Chapter 423: Chapter 29: Marshal Xuan

Back mountain of Langya Pavilion.

Emerald peaks overlap, lush trees abound, and the creek babbles as a man and a woman stroll leisurely.

The man, dressed in a dark robe, is middle-aged, with piercing eyes, a high and straight nose, and a refined aesthetic of a scholarly disposition combined with the steadfastness of a battlefield warrior between his brows.

The two starkly different qualities merge perfectly in him, forming a unique charm.

The beautiful woman beside the man in the dark robe appears to be in her thirties, walking gracefully, with elegant demeanor, black flowing hair, and a face of extraordinary beauty with skin as fair as snow.

However, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes indicate that her actual age might be a bit older.

The two walk side by side, chatting quietly, quite intimately, yet they don’t seem to be a couple.

This beautiful woman is none other than Ye Taoyuan, known in Jianghu as ’Unrivaled Woman’, in the Third Grade Meridian Passage Realm, and the mother of Shen Zhiwei.

As for the man in the dark robe, he is Ye Xuan, renowned throughout the world, known in Jianghu as ’Marshal Xuan’!

Ye Taoyuan whispered, “Actually, this time, letting Lingyun come by himself would have been sufficient; you didn’t need to come personally.”

“You don’t miss me, but I wanted to come and see you.”

Ye Xuan glanced sideways, his gaze gentle.

They are merely cousins.

The Old Pavilion Master had no sons and treated Ye Xuan as his own. In his childhood, Ye Xuan grew up alongside Ye Taoyuan.

Their bond surpasses that of ordinary siblings.

Ye Taoyuan was unmoved, giving a slight humph and said, “Stop it, for the esteemed ’Marshal Xuan’ to personally come down the mountain, there must be something important.”

“The most important thing was, of course, to see you and your daughter.”

After pausing for a moment, Ye Xuan continued, “As for the second thing, it’s that Uncle has some concerns.”

At the mention of the Old Pavilion Master, Ye Taoyuan’s expression darkened, as if still bitter about past events, saying lightly, “What’s there to worry about? Here at Langya Pavilion, among the younger generation, with Muzhe and Zhiyuan making moves, and with Lingyun at the Sword Pavilion, there’s no chance of defeat.”

Ye Xuan could feel Ye Taoyuan’s emotional change, sighing inwardly.

Because of past events, Ye Taoyuan never returned to Sword Pavilion.

Her father and daughter have never met.

Ye Taoyuan’s husband died tragically, her children disappeared, nearly resulting in the family’s ruin. It’s understandable she harbors resentment.

This knot is difficult to untie.

Upon hearing that the missing Zhiwei has returned, Ye Xuan realized that this might be an opportunity for reconciliation between father and daughter.

Ye Xuan said, “Lingyun has already cultivated to the Opening Acupoints Realm. His combat ability is strong, but after all, he only practiced at the Sword Pavilion, without much life-and-death experience.”

“You know, sparring in martial arts is one thing, but a real life-and-death struggle is different. Too many unpredictable factors; Lingyun still lacks some tempering, and moreover…”

Ye Xuan paused slightly, then said softly, “Uncle mentioned to me that there is a master in the palace.”

“Oh?”

Ye Taoyuan’s expression shifted.

She knows her father well, with a carefree and bohemian nature, but he would never say such things lightly.

What level of cultivation could be called a master by her father?

Who is this person?

Why had she never heard of them before?

Ye Taoyuan felt a tightness in her chest, asking, “Are you saying that in the upcoming challenge with the Prime Minister’s Mansion, Langya Pavilion might be defeated?”

“I don’t know.”

Ye Xuan shook his head and said, “Uncle is just a little worried, so he sent me down the mountain with his handwritten letter.”

“If something unexpected indeed happened, then show his letter and take Zhiwei to the Sword Pavilion. Neither His Holiness nor the Prime Minister can do much about it, and the matter can only be dropped.”

There are some things Ye Xuan didn’t say, but Ye Taoyuan understood.

