Volume One: The Sword of the Son of Heaven Chapter 38: Who Do You Think You Are

Swordmaster—the head of the Sword Palace.

Each of the four academies had an elder in charge, but the Swordmaster ruled over the entire Sword Palace.

The gentle woman before them was none other than Qin Shangzhang, the Swordmaster of the Yan Kingdom’s Sword Palace, and a formidable cultivator who had formed her Core.

Landing at the foot of the mountain, Qin Shangzhang gave a slight nod and asked, “Were there any casualties?”

Her voice was as soft and pleasant as a spring breeze.

Mu Qingyao briefly summarized the situation.

Upon hearing of a seventh-tier tree demon, the Swordmaster showed no surprise whatsoever. Only the sleeves of her long robe began to billow, and the air around them turned razor-sharp, as if countless invisible swords and blades filled the space.

Yun Que felt this most directly: the gentle breeze now stung like knives.

The wind brushing his face felt as though tiny blades were slicing his skin—not enough to draw blood, but sharp enough to hurt.

What a terrifying sword intent!

Yun Que was inwardly awed. As expected, someone who could become Swordmaster was anything but ordinary.

He stood beside Mu Qingyao, almost shoulder to shoulder, making no effort to distance himself.

Just after Mu Qingyao finished her account, the South Academy’s Elder Quan Yu gave a cold snort, and Yun Que was suddenly buffeted backward by a fierce gust of wind.

“Shameless! How disgraceful to appear before everyone in such a state!”

Having pushed Yun Que away with her spiritual energy, Quan Yu then beckoned to her beloved disciple, saying,

“Qingyao, come here. You mustn’t associate with just anyone, especially men. Most have ulterior motives. You must always be on guard.”

This South Academy elder was like a resentful shrew. She doted on Mu Qingyao but never spared a glance for other disciples. Especially those like Yun Que—a mere sword servant, not worthy of her notice and openly scorned.

Beside them, Gu Zhaoyang lifted his head to gaze at the sky, pretending he’d heard nothing. The elders of the Sword Palace were long used to Quan Yu’s ways and no longer found them strange.

Yun Que hadn’t expected Quan Yu to act so suddenly; caught off guard, he stumbled toward the rocks behind him.

A hard fall would have left him bloodied at best.

A flash of sword-light—rather than going to her master, Mu Qingyao used her sword-escape technique to reach Yun Que and steady him.

They stopped just short of the rocks, startled but unharmed.

Quan Yu’s expression changed instantly, a flicker of murderous intent in her eyes.

“Qingyao, do you disobey your master’s command?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Mu Qingyao bowed her head and apologized.

“You’re still young and ignorant, so I’ll let it pass,” Quan Yu said coldly, cutting her gaze to Yun Que. “I don’t care which academy you serve as a sword servant. From this moment, leave the Sword Palace. If I see you again, you’ll die without mercy!”

How domineering!

Drawing on her experience, Quan Yu realized Mu Qingyao might be developing feelings. She would not allow her most prized disciple to fall in love so young, much less let the South Academy’s top sword heir take a fancy to a man with no prospects—a lowly sword servant.

So, Quan Yu would cut this off at the root, snuffing out the budding affection before it grew.

As a master, her indulgence was understandable. But as the target of her wrath, Yun Que found it wholly unacceptable.

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Before Mu Qingyao could explain, Yun Que stepped forward, pointed at Quan Yu, and asked,

“May I ask, are you the Swordmaster of the Sword Palace?”

In front of Qin Shangzhang, to ask Quan Yu if she was Swordmaster—suddenly, the atmosphere grew awkward and tense.

Gu Zhaoyang gave a short laugh, hands clasped behind his back, watching the spectacle.

Qin Shangzhang smiled faintly, her gaze showing a hint of interest. This ragged, half-dressed sword servant dared to talk back to the South Academy’s elder—something even the Swordmaster found novel.

Quan Yu glared, voice sharp as a whip, “Of course not!”

“Well, if you’re not the Swordmaster, what right do you have to expel me?” Yun Que continued, unruffled.

“I am Elder of the South Academy! To expel a lowly sword servant—what’s wrong with that?” Quan Yu’s tone was icy.

“It’s absolutely wrong!”

Yun Que rolled up sleeves he didn’t have, lifted his chin, and declared, “I am the personal disciple of Yin Tianxiao, Elder of the North Academy—a true member of the Sword Palace. To expel me? Who do you think you are?”

