Chapter 160: Oversized Light Bulb

Stung by a sudden wave of frustration, Gu Weiyu indignantly turned on her heel and headed next door to the Peach Blossom Lodge, intending to vent her grievances to her fourth sister.

To her surprise, the fourth sister's courtyard already had a visitor.

Inside the Peach Blossom Lodge, a young woman in black exuded an heroic and dashing aura, while a young man in azure robes cut an impressively striking figure. Their sword techniques were fiercely sharp, and they were locked in an intense, back-and-forth duel.

Gu Weiyu’s eyes sparkled with brilliant fascination as she watched them. Watching the two of them spar with swords was utterly thrilling.

Instantly, whatever had just upset her was banished to the back of her mind. She made her way uninvited to a stone bench beneath the peach tree in the courtyard, rested her chin in her hands, and watched with rapt attention.

It was already late autumn, and the leaves on the peach tree in the yard had long since withered and fallen away, leaving only the gnarled, dragon-like branches behind.

When Taozhi, Gu Weilan’s personal maid, came out carrying a tray of spiritual fruits, she spotted Gu Weiyu sitting beneath the peach tree at a glance.

Taozhi was already married with a pair of children of her own, and her husband happened to be a shopkeeper at one of the Gu family’s storefronts.

Hearing that Gu Weilan had returned, she had voluntarily asked to come back and serve by Gu Weilan’s side.

Gu Weilan had always possessed an aloof temperament and had long grown accustomed to Taozhi’s presence. Seeing that Taozhi was willing to return, she naturally raised no objections.

"Eleventh Miss, would you care for some spiritual fruits?" Taozhi asked as she carried the platter into the peach grove and addressed Gu Weiyu.

Seeing Taozhi stirred a wave of sentimental reflection in Gu Weiyu. With the personal maids of each sister returning one by one, the Gu estate seemed to have reverted to its former appearance.

Yet, upon closer inspection, many things had changed. Some events and certain people, once missed, could never be brought back to the way they were.

Take Yansixi Hall, for instance. The Third Grandfather had gathered the eligible members of the Gu clan together to cultivate just as in the past, though the task of supervising those children's cultivation had been handed over to Gu Qingyun.

Ever since enduring three years of grueling labor in the mines, Gu Qingyun, despite his youth, had grown remarkably steady and mature. Therefore, Gu Hui had deliberately assigned him this responsibility.

The little squirt who used to trail behind her like a tail had now grown into a reliable "young adult" capable of standing on his own!

"Eleventh Miss?" Taozhi called out again, noticing that Gu Weiyu was staring blankly at her with unfocused eyes.

Gu Weiyu snapped back to her senses, offering Taozhi a smile. "Sister Taozhi, just leave them on the table."

Seeing Gu Weiyu cast her gaze back toward Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou, Taozhi and Yinyao quietly retreated indoors.

High in the air, the battle between Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou had reached its climax.

The swords in their hands moved faster and faster, even radiating wisps of tangible sword qi from their flying blades.

As those waves of sword qi spread outward, many of the peach tree branches below were effortlessly sliced through, fluttering down in a shower of falling wood.

At that very moment, Gu Weilan let out a resonant shout, "Watch my sword!"

Gu Weiyu’s eyes blazed with excitement. She had experienced dueling with her fourth sister before; whenever the fourth sister acted like this, it meant she was about to unleash her ultimate move!

Sure enough, Gu Weilan’s next sword strike possessed an astonishing momentum, instantly suppressing Xu Weizhou and forcing him onto the defensive.

Xu Weizhou’s brow remained as unshakeable as a mountain, the corners of his lips curling upward slightly. "Now it’s my turn!"

With that, Xu Weizhou shifted his sword techniques, growing even fiercer and faster. His blade blurred into a series of phantom afterimages as it reached the absolute limit of speed.

