Chapter 74: The Story of One Man and Three Women

“Haha, our leader got scolded the worst. But I really admire him—he didn’t react at all, no matter how harshly he was cursed. That’s impressive!” Zhou Xiaoyu gave Qin Xuan a thumbs-up.

“If you ever manage to do the same, I’ll be truly impressed with you,” Qin Xuan replied with a laugh, patting Zhou Xiaoyu on the shoulder.

Truth be told, Qin Xuan hadn’t paid any attention to what that pockmarked instructor had shouted at him. While standing at attention, he simply treated it like sunbathing, quietly regulating his internal energy to stabilize his Sword Heart.

He had only been off the mountain for a few days, and already he felt a slight change in the Sword Heart within his dantian, though he couldn’t quite put it into words.

His master had explained that the forging of the Sword Heart came in three stages.

The first was forming the Sword Heart itself, akin to when cultivators lay their foundation—a true entry into the path of cultivation.

The second stage was the manifestation of the Sword Heart. At first, the Sword Heart was formless, just as it was for Qin Xuan now. He could sense a vague energy in his dantian, but it wasn’t enough to unleash powerful combat strength.

But when the Sword Heart took form, one could wield the sword with the mind, guiding it with qi. At this level, a swordsman’s combat ability was nearly equal to that of a Golden Core cultivator.

The third stage was the consummation of the Sword Heart, the unity of man and heaven.

Swordsmen who reached this realm needed no sword in their hand, for there was always a sword in their heart. Even a plucked flower or a fallen leaf could become a lethal weapon. Against Nascent Soul cultivators, they would hold their ground.

As for Qin Xuan, the second stage was still a distant dream.

Soon, the boys headed off toward the dormitory cafeteria, leaving Qin Xuan, Liu Qianqian, and another beautiful girl standing at the school gate, waiting for someone.

That girl was, of course, Dongfang Qingwan. Starting today, she would officially move into Qin Xuan’s villa.

“Qingwan, I’ve already spoken to Commander Zhao about your situation. You won’t need to participate in the military training, but you’ll still get full credit,” Qin Xuan said to her with a smile.

“I see. I suppose I’ll just have to spend more time reading, then,” Dongfang Qingwan replied, her mood tinged with sorrow.

“Don’t be sad. Once you’re past eighteen, your Profound Yin Constitution will begin to normalize, and your health will improve,” Qin Xuan reassured her.

“Really?” Her eyes brightened.

“Of course it’s true. Little Qin Xuan never lies,” Liu Qianqian chimed in cheerfully. She glanced around and asked, a bit puzzled, “So, little Qin Xuan, how are we getting back?”

“Someone’s coming to pick us up, don’t worry,” Qin Xuan replied.

“Yes, Fu is already on his way. He’ll be here soon,” Dongfang Qingwan added after checking her watch. Ever since she moved into the villa, Fu had been responsible for driving her to and from school every day.

Qin Xuan would naturally be with her, and now that Liu Qianqian had joined them, there shouldn’t be any issue—a car could fit four perfectly.

“Hey, Qin Xuan?” As they waited, a sleek Chevrolet pulled up beside them. A familiar voice called out from inside—it was Su Muqing.

“Hello, Miss Su,” Qin Xuan greeted her with a smile. Dongfang Qingwan nodded politely as well.

“What are you all doing here? Need a lift anywhere?” Su Muqing rolled down her window, revealing her stunning face.

Liu Qianqian looked on in surprise. She hadn’t met Su Muqing before, and seeing Qin Xuan acquainted with such a beauty, she couldn’t help pinching his arm. “Little Qin Xuan, who’s this lady?”

“I just said—she’s my class advisor,” Qin Xuan answered helplessly.

“Oh, a teacher!” Liu Qianqian nodded in understanding.

Su Muqing noticed how close Qin Xuan and Liu Qianqian seemed, and asked with curiosity, “Qin Xuan, and this is...?”

Nearby, some gossip enthusiasts perked up immediately.

“Live update: The story of one man and three women,” read a new post on the campus forum, accompanied by a photo capturing the scene at the school gate. It quickly drew a crowd.

“Sword Brother V3! We want more!”

“Keep the updates coming!”

“Where did the poster go?”

“Damn, OP is so unreliable—it’s been five minutes, what happened to the live feed?”

The original poster vanished after the first update, stirring up the crowd’s indignation.

But the poster himself was sitting there in tears. He’d imagined that a meeting between one man and three women would spark fireworks—maybe even a public argument. After all, to outsiders, Qin Xuan and these three women did seem to have ambiguous relationships.

But in reality, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to update—it was that nothing else happened.

“She’s Liu Qianqian, a fellow practitioner—you know what I mean,” Qin Xuan explained to Su Muqing, patting the sword case on his back with a smile.

“So, a heroine! Pleased to meet you,” Su Muqing looked Liu Qianqian over with interest, then asked, “So, where are you all headed?”

“Home. Someone’s picking us up, so don’t worry about us,” Qin Xuan replied. Su Muqing nodded and drove off—she had something important to discuss at home, related to Li Shihao.

She’d always considered herself clever and capable of deciding things on her own, but now she realized she still couldn’t compare to her brother. This time, she’d better ask for his advice...

The Chevrolet sped away.

And so, the story of one man and three women came to a quiet end. That forum thread became the first unfinished live post of the semester, and the poor poster began his painful career of being scorned by the entire school.

Fu finally arrived promptly at half past five.

“Fu, from now on, come at five,” Qin Xuan suggested.

“Aren’t you having dinner at school?” Fu, wearing sunglasses, asked in surprise.

“No, we’ll eat at the villa. Soon, it’ll get dark earlier, and I’m afraid we’ll run out of time if we wait too long,” Qin Xuan explained, glancing at the sky.

“Got it,” Fu nodded solemnly.

At night, Dongfang Qingwan’s Profound Yin Qi would attract wandering spirits. It was fine in early September, but in a few weeks, it would already be dark by half past five, and it would be too late to pick her up.

“Do you have any food at your villa?” Dongfang Qingwan asked as she got in the car, suddenly feeling hungry.

“Not right now,” Qin Xuan thought for a moment, “but there will be soon. Let’s pick up some groceries first—someone will cook.”

He thought, after a whole day, Shuixian should have learned how to make some home-style dishes by now. At first, he hadn’t wanted Dongfang Qingwan to know about Shuixian, but since she was now the villa’s housekeeper, it was only a matter of time.

Better to be upfront and let them get acquainted sooner.

After all, what’s so scary about one man and three women?

“Did you hire a housekeeper?” Dongfang Qingwan asked, puzzled.

“Not exactly, but pretty close,” Qin Xuan replied, scratching his head, unsure how to explain.