Chapter 56: Three Women on the Same Stage

Inside the small courtyard, Chen Hongxu looked up at the bright moon, which had emerged to revel before the sky had even darkened. He was lost in a silent trance, so deep that he did not even notice Xue Xi sneaking up beside him.

Xue Xi crept toward him like a thief, intending to cup her hands around her mouth and startle him. But as she turned, she discovered that Chen Hongxu’s eyes were vacant, the pupils—never particularly vibrant to begin with—having turned completely white.

Seemingly accustomed to this occurrence, Xue Xi pursed her lips and tapped Chen Hongxu on the shoulder as if knocking on a door. A moment later, a young girl in a small red jacket emerged from within Chen Hongxu’s body. She glanced left and right, and seeing that all was clear, she leaped into Xue Xi’s arms.

Xue Xi balled up her small fist and gave the top of the Weapon Spirit’s head a few playful knocks before grabbing her by the ear and leading her away, seemingly afraid that their upcoming conversation might disturb Chen Hongxu.

Hand in hand, they walked to a small river not far from the courtyard. Xue Xi released the Weapon Spirit’s hand, kicked off her slippers, and sat down on a smooth stone by the water, dangling her feet into the stream. The Weapon Spirit made a face at Xue Xi’s back before sitting down obediently by her side, the two looking for all the world like a pair of sisters.

The calm water was stirred into ripples by Xue Xi’s feet, and the Weapon Spirit followed suit, swaying her own legs as if the troubles of the outside world had nothing to do with them.

The Weapon Spirit leaned down, scooped up a handful of water, and splashed it onto Xue Xi’s face, laughing, "I am the eldest."

"In your dreams!" Xue Xi replied, her voice eerily producing two distinct tones at once.

"Everything has an order of arrival, doesn't it?" The Weapon Spirit tried to scoop more water to splash at her, but Xue Xi stood up to dodge and kicked out, sending the spirit flying into the river with a splash that was quite picturesque.

The water surface returned to calm, but Xue Xi stood on the bank like a madwoman, pointing at the water and cursing, "You are all opportunists! This was supposed to be between me and Chen Hongxu, yet you forced your way in. I haven't even claimed the title of the primary, and you have the nerve to bring it up."

The Weapon Spirit poked her head out of the water, opened her small mouth, and shot a stream of water back onto Xue Xi’s face. Xue Xi was tempted to jump in and fight, but she reconsidered—the creature was a spirit; even in the water, her clothes wouldn't get wet. She concluded that the Weapon Spirit was a wicked, cunning woman.

Wiping the water from her face with her sleeve, Xue Xi heard the Weapon Spirit mumbling, "I wasn't even planning to compete with you, but Su Xiaoxiao took it upon herself to act, and I had promised Su Ning not to cause trouble. I truly shot myself in the foot. Now that you possess the Sword Immortal's legacy, reaching immortality will be quite easy, and with Su Xiaoxiao using your body to gain insight, immortality is hardly a grand matter for her either. So, everything is thanks to my kindness. Isn't that right, Su Xiaoxiao?"

The Weapon Spirit was clearly asking Su Xiaoxiao. There was no third person present, yet after the Weapon Spirit finished speaking, Xue Xi nodded in a bizarre fashion.

The Weapon Spirit was in no hurry to get back on land, choosing to linger in the water. Xue Xi, refusing to let her have her way, grumbled and kicked stones from the bank at the spirit, each stone faintly imbued with sword intent. The Weapon Spirit cursed under her breath and submerged her head back into the water.

Seeing the culprit hiding, Xue Xi shouted in anger, "Weapon Spirit, you coward! You dare do it but won't face the consequences. You're no woman!"

"A woman should be delicate and soft, easy to push over. You, on the other hand, are so strong you could uproot mountains; who would dare be with you for a lifetime for fear of being bullied to death?" Even while submerged, the Weapon Spirit’s voice rang out clearly in Xue Xi’s ears.

"..."

The two women, both appearing as delicate as could be, bickered by the river for a while. Eventually, they grew tired and sat back down. The stones were covered in water from their scuffle, yet as they sat, not a drop touched them; finally, they carried a hint of the transcendent grace of high masters.

"Actually, Xu’s pressure is already immense. Do you really think he can be invincible just because of his Fifth Grade cultivation? While the Military School thrives on battle, in a world where the Peerless Grade is the pinnacle, he has nothing to fear, yet you haven't noticed that he seems heartless but is actually full of feeling? As long as someone is truly alive in his life, he wants them to be well. So let’s stop causing him trouble. They say behind every successful man stands a woman, but we are three—are we not worth even one?" The Weapon Spirit stuck out her tongue and looked up at the stars.

"Fine, we all understand the logic, but Su Xiaoxiao, you must come out of my body. Sharing a body with you... I’m truly not used to it," Xue Xi said.

Then, as if a different person had taken over, Xue Xi smiled and answered herself, "How can that be? If I leave you, you’ll never have the initiative to possess Chen Hongxu in this lifetime. With your glutinous personality and his wooden, blockhead nature, it would be a miracle if any sparks flew. So, the great cause is not yet finished; I must wrong myself."

"Bullshit." Xue Xi stood up abruptly, then continued to talk to herself, "That’s not what you told me before. Now, many of my small habits carry traces of your usual mannerisms. Do you really think Xu is stupid and hasn't noticed anything? Besides, I am not 'glutinous'; I am virtuous and graceful, do you understand?"

Noticing Xue Xi’s gaze drifting toward her, the Weapon Spirit rolled her eyes and retorted mercilessly, "I don't."

Xue Xi ground her teeth in frustration, but she wouldn't cause Chen Hongxu trouble at a time like this. Most importantly, even though Su Xiaoxiao had calculated against her in a thousand ways, she had ultimately saved her life. Xue Xi held no real grudge; she was simply annoyed by the shared vessel.

After waving her arms for a moment, Xue Xi sat back down and said, "Once Xu breaks through, we’ll be heading to Kongtong to sightsee, carve our names, and stir up trouble. I’m afraid I’ll hold everyone back. After all, everyone outside knows I’m a paper tiger—I only carry the inherited sword intent, but my actual strength hasn't grown an inch. Aside from scaring those who don't know the truth, I have nothing to show for myself."

The Weapon Spirit smiled, not answering this foolish question. In truth, Xue Xi’s strength was increasing rapidly. Had time not been so tight, the Weapon Spirit suspected that Xue Xi would be the first among them to break through the Peerless Grade and reach the realm of immortality.

Receiving no answer, Xue Xi looked at the Weapon Spirit, who was playing in the water like a child despite having lived for who knows how long, and asked, "Now that everyone has no reservations and fights with abandon, what do you think our chances are at Kongtong?"

The Weapon Spirit thought seriously before answering, "In a field battle, we would likely win completely, but storming a sect is hard to say. After all, these legacies have existed for some time and will always have a few trump cards hidden away. I’d say it’s a fifty-fifty split."

"Only fifty-fifty?" Xue Xi asked, gritting her teeth.

"Yes, and if we lose, it will likely be a separation of life and death," the Weapon Spirit continued, sounding ominous.

A flash of resolve crossed Xue Xi’s eyes. She stood up and walked away with long strides, saying without looking back, "This is a private matter. No following, no sensing, no peeking—nothing is allowed."

Long after Xue Xi had departed, the Weapon Spirit kept her feet in the water, a faint smile playing on her lips, her eyes twinkling with a touch of cunning.