Chapter 453: Jade-like Gentleman

Chapter 453: The Jade Young Master

Qi Dingtian had two sons and one daughter.

The daughter was Qi Qiaohui, Wei Ziyi’s mother.

As for the two sons, some called them the Qi Clan's Twin Heroes.

Others referred to them as Qi's Two Young Masters.

However, the latter seemed to specifically refer to Qi Shengxuan.

In truth, it was not so.

The reason for the title "Two Young Masters" was simply because both of them bore the suffix "Young Master" in their reputations when they roamed the *jianghu*.

The eldest, Qi Shengdao, was known in the *jianghu* as "Young Master Dao."

Qi Shengdao was exceptionally gifted. In his childhood, a Daoist priest once visited Tianqi City and happened to meet this "Young Master Dao." Observing his kind nature, the priest imparted to him an oral formula.

He instructed him to practice diligently before he left abruptly.

Though young, Qi Shengdao was not one to trust strangers blindly, so he told his father.

After carefully listening to the contents of the oral formula, Qi Dingtian also pressed him to practice rigorously without a single day of slacking.

Qi Shengdao then realized that these oral formulas must be extraordinary.

He immediately obeyed his father’s words and threw himself into intense training. After a year, his progress proved remarkable.

A year later, the Daoist priest passed through Tianqi City again and specifically sought out Qi Shengdao at the Qi residence.

Upon observing his progress, the priest gave a knowing smile and took Qi Shengdao to meet Qi Dingtian, proposing to take the eldest son as his disciple.

Qi Dingtian was not at all surprised, and the Daoist priest took it as a matter of course.

Thus, the young Qi Shengdao followed the Daoist priest and left.

He spent ten years away.

Upon his return to the *jianghu*, his debut feat was to single-handedly slay the Eighteen Sea Abyss Bandits, who had been plaguing the Southern Seas, armed with just his sword.

With this battle, he made his name, and people finally learned that the wandering Daoist from years past was actually a member of the Taixu Temple.

The Taixu Temple had once been renowned in the *jianghu*, but that was generations ago.

Traditionally, it was a single-lineage inheritance.

For nearly a century, it had vanished from *jianghu*.

The wandering Daoist was the current master of the Taixu Temple, but he disliked the conflicts of the *jianghu*, preferring to wander carefree.

Years ago, he had recognized Qi Shengdao’s exceptional aptitude to inherit the legacy of the Taixu Temple.

The oral formula he taught was a test.

And when Qi Dingtian saw those oral formulas back then, he had already discerned the Daoist's origins.

The two were of one mind from the start.

This is how Qi Shengdao, Young Master Dao of the martial world, came to be.

Young Master Dao often dresses as a Taoist, strikingly handsome in his youth with an air of refinement, truly living up to his name.

However, whether it was inheriting his master's temperament or due to the esoteric martial arts of Taixu Temple, he seldom stayed home, roaming freely as he pleased.

Though Qi Dingtian disapproved, he was powerless to stop it.

Fortunately, he had another son—Qi Shengxuan.

In contrast, the second young master of the Qi family, Qi Shengxuan, was entirely different from his elder brother.

While Young Master Dao followed his whims without overstepping bounds, Qi Shengxuan had been disciplined since childhood, every word and action measured and proper.

Precociously talented, he displayed remarkable talent early on.

Yet, for some reason, he perpetually lagged a step behind Qi Shengdao.

Even after Qi Shengdao left to train and returned with mastery, Qi Shengxuan lingered in his brother’s shadow.

It wasn’t until Qi Shengdao embarked on his wanderings that Qi Shengxuan, known in the martial world as Young Master Jade, truly revealed his capabilities.

Within the Qi family, he held the unwavering respect of every disciple, both inner and outer, who admired him without exception.

Outside, Young Master Jade’s reputation was even more extraordinary.

The feat most celebrated in legend was fifteen years ago, when he fought for three days and nights on the South Sea’s Forget-Worry Island, ultimately slaying a notorious demon who had wreaked havoc in the region.

Forget-Worry Island was no minor power in the South Sea.

It was a haven of vice and revelry, its Island Master unrivaled in martial prowess, with a strict rule against killing on the island.

Anyone who set foot on Forget-Worry Island was considered the Island Master’s guest.

Wealth bought any indulgence—except murder.

