Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 332 - 69: The Key to Family Harmony Is...

February 13, 2018

In the Shen City Inner City, there stands a pure white, flawless Star-Plucking Tower, straight as a jade column reaching the sky. The tower’s top is hidden within the clouds, standing firm against the Nine Heavens Gang Wind.

It’s said that the ancestors of the Shen Family once used this tower to truly pluck stars from the sky for their own use. Nowadays, wise people know that picking stars is just the mythology of past exaggerated tales, yet this superbly crafted white tower remains a proud sight in the Shen City Inner City.

It was a fresh morning.

Basking in the winter sun, bright yet not scorching, Shen Zicheng sat at the tower’s top, a blissful smile on his face.

"Hum hum, hum hum hum~"

Accompanied by a gentle melody, Shen Zicheng picked up the Golden Silk Scarf beside him, then dropped a bit of Nine Heavens Jade Dew with his left hand, soaking it into the scarf. Immediately, the gem-like drops were wholly absorbed into the scarf, illuminating it with a gentle glow.

Next, Shen Zicheng held the scarf in his left hand, while lifting a shining Divine Weapon with his right, gently rubbing it with the scarf, his fingertips moving with endless tenderness, as if stroking a girl’s skin.

No, even on the day of his wedding night, Shen Zicheng hadn’t been so tender and delicate, as the strong presence of Shen Ruoshi left little room for tenderness and delicacy.

Perhaps because of this, Shen Zicheng discovered that sometimes cold magical treasures are more comforting than living people, especially those he crafted himself, the connection feeling smoother than with real children... To be honest, compared to his silent and reserved son, it’s these vibrant magical treasures that bring him more joy.

Among all the magical treasures, the Divine Sword Silver Frost is most cherished by Shen Zicheng. Though now its delicate lines have changed, its robust and full texture stirs the heart even more.

Now, with Silver Frost rejuvenated, every day Shen Zicheng brings her to the highest tower in the Shen Family Inner City, enjoying the fierce and pure wind above, cleansing the dust of the world from her, extracting the essence of the sunrise to refine the sword’s spirit, making her Spiritual Sense increasingly strong.

Though now it’s just a Spiritual Sense, unable to complete even the simplest thoughts, in Shen Zicheng’s eyes, it’s like a child in its mother’s womb, with limitless possibilities...

Just when Shen Zicheng was immersed in the joy of nurturing, suddenly a warning flashed in his mind, a private storeroom alarm had been triggered.

The next moment, he heard Shen Qing’s slightly anxious voice through his ears.

"Dad, while mom was nurturing her Primordial Spirit, she somehow discovered your private storeroom in the kitchen and is now cracking the outer Array..."

Before Shen Qing finished, Shen Zicheng’s face changed in shock, quickly but carefully putting down his divine daughter, the Silver Frost Divine Sword, setting up a Wind-Blocking Array on the spot, then disappearing in a flicker from the cloud tower top to the kitchen to extinguish the fire.

Shortly after Shen Zicheng left, atop the calm tower, a young man with a tight posture and tense expression appeared amidst distorted light.

The young man seemed seventeen or eighteen years old, with a striking appearance, yet the tension on his face marred the harmony between his features, showing a somewhat grotesque twist.

If someone skilled in restoration could imagine from this twisted face, perhaps they’d recreate his true appearance.

The Shen Family Outer Courtyard genius cultivator, Shen Qing, with Cloud Flipping Realm Cultivation at eighteen.

Reaching the tower top, Shen Qing faced the tension of a great enemy, his True Essence rising uneasily, his Primordial Spirit vibrating at the highest frequency. Then, he gently extended his hand, touching the Wind-Blocking Array left by Shen Zicheng.

Though casually set by Shen Zicheng, it’s the work of a Mountain-Overturning Realm cultivator, seen by a Cloud Flipping Realm immortal cultivator as an immense, perilous mountain, with a slight error leading to a valley fall.

The next moment, with a cracking sound, the Wind-Blocking Array collapsed, Shen Qing showing a hint of pain, his right hand fingers burned black, the fingertips even split open revealing the bone.

The pain of a ten-fingered heart, even for an Outer Courtyard elite, is challenging to bear, Shen Qing’s forehead immediately sweating coldly, but he remained stable, stepping forward, lifting the full and rich Silver Frost with his left hand.

The next moment, without needing any Array activation, Shen Qing could sense the anger from a Mountain-Overturning Realm cultivator below.

No time to hesitate, Shen Qing immediately crushed a soft capsule hidden in his teeth, unleashing the mana within to form a light membrane enveloping him, then vibrating the whole membrane to disappear from the scene.

One second later.

Shen Zicheng returned to the tower in a shabby appearance, looking incredulously at the empty top of the tower.

The Golden Silk Scarf, soaked with Nine Heavens Jade Dew, still lay spread on the ground, but Silver Frost was nowhere to be found.

At that moment, Shen Zicheng’s mind went blank, unable to think about who might have committed the act, only feeling a heart-rending emptiness and pain surging from within, kneeling on the ground, releasing an anguished howl that changed the winds and clouds.

