**Chapter 19: Xuan Ying Luo Fu**
A crowd of Spirit Energy Items phantoms heard the voice of the cool-toned woman, and Luxianbei naturally heard it as well. Finally, she has come?
She raised an eyebrow, stretched her neck, and slightly tiptoed, looking into the dense mass of phantoms ahead. From a distance, she saw a figure approaching her slowly.
The figure held a large plum-red umbrella, completely shielding her from view, creating an air of mystery.
As the figure advanced, the phantoms blocking her path parted as if cleaved by a kn*fe, consciously making way, and many phantoms dimly turned away, heading directly toward the “ocean” of lightning and rolling azure waves, disappearing from sight.
On Zixiao Terrace, the previously rising voices of argument instantaneously quieted down.
It felt like a homeroom teacher had suddenly walked into a noisy classroom; even if there was occasional conversation, it was in extremely restrained whispers.
“Why is it that person? She seems to have been here for over two hundred years and has never tried to connect with any new owner, right?”
Uh, maybe they’re optimistic about this coming Lady Lu? Lady Lu is indeed a talent,” said a scholarly phantom. “Who wouldn’t be optimistic about her? Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here, right?” a phantom resembling an old man said, “But can we compete with Xuan Ying Luo Fu? She is…”
“Yell! But what’s there to yell about? Just a discarded piece of junk left by a master, it would be a miracle if Lady Lu was interested in her!” A phantom that looked like a military general interrupted disdainfully, “Do you really think she has been withdrawn for over two hundred years because she has high standards? I think she’s just afraid no one would want her!”
“Lower your voice, don’t let her hear! But this brother makes a valid point, Xuan Ying Luo Fu acknowledging this girl doesn’t mean she acknowledges Xuan Ying Luo Fu,” the scholar phantom said, “By the way, this brother seems a bit unfamiliar? May I ask how to address you?”
“Too polite, I am Jian Sha Jiu Long Que.”
Just then, a female phantom approached Luxianbei.
The woman appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, draped in a thin pure white gauze dress, resembling someone enveloped in mist, with curves that revealed an alluring air not found in a young girl.
Her long black hair was pinned up with a plum blossom, and her beautifully delicate face was as white as snow, complemented by red lips akin to falling plum petals, giving her a graceful and extraordinary presence.
Her beautiful eyes, adorned with plum blossom patterns at the corners, reflected the colorful glimmers emitted by the surrounding phantoms, reminiscent of clear spring water in the early winter, exquisite and captivating.
In the silence, she examined Luxianbei from head to toe, her eyelashes fluttering gently with an enchanting beauty. After a while, the woman finally asked, “Are you Luxianbei?”
“Yes.” Luxianbei responded, stunned.
“Do you want a Spirit Energy Item that can assist you in wielding your sword skills?” the woman asked again. “Y-Yes.”
“Do you also need one that can complement your heavy armor?” “Yes.”
“Do you need it to be both offensive and defensive?” “Mm-hmm.”
Seeing the Spirit Energy Item phantoms, they seemed to be in a hush, and influenced by them, Luxianbei felt an inexplicable sense of tension in front of this woman, who was half a head taller than her.
It felt like the neighbor’s older sister, who bullied her during childhood, for some inexplicable reason became her homeroom teacher, sternly questioning her about any recent mischief.
If by chance this neighbor’s sister also had a marriage contract with her, that would be even more terrifying! Anyway, as the woman posed her questions, Luxianbei ended up responding involuntarily, feeling quite passive.
“One last question. You said that becoming the Spirit Energy Item you are looking for means being a life-and-d*ath partner; is that true?”
“Indeed, that was what I said.” Luxianbei nodded.
“Good!” The woman slightly lifted her chin and spoke gently, “I hope you won’t go back on your word later.”
After saying this, she turned around to the numerous phantoms on Zixiao Terrace and softly inquired, “I am ready to leave with her; do you have any objections? Anyone with objections can step forward.”