Yet, Young Master Jade not only slew his foe on the island but walked away unchallenged afterward.

The Island Master never once appeared, nor was there any pursuit of the matter.

To this day, the martial world still wonders how Young Master Jade accomplished this.

Some say he was a master of hidden depths, and the Island Master yielded without a fight.

But this theory rings hollow.

Forget-Worry Island carved out its own secluded dominion, and even the three major powers steered clear of crossing it.

Not for lack of strength to raze the island, but because the stakes weren’t worth the bloodshed—so they turned a blind eye.

However, this also shows that the Island Master's martial arts are absolutely extraordinary, someone even the three major powers think twice before crossing.

Thus, people could only speculate that the Island Master might have been wary of the Qi family's influence.

Not wanting to actually provoke the South Sea Alliance.

Later, someone, relying on the backing of the three major powers, made trouble on the island banking on this assumption, only to get their limbs chopped off by Wangyou Island's people and thrown into the sea.

The faction backing that person didn't make a peep, acting as if nothing had happened.

Only then did people realize that what Hero Su's power came from was not the Qi family's influence either.

But how he pulled this off remained a mystery to all.

Mysteries always get people talking, so even now, you'll still hear this story being told, but no one knows the truth.

......

......

These stories are no big secret.

Anyone on Tianqi Island could fill you in.

After all, they all involve the Qi family's showing off.

Thus, upon learning that Qi Shengxuan had come to visit, Su Mo didn't drag his feet and immediately had Fu Hanyuan invite him into the parlor.

After making themselves presentable with Yang Xiaoyun, they went out to meet the guest.

When they stepped out of the room, Xi Menhuai was still sitting in the courtyard, cooling his heels.

Shangguan Jingjing must be awake by now but remained unwilling to see him.

There was nothing anyone could do about it. After exchanging a glance with Yang Xiaoyun, Su Mo just shook their heads, and they entered the parlor.

There, they discovered that Qi Shengxuan had not come alone.

By his side was a young woman.

The girl was quite young, who looked a bit like Qi Shengxuan, with extremely bright, mischievous eyes.

Upon seeing Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun arrive, Qi Shengxuan immediately stood up and gave a martial salute:

"Hero Su, pardon the unexpected visit."

Su Mo laughed heartily:

"Senior, you're too kind. As a guest here, I should have visited you first.

"But yesterday, I heard you were not on Tianqi Island, so I gave up on the idea.

"Never did I expect you to come in person today—the discourtesy is mine.

"Please, have the honor seat."

After exchanging a few polite words, Su Mo introduced Yang Xiaoyun to Qi Shengxuan, and everyone took their seats as host and guests.

The young woman by Qi Shengxuan's side turned out to be his daughter, named Qi Nian.

Upon hearing that Hero Su from Dragonwood Island was currently staying at the Qi residence, she clamored noisily to come meet him.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun's expressions flickered slightly upon hearing this.

Even in his middle age, the Gentleman of Jade remained strikingly handsome.

His hair was immaculately tied up with a jade crown, and his three wisps of beard were perfectly aligned.

His countenance showed no trace of age.

Especially the hint of world-weariness in his eyes, which made one instinctively curious—what had this man experienced in his life?

This was a man who could still stir a woman’s heart even in his later years.

He truly lived up to the name "Gentleman of Jade."

However... rumor had it he’d never wed.

How’d he end up with such a grown daughter?

This was unexpected news, momentarily taking Hero Su by surprise.

But now he couldn’t afford to seem overly startled.

He simply nodded slightly and said with a smile,

"I never expected that my meager reputation from Dragonwood Island would attract so much attention. It truly humbles me."

"You jest, Hero Su!"

Qi Shengxuan spoke softly, his voice gentle:

"On Dragonwood Island, you held the line and saved so many brothers of the jianghu.

"Your deeds are truly admirable.

"At your age, I was still the wayward son of my family."

Su Mo shook his head at this, finding he couldn’t quite accept this.

Qi Shengxuan was no ordinary man. Even as a child, he displayed remarkable wisdom, knew his boundaries, and always yielded to others—this much was clear.

After bandying pleasantries and praise, the two engaged in casual conversation, making idle talk.

Meanwhile, Qi Nian, who had claimed to be very curious about Su Mo, lasted only a short while before growing restless.