——

Below the White Tower, in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, Shen Qing emerged from the light membrane, looking up at the sky with residual fear, showing a trace of hesitation.

But soon, memories of being defeated by the Li Family rushed into his mind, resolutely firming the young man.

After all, it’s just a racing event, not intense combat, with no risk of damage. So now it’s but a loan for use, to be carefully returned after the competition. In these few days, with his father’s nature, he should endure the loneliness.

For the family’s honor, please forgive your son’s unfilial actions!

With such determination, Shen Qing tightly gripped the Warhammer in his hand.

——

On the other side, atop the Star-Plucking Tower.

Suddenly, a surge of fiery True Essence burst forth, the intense heat dispelling the bone-chilling Gang Wind around it, with the crimson flames scattering like a red lotus.

A tall woman clad in red stepped out from the heart of the lotus, her deep crimson boots making a crisp sound as they touched the top of the tower.

Looking at Shen Zicheng, who was kneeling on the tower top with his head bowed in silence, the woman chuckled softly, then raised her arm to reveal several exquisite crafting tools in her right hand, each emitting an extraordinary sheen.

"Shen Zicheng, all these years since we got married, I really didn’t expect you to hide your little gold so well... eh?"

Before the woman could finish her words, she heard a barely audible mumble squeezed out from the dejected man’s mouth.

"I’m such a fool, I really am. I only knew that when Shen Qing competed with others and lacked a suitable Magical Treasure, he’d think of Silver Frost, but I didn’t know that even after Shuang’Er changed its form, he still thought of it..."

"Hey, you..." The woman was stunned.

"I got up early this morning, rushing to gather the essence of the winter sunrise and the Nine Heavens Gang Wind. I used the Golden Silk Scarf soaked in Nine Heavens Jade Dew to wipe down Shuang’Er, only to hear that Fang’Er and Lei’Er were in trouble. I was anxious to check on Fang’Er and Lei’Er, so I let Shuang’Er wait here. Shuang’Er has always been obedient, listening to my every word..."

"What Fang’Er and Lei’Er?!" The woman was utterly bewildered, but as her peripheral vision caught sight, she happened to see the small words Fang and Lei on the confiscated items in her hand.

"You even named these crafting tools?!"

The woman’s voice made Shen Zicheng lift his dull eyes, and upon seeing the hammer, tongs, and other tools in her hand, he regained a hint of vitality.

"Fang’Er, why are you all here?!"

"Shen Zicheng, enough!"

With that, the woman delivered a punch, knocking the Mountain-Overturning Realm master unconscious and flat on the ground.

Then the woman sighed, hoisting Shen Zicheng up onto her shoulder. With a stomp of her red boot, another Red Fire Golden Lotus blossomed, the petals scattering before closing in to envelop the two completely.

"Really, you like playing house with Magical Treasures so much, talking about Fang’Er and Lei’Er. If you like kids, we might as well have our own pair. I’ve always told you one child isn’t enough to play with, yet you stubbornly refused, always finding excuses. Let’s see how you struggle now!"

Accompanied by the woman’s soft murmurs, the white tower top swayed with the lotus flowers, petals like waves.

——

That night.

In the Outer Courtyard Training Room, Shen Qing lay exhausted on the ground with a thud, his upper body bare, revealing well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. The young man was drenched in sweat, dizzy, and had no desire to get up again.

Beside him lay a plump and substantial Divine Weapon, its luster slightly dimmed, like a well-cultivated field.

In front of Shen Qing, a large metal block about three feet in length, width, and height floated quietly in mid-air. Its surface was riddled with dents, pockmarked and unsightly, and a crack at the top revealed a blood-red interior.

Soon after Shen Qing lay down, Shen Feihu’s voice came from nearby: "Total time, 5 minutes. Damage count, 1,482,483 points. Overall rating, A+. That’s impressive. Not too far off from the family records. If we keep this momentum, we’ll be sure to win tomorrow’s sparring."

Shen Qing was so tired he couldn’t open his eyes, but upon hearing these words, he still spoke softly: "Even with such a Magical Treasure, I couldn’t break the record of those before us. This shows there’s something wrong with my output technique. This Divine Weapon... I’ve never used it before and am still unfamiliar with many aspects. Even if it means working through the night tonight, I have to solve all the problems first."

With that, he struggled to get up.

Shen Feihu quickly walked up and handed over a jade bottle.

"Don’t push yourself too hard. If you overwork yourself during preparations and can’t perform in the official match, that would be ridiculous."

Shen Qing said in a deep voice, "I know... it’s just, hasn’t my father come to see me yet?"

Shen Feihu replied, "...Not yet, but even if he does, it’s no problem. According to Outer Courtyard rules, no family members can disturb a disciple in closed-door cultivation."

"No, I’m just surprised. Given his personality, he should’ve come to try his luck. Could it be... something has happened?"

Saying this, Shen Qing frowned, feeling a bit worried about his father.

"I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that father might not be doing well."

——

Atop the tower, the red lotus that swayed all day became even more enchanting under the bright moonlight.