Ruan Hongling scoffed upon hearing Li Yundong’s words. “Him? That kind of person with more ambition than talent—what kind of cultivator is he? It’s true his family produced cultivators, but nobody in the family knows, and Yan Hua is certainly oblivious. This sword belongs to Yan Hua’s aunt, who is also my Second Martial Aunt. My Second Martial Aunt met my Master when she was fourteen, and they left the secular world to cultivate together. Nine years ago, she went to Fox Zen Sect to cause trouble for Ao Wushuang, and hasn't been seen since.”
Listening to this history, Ziyuan’s eyes revealed a flicker of world-weary sentiment. “I never imagined—two months ago I saw my Master’s Eight Desolations Sword, and now I see Second Martial Aunt’s **Sword! Is this fate’s coincidence?”
Li Yundong asked, bewildered, “Why is your Second Martial Aunt’s sword in Yan Hua’s possession?”
Ruan Hongling snorted. “Before leaving, Second Martial Aunt didn’t take her personal treasured sword. She left it at the Yan residence, only telling us to guard it for her, saying she would reclaim it one day.”
Li Yundong was about to speak when Feng Na approached, asking curiously, “What are you two talking about?”
Li Yundong turned, smiling. “Nothing much, just discussing this sword!”
Feng Na handed the sword she was holding toward Li Yundong. “Here, your prop sword!”
Li Yundong took the sword, examining it as he asked, “Why did you think of getting this sword from Yan Hua to use as a prop?”
Feng Na laughed. “I just asked if anyone had a classic-looking sword for a prop, and Yan Hua volunteered immediately.”
Li Yundong looked enlightened. He ran his hand over the scabbard, feeling how smooth and soft the texture was. Ruan Hongling, standing nearby, remarked, “This sword’s scabbard is made from shark skin—smooth and hard on the outside, incredibly durable.”
Li Yundong nodded. His fingers brushed the hilt, and he noticed intricate patterns etched onto the guard, resembling a very special rune or script. Li Yundong pressed the hilt, and instantly felt a dormant power stirring within the treasured sword.
Li Yundong’s spirit sharpened. He took a deep breath, and with a zheng, he drew the **Sword!
In an instant, the sword leaped from its sheath. The blade emitted a faint glow and a humming sound, like the cry of a dragon or the call of a phoenix!
Everyone nearby, save for Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling, gasped in astonishment. Feng Na cried out, “Is this the legendary sword recognizing its master? That’s incredible! Why did it make a sound? Li Yundong, how did you do that?”
Yan Hua stared wide-eyed at Li Yundong, filled with anger and vexation. “Why does this guy always steal the spotlight wherever he goes? Damn it, this is my family’s sword! I shouldn’t have brought it!”
Yet he couldn't backtrack now. He was so enraged his face was contorted, his nose almost crooked with fury.
Seeing Li Yundong mesmerized by the sword, Ziyuan nodded toward him. “Li Yundong, come here for a moment. I need to tell you something.”
Li Yundong nodded, sheathing the longsword. The moment the **Sword slid back into its scabbard, the light and humming vanished, eliciting gasps of amazement from the students backstage.
Ziyuan walked to a corner and whispered to Li Yundong, “Li Yundong, this is my Second Martial Aunt’s sword. I hope you use it well.”
Li Yundong chuckled. “What, afraid I’ll keep it for myself? Don’t worry, I have the Seven Treasures Spirit-Attracting Fan; I won’t swallow your Second Martial Aunt’s sword. Besides, isn't it Yan Hua’s?”
Ziyuan shook her head. “No. Since this sword has fallen into your hands, it must be the arrangement of fate!”
Li Yundong let out an amused laugh. Just as he was about to speak, something struck him: No wonder Ruan Hongling and Yan Hua were so close—they were practically childhood acquaintances! And both ended up at this school, ultimately leading to this sword landing in his hands by chance. Even if it was temporary borrowing, this couldn't be called anything but destiny’s hand at work!
Lost in thought, Li Yundong suddenly felt as if the world truly had an invisible hand pulling at the unseen threads connecting people. He became momentarily distant, absorbed.
After a while, he returned to his senses, his expression somewhat solemn. “I understand. I will take good care of it for your Second Martial Aunt!”
Ziyuan opened her mouth to speak, but then a commotion erupted from backstage. They both turned to look and saw a girl stumbling her way into the backstage area.
