Knock, knock, knock—
Knock, knock, knock—
The urgent sound of knocking shattered the silence of the early morning.
Nan Xi yawned as he pulled open the door, grumbling to himself about who would visit at such an hour.
Last night, Lord Tiansi had insisted on staying at his place. Nan Xi couldn’t win the argument, so he had simply gone along with her wishes.
His home had suddenly become quite lively.
However, a problem had arisen: there were no spare rooms prepared in his house. Even if Lord Tiansi wanted to stay, there was nowhere for her to sleep.
After much thought, Nan Xi decided to let Tiansi take his bedroom while he spent the night cultivating in the study, planning to figure out a better arrangement the next day.
He only hoped she wouldn’t find his room too messy.
But things rarely go as planned. Just when Nan Xi thought the night would pass without further incident, Lord Tiansi suddenly appeared at the study door clutching a pillow.
Without a word, she paced over to her favorite Arhat Bed and curled up by the heater to nap.
She looked lazy and at ease. As she curled her body, her dress hitched up, leaving her fragrant shoulders completely exposed to the air.
She seemed entirely unconcerned that a red-blooded young man like Nan Xi was still in the room.
‘Did she sleepwalk her way in here?’
Nan Xi let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, intending to continue his cultivation… or so he tried.
He didn’t know what kind of psychological game was at play, but even though Tiansi appeared to be fast asleep, she kept tossing and turning, inching closer to him bit by bit.
Eventually, she had rubbed right up against his side.
They were so close that if Nan Xi simply lowered his head, he could see the girl’s snowy-white shoulders.
A little lower, her clothing was beginning to fail at covering her curves.
…
‘What a mess.’
Nan Xi yawned and grumbled a complaint. He hadn’t rested well at all, and now someone was knocking this early in the morning.
He slowly lowered his gaze to the door.
When Nan Xi finally saw who was knocking, his eyes lit up.
“Granny Ji!?” Nan Xi was overjoyed. “I was just looking for you! Help me order another 100 Artbooks. Also, find some time today to clean out another room for me. I need to use it.”
“Oh, Master Nan Xi, you finally opened the door!”
Granny Ji spoke with frantic urgency. She didn’t even have time to wipe the sweat from her brow as she grabbed Nan Xi’s arm and pulled him out of the house.
“Master Nan Xi, something terrible has happened! Quickly, come with me!”
“Wait, what happened?” Nan Xi’s brow furrowed slightly.
In the past, although Granny Ji was a bit informal and prone to minor blunders, he had never seen her this anxious.
“You don’t understand, Master Nan Xi!” Granny Ji looked frantic, her old face on the verge of tears. “The Sect Master sent an Elder to inspect Tianquan Peak! They arrived at the main hall early this morning.”
“That… can’t you all just handle the reception?” Nan Xi scratched his head.
Normally, such reception tasks were their responsibility. As a “hands-off” manager, he had plenty of excuses not to show up.
He could just say the Supreme Elder had business with him. Failing that, he could simply show his face later in the day.
“That’s exactly the problem, Master Nan Xi!”
“Hmm?”
“We were handling the reception just fine, but then a disciple suddenly burst in! He shouted at the top of his lungs that a Spirit Sword from the Sword Repository had been stolen!”
‘Huh?’
The corners of Nan Xi’s mouth twitched, and his smile froze on his face.
After a long silence, he forced himself to stay calm and asked for details. “How could such a thing happen? What is the situation now?”
“It’s extremely dire! After hearing the news, that Elder ordered the entire Tianquan Peak to be locked down. She’s taking people to the Sword Repository right now to investigate!”
Granny Ji moved like the wind, looking as if she wanted to fly across the thick snow. As she ran, she looked back to explain the situation to him.
“We have to hurry, Master Nan Xi! All the Elders of Tianquan Peak have already rushed to the Sword Repository. That Elder also said she’s waiting for you to arrive so you can find the culprit together, and then…”
“And then what?”
“And then…” Granny Ji didn’t dare say more. With a mournful expression, she raised her hand and made a slicing motion across her throat.
Hiss—
Nan Xi sucked in a breath of cold air.
‘Is this really a “lose your head” level of terrifying!?’
At this point, it seemed impossible for him to just say, ‘What a coincidence, I’m the one who took the Spirit Sword.’
…
As Nan Xi and Granny Ji hurried toward the core area of Tianquan Peak…
In the main hall of the first floor of the Sword Repository.
All fifty-three Elders of Tianquan Peak, both high and low ranking, had gathered.
The turnout was so complete it rivaled the introductory meeting on Nan Xi’s first day as Peak Master.
Unfortunately, the current atmosphere was nowhere near as relaxed and pleasant as that meeting.
A murderous aura loomed over the entire Sword Repository. Everyone’s gaze was focused on the kind-looking old woman sitting in the center of the hall.
Her title was Elder Cigu.
Though she was technically a First-class Elder like the others, people like Elder Ashan didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly, fearing they might trigger some unforeseen disaster.
The reason was simple.
In the Tianhe Sect, Elder Cigu’s presence was equivalent to the Sect Master arriving in person!
Although the Tianhe Sect did not have a Vice Sect Master position, the Elders and disciples often viewed Elder Cigu as such.
A single word from her could decide the life or death of any member of the sect.
Even during a Tianhe Judgment, Elder Cigu’s opinion was often taken as the Sect Leader’s own will.
At this moment, Elder Cigu sat at the center of the hall, holding a cup of tea and taking a small sip.
Unlike Elder Ashan and the others, who were so tense they barely breathed, Elder Cigu maintained her amiable and kind appearance.
As she leaned forward slightly, the Elders’ bodies trembled, fearing their lives might end in the next moment. When she leaned back, they let out half a breath of relief, though their hearts remained lodged in their throats.
“There is no need for everyone to be so nervous.”
Seeing everyone jump at her every move, Elder Cigu chuckled and waved her hand to reassure them.
“I only came today on behalf of the Sect Leader to see how Tianquan Peak is doing and to chat about your future development plans.”
Just as everyone relaxed, Elder Cigu’s tone shifted in the next second, becoming sharp and biting.
“However, to think I would encounter a theft at the Sword Repository today. The Spirit Swords here are the very foundation of Tianquan Peak. I expect everyone to work with me to find the culprit—and punish them severely!”
“Yes, of course! Once we catch the culprit, we will show no mercy!” Elder Ashan chimed in repeatedly.
His honest, simple face was currently written with pure tension, terrified that he might say the wrong thing.
“Very well.”
Elder Cigu returned to her kind and gentle expression, her gaze drifting toward the distance outside the Sword Repository.
“Now, all that’s left is to wait for our Peak Master Nan Xi to arrive.”