CHAPTER 503: 0304 MS. ZHU (TWO-IN-ONE)_2

"Chang’an, backing down now would make you look less like a man." Zhu Pingniang curved her lips, smiling beautifully.

"Ms. Zhu." Xu Chang’an slightly leaned back and said seriously, "With my Spirit Platform, this kind of thing targeting the soul should be ineffective, right?"

"You seem confident in yourself. This is an artifact of the old folks; what makes you think you can withstand it?"

"..."

Xu Chang’an obviously didn’t know if he could withstand it; he just didn’t want to get hammered.

"However, you’re right. This thing is indeed useless against your Sea of Consciousness," Zhu Pingniang muttered. "It’s impossible to erase your memory with it. I know this very well."

"?" Xu Chang’an asked, "Then..."

"I just..." Zhu Pingniang sighed softly. She held a giant hammer in one hand and gently clawed the air with the other towards Xu Chang’an. Her sharp nails seemed to emit waves of coldness as they brushed past Xu Chang’an’s neck, sending shivers down his spine.

"...just wanted to find an excuse to beat you up." Zhu Pingniang said calmly.

"Do I really have to say it out loud?"

Xu Chang’an: "..."

Although he had already guessed that Zhu Pingniang just wanted to vent by beating him up, when she actually said it, Xu Chang’an only felt unjustly wronged.

Reflecting on the past, he generally couldn’t think of any major mistakes he had made.

"Remember that Soul-Devouring Dagger?" Zhu Pingniang tilted her head, "I really wanted to stab you with it just now."

"Soul-Devouring Dagger." Xu Chang’an thought of the green dagger Zhu Pingniang had taken out earlier and nodded lightly, "That’s not a good name."

"Right?" Zhu Pingniang asked, "If you had known this name earlier, would you still have agreed to let me stab you?"

"That’s not really a problem." Xu Chang’an was puzzled and said, "I’m more curious to know... where did I go wrong?"

So far, he still didn’t know what he did to make Zhu Pingniang unhappy enough to want to beat him up.

As for how he would be beaten, Xu Chang’an was not concerned at all.

He just wanted to show a bit of resistance, after all, it’s only human nature.

"Tsk." Zhu Pingniang took a deep breath, and with a flash of silver light in her hand, she tossed the giant hammer into the void.

Rubbing her hands, Zhu Pingniang said dissatisfied, "You brat, you really are slippery. Do you think I, your sister, can’t bear to hit you?"

She certainly couldn’t bear it. She took out a hammer just to scare him, to see him afraid.

And Xu Chang’an really could tell what she was thinking. His appropriate level of fear towards the giant hammer just now made her very satisfied.

"It’s not that you can’t bear it." Xu Chang’an waved his hand uncomfortably, looking at a certain place outside the window, his face gentle. "It’s just that my wife is still in the city; you wouldn’t really want to embarrass me too much, would you, Ms. Zhu?"

"..." Zhu Pingniang’s eyebrows twitched as she slightly gritted her teeth, "You do see things clearly."

Of course, she would spare Xu Chang’an’s face in front of Yun Qian.

In her eyes, Xu Chang’an, who became a steward, was naturally of lower status than Yun Qian, so how could she let Xu Chang’an lose face in front of Yun Qian?

In fact, the things she usually did often included actions to maintain Xu Chang’an’s reputation.

Facing a young man she liked, one "Ms. Zhu," she felt no guilt hearing it.

"But," Zhu Pingniang looked at Xu Chang’an in surprise, "Now, you don’t call her Miss Yun anymore?"

The previous address of "my wife," though unfamiliar, at least showed his stance.

In the past, she indeed had resentment toward Yun Qian, because though they were clearly a married couple... Xu Chang’an always referred to her formally as "Miss," "Miss Yun" in public...

As an elder, Zhu Pingniang naturally couldn’t stand Yun Qian, just thinking that someone like Yun Qian, who besides being beautiful had nothing else, seized Xu Chang’an and still made him love so humbly.

Zhu Pingniang naturally thought Yun Qian was getting an undeserved advantage.

Which sister wants to see her brother being so humble that he can’t even call his wife by her name all day long?

But...

Now seeing Xu Chang’an changed the way he addressed her, it seems their relationship has made significant progress after they both started cultivating?

"Ms. Zhu." Xu Chang’an rubbed his forehead helplessly, "I’ve said it a long time ago, it’s I who am unworthy, not her... you just didn’t believe it back then."

