss in Liu Nanfeng's words. Being a very intelligent person, she quickly understood that the man hadn't told the whole truth.
So, she pinched Liu Nanfeng's waist playfully.
"Ah…"
Liu Nanfeng cried out in pain.
"Why did you pinch me?"
"Alas…"
Su Jinxiu didn't answer the question but let out a deep sigh.
"I'm just saying, you can pinch me if you want, I won't complain. Don't sigh," Liu Nanfeng quickly said.
Hearing this, Su Jinxiu's heart warmed. She felt she hadn't entrusted herself to the wrong person.
"I'm not sighing because of that. I thought you might have remembered your past life," Su Jinxiu said, her tone betraying a hint of disappointment.
For some reason, Liu Nanfeng felt a pang of discomfort upon hearing this and remained silent.
He knew that the Su sisters were attracted to him because of their past life connection.
"What, are you angry?"
Su Jinxiu released Liu Nanfeng, cupped his face in her hands, and gently asked, resting her forehead against his.
"A little. I am who I am. I don't want to be just a substitute."
Liu Nanfeng spoke his mind directly. In a marriage, concealment was the most detrimental.
"In my heart, you've never been anyone's substitute," Su Jinxiu said, lightly kissing Liu Nanfeng.
"Then why…"
"Haven't you always wanted a child? But I'm a demon, and you're human…"
"So, we need the Mother Grass?"
"Huh? You know?"
"I asked Zhu Yuchan about this, and she told me."
Su Jinxiu looked enlightened. When Liu Nanfeng recounted the events, he had mentioned Zhu Yuchan, who was likely Zhu Yin'e's maid.
"Mother Grass has extremely harsh growing conditions, making it very rare. With the drastic changes in heaven and earth, it's difficult to find suitable conditions for Mother Grass to grow."
"As far as I know, the nearest one was taken by you—by your past self."
"By me?" Liu Nanfeng was very surprised.
Su Jinxiu nodded, emphasizing, "By your past self."
"But even so, it's been over a hundred years. It must have turned to dust by now, right?"
"Impossible. Although Mother Grass is a plant, it is extremely yang and rigid. It can endure for a thousand years without decaying. A hundred years has no effect on it whatsoever."
Su Jinxiu continued, "That Mountain God of Mao Mountain possessed a Reincarnation Mirror that can retrieve past life memories…"
Before she could finish, Liu Nanfeng understood the whole situation.
He tightly embraced Su Jinxiu and said, "Then we won't have children. If we sacrifice you for a child, how cruel that would be! What meaning would anything have for me? I like children, but I love you more…"
Liu Nanfeng's words were more potent than countless declarations of love. Su Jinxiu was quickly moved and initiated a kiss, and desire ignited between them…
"Sister, brother-in-law… woke…"
Su Huamei pushed the door open.
…
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