She murmured something into Qi Shengxuan’s ear.

Qi Shengxuan knit his brows slightly:

"No."

Su Mo seized the moment to inquire,

"Is something the matter, Miss Qi?"

"Ah..."

Qi Shengxuan sighed. "The girl’s impatient by nature. She said she was in awe of Hero Su and wanted to come see you, but now she has no patience left. She wants to go sit in the courtyard instead..."

"Hahaha."

Su Mo laughed: "What’s so hard about that? Miss Qi, you’re free to go alone. Or, should I ask my wife to walk with you?"

"Ah?"

Qi Nian quickly waved her hands: "No, no, thank you, Hero Su. I... I’ll just wait by the door."

"Hmm."

Su Mo nodded: "That’s fine."

Hearing this, Qi Shengxuan finally nodded as well: "In that case, you may go, but mind your courtesy."

"Yes."

Qi Nian nodded in agreement, then apologized to Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun before turning to leave.

Qi Shengxuan watched his daughter’s departing figure and sighed deeply.

Su Mo’s mind stirred slightly, and he asked with a smile:

"Senior, what’s the sigh for?"

"Hero Su..."

Qi Shengxuan glanced at him and smiled: "No need to call me 'Senior.' If you respect me, just address me as 'Brother.'"

*Cough cough*...

Yang Xiaoyun, who had been drinking tea, choked and burst into coughing upon hearing this.

Su Mo was embarrassed.

Qi Shengxuan was Wei Ziyi’s uncle. If Su Mo called him "Brother," how would Wei Ziyi address him in the future?

However, though Qi Shengxuan’s tone was casual, his gaze was firm.

At this moment, Su Mo couldn’t exactly bring up Wei Ziyi’s matter.

Otherwise, Qi Shengxuan’s goal would be too easily met.

He just smiled and said: "In that case, as Brother Qi wishes."

He felt a bit amused too.

Qi Shengxuan laughed delightedly:

"Good man!"

Then he paused and sighed again:

"Just now, Brother Su asked why I sighed. It’s because seeing Nian’er walk away made me think of a relative."

"A relative?"

Su Mo pretended not to know.

Qi Shengxuan nodded lightly: "My big sister... She was about the same age as Nian'er when she left home. It's been decades since then, and I still don’t know where she is now, whether she’s alive or dead."

As he spoke, his eyes fixed intently on Su Mo.

Su Mo looked slightly puzzled:

"What's the story there?"

"Well, it's complicated..."

Qi Shengxuan seemed somewhat disappointed at not finding anything in Su Mo’s gaze. After a brief pause to compose himself, he continued softly:

"Dad had three kids.

"But our personalities couldn't have been more different...

"My eldest brother was a wild child from the start, while I was naturally reserved.

"My sister, though she appeared to be a prim and proper lady, was actually extremely curious about the outside world from a young age. She often did outrageous stunts that left my brother and me both amazed and terrified."

Seeing this, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun couldn’t help but lean in closer to listen carefully.

Hua Qianyu gossip didn't come around often—once missed, it might never come again.

"Among the three of us, back then, the best fighter was my sister.

"Since childhood, I caught plenty of beatings from her.

"So much so that I often avoided her, afraid she would make up some reason to whoop me if she was even slightly displeased.

"Especially after my eldest brother left to train elsewhere, my life became even more downright terrifying.

"I was constantly afraid that my sister who didn't know her own strength might one day accidentally go too far and pound me into the ground."

As he spoke, Qi Shengxuan’s face showed no trace of fear.

Instead, it was wearing a soft smile.

His eyes were full of nostalgia, and he was about to continue when a ruckus broke out in the courtyard.

The noise made Qi Shengxuan’s expression freeze momentarily. He stuck his head out, startled, then glanced at Su Mo:

"The hell's going on?"

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun, hearing the disturbance, knew it was Shangguan Jingjing making her appearance.

Xi Menhuai had been cooling his heels all this time, but now, just as Wei Ziyi had said, forgiveness didn't seem likely.

As they were thinking this, a fight suddenly broke out outside.

At this point, the three of them could no longer just sit around shooting the breeze. They had to stand up and go out to see what was happening.

In the courtyard, Xi Menhuai and Shangguan Jingjing were going at it.

As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the harsher the blame.