"If you are unworthy, then there’s no one worthy in this world." Zhu Pingniang snorted and then said, "Even if that is true, Miss Yun hearing you always call her ’Miss’ and making no effort to correct it, she is not a very qualified wife either."

...

Xu Chang’an found that he couldn’t reason with women.

People who speak "bad things" about Yun Qian, he should be deeply annoyed, but were Zhu Pingniang’s words bad?

Of course not.

"So, now... have you guys made progress?" Zhu Pingniang obviously didn’t have the intention of breaking up the two; otherwise, she wouldn’t have maintained Xu Chang’an’s reputation.

In fact, at first glance, she thought these two were truly a match made in heaven.

She was probably the kind of person who loves pairing people up.

The occasional details shown by Xu Chang’an and Yun Qian were exactly what she wanted with Li Zhibai.

"Is it because there are more girls on the mountain now that some external stimulus has made Yun Qian feel threatened? I told you... that method is really effective..." Zhu Pingniang said and coughed.

For instance, the likings of a Liu Qingluo making Yun Qian feel pressured, she did think about it.

It’s just a pity for Qingluo, but that’s the child’s own choice, she wouldn’t interfere.

Xu Chang’an shook his head calmly, "Now she has joined the Celestial Bright Peak of the Chaoyun Sect, and Muyu Peak is full of women, as I am the steward of Muyu Peak, I must make her feel at ease."

The Yun Qian in his eyes seemed cold and emotionless, but in fact... she was a girl who was extremely insecure.

For example, she always liked to watch him quietly.

For example, she always hung on to him like Cyan Rattan on a tree, couldn’t sleep well without holding him or having her arms around his waist.

Besides, she clearly lacked stamina, yet always loved affection, loved being closest to him.

Every time Yun Qian lost her composure, it had something to do with him.

She was like a porcelain vase that had been shattered and glued back together; without proper care, she might break at any time.

Xu Chang’an being surrounded by women, if he referred to her as "Miss", "Miss Yun," how would he be perceived?

A husband who didn’t even dare to let the world know his wife’s status?

Of course, he wouldn’t do anything so foolish.

"..." Zhu Pingniang listened to Xu Chang’an’s words, feeling as if something had lightly scratched at her heart.

After a while, she smiled "amiably," and patted Xu Chang’an’s shoulder.

"So... it’s really not Miss Yun’s fault." Zhu Pingniang covered her face, "You little brat, you really won’t move forward until the whip lashes your head."

"She, a young noblewoman, ran away with you, giving up everything... yet you couldn’t even call her by a term of endearment? What a fool, I really feel like giving you a stab."

Indeed.

Xu Chang’an was even more unworthy than she thought.

Zhu Pingniang’s change of attitude was indeed so quick; after all, she was the elder sister, and she wouldn’t be biased toward either Xu Chang’an or his wife, only speaking according to the facts.

"One must always move forward." Xu Chang’an also knew he was in the wrong.

"However, you do take responsibility, knowing what to do and what not to do." Zhu Pingniang smiled at Xu Chang’an. "Don’t worry, you just keep calling your wife ’my wife,’ I’ll handle the rest, and Miss Yun won’t be affected by your bad reputation. If anyone dares speak ill of her... Hmm, there won’t be any bad words."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chang’an smiled.

As expected.

He was worried Yun Qian would be implicated by his reputation... Yet all these concerns, without needing him to say, Zhu Pingniang would think of, and would arrange everything well.

"What, you don’t believe me?" Zhu Pingniang sensed Xu Chang’an’s gaze and puffed out her chest.

"I believe." Xu Chang’an nodded, and with a sense of understanding, said, "After all, you’re someone who can wield a hammer."

If he still didn’t understand that Zhu Pingniang’s mention of the Demon Race’s Second Elder was intended to reassure him, then he would have lived in vain.

"Hmph, clever enough to be annoying, Xiaochang’an."

Xu Chang’an: "..."

Zhu Pingniang gently smoothed her hair at her chest, her eyebrows brimming with a smile.

She was really growing more fond of him.

In both appearance and temperament.

Suddenly, an image of Xu Chang’an calmly offering himself for her to stab flashed in Zhu Pingniang’s mind, that peaceful gaze... so similar to Ah Bai’s.

Both expressed helplessness at her actions.

But beyond helplessness was a deep trust.

The underlying passion was enough to melt the once like a snow plum Zhu Tongjun into snowmelt.

"Ah Bai mentioned you wanted a sword." Zhu Pingniang looked up at Xu Chang’an.

"I’m not happy."