I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 141

The Immortal's Sword

Brightly feathered birds circled and soared in the sky, their soft songs adding a lively charm to the wedding. Xu Shulou recognized the leader among them—Chi Feng, Wei Xuandao’s former spirit beast. After Wei Xuandao’s death, it had followed Xiao Ya.

This bird had once been fond of her, gifting her a feather. She had even joked about killing Wei Xuandao and stealing the bird away.

But in the end, she had truly killed its master. Chi Feng, being a creature of spirit, naturally no longer had any connection with her.

A faint trace of regret flickered through Xu Shulou’s heart, fleeting as ever. Such was the way of the world—how could everything go as she wished?

Her junior sister pointed at the sky. "That white bird behind looks a lot like my Jiuyao."

Xu Shulou withdrew her gaze. "Come to think of it, I haven’t seen your Jiuyao in a while."

"Oh, it’s busy courting Third Senior Brother’s goose. They pine for each other whenever they’re apart," Bai Roushuang sighed with exaggerated solemnity. "So I entrusted it to Third Senior Brother’s care. Who knows how their romance will turn out?"

Xu Shulou chuckled. Just then, her peripheral vision caught Xiao Ya and Xiao Ruzhuo approaching to toast, so she stood and raised her cup.

Both were clad in crimson robes—one as elegant as an orchid, the other radiant like polished jade—a truly well-matched pair.

Xiao Ruzhuo raised his cup first. "A toast to my savior. Thank you for digging me out from under that cave."

Xu Shulou smiled as she drank. "You should thank your wife instead. If she hadn’t noticed Wei Xuandao’s treachery and asked me to chase after you, I wouldn’t have arrived in time."

At this, Xiao Ruzhuo wrapped an arm around Xiao Ya’s shoulder. The two exchanged a glance, their eyes brimming with sweetness and understanding.

Then Xiao Ya stepped forward with her own toast. "Shulou, this cup is for our journey from foes to friends."

Without waiting for Xu Shulou’s response, she tipped her head back and drank it down in one go.

Xu Shulou smiled knowingly. "Congratulations on your union."

After the toasts, the couple took their places at the front of the hall and began playing the Eight Winds Melody—one on the seven-stringed qin, the other on the ornate se—performing a tender, lingering tune.

The guests listened intently. Xu Shulou rested her chin on her hand, tapping the rhythm lightly against her wine cup.

The harmonious duet of qin and se—was this not a scene of unparalleled beauty?

"After attending so many weddings, I’m starting to think I should find a cultivation partner too," Jiang Yan mused, swept up in the atmosphere. "What about you two? Any thoughts?"

Xu Shulou shrugged. She had even attended her own wedding once. Now, her heart was as still as water.

Occasionally, others’ happiness touched her, but that didn’t mean she sought such a life for herself.

"What about you, Junior Sister?" Jiang Yan pressed. "Remember that friend I mentioned who enjoys being struck by lightning—"

Bai Roushuang shook her head so vigorously it resembled a rattle-drum. Sandwiched between these two seemingly love-averse individuals, Jiang Yan—his heart brimming with romantic yearning—timidly voiced his true purpose: "Then... do either of you know any suitable young ladies for me?"

Xu Shulou patted his head. "Hmm... Must they be human?"

What kind of question was that? Jiang Yan gave her a horrified look, suddenly realizing that seeking matchmaking advice from his senior sister might have been a mistake.

"I’ll keep an eye out for you," Xu Shulou promised.

Jiang Yan hesitated, debating whether to add a stipulation like "preferably with two eyes, one nose, and no hooves."

As the qin and se melody drew to a close, the wedding banquet dispersed. Guests departed in small groups. Xu Shulou lingered to exchange a few words with Xiao Ya, but as she left, she encountered Xiao Ya’s mother in the garden.

The imperial consort was advanced in years, her temples already streaked with silver, yet she had traveled far to attend her daughter’s wedding.

