Yan Hua heard Ruan Hongling call out, and when he turned to look, he exclaimed in surprise and delight, "Hongling? Where have you been these past few days? I called your cell phone and you wouldn't pick up! I was worried sick!"

Ruan Hongling snorted, "Just because I see your name pop up, must I answer? Who are you to me?"

Yan Hua chuckled awkwardly, "I'm at least your friend, aren't I? Checking in on you should be acceptable!"

Ruan Hongling huffed again. "I'm perfectly fine, I don't need your concern."

Yan Hua’s face fell. "Then why did you call me? If there’s nothing else, I—I should be going."

Seeing him turn to leave, Ruan Hongling quickly called out, "Hey! I need you for something!"

Yan Hua hadn't wanted to leave in the first place; he was just making a show of it. Hearing her words, he immediately spun back around, plastering a fawning smile on his face. "What can I do for you, Hongling?"

Ruan Hongling asked, "That Six... your heirloom sword? Is it still at home?"

Yan Hua noticed her changing her phrasing mid-sentence and felt a flicker of strangeness, but didn't dwell on it. He replied, "It's at home. Why?"

Ruan Hongling’s face lit up, her eyes darting as she proposed, "Can I borrow it for a while?"

Yan Hua agreed without a second thought. "Yes, of course! I wouldn't lend it to anyone else, but for you, yes!"

Seeing how readily he agreed, Ruan Hongling was pleased and smiled brightly. "Really? That’s wonderful! Can I pick it up tomorrow?"

Yan Hua nodded. "Tomorrow? Sure!" But then, as if remembering something, he inquired, "What do you need the sword for?"

Ruan Hongling snapped back, "None of your business! I need it for something important!"

A look of suspicion suddenly crossed Yan Hua’s face. He glanced toward Li Yundong in the distance and said with a jealous edge, "You're not planning on lending it to that guy, are you?"

Ruan Hongling instantly bristled with anger. "Hey, what did you just say? Are you lending it or not? If not, forget it!" With that, she stamped her foot and turned to walk away.

Yan Hua quickly grabbed her arm, forcing a sheepish smile. "I was just asking casually. I'll lend it to you, but you have to promise me you won't let that fellow use it."

Ruan Hongling's delicate brows shot up in fury. "Yan Hua, do you know why I’ve never liked you? Because you’re as petty and narrow-minded as a woman! If you’re lending it, you lend it. If not, don't. Since you’re lending it, don’t question what I use it for! What is all this fussiness for a grown man? And clinging to me in public—aren't you embarrassed? Let go!"

Yan Hua awkwardly dropped his hand, smiling weakly, and murmured submissively, "I'm only like this around you. Don't worry, I won't ask again. I'll bring the sword tomorrow."

Ruan Hongling let out an indignant snort. "Are you lending it wholeheartedly? Hey, if you're reluctant, then don't lend it. I won't blame you, but don't expect me to thank you for it if you do!"

Yan Hua stammered apologetically, "No, no, we're friends. It’s fine if you borrow it."

Ruan Hongling snorted. "That's better. I'm leaving!"

Seeing her turn and walk away, crisp and decisive without the slightest hesitation, Yan Hua called out, "Hey..." But Ruan Hongling was already far off, only the swish of her ponytail behind her head confusing Yan Hua’s already troubled heart.

"Strange," Yan Hua mumbled to himself, puzzled. "Why does she need that sword?"

His mind full of unanswered questions, Yan Hua waited until school ended and he returned home. He dropped his bag the moment he opened the door, turned a corner, and headed straight for his Aunt Yan Fang’s study.

His family was quite affluent, living in a traditional courtyard house. Though his aunt had been gone for nine years, the family still kept her room exactly as it was, occasionally going in to dust and clean.

Yan Hua pushed open the door to Yan Fang's room and stepped into the study, stopping dead in his tracks!

A figure stood beside the sword rack in the study, gazing quietly at the long swords displayed there, focused and intent, as if looking at a long-lost relative.

The person was about 1.7 meters tall, with a graceful build—a woman of exquisite curves and poise. She wore a black shawl, emanating an ineffable sense of stillness. Looking at her profile, Yan Hua saw delicate features and a slight smile curving her lips, as if she were reminiscing about something.

Yan Hua took a closer look at the woman's face and gasped, "Aunt?"

Yan Fang seemed to have known he was there already. Still staring with deep focus at the treasured sword resting quietly on its stand, she spoke without turning her head. "Xiao Hua, it's been a long time. You still remember me?"

The last time Yan Hua saw his aunt, he was just a boy. His memory of Yan Fang was that she was strikingly beautiful, yet somewhat unapproachable. Looking at her now, he realized her appearance hadn't changed in over a decade; she was as beautiful as ever, like a young girl.

Yan Hua exclaimed in joyful surprise, "Aunt, when did you get back? You—you’re still so beautiful after all this time!"

Yan Fang suddenly laughed, her smile edged with sarcasm and self-mockery. "Beautiful? What use is beauty? It still couldn't stop that vixen from stealing him!"

Yan Fang sighed and spoke mournfully, "Xiao Hua, you must remember something your aunt says!"

