Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

"Second Brother." The sect leader frowned slightly upon hearing the Second Elder's words, but he quickly calmed down. "Baidi City is being targeted. Discussing such matters of love and romance at this time is inappropriate, regardless of whether it is appropriate or not. Little Bell is all grown up now. To be honest, I can't control her, let alone such a life-changing matter. She has her own ideas."

"Chu Xunfeng?" The Second Elder raised his eyelids and glanced at Xu Changfeng. "To be honest, if it weren't for the autumn hunt, Yu Song would definitely not have had a chance..."

"Second Brother!" Xu Changfeng interrupted the Second Elder, "If Yusong can be favored by Xiaolingdang, I cannot refuse such a marriage between relatives in Baidi City. However, I cannot force a match, nor can I do it."

“I already made a mistake regarding Chu Xunfeng. There is already a rift between my wife and me and our daughter. I don’t want to create further estrangement for her in this important matter. I’ll leave her to deal with her own affairs. I don’t want to get involved.”

"But what if Little Bell really has decided to die for Chu Xunfeng?"

“Isn’t today’s events a perfect opportunity?” Xu Changfeng sighed softly. “If Chu Xunfeng really helps my White Emperor City, what good will it do me to apologize to him? My personal reputation is nothing compared to the lives of a dozen wandering scholars and dozens of disciples.”

“But if he really is retaliating against my White Emperor City, it will naturally let Little Bell see what kind of person Xun Feng is and give up his thoughts. I would be happy to see that happen.”

“One fish, multiple uses.” The Second Elder chuckled and uttered a remark that was neither flattering nor derogatory. “I understand. I will not mention Yu Song and Xiao Lingdang’s matter again.”

"Just like you said, Seventh Brother," Ding Senyu said with a smile.

"Let the younger generation handle their own affairs."

Chapter Twenty-Six: Before the West Gate

While Baidi City received invitations bearing Chu Xunfeng's name, the other prominent sects across the Five Continents only received invitations bearing the name of Longquan Sword Manor.

Yongzhou has attracted a lot of attention since the Baidi City incident. Now that the Baidi City incident is still unclear, the fact that Longquan Sword Manor is holding such a grand gathering of various sects and schools to reopen the sword appraisal conference has naturally aroused suspicion and contemplation from many people.

However, not many people were willing to decide not to go to Yongzhou to join in the excitement.

Ning Qiu Ning was one of them. She only wanted to stay in the sect and focus on consolidating her cultivation, striving to catch up with that person's back. However, she was eventually persuaded by her master.

After all, the ruthless sword she once practiced has now regressed in its cultivation level, and with the re-accumulation of energy in the pool, the sword is no longer usable. Now that the sword appraisal competition is just around the corner, it would be a wonderful thing to be able to acquire a new sword.

So in the end, she took her maid and followed her master away from Bianzhou, heading towards Lancang City.

After a long and tiring journey, there was little to talk about. As soon as the master and disciple of the Supreme Sword Sect, along with their maid, entered Blue Cang City, the three of them would see other rogue cultivators hurrying into the city as well.

"Are they also going to participate in the Sword Appraisal Tournament?" The personal maid asked the young lady's master in a low voice, watching the wandering martial arts practitioners enter and exit the gates of Lancang City with great curiosity.

"Not necessarily, maybe they're just going to join in the fun." Li Shuhua was easy to talk to. Whether facing her disciple or her disciple's maid, she never cared about status. Since they were willing to ask, she could naturally give a response. "Random cultivators have always lacked resources. The Sword Appraisal Conference held by Longquan Sword Manor this time will definitely attract many people from the cultivation world. Those with invitations can participate in the conference, and those without invitations... naturally have their own ways of holding their own conference outside Longquan Sword Manor."

The maid pondered for a moment and somewhat understood what Li Shuhua meant. "Like ordinary people going to the market?"

"Yes." Li Shuhua nodded gently.

A market...

Hearing the maid's words, Ning Qiu Ning was somewhat lost in thought. In Liucheng, Bianzhou, there was also a market, open twice a month, in the middle and at the end. In her memory, when she was little, at the market in the middle of the month, her brother Chu would take her to buy things she didn't understand, and at the market at the end of the month, he would buy her lots of delicious food...