As she spoke, her gaze swept coldly over those phantoms, as if warning them, “Whoever dares to compete with me will meet their end.” Upon seeing this, not a single phantom stepped forward; on the contrary, they collectively retreated a step, shaking their heads like a marionette, seemingly afraid of causing any unnecessary misunderstanding with the woman.
“It seems they have no objections now.” The woman turned back to Luxianbei and said, “Then let’s go?” Saying this, she began walking down from Zixiao Terrace.
At that moment, Luxianbei finally regained her senses, stretched out a small hand to stop the woman, and said, “Wait! How come it’s ‘let’s go’? Did I say I would take you away?”
“Sister, I find you very strange!
You came in here aggressively with your questions, and now you want to leave.
Am I the one selecting Spirit Energy Items, or are you the one selecting the Spirit Energy Item’s human pillar?” Luxianbei thought.
She felt like a convenient noodle sitting on a supermarket shelf, being picked up without even being asked if she would like to go.
Unpleasant, very unpleasant!
Luxianbei had never liked being passive; if possible, she preferred to take the initiative herself.
Hearing Luxianbei’s words, the woman slightly furrowed her brow, appearing a bit surprised as she asked, “Do you think I’m not suitable?”
“No…” Luxianbei crossed her arms in front of her chest and rolled her eyes, “We haven’t communicated at all, how would I know if you are suitable? Just because you look good? To be honest, I’m not bad either!”
“From what I see, you are indeed the strongest Spirit Energy Item on Zixiao Terrace at the moment, but beyond that, I don’t know anything about you. If I take you with me, what if it doesn’t work out?”
“This thing… it shouldn’t have a seven-day unconditional return policy, right?”
“Not knowing” The woman lowered her head and pondered for a moment, staring directly at Luxianbei’s eyes and asking, “What do you want to know?”
Luxianbei thought for a moment and pouted, “Your name?”
“Xuan Ying Luo Fu.”
“How old?”
“According to the Ming dynasty, six feet and seven inches.”
“Wow—! Goodness, that’s long?” Luxianbei exclaimed, “But, Sister, I was asking about your age.”
“How strange.” The woman paused for a moment, “Since the day of my forging, it has been over five hundred and thirty years.”
It seemed reasonable for the holder to know the name and dimensions of the Spirit Energy Item, but to know its forging date was quite rare.
“Then you haven’t made any strange contracts with anyone, right? By the way, marriage contracts count!”
Upon hearing this, a wave of gasps varied through Zixiao Terrace, as numerous phantoms hesitated to speak before finally shifting their gazes away from Luxianbei and the woman.
Luxianbei wondered, “What is this? What’s going on? Did I step on a landmine? Those Spirit Energy Items clearly know something but don’t dare to speak; that’s infuriating, it makes me want to know even more!”
Upon hearing her question, the woman’s brow suddenly knitted into a tight frown, her demeanor grew vigilant, “Why are you asking this?”
“Of course, I want to make it clear; if you have made a contract or a marriage contract with someone, if I take you out, what if others come to me, yelling ‘give me back my treasure’ or ‘give me back my wife’? That would be quite troublesome?” Luxianbei replied.
Of course, the main point was the marriage contract! Luxianbei mentally added.
Ever since Zhang Hainan told her she had at least a few hundred potential marriage partners, including grass, wood, mountains, and stones, she felt like she was losing her mind.
If even grass and stones might be marriage partners, wouldn’t Spirit Energy Items be even more likely?
I came to select Spirit Energy Items, and if I accidentally brought back a wife who would control me daily, that would be a hassle. Better to be cautious! Luxianbei thought to herself.
In fact, when she set the conditions earlier, she had wanted to inscribe a clause stating, “Must not have a marriage contract with me,” but felt it was a bit hard to articulate, fearing the Spirit Energy Items would think she had some kind of f*tish.
“It can be considered that I had a past,” the woman slightly nodded, “However, that person is already dead, so you need not worry about her causing any trouble for you.”
Dead? So that means there’s nothing, right? Good riddance, that’s great! Luxianbei cheerfully thought while nodding, “One last question, sister; what is your true form?”
