After nine lifetimes of reincarnation, the yandere villainous heroine descends.

"really?"

The disbelief in Gu Qingran's eyes was blatant.

Why would I lie to you?

He gazed at the withered leaves falling in the corner of the courtyard, his tone as calm as still water.

"Besides, given my current state—with graying hair and frail health—even if she were to see me, she wouldn't mention marriage again."

"If she won't bring it up, I will."

Gu Qingran's voice suddenly rang out, soft yet clear.

Shen Shuchou was startled and looked down into her eyes.

He withdrew his gaze, his voice carrying a hint of authority, and said, "Stop talking nonsense. How can you joke about such things with your master?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingran stuck out her tongue angrily and let out a soft snort.

That touch of naivety mixed with the swordsman's agility is like a sword tassel covered in dew, both sharp and soft.

These words were like a pebble thrown into water; the air instantly became still, leaving only the soft rustling of the wind through the grass and trees.

Just a few seconds later, Gu Qingran spoke again softly, her voice gentler: "Master."

"Um."

Shen Shuchou deserves a lighter sentence.

"What if...what I just said is true?"

Just then, a breeze swept between the two of them, causing the stray hairs at her temples to flutter lightly and brightening the eyes that were looking at them.

The moment their eyes met, even the wind seemed to stop.

In the end, Shen Shuchou was the first to look away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see the disappointment in the girl's eyes when he interrupted her calmly: "It's time to practice your sword."

Gu Qingran pursed her lips, not saying a word, but gently propped herself up from his knees and slowly stood still.

The wind suddenly stopped!

Shen Shuchou's eyes were slightly closed as he sensed the sudden tension in the air beside him.

Her eyes, which had just been filled with disappointment, instantly lost all tenderness, leaving only a sharp glint like tempered iron, as if an invisible sword was being drawn from the depths of her eyes.

The next second, the wind suddenly exploded, not in an ordinary flow, but in a sharp whistling sound pulled by the sword intent.

Gu Qingran's figure suddenly flashed out, the wind stirred up by her clothes becoming the residual force of her sword.

Her hands were empty, yet she raised them and grasped at the void. The action was not a grasp, but rather a grasp of the sharp intent flowing between heaven and earth.

The moment their fingers clasped together, the surrounding wind seemed to freeze for a moment, before gently waving away.

A blinding sword light suddenly exploded out of thin air, and when it cleaved through the air, it produced a "clang" sound. Even the ground was scratched by this invisible sword energy.

Her movements gradually unfolded; when she turned her wrist, it was like a sword cutting through the wind; when she spun around, it was like a sword entwining the clouds. Her whole being was no longer practicing swordsmanship, but rather the sword itself displaying its sharpness.

The stronger the wind grew, the colder the light in her eyes became. The sword intent around her seemed to solidify, and even though there was no blade, every time she raised her hand, the air made a tearing "hissing" sound.

This is the way Shen Shuchou taught her: do not use iron as a sword, but flesh and blood as the sword's bones, the heart as the sword's heart, and the soul as the sword's blade.

Practicing swordsmanship is nurturing the sword; every flick of the sleeve is sharpening the blade, and every moment of concentration is tempering its edge.

There is no peak in swordsmanship, but a true swordsman never grasps the hilt, but rather the sharpness hidden in his bones and blood.

This sword technique was a unique method forged by Shen Shuchou by combining his cultivation from previous lives and using the power of the system.

Gu Qingran's innate talent for swordsmanship is precisely what allows this sword wielded by human form to develop a sharp edge that can shatter everything.

The wind finally died down, and the sword intent it carried receded like the tide, even the sharp sounds that lingered in the air gradually dissipated.

Shen Shuchou slowly opened his eyes, only to be suddenly confronted with a face that was inches away from his.

Their lips were only a finger's width apart, and the warm breath from the girl's nose gently brushed against his chin, making even the trembling curve of her eyelashes clearly visible.

Gu Qingran's brows furrowed with a hint of excited anticipation, her eyes still shining with the light she hadn't lost while practicing swordsmanship. She clearly looked like she was waiting for a word of praise from him.

But Shen Shuchou simply lowered his eyes, raised his hand and gently pushed her shoulder away, his fingertips touching the lingering scent of the wind on her clothes.

