CHAPTER 506: 0306 A WELL-MATCHED SWORD (2-IN-1)

Why does Zhu Pingniang have such a strange attitude towards him; gentle one moment, dangerous the next...

Xu Chang’an understood everything.

It turned out that Zhu Pingniang was jealous because she thought Li Zhibai had opened the Jade Dew Wine for him to drink, hence her look of wanting to devour someone.

Zhu Pingniang had her reasons too.

With her Ah Bai’s personality, having sifted through all the relationships around her, only Xu Chang’an could enter her "safe distance." Although the Sect Leader could too, Zhu Pingniang was very sure of one thing, which was that Shi Qingjun held an extremely high position in Li Zhibai’s heart.

If Shi Qingjun truly wanted to talk to her, how would Li Zhibai serve wine? Of course, she would serve clear tea.

So, after thinking it through, Zhu Pingniang couldn’t find a second person who could drink with Li Zhibai before her.

Who else could it be but Xu Chang’an?

Moreover, with Xu Chang’an returning to the Sword Hall this time and being recognized as a student by Li Zhibai, their relationship advanced rapidly...

Therefore, Zhu Pingniang was extremely certain that it was Xu Chang’an who drank Jade Dew Wine with Li Zhibai.

This matter was something she confirmed before Xu Chang’an had even come down the mountain—so from the start, before Zhu Pingniang saw Xu Chang’an, there was already a strong sense of jealousy in her heart.

Jealousy.

What was strange was that she was jealous on both sides.

The first time drinking with Li Zhibai, the first time drinking with Xu Chang’an; one was taken by Xu Chang’an, the other was snatched by Li Zhibai, and she got nothing.

Who would have thought both were people she liked, so she was jealous of both sides, a feeling quite peculiar.

Zhu Pingniang didn’t know if she could control her thoughts, that’s why she asked Xu Chang’an not to bring Yun Qian when they first met, because after all, with Yun Qian there, for the sake of Xu Chang’an’s face, she wouldn’t be able to speak out on many matters.

Also, because she carried jealousy from the start, she would get annoyed when Xu Chang’an sought Li Zhibai for a sword and not her...

Was she angry about the sword?

She was angry that the Golden Wind and Jade Dew had turned into the Chang’an and Ah Bai she brought up the mountain... Being excluded in this way, while unable to return to the mountain, made Zhu Pingniang want to hit someone.

Fortunately, when Liu Qingluo was brewing the wine, she only made the Jade Dew Wine for solitary drinking, it didn’t hold any connotation of a pair’s fateful connection, or else Zhu Pingniang might have had to drink two pounds of aged vinegar.

"..." Zhu Pingniang was sizing up Xu Chang’an, who was lowering his head and not speaking.

Hmm.

It always felt like... he seemed a bit guilty?

But it was normal, after all, she had laid it all out, so once Xu Chang’an knew her thoughts, he would naturally feel guilty about drinking with Li Zhibai making her jealous.

But luckily it was Xu Chang’an and not some other stranger outside.

Despite being jealous, Zhu Pingniang felt that Li Zhibai drinking with Xu Chang’an was a good thing, and she could accept it.

Emotionally speaking, she hoped that Li Zhibai, who usually didn’t drink, would first drink with someone she has a fondness for, rather than out of social obligation.

Rationally speaking, both Li Zhibai and Xu Chang’an had dispositions laid out there, and even if they drank love wine, they couldn’t develop any romantic feelings.

Even... with Ah Bai’s rigid personality of using a ruler to hit hands at any slight provocation.

Zhu Pingniang curled her lips.

That meal with Xu Chang’an, he probably drank uneasily.

"Hmm, it’s a good thing it’s you." Zhu Pingniang stretched lazily: "Drinking with you, even though I was a bit jealous, I’m still satisfied."

Xu Chang’an: "..."

He slightly raised his head and saw Zhu Pingniang looking at him with a tender expression, his fingers trembled slightly, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Indeed, Zhu Pingniang picked up that rapier and sighed: "Making me jealous but still wanting to give you a meeting gift... Tsk, but there’s no help for it, who told Chang’an you’re so likable."

Gently stroking the black and white fine lines on the sword’s scabbard, Zhu Pingniang reminisced, "Back then, when Ah Bai wanted to learn swordsmanship, I asked someone to melt down a weapon to make her a Spirit Sword, but unfortunately, it was too spirited, and without being driven by Sword Intent, it would be counterproductive, so I thought of giving it to her once she realized Sword Intent... but as you know, it was never gifted."

Zhu Pingniang sighed: "Who would’ve thought, she too had moments of fishing for three days and drying the net for two days, turning to focus on pill forging, if I could beat her, I would’ve sliced her pill furnace with a sword."

Xu Chang’an: "..."

He couldn’t help but glance at the rapier on the table. Although it was a rapier for women, he knew without thinking that it must be a good item.

"Later, I realized after achieving a higher level of cultivation that the Sword Dao was difficult to tread, and while feeling fortunate, I thought if ever Ah Bai had a disciple, I would gift it to her disciple." Zhu Pingniang tilted her head, "Who knew, later on... she rarely even stepped out the door, and I wondered if during those years, my overly indifferent and unreasonable behavior in matters outside her might have influenced her."

In those years, Li Zhibai was living in the Daoist Temple, in all aspects just like an ordinary girl... After all, Li Zhibai was also a young lady who liked to attend tea gatherings in her youth, otherwise, how could she have learned Dianzhuang?

Zhu Pingniang was entirely someone unable to express emotions, or you might say a stone-face lacking emotions completely.

Gradually, two closed-off individuals, one became enlightened and went to the brothel, the other simply became a homebody.

Zhu Pingniang’s changes now, undoubtedly, carried a sense of regret.

If she had been more lively in her youth, maybe Li Zhibai would be different in personality today.

"..."

Xu Chang’an continued quietly listening without a chance to speak.