Mo Qi rushed to Xue Nü's door as if his backside were on fire, knocking.
Xue Nü was sitting by the table, lost in thought. Hearing the sound, she asked, "Who is it?"
Mo Qi whispered, "It's me, let me in for a moment."
By this time, Mo Qi had revealed himself. Xue Nü let him into the room. Mo Qi quickly closed the door, turned around, and nervously peered out through the crack.
Xue Nü sat back down by the table and asked, "What's up, running from debt?"
Mo Qi casually replied, "Yes, running from love debt."
Xue Nü curled her lips. "Don't be so full of yourself. Look in the mirror before you speak."
Seeing no one was chasing him from outside, Mo Qi walked to the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it. "Looking in the mirror is useless for me; it depends on your eyes."
Xue Nü rolled her eyes.
Just then, another knock sounded at the door.
Xue Nü didn't move at all and asked, "Who is it?"
"This is Yue Lin Song from the Divine Sword Sect, here to visit Miss Xue," a man's voice sounded from outside.
Yue Lin Song of the Divine Sword Sect?
Mo Qi frowned. He sounded famous, a top talent among the younger generation.
He felt a surge of nervousness and took a sip of water.
"This is the tenth one," Xue Nü said in a low voice.
Mo Qi's eyes widened in astonishment.
Xue Nü remained still, calmly saying, "I've long heard of Senior Brother Yue's great name. This humble girl is weary from travel and feeling unwell, so I am unable to receive guests. I hope Senior Brother Yue will forgive me."
"Hahaha, it's just a false reputation," Yue Lin Song laughed. "Miss Xue's name is also thunderous. Since we both admire each other, why doesn't the young lady open the door? Perhaps if we meet, your discomfort will be alleviated."
Xue Nü looked at Mo Qi and said softly, "Just as self-important as you."
Then, she spoke to the door again, "Let's forget it. I'm here for a martial arts competition. We'll meet on the arena. If I win against you on the arena, my discomfort will be relieved."
Yue Lin Song heard the resolute tone in her voice and felt his pride wounded. He finally sighed, "Then we shall meet on the arena. But I must warn you, if we meet on the arena, I will show no mercy."
"Nor will I!" Xue Nü said coldly.
Yue Lin Song snorted and turned to leave.
Mo Qi looked at Xue Nü and asked with some concern, "What's wrong with your body?"
Xue Nü shot him a glance. "My heart is unwell."
Mo Qi suddenly understood and smiled. "Looking at your proud demeanor, you seem to enjoy this state."
"Yes, if you were as enthusiastic, I would be even prouder," Xue Nü said, half-jokingly.
After saying it, she felt a warmth spread to her earlobes.
Lu Xiaoyue had also heard that Mo Qi's Skin Beautifying Pill was very effective and wanted to get one. However, she was still a little worried. What if this Mo Qi was indeed that Mo Qi? Although the possibility was almost nil, she felt it was better not to take the risk. If it were him, it would be too awkward.
She heard that this Mo Qi was quite lecherous, which was indeed similar to that Mo Qi. Whenever she recalled him leering at her when they were children, she felt a chill.
As her thoughts raced, a female cultivator handed her a letter. Upon opening it, she found only one line: "Meet me in the small grove behind the plaza at Hai Shi tonight. Signed: Mo Qi."
Her heart pounded wildly. Mo Qi asked to meet me, so could this Mo Qi really be that Mo Qi?
She chased after the female cultivator and asked, "Who gave you this letter?"
"Mo Qi!"
A pointless question.
"What... what does he look like?"
"He's... well... he's not ugly, nor is he particularly handsome."
Another pointless question.
Should she go or not? Lu Xiaoyue paced back and forth in her room. If she went, it would be incredibly awkward. If she didn't, many mysteries would remain unsolved.
Hai Shi was deep into the night. However, due to the grand event of the Four Great Sects, many were too excited to sleep, and many were still pouring out their heartfelt emotions after a long separation.
Lu Xiaoyue's heart was still uneasy. As she walked, she was cautious, looking around. All the way, she pondered whether this Mo Qi was that Mo Qi. If he was, why was he looking for her? She also recalled the events by the river years ago. Could he still hold a grudge?
If he were to bring up the past, how should she respond?
She remembered the legend of Mo Qi from the Lingxiao Sect, a prodigy in alchemy, feared by the Four Great Sects. In the Asura Mountain, the joint assassination squad sent by the Four Great Sects had been almost wiped out. The only survivor was spared because of his lecherous nature.
Lecherous. This trait, however, seemed to align with that Mo Qi.
But that Mo Qi could never be the Mo Qi of the Lingxiao Sect; he couldn't be this outstanding. Not a single aspect could overlap with this Mo Qi of the Lingxiao Sect, except for his lecherousness.
However, if the Mo Qi of the Lingxiao Sect was not that Mo Qi, why would he specifically ask to see her?
Lost in thought, she saw a person standing under a tree ahead. From the side, he looked elegant and refined, appearing to be around twenty years old. Her heart pounded like a drum as she approached.
The person also happened to turn his head, and their eyes met.
So handsome! He's changed so much! I can't recognize him at all!
The person also hesitated. "Ying'er?"