Both parties paused in surprise, meeting at the corner of the covered walkway. The maids behind the consort tensed, subtly stepping forward as if to shield her. Xu Shulou knew how she appeared in their eyes—the notorious Princess of the Xu family, a dangerous figure.

"Step back," the consort instructed her attendants.

Xu Shulou offered a polite smile. "The lily pastry at today’s banquet was excellent."

The consort smiled in return. "That was Ya’er’s favorite dish as a child."

Xu Shulou nodded. "The craftsmanship of the imperial kitchens is indeed remarkable."

After this brief exchange, she brushed past the consort on the walkway. She sensed the older woman’s gaze lingering on her retreating figure but did not turn back.

"Your Highness?" a maid whispered.

Only after Xu Shulou’s silhouette vanished did the consort finally look away. "Not quite what I imagined."

"Indeed," ventured only her most trusted maid. "She didn’t seem bloodthirsty or burdened by bitterness."

The consort shook her head. "Nor did she carry the air of a pampered princess. There’s a carefree, almost chivalrous quality to her."

"Does Your Highness admire or dislike her?"

"Neither," the consort replied evenly. "If she were my enemy, I would find her terrifying. If she were my daughter, my heart would ache for her. But to me, she is merely a stranger."

Her maid, familiar with such musings, remained silent, simply supporting the consort’s arm as they slowly continued down the walkway.

———

From a distance, Xu Shulou spotted Bai Roushuang speaking with Lu Beichen. She waited until they parted before approaching her junior sister.

"What did he want?"

"Senior Brother Lu suddenly brought up our past. I told him I’d genuinely liked him once, even admired him—I’d thought him a noble and principled cultivator..." Bai Roushuang wrinkled her nose playfully. "But when he heard those words, his expression turned strange. He thanked me and left in a hurry before I could add that I now think he’s just a promiscuous flirt."

Xu Shulou laughed. Even in that other world, Bai Roushuang had only glimpsed Lu Beichen’s philandering and the sorrow of the women in his life—never the full darkness beneath.

And Xu Shulou had no intention of enlightening her.

As they strolled along the garden path, Bai Roushuang suddenly pointed at a nearby structure. "Senior Sister, doesn’t that look like the buildings from that other world? I even stayed in one."

"This is the Spirit Silence Valley of Lingxiao Sect—Wei Xuandao’s former territory," Xu Shulou said. "It was always the same place."

"Oh," Bai Roushuang murmured, then asked, "Will you use your linked rings to visit that side again?"

Xu Shulou shook her head. "Not for now."

She glanced at the slightly dimmed rings on her hand. Recalling the other Xu Shulou’s parting words, she suspected she might never return to that world again.

"Where shall we go next, then?"

"I’m ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍not sure."

"How about the Harmony Sect?" Bai Roushuang suggested softly. "I’d like to meet the real Luo Fusheng."

Xu Shulou smiled in understanding. "Very well. I’ll send word ahead of our visit."

"Yes!"

After bidding farewell to Jiang Yan, the two of them headed straight for the direction of the Hehuan Sect. Xu Shulou went to deliver a visiting card, then took her junior sister to explore nearby Frostless City first.

She didn’t have particularly fond memories of this place—here, she had been afflicted with a love gu, encountered her demon-possessed martial uncle Zhang Baihe...

As they walked down the long street, the city seemed livelier than it had been over a decade ago, with more towering buildings lining the roads.

A teahouse named "Zhuangyuan Tower" came into view. Bai Roushuang thought for a moment. "I don’t remember this being here last time."

Xu Shulou glanced up. "It’s probably named after the only scholar from Frostless City who ever achieved the title of Zhuangyuan (top imperial exam scorer)."

"Ah, the one you knew? The current Vice Minister of the Censorate?"

Xu Shulou nodded with a faint smile.

"Shall we go in?"

"Sure."

