I Have A Sword

Outside the bamboo house, Ye Guan paused for a moment. He then smiled lightly and left.

The Divine Imprint? Of course, it's great to have it. However, it wouldn't matter even if I didn't have it.

He rarely used the Xuanyuan Sword and the Little Pagoda nowadays, so he didn't really care about the Divine Imprint all that much.

In simple terms, he now had a heart of equanimity.

If you are willing to follow me, then great, but I couldn't really care less if you aren't.

When Ye Guan showed no interest in the Divine Imprint, the Mistress frowned.

The Divine Imprint was a supreme treasure from the era of the First God. Back then, the gods even fought and spilled a lot of blood for it. Yet now, this young man said he didn't want it.

The Mistress frowned deeply. Honestly, she couldn't quite understand.

Ye Guan was not simply pretending. He truly was leaving.

However, before he could walk that far from the study, a terrifying and mysterious force suddenly enveloped him and sealed his cultivation.

Without the Divine Imprint, the sealing power left by the First God reappeared. Looking around, Ye Guan understood the First God's intention. The First God had placed the seal here, specifically targeting outsiders, to prevent outsiders from disturbing the people here. It could be considered a protective mechanism.

Ye Guan had already thought about leaving because he realized that here, the pseudo-gods would not be suppressed. If any of them came to cause trouble, he would be at a significant disadvantage since he would also have to deal with the seal left by the First God. Hence, he concluded that it would be best to leave this place.

Just as Ye Guan was about to leave, the space in the distance trembled, and then hundreds of people rushed out in unison.

Ye Guan frowned.

They were being led by an elder dressed in a blue Taoist robe, holding a dusting whisk. He had a long white beard and a dignified appearance.

Not far from the elder stood a woman in a white dress—Qin Xue.

She merely stared at Ye Guan in complete silence.

The leading elder suddenly smiled, "Fellow friend from the outside world, I am the head of the Yu Hua Clan, and I have come to meet you. I would like to get to know and befriend you."

Ye Guan couldn't help but laugh, "Befriend me?"

The elder nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan had an odd expression now.

The elder smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, you are here to escape pursuit from your enemies."

"That's right."

The elder's smile widened. "Since you're here, you might as well stay. Why don't you just the Yu Hua Clan?"

The people around the elder were all astonished, especially Qin Xue.

She gave him a look of confusion and disbelief.

Didn't we come to kill him and seize treasures? How did it turn into recruitment?

Ye Guan looked at the elder, also feeling somewhat surprised.

The elder continued, "If you join us, you can have any position you want apart from Clan Leader."

The disciples of the Yu Hua Clan became even more surprised.

He could choose any position except for Clan Leader? What was going on?

Qin Xue glanced at the elder. Lost in thought, her brows furrowed.

Looking at the elder, Ye Guan chuckled. "I am a little confused."

The elder solemnly replied, "When will the cycle of vengeance end? Friend, the Yu Hua Clan sincerely invites you to join us. As long as you agree, any conditions can be negotiated."

"What if I refuse?"

"We'll each go our own way."

"My cultivation is currently suppressed. I truly have no power to resist."

"My friend, you must be joking. The Yu Hua Clan has always been benevolent. We do not take advantage of others' weaknesses."

"I really have nothing hidden up my sleeves."

"Are you still upset about what happened before? If so, on behalf of the Yu Hua Clan, I would like to apologize..."

Everyone was rendered speechless.

Ye Guan chuckled. "My friend, you're not following the usual script!"

The elder sighed softly. "I understand that you have doubts in your heart, which is normal. If I were in your shoes, I would be in doubt too. However, please believe that I came here with no ill intentions. I simply wanted to apologize and invite you to join our Yu Hua Clan."

Ye Guan shook his head. "I have no interest in joining the Yu Hua Clan."

"Very well."

He suddenly looked at Qin Xue. Qin Xue trembled slightly, her face turning pale.

"I'll leave this person to you, friend," the elder calmly said. He then pressed down with his hand.

Boom!

Qin Xue was instantly suppressed. Her dantian was also shattered, causing her cultivation to dissipate.

Turned into a wastrel, her complexion became as pale as paper. She fell to the ground like a puddle of mud.

Without even looking at her, the elder clasped his fists toward Ye Guan. "You are welcome to visit the Yu Hua Clan at any time."

