Firmament Sword

Entering Phoenix’s boudoir, the Maid took her leave. As Xu Luo walked in alone, a faint fragrance wafted to his nostrils.

”Is that Young Master Xu? Please, come in.” A languid, feminine voice called out from the inner room.

Xu Luo lifted the door curtain and walked inside, his eyes falling upon Phoenix reclining on a soft couch. He froze for a moment, then blurted out, ”You’re the Phoenix Pavilion Master?”

”Hehe, what’s wrong? Are you surprised to see me like this?”

Phoenix laughed charmingly. ”This is my true face. For certain reasons, I was unable to show it to anyone before. I hope Young Master Xu can forgive me. Young Master Xu... please, have a seat.”

’I’m not surprised at all,’ Xu Luo thought. ’I’m just surprised you’d suddenly do this. Of course, I still have to look very, *very* surprised...’

”Young Master Xu, visiting so late at night... surely you couldn’t bear the loneliness and wanted to find a pretty little thing to play with? Would you like me to call a couple for you? Heehee, I guarantee they’re completely untouched... And if Young Master Xu grows fond of them, it wouldn’t be out of the question to take them as your own... Just think of it as a little gift from me. What do you say?”

Having revealed her true appearance, Phoenix was a peerless beauty. Her gorgeous face held a captivating smile. An ordinary man, upon seeing her, would likely be so enchanted he wouldn’t know which way was up.

”Ahem...” Xu Luo gave a wry smile. ”Miss Phoenix, why must you tease me? Besides, in the presence of your jade-like beauty, what other woman would dare call herself pretty?”

”Oh my... you’re quite the smooth-talker, aren’t you? Am I really that beautiful? To receive a compliment from Young Master Xu, I’m so happy I could just die!” Phoenix said, her face a picture of delighted surprise.

Xu Luo’s lips twitched. ”I was wondering, Miss Phoenix, why did you summon me here? Is there something you need?”

”Sigh, and I was just praising you. I didn’t think you’d turn around and make me sad so quickly. Can I not call you over unless I have a reason? I’m lonely... Can’t I just ask you to come keep me company and chat for a while?” Suddenly, her eyes brimmed with an indescribable charm, her allure becoming utterly captivating!

Xu Luo had never before seen a woman who could so perfectly blend pure, ethereal beauty with seductive charm. He instantly felt a rush of heat in his lower abdomen.

Suddenly, the Shaking Light Star Soul in his Dantian pulsed faintly. A cool sensation spread from his Dantian throughout his entire body.

The feeling of being utterly enthralled by her beauty vanished in an instant.

Clarity returned to Xu Luo’s eyes at once. His brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the surprised expression on Phoenix’s face. ”If there’s nothing else, Miss Phoenix,” he said coolly, ”I’ll take my leave. It’s late, and you should be resting.”

With that, Xu Luo stood up, turned, and started to leave.

Phoenix, however, remained on the soft couch, not saying a word. She stared blankly at Xu Luo’s back. Not until his hand reached for the door curtain did she speak, her voice as faint as a whisper.

”I’m sorry...”

”Hm?” Xu Luo turned back instinctively, only to see tears streaming from the corners of Phoenix’s eyes.

Seeing him turn back, Phoenix wiped her face in a fluster and forced a charming laugh. ”You see? I’m so smitten with you, yet you’re so heartless. You’ve broken my heart.”

Frowning, Xu Luo walked back. This time, he went right up to her couch and stood over her, looking down at the peerless beauty.

Perhaps it was Xu Luo’s sudden display of dominance, or perhaps she was simply uncomfortable being looked down upon.

Phoenix’s expression shifted slightly. She sat up straight and said coldly, ”I’m tired. I’m going to sleep. You may see yourself out...”

”Speak. I’ll only give you one chance,” Xu Luo said coolly, looking at Phoenix. ”You have until the count of three to decide. One... two... three...”

The word ”three” had barely left Xu Luo’s lips when Phoenix suddenly sprang up from the couch and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

”You’re bullying me!” she choked out between sobs.

Xu Luo’s mind went completely blank. His hands rose awkwardly, unsure of where to put them. He was utterly bewildered. ’What is happening?’

Phoenix’s body was burning hot, and her clothes were thin, pressing her tightly against him...

Xu Luo’s face instantly turned bright red. ”Th-this...” he stammered, blushing to the tips of his ears. ”I... how did I bully you?”

”You just did! You bullied me!” Phoenix acted like a petulant little girl, simply refusing to be reasonable.

”Alright, alright, I bullied you. It’s my fault. Can we just talk this out? But... can you... let go of me first?” Xu Luo felt that if this went on any longer, a certain part of him was going to explode.

A young man’s body is full of vigorous energy. How could he withstand such a provocation? If not for the Shaking Light Star Soul in his Dantian occasionally sending out a cool wave, Xu Luo’s state would have been far more embarrassing.

The problem was, when Phoenix had used her Charm Skill, the coolness from the Shaking Light Star Soul could directly counteract it. But now, she was just acting like a pouting girl, not using any special skills. The Shaking Light Star Soul was naturally helpless against that...

