Chapter 128: Just Helping Him Fix the Television

"All right, I’m serious. There is absolutely nothing going on between Teacher Su and me, so you can stop worrying, little girl."

Qin Xuan thought to himself that while Su Muqing was top-tier in terms of looks, figure, temperament, and family background, she was still several years older than him. Although they had experienced several awkward, suggestive moments due to accidents, it was truly unlikely that anything would happen.

"Oh."

Liu Qianqian nodded, but she still eyed him with suspicion.

"What are you looking at? Go back to your room and sleep. Tomorrow is the first day of formal classes." Qin Xuan looked at her with a lecherous grin. "Or do you want to stay here and spend the night with me? That’s fine too, I don't mind."

"Go to hell!"

Blushing, Liu Qianqian ran out of the room, looking as graceful and agile as a dancing black butterfly.

Just as Qin Xuan was finding it amusing, two startled gasps echoed from the hallway.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Qin Xuan recognized the voices immediately—they were Liu Qianqian and Dongfang Qingwan.

"Oh, Qingwan, it’s you."

Liu Qianqian sounded somewhat awkward.

"Qianqian, you... why are you coming out of Qin Xuan's room?"

Dongfang Qingwan was clearly surprised.

"Nothing, it's nothing. His TV was broken, and I was just helping him fix it..."

Liu Qianqian hurriedly fled back to her own room. Her room was right across from Qin Xuan's, a distance that should have taken only a second to traverse, yet she hadn't expected to bump into Dongfang Qingwan the moment she stepped out.

"Fixing the TV?"

Dongfang Qingwan couldn't help but smile; that was a truly clumsy excuse.

Inside the room, Qin Xuan felt a headache coming on. Last time, when he ran to Su Muqing’s room to comfort her and was caught by Liu Qianqian, he had used that exact same excuse.

He hadn't expected her to plagiarize it today. Although the excuse was terrible and instantly transparent, Liu Qianqian hadn't known how else to explain herself in the moment, so she had no choice but to stick with it.

After Liu Qianqian ducked into her room with a face burning red, she didn't realize that Dongfang Qingwan then knocked on Qin Xuan's door.

"Qin... Qin Xuan, are you there?"

Qin Xuan found it strange. Did Dongfang Qingwan have something to talk to him about as well?

He went to open the door and found Dongfang Qingwan standing there in a green dress, a trace of shyness lingering on her gentle face. Perhaps because she had just showered, she looked even more radiant than usual.

She stood with a graceful poise, gentle as water.

Dongfang Qingwan’s beauty was different from Su Muqing’s confidence or Liu Qianqian’s liveliness. Qin Xuan couldn't help but think: if he were truly looking for a wife, Dongfang Qingwan would undoubtedly be the most suitable choice...

"Want to come in and sit for a while?"

"No, no need." Dongfang Qingwan quickly declined.

She felt it was highly improper to enter a boy's room. Since she only had a few words to say, there was no need to go inside.

"I see."

Since she didn't want to enter, he certainly couldn't force her. Qin Xuan nodded and asked with a smile, "Is something the matter?"

"Yes. You know that our Dongfang family is in the Chinese medicine business..."

Dongfang Qingwan began to talk about her family.

Qin Xuan had some understanding of this. The Dongfang family was not the absolute top power in Jinling, but their financial strength could not be underestimated. Having started in the Chinese medicine trade, their business partners now spanned the entire city.

In fact, the scale of their pharmacies was among the best in all of Jinling.

Seeing Qin Xuan nod, Dongfang Qingwan continued, "Shuixian just told me she wanted some Chinese herbs."

"Oh? I wonder what she needs them for; there are plenty planted in the villa's backyard." Qin Xuan was puzzled.

"That's true. It wouldn't normally be an issue, but whenever I see Shuixian alone, she always looks so sorrowful. I don't know if something happened... I will have Uncle Fu bring the herbs she requested when he has a chance. But Qin Xuan, you must pay more attention to her. If something were to happen..."

Dongfang Qingwan appeared deeply concerned.

"I didn't expect you to care so much about this flower spirit." Qin Xuan smiled.

"But you can't even tell she's a spirit in daily life. Even if she is a spirit, she is a kind and good one." Dongfang Qingwan sounded a bit indignant—so what if she was a flower spirit?

"Of course, Qianqian and I think the same. It’s just that some so-called righteous people don't see it that way."

Qin Xuan thought of the master and his two disciples from the Zijin Temple, as well as the Daoist Green Needle from the Heavenly Empress Palace. Such cultivators usually eliminated any spirit they encountered without a second thought.

The group from Zijin Temple was especially depraved, specifically targeting beautiful female spirits; he had no idea how many had been harmed by them. In Qin Xuan's heart, their wickedness was on par with Li Shihao’s!

He had let them off the hook earlier only because he was worried about Shuixian’s safety. Now that he thought about it, since his own injuries hadn't fully healed and he still had to deal with the stronger Daoist Green Needle, there was no rush to settle the score with them.

"Also, I always feel that she is quite pitiful. I don't know if I'm just imagining it..."

Dongfang Qingwan nodded as she spoke, her brows slightly furrowed in a way that made Qin Xuan’s heart ache.

"Don't worry, she might have had some experiences in the past." Qin Xuan offered some comfort. "Since she is our villa's housekeeper now, I won't let anything happen to her. Besides, our villa has protection now, so rest easy."

Hearing the words "our villa," Dongfang Qingwan blushed slightly. Qin Xuan had explained the situation regarding the villa's protection during dinner.

"Mm, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for? Since you're living here, I will do my best to ensure your safety."

Qin Xuan’s words carried a sense of determination that moved Dongfang Qingwan.

Watching her graceful figure drift away, Qin Xuan smiled faintly and returned to his room to rest.

Tomorrow was the first day of formal classes, and also the day of his duel with Watanabe. Qin Xuan did not belittle or underestimate Japanese Kendo, but Watanabe’s cultivation level was clearly not on par with his own.

There were thousands of paths to cultivation—Martial Dao, Zen, Alchemy, and so on. Kendo was a particularly famous one, where those who entered the Dao through the sword relied on the "Sword Heart" as their foundation.

Although Watanabe was stronger than the average person, he had not yet condensed a Sword Heart. In terms of the cultivation world, he was roughly at the Qi Refining stage—his strength was not even equal to that of the Chunin, Meichuan Yiku.

If Qin Xuan used his true strength, even Meichuan Yiku had been severely injured and forced to flee, let alone Watanabe. However, it was currently unwise for Qin Xuan to exert his true Qi, so dealing with him might be slightly troublesome.

Qin Xuan’s Sword Heart was currently hidden within his Dantian, a gaseous form that flickered in and out of existence. Once the Sword Heart took physical shape, it would turn into a liquid energy like blood, allowing it to be easily unleashed to reach the level of "Sword from the Heart," where one could control the blade with Qi.

Although he had been severely injured while saving Su Muqing, damaging several meridians, the Sword Heart within him had condensed significantly, bringing him one step closer to the stage of materialization.