He then led the others and disappeared into the distance.

Ye Guan remained silent.

The elder's actions certainly somewhat surprised him. Ye Guan was prepared to call out his sister and Mu Yuan to fight until the elder made this unexpected move.

Without much thought, Ye Guan looked at Qin Xue. She was lying on the ground in a white dress, rendered as useless as one could be. It didn't really matter, though. Even if her cultivation was still intact, she still wouldn't have posed any threat to him.

Qin Xue looked at him and chuckled self-mockingly. "Turns out I'm the jester."

Ye Guan walked toward her in silence.

She slowly closed her eyes while watching Ye Guan approaching. Soon, however, she frowned, realizing that Ye Guan had gone past her and was walking into the distance.

Confused, she asked, "Why?"

Ye Guan didn't stop.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

However, he just kept walking.

"I know you regret saving me back then. You—"

Ye Guan stopped and shook his head. "I don't regret saving you. That day, even if it were a dog in your position, I would have still saved it."

He resumed walking and soon disappeared at the end of the street.

Qin Xue, now back on her feet, was momentarily stunned. She then burst into wild, manic, and desolate laughter.

She seemed to have put too much importance on herself. In that man's heart, she had always been insignificant. He would have saved even a dog.

She knew that he was telling the truth.

At that moment, she wished so much for Ye Guan to fly into a rage and kill her.

However, he didn't even show a hint of anger. On the contrary, he completely ignored her...

...

On the other side, after the Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader led everyone else away, cold sweat started to trickle down his face.

"Clan Leader..." the elder beside him called.

The Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader gave him a deep look, his eyes filled with fear.

The elder wanted to speak, but, in his hesitation, he stopped himself.

"Are you confused?" the Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader calmly asked.

The elder nodded.

The other elites were just as puzzled.

Suddenly, the expression of the Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader became cold. "That damn Qin Xue almost caused me trouble."

"How so, Clan Leader?"

"Didn't you find the young man abnormal?"

"Abnormal?"

"Fools, the lot of you!" The Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader suddenly growled. "Can't you stop cultivating for just one day and read some books?"

The elder was speechless.

"Didn't you notice? When that young man saw us, he wasn't nervous at all. Is that the behavior of a normal person?"

The elder remained silent. Looking back, the young man had indeed seemed unnaturally calm.

The Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader continued, "Qin Xue told me that the young man has strands of Ancestral Origins, but she kept many things a secret, including the fact that he is a swordsman and how he managed to kill our people before."

The elder squinted. "Does that mean the young man still has some cards hidden up his sleeves?"

"He likely does. If he chose to escape when he saw us or even showed a little nervousness, I wouldn't have hesitated to take him down. However, when he saw us, he showed nothing but calmness. Only those who have seen a lot of the world behave that way. Above all, he could casually use his Ancestral Origins to save people. What does that imply?"

Puzzled, the elder replied, "I'm not sure, Clan Leader."

The Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader sighed deeply. "It implies that he does not consider Ancestral Origin strands all that rare. Think about it. What family could he be a part of if he treats strands of Ancestral Origin as something very ordinary?"

The elder felt a bit embarrassed. "Your insight is truly unmatched, Clan Leader. Even I cannot hope to reach such a level. Forgive me for still being confused, but why did you choose to abandon Qin Xue...?"

"Why? Because she is a troublemaker. If I didn't abandon her, if that young man suddenly decided to get revenge in the future, her presence within the Yu Hua Clan would heavily implicate us. Handing her over to him now eliminates future troubles."

After a brief pause, the elder finally understood their Clan Leader's motives. "I see..."

The Yu Hua Clan's Clan Leader patted the elder's shoulder. "Don't spend every day cultivating to death. When you have nothing to do, come out and walk around. There are times when social skills are more important than cultivation."

With that, he turned and left. The elder, left behind, just quietly smiled.

At that moment, a man walked up to him. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Master, didn't the Clan Leader say the same thing to you before?"

"Do you know why the Clan Leader takes me with him wherever he goes?" the elder asked.

The man shook his head.

The elder whispered, "Because I, your master, am very good at pretending... Remember, when following a leader, you must learn to act foolish and make the leader feel superior... This way, he won't be able to leave us. Do you understand?"

The man was dumbfounded.

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