"Young Miss?" A gentle shove brought Ning Qiu Ning back to reality from her daze. She turned her gaze to the maid and the teacher.

"Distracted again?" Li Shuhua seemed to be used to Ning Qiuning's unusual behavior.

"Mm." Ning Qiu nodded.

“This can’t go on forever. You need to break through to the third level of the Profound Realm soon,” Li Shuhua said gently. “Let’s go.”

The three of them entered Blue Cang City one after the other. Ning Qiu Ning composed herself, her gaze sweeping over her surroundings as she murmured to herself, "I wonder if he will come?"

“He will definitely receive an invitation if Longquan Sword Manor intends to send it to him.” Li Shuhua picked up the conversation lightly after hearing her disciple’s mutterings. “As for whether he will come or not, no one knows.”

Ning Qiu Ning didn't see the face she wanted to see around her. She was silent for a few seconds, and finally could only comfort herself, "I guess he will come."

"Young Miss, Master, it seems someone is coming." The personal maid lowered her voice to remind the master and disciple, but in fact, even without her speaking, Li Shuhua and Ning Qiuning had already seen a magnificent carriage slowly approaching the city gate not far away.

Ahead of the carriage, dozens of people led the way, each dressed in a white sword robe adorned with silver patterns.

“They’re from Longquan Sword Manor.” Seeing the curious expressions on the faces of the master and servant, Li Shuhua reminded them, “Look at their waists, with green beads and red tassels, engraved with fish scale patterns. These are the identity symbols of Longquan Sword Manor. These dozen or so people are all inner disciples of Longquan Sword Manor, with very high status. Look at the patterns on their clothes, those are forging patterns, outlined with silver thread. Among the sword servants of Longquan Sword Manor, their status is second-class.”

"Is someone important coming from the carriage?" The maid blinked. "Are the people from Longquan Sword Manor here to pick someone up?"

Li Shuhua looked out of the city, and after a long while, she finally spoke, "I think so."

"My lord, we have arrived," the disciple driving the carriage said softly.

"How long until the agreed time?" A somewhat muffled voice came from inside the vehicle.

Li Shuhua, who was standing not far from the carriage, raised her eyebrows slightly, while the two women beside her exchanged a glance. They had also clearly heard the voice of the person inside the carriage.

"My lord, there is still a quarter of an hour left," the swordsman driving the carriage replied honestly.

A quarter of an hour is fifteen minutes.

"Then let's wait for this imperial envoy for a moment." Chu Xunfeng responded softly, and the carriage stopped openly in front of the bustling west gate of Lancang City, attracting the curious gazes of the common people, independent cultivators, and passersby.

The three members of the Supreme Sword Sect also stepped back a little and found a place to stand.

They can wait a moment.

However, after a short while, more and more people stood in front of the city gate, just like the three from the Supreme Sword Sect, but outside the city, it seemed that no important figures appeared.

Li Shuhua raised her gaze, her eyes seemingly passing over the city gate and looking at a certain point outside the city. She knew that the person the carriage was waiting for was outside the city, and had been there a quarter of an hour ago. But the carriage had arrived, and the person had not shown up. A quarter of an hour had passed, and the person... still did not seem to intend to move.

"My lord, the hour has passed." The disciple driving the carriage gazed out of the city, squinting as he reported to the carriage.

"Has the person arrived?"

"No, sir."

"Did you see the other person?" Chu Xunfeng asked softly.

"I vaguely saw it."

"Give him a glare, then drive back to the village."

"Yes." The disciple driving the carriage obediently followed Chu Xunfeng's instructions, glared at the earthen mound outside the city where he vaguely sensed people, and then said loudly, "The hour is up, set off back to the manor."

He left decisively, while the court officials who had been hiding outside the city, intending to give Longquan Sword Manor a hard time, were taken aback when they heard the scouts' report.

"They haven't even met me yet, how dare they turn back!" The old man, who looked quite advanced in years, was furious, and complained incessantly, "If something were to happen to me outside, how would Zuo Feichen explain himself!"

"Lord Gou, please be careful with your words," a lazy voice replied to the elderly imperial envoy.

“Longquan Sword Manor has always been a cultivation sect; they are not bureaucrats.”

