Chapter 1994: Must Marry Him

“Huh?” Zhang Xuan froze. “Then why were you chasing me?”

Didn't you recognize me as "I'm Low-Key" and chase me so fast? What was the point? You scared me so much that I even crushed my jade token!

“Didn't you sell a bottle of healing medicine to Senior Sister Bai Ruanqing? She told us to find you, or else she'd beat us up… Look at the injuries on my body; they’re all from her beating me… So when I saw you, of course, I had to chase you…” The disciple paused, then reacted, pointing to his face.

Taking a look, Zhang Xuan saw that the person indeed had injuries, and tears almost welled up in his eyes. If he had known this was the reason, why would he have run at all? He even crushed his jade token! That was a full 20 Sword Pavilion Coins! What a false alarm… Luckily, he hadn't lost money; otherwise, he truly would have jumped off a building.

“What does she want with me?” Filled with frustration, he couldn't help but ask.

“I’m not sure, but it seems your medicine is effective for healing, and she wants to buy more from you…” the disciple replied.

“Buy medicine?” Zhang Xuan finally relaxed. As long as his identity as "I'm Low-Key" wasn't discovered, it was fine… As for the medicine, the gourd's bathwater was, of course, effective; otherwise, his injuries wouldn't have healed so quickly!

“Yes! Please come with me to find Senior Brother Liu Lujie and ask him to help contact Senior Sister Bai…” The disciple nodded hurriedly.

Zhang Xuan initially didn't want to agree, but then something occurred to him, and his mind became active: “This Senior Sister Bai Ruanqing, isn't she Elder Bai Ye's granddaughter, and holds a high position among the core disciples?” He had heard about this "female tyrant" before. Since she had status and was a core disciple, if he could use her influence to visit the core disciples' library, wouldn't he avoid going to the Falling Rain Platform? That would save at least two steps.

“Yes, her status is indeed very high. If she recognizes your medicine and specifically comes to find you, you’ll definitely be highly regarded in the future, and your path to success will be smooth! Just don't forget me, the one who found you…” The disciple smiled, his face full of envy. They had encountered Senior Sister Bai and been beaten black and blue, but this person was clearly different, which was why his attitude was so respectful.

“Let’s go…” Confirming this, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, and he nodded in agreement.

Following the disciple, they soon arrived at Liu Lujie’s courtyard.

“You’re the one who sold medicine to Senior Sister Bai?” Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong were quite surprised to see the young man, who seemed even younger than them, and was a complete stranger they had never seen before.

“It was something I obtained by chance, and I've almost used it all up. It has a considerable healing effect, and I was forced to sell it because I needed money… I didn't expect it to be useful to Senior Sister Bai too!” Zhang Xuan quickly explained. He knew the saying, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure makes him guilty." He had been forced to sell the gourd's bathwater before, but now that he wasn't short on money, he dared not reveal too much. He decided to admit he only had a small quantity left; otherwise, if everyone came to ask for medicine, it would inevitably expose more secrets.

“I’ve already notified Senior Sister Bai; she’ll be here soon… You’d better still have some of that healing medicine, or else… I won't be able to protect you!” Liu Lujie said, recalling Senior Sister Bai’s violent temper.

“Understood!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Wait here; I have other matters to attend to…” After giving instructions, Liu Lujie said no more and walked into the courtyard. Having been killed four times in a row by "I'm Low-Key," he felt immense pressure. Although he also feared Senior Sister Bai, he didn't want to waste a single moment now.

He entered the courtyard, picked up his longsword, and began discussing with Wang Jiandong, who was already waiting.

“That 'I'm Low-Key' wielded his sword like this…” Wang Jiandong flicked his longsword, and sword energy whistled.

“No, I think he did it this way…” Liu Lujie frowned and demonstrated different moves.

The two went back and forth, studying "I'm Low-Key's" unique moves from memory, while also discussing the flaws in their own techniques.

“Their talent isn't bad…” After watching for a while, Zhang Xuan secretly nodded. These two indeed had good talent, many times stronger than Shan Xiaotian. It was not easy for them to analyze so much just by observing a battle. However, his swordsmanship was infinitely profound, and even Elder Bai Feng didn't fully comprehend it. How could these two inner disciples grasp its essence? As they discussed, their understanding began to deviate, drifting further and further from the truth.

His eyelids twitched, and he strongly resisted the urge to curse them out. Being accustomed to teaching, seeing these two make more and more mistakes, he really couldn't hold back. But if he spoke, his identity would surely be exposed. Forget it, he should just endure it…

Just then, a beast's cry echoed in the air, signaling Bai Ruanqing's arrival. Zhang Xuan couldn't help but sigh in relief. Fortunately, she arrived. Otherwise, he was truly afraid he wouldn't be able to resist running over, giving them a good scolding, and then thoroughly teaching them a lesson. His own incredibly powerful swordsmanship was being so misinterpreted and distorted; it was truly baffling.

“I finally found you… Do you still have the healing medicine you sold me last time?” Jumping off the beast's back, Bai Ruanqing recognized Zhang Xuan and excitedly came closer. Last time, her grandfather had only drunk a small bottle and seen results. If there was more, he might be able to fully recover.

