I was chased at the beginning, and I got the first quick sword

Chapter 538 Ascending to the Heavens in One Step!
The study was empty; Chu Qing was nowhere to be seen.

The doors and windows of the study were all shattered.

The shepherd boy rushed over and saw Shang Qiuyu standing in the study, looking around anxiously. His expression changed.
"You made your move?"

"Why are you attacking? I didn't even see him..."

Shang Qiuyu said with a dark face:
"Don't worry, Tong'er, I will definitely get justice for you today and make this hypocritical brat pay the price!"

"...You're kidding me. Who knows who will pay the price?"

The shepherd boy waved his hand, sensing that something was amiss.

If it wasn't my own muddle-headed father who dismantled the study doors and windows, then who could it be?

Even if some foolish person dares to come here and act recklessly, there's absolutely no way we'll let Chu Qing disappear...

"What?"

Shang Qiuyu was furious:
"You think your father is no match for him?"

"It's not what I thought..."

The shepherd boy corrected Shang Qiuyu's choice of words, and seeing Shang Qiuyu's anger turn to joy, he heard the shepherd boy say:
"This is a fact!"

Shang Qiuyu's smile became somewhat sinister... What a scoundrel! In Tong'er's heart now, her father is no longer the omnipotent mountain. Has the most powerful one become that pretty boy?
This is absolutely outrageous!
"Father, Chu Qing has disappeared. Someone must have come to make things difficult for him... Can you find him?"

Shepherd Boy suddenly realized that his muddle-headed father's judgment was definitely far superior to his own, and if the person who came really could make things difficult for Chu Qing, then only Shang Qiuyu could help.

Shang Qiuyu snorted:
"So now you're thinking of asking this old man for help?"

"Ok?"

The shepherd boy looked up at Shang Qiuyu:

"Dad, why are you being so sarcastic? Can you even figure out anything? If you can't, I'll go find someone else."

"This is outrageous! How could I, as your father, not see it?"

Shang Qiuyu snorted again, then her gaze swept around the room once more, and suddenly her expression changed:
"How come I didn't notice it earlier? There's a faint sword intent in this room... Wait, this is [Heaven's Will]!"
"Oh no, it's Huangfu Changkong!!"

"what?"

The shepherd boy's expression changed, and Shang Qiuyu grabbed her shoulder:
"let's go."

"Where?"

The shepherd boy quickly asked.

Go find your little lover.

Shang Qiuyu's figure flashed suddenly, and he disappeared from the study with the shepherd boy. When they reappeared, they were already outside the city lord's mansion.

Shang Qiuyu's eyes darted around, with swirling currents flowing from them. Then, with a light step, she disappeared like a rainbow, drawing the attention of many people in Xiangnan City.

Anyone with a bit of knowledge could tell that this lightness skill was extraordinary, and they gasped in astonishment, wondering where this master had come from.

This action also alarmed the martial arts practitioners stationed in the Southern Region.

A moment later, Liu Zhaonian and others arrived...

Shang Qiuyu kept walking and went all the way out of Xiangnan City. After another twenty-three miles, she came to see a lake.

Two figures stood facing each other on the lake.

Shang Qiuyu arrived suddenly, landing in a corner opposite the two. The shepherd boy looked up at Chu Qing, who was standing not far away:

"Are you OK?"

"fine."

Chu Qing glanced at Shang Qiuyu:
"So it's Senior Shang who has arrived."

"Hmph, what, did my arrival ruin your plans?"

Shang Qiuyu's face darkened. Recalling what the shepherd boy had said by the pond, she felt a surge of anger that was about to get out of control.

Chu Qing was taken aback:
"What did Senior Shang mean by that?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

Shang Qiuyu glared angrily at Chu Qing:

"What did you say to me in the Valley of Abandoned Gods? You said there was no relationship between you and Tong'er... And what happened? Now the child is about to be born, and you call that no relationship?!"
Do you think I'm easy to bully?

He grew angrier as he spoke, and with a flick of his sleeve, the lake surface erupted with a loud bang, creating countless ripples.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man standing in another corner, looking at the rippling water and listening to Shang Qiuyu's words, had a slight darkening on his otherwise expressionless face.

Then he spoke softly:
"So this young friend is actually Brother Shang's son-in-law."

"Huangfu Changkong, stop speaking nonsense!"

Shang Qiuyu's signature gesture:
Whether this lad can become my son-in-law remains to be seen!

"Since you already have a child, how can he not be your son-in-law?"

Huangfu Changkong was somewhat surprised.