At this moment, Yan Hua felt his mind swirling with confusion. He didn't know why Ruan Hongling needed to borrow the sword, nor why his aunt, who had vanished for nine years, had suddenly returned, nor why she was suddenly telling him these things.

Yan Hua responded dazedly, "What is it?"

Yan Fang gently lifted the Zimu Shuangjian (Parent-Child Twin Sword), one of the pair, from the rack. Her fingers lightly stroked the sharkskin grip of the scabbard, and she whispered, "If you truly love someone, you absolutely cannot let anyone snatch your beloved away. Sometimes, even eliminating your rivals is necessary—you must strike first!"

Yan Hua was startled. He hadn't expected Yan Fang to be inciting him to murder. He thought to himself: I do have issues with Li Yundong, but there's no need to kill him, is there?

Yan Fang seemed to read his mind. She snorted, slowly drawing the long sword. Instantly, the blade cleared its sheath, sending waves of sword energy radiating outwards. She declared, "You might think I’m exaggerating, but you will know how correct my words are in time!"

Yan Fang’s gaze drifted into the distance. She murmured wistfully, "I thought the same way back then. I always believed he wouldn't be so heartless, that he would come back to me. But in the end, he’d rather ascend alone than return to my side. He even gave his sword to that seductress. Alas..."

Yan Hua was utterly bewildered. Ascend? Vixen? What nonsense is this?

Yan Fang snorted and began pouring her Zhenyuan (True Essence) into the Zimu Jian. She sneered, "That scoundrel used pure Tongzi Yuanyang Xue (Virgin Boy's Vital Blood) to break my Zimu Jian last time. I assumed the sword fell into his hands then, and I’d never get it back. But to my surprise, after searching high and low, the Zimu Jian was exactly where it should be! Heh, truly an anomaly! It seems even Heaven intends for this Zimu Jian to return to me!"

After channeling some Zhenyuan, the Zimu Jian suddenly sprang up on its own, floating in the air, humming with a clear, bright resonance of a sword cry.

Yan Hua watched, completely dumbfounded. He suddenly recalled Li Yundong holding this same long sword at the school’s welcoming gala—hadn't it done something similar then? At the time, he had been filled with suspicion and thought it was some cheap parlor trick, but now his aunt was making the long sword behave exactly as it did that night!

This time, Yan Hua was close enough to see clearly. Filled with shock and uncertainty, he stammered, "A-Aunt, who exactly are you? W-What is happening?"

For the first time, Yan Fang turned her face toward him. She studied Yan Hua up and down, then offered a slight smile. "You want to know? Heh, I’ve kept this secret from the family for over a decade; you are the first person to know my true identity. However, it's better if you don't know. Your aunt currently has enemies all over the world; knowing the truth won't benefit you."

A sudden thought struck Yan Hua, and he blurted out, "Aunt, are you a Sword Immortal?"

Yan Fang burst into hearty laughter. "Sword Immortal? You could say that, loosely!"

Yan Hua’s face flushed with excitement. He shouted, "Aunt, can you teach me?"

Yan Fang scoffed. "You? Why would you learn cultivation?"

Yan Hua yelled back, "The only reason that guy Li Yundong always overshadows me is almost certainly because he is a cultivator! If you teach me your cultivation techniques, Aunt, I will definitely defeat him!"

The moment Yan Fang heard the name Li Yundong, her expression drastically changed. "You have a grudge against Li Yundong?"

Yan Hua gritted his teeth. "Yes! He stole Hongling from me!"

Yan Fang threw her head back and roared with laughter. "Our Yan family truly has potential! Why does every generation lose their love interest to another man!"

Yan Hua insisted, "Aunt, teach me your skills, and I will definitely beat him!"

After laughing for a while, Yan Fang lowered her head and looked deeply at her nephew. She shook her head. "No. Although Li Yundong and I have had conflicts, his aptitude is the greatest I have ever witnessed. In the five hundred years I have observed, no one has progressed in cultivation as divinely as him. I even suspect he is a reincarnated deity; otherwise, his cultivation speed would be impossible. You are no match for him. Don't waste your energy trying."

Yan Hua’s face instantly turned crimson, his teeth grinding audibly. He said resentfully, "How am I not his match? You won't even teach me, so how can you know I'm not his match? What am I lacking compared to him?"

Yan Fang looked at her nephew with sympathy and shook her head. She gestured toward the Zimu Jian floating in the air and said, "Forget about it. Even with my decades of orthodox Xuanmen cultivation, facing him, the victory would be fifty-fifty. And you, Xiao Hua, have been competitive and eager for quick success since childhood—that temperament is fundamentally unsuitable for cultivation. You cannot surpass him. Today, just pretend you never saw me."

With that, the Zimu Jian slid back into its scabbard with a sharp zheng and jumped back into her hand. Yan Fang's silhouette flashed, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone from the house.

Yan Hua chased after her, but the surroundings were empty. Though it was broad daylight, he couldn't see a trace of Yan Fang.

Yan Hua clenched his fists, raging like a cornered beast, and roared into the air, "How am I not better than him? Hongling! Aunt! I will prove it to both of you—I will be stronger than him!!!"

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