Phoenix also felt that if this went on, not only would Xu Luo lose control, but she herself would be unable to bear it. Feeling the masculine energy radiating from the young man, Phoenix’s face turned crimson.

Even she didn’t know why she couldn’t remain calm and composed in front of him. A moment ago, in his arms, she had felt an overwhelming sense of security.

It was as if this man’s embrace was her entire world.

The feeling was magical. Even Phoenix herself found it incredible, but it was what she truly felt, and she couldn’t lie to herself.

Hunched over, Xu Luo awkwardly sat down in a nearby chair, not even daring to look at Phoenix’s face.

Head down and blushing, he stared at the carpet beneath his feet as if its pattern was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Phoenix was just as embarrassed. Although Fengyue Building was renowned for its endless pleasures, she, its Master, was hopelessly innocent. Forget such intimate contact—no man had ever even touched her hand!

Even when wearing her mask and feigning civility with men of extremely high status, she had always been exceedingly careful.

She never expected that today, she would dig her own trap and fall right into it—and willingly, at that.

And then she looked at Xu Luo... acting as if *he* were the one who had been taken advantage of!

Seeing his reaction, Phoenix, for some reason, felt a surge of indignant shame. ”Am I ugly?”

”N-no... not ugly...”

”Then why won’t you even look at me?” Phoenix found his behavior both infuriating and amusing, and the awkwardness in her heart began to fade.

”Well, one must not look at what is improper... One must not look at what is improper...” Xu Luo said with great seriousness.

If Phoenix knew he was speaking from the heart, and understood the reason behind his words, she would definitely not have remained calm. She would have charged over and throttled him.

Because after that accidental moment of intimacy, whenever Xu Luo looked at Phoenix, he couldn’t help but... feel the urge to see through her clothes...

For a sixteen-year-old boy, this inexplicable urge was a fatal temptation, and it filled him with an immense sense of guilt.

”Besides the people of my sect, you are the only person in the entire Cangqiong Kingdom who has seen my true face!”

Phoenix suddenly looked up and said softly, ”But don’t worry. My sect doesn’t have some bullshit rule that says I have to marry the first man who sees my face, so you don’t have to worry about me clinging to you...”

”Er...” Xu Luo finally suppressed the improper thoughts in his mind and gave Phoenix a speechless look. The slight air of dominance he had managed to build up in front of her had now completely vanished.

”I... I might have to leave soon,” Phoenix said, her voice tinged with sorrow and loneliness. ”And then... we might never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime...”

”Why?” Xu Luo asked, surprised. He could hear the finality in her tone, and for some reason, a pang of reluctance to see her go rose in his heart.

”I come from a sect. I’m the Sect Leader’s Direct Disciple. Ten years ago, I left the sect for my training, came to this Fengyue Building, and took over from the previous master. Heh, I was only nine years old back then. At the time, I even thought I must have done something wrong to make my master send me away...”

A nostalgic look flickered in Phoenix’s eyes. ”Later, as I grew up, I slowly began to understand. I learned that the Fengyue Building is our sect’s foundation in the mortal world, and incredibly important to us. I also understood that my master had placed great hopes in me. But I... I disappointed her.”

Xu Luo listened quietly as the young woman before him, who was in reality only nineteen years old, calmly bared her heart.

”There were always disagreements within the sect. My master, the current Sect Leader, advocates for not getting involved in the political struggles of the mortal world. She believes we only need to maintain good relationships with all sides to naturally hold a detached and superior position.”

”But the Grand Elder and her faction see things differently. Over a decade ago, her disciple—the Fengyue Tower Master before me—did something she shouldn’t have. Of course, my master was the one who thought she ’shouldn’t have.’ The Grand Elder didn’t see it that way at all.”

”However, my master is the Sect Leader. She used that as an opportunity to send the Grand Elder’s disciple packing and placed me here instead. Heh, if my master had sent an adult to take over, she would have certainly faced a crazed counterattack from the Grand Elder’s faction. Looking back now, my master must have felt she had no other choice...”

”Even though the Fengyue Building had a new master, many of the people inside were loyal to the Grand Elder’s disciple. It took me a full ten years to clear most of them out. But who could have guessed... just a few days ago, my master... she suddenly fell ill. Gravely ill. It’s very likely...”

As Phoenix spoke, tears began to stream down her face again.

Xu Luo sighed softly. He thought of his own mother, who had also come from a sect. Although he had never seen what one of these high-and-mighty sects was like, deep down, Xu Luo held an instinctive aversion to such detached organizations.

Wiping her tears, Phoenix continued in a low voice, ”The Grand Elder’s faction has seized the opportunity to make their move. The sect is in utter chaos now. They’re targeting me, saying I’ve accomplished nothing in the past ten years, that I lack the ability to help the Fengyue Building prosper, and that my leadership doesn’t serve the sect’s interests... The Grand Elder’s grand-disciple will likely receive the sect’s directive soon. He’ll come to replace me as the Fengyue Tower Master.”

”Saying you lack the ability to help the Fengyue Building prosper?” Xu Luo scoffed. ”How can they say that with a straight face? It’s a blatant lie.”