Chapter 837: Chapter 75 Xuanwu Temple

An Zhisu was fuming with anger.

Although she also knew Su Jian was looking out for her well-being, who, in nearly a hundred years at Shushan, had dared to question her strength, which more oft than not led her to victory?

Why was she not even allowed to partake in the reconnaissance before being barred from battle? Did her skills mean so little in her master’s eyes?

Ling Yunpo, standing by her side, gently consoled her, but internally he saw the clear picture: Senior Sister An must be going through a rebellious phase.

What is a rebellious phase? It is when adolescents, in the process of growing up, shift from dependency on their parents to an awakening of self-awareness, eager to prove to their parents “I can do it”, even to the extent of deliberately acting against them.

Although Senior Sister An was not young, the time she had actually spent with Su Jian was not long. Moreover, cultivators often engaged in isolated self-study, lacking social experiences, hence it was not surprising for her to enter a rebellious phase only now.

The only problem was that Su Jian seemed oblivious to the concept of a “rebellious phase”. Judging by his expression, he probably thought his daughter no longer loved her father and could only cast a heartbroken look towards Ling Yunpo.

Of course, Ling Yunpo could understand his father-in-law’s silent plea: Good son-in-law, please help persuade her!

Persuasion was out of the question, for Senior Sister An came to him to vent, certainly not to hear the response “Your father has his difficulties”. Often for women, “which side you stand on” holds more significance than “who is right or wrong”.

So he slowly reached into his sleeve and pulled out a… wine flask.

An Zhisu’s eyes immediately brightened. After all, she only had two hobbies: drinking and sword training.

Now sword training was not an option, but having some wine didn’t sound too bad.

“Junior Brother, what kind of wine is this?”

“Green Li Red.”

“I’ve never heard of it… Is it from Shushan?”

“No, I bought it from Yangzhou.”

“The taste is a bit light, but it has a slightly sweet aftertaste. Not bad.” An Zhisu poured herself a drink and also filled a few cups for Ling Yunpo, her previously sullen expression easing somewhat.

Alright, Master, I’ve calmed Senior Sister down.

Ling Yunpo looked towards Su Jian, who was eagerly watching the two drink, his throat seemingly twitching.

…Master, at least maintain some dignity!

Sighing, Ling Yunpo, with a reluctant Senior Sister An in tow, poured a cup for Su Jian as well.

Then Su Jian immediately felt contented and solemnly said:

“We are on an important mission, and it is not convenient to drink, but since this is the first time my disciple is offering wine, so be it, I will join you for a cup.”

An Zhisu twitched her mouth at the side, revealing an expression that seemed mocking but she held back.

The others had already split up into four groups to explore the surroundings, leaving only the trio of master and disciples drinking together, quickly emptying the entire flask of wine.

“Qing Heng,” said Su Jian contentedly, “you have been under my tutelage for quite some time, but I was in seclusion when you joined, and I didn’t have much to teach you.”

“Here are some of my sword training insights from my Golden Core Realm period, I’ll hand them over to you.”

“Thank you, Master!” Ling Yunpo knew this was a reward for his offering of wine, and he earnestly accepted it.

Su Jian then went to chat idly with his daughter, while Ling Yunpo took out the Scripture and started reading it.

On the first page, Su Jian had written “In swordsmanship, the thrust is essential.”

Not a bad point, Ling Yunpo thought to himself.

In Sword Control Technique, a thrust indeed moves faster than a slash, for the simple reason that when a Flying Sword flies, it heads in the direction of the sword tip.

If it’s a slashing strike, it requires the sword to swing sideways quickly upon reaching the target; but if it’s a thrust to kill the enemy, there’s no need for the hassle of changing moves–just thrust straight ahead.

Ling Yunpo looked at the second line and saw Su Jian continue to write:

“Today, as I was heading to the high plateau, I killed a few bald monks.”

Ling Yunpo: ???

How did it suddenly turn into a diary?

It was only after he carefully read on that he understood these were “some insights” Su Jian had mentioned; indeed, there was not a single lie.

The pages messily recorded his various thoughts at different times. Some were indeed contemplations on swordsmanship, while others were simply diary entries, such as “I defeated someone” or “I killed someone,” and even trivial matters like “the wine from this place is good.”

Finding truly useful information from all this was not an easy task.

Ling Yunpo idly flipped through the scriptures, choosing not to disturb the father-daughter conversation happening elsewhere.

On the other side, all four groups of cultivators that had gone out to scout had quickly returned.

Based on these cultivators’ reports, everyone understood that there was an expansive water domain to the south, but it was not yet clear whether it was a lake or an ocean.

Both the east and west were swamps, and the farther one went, the more water there was and the less solid ground.

To the north lay rolling hills, accompanied by typical tropical rainforests, along with numerous vines, venomous snakes, and poisonous insects.

Next, they needed to choose a direction to explore in depth.

“Choose…” Su Jian was about to say something offhand when suddenly he asked Ling Yunpo, “Qing Heng, which direction do you think we should explore?”

You’re asking me this? Ling Yunpo criticized internally, but verbally he said:

“Let’s choose the north.”

“Why?” Su Jian asked with interest.

“First, eliminate the south.” Ling Yunpo began explaining, “Us Shushan cultivators may not fear water domains, but after all, we are not as familiar with the environment as the waterborne Demon Race. It’s always better to avoid them if possible.”

“Therefore, we must choose between the east, west, and north.”

“Both east and west are swamps, likely connected to the vast marshes of the south due to the increasing water streams.”

“The north is a jungle area with a complex environment. It is suitable for the Demon Race to hide, and the likelihood of finding hidden treasures is also greater.”

“Hmm.” Su Jian nodded, but did not ponder further, apparently just like An Zhisu with the attitude of “whatever you say goes,” and straightforwardly gave the order:

“Let’s explore the north first!”

The Shushan Sword Immortals then set out towards the north and entered the jungle.

The jungle was truly rugged and difficult to navigate, with intertwined tree roots and dense vines, leaving hardly any room to set one’s foot.

Hence, everyone employed their swordsmanship, or unleashed their Sword Dao Techniques, quickly clearing a path ahead.

Ling Yunpo couldn’t help but think, with us making such a big show, aren’t we more likely to startle any snakes in the grass?

But he knew well that if he really said that, with Su Jian’s character, he would probably answer, “Isn’t that better? Just to catch them all in one fell swoop.”

Thinking this, Ling Yunpo sighed silently, thinking that with the invincible formation Shushan had deployed, there truly was no possibility of defeat.

Forget it, let it be.

Only, he wondered how Wei Dongliu was doing… Oh, I read Ling Yunpo’s files first, so the future Wei Dongliu would definitely know how to enter the secret realm.

No need to worry about that, then.

The Shushan group quickly pushed deeper into the jungle, blazing a trail through the underbrush, slicing through obstruction like cutting melons and vegetables, and soon they arrived deep within the jungle, where they discovered a temple.

Ling Yunpo looked at the relief carvings on the temple’s exterior walls, and a strange emotion surged in his heart.

Interwined tortoise and snake, is this… Xuanwu?