Although the woman had claimed to satisfy all her conditions, it was necessary to verify the goods, right? What if the actual object differed from the description? Moreover, she had heard that the woman’s true form was more than two meters long, intensifying Luxianbei’s curiosity.
“An umbrella,” the woman hesitated before saying. After a few seconds of silence, she added quietly, “To be precise, an umbrella skeleton.”
“What? Umbrella skeleton? Can that be used as a weapon?” Luxianbei blurted out.
Haven’t I made myself clear enough about this weird weaponry?
Seeing Luxianbei’s somewhat intense reaction, the woman shivered slightly, turned away, and her previously cold expression changed dramatically.
A hint of panic and anxiety first appeared on her exquisite face, followed by a flash of anger, but the anger soon dissipated, leaving behind a hint of sorrow and disappointment.
Finally, the woman bit her silver teeth lightly and, in a huff, said, “Fine, if you can’t accept it, then just forget it!” After saying this, she turned and walked toward the waves of lightning and azure on Zixiao Terrace.
The whole process resembled applying for a job with a forged diploma, only to be exposed during the final interview, feeling awkward and embarrassed, then becoming irate, leading to a flounce exit.
Below Zixiao Terrace.
Zhang Hainan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, trying to appear calm, yet he couldn’t hide the anxiety within.
Just three minutes ago, he noticed the Spirit Energy consumption of Sword Gallant, Heart of the Zither decreased without any warning, and following that, Luxianbei fell silent; the situation was highly unusual.
Something’s wrong, what is that little b*stard up to?
Why isn’t he responding to me suddenly? Zhang Hainan thought.
He wasn’t worried that Luxianbei would cause any major issue; after all, he had already told her that she could only take away one Spirit Energy Item regardless of what happened.
No matter how eloquent Luxianbei turned out to be, it was impossible for her to take away more than one.
He mainly worried that Luxianbei had been in a prolonged state of receiving vast amounts of information, or that she had attracted out several problematic Spirit Energy Items from the depths of Zixiao Terrace, risking damage to her consciousness, or even a breakdown.
And the current situation resembled Luxianbei’s consciousness being impacted, rendering her unconscious. Luxianbei? Luxianbei? Calamity?
“Luxianbei? What are you doing? If you don’t respond soon, I’ll lose my temper!” “Luxianbei you…”
In a fluster, Zhang Hainan was calling Luxianbei through Sword Gallant, when suddenly a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Old man, stop calling, didn’t I come down safe and sound? Everything is normal!”
Hearing Luxianbei’s voice, he turned to look and saw Luxianbei standing at the end of the long stone stairs, having chosen already? Zhang Hainan raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing her and involuntarily twitching his expression.
Luxianbei was shouldering a “big stick.”
That “big stick” was pitch black all over, without a hint of luster, resembling a charred bamboo pole. “What did you choose?”
Didn’t she say she wanted a suitable sword? How come she picked a big stick instead? Should I make an exception and give her another chance to choose? Zhang Hainan pondered.
In fact, before Luxianbei had ascended Zixiao Terrace, he had already prepared several excellent Spirit Energy Item alternatives that were suitable for her, all fine swords, each possessing their own wonders; he expected that among those few items, Luxianbei would likely choose one.
However, selecting Spirit Energy Items on Zixiao Terrace typically depended on fate, so he couldn’t interfere too much for Luxianbei’s sake, risking breaking the rules by not mentioning them.
But now…
“Tsk, look at how lacking in understanding you are!” Seeing Zhang Hainan’s continuously twitching mouth corner, Luxianbei pouted, holding up the “big stick” in front of her and calling, “Xuan Ying Luo Fu!”
Xuan Ying Luo Fu, that name seemed familiar somehow? Zhang Hainan furrowed his brow, recalling roughly, but nothing came to mind.
There were over ten thousand Spirit Energy Items stored in Zixiao Terrace, with the forging dates spanning nearly a thousand years, and each Spirit Energy Item had a historical background that could easily require thousands of words to narrate.
In the entire Siye Society, perhaps only the Wordless Book could recall such vast amounts of information all at once.
