Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 445 - 445 444 Distant Visitor 3

445: Chapter 444 Distant Visitor 3 445: Chapter 444 Distant Visitor 3 “So you’re just going to stand outside and not invite me in to sit?

Or are you afraid I’ll eat you up?”

All the residents nearby were Daoist disciples of the academy, some already peering over, pointing and whispering.

The attention towards the aloof fairy of the academy’s double lists was ubiquitous, and every tiny peculiarity could become tomorrow’s news at the academy.

Zhao Xintong hurriedly opened the gate, not knowing why she hadn’t refused, or maybe refusing would have been futile anyway, for this person was habitually domineering.

Was he someone who listened to advice?

The small courtyard was very tidy, almost without the decorations typical of a woman’s dwelling, except for a Buddha’s hand gourd planted in one corner of the yard, which was the only bit of greenery and perhaps conformed to the Daoist’s aesthetic.

Simple and plain.

But everyone’s character and preference are indeed different.

With a grand flourish, he sat down on a stone bench, pulling out a Treasure Gourd, its appearance alone revealing its origin to her.

“Your aunt was tied up and couldn’t come, so she sent me to bring you some personal clothing.”

Zhao Xintong stood by, wanting to sit but somehow just unable to, unable to force herself to face this evil person’s aggressively invasive gaze.

Seeing her standing there awkwardly, Hou Niao chuckled to himself,

“A guest has arrived, and you don’t know how to offer hospitality?

Go, get something for me to eat and drink; flying here has given me a headache!”

Finally having something to do, Zhao Xintong clumsily prepared in the kitchen.

In fact, there wasn’t much to prepare; she had already passed the fasting stage, had no particular interest in food, so she could only bring out everything she had.

Fortunately, the evil person just frowned a bit but didn’t pick and choose.

He contentedly sipped a drink and, gazing at the extremely light fare on the stone table, thought for a moment, then took out several Treasure Gourds, scattering them carelessly on the ground.

Instantly, a mesmerizing brilliance shimmered in the light of the setting sun.

Everything one could think of was there, no less than a hundred items, all rarities seldom seen in the market, and mostly treasures only usable by those in the Tongtian Realm.

Just by their design, she knew these items probably didn’t come from one place, but were…

“Couldn’t bother to prepare a proper gift, but after all these years, it wouldn’t be proper to come empty-handed.

Pick whatever you want!”

Zhao Xintong stood there, neither daring to refuse nor willing to choose, as the evil person’s voice rang in her ears,

“What, afraid to choose?

Don’t worry, the original owners are all dead, no one will come after you!”

Seeing the woman very resistant yet unable to voice her opposition, merely turning over the treasures aimlessly, Hou Niao sighed.

This woman was still not over her past, even though the Daoist had tried very thoroughly, not only teaching her by his own example but also finding her two companions and even sparing no expense to send her to the academy, all in hopes that such a life would change her character.

But some things are destined by nature, beyond the influence of human effort.

He wasn’t naive.

The words spoken by the Daoist back in Liuyang City, indicating he should come to the academy to see this woman, hinted at a deeper implication.

How could the Daoist, an experienced Tongxuan cultivator who spent day and night with Zhao Xintong, not know her situation?

It was precisely because he could not cope that he ultimately sought help from him; otherwise, if Zhao Xintong were normal, just like other young people who embraced cultivation and forgot their past to have a normal life, why bother reopening her old wounds?

But the Daoist’s words were vague and fraught with implied meanings, so he had no choice but to come and investigate himself, turning a simple family visit into an inquiry.

He had been in Red Leaf City for several days, staying out of sight just to understand Zhao Xintong’s life and cultivation in the academy privately before truly making contact.

One cannot deny that for him, situations like this were also a challenge because these were problems that could not be solved with a sword.

Zhao Xintong had issues deep within her heart.

He couldn’t quite pinpoint where the problem lay.

Was it distortion?

Paranoia?

Abuse?

Her encounter in the Poplar Forest definitely constituted one of the roots of her psychological changes, but it probably wasn’t the whole story; it could possibly go back further, starting from when her family of cultivators was massacred.

But regardless of the type, he, Hou Niao, was the undeniable instigator.

If it were someone else, a simple strike with his sword would suffice, but with this girl, he couldn’t bring himself to do it, nor should he.

He decided to challenge his own limits to see if he could change anything without using his sword; his intuition told him that caring for this woman as a real elder or family member might be of limited effect, as Daoist Xi had cared for twenty years without success.

In this respect, he could not do better than Daoist Xi, so he had to approach it from the opposite direction, still using the fierce demeanor she had as a little girl.

He wasn’t sure if this approach would work, but he had to try.

He ate tastelessly, and the selections made by Zhao Xintong were dull.

On their first meeting, the girl hadn’t said a word, not even an angry question or curse.

This left Hou Niao feeling somewhat thwarted.

Finding no alternative, he could only continue.

“This courtyard is nice.

I see a room is vacant?

I just happen to need a place to cultivate quietly…”

This undue request was just Hou Niao’s way of testing Zhao Xintong’s patience.

He truly hoped she would respond with anger and create a ruckus; that would at least let him understand more about her personality and temper.

But then, the worst happened.

Clearly unwilling, Zhao Xintong nearly spoke several times but swallowed her words back down, finally turning without a word to clean the room.

Both sullen and stubborn, now there was trouble.

…

Hou Niao naturally moved into Zhao Xintong’s courtyard, regarding himself as something of a family member.

Nothing was really inappropriate.

Neither of them spoke much afterwards, focusing on their cultivation, with only themselves knowing what effect it might have.

Hou Niao, confident as ever, continued to enter the Soul Realm Space during his evening sessions, focusing his main energies there in recent times.

Sword Three appeared before him as usual.

He had eradicated all other soul bodies in this area to secure an undisturbed space for their battle.

The duel of Sword Qi had moved beyond mere swordplay or the simple exchange of flying swords; it was an amalgamation of it all.

Holding a sword, dispatching a flying sword, becoming one with the sword, these actions merged indistinguishably, spawning countless variations.

Within these variations, he sought the lethal opportunity to bring it to a conclusion with a hammer strike.

Now, he could barely sustain for ten breaths before being torn apart in Sword Three’s fury.

But he was not discouraged.

Sword Three clearly mastered the Nine Character Mantra, while he merely scraped by with the Qian Character Mantra, still green with the Lie and Dou characters.

Even so, it was already quite good.

There would be a day of turnaround; he believed in himself.