The two stepped inside, where an eager waiter escorted them to a private seat on the second floor. While waiting for their food, Bai Roushuang pushed open the window and looked out. "Huh, isn’t that Cloudwater Pavilion across the way?"

Cloudwater Pavilion—the tallest building in Frostless City. Years ago, Fan Yang and Fan Zhi had ambushed Xu Shulou there, planting the love gu in her.

Xu Shulou lifted her gaze. "It is indeed Cloudwater Pavilion. Has it been renamed?"

A waiter serving them hot tea overheard and chimed in, "It’s been over a decade since the name changed. Now it’s called ‘Immortal’s Blade.’ It’s impressive that someone as young as you still remembers its old name."

"Immortal’s Blade?"

The waiter grinned. "A gimmick by the restaurant across the way. If you want to know the story behind it, you’ll have to go see for yourself."

Their curiosity piqued, the two finished their tea and snacks before making their way to the lakeside Cloudwater Pavilion—now Immortal’s Blade.

Upon hearing their purpose, someone directed them: "The top floor."

Climbing the stairs, Xu Shulou paused when they reached their destination.

The sword she had used to kill Fan Yang had pierced through the wall before she recalled it. Yet, instead of repairing the damage, the pavilion had preserved the sword mark intact—even embedding a perfectly sized iron blade into the gap, turning it into an attraction.

Xu Shulou was torn between laughter and exasperation. "Why on earth would they keep this?"

A nearby waiter, overhearing, frowned. "Guest, you shouldn’t speak so dismissively. You’re an outsider—you don’t know the legend behind it."

At the word "legend," Bai Roushuang perked up, a flicker of unease crossing her mind after her experience in the demon realm. She half-expected the waiter to spin some horrific tale involving demons devouring children’s brains at random.

"What legend?" Xu Shulou was amused. That sword strike had been nothing more than her killing a man—what kind of story had people concocted over the years?

What followed was an absurd tale of love and vengeance. Though Xu Shulou had slain Fan Yang, the story had morphed into a woman chasing down a heartless betrayer across a thousand miles—who also happened to be a kidnapper leading a gang. On that fateful day, he had abducted a young girl with ill intentions, only to be thwarted by the woman who rescued her.

The story had been passed down for over a decade, embellished beyond recognition.

Bai Roushuang blinked after hearing the convoluted narrative. "If that ‘young girl’ refers to Luo Fusheng, who was kidnapped back then... it’s weirdly close to the truth."

Xu Shulou shot her a look before asking the waiter, "So this is why it’s called Immortal’s Blade?"

If this was all, it hardly seemed worthy of a restaurant’s rebranding.

"I’m not finished," the waiter said. "The ‘Immortal’s Blade’ refers to the sword strike from over a decade ago—its force was so precise it pierced the outer wall without collapsing the building or harming a single soul. Do you know why?"

"..."

Receiving no answer, the waiter continued mysteriously, "Because before striking, the immortal used her spiritual power to protect the entire pavilion. That’s why we renamed it—‘Immortal’s Blade, Mercy for All.’"

"..."

The story was absurd, but the ending had taken an oddly profound turn.

Both women fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Pleased with their stunned reactions, the waiter cheerfully excused himself.

Xu Shulou walked to the wall, where a small door led to a narrow viewing platform overlooking the lake. Only then did she notice that the stone sculpture at the lake’s center had been replaced with a sword carving. From this vantage, visitors could take in both the iron blade embedded in the wall and the stone sword in the lake, along with the distant Zhuangyuan Tower facing Immortal’s Blade across the water. A light rain had begun to fall, and standing there amid the misty scenery, it truly was a sight to behold.

Bai Roushuang stood beside her, catching raindrops in her palm. "Zhuangyuan Tower and Immortal’s Blade—one named for him, the other renamed for you. One mortal, one immortal, two pavilions facing each other across the lake. The two of you really do share a strange kind of fate."

"..."

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