C17 Female Ruler's Interest Was Aroused by Me!

Jiang Su dabbed the fine sweat from his brow with his sleeve, feeling a bit weary after absorbing so many techniques and practicing them all at once.

If anyone were to witness Jiang Su mastering the Man and Sword as One technique in less than a single night, every Sword Cultivator in the vicinity would likely keel over in shock.

Perched on a rock, Jiang Su pondered how he could dissuade Chiu Yue from the idea of taking him on as a disciple. Becoming the Fourth Elder's Head Disciple would thrust him into the spotlight—a place he preferred to avoid. He aimed to maintain a low profile within the Cultivation World.

An idea struck him: he could masquerade as a Medical Cultivator! Since none of the Four Great Elders specialized in that field, they wouldn't be able to instruct him. Besides, in a world where Sword Cultivators were held in the highest regard, other cultivators' statuses paled in comparison, which suited his desire to stay under the radar.

He already possessed the Miracle Working and had only revealed the Shadowless Step. He hadn't even unsheathed his sword in combat.

"System, can you transform this sword into a fan for me?" Jiang Su inquired.

The system, ever responsive to his needs, emitted a familiar metallic clang.

"Host, the forging is complete," it announced.

Jiang Su glanced at his waist, seeing no change to his sword. He touched it, feeling puzzled, but in an instant, the unremarkable sword morphed into a fan. The fan appeared delicate and harmless, yet upon closer inspection, one would notice its gleaming edge, as sharp as any blade.

The system had crafted his sword into a fan that seemed gentle but was capable of deadly force.

Jiang Su spun the fan in his hand, his gaze hardening as he sent it slicing through the air, leaving chaos in its wake. With a mere thought, the fan returned to his grasp.

He brushed a bamboo leaf off the fan, and with a subtle flick, it was neatly tucked away. Reattaching the fan to his waist, he steadied his breathing and strolled out of the bamboo grove.

It was time for a well-deserved rest.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Su, a shadowy figure had been observing from the depths of the bamboo thicket, witnessing his every move. It wasn't until Jiang Su had disappeared into the distance that the figure slowly materialized into a human form.

There stood a middle-aged man, remarkably tall and slender, his eyes notably deep-set. At that moment, his gaze was fixed intently on Jiang Su's departing figure.

"Shadowless Sect Master, are you spying?"

A piercingly cold voice emanated from behind the bamboo. The man spun around promptly and, bowing deeply to the Female Ruler, greeted her, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Sect Master of the Shadowless Sect, why aren't you at your own sect in the dead of night, but here at the First Devil Sect instead?"

Liu Wuying, regaining his composure, responded with a grin, "Your Majesty, I've heard rumors of a cook within the First Devil Sect who has fully mastered the Shadowless Step. I couldn't resist coming to see for myself."

He considered himself quite unfortunate to have encountered the Female Ruler in this place.

His arrival was late; he had only caught a glimpse of Jiang Su practicing with a fan. Assuming Jiang Su was a Medical Cultivator, he felt a sense of regret. Otherwise, he would have taken Jiang Su back to the Shadowless Sect to become the young sect master.

For a Medical Cultivator to refine a fan into a weapon akin to a sword seemed a daunting challenge.

Had he known that Jiang Su had mastered the Man and Sword as One technique in just a few short hours, he might have been left gasping in shock.

"Now that you've seen him, you may take your leave."

Upon hearing Murong Yan's words, Liu Wuying wasted no time in making his exit.

The bamboo forest was left in solitude, with Murong Yan as its sole occupant. A chill breeze whispered through the grove. With a forceful step, Murong Yan snapped a bamboo branch underfoot, its crisp snap echoing in the quiet.

"My dear husband, what other secrets are you hiding?"