This contemporary sword emperor had no sword in his hand, and his attire was very simple, just a blue close-fitting outfit. His hair was not tied up and was left loose, which added a touch of depth to his temperament.

His appearance was rather ordinary, but there was a faint aura of sword energy flowing between his brows and eyes.

But it's not sharp...on the contrary, it gives people a very easygoing feeling.

"What kind of son-in-law is he if he marries without a matchmaker?"

Speaking of this, Shang Qiuyu got even angrier.

The shepherd boy's face darkened:
"No, Dad, don't talk nonsense here. We didn't have a matchmaker... Um... why are you saying such rude things?"

"What's the big deal?"

Huangfu Changkong said calmly:

"Since there is no matchmaker, how about I, the Emperor, act as matchmaker?"
"There's no better day than today. Let's have these two use soil as incense and get married."

"It is perfectly reasonable for her to have children afterward."

"This……"

Shang Qiuyu thought for a moment, then looked at Chu Qing:
"what do you think?"

"What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking anything."

Chu Qing said with a dark face:
"My relationship with the shepherd boy is completely innocent. What am I thinking?"
"Senior Shang, a woman's reputation is of utmost importance. You haven't even figured out the truth yet, and you're already spouting nonsense here, ruining Miss Mu's reputation. How can you bear to do this?"

"That's it!"

The shepherd boy nodded repeatedly:
"I already told you you've misunderstood..."

"Even now, you're still trying to hide it from me?"

Shang Qiuyu glared at the shepherd boy, a rare occurrence for her:
"You were the one who said it by the pond, that you wanted to have his child, and he still complained..."

“I heard that very clearly, how could it be false?”

"Shut up."

The shepherd boy quickly pulled Shang Qiuyu back, and seeing his father fuming, he had no choice but to say:
"Dad, come closer and let me explain."

"What can't you say in public?!"

Shang Qiuyu has made his intentions clear. This matter should be discussed openly. If it's done covertly, your daughter will definitely suffer in the end.

"...You old man, do you really have to be so blunt? Aren't you going to regret it in front of Uncle Huangfu?"

The shepherd boy glanced at Huangfu Changkong.

Huangfu Changkong crossed his arms and watched with great interest, clearly showing no intention of avoiding the scene.

"What are you regretting? Just tell me!"

Shang Qiuyu glanced sideways at Chu Qing:

“If this brat bullies you, I will definitely stand up for you today.”

"Even if his martial arts have truly surpassed Father's, isn't your Uncle Huangfu here? When the two of us join forces, how can we not take down this mere Southern Region Alliance Leader?"

"Alright, then I'll talk!" The shepherd boy understood that if he didn't make things clear today, his own father would not only fail to be Chu Qing's help, but might also become a hindrance.

He took a deep breath and said loudly:
"My mother made me have a child for him, and then go to my father's house... Waaah..."

When Shang Qiuyu heard the words "My mother wants me to have a child for him," her mind went blank. She didn't care what to say next and quickly covered the shepherd boy's mouth.

Chu Qing suddenly realized:

"So it was because of your mother? But... why did your mother make you do this?"

"Shut up!"

Shang Qiuyu glared at Chu Qing:
"Why do you care why she told you to do this? Just do as she says!"

"??"

Chu Qing's gaze towards Shang Qiuyu gradually shifted from calm to disbelief:

"Do you want to listen to what you're saying? That's your daughter... Isn't she your biological daughter?"

This is impossible...

No wonder when the shepherd boy introduced Shang Qiuyu, he said that Shang Qiuyu was a henpecked husband.

When we met at the Valley of Abandoned Gods, seeing how much he cared about the shepherd boy, I thought the shepherd boy was talking nonsense. He was clearly a doting father.

Now look what's happened... Compared to what his wife said, his daughter is nothing at all.

How could you agree to something like this without even asking why?
What is this thing called?

Chu Qing felt that her worldview had been completely shattered...

Moreover, she had never met the shepherd boy's mother before, so how could she mistakenly believe that the shepherd boy had a child with her?

My head keeps itching... I don't know if it's trying to grow a brain or if it's planning to shrink.

My worldview has been significantly shaken, and I really feel like it's about to collapse.

After releasing the shepherd boy, Shang Qiuyu and his father huddled together and whispered to each other.

After all, he was the Xuan Emperor, and his methods were extraordinary. Ordinary people whispering like this would not escape Chu Qing's ears at all. But now, no one knew what method Shang Qiuyu used, and Chu Qing couldn't hear a single word.

Just look at Shang Qiuyu's expression as it changed several times. First, he was a little excited, then he became calm, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes nodding, and sometimes suddenly realizing something.

