Chapter 63: Nan Xi… Is Really Good at Chatting

“Peak Master Nan Xi, please have a seat.”

The Old Headmaster clasped his hands in greeting, gesturing for Nan Xi to sit in the guest seat nearby.

“Alright.” Nan Xi gave a slight nod, but his gaze swept around the room, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

According to the previous arrangement, wasn’t today supposed to be a gathering where the Old Headmaster brought together the heads of the various sects for a good exchange? So why was he the only one here?

It couldn’t possibly be some kind of trap, could it?

“Uh, no need to look around. Today really is just you who answered my invitation to exchange.” The Old Headmaster sighed helplessly, a tinge of resignation in his eyes.

“They all left?”

“Yes.” The Old Headmaster let out a long sigh.

“The people from Cloud Pleat Valley and Zhulu Plain already returned to Dong Qing Prefecture early. I heard there’s been some trouble over there lately, and all the sects are fretting about it.”

“As for the sects from Hongze Prefecture, they said their schedule was tight and have already left Daye City to recruit students in other towns—perhaps after watching the duel between Tianhe Sect and Wuxing Sect that day, they didn’t want to embarrass themselves.”

“Then… what about Wuxing Sect?” Nan Xi hesitated for a moment before finally asking.

“Ahem… well, I’ve already spoken with their people in advance, so they shouldn’t show up today.”

The Old Headmaster let out an awkward laugh.

Having gone through all the turmoil these past few days, he had clearly come to realize that he must never let the people of Tianhe Sect and Wuxing Sect run into each other, or else some kind of trouble would inevitably break out.

Thank heavens, he had finally done one proper thing.

“So, as you can see, today it’s just the two of us talking.”

The Old Headmaster spread his hands and forced an extremely unpleasant smile at Nan Xi. “Consider it a catch-up.”

“A catch-up, I understand that.” Nan Xi nodded knowingly. “The fish you used to keep, Headmaster—they were quite tasty.”

Heh, Nan Xi really knew how to pick the wrong thing to bring up. If anyone else were present, they’d definitely give him a rating of “great conversationalist.”

“No need to go that far back.”

Perhaps amused by Nan Xi’s words, the Headmaster’s initially tense expression relaxed a bit.

He leaned back in his armchair and calmly watched Nan Xi.

In a daze, he seemed to transform back into that eccentric old man of the school, chasing after a troublemaking Nan Xi to spank him, and also watching over their group of disciples training with kindness.

Just like that, five years had passed.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Nan Xi’s mouth as he folded his hands in front of him.

“No help for it. What I remember most vividly is still the fish you kept, Headmaster.”

“You little rascal.” The Headmaster scolded with a laugh, but he didn’t actually move to hit Nan Xi. “I really didn’t expect that the most troublesome brat back then would one day become an elder of a major sect and even raise such an outstanding disciple.”

“Outstanding in what way?”

“Still trying to fool this old man.”

The Old Headmaster shot Nan Xi a glare.

“I may be old, but that doesn’t mean my eyesight is going blurry. During the competition that day, we all saw that child’s performance.”

“To be fair, I can count on one hand the number of people at the Qi Refining Stage who can display such powerful swordsmanship.”

“Just luck.” Nan Xi shrugged, trying to brush it off.

“Luck in what way?” The Old Headmaster retorted mercilessly, using Nan Xi’s own words against him.

“Your Tianhe Sect has really made a name for itself this time. Everyone knows that in Tianhe Sect, even an ordinary disciple has a chance to challenge a core disciple.”

The Old Headmaster still omitted some details.

In a way, the loss that Tianhe Sect suffered this time actually brought them more gains than Wuxing Sect, which had won all the way to the end.

After all, compared to a genius winning every time, who wouldn’t rather watch a story of an ordinary person staging an upset?

In the face of one percent geniuses, the vast majority of disciples are nothing but ordinary people.

“That’s achieving the goal of publicity, isn’t it?”

Nan Xi chuckled, but inside he was cursing like crazy.

It was predictable that Tianhe Sect would soon face a wave of enrollment boom.

As a spy planted in Wuxing Sect, he still had to find a way to deal with it.

Wasn’t this just dumping an extra load of work on him!?

“No need to be modest, Nan Xi.” The Old Headmaster gave him a reassuring look. “You deserve this.”

Thanks, but I don’t want it.

Nan Xi returned the Old Headmaster a fake smile, but inside his heart was bleeding profusely.

But just then, the Old Headmaster suddenly changed the subject, and his tone became cautious.

“And also…”

“Hmm?”

“Nan Xi, I’d like to ask you a question, if I may.” The Old Headmaster leaned forward slightly, moving closer to Nan Xi.

“Go ahead.”

“It’s just…” The Old Headmaster glanced around, making sure there were no eyes or ears nearby, then lowered his voice and spoke to Nan Xi.

“That day, the Sword Hero from Sword-Seeking Villa told me that you are actually one of the Five Swords of the World—[See Blood and Seal Throat]. Is that true?”

“!?”

Nan Xi suddenly froze, his pupils fixed unblinkingly on the Old Headmaster.

For a moment, his gaze made the over-seventy-year-old man’s spine feel a chill.

After thinking for a long time, the Old Headmaster leaned in again and tested the waters: “Well… if it’s inconvenient to disclose, just pretend I never asked.”

The Five Swords of the World were famous throughout the Central Plains, but not every one of them wanted to reveal their true identity.

As an old hand in the cultivation world, he understood these rules.

However, much to the Old Headmaster’s surprise, Nan Xi suddenly burst into hearty laughter, clear and crisp, echoing through the reception hall for a long time.

After a while, when Nan Xi finally stopped laughing, his deep gaze once again fixed on the Old Headmaster’s face.

“I thought you were asking about something serious.”

“Do you mean…?”

“Of course…”

Nan Xi spoke magnanimously, with no intention of hiding anything. The Old Headmaster’s heart filled with delight.

But the next second, the second half of his sentence chilled the old man’s heart—

“I am not.”

“Huh?”

“Of course I’m not one of the Five Swords of the World.” Nan Xi shrugged, stating it matter-of-factly.

“It’s only been a few years since I graduated. The Five Swords of the World became famous even before I left Daye Village School.”

“B-but… that day, the swordsmanship that child used?” The Old Headmaster still refused to give up.

“Have you ever considered the possibility that the swordsmanship I taught her doesn’t belong to the Five Swords of the World?” Nan Xi let out a soft laugh and then replied.

“Ah, this?”

“There are countless sword arts in the world. That Inquiring Sword Hero might not have recognized every single one. Perhaps what he saw that day was just a very similar sword art.”

“This…” The Old Headmaster furrowed his brows slightly and nodded as if he understood. “So that’s how it is.”

As he spoke, a trace of regret welled up in his heart.

The Old Headmaster’s thought was actually simple: if Nan Xi really were one of the Five Swords of the World, then the fame of him having studied at Daye Village School could be used as an excellent advertisement for the school itself.

Oh well…

No matter what, at least the fact that Nan Xi is a Peak Master of Tianhe Sect couldn’t be false.

The Old Headmaster gently stroked his graying beard, consoling himself inwardly.

However, in a place he didn’t notice, Nan Xi kept smiling at him, his gaze as calm as an ancient well, deep and mysterious.