Chapter 169: Legacy of the Sword Heart (15)

Ji Liushuang's scrutiny lasted only a few seconds before she turned away.

Over the next few minutes, however, Fu Qian noticed that every member of the Sword Comprehension Institute who had grasped sword intent turned to look at him.

Their movements were perfectly natural—like casually glancing around after listening to a long lecture. There was nothing visibly amiss.

Even their expressions were relaxed and leisurely.

Under normal circumstances, no one would notice a thing.

Yet from Fu Qian's current perspective, the scene was steeped in an overwhelming sense of the bizarre.

Did it notice?

If my guess is right and the Legacy of the Sword Heart is a special conceptual entity, my actions just now were equivalent to observing it.

The instant I became aware of it, it became aware of that fact.

Like a beast in the shadows, my observation threatened it, so it set its sights on me.

"You're quite famous, aren't you?"

Lanaya leaned her bright red lips close to Fu Qian's ear and giggled.

"Quite a few people are sneaking glances at you."

With Lanaya's sharp eyes, the behavior of the Sword Comprehension Institute members naturally didn't escape her notice.

To her, however, the group had merely heard of Fu Qian's exploits and were subtly observing him. She read nothing more into it.

"Peaches and plums do not speak, yet a path forms naturally beneath them."

Fu Qian replied casually while his mind raced.

In truth, Fu Qian couldn't sense much malice from their scrutiny.

In their own minds, it felt like they really were just taking a casual glance.

They were still themselves; their minds hadn't been obliterated by some great entity.

But combined, these individual actions felt intensely sinister.

Is it observing me through them?

Then what if I make it impossible to observe me?

A sudden thought popped into Fu Qian's mind.

Glancing around, he took two casual steps, slipping behind the crowd while completely concealing his aura.

The audience was large today, making it easy to find a spot that blocked him from view.

"What's wrong?"

Lanaya was visibly puzzled by his strange behavior.

She subconsciously followed him behind the crowd, frowning as she asked.

"Shh!"

Fu Qian made a hushing gesture, signaling her to stay quiet.

Lanaya shook her head helplessly, ignored his weird antics, and looked back up to continue listening to the lecture.

The very next moment, however, she let out a sudden gasp of surprise.

She wasn't the only one; many others shared the exact same reaction.

Within the sword formation, Ji Liushuang, who had been sitting in the center, gracefully stood up, parted the crowd, and walked out.

This undoubtedly drew the audience's gaze, yet Ji Liushuang ignored everyone's greetings and made no eye contact.

Under the crowd's watchful eyes, the genius girl walked completely out of the sword formation, passed through the dense wall of people, and sought out Fu Qian.

"I've thought it through."

She took a deep breath, her tone resolute.

"I will go with you to the Apocalypse Branch."

Though her voice was low, it was perfectly clear.

Her actions had already drawn attention, and everyone nearby had been holding their breath to see what she would do.

When she finally spoke, the crowd couldn't believe their ears.

Beside him, Lanaya stood dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open.

Are you kidding me?!

You've already comprehended sword intent and are a genius handpicked by a Demigod. Why on earth are you running off to Apocalypse?

"Oh?"

Equally the center of attention, Fu Qian scrutinized Ji Liushuang as she made this sudden declaration.

Resentment, determination... at this moment, there was even a deeply hidden trace of expectation in her eyes.

Could this be... the look of someone staring at the biological father who abandoned them?

A sudden headache struck Fu Qian.

As for transferring to the Apocalypse Branch, he had merely mentioned it in passing. Based on his understanding of Ji Liushuang, he never expected her to actually agree.

And yet here she was, seemingly having convinced herself and treating him like the father she had never met.

She was even willing to give up everything at the Sword Comprehension Institute just to stay by his side.

Given the girl's intelligence, she shouldn't have been duped this thoroughly by the nonsense he'd spouted earlier.

Not to mention the resentment she likely harbored.

Was it "it"?

In order to keep me under constant observation, did "it" make Ji Liushuang convince herself and accept me as her father? Did it make her do so without ever questioning whether it was her own genuine thought?

Is this a reaction to me hiding myself?

Simple and crude. It really is like an animal acting on instinct.

"Liushuang, what's wrong with you?!"

Before Fu Qian could even speak, Jian Jingzheng had the strongest reaction.

He had been staring intently at Ji Liushuang the moment she stood up, and upon hearing her words, he practically jumped into the air.

Striding forward, Jian Jingzheng forced himself between Fu Qian and Ji Liushuang, his voice laced with exasperation.

"Have you lost your mind? Why are you going to the Apocalypse Branch?"

The next moment, he suddenly realized something and snapped his head up to glare at Fu Qian.

"Did you use some despicable trick to blackmail her? I'm warning you, don't go too far!"

"And if I do go too far, what will you do about it?"

Fu Qian didn't even look at him. Instead, he stared at Ji Liushuang for a long moment before gently shaking his head.

"I am not a good teacher. You should just continue practicing the sword."

Ji Liushuang trembled, tears almost instantly welling in her eyes.

"Take her back. She might just be too tired,"

Fu Qian said to the dumbfounded Jian Jingzheng, not sparing her another glance.

This...

No one expected that, in the end, it would be the instigator himself who refused to take her in.

Jian Jingzheng was struck by a complex mix of emotions, subconsciously looking back at Ji Liushuang.

She stood stiffly in place, showing absolutely no intention of walking back.

Sigh...

Lanaya finally snapped out of her daze. Although she had no idea what had happened between Fu Qian and Ji Liushuang, the current situation still needed to be salvaged.

Taking a step forward, she reached out and grabbed Ji Liushuang's arm. With a gentle pull, she supported the girl and led her back into the sword circle.

Fu Qian watched the scene in silence, then turned around to hide himself in the shadows once more.

Seemingly noticing the commotion, Li Weixuan paused his lecture and gestured for the students to take a short break.

Seeing Ji Liushuang being supported by Lanaya, Li Weixuan leaped down from the Sword Pavilion and walked over to check on the situation.

"She might just be too exhausted."

After a brief examination, Li Weixuan sighed.

Ji Liushuang's abnormal state might have been partly due to fatigue, but it looked far more like the result of extreme emotional agitation.

Over the course of the afternoon, he had already heard quite a few stories concerning Fu Qian.

This instructor, who had only recently joined the Academy, employed methods that bordered on tyrannical. He had even directly killed a student of the Sword Comprehension Institute.

But it was precisely that decisive action which resolved the matter in the fastest possible time.

Experts often had their quirks, and Li Weixuan didn't take much issue with that.

However, at this very moment, the man's strange interaction with Ji Liushuang was truly baffling.