“If you die, he won’t need to explain anything to anyone.”

The old man's expression changed slightly. He turned to look at the man approaching on horseback behind him, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "Lord Lian, I am not very familiar with the cultivation world. May I ask what I should do in this situation?"

“Let’s just go into the city honestly.” Lian Cai squinted, gazing at the west gate of Lancang City. “If that kid is really in charge… he has already given us face on behalf of Longquan Sword Manor.”

The old man surnamed Gou frowned, but didn't say a word. He simply kept Lian Cai's words in mind.

"Let's go."

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Jade Knife and Blood Dart

The carriage from Longquan Sword Manor arrived unexpectedly, stopped for a moment, and then left decisively.

Ning Qiu Ning stared at the carriage as it drove away, as if trying to see through the walls of the carriage frame with her gaze. After a dozen or so breaths, she withdrew her gaze, glanced at her master with a calm expression, and gave him an apologetic smile. "Master, let's go."

"Hmm." Seeing that Ning Qiuning had composed herself, Li Shuhua simply nodded slightly and led the two of them slowly away in the direction the carriage had gone.

After traveling a hundred meters, a convoy overtook the three members of the Supreme Sword Sect from behind, attracting Li Shuhua's attention.

"Master?" Seeing the old woman stop, Ning Qiu Ning also stopped.

Li Shuhua watched the three carriages disappear into the distance. "It seems that Longquan Sword Manor was waiting for this caravan."

Ning Qiuning's gaze fell on the magnificent vehicle chassis, and she frowned slightly. "This convoy is..."

"The imperial entourage of the court."

Ning Qiu Ning pondered for a few seconds, "Should we follow them?"

"It's up to you," Li Shuhua said to her disciple. "But you need to think this through. It seems that Longquan Sword Manor and the imperial court are not on good terms."

"Follow them." Ning Qiu Ning seemed not to hear her master's deliberate reminder.

Li Shuhua didn't mind. After nodding, she quickened her pace and led the two of them to catch up with the magnificent carriage ahead.

Meanwhile, in the square outside Longquan Sword Manor, Zuo Feichen, Zuo Shaojun, Zuo Zhishuang, and Zuo Shaojun's two uncles watched the lonely carriage go and return alone, their expressions varied.

The carriage stopped, and Chu Xunfeng pushed open the carriage door, stepped down slowly, looked at Zuo Feichen who was walking towards him, and took the initiative to speak, "The person has arrived. He waited for a quarter of an hour but did not show up, so he came back."

Zuo Feichen nodded slightly, without making any comment on Chu Xunfeng's actions. Letting Chu Xunfeng do this already represented his attitude.

The master of Longquan Sword Manor already understood that since they had chosen sides, there was no need to engage in any more superficial pleasantries with the imperial court; it was meaningless.

Only he himself would have to put in the effort. The court officials would not change their minds about Longquan Sword Manor because of that insincere attitude. The so-called imperial envoy could not possibly make decisions on behalf of the emperor.

"Just do what needs to be done next." Zuo Feichen understood things clearly and saw things very clearly. The young man beside him had convinced him to take sides, and there was no turning back once the arrow was released.

"Yes, the main focus is on the forces from Baidi City. I just hope the elders leading the group are easy to communicate with." Chu Xunfeng raised his hand and winked at the corner of his eye. "Have the three Ghost Clan members been arranged?"

"Yes, they've all settled in the manor. The White-Maned Jade Knife and the Red-Tasseled Blood Dart have also arrived and are waiting in the reception room."

"Thank you, Master." Chu Xunfeng cupped his hands to Zuo Feichen. "Would you like to go and meet those two outstanding individuals on the Ranking of Men?"

"Let Shaojun accompany you. I still have some guests to greet here." Zuo Feichen left these words behind, turned around and gave his son a few more instructions, then quickly left with the two stewards.

With the sword-tasting competition just around the corner, this manor lord has a lot of things to do.

In the end, only Chu Xunfeng, Zuo Shaojun, and Zuo Zhishuang remained.

"Let's go." Chu Xunfeng looked at Zuo Shaojun. "Those two have helped us a lot. You are the young master, so I'll leave the task of communicating with them to you."