Chapter 3: The Cudgel

The woman who was as stunning as an entire city slowly approached, releasing a chilling aura that made Xu Yuan feel as though he was in an ice cellar.

In this life-and-death moment, Xu Yuan's thoughts were crystal clear.

His words had already been spoken, and regret was of no use now; even if he had to cry, he had no choice but to brace himself and continue the act.

Under the oppressive aura of Ran Qingmo, Xu Yuan slowly let go of the wooden pillar beside him, steadied himself, and looked squarely at the other with gritted teeth:

"Mr. Ran, you seem quite surprised?"

"...." Ran Qingmo.

Xu Yuan, facing the pressure, cracked a slight smile:

"Indeed, how could my father let a failure like me know such high-level secrets?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan's narrow phoenix eyes slightly squinted:

"But Mr. Ran, compared to being the third son of my father, I'm more curious about how a disciple of the Sword Sect came to know these secrets?"

"......"

The air inside the temple seemed to become as still as death in an instant.

The only people who could know this were this body's old father and his most trusted confidants, the implication behind Xu Yuan's words could not be more clear.

Ran Qingmo stared intently at the noble son before her, the darkness of the rainy night did nothing to obscure her gaze, as she spoke deliberately:

"What do you mean by this?"

As she spoke, she stopped in her tracks, her sword blade slightly lowering.

Feeling the mountainous ice-cold pressure on him suddenly relent, Xu Yuan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

The stimulation of nearing death made Xu Yuan let go of many reservations; he absolutely could not show weakness now.

"What do I mean?"

He slowly began to move, circling Ran Qingmo with interest in the darkness, his eyes sweeping over her graceful figure, his tone becoming gradually heavier:

"Publicly, the nation of Dayan has thrived for over thirteen hundred years, and the Tianyuan Sword Sect was established alongside its founding. Each generation's leader has served as the State Preceptor of Dayan, with the current leader honored as the martial arts master to the Crown Prince. The fortunes of the Sword Sect and Dayan are intertwined, both flourishing and suffering together."

"Privately, my father and Mr. Ran's master have been close friends for decades."

"Yet, Mr. Ran, being a disciple of the current head of the Sword Sect, it makes me curious who could have convinced you to believe that my father would act against the Sword Sect. Is not such a point difficult to comprehend?"

"....."

Listening to his words, Ran Qingmo's grip on her sword tightened slightly.

She felt that the man in front of her had changed.

Since he had woken from unconsciousness, he seemed like a different person.

The subtle sensation of qi allowed her to detect that the calm-faced Third Young Master's heart was pounding rapidly; his inner turmoil was far greater than his composed exterior suggested.

But when the well-known rumors were no longer reliable, she couldn't be sure just how much Xu Yuan really knew or what cards he had to play.

Seeing the silent Big Ice Lump standing in place, Xu Yuan's mind gradually calmed down.

His steps shifted suddenly as he directly approached the woman dressed in black, locking gazes with her.

Under Ran Qingmo's watchful eyes, the man stood one meter in front of her, looking down at her:

"Mr. Ran, put away your sword."

Ran Qingmo's indifferent gaze met his, and she could feel his heartbeat gradually settling.

But then,

She saw the man in front of her smile, bow slightly in front of her, lift two fingers to grasp her dangling sword blade, and lift it bit by bit, moving it to his unprotected neck.

With the blade at his throat, he looked into her eyes:

"If you won't put it away, then Mr. Ran, go ahead and kill me?"

Being familiar with the plot of Cangyuan Chronicles, Xu Yuan was certain the woman before him would not take his life.

As soon as he'd finished speaking, Ran Qingmo's hand on the hilt tightened, and the blade pressed against his neck emitted a humming sound.

A massive surge of killing intent came over him,

For a moment, Xu Yuan envisioned his head flying high.

But the next instant, the illusion vanished, and the woman was still standing with her sword, while his head was still in place.

The brush with death caused Xu Yuan's eyes to widen slightly; having lived in a peaceful era, he had never seen such a display before, and the death aura she emitted for a moment made his legs go weak.

Even if she was overwhelming him with just her presence, the mere act of releasing killing intent also indicated she truly wouldn't kill him at this point in time.

Xu Yuan stared at her, repeating each word deliberately:

"Mr. Ran, a threat that cannot be carried out is nothing but a joke. Put away your sword, let's talk. I can help you."

The cold wind was cutting, and the sword blade against his throat was genuinely cold.

Xu Yuan had no system or grandfather to rely on; as an ordinary man in the body of the Third Young Master, his familiarity with the plot and characters of Cangyuan Chronicles was his greatest asset, yet that very asset was also a death sentence.

In the Cangyuan Chronicles plot, the Third Young Master from the prime minister's family met a tragic end, with a certain death in every world line.

To survive, Xu Yuan had to act early, he had to take some gambles.

Ran Qingmo's eyes slightly dropped, pondering something, but indeed, she sheathed her sword.

The sword danced a flower in the dark, after a ripple of azure light, it was sheathed with a clang.

Very cool.

Xu Yuan subconsciously touched his own neck.

Um... His head was still there, with no blood seam or the like.

Ran Qingmo glanced at Xu Yuan's action strangely.

Xu Yuan gave her a slight smile, silently preparing his words.

But the next moment,

Xu Yuan's smile stiffened.

Ran Qingmo had put away her sword blade and silently picked up the thick, long wooden stick from the ground, holding it in her hand.

"......" Xu Yuan.

His pupils narrowed slightly, and he hurriedly opened his mouth to say something:

"Wait....."

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, before he could finish his sentence, Xu Yuan fell straight down.