"Ying'er?" Lu Xiaoyue was bewildered. She then realized she had mistaken him and quickly turned to leave.
As she turned, she saw another person standing in front of her, staring at her. Although he wasn't smiling, his eyes always seemed to hold a hint of amusement. The gaze was so familiar, the more she looked, the more familiar it became, and the more she disliked it.
"You are Mo Qi?!" Lu Xiaoyue said coldly. As her memories returned, she was shocked to realize that this face hadn't changed much at all.
"Are you Lu Xiaoyue?" the other person asked with a smile.
"What do you want with me?" Lu Xiaoyue asked directly.
"To see you! It's been years, and you've changed so much. As the saying goes, a woman changes greatly with age." Mo Qi looked Lu Xiaoyue up and down. He was unwilling to believe that this graceful young lady before him was the quiet, innocent little girl from six years ago. She was still as beautiful, like a blooming flower, charming and lovely, but her eyes now held a touch of allure and a hint of sorrow, lacking the lively clarity of the past.
"I am seventeen this year."
"Then the ancients were wrong; it should be seventeen years for a woman to change." Mo Qi smiled.
"We aren't that familiar, are we?"
Mo Qi's heart skipped a beat. Yes, they weren't really familiar. Although they were from the same village and met often, how many words had they exchanged from childhood to adulthood?
Alright, the conversation was going nowhere.
"Yes, we aren't that familiar," Mo Qi sighed. "I can even say I don't know you at all. But I was entrusted by someone, so I must fulfill their request. Actually, your father asked me to find you and tell you that he wants you to come back."
"I understand," Lu Xiaoyue said faintly.
A moment of silence followed.
It was too awkward. Mo Qi wanted to turn and leave, but then he thought and said, "Although we aren't very familiar, there are some things that have been weighing on my heart, and I must tell you."
Lu Xiaoyue's heart skipped a beat. Could he be about to say those nonsensical things again?
Cautiously, she said, "Speak."
"Six years ago, what I said to you by the river was just youthful recklessness, the aspiration of a insignificant me for a better life. But in return, I faced your heartless suppression, and I almost lost my life. Later, I woke up countless times in dreams, dreaming of being held down in the river, unable to breathe." Mo Qi spoke slowly.
Although it was a sad story, he told it with a detached air, as if he were talking about someone else.
"I always wanted to find you and thought about how to get revenge. But when I saw you, I suddenly felt it was unnecessary. Revenge stems from unwillingness, from being unable to reach. The actions by the river back then were merely the misguided attempts of a naive youth exploring an unknown world. At that time, I hadn't experienced hardships, I spent my days dreaming, aiming too high. Beautiful things can be admired and pursued, but I never realized that I already had enough. I despised my vanity at the time, and I looked down on others, yet I was also looked down upon by others. And what I admired and pursued back then might also be looked down upon by others."
Lu Xiaoyue listened, feeling confused. The more she listened, the more uncomfortable she became. "Are you insulting me?"
Mo Qi smiled. "No, I'm talking about myself. In the future, I'll try to daydream less and be more tolerant."
Lu Xiaoyue suddenly sneered, "I know you feel great about yourself now. Two of the Four Great Sects value you; you are a genius in alchemy, a favored son of heaven. So you deliberately came to show off and mock me, right?"
"No, you've misunderstood, misunderstood," Mo Qi waved his hands repeatedly.
"Let me tell you, alchemy is your strength, but in terms of cultivation, I can still crush you, just like six years ago." Lu Xiaoyue's aura suddenly erupted, making Mo Qi feel an immense pressure bearing down on him, almost making it difficult to breathe.
Just as he was about to resist with his spiritual power, the pressure suddenly vanished.
"Don't let me meet you on the arena. If we do, I will still make you feel the despair of six years ago." Lu Xiaoyue turned, leaving these words behind, and strode away.
Mo Qi watched her retreating figure and shook his head. "Why are you so competitive, young lady?"
At that moment, a figure suddenly emerged from the side and stood before Mo Qi, glaring at him. "You are Mo Qi."
Mo Qi looked closely. It was a male cultivator in his early twenties, wearing Divine Sword Sect attire, with a delicate face, large eyes, and a slender build.
"I am Mo Qi of the Lingxiao Sect. Who are you, and what is your business?" Mo Qi asked.
"Yuan Tan of the Divine Sword Sect. You killed my senior brother Huangfu Lin, and today you are acting so brazenly in our Divine Sword Sect as if no one is around. If no one speaks out, where is the justice?" the man said aggressively.
"What do you want then?" Mo Qi, who had never feared a fight, replied without backing down.
"Blood debt must be paid with blood," Yuan Tan said.
At this point, people around began to gather, and the onlookers increased, mainly people from the Divine Sword Sect.
"This is the Mo Qi who killed our fellow disciples in Asura Mountain. He doesn't seem that formidable. How could he have killed such elites as Huangfu Lin and Sima Xunying?"
"I heard he mainly relied on stealth and sneak attacks, these underhanded tactics. If it were a fair fight, anyone could kill him."
Encouraged, Yuan Tan formed a hand seal, and his flying sword shot out, projecting countless light swords in the air, striking towards Mo Qi.