Chapter 589: Tension Rising

Chapter 589: Tension Rising

Liu Shuqin’s unexpected outburst caught everyone off guard; her usual soft-spoken nature had vanished, and now she raised her voice, drawing the attention of all the girls present.

Just when they thought the chaos from Ruo’er’s dual cultivation incident had settled, another wave hit—this time, it was the ring incident involving Liu Shuqin!

The courtyard was destined to be in turmoil again.

“A ring? The young master gave Sister Shuqin a ring?!”

Ruo’er pouted, realizing only now that Liu Shuqin was indeed wearing a silver ring, holding it in her hand.

To be chosen by the young master and have a matching pair of rings was truly enviable.

There was a saying that shared rings were tokens of love between partners; of course, the rumors in the community leaned more towards rings being talismans to ward off evil. However, the girls preferred to believe they were tokens of affection.

Qin Shili shot Lin Nuo a furious glare; his actions were infuriating. Starting with Ruo’er’s dual cultivation, then Liu Shuqin’s ring, and thinking back, there was also Su Kexin’s Phoenix Twin Swords and Spirit Crystals. This man was indeed a notorious flirt!

Recalling that she had nothing meaningful connecting her to Lin Nuo, she felt frustrated. The only thing they shared was the “Right and Demon Technique,” which was still in its infancy and had made little progress.

“Lin Nuo really has a knack for it! First, he’s dual cultivating with Ruo’er, and then he prepares a pair of rings for Senior Sister. Your intentions are quite broad, huh?”

Qin Shili’s icy words dripped with sarcasm, making Lin Nuo uneasy.

Whose intentions are broad? My focus is solely on becoming a legendary villain, alright?

“Senior Sister, what kind of ring is that? Might I see it?”

“Sure!”

Liu Shuqin generously extended her hand for the curious Su Kexin to take a closer look.

Liu Shuqin, usually humble and low-key, now wished the ring in her hand was larger so everyone could admire it.

Everyone has a bit of vanity, even the cultivated Liu Shuqin. Despite her outward humility, she occasionally cared about appearances.

Fame and fortune meant nothing to her; the weight and significance Lin Nuo held in her heart were what truly mattered.

Su Kexin examined the exquisite silver ring, noting the beautiful luster that enhanced Liu Shuqin’s elegance.

Honestly, she was envious.

But she couldn’t show it; otherwise, she’d lose face.

Su Kexin smiled, “What a treasure! Senior Sister is lucky to have a ring chosen by Senior Brother. But Senior Sister, rings are mere ornaments; for us demon-slaying practitioners, swords are the most important. Just look, I have a pair of Phoenix Twin Swords with Senior Brother and we’ve even mastered the Dual Dance Sword Technique!”

Having absorbed some wisdom through her training, Su Kexin cleverly deflected attention from Liu Shuqin’s ring by highlighting her own accomplishments with the Phoenix Twin Swords.

As a Xuanyun Sect practitioner, holding a pair of partner swords was surely more esteemed than mere rings, right?

However, Su Kexin appeared slightly naive in front of Liu Shuqin. While Liu Shuqin spoke kindly yet firmly, Su Kexin was trying to provoke her, and Liu Shuqin wouldn’t give the little junior sister any leeway.

Liu Shuqin chuckled softly, “That’s true, but Kexin, shared swords like Phoenix Twin Swords become meaningless if not used in battle. Moreover, it’s evident that Junior Brother doesn’t value them highly since he often goes out without his Phoenix Sword.”

“But Senior Brother doesn’t wear a ring either,” Su Kexin retorted, their usual happy sisterhood now turned competitive; neither was willing to back down.

Unfazed, Liu Shuqin replied, “Kexin, you might not know this. Swords are crucial to us practitioners, and Junior Brother’s willingness to share Phoenix Twin Swords with you does show some care. Swords are for battle; if they’re left unused, it’s merely a small token of concern. As for the ring, have you heard? In many cultures, unless one is unaccompanied, a shared ring represents mutual significance.”

“It’s just a ring! How can it compare to swords?”

“This ring was given to me by Junior Brother to wear on my ring finger, which in some places signifies marriage customs. Of course, we don’t have that custom here yet. However, a man giving a woman a ring undeniably signifies importance.”

Liu Shuqin spoke boldly in front of so many people, showing no embarrassment; in her house, she shouldn’t have to let these girls run rampant.

“Is that so?” Qin Shili said coldly, “I’ve heard rings ward off evil, so perhaps Lin Nuo is worried you’ve fallen under a curse, which is why he chose a ring for you.”

“Rings ward off evil, they say, but shared rings imply more than that. Shili, do you really think someone as capable as Junior Brother would fall victim to a curse?”

“Who knows? From what I see, he seems rather cursed already, don’t you agree, Lin Nuo?”

Qin Shili’s frigid gaze shifted back to Lin Nuo, sending a chill down his spine.

Whoa, is this the power of the icy beauty? Just her gaze has me shivering!

Things aren’t looking good here.

“Cough.”

Lin Nuo cleared his throat after a long silence, stuck at the entrance, neither advancing nor retreating.

Seeing the awkwardness among a few immortals, he shifted the topic, “It’s such a rare opportunity for our esteemed immortals to visit; you all should take this chance to learn from them. And it’s rather impolite not to offer them some hospitality, don’t you agree, General Liu?”

Lin Nuo glanced at Liu Feng, wondering how he could remain the lord of the city and head of the family while allowing these young ladies to bicker.

“Indeed, indeed, esteemed immortals, please step inside and make yourselves comfortable.”

“Lin Nuo, we’ve heard you took down a divine dragon; we hope to have a chat with you!”

At this moment, Dong Xiyan interjected, inviting Lin Nuo inside for discussions.

“Just one dragon; what’s there to discuss?”

“It’s not just about the dragon; we also want to discuss the Evil Bone Sect and matters regarding Ruo’er.”

The immortals sincerely invited him, and seeing the once proud immortals slightly deflated made Lin Nuo chuckle inwardly.

Look at you immortals! In the end, it’s a villain like me who took down a divine dragon!

However, gathering information and intelligence from these immortals would be quite beneficial.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Sure.”

With that, Lin Nuo seized the chance to join the immortals inside, escaping the chatter of the girls.

But the noise would continue; it always did.

Well then, with Dong Xiyan around, he could help Ruo’er return to the mountain, and that would suffice to end the gathering.

The girls hurried over but were swiftly turned away by the immortals, who claimed it was a private matter.

Confused, they were left waiting outside, staring each other down like rivals.

What could they be discussing in there?

Hurry it up, would you?