Without saying a word, he got up from the rocking chair, turned around, and walked towards the small house behind him.

Gu Qingran froze on the spot, her earlier excitement slowly subsiding, her hands hanging down quietly clenching.

She suddenly wondered if her sword wasn't good enough? Otherwise, why couldn't she even get a word of recognition?

Little did she know, Shen Shuchou simply wanted to distance himself from her.

"Your sword is very good."

The door was ajar, and his voice came through the wooden door, deliberately indifferent, "It's getting dark. If I don't cook, what will I eat?"

Gu Qingran suddenly looked up, her eyes instantly brightening again, her previous dejection completely gone.

She skipped to the front of the house, creating a gust of wind as she pushed open the door: "Master! Just how good is my sword?"

"Very good, that's settled."

"That....."

She leaned closer to the table, her eyes sparkling. "Can someone like me go and kill those forbidden creatures?"

Shen Shuchou was wiping the dust off the table when he heard this. He paused for a moment, then simply said, "Whatever."

Night fell as dark as ink, slowly spreading across the dome. Sparse moonlight spilled across the land. Gu Qingran, dressed in black, had long since disappeared into the darkness.

Shen Shuchou leaned against the window, his fingertips touching the cool windowpane, his face revealing no emotion, his gaze returning to the direction she had left.

Over the past four years, he taught her the art of using her body as a sword, gradually nurturing the sword hidden within her flesh and blood until it became sharp and piercing.

But he never let her get involved in any real combat. Even if she had exceptional talent, if she hadn't been tempered and hadn't been stained with blood, the sharpest sword would just be a decoration kept on a high shelf.

Now that her sword is sharp enough, ordinary taboos might not be able to stop it, so he is never worried about her.

What truly weighed on my mind was Tantai Chigu.

The forbidden blood that lay dormant within him had remained stagnant for four years, like still water, without a ripple.

He didn't even know where he was, and when he asked the system several times, all he got was a deathly silence.

Shen Shuchou gazed at the moon's shadow outside the window, exhaled softly, and silently curled his fingertips.

He clearly understood that something was still missing—a catalyst.

Until that opportunity arises, all he can do is wait patiently.

Gu Qingran stepped out of the small house, her figure moving swiftly southward like a fleeting shadow.

The Qingfeng Valley where she and Shen Shuchou lived was hidden in the lush folds of the southern region.

A hundred miles away, there seemed to be a forbidden land, which was the end of her journey.

The night wind tugged at her clothes; the journey of a hundred miles was but a cup of tea's time to her at this moment.

But the moment his foot touched the edge of the forbidden area, a furious roar, laced with blood and foam, suddenly erupted from the heavens: "Gu Jian! You dare kill me!"

Gu Qingran paused abruptly, her eyes darkening slightly. She immediately concealed her presence and disappeared into the shadows of the trees, looking up at the sky.

Under the moonlight, a figure in fine clothes staggered and flew away, bloodstains spreading like ink on his clothes. His face was twisted with shock and anger as he stared intently behind him, his roar startling the night birds into flight.

Immediately afterwards, another figure slowly approached, bathed in moonlight.

Clad in white, she resembled a celestial being descended to earth under the moon. The long, sharp sword in her hand gleamed with a chilling light. Her steps were light yet steady, as she walked through the void.

Upon seeing the man in white, Gu Qingran felt a sudden jolt of shock in her heart. The sword intent nurtured by her flesh and blood uncontrollably spread out in wisps, accompanied by a sharp sound of wind being cut.

The moment the sword intent spread, the white-clad man in the void suddenly turned his head.

Those eyes, which held the shadows of countless swords, pierced through the deep night, landing with the precision of a sharp arrow on Gu Qingran's face, hidden in the shadows.

The moment their eyes met, two completely different sword intents collided violently.

Her sword carried the sharpness of youth and the ferocity forged in blood and flesh, while his sword concealed the coldness of years and the weight of countless battles.

An invisible shockwave exploded in mid-air, even causing the moonlight to tremble slightly.

Gu Qingran's expression was cold and stern. Although she did not recognize this person, she could clearly sense the unfathomable depth hidden in the other's sword.

The moment Gu Jian saw her face clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he could hardly hide his shock.