"Great Old Master, there are many people here. Why don't we return to the ship to drink and chat, and by the way, allow us to treat you to some fine wine and delicacies from our Eternal Life Pavilion."
"Oh, that sounds splendid. Let's not just stand around then, let's go."
Seeing Gu Qingfeng agree so readily, Immortal Li Xin was secretly delighted. Without further hesitation, she immediately invited Gu Qingfeng to board the Xuantian Vessel.
"Senior Aunt, please don't force the issue, alright?"
Upper Immortal Qingqing sent a secret voice transmission to Immortal Li Xin. She knew her senior aunt well and was clear that once Li Xin brought Gu Qingfeng onto the ship, she would definitely try every means to get the Lingyu Sword back from him.
Although Upper Immortal Qingqing was also very reluctant to part with the Lingyu Sword, she understood even more clearly that the sword had been waiting for its master all along. To encounter its master here today, she was genuinely happy for the Lingyu Sword. Especially feeling the bursts of joyful sword songs emanating from the Lingyu Sword in Gu Qingfeng's hands, Upper Immortal Qingqing felt that no matter how reluctant she was inside, as long as the Lingyu Sword could return to its master's hands, it was all worth it.
Moreover.
Upper Immortal Qingqing understood better than anyone that even if the Lingyu Sword's master were truly willing to give the sword to her, the sword itself might not be willing to continue following her.
Before its master appeared, she hadn't even been able to awaken it.
Now that its master had appeared, how could it be willing to remain by her side?
Most importantly.
Upper Immortal Qingqing was kind-hearted. She couldn't bring herself to do it, nor could she bear to let the Lingyu Sword be separated from its master again.
Having been able to nurture the Lingyu Sword for several centuries, Upper Immortal Qingqing was already content in her heart. She didn't dare hope to continue nurturing it. In fact, when she witnessed the Lingyu Sword erupt with infinite profound transformations earlier, she felt she simply wasn't qualified, nor did she deserve to be the Lingyu Sword's master.
After she conveyed her inner thoughts to Immortal Li Xin, not only did Li Xin not heed her advice, she even called her foolish.
"You've nurtured the Lingyu Sword for so many years. You should know better than anyone that the existence of the Lingyu Sword is absolutely an extraordinary sword. And judging from the infinite profundity it displayed earlier, I dare say the power of this sword is already beyond our comprehension. Let me put it this way: if you miss the Lingyu Sword today, you might regret it for the rest of your life. And in the future, it will be very difficult to encounter another immortal sword as profound as the Lingyu Sword."
Immortal Li Xin's secret transmission came. Upper Immortal Qingqing responded, "I know... but..." Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Li Xin: "No 'buts'. As for whether this Great Old Master will demand the sword back, or whether the Lingyu Sword's spirit is willing to continue following you, that's not something you should worry about. If this Great Old Master is willing to make an exchange with us today, that would be for the best. If he's unwilling, we won't force the issue either."
"Do you think opportunities just fall from the sky?
No!
Any opportunity must be fought for. Even if we fail in the end, at least we tried, we made an effort, and we won't regret it in the future."
"Also, whether this Lingyu Sword was really forged by this fellow, we still can't be one hundred percent sure. Even though it seems likely, we don't have concrete evidence yet, do we?"
"Senior Aunt Li Xin, I'm certain the Lingyu Sword was forged by him. Although this fellow seems mysterious and unknown, and is a bit eccentric... the feeling the Lingyu Sword gives me doesn't lie."
"Fine, even if he really did forge it, I proposed exchanging it for other treasures. He hasn't refused yet, hasn't even mentioned demanding the Lingyu Sword back, and you're already giving up. I say, girl, aren't you being a bit too foolish?"
"I..." Upper Immortal Qingqing felt like crying but had no tears.
"Of course, Senior Aunt inviting him for a drink isn't solely to help you get the Lingyu Sword back."
"What else are you planning?"
"As you said yourself, this fellow is mysterious and unknown, eccentric and strange. Doesn't that pique your senior aunt's curiosity?"
"Senior Aunt, I advise you not to do anything foolish. Although I can't see through this Great Old Master, the mere fact that he could forge an immortal sword as profoundly mysterious as the Lingyu Sword is enough to show his existence is not something we can afford to provoke."
"Nonsense! Such a simple principle, even you understand it. Do you think your senior aunt doesn't? Do you think I'm as ignorant as those hangers-on behind you? Mentioning those little good-for-nothings makes me angry. You, girl, really can't be a bit more forceful? Just tell them to get lost outright..."
Mentioning Mo Baiyu and the others, Upper Immortal Qingqing also felt helpless.
She had long made it clear she wasn't looking for any immortal fate or Dao Companion.
She had also repeatedly told them she hoped they wouldn't continue following her.
Unfortunately.
No matter how explicitly she stated it, or how many times she informed them.
Those people continued to fawn over her as before, continued to follow her as before.
It wasn't that she hadn't considered being more forceful in her tone and attitude, as Immortal Li Xin suggested.
It was just that she was gentle by nature, kind-hearted at her core, and truly couldn't bring herself to say words telling people to get lost, nor could she bear to hurt others' feelings.
Over here.
Immortal Li Xin, Old Lady Jin Hua, and their group led Gu Qingfeng and Huode onto that exquisite large ship belonging to Upper Immortal Qingqing.
In the distance.
Watching this scene.
The expressions of Mo Baiyu, Fuying, Mu Feng, Yun Zhou, and the others were as awkward as could be, their faces as embarrassed as could be.
They had all shamelessly stepped forward earlier for Upper Immortal Qingqing's sake, but not only had they failed to curry favor with her, they had even been scolded by Immortal Li Xin. Now, Immortal Li Xin was taking Gu Qingfeng back to her own large ship, and it was specifically to invite him for a drink, while leaving them all here.
How could this not be awkward, how could this not be embarrassing for them, who adored Upper Immortal Qingqing?
How could their faces, as those who bore the Mandate of the Immortal Dao, possibly be saved?
Especially Mo Baiyu.
Before coming, he had originally planned to use this opportunity to let the show-off Yuanwu teach Gu Qingfeng a harsh lesson. He never expected that after arriving here, not only had they failed to teach Gu Qingfeng a lesson, but Yuanwu had been beaten until he was covered in blood. What was even more unexpected was that this fellow was actually the former master of Upper Immortal Qingqing's Lingyu Sword?
No matter what, Mo Baiyu couldn't believe it. To be precise, it wasn't that he didn't believe it, but that he couldn't accept it.
He couldn't accept that he, an Upper Immortal bearing the Mandate of the Immortal Dao, who had pursued Upper Immortal Qingqing across thousands of miles, who had jumped through hoops for so long to please her, who was willing to give up everything and sacrifice everything just to win her favor... in the end, had lost to a fellow who had no cultivation to speak of, no opportunities to speak of, who had nothing at all. What was most intolerable for Mo Baiyu was that this fellow was not only slovenly and disrespectful in speech, but from the beginning had just been sipping his little wine, barely saying a few words.
Yet it was precisely such a person whom Upper Immortal Qingqing respectfully addressed as Great Old Master, and who was now being invited onto the ship to share fine wine.
He had pursued Upper Immortal Qingqing for so long, and to this day, he had never had the chance to share fine wine with her.