After hearing Hua Yan’s words, Yun Xuechang was taken aback— she hadn’t expected so many thoughts hidden in Hua Yan’s heart.
After a moment’s thought, she looked at Hua Yan’s silhouette in the darkness, at those bright pale golden almond-shaped eyes that still shone in the night, and answered seriously:
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Yan’er’s actions, and I certainly don’t think you’re jealous. On the contrary, when I found out you fought someone because of me, I felt a little happy inside.”
“Huh?” Hua Yan parted her red lips slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes.
And Yun Xuechang continued speaking:
“I can’t quite explain why I’m happy. Perhaps it’s because your willingness to fight for me proves that you care about me.”
She gazed softly into Hua Yan’s eyes and said in a gentle voice:
“Even though I know you care for me, love me, and are my lover, I still feel joy and sweetness in my heart when you get jealous for me.”
“If Yan’er thinks she’s being jealous, then my thoughts and happiness from it are undoubtedly mean-spirited as well. So, Yan’er, you don’t need to blame yourself or think you’re wrong at all.”
“As for using ‘whether you can stay by my side’ as a bet in your match—”
She paused, arched her eyebrows, and smiled softly in the darkness:
“I know Yan’er is strong and won’t lose. As long as you don’t get hurt during the match, that’s fine.”
Hua Yan cowered in the darkness, her cheeks burning hot, not daring to look at her smile, and could only respond in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yun Xuechang moved closer, tilted her slender neck slightly, brushed aside the hair on Hua Yan’s forehead, and placed a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead.
Hua Yan shrank back into her arms, her face red to the point of steaming.
‘I… I can’t help overthinking…’
She sniffed the faint fragrance lingering at the tip of her nose, and secretly glanced up at Yun Xuechang.
‘After all… after all, I’m in love with such a wonderful Xuechang…’
‘She is so ethereal and refined, with a pure and bright character. I-I’m afraid she might dislike my ways, so it’s only natural for me to overthink!’
‘But Xuechang’s words prove that she really likes me, hehehe…’
The red-haired girl’s lips unconsciously curled up high, unable to be hidden.
However… she still had other questions to ask Yun Xuechang.
“Then, Xuechang,” Hua Yan looked up, their noses almost touching, and she gazed into Yun Xuechang’s eyes, asking softly, “Why did you reject Li Chengfeng and fall in love with me? Is it because he is a man, and I am now a woman?”
“If I were still in my male body and spent time with you, would you still love me?”
“Do you prefer men or women?”
Yun Xuechang was slightly stunned.
At the same time, Su Feiyao’s words from the day surfaced in her mind:
“In my opinion, Flower Young Master most likely misjudged you, thinking you liked her body, so she’s too embarrassed and angry to speak with you.” [cite: 12]
Was it because of the matter with Li Chengfeng that stimulated Yan’er, so she asked so directly?
Regarding this, Su Feiyao’s advice was to answer honestly. And this was exactly what Yun Xuechang wanted to do.
After all, she was not good at lying, and it would be hard to maintain—Hua Yan would probably see through her on the spot. Honesty was always what she excelled at.
“I don’t like Li Chengfeng—I simply don’t like him. And I like Yan’er—I simply like you as a person.”
Yun Xuechang blinked, her eyes incredibly earnest:
“Yan’er, you said that love is thinking of each other every moment when apart; remembering each other’s good qualities, finding everything about the other pleasing; being willing to share all joys and sorrows, and unable to resist wanting to kiss and be close to the other.”
“I’ve only felt these things for Yan’er. If I had to say, looking back now, maybe I already liked you a little ten years ago.”
“T-Ten years ago?” Hua Yan was so shocked that her mouth fell open, her eyes full of disbelief.
“Yes, ten years ago.” Yun Xuechang smiled softly, her red eyes floating with faint reminiscence in the darkness:
“Ten years ago, on the Yinyang Platform of the Hehuan Sect, we met for the first time. By then I had already challenged all the Righteous Path sects, with only a few neutral sects left to visit for debate—the Hehuan Sect was one of them.”
“Before the Yinyang Platform Ceremony, I had already defeated Su Feiyao, the Saintess of the Hehuan Sect. After losing, she told me that the Hehuan Sect would hold a grand match that only occurred once every five hundred years in half a month, and hoped I would stay to participate. I agreed.”
“At that time, I didn’t think much—I simply wanted to continue debating and improving my swordsmanship. But it was in that Great Match of the Yinyang Platform that I met you, Yan’er.”
“Me?” Hua Yan was puzzled—was she different from others who had lost to Yun Xuechang ten years ago?
“Yes, Yan’er, you are different from others.” Meeting the question in her heart, Yun Xuechang said with bright eyes:
“The people I challenged before mostly learned a single technique from their sect. Although each person’s technique was different and gave me many battle insights, you were different.”
“When you fought me, the number of techniques you used was like nothing I had ever seen. For one person to master so many different techniques and coordinate them seamlessly—that gave me great inspiration: since you could simultaneously master so many methods, could I also adapt other methods and integrate them into my swordsmanship?”
“You mean, like our study of those Meridian-Mandarin Duck Axes?” Hua Yan vaguely understood her meaning.
“Yes.” Yun Xuechang responded.
“Yan’er might know that the founding technique of my Xiaoyao Sword Sect is the Xiaoyao Sword Arts. But you might not know—everyone’s Xiaoyao Sword Arts is actually different.”
“Everyone’s… is different?” Hua Yan repeated in confusion.
Regarding the difference in the Xiaoyao Sword Arts, she had noticed earlier in Great Chu that Lin Qianqian’s sword forms differed from Yun Xuechang’s, and she had also observed it when watching people compete in the Xiaoyao Sword Sect.
But at the time, she thought it was because Lin Qianqian practiced sword arrays while Yun Xuechang practiced pure sword Dao.
But hearing Yun Xuechang say it now, it seemed it wasn’t that simple?
“Yes, Yan’er. The Xiaoyao Sword Arts is indeed profound, but the basic sword art only contains the core sword techniques and methods. The rest depends on the disciple’s own enlightenment to create each ‘form’ of their own.”
“Each form is unique. Therefore, everyone’s Xiaoyao Sword Arts is actually different.”
Yun Xuechang paused and continued:
“Before going down the mountain, I had already comprehended ten forms—thrust, chop, lift, wipe, point, parry, carry, twist, sword flower, and sword qi.”
“Those sound like the most basic ways to use a sword, right?” Hua Yan’s mouth twitched slightly.
She had thought from the beginning that the names of Yun Xuechang’s sword techniques were too “simple.” So each form was named by herself?
No wonder the naming taste was so “straightforward!”
“Yes, these ten forms are all the essence of the sword arts I have comprehended. Each form contains a core way of using the sword.”
Yun Xuechang, completely unaware of any problem with her naming, nodded seriously and continued:
“But later, I found it difficult to comprehend more sword forms, so I had to go down the mountain and travel between sects to debate with people, seeking a breakthrough.”
“Then, I found you at the Hehuan Sect, Yan’er.”
She curved her eyebrows again, her gaze gently falling on Hua Yan’s face, and said softly with a smile: “You are the very opportunity I have been searching for.”