Faceted Jade a.k.a Carven Jade [ENG Translation]

CHAPTER 24

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In this lifetime, you will be the pride of Yunze for life, Qin Yan.
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Fu Changling's heart was pounding rapidly after he asked this question.

At that time, he hadn't thought about this. But now that he had paused and taken a moment to process what had transpired before, he was left wondering. Qin Yan's sword was both perfectly timed and poorly timed. Why did he perform that very technique right then and there to awaken him to the truth that Yan Ming's Sword of Blooming Spring was his?

He would inevitably ponder it more if he had the first inkling of something. Even though he and Qin Yan had no contact during this period of time in his previous life, when he gave it some thought, even though Qin Yan was gifted, his fighting prowess was a little too well-honed for someone who was just seventeen. After all, whereas cultivation can be learned behind closed doors, true combat skills must be honed in life-or-death situations, battle after battle. Most cultivators, at the age of seventeen, were still under the protection of their clan elders. They were even led by seniors when they went on training missions, so they were never actually confronted with life-or-death situations. However, Qin Yan's swordsmanship seemed to have already been through the sea of blood and the mountain of swords.

All these cues led him to a preposterous conjecture. If he could be reborn, then Qin Yan...

"Since you know about the Sword of Blooming Spring," Qin Yan said flatly following the question, reaching for the cup of tea in front of him, "you should know that it has the effect of clearing the mind and building concentration."

Fu Changling was left stunned by these words. Qin Yan looked as usual as ever and took a sip of tea, saying, "You were being possessed by the Heart Demon at that time, so I wanted to cast it out for you."

"Is that so?" As he twirled the fan in his hand, Fu Changling mused and drawled, "If you knew that Yan Ming wasn't the real Yan Ming, why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"I won't speak up about things I'm unsure of."

Fu Changling nodded. This was very much Qin Yan's style. He merely had a hunch that something was amiss with Yan Ming, so he only cautioned him. When he discovered that Yan Ming was a Heart Demon, he told him about it. He wouldn't tell him everything because it would lead to too much speculation.

"You won't speak up about things you're unsure of. Qin Daoyou must be a prudent person. Then," Fu Changling glanced up at him and observed his expression, "Qin Daoyou said that he had come on the orders of Young Lord Su to save me at the Shangguan Estate and to kill me if I ever entered the Xuanji Secret Realm, and finally, he had accurately pointed out that there was a problem with the Xuanji Secret Realm's seal. It's not bad to be able to foretell the Will of Heaven in broad strokes, but can Young Lord Su do so to such a degree of accuracy? And, in between all this, did Qin Daoyou not even harbour any scepticism?"

Saying so, Fu Changling added in a grave tone, "Killing me, after all, would be the taking of a human life."

Fu Changling had long held suspicions about this matter, but he hadn't given it much thought before. Now that he had come up with that ludicrous theory, he suddenly felt that everything made sense.

If Qin Yan, like him, had also been reborn, then everything he pulled off would have a reason.

Knowing that he would be in danger at Shangguan Estate, then plunge into the Xuanji Secret Realm, and eventually break the Karma Prison's seal there, Qin Yan came to Shangguan Estate to save him. He came to the Shangguan Estate ahead of time, bent on protecting him and attempting to get him out of there in order to prevent this. Everything he did at the Shangguan Estate was aimed at keeping him from entering the Xuanji Secret Realm.