“I only have three bottles left…” Zhang Xuan flipped his wrist, taking out the jade bottles he had previously sold at his stall.

“I’ll take all three bottles…” Bai Ruanqing nodded hurriedly, took the jade bottles, confirmed they were identical to the last time, and then, relieved, looked at him expectantly: “I wonder if these medicines were prepared by you or… where did you get them from?”

“I obtained them by chance in a ruin, and only these few bottles remain. If I wasn't short on money, I wouldn't have brought them out…” Zhang Xuan repeated his earlier explanation. Anyway, the gourd was inside his dantian; as long as he didn't boil it, they wouldn't discover anything.

“What a pity…” She had hoped to buy more, and hearing his words, Bai Ruanqing couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She took out some Spirit Communication Coins and handed them over.

“Here are sixty Sword Pavilion Coins!” Not taking the money, Zhang Xuan looked at her: “Senior Sister Bai, I don't want this money. I just want to ask you for a favor, if that's possible.”

Frowning, Bai Ruanqing lost her earlier cheerfulness, a hint of displeasure in her voice: “What is it?” Taking money was a transaction, but refusing it meant the request was something money couldn't solve. However, this person's medicine had saved her grandfather's life, making him a life-saver, so it was difficult to refuse.

“Senior Sister should be able to see that my cultivation has reached the peak of Ancient Sage Fourth Realm, just one step away from a breakthrough…” Zhang Xuan said.

“You want me to help you break through?” Bai Ruanqing frowned. “The leap from Ancient Sage Fourth Realm to False Immortal is the gap between inner and core disciples. Its value is definitely not sixty Sword Pavilion Coins!”

“Of course, it's not that…” Zhang Xuan smiled. “My knowledge has reached a bottleneck. I've searched the inner disciple library for a long time but haven't found what I'm looking for. I wanted to ask Senior Sister if you could take me to the core disciples' library? Not for long, just for three hours would be enough…”

“Go to the library?” She had expected some other request and was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Although she had just said that helping with a breakthrough was worth more than sixty Sword Pavilion Coins, if the other party insisted, she might still help him acquire a Barrier-Breaking Pill to increase his chances of success! She might even impart some breakthrough experiences… But the other party wasn't asking for any of that, just to visit the library for three hours?

“Ask for something else; that's too simple!” Bai Ruanqing shook her head.

“I hope Senior Sister will grant my wish!” Zhang Xuan cupped his fist. For him, nothing was more practical than reading. As long as he had books, breaking through cultivation was as simple as drinking water.

“Alright!” Seeing his earnest expression, Bai Ruanqing nodded, a look of appreciation in her eyes. Everyone knew about cultivation, but it was rare for someone to discard ostentation and value reading; it was truly commendable.

“Senior Sister!” Seeing the two finish speaking and prepare to leave, Liu Lujie and Wang Jiandong stopped cultivating and walked over.

“Are you studying 'I'm Low-Key's' sword moves?” Bai Ruanqing asked. After her defeat, she had secretly pondered the moves countless times. When her flying beast landed, she saw the two practicing and immediately understood.

“Yes!” Liu Lujie nodded in acknowledgment.

“Have you gained anything?” Bai Ruanqing smiled.

“We've made some progress, but also have some doubts. We were just about to ask Senior Sister for guidance!” Liu Lujie said hurriedly. Although he was the top inner disciple, the person before him had Elder Bai Ye, one of the three great elders of the sect, as her grandfather. She was also an inner disciple herself, and her cultivation likely reached the True Immortal realm… Her understanding of swordsmanship would undoubtedly be many times greater than his.

“Please tell me!” Bai Ruanqing nodded.

“'I'm Low-Key' executed that flat push move; it was simple and smooth, seemingly not very fast, yet impossible to dodge. Wang Jiandong and I discussed it for a long time but couldn't figure out how it was performed…” Liu Lujie flicked his longsword, demonstrating a move, performing it three times consecutively, each time looking somewhat awkward, as if he simply couldn't grasp it.

Zhang Xuan was speechless. That move wasn't a sword technique but something he executed casually. With the longsword held flat, pushing forward horizontally, it could precisely cut down all incoming vertical sword qi. The move was very simple, capable of transforming passive into active and defense into offense. Something he did casually, yet they had been studying it for so long… and still hadn't figured it out… And he had just praised them as geniuses earlier…

“This move combines defense and offense, an unparalleled and profound swordsmanship. It's normal that you can't understand it…” Bai Ruanqing spoke, saying: “Not just you, even I, who specifically discussed it with Elder Feng, still only have a partial understanding! However, I can perform it with some difficulty!” With that, she flipped her wrist, a longsword appearing in her palm, and with a gentle flick, she executed the flat push. Although it wasn't quite right, it bore about thirty to forty percent resemblance.

“This sword technique isn't a specific sword move; it was clearly something 'I'm Low-Key' executed casually!” Repeating Elder Feng's words, Bai Ruanqing's eyes sparkled with excitement: “To casually perform something so powerful and elusive, I truly don't know what realm this 'I'm Low-Key' has reached. If you inner disciples find out who it is, you must tell me immediately… Such a genius is my most respected and admired idol, so I… must marry him!”