Shangguan Jingjing had been head over heels for Xi Menhuai, not caring who knew it.

But yesterday, Xi Menhuai’s flying off the handle had completely broken her heart.

When Xi Menhuai came to apologize, she refused to accept it. The more he pushed, the angrier she got.

She hadn't wanted to see him in the first place, but he refused to leave.

With no other option, she finally opened the door.

Yet no matter how much Xi Menhuai groveled, all that filled Shangguan Jingjing's mind were the images of him storming out the day before and his icy words about "having things his way."

Just seeing him now made her blood boil. All she wanted was for him to disappear, to make him leave at once.

But how could Xi Menhuai agree?

He felt that if he left now, there would truly be no hope left.

Blinded by desperation, he moved to grab Shangguan Jingjing in a hug.

Like hell she would accept that!

Enraged, she lashed out without thinking.

All her bottled-up rage exploded at once, launching into a furious attack on Xi Menhuai.

Xi Menhuai kept holding back, still hoping to apologize, but she wasn't having any of it now.

In an instant, blows came fast and furious, driving Xi Menhuai back step by step.

"Jingjing, please listen to me!"

Xi Menhuai begged between dodging blows.

"What is there left to say now?"

Shangguan Jingjing lashed out in anger. "I gave you my whole heart, yet you accused me of being involved with Eldest Brother Su.

"You... you treated me like I was nothing—when have you ever truly seen me?

"Why bother with this act now?"

As they fought, their exchange grew more heated.

Wei Ziyi, Zhen Xiaoxiao, Cheng Suying, and Duan Renjie stood by, not knowing whether to step in.

For a moment, they just looked at each other helplessly.

Meanwhile, Qi Nian's gaze lingered on Wei Ziyi, giving her a thorough once-over.

Qi Shengxuan was completely lost. He had only returned that morning and, after a brief talk with Qi Dingtian, hurried here.

He knew nothing about the conflict between Xi Menhuai and Shangguan Jingjing.

Su Mo had no choice but to briefly explain the situation to him.

After hearing it, Qi Shengxuan's expression turned peculiar.

Su Mo glanced up and noticed what looked like... envy flickering across his face?

What could he possibly be envious of?

Just as he was wondering, a muffled grunt sounded—Shangguan Jingjing had broken through Xi Menhuai's defense, clawing bloody streaks across his chest and leaving three bloody gashes.

As the saying goes, a constant defense will always fail. Their martial arts skills were evenly matched to begin with.

Xi Menhuai kept retreating—how could he not eventually lose?

Now, as he stumbled backward, his face was filled with shock and disbelief:

"Jingjing... you, do you really want to kill me?"

"I..."

Shangguan Jingjing lowered her head and looked at the blood on her fingertips; regret instantly flooded her heart.

Though she'd pulled her punches, her fury had clouded her judgment, and in the heat of the moment, one wrong move had left her mind reeling.

She wanted to check Xi Menhuai's injuries, but then she recalled his cold indifference toward her.

Unable to forgive him so easily, she froze where she stood.

Xi Menhuai wore a look of sorrow as he struggled to rise from the ground. He gazed blankly at Shangguan Jingjing before letting out a long sigh:

"Jingjing, if you hate me this much...

"Then... I'll leave.

"Just... take care of yourself from now on.

"I... I..."

His voice broke. Turning away, he clutched his chest and staggered away.

Shangguan Jingjing watched his desolate figure, her heart clenched with pain. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Only when Xi Menhuai had disappeared through the gate did she collapse in a stumble to the ground.

Yang Xiaoyun, Wei Ziyi, and the others quickly gathered around Shangguan Jingjing, murmuring words of comfort.

Su Mo, meanwhile, could only rub his temples, exasperated.

What a mess this was!

He wondered if Xi Menhuai, after this ordeal, might go white overnight and someday end up with the infamous title of "White-Haired Demon" in the martial world.

As he mused, Qi Shengxuan suddenly clasped his hands and said:

"Brother Su, I just remembered there's something I need to attend to.

"I'll catch up with you later. For now, I must take my leave."

Without waiting for a reply, he beat a hasty retreat...

And when it was said he "beat a hasty retreat," it was because he didn't even take his own daughter with him.

Qi Nian, who had been watching the drama unfold, blinked her wide eyes in utter bewilderment.

Huh... now what was she supposed to do?