Supreme Sword Exalt

In a quiet and elegant secluded room inside the inn...

Listening to the report from the black-clothed subordinate, Murong Chuan suddenly understood. “Of course! That’d explain the traces of fire intent lingering on him. He must’ve fought Jiang Hong. What an oversight! I never even considered that! How remarkable!

“He’s only at the second stage of Acupoint Unsealing, while his opponent is a Fire Spirit Physique at the ninth stage of Acupoint Unsealing. And yet, he still won! He must have extraordinary qualities. The young lady’s discernment is truly beyond my reach. Hmph, I’m growing more and more curious about this little brother...”

Unbeknownst to him, Murong Yan merely gave out the token because she took a liking to Gu Han.

Below, the black-clothed subordinate hesitated before saying, “There’s one more thing.”

Murong Chuan waved his hand. “Speak. It’s not like he could’ve demolished the Martial Academy, right?”

The subordinate paused. “Well... no, but... he chose Mei Yun as his instructor.”

Murong Chuan’s composure disappeared without a face. “What?! Mei Yun? How could he...”

Before he could finish, his expression shifted, and he was gone with the wind.

***

To Gu Han’s puzzlement, Murong Chuan appeared out of thin air in the main hall.

Why does he look like that? In the few days he had been here, he had never seen Murong Chuan so flustered.

Gu Han cupped his hands respectfully. “Senior, thank you for your help with this matter.”

“Did you get the thing you wanted?”

Gu Han showed off the storage ring. “Yes!”

Murong Chuan was surprised. “So fast? That man is never this efficient. What did you pay with?”

“Tenfold.”

Murong Chuan grew even more curious. “Tenfold?”

He knew the value of the Fallen Nether Fruit all too well. Where could Gu Han have gotten so many essence crystals? The guy was usually stingy, even asking if lodging was free. The fruit also wasn’t something one could easily buy. However, since Gu Han didn’t elaborate, Murong Chuan didn’t press further.

As if remembering something, Gu Han pulled Chen Ping forward. “By the way, Senior, would you mind helping me with a small favor?”

Taken aback, Murong Chuan glanced at Chen Ping, puzzled. “Small favor?”

Chen Ping was completely dazed. “Who is he?”

He’d been in stupor ever since Gu Han mentioned the Murong family. Having lived in the capital for years, he understood the terror of the Murong family. Even the royal family had to defer to them.

Brother Gu is actually a distinguished guest of the Murong family. Then, the person who made Liu Tong kneel a few days ago and caused an uproar is actually him!

Just as he was lost in thought, an angry shout snapped him back to reality.

“Outrageous!” After hearing Gu Han’s account, Murong Chuan sneered. “I thought he was just shameless, but I never imagined he could be so insatiable and devoid of principles! Even a tenfold price couldn’t satisfy his greed. Well then, should I help you kill him?”

Gu Han was speechless. I’m the one being hunted down, so why do you seem angrier than me?

“Senior, I’d rather not use the token for now.”

Murong Chuan seemed disappointed. “Then... forget it.”

Most of his earlier indignation had been an act, but Gu Han didn’t take the bait.

Then, he turned his attention to Chen Ping. “You’re Chen Ping?”

Facing the legendary Manager Murong, Chen Ping could barely speak coherently. “Y-yes... I... I am Chen Ping...”

Murong Chuan smiled. “Good. I’ve heard about your situation. You’re not bad, not bad at all. You’re loyal, righteous, and responsible! Tsk tsk, Tian Heng must be blind to have overlooked a talent like you.”

Chen Ping was at a loss. Not only was this the first time anyone had called him a talent, but it was also from the enigmatic Manager Murong!

After a moment’s thought, Murong Chuan said with a smile, “How about this? This inn doesn’t need more staff, but the pill shop in Great Yan is still missing a manager. You’ll go with Qian Liu first. He’ll explain the rules to you. Later, I’ll send a message to that clan elder, and you can assume the position tomorrow!”

Chen Ping was stunned again. Not all managerial positions were equal. The role of manager in the Murong family was far more prestigious than in the Treasure Pavilion. Countless people would beg, cry, or even kneel for such an opportunity, but to no avail. And now, this unimaginable good fortune had fallen into his lap.

Gu Han patted his shoulder. “Brother Chen, do you think this managerial position isn’t prestigious enough?”

Chen Ping was flustered. “N-no, no... It’s too much, far too much! Thank you, Brother Gu and Manager Murong!”

He understood that all of this was thanks to Gu Han’s efforts. His gratitude toward Gu Han was indescribable.

Murong Chuan sighed as he watched the overjoyed Chen Ping follow Qian Liu out. “You’re quite the kind soul.”

Gu Han smiled. “This brother is an honest man, and honest men shouldn’t be bullied like this. Right, Senior?”

“Well said!”

Gu Han thought for a moment before saying, “Senior, actually, you’re also an upright person. You’ve never used the token to pressure me. That’s truly admirable!”

Murong Chuan grinned. “No need for flattery. I’m just following the clan rules. Besides, I’m not a petty person. A small favor like this is nothing. However, if you really want me to take action, you’ll still have to use the token.”

Old fox!

Little fox!

The two exchanged a smile, each silently labeling the other.

Gu Han cupped his hands again. “Senior, I’ll go check on Ah Sha. She should be waking up soon.”