Some people cheered, “That’s it, that’s it! She’s finally here!”
Feng Na rushed over. Seeing the girl with disheveled hair, unsteady steps, and radiating a heavy scent of smoke and alcohol, she immediately covered her nose and frowned. “Liu Ling, where have you been?”
Liu Ling, playing Zhao Ling’er, looked up and grinned foolishly, slurring her words. “R-right, sorry. I, I played, got carried away, hehe…”
Feng Na’s frown deepened seeing Liu Ling’s state. “What have you done? Do you realize we have a performance today?”
Liu Ling scowled, displeased. “What’s the big deal? Isn’t there still four hours left?”
Feng Na had just become Student Council President, and this crucial event was the first she organized since her election. Her frustration was palpable. She suppressed her anger. “So many people are waiting for you. Aren’t you ashamed? To look like this right before the evening performance—you look neither like a person nor a ghost. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Liu Ling stood up and declared loudly, “What’s wrong with me? Isn’t this look great?”
Saying that, she dramatically tossed her long hair back, and everyone who saw it gasped in shock.
Li Yundong glanced over and thought, Holy cow, this isn't Zhao Ling’er! This is pure avant-garde nonsense!
The makeup on Liu Ling’s face looked as if a bucket of multi-colored ink had been splashed onto it. Her eyes were as black as a panda’s, and her lips were painted with purple lipstick—truly like a demon or monster. Forget playing Zhao Ling’er; she looked too fierce even to play the Kitchen God!
The other performers nearby became unhappy and began criticizing her. “Liu Ling, what are you doing? Look at yourself! Do you even look human?”
“Did you take drugs yesterday? How else could you get into this ghostly state?”
“Hey, how are we supposed to perform later? This is going to kill us!”
Feng Na was furious and shouted, “Liu Ling, go look in a mirror and see how you look now! Can you possibly perform? After the show, you will write a self-criticism report and hand it in!”
Liu Ling tossed her head and huffed, “W-what’s wrong with it? I, I look fine, don’t I? You, you want me to write a report? Hmph, I won’t! If you’re so tough, then don’t let me perform!”
Feng Na was enraged. “Don’t perform then, get out! Even a pig would be a better fit for Zhao Ling’er right now!”
Liu Ling angrily shot back, “Fine, fine, I, I’ll go right now! W-we’ll just s-see who you find to play Zhao Ling’er!” She turned to leave.
Feng Na sneered, “Zhao Ling’er wasn’t a stutterer!”
Liu Ling turned back, ready to retort furiously, when suddenly her foot caught, and with a cry of pain, she tumbled down the backstage stairs with a thud.
The backstage area instantly erupted into chaos, and students rushed over.
Feng Na quickly commanded a student, “Get her to the hospital immediately! This is unbelievable!”
Cheng Cheng, watching the male student help the weeping Liu Ling, who clutched her ankle, away, asked worriedly, “Nana, the show starts in four hours. What do we do?”
Feng Na’s face was grim. She hadn't expected such a disaster to happen right before the curtain rose!
She paced frantically backstage like an ant on a hot pan, while the other students buzzed and whispered, their conversations circling the recent incident, but more so, debating who would play Zhao Ling’er now?
Li Yundong couldn't help but offer a wry smile to Feng Na. “Feng Na, why did you cast someone so alternative as Zhao Ling’er? Just because you want to push boundaries doesn’t mean you should play it this way!”
Feng Na forced a bitter smile. “My dear lady, please stop kicking me when I’m down! I’m in deep trouble! Liu Ling was perfectly fine before—a very delicate girl. Who knew she’d go this wild?”
Li Yundong sighed. “I’m not trying to say something unhelpful, but where are you going to find an actress for Zhao Ling’er on such short notice? Remember, it’s less about being beautiful for the role of Zhao Ling’er; her ethereal and fresh temperament is the most crucial part!”
Hearing this, Feng Na looked ruefully at Zhou Qin. “Actually, Zhou Qin would be quite good, but she’s currently…”
Zhou Qin sat quietly in her wheelchair, watching everyone. Seeing Feng Na look her way, she spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness.
Feng Na rubbed her temples with a strained smile, muttering to herself, “Who can we find?”
As she fretted, a loud shout suddenly broke the tension: “I know who to ask!” Saying this, her gaze fixed on a particular spot.