That single retort left Quan Yu speechless, her face turning alternately pale and livid.

She was the South Academy elder, yet here she was, threatening to expel the North Academy Elder’s personal disciple. If word got out, she’d be the laughingstock of the entire palace.

“Hahaha! Ah, what a hot day…” Gu Zhaoyang couldn’t hold back his laughter. When Quan Yu glared at him, he quickly turned away, pretending to admire the scenery.

“Nonsense!” Quan Yu narrowed her eyes, demanding, “You? Yin Tianxiao’s disciple? Yin Tianxiao has been in closed life-or-death retreat for years—where would a new disciple come from? How dare you impersonate a core disciple in front of an elder? What’s your game?”

“If you don’t believe me, let’s make a bet. If I’m an impostor, you can kill me. But if I truly am Yin Tianxiao’s disciple, you owe me ten thousand spirit stones. Do you dare?” Yun Que challenged her.

“I—” Quan Yu swallowed her anger, not answering.

Ten thousand spirit stones! Even Core Formation cultivators might not have that much. If she lost, with the Swordmaster and East Academy Elder present, she couldn’t back out.

“Fine, even if you are Yin Tianxiao’s disciple, you’re still just a sword servant. How dare you climb the mountain to seek treasures! If he took in such an unruly disciple, if it were me, I’d be angered to death!”

Quan Yu’s voice was sharp and contemptuous, refusing to yield.

At that moment, Zhou Yuanliang, Wu Dachuan, and the others finally reached the foot of the mountain. Seeing Quan Yu, they hurried to pay their respects.

Apart from Wu Dachuan and Luo Xiaoyu, the rest were all South Academy disciples. To them, seeing their master was like seeing family; many of the girls burst into tears.

Quan Yu’s face darkened at the sight of her disciples so battered and with several missing.

She’d just accused Yun Que of being reckless, but now her cherished disciples had returned defeated and grievously wounded—was that not the same?

Yet Quan Yu had no idea that humiliation still awaited her.

“Elder Quan, with all due respect, if my master were angered to death by a headstrong disciple like me, then you should end your life here and now—for it was I who saved all these cherished disciples of yours.”

At Yun Que’s words, not only was Quan Yu stunned, but even Qin Shangzhang and Gu Zhaoyang looked at him in surprise.

A sword servant had saved so many core disciples?

How could that be?

Zhou Yuanliang spoke up, “Master, when we were trapped on the mountain, it was Yun Que who rescued us. Without him, none of us would have survived.”

Wu Dachuan and Luo Xiaoyu nodded vigorously; with so many elders present, neither dared to say more.

“He, a sword servant, saved all of you?” Quan Yu was incredulous.

This time, before Zhou Yuanliang could reply, Mu Qingyao answered respectfully, “Master, I too was saved by Yun Que.”

“What? He saved even you?”

Quan Yu’s eyes widened in shock.

She could never have imagined that her most prized personal disciple, the South Academy’s top sword heir, would owe her life to an unknown sword servant.

It was beyond belief.

Yet, as hard as it was to accept, Quan Yu knew Mu Qingyao would not lie, and there were so many witnesses.

So the boy had simply stumbled into good fortune, accidentally saving the South Academy disciples—so she consoled herself.

The more she looked at Yun Que, the more vexed and disgusted she became, but she had nowhere to vent her anger; her eyelids twitched, her vision swam with rage.

When she finally regained her composure, Quan Yu said coldly,

“Thank you, then. Promising youth indeed—Yin Tianxiao truly found a good disciple. But let’s be clear: though you saved Qingyao, you are not to have any further contact with her. Your connection ends here. Do not delude yourself.”

She added with venom, “A girl like Qingyao, blessed by the heavens, is not for a mere sword servant like you. Mark my words—even if I had to marry her to a toad, I’d never give her to you!”

Finally, Quan Yu felt she’d regained some dignity, and sneered.

Yun Que let out a derisive laugh.

“Sorry to disappoint you, Elder Quan, but aside from me, Mu Qingyao will marry no one.”

“My disciple is mine to decide! Who do you think you are?” Quan Yu shrieked.

“I’m nobody special—just her fiancé, that’s all,” Yun Que replied with a gentle smile.

When Mu Qingyao nodded in confirmation, the South Academy’s elder stood as if struck by lightning, motionless as a statue.

She hadn’t fought a single round, yet Quan Yu felt as though she’d been beaten senseless—her face burning as if it had been thoroughly slapped.