The Transmigrated Male Lead Confessed to Me - Chapter 17 (Part 1)

She thought about what he said and couldn’t help but laugh. “Since that’s the case, I hope you don’t mind my boldness in comparing you to my master, senior.”

“How could I mind?”

Xiao Yu’s gaze was subtle. “Although I don’t like him, if you can compare me to him, I might actually be a little happy? After all, to you, he’s someone who is…”

Su Zhen tilted her head and stared at him.

Xiao Yu paused for a moment. “…Someone you’re very familiar with.”

But that probably wasn’t what he initially meant to say.

Su Zhen continued to look at him. “What were you originally going to say, senior?”

Xiao Yu hesitated, then met her gaze again, as if he had no way out, and sighed softly, “Someone you care about.”

Su Zhen’s eyes shifted slightly.

That word seemed appropriate.

Su Zhen had never fully clarified her thoughts regarding how she truly viewed her master, and it was difficult to assert that it was pure admiration.

Once a cultivator began to draw in spiritual energy, they severed their ties to ordinary human needs. Even reproduction required refining the fetus, allowing a child to be born through formation, let alone other desires—while they could still indulge in physical pleasures, it was no longer a necessity like for ordinary people.

Just as cultivators who could fast might still choose to eat; it wasn’t because they needed sustenance but simply for the enjoyment of taste.

For this reason, emotions like love and passion often weren’t as intense or clear-cut for many cultivators.

She was probably like that too.

Moreover, after hundreds of years of countless arguments and disputes, along with his reaction to her “death,” those tangled and hard-to-define emotions had worn down over time.

So, saying she cared wasn’t wrong.

If she could, she wished she could treat him like a stranger—no matter what he said or did, she wouldn’t care.

Unfortunately—

Although she had changed significantly compared to before and no longer felt extreme joy or anger over him, nor did she occasionally feel furious about his care for Liu Yunyao, she still couldn’t completely stop caring about him.

After all, even the desire to punch him in the face or the joy of watching him make a fool of himself still counted as caring. You wouldn’t feel that way about a total stranger.

Su Zhen sighed softly. “I’m not someone who can easily let things go…”

“No, no, no.”

Xiao Yu seemed to guess what she was going to say. “You’ve known each other for so long, even if he’s done many things to upset you and you think he’s not worth your feelings anymore, yet you still find it hard to let go, that’s only human. Don’t think there’s something wrong with you.”

Su Zhen was a bit surprised. “I thought you would say that one should cut ties cleanly and not let oneself be disturbed.”

Xiao Yu shook his head. “That’s the principle, but what if you can’t sever it? If you can’t sever it, then take it slowly. After all, we are not those charm cultivators who can fully control emotions and feelings. Can we just stop caring the moment we say we don’t care?”

Su Zhen found his words surprisingly comforting and couldn’t help but smile. “Have you ever been troubled by this, senior?”

“No.”

Xiao Yu flatly denied it. “It’s entirely different for me. In fact, I enjoy it, so there’s no reason to ‘let it go.’”

As he spoke, his gaze dropped slightly, sweeping over the empty dishes on the table, and he unconsciously curved his lips into a smile.

Su Zhen was taken aback.

—Was he talking about himself?

She and her master had known each other for hundreds of years across two lifetimes, even just counting this one, it had been nearly a century.

How long had she and Xiao Yu really known each other?

At this moment, dusk was approaching, the sun sinking in the west, the clouds in the sky ablaze with brilliant colors. Golden and red light spilled over the courtyard, flickering among the flowers and leaves before gradually dimming.

Su Zhen remained silent for a while until the sky turned dark. She slowly spoke, “Senior.”

“Hmm?”

The man across the table looked up at her, his blue eyes now shrouded in the shadow of the night, becoming deep and mysterious.

His brows were high, his eye sockets deep, and his facial features sharp. When he stared expressionlessly, his face was striking and defiant, exuding a sense of aggression.

But when he looked at her, his eyes always held a smile and a sense of anticipation. That emotion was so vivid and strong that it dispelled all the oppressive feelings.

Su Zhen suppressed her inner thoughts, looked at the sky, and pulled out a jade slip from her sleeve. “I’m going to give a lecture at the dojo later. Senior…”

“I’ll go listen too,” Xiao Yu said without hesitation.

Su Zhen: “?”

She had meant to say goodbye.

Su Zhen: “You want to listen… to me teaching beginner sword techniques to a group of Qi Refining cultivators?”

Xiao Yu, unfazed, said, “How does the saying go? ‘In the company of two, one can always learn from the other.’ Maybe I could even gain some insight from it.”

Su Zhen was stunned.

Putting everything else aside, she really had to admire this man’s ability to lie with a straight face.

All four peaks within the inner sect had places for teaching and lectures, usually conducted by high-level cultivators of the peak in rotation. Most of the participants were named disciples, but some personal disciples of masters in seclusion would also attend.

The lectures given by elders were the most frequent, scheduled every few days, and if an elder was in seclusion, their disciples would take over.

Additionally, other cultivators in the peak who weren’t elders but had reached the Golden Core stage or higher also took turns, though their lectures were less frequent, maybe once every few months.

All of this was arranged by the Department of Teachings.

Su Zhen shook the jade slip in her hand. “Technically, anyone above the Qi Refining stage can attend…”

It wasn’t that Body Refining cultivators were excluded, but they couldn’t project spiritual energy outside their bodies, so they couldn’t learn sword techniques. Listening would be useless.

If they tried to practice recklessly, it might even lead to cultivation deviation.

Su Zhen: “…So I can’t really stop you, senior, since you meet the requirements, right?”

After all, the Immortal Venerable of the Saint realm was above the Qi Refining stage.