Murong Chuan’s expression twisted. “Ah, right. Did you really choose Mei Yun as your instructor?”

Gu Han braced himself. “Well... Yes.”

“Hehe, good luck!”

Gu Han couldn’t say anything back.

***

In the Heaven-class room, Ah Sha was sound asleep. She was drooling at the corner of her lips, giving her a silly and adorable look.

As Gu Han gently stroked her head, the gloom and frustration in his heart dissipated. Perhaps sensing his presence, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly woke up.

The moment she saw Gu Han, she threw herself into his arms, clinging tightly. “Young Master!”

Gu Han noticed her unusual behavior. “What’s wrong?”

Ah Sha buried her face in Gu Han’s chest. “Young Master, I had another dream.”

A dream? Gu Han’s heart sank. This was the third time she had mentioned this. He hadn’t paid much attention the first two times, but now he sensed something was off.

Suddenly, the shadow’s words flashed through his mind. When someone with the Eye of Shattered Illusions bloodline reached advanced mastery, they could see through the past and future, comprehending all causes and effects.

Could it be that Ah Sha saw a glimpse of the future?

Suppressing his unease, he asked, “Ah Sha, what did you dream about?”

Ah Sha lifted her delicate face, murmuring, “So many people were chasing you. I... I got so angry, so I glared at them hard, and then I fell asleep... When I woke up, you were gone!”

Gu Han fell silent. This dream was far more detailed than the previous ones. He couldn’t determine whether this was just a dream or a fragment of the future.

Ah Sha hugged him even tighter. “Young Master, I don’t want to leave you.”

Gu Han took a deep breath. “Silly girl, it’s just a dream. It’s not real. I promise you, we’ll never be apart!”

Silly girl. Whether it’s a dream or the future, I’ll never let you leave me in this lifetime. Even if the dream is real, even if you really do leave me, I’ll search every corner of this world to find you and bring you back!

“Are you hungry?” With this thought, his heart gradually calmed. “Come on, let’s get something delicious to eat.”

Ah Sha perked up. “Okay! Young Master, I want to eat—huh?”

Mid-sentence, her brows suddenly furrowed. She stared intently at Gu Han. “Young Master, why is there a layer of black qi around you?”

Gu Han was stunned. “Black qi? That’s impossible, I’ve never...”

Halfway through, he stopped. He suddenly thought of the uncomfortable feeling he had when choosing Mei Yun as his instructor.

Colors drained from his face. No way... Could the legends about The Jinx actually be true?

He forced a smile. “Ah Sha, take another look. Are you sure you didn’t mistake it?”

Ah Sha was serious. “There’s no mistaking it! It’s faint, but it’s definitely black qi. But it doesn’t seem to affect you much.”

Gu Han subconsciously relaxed. “Phew...”

Not much effect? That’s good, that’s good!

Originally, he had planned to return to the Martial Academy after obtaining the Fallen Nether Fruit. He’d intended to exchange pointers with Instructor Mei and claim his reward, but now...

No way in hell! The farther away from the Cursed Star, the better!

Ah Sha made another discovery. “Huh? Young Master, you have a storage ring now?”

Gu Han had an idea. “Ah... Ah Sha, can you see if there’s anything inside?”

With that, he took out the fist-sized mystic stone.

Ah Sha glanced at it. “Mmm... There’s something black inside. I’m not sure what it is.”

After a brief hesitation, Gu Han applied slight pressure, crushing the mystic stone into pieces. Once the outer layer was gone, a thumb-sized, dull iron fragment fell into his palm. It seemed to be a missing piece of some treasure.

As Gu Han glanced at Ah Sha, he felt a surge of emotion. This time... I might strike it rich!

Just as he was about to take Ah Sha’s hand and go treasure hunting, Qian Liu’s voice came from outside.

“Little Brother, it’s me, the Seventh Prince. May I...”

Gu Han was startled but quickly recovered. “Jiang Feng? Let him in.”

With that, he deactivated the outer restrictions.

The first to enter was Jiang Feng, his face full of concern. “Brother Gu, you left so abruptly earlier. Did something happen?”

Following him was the fatty. He scanned the room and smirked. “Tsk tsk. This is it?”

The third to enter was Chief Steward Li, his face as dark as a pot. “Hmph!”

Along the way, he’d bickered with the fatty but kept losing, leaving him seething. He never expected the fatty’s mouth to be even sharper and more annoying than Gu Han’s.

Before Gu Han could respond, Ah Sha noticed something odd. “Huh?”

She tugged at Gu Han’s sleeve and whispered, “Young Master, the Seventh Prince seems to have black qi around him too.”

Gu Han was speechless. After being around Mei Yun for so long, of course he does.

When she saw the fatty, Ah Sha’s eyes widened. “He has it too! And it’s even thicker than yours and the Seventh Prince’s!”

Lastly, she glanced at Chief Steward Li. “But that man doesn’t have any. He’s just got a really dark face.”

Hearing this, Chief Steward Li’s face darkened further. All of them had cultivation bases, so even though Ah Sha spoke softly, they heard every word clearly.

The fatty’s composure cracked, and his face paled as he forced a smile. “Little girl, What nonsense are you spouting? What black qi? Stop joking around!”

Ah Sha shook her head, dead serious. “I’m not joking. I feel like you’re about to die.”