Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

"I’m... so happy," Yisha said, her eyes closed.

...

"Ye Zi, you want to go to Nia Academy too, don’t you?"

Ling Xiao looked at the flustered Ye Zi and sighed inwardly. ’I get it now,’ he thought. ’She really does want to go.’ Of all the women by his side, Ye Zi had the least formal education. Although she was beautiful and incredibly intelligent, her worldliness couldn’t compare to someone like Shangguan Yutong, who was well-versed in all kinds of classic texts.

It was only natural for young women to feel a hint of a competitive spirit.

"Y-you’re angry?" Ye Zi asked, a little panicked. She hadn’t expected that Yisha would actually tell Ling Xiao.

It was just a dream they had casually mentioned when all the girls were gathered together.

It was true they all liked Ling Xiao, but none of them wanted to be useless. More than that, they didn’t want to hide under his wing, protected by him forever. That would make them feel like caged birds.

Freedom, after all, is something everyone yearns for.

However, Ye Zi had never considered telling Ling Xiao about this. While she wanted to better herself, she didn’t want to leave him. But deep down, the thought had always been there. That was why, faced with his question, Ye Zi didn’t know how to respond.

"Heh, well, it’s not a big deal. I just heard from Yisha that the Nia Duchy has beautiful scenery and down-to-earth people, so it’s a great place. The program at Nia Academy is five years. Five years isn’t short, but it’s not that long either. If we really go, there will be a lot of us, so we should be safe. And we’ll all bring the Elixirs you refined. We won’t fall behind on our sword techniques or Cultivation Techniques..." Ye Zi’s personality was actually quite cheerful, so since she couldn’t avoid it, she decided to just be upfront.

Ling Xiao fell silent for a long moment after listening. All this time, he had been focused on his cultivation, rushing about to increase his strength and handle various affairs. He had, in fact, neglected these girls. They had never once complained, yet he hadn’t realized they were harboring so many desires deep down. A pang of sorrow washed over Ling Xiao’s heart.

He forced a smile. "If you’re going to go, when would you leave?"

Ye Zi lowered her gaze, walking over to lean against Ling Xiao. "Nia Academy recruits in the spring every year," she said softly. "It’s very expensive over there, much more than the Imperial Academy. But you’re a wealthy man; I’m sure you won’t mind spending the Gold Coins."

"Alright," Ling Xiao said. "In that case, let’s just enjoy this carnival together." He’d suddenly had a moment of clarity. The truth was, he couldn’t possibly keep all the girls by his side and protect them forever. Just as he often couldn’t control his own path, he had no right to think he could control theirs.

It would be exhausting for him, and for them.

It was actually a good thing for the girls to have their own ideas and ambitions like this. He, however, was always preoccupied with their safety. But in the Mortal World, while it wasn’t uncommon for the powerful to throw their weight around, incidents where an entire clan was wiped out were actually quite rare.

Besides, the Nia Duchy was far from Lanyue. Letting them go away for a few years of peace would be good; at the very least, it wouldn’t hinder their cultivation.

In the Mortal World, with the strength Ye Zi, Yisha, and the others possessed, Ling Xiao truly didn’t need to worry. ’A group of such varied beauties suddenly appearing at an academy will probably cause quite a stir, won’t it?’ A faint smile touched Ling Xiao’s lips. ’Maybe I should spend some money to get them foreign citizenship.’

Even though it was far away and the academy was huge, with tens of thousands of students, there would always be people who would take notice. As Ling Xiao thought about this, he realized he was starting to think about protecting them again and quickly stopped himself.

’They can definitely handle it on their own,’ Ling Xiao told himself.

......

「Another carnival season had arrived in the Imperial Capital, at the Wulan Clan estate.」

The Wulan Family was jubilant today. An air of celebration hung over the massive estate. The Wulan Clan’s eldest young master was getting married—it was an incredibly important day!

For the entire past month, the Wulan Clan had seen a constant stream of guests.

The estate’s main gate looked brand new, exquisite and beautiful. It was actually carved from white jade! It was a display of luxury that also spoke of a deep heritage. Unsuspecting visitors couldn’t help but marvel at the Wulan Family’s gate.

’As expected of an old, established noble family! Even their gate is so extraordinary!’

Whenever he heard a guest’s praise, Wulan Xiong’s smile would be tinged with awkwardness.

They had waited right up until the morning of the wedding procession, yet there was still no news of Ling Xiao leaving Peng City. In fact, a letter that arrived the day before yesterday had said Ling Xiao planned to "celebrate with the people" and spend the carnival with the commoners of Penzes!

’Hypocrite!’ Wulan Xiong privately labeled Ling Xiao. He felt a faint sense of disappointment, not because he wanted Ling Xiao to come and ruin his son’s wedding, but because his wariness of the young man had reached its peak. The calmer Ling Xiao seemed, the more uneasy Wulan Xiong became.

Moreover, Wulan Xiong could tell that the two supreme experts of the Sword Emperor Realm staying with his clan also held a deep-seated fear when Penzes City was mentioned. They were unwilling to say much on the subject.

Their attitude made Wulan Xiong realize something. ’So they don’t want to make an enemy of Ling Xiao, either!’

’That’s right. He’s someone who can kill a Sword Venerable. What right do a couple of Sword Emperors have to challenge him? So, the two of them came here for no other reason than to get under Ling Xiao’s skin!’