Su Zhen found herself laughing as she spoke. “Do as you wish, but I’m not a great teacher, and my talent in swordsmanship is mediocre. I fear I’ll embarrass myself in front of the Sword God.”

“That won’t happen,” Xiao Yu said seriously. “At most, I’ve just lived a few more years than you and have a bit more experience. And I promise not to disturb you. I just want to watch.”

Su Zhen didn’t understand what there was to watch.

But Xiao Yu was true to his word.

As night deepened, they made their way to the dojo on the mountainside. As soon as they landed, the surrounding cultivators greeted her one after another.

They noticed Xiao Yu standing beside her but treated him as just another ordinary disciple, giving him a brief glance before moving on.

Su Zhen found the dojo where she was scheduled to teach. About twenty or thirty people were already waiting inside, having arrived early, and they greeted her in turn.

The inner sect disciples of Tianyuan Sect all had decent talent. People like Liu Yunyao were rare exceptions.

Most of them guided Qi into their bodies within a month or two and entered the first level of Body Refining. The faster ones would advance to the Qi Refining stage within three to five years, while the slower ones would take six to seven years.

As a result, these Qi Refining cultivators were quite young, with the youngest being only in their teens, still full of youthful innocence.

The dojo was enclosed by four walls with an invisible barrier, marking off an area about a hundred feet in diameter. The ground was paved with sturdy black stone, and formations were embedded beneath.

Pillars stood at the edges, with hanging lanterns that cast a clear crystalline light, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as daylight.

The instructor’s seat was elevated on a platform. Su Zhen ascended the steps and turned to face the young people below.

Xiao Yu stood far in the back, alone, and none of the other cultivators seemed to pay him any attention.

He stood in the shadow beneath a lantern, arms folded, his posture relaxed, his face full of interest.

“…I have already sent a message to Senior Brother Wu earlier, and I believe he has informed you all. Today’s lecture will cover the three forms of Zhan Shui, which can be practiced by those with a Water Spirit Root. Those wishing to refine their Water Spirit Root can also listen.”

Su Zhen said plainly, “There are two Body Refining stage cultivators here. If you want to try practicing the sword technique, please do so under the supervision of your master.”

A wave of murmurs arose from below.

“…Who are they? There’s always someone like this.”

“Can’t Body Refining cultivators have some self-awareness? Train your spiritual roots and expand your meridians first. You can’t even walk, and you want to jump?”

“Unbelievable, it’s rare to have such a powerful cultivator at the Soul Transformation stage here…”

“This is the peak master’s disciple, the most talented at Weiyun Peak…”

“Body Refining cultivators, just leave quickly. Martial Aunt Su is giving you face by not calling you out. Don’t waste our time…”

Two figures quickly left the group, exiting through the back door.

Su Zhen flipped her hand, and a light wooden sword appeared in her palm. The blade had no edge, and its body was jade white, with spiral patterns on it.

The hall quieted down.

She raised her left hand high, her middle finger and thumb crossed while the other three fingers bent at varying degrees, clearly demonstrating the hand seal to the group, rotating her wrist to show it from all angles.

With a flick of her right hand—

“The name ‘Zhan Shui’ comes from the phrase ‘Water nourishes clear brilliance, and the green trees are graceful.’ It is a stance of stillness—”

A faint blue light lingered around the blade. As the sword moved, it left a ripple-like trace, like waves spreading. The glow was as clear and smooth as jade, and a faint, moist aura filled the air.

“The sword moves in stillness, and the combination of stillness and movement gives birth to the sword’s intent here.”

A chorus of exclamations arose from below.

The introductory sword techniques were simply a general term. Any sword technique that could be practiced by Qi Refining stage cultivators, without the need for other foundational skills, could be classified this way. However, this did not mean it was necessarily simple.

“…Whether you can grasp or generate sword intent, you should first have an idea in your mind,” Su Zhen continued. “But even if you can’t understand sword intent, as long as you learn the sword technique hand seals and the way to channel your spiritual energy, you can still use it, just with less finesse.”

Many people visibly relaxed.

Su Zhen succinctly explained the technique and the cultivators below began to try it out. Some, afraid of forgetting, hurriedly took notes first.

She observed them one by one, correcting a few hand seals and answering a few questions before leaving.

The peak’s experts all had different teaching styles. Some were more responsible than she was, staying longer, while others were more perfunctory, leaving immediately after finishing, not lingering for a moment.

After all, according to the rules, they were free to leave once their lecture was over. How much the disciples learned depended entirely on themselves.

Su Zhen exited the hall, still hearing faint fluctuations of spiritual energy as they continued practicing inside.

Xiao Yu had already left.

She didn’t care too much whether he was there or not. After all, giving a sword lecture in front of the Sword God always felt a bit like showing off one’s skills in front of a master.

So she was more than happy with the situation.

The mountainside remained bustling, and the long street was still lively with noise, with streaks of light flying through the air as cultivators occasionally soared on their swords.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from ahead.

As familiar spiritual energy approached, a bright light descended from the sky.

When the light faded, it revealed a tall, slender figure.

The man had a handsome face and wore a luxurious dark green robe embroidered with floral patterns. Pearls dangled from his ears, and intricate bracelets adorned his wrists, making him stand out in his opulent attire.

His sleeves were embroidered with peach blossom patterns, and the water-like designs faintly glowed with a blue light.

“Is he from Lingxiao Peak?”

“That’s the Sect Leader’s personal disciple…”

“Greetings, Martial Uncle Pei!”

The surrounding disciples from Weiyun Peak bowed one after another.

The man casually nodded in acknowledgment, then waved toward Su Zhen. “Su Zhen!”

Su Zhen’s face lit up with a smile. “Cousin.”

“You rascal…”