Finally, his gaze fell on Chu Qing, and a look of affirmation appeared on his face.

Their gazes sent chills down Chu Qing's spine... Oh no, this whole family is coming for me!
When Huangfu Changkong came to visit, Chu Qing didn't think it was a big deal.

But judging from Shang Qiuyu's expression, Chu Qing really had the urge to turn around and run away...

At this moment, the father and son had clearly finished revealing their secret.

Back on the lake, this time Shang Qiuyu ignored Chu Qing and instead looked at Huangfu Changkong:

"Why aren't you staying in Zhongzhou? What are you doing here?"

Huangfu Changkong seemed to be used to Shang Qiuyu's eccentricities, but he had no intention of letting him off the hook.

"You've accepted these two children having an unplanned affair?"

"What?"

Shang Qiuyu snorted:
"If two people are in love, how can it be considered an unmarried affair? As long as they are willing, outsiders should not meddle."

Huangfu Changkong pondered for a moment, then said to Chu Qing:
"Have you remembered what I said today?"

"I will naturally remember what Senior Huangfu said."

"Very well, I will visit the City Lord's Mansion with Sword Emperor Dongfang Jinghong in three days."

"This junior awaits your arrival."

Huangfu Changkong gave Chu Qing a deep look before speaking:
"Farewell."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The shepherd boy frowned slightly:
"What does he want with you? Hasn't it been resolved today? And he's coming back with Dongfang Jinghong in three days?"

"Am I going to make things difficult for you?"

Chu Qing shook his head:

It's not that it's difficult...

"Back when I was at Jue Tian Pass, I obtained the Ghost Emperor's throne, and the news indeed reached their ears."

"You came to see me today for this very reason."

"A meteoric rise to power!?"

Shang Qiuyu suddenly spoke in a deep voice:
"You agreed?"

"Of course I agreed."

Chu Qing smiled:
"I was the one who started this, so there's no reason not to agree."

"But Father... isn't rising to the top in one step just a formality?"

The shepherd boy looked at Shang Qiuyu: "I remember you told me before..."

Shang Qiuyu's face was somewhat gloomy. He stroked his chin and said:
"That's right, your father did tell you that back then. It's kind of you to remember."

“When the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors first established their positions, they considered the way of succession.”

"After all, this position is too high up to be left vacant."

"The conventional lineages include father-to-son and master-to-apprentice transmissions, etc... while the ritual to verify whether a disciple is qualified is called 'ascending to heaven in one step'!"
"However, the procedure that your father told you is the usual one. With the support of our fathers, it won't be too difficult for us."

"But... this pretty boy got his position by killing the Ghost Emperor and taking it from him."

"There is a problem here... The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors bled."

"This ascent to heaven will inevitably be stained with some blood."

"What do you mean?"

The shepherd boy glanced at Chu Qing and said with some worry:
"Could it be that they intend to use this meteoric rise to power ceremony to kill Chu Qing?"

"That's hard to say..."

Shang Qiuyu shook her head and said:
"Over the years since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, regardless of whether they were on good terms or not, only a few of us were on the same level in the martial arts world."

"So no matter how you look at it, we have some kind of relationship."

"Although I am a martial artist in the Jianghu, I naturally cannot be afraid of challenges."

"But there are rules of the martial arts world, and there is also the matter of human relationships."

"Today someone challenged me and knocked me down to the dust. He obtained the throne, and the other Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors immediately flattered him. Isn't that heartbreaking?"

"As the saying goes, 'When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves; when things of the same kind are hurt,' today I am the one who has fallen into the dust, but tomorrow it could be you."

"Therefore, the imperial throne obtained by challenging others, or even by killing one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, must undergo the most rigorous test."

"So this young man's meteoric rise to fame is definitely not just a simple formality..."

"Perhaps, I really will kill you in the process of ascending to the top."

The shepherd boy's face darkened:
"The Ghost Emperor clearly deserved to die. You have no idea that when we were in the tomb of the First Martial Emperor, that old bastard even tried to kill me."

Shang Qiuyu nodded:
"He went too far, and under those circumstances, he naturally wouldn't leave you any way out. You truly deserved to die."

"Don't worry, in three days, your father and your little lover will go together. This is a great leap forward, we can't let anything really happen to him."

"However, have you considered taking him down within these three days?"

"I did bring some essential items for traveling the world... If that doesn't work, I'll resort to some tricks..."

"Cough cough..."

Chu Qing coughed:
"Have you two forgotten that I'm still here?"

"Could we please refrain from plotting in person?"

(End of this chapter)