If it really came to that, it would more or less affect the reputation of the Sword Sect.

Ye Xuan tentatively said, “Actually, what happened back then wasn’t because Uncle wasn’t willing to step in; there were other hidden reasons…”

“Forget it, it’s all in the past, no need to mention it.”

Ye Taoyuan shook her head, seemingly unwilling to discuss old matters.

Ye Xuan was a bit helpless and sighed, “Ah, you, after all these years, still have the same temper.”

“And you talk about me.”

Ye Taoyuan retorted, “The relationship between you and your daughter, after so many years, still the same, isn’t it?”

“How did the conversation circle back to me?”

Ye Xuan feigned anger.

Ye Taoyuan chuckled, her eyes bright, glanced at Ye Xuan and said, “However, I heard that when she came back this time, she immediately sought you out, probably to ease your mind and let you know she’s safe.”

At the mention of this, Ye Xuan replied with some dissatisfaction, “What peace of mind, she just told me a secret, then left without even staying for a meal with me.”

“Besides, what she said, Uncle had already sensed.”

Ye Taoyuan laughed, “You should be grateful, telling you something was real, and ensuring your peace of mind was real too. Otherwise, why would she bother to see you in person?”

Ye Xuan seemed to recall something, a mix of reminiscence, regret, and pain flashed across his face, murmuring softly, “In the end, I failed her mother.”

“You couldn’t do anything about what happened back then either.”

Ye Taoyuan sighed.

Ye Xuan shook his head, “Because of me, she doesn’t trust any man in the world and doesn’t want to interact, just focusing on martial arts. Now, at twenty-two, she’s still all alone. Even though she has made a great name for herself, what’s the point?”

“Who says?”

Ye Taoyuan replied, “I heard she’s quite close with an adjutant from the Northern Expedition Army.”

“Not true.”

Ye Xuan shook his head, “I tried asking her, mentioning Song Wu, and she had no reaction, but…”

Ye Xuan hesitated.

“What?”

Ye Taoyuan asked.

Ye Xuan said, “This time when she returned from overseas, she seemed different in some ways. Occasionally, she would sit lost in thought, not knowing what she’s contemplating.”

Ye Taoyuan laughed, “Maybe she has someone she loves. If there’s a chance, I’ll ask her for you.”

“Mm.”

Ye Xuan said, “She did mention someone, saying someone saved her overseas, but when I wanted to ask further, she refused to say more.”

“Speaking of which, Song Wu from the Northern Expedition Army is indeed quite impressive.”

Ye Xuan said, “I’ve met him. Although he comes from a humble background, he displays extraordinary bone structure, is broad-minded and ambitious, decisive in enmity, and will definitely achieve great things in the future.”

“Oh?”

Ye Taoyuan was a bit surprised.

Her cousin is very discerning, speaking bluntly, often unpleasant to hear.

As a child, she was often critiqued by her cousin.

She rarely sees Ye Xuan giving such high appraisal to a young person.

Ye Taoyuan further asked, “Compared to Liu Daojian, the officer you mentored in the Northern Expedition Army, how is he? As far as I know, this Song Wu is currently under Liu Daojian.”

Ye Xuan pondered, “Liu Daojian is brave and resourceful, which is his strength. But he schemes without decisive action, is suspicious and fickle, and isn’t suitable for significant responsibilities.”

Ye Taoyuan said, “I understand that Liu Daojian holds a very high position in the Northern Expedition Army now, and Uncle Wang values him a lot.”

The two continued their chat as they walked when, at this moment, three people came running from a distant courtyard.

The person in the middle was wearing armor, pulling along a person on each side, laughing heartily. The three were very happy, heading off together into the distance.

“The one in the middle looks like Song Wu.”

Ye Taoyuan’s eyes slightly narrowed, “The one beside is Zhiyuan, who is the other?”

Ye Xuan’s ears moved slightly, as if hearing something, saying, “Let’s go over there and take a look.”

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