Even as the current headmaster of Dachunyang Palace, Zhang Hainan found it hard to promptly match the names of Spirit Energy Items with their historical backgrounds.
He would have to go back and check the records, Zhang Hainan thought.
After brief contemplation, he refocused his attention on Luxianbei, who, as she continued walking, shook her wrist slightly, infusing the dark “big stick” with Spirit Energy.
Then, a soft sound of metal mechanisms turning was heard.
Immediately after, two slender branches shot out from the “big stick.”
The two slender branches formed sharp angles with the main body of the “big stick,” and along with the sharp tip at the top, a long giant sword’s silhouette could vaguely be made out.
As Luxianbei continued to pour Spirit Energy in, a golden-red light flowed along the main axis of the “big stick,” erupting into flames, in the blink of an eye, the “big stick” transformed into a nearly two-meter-long flame giant sword.
Oh? So that’s it? Xuan Ying Luo Fu, huh? Quite interesting! Zhang Hainan nodded thoughtfully. However, the Spirit Energy Item in Luxianbei’s hands was still undergoing changes.
As she took another step forward, Ling Tai Purification activated, and heavy armor instantly enveloped her small body.
At the same time, the Xuan Ying Luo Fu she held changed again; twenty-four umbrella bones slightly opened, and under the cover of the flaming Spirit Energy, they transformed into a knight’s lance with twenty-four facets.
Heavy armor, tower shield paired with a long spear? Reasonable! Zhang Hainan nodded again.
In the next moment, the Xuan Ying Luo Fu in Luxianbei’s hands changed once more. Bang! With a soft sound, the twenty-four umbrella bones fully spread open.
Previously, Luxianbei’s arms, which had no tower shield for protection, represented the only relatively weak defense of Ling Tai Purification; but now this sole weaker point had also been fortified.
“Old Zhang, look! This is the final form, isn’t it great!” Luxianbei said, excitedly waving her hands as she spoke. A metal tower shield was in her left hand, and a flaming round shield in her right.
Seeing this, Zhang Hainan facepalmed, rubbing his slightly swollen temples, and sighed. Sigh, today’s youngsters, whether it’s Luxianbei or that Huasang girl, what is it with this obsession for layering armor?
This behavior, Zhang Hainan could not comprehend—
Five minutes ago.
Just as Xuan Ying Luo Fu was about to turn to leave, a tender white hand suddenly reached out and grasped her wrist.
Didn’t expect that while the sister appeared to be cool and composed, she actually had a hasty temperament? I hadn’t finished speaking yet, and she’s already in a hurry to leave?
“Is it perhaps a lack of confidence in her own abilities?”
Hearing the voice from behind, the woman frowned and turned to look at Luxianbei, confused, “What do you mean?”
Luxianbei shrugged, “What I mean is, it’s decided; it’s you!”
In fact, as soon as she suspected that Xuan Ying Luo Fu might be lying to her, she had already decided that she would choose this Spirit Energy Item. Zhang Hainan had previously mentioned that Spirit Energy Items aren’t humans; when communicating with them, keep it simple and straightforward, which subtly indicated that most Spirit Energy Items might possess slight consciousness but aren’t very intelligent.
And a Spirit Energy Item that would deceive was evidently extraordinary!
“But you just…” The woman looked at Luxianbei with confusion, seemingly at a loss for words.
“I didn’t say anything just now; you misunderstood!” Luxianbei blinked her large, watery eyes innocently and said, “Is it possible that sister doesn’t like me?”
The woman felt, “There’s something off, but couldn’t quite find the right words to describe it.
Am I really going to follow such an indecorous master from now on?
While the woman internally fretted, Luxianbei suddenly put on a serious expression, looking straight into her eyes with plum blossom corners, “Xuan Ying Luo Fu! Are you sure you can meet the requirements I set?”
The sudden role reversal caught the woman off guard; after a few seconds of her lips opening and closing, she finally replied, “Yes.”
“Then, can I really entrust my life to you?”
The woman furrowed her brows, as if genuinely contemplating Luxianbei’s question. After a long time, she finally said, “Yes!”
