Chapter 9: Muddy Waters

When the sandstorm subsided, the two returned to Silver Sand City.

From a distance, Xiang Haikui noticed something unusual at the city gate—there were at least twice as many guards as when they had left.

As they approached, they saw two men fighting between the inner and outer gates.

The man in brocade robes, wielding a sword, was none other than Lu Xiqiao, whom she had kicked on the airship earlier.

The bare-handed man was her father’s third disciple, Wumian.

With the appearance of a boy next door, but when he fought, he was like a wild wolf with bloodshot eyes.

“Why did Third Brother start a fight as soon as he returned?” Xiang Tianqing asked the guards with concern.

“Reporting to the young lady, the city lord has ordered that Lu Xiqiao is not allowed to leave the pass, but he…” The guard who replied had a bruised face, clearly having been beaten by Lu Xiqiao.

Xiang Haikui genuinely admired this young master from the royal capital. Having already died once, he was still courting death.

The guard used the term “leave the pass” instead of “leave the city.”

Lu Xiqiao intended to venture beyond the borders of Zhongzhou into the depths of the desert.

With a loud “bang,” Lu Xiqiao was slammed into the city wall, his sword falling from his hand.

“Too weak,” Wumian said, blowing on his fist and curling his lips in disdain.

“Is this the level of an elite disciple from the Jinling Academy?”

Lu Xiqiao slid down the wall and, after being mocked, didn’t curse Wumian but instead shouted, “Meng Xilou! You’re really something!”

Xiang Haikui had already spotted her father’s eldest disciple, Meng Xilou. With shoulder-length black hair, sharp features, and dressed in a dark green embroidered robe, he stood with his hands behind his back on the inner city wall.

Xiang Haikui noticed him because she had first felt his gaze.

When she looked up and met his eyes, he sneered and shifted his gaze to Xiang Tianqing, who was holding a small bamboo basket. His eyes softened instantly.

After being called out by Lu Xiqiao, Meng Xilou shouted, “This is the last warning. If you cause trouble again, don’t blame me for getting serious!”

The cursing Lu Xiqiao was taken away, and the surrounding citizens began to chatter.

They were all praising Meng Xilou.

The Meng and Lu families were evenly matched in the royal capital, and the two families had always been at odds.

Meng Xilou personally stopping Lu Xiqiao was saving his life, but this young master didn’t appreciate it at all. It was truly a case of the dog biting the hand that feeds.

At this moment, Meng Xilou was secretly communicating with his confidant: “Keep an eye on Lu Xiqiao. If he tries to sneak out of the pass again, let him go, and then…”

He paused, “After he leaves, kill all the guards at the pass using the Lu family’s sword techniques.”

Meng Xilou sneered inwardly. If he wants to die, let him. He couldn’t care less.

But since it was happening on his turf, he had to put on a show.

“Little Junior Sister!” Wumian walked towards Xiang Tianqing with a bright smile.

Xiang Tianqing awkwardly reminded him, “Third Brother, Little Kui is now our youngest junior sister.”

Wumian tilted his head to look at Xiang Haikui, a hint of challenge in his eyes. “So, you’re the daughter our master left behind?”

Xiang Haikui’s gaze shifted from his hands. “Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, Third Brother.”

“A sword cultivator?” Wumian noticed the sword case on her back and clenched his fist, aiming a punch at her face.

Xiang Haikui understood the situation. She was supposed to act frightened and hide behind Xiang Tianqing, but Tiankuang in its case was vibrating furiously, eager to be drawn and kill him.

Moreover, playing the coward wasn’t exactly her strong suit.

Fortunately, as she hesitated, Meng Xilou grabbed Wumian’s wrist. “What nonsense are you up to?”

Wumian, seemingly afraid of him, stuck out his tongue. “Just joking. I only used a fraction of my strength, just wanted to test our little junior sister’s skills.”

He then muttered under his breath, “Haven’t you heard what everyone’s saying?”

Xiang Haikui heard it clearly too.

After discussing Lu Xiqiao, everyone turned their attention to her.

“She really doesn’t look like the city lord at all. I heard she’s not cut out for cultivation. Could the rumors be true?”

“What rumors?”

The rest was communicated through meaningful glances.

Just like in her dream, someone was spreading rumors, saying she was a seductress who had charmed the city lord. Since her talent was too poor to be accepted as a disciple, she was instead recognized as his daughter.

The kind of relationship between a “godfather” and “goddaughter.”

Xiang Tianqing, hearing these rumors that tarnished her father’s reputation, was furious but couldn’t explain. She glanced at Xiang Haikui with a hint of blame in her eyes.

Seeing Xiang Tianqing’s expression, Meng Xilou’s gaze towards Xiang Haikui grew even colder.

“Little Junior Sister, it would be best if you stayed in the city lord’s residence and went out less.”

Xiang Haikui couldn’t stand others slandering her father either, but this wasn’t her fault. Why should she be blamed?

She took the small bamboo basket from Xiang Tianqing and left with the little black snake.

After a few steps, she turned back and smiled at Meng Xilou.

“Eldest Brother, right? If you’re so capable, go control their mouths instead of my legs.”

With that, she rolled her eyes at him and walked away.

Meng Xilou was momentarily stunned by her words, then clenched his fist and cursed inwardly, “Bitch!”

After returning to the city lord’s residence, Xiang Haikui went to the kitchen and took the little black snake out of the bamboo basket.