Her shout drew everyone backstage to look at her, and then their gazes followed hers in unison.
Li Yundong involuntarily followed their line of sight. He saw Ziyuan standing slightly bewildered at the focal point of everyone’s attention, looking lost.
“She’ll play Zhao Ling’er? Good, good, good!” Li Yundong burst out laughing, exclaiming 'good' three times in succession.
Ruan Hongling also curiously sized up Ziyuan, and she too was amused, chuckling, “Sister Ziyuan, don't take offense, but you would actually suit Zhao Ling’er quite well! Though you look a bit more mature than Zhao Ling’er, your temperament is definitely enough!”
Ziyuan shot Ruan Hongling a look. “Don’t be so familiar, making fun of your Senior Sister!”
Ruan Hongling giggled. “Sister Ziyuan, I’m not lying! Didn’t you see how many people are looking at you? You have the unanimous support of the crowd!”
Feng Na also stepped forward, plastering on a fawning smile. “Uh, I don’t know the esteemed name of this celestial beauty, how should I address you?”
Ziyuan glanced at her coolly. “You don’t need to be so formal; just call me Ziyuan.”
That single look from Ziyuan made Feng Na feel utterly inadequate, instinctively wanting to turn and flee. She felt like an ugly duckling standing next to a swan. Despite being beautiful herself, compared to Ziyuan, it was a gulf of difference—heaven and earth!
But Feng Na had an urgent task to handle, so she forced herself to smile. “Um, Sister Ziyuan, as you can see, we are desperately short of an important character right now. After looking around, I feel you are the most suitable candidate. What do you think…”
Ziyuan immediately replied, “No!”
Feng Na froze, the smile on her face stiffening. Just as she was despairing internally, she saw Li Yundong smirking to the side and felt a surge of anger. She kicked Li Yundong’s shin fiercely. “Hey! Help me out here!”
Li Yundong dodged the kick, smiling at Feng Na. “You go take care of things; I’ll persuade her!”
Feng Na lowered her voice. “Hey, you must sort this out, or I’ll be in serious trouble!”
Li Yundong waved her off. “Go, go!”
Li Yundong sent Feng Na away, then turned back, suppressing his laughter as he addressed Ziyuan. “Hey, you really won’t do it?”
Ziyuan displayed a rare moment of feminine affectation, rolling her eyes at Li Yundong. “Do you just enjoy seeing me make a fool of myself?”
Li Yundong laughed. “Didn’t you say cultivators must experience the myriad aspects of the mortal world? The opportunity is here. Soon you will taste what it’s like to stand under the stage lights, receiving the adoration of the masses. This will absolutely aid your cultivation!”
Ruan Hongling, standing nearby, silently admired Li Yundong: This guy is silver-tongued; he knows exactly how to strike at my Senior Sister’s weak spot!
Ziyuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Will this actually be useful?”
Li Yundong struck a flamboyant pose, performing a graceful flourish with the longsword in his hand, then struck a very cool pose, letting out a long sigh. “If you don’t experience grand scenes, how can you claim to have walked through the human world? How can you say your Dao heart is as firm as a rock?”
Ziyuan was moved. She turned to Ruan Hongling and asked, “What kind of role is Zhao Ling’er?”
Ruan Hongling saw Ziyuan hesitate and immediately burst out excitedly, “Sister Ziyuan, you agreed?”
Ziyuan glared at her. “You just want to stir up trouble, don’t you?”
Ruan Hongling giggled and began explaining The Legend of Sword and Fairy and the character of Zhao Ling’er to her senior sister, who had long been cultivating in seclusion. Ziyuan pondered for a moment, then sighed. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Fine, I’ll do it! What do I need to do?”
Ruan Hongling, hearing this, jumped nearly three feet high in excitement. “Wonderful! This is going to be fun to watch!”
Ziyuan shot Ruan Hongling an exasperated but amused glance, then asked Li Yundong, “Right, what role are you playing?”
Li Yundong swung the longsword onto his back, made a hand seal with his fingers, and declared pompously, “This old master will play the part of the Sword Saint who sweeps you away from Li Xiaoyao—the Sword and Fairy version of Wang Laohu (The Tiger Who Steals Wives)!”
With that, he laughed triumphantly, as if seeing Ziyuan embarrassed later brought him immense joy.
Going out to eat, setting the scene early~! <>H