Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 37: The Curator’s Commission
"Hah."
Su Xing let out a breath of hot air.
His arm, holding the heavy sword, hung low, dotted with sweat. Only when Su Xing felt he had somewhat recovered did he slide the blade into its Sword Scabbard. He then walked over to the sword rack and leaned the heavy sword against its base.
This time, Su Xing had once again practiced "Pierce," not because he thought "Pierce" was more important than "White Line Slash."
It was simply because the special effect of "White Line Slash" was too conspicuous and unsuitable for practice in the Sword Hall. Although "Pierce" was an advanced form of a thrust, its visual effects were no different, so it wouldn’t arouse any suspicion toward Su Xing.
Su Yu and Shen Ruyun had already returned to their rooms, leaving Su Xing alone in the training hall. He picked up a towel from the sword rack, gave his sweat a quick wipe, then took out his phone to check it, muttering to himself,
’It’s almost time for class.’
’I should go back to my room and get my things ready.’
Just as Su Xing was thinking this, he suddenly heard a kind voice from the second floor. The Hall Master was standing on the second-floor landing, watching him quietly with a friendly smile, and said,
"Su, come up for a moment. I have something to discuss with you." frёewebηovel.cѳm
It might have been his imagination, but Su Xing felt that the Hall Master’s body had grown even more robust, yet the wrinkles on his face had also deepened.
Hearing the Hall Master say he had something to discuss, Su Xing immediately thought of how the man had previously mentioned leaving the Sword Hall in a few days. He didn’t hesitate, simply nodding and saying,
"Alright, I’m coming up now."
"Mm."
The Hall Master nodded and went back into his room. Su Xing abandoned the thought of returning to his own room, grasping the wooden handrail and making his way up to the second floor one step at a time.
There was only one room on the second floor of the Sword Hall, which had always been the Hall Master’s private quarters. This was Su Xing’s first time here.
The moment he reached the doorway, the scent of wood filled Su Xing’s nostrils.
A glance inside revealed that the room’s style was not that of a modern residence but rather an ancient, wealthy estate, complete with a screen, an incense stand, and bookshelves.
"Hall Master, are you leaving?"
Su Xing got straight to the point.
The Hall Master was holding a teacup and blowing on it. Hearing Su Xing’s question, he turned, a friendly smile on his face, and said, fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"Yes, it’s about that time."
"I called you up to familiarize you with the Sword Hall’s affairs. After all... once I leave this time, I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to come back."
Hearing the gravity in the Hall Master’s tone, Su Xing asked, a little puzzled, "Hall Master, didn’t you say before that a relative just had some trouble? Why does it sound so serious?"
"It’s better if you don’t ask about some things."
The Hall Master took a sip of tea, lightly crushing the leaves in his mouth. He glanced at Su Xing and said slowly, "Everyone has their secrets, right?"
At these words, Su Xing felt his heart skip a beat. It was a minuscule pause, but it was enough to make him feel a sense of suffocation. He forced a smile and said calmly,
"That’s true... If this is your secret, Hall Master, then I won’t press the matter."
"Why are you suddenly so tense?"
The Hall Master looked at Su Xing with some confusion, then continued,
"If you really want to know, it’s not a big deal. This relative is my daughter. She urged me to come home this time, saying I might not get another chance to return if I go back."
"Hall Master, you have a daughter? How come I’ve never heard you mention her?"
Seeing the Hall Master’s calm expression, which didn’t look like he was lying, Su Xing felt his heart settle a little and posed his question.
He suddenly found it a bit funny. The Hall Master lived right here, and Su Xing knew him well. There was no need to feel any sense of fear towards him.
Besides, Su Xing had never sensed even a sliver of Extraordinary power from the Hall Master. At most, he was just an old Swordsman with some understanding of the Sword Dao.
If the Hall Master really was an Extraordinary Being, there was only one possibility: his power was so immense it was beyond Su Xing’s imagination.
’Probably... not possible.’
"I do. It’s just that my daughter didn’t really acknowledge me in the past, so I never mentioned her... Forget it, let’s not talk about it. It’s all just some unpleasant family drama. If we get the chance in the future, we can chat about it then."
After talking for a moment, the Hall Master seemed reluctant to continue on the subject. He shook his head and said,
"Anyway, the point of this was to get you familiar with the basic duties of a Sword Hall Master. If no one comes to take over after I leave, then this Sword Hall is yours, Su."
"Hall Master... isn’t that a bit too generous?"
Su Xing muttered in surprise, but the Hall Master just waved his hand dismissively, seemingly unconcerned. Afterward, Su Xing learned from the Hall Master about the duties and responsibilities that came with the position.
On the surface, it sounded very simple: drink tea, recruit people, communicate with students’ parents about various issues, and handle other miscellaneous tasks.
But just the thought of dealing with the students’ parents was enough to give Su Xing a massive headache. It seemed... being a Sword Hall Master wasn’t as easy as it looked.
However, the Hall Master wasn’t leaving for a while yet, so Su Xing temporarily put the matter aside and didn’t dwell on it.
After they finished talking,
the Hall Master let Su Xing leave.
Once Su Xing was gone, the Hall Master sat back down in his wooden chair, brewed another pot of tea, and squinted in the direction Su Xing had left, thinking faintly,
’Sigh, I’ve really grown to like that kid, Su Xing. If he were a Martial Artist... it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take him on as a disciple.’
’What a pity. We probably won’t have a chance to meet again.’
...
「Five days had passed since his talk with the Hall Master.」
During these five days, Su Xing’s daily life was extremely routine. Every day was spent either practicing the sword or teaching classes.
The Spiritual Sect hadn’t caused any more trouble, and there seemed to be no reaction from the special organization’s side either. Su Xing enjoyed a comfortable and peaceful period he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
"Alright, class is dismissed, everyone."
Su Xing exhaled, retracting his heavy sword with a smile. He listened to the chorus of "Goodbye, Coach Su!" from his headset before slowly turning off his online class equipment. A light-blue system panel suddenly materialized in his pupils.
[Sword Dao Points: 18]
Over these past five days,
Su Xing had accumulated a total of eighteen Sword Dao Points.
This was exactly the amount needed to advance [Sword Draw Stance] in one go.
A thrill of excitement rose in Su Xing’s heart. Every advancement of a sword skill was a huge boost for him. Perhaps after advancing "Sword Draw Stance," killing a Tier Three Peak Sequencer would be as easy as slaughtering a dog.
By then... his strength would truly surpass Liu Ming’s.
Su Xing reined in his excitement.
Just as he was about to return to his room to allocate his points, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He pulled it out while walking back to his room, only to see a glaring text message displayed on the screen.
"Bro, we’ve spotted traces of the Spiritual Sect near our Sword Hall. Be careful."