The snake was already cold. Xiang Tianqing had checked its fangs and confirmed it was non-venomous, so Xiang Haikui hadn’t done much to it, just scraped off some scales and sprinkled salt on its wounds.

She even pressed her thumb into the wounds.

She asked the cook for a ceramic jar, threw the snake in, closed the lid, and placed it on the windowsill.

She stretched and asked the cook to heat some water for her to take a bath.

At her current level of cultivation, she didn’t sweat much, but she still felt tired, and a bath was very relaxing.

Previously, due to some psychological trauma, she hadn’t dared to take a bath.

She returned from the kitchen to her small courtyard, where the handsome youth Bai Xingxian was sitting at the stone table, writing something.

For convenience, they lived in the same courtyard.

“My father has gone into seclusion. I should be safe for the next few days. It all depends on the seventh day.”

The seventh day was when her father’s energy would complete a full cycle.

Xiang Haikui walked over, originally planning to sit next to him but changed her mind and sat beside him instead.

She really didn’t want to see his big golden teeth when he spoke.

Bai Xingxian, however, turned to face her, propping his chin on his hand. “Little Kui, do you have any idea what’s going on?”

Xiang Haikui shook her head.

“I can’t figure it out. I’ll just wait for him to come to me.”

She was now hoping that person would come soon so she wouldn’t have to hide her abilities anymore.

Who would dare say she wasn’t like her brave and battle-hardened father?

“Then we’ll wait,” Bai Xingxian nodded and continued writing.

Xiang Haikui wasn’t intentionally snooping, but she accidentally caught a glimpse of her name followed by a number.

“Xiao Bai, what are you writing?”

Bai Xingxian replied, “Keeping accounts. Our expenses along the way.”

Xiang Haikui was incredulous.

“You’re so rich, yet you’re keeping track of such minor expenses?”

Bai Xingxian looked pitiful.

“I’m poor. The money belongs to my uncle. I have to pay it back.”

“Speaking of which, is this your first time away from Senior Yin?”

“Yes, since I can remember, I’ve always been by my uncle’s side. It’s been about five hundred years.”

From observing Bai Xingxian, Xiang Haikui felt that Yin Changli had given her this silly boy not as a teammate but more like he was going on a long trip and left his pet with her temporarily.

Xiang Haikui took the opportunity to ask, “Xiao Bai, is Senior Yin helping me because he doesn’t like the romantic fate the heavens arranged for him?”

Xiang Haikui continued, “Why did he choose me? Did he see that I was suited for the Tiankuang Sword?”

“Not exactly,” Bai Xingxian paused his writing and recalled, “Uncle said that smart people’s actions always follow a certain logic. You’re different. You’re hard to predict, perfect for stirring up trouble.”

What did that mean?

Xiang Haikui thought for a while before realizing he was calling her stupid, with a brain the size of a cherry!

She was angry but gradually understood.

It was like in competitive games. Masters in high-level matches could predict their opponents’ moves and rarely made mistakes.

But in beginner matches, masters often made mistakes.

Because no matter how strong a master’s prediction skills were, they were useless against beginners who had no strategy.

Meanwhile, Xiang Tianqing, after returning, had been restless, as if she had forgotten something important.

She decided to leave her room and walked slowly along the corridor under the moonlight.

Aimlessly, she ended up outside the kitchen.

There, she heard a faint noise coming from a jar on the windowsill.

Drawn by some inexplicable force, she walked over, opened the lid, and saw the little black snake writhing inside.

Hadn’t it been dead when they brought it back?

Perhaps it had still been clinging to life, and the salt had revived it with pain?

But it wouldn’t survive much longer. Xiang Tianqing was about to close the lid but found she couldn’t.

The little black snake’s eyes were pleading, as if begging for help.

Xiang Tianqing, who wasn’t usually soft-hearted, suddenly felt a strong urge to save it.

This feeling was strange, as if…

She reached out with her slender fingers and gently touched the snake’s head, her eyes filled with pity, her voice soft.

“I hear you. I’ll save you.”

Just as she was about to take the little black snake away, Xiang Haikui walked in with a messy bun on her head.

“Oh, sister, are you hungry too?”

Xiang Haikui had fallen asleep in the bath and woke up starving, so she had come looking for something to eat.

Xiang Tianqing quickly said, “You came just in time. Look, this little black snake is still alive. It’s too cruel to keep it salted like this.”

Xiang Haikui was stunned and hurried over to look.

Sure enough, it was still alive.

She loved eating meat and often said, “Our ancestors spent countless years climbing to the top of the food chain, not so we could eat vegetables.”

But while she had no issue with killing, she couldn’t stand cruelty.

She understood that.

“I’m sorry, little snake. I made you suffer. It’s my fault.”

Xiang Tianqing thought this would be easy.

She was about to say she would take the little black snake away and catch some bigger snakes for Xiang Haikui to eat tomorrow.

But before she could speak, Xiang Haikui swiftly grabbed the little black snake from the jar, threw it on the chopping board, picked up a kitchen knife, and with a swift motion, chopped it in two.

“There, it should be dead now. No more suffering.”

Xiang Tianqing was momentarily stunned, her fingers trembling slightly.

The decisive way Xiang Haikui had killed the snake made her feel a sense of panic.

She believed it wouldn’t be long before people started saying that Xiang Haikui was more like their father’s daughter.

Just the thought of that day filled Xiang Tianqing with anxiety.