Gu Weiyu could not help widening her eyes, thinking to herself that this—this was what a true sword cultivator looked like, just like Fourth Sister and Senior Brother Xu!

By the time the two of them finished their exhilarating spar, a good half-hour had passed.

Both Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou were breathing heavily, their clothes damp with sweat and clinging to their bodies.

Simultaneously, they cast a Dust-Clearing Spell upon themselves. As the spell took effect, their garments were instantly rendered as clean as new.

After nearly an hour of intense sword fighting, neither of them felt fatigued; instead, they were buzzing with excitement, looking thoroughly unsatisfied and eager for more.

The most gratifying thing in life was to encounter a match for one's skills and a true soulmate in music.

Gu Weilan and Xu Weizhou were like kindred spirits who deeply appreciated one another.

"Fourth Sister!" Gu Weiyu called out, springing to her feet the moment their spar ended. "Teach me! I want to learn swordsmanship too!"

Gu Weilan glanced at Gu Weiyu, recalling their past training sessions, and said calmly, "Eleventh Sister, aren't you afraid my sword will bat you away into the distance again?"

"I'm not afraid!" Gu Weiyu puffed out her chest. "I love that feeling!"

Gu Weilan couldn't help but chuckle, her expression softening. "Since you put it that way, I won't hold back!"

Gu Weiyu shrank her neck back slightly and hastily added, "Fourth Sister, you need to go easy on me!"

"Take my招!" Without another word, Gu Weilan drew her sword and lunged toward Gu Weiyu like a drifting phantom.

Gu Weiyu summoned her Thunder-Hiding Sword and instinctively thrust it forward to block.

*Clang—*

The two swords collided, producing a resonant, ringing chime.

Xu Weizhou crossed his arms over his chest, holding his sword as he leisurely watched the two sisters practice.

At first, Gu Weilan’s striking speed was relatively slow, and Gu Weiyu adapted quite well.

The sisters exchanged blows back and forth with admirable rhythm.

One clad in black and the other in azure, they fluttered up and down the courtyard with swords in hand. Amidst the swirling robes, their bright eyes and captivating gazes made for a remarkably pleasing sight.

As time wore on, however, the speed of Gu Weilan’s sword forms grew increasingly rapid, and her strikes grew sharper.

Gradually, Gu Weiyu found herself struggling to parry, her breathing turning hurried.

Sweat began to bead incessantly on her forehead and the tip of her nose, rolling down to soak into her collar.

Her clothes grew damp as well, making her look as though she had just been hauled out of the water after nearly drowning, her chest rising and falling violently like a bellows.

Caught off guard, Gu Weilan’s sword ruthlessly struck Gu Weiyu across the back, sending her stumbling forward under the sheer force of the impact.

Fortunately, she had anticipated the blow to some extent and managed to avoid landing flat on her face.

"Fourth Sister—" Gu Weiyu muttered after casting a Dust-Clearing Spell, scolding playfully, "You could pull your punches a bit!"

"I *have* already shown mercy!" Gu Weilan arched an eyebrow. "If you don't believe me, ask him!"

With that, she extended a slender finger and pointed toward Xu Weizhou.

Xu Weizhou nodded. "Weilan did indeed hold back..."

To be honest, Gu Weilan had been extremely "tactful" just then, but Senior Sister Gu’s combat prowess was truly a bit difficult to put into words...

Gu Weiyu: "..."

Fine, she could only blame her own combat skills for being utterly trashy!

Deeply conscious of her weak combat ability, Gu Weiyu resolved that in the days to come, rain or shine, she would run over to the Peach Blossom Lodge every single day to practice swordsmanship with her fourth sister.

Yet every time she went, Gu Weiyu noticed that Xu Weizhou was also frequently there, seeking out the fourth sister to spar.

After making the trip often enough, Gu Weiyu finally, with characteristic tardiness, sensed something unusual.

Xu Weizhou came with great frequency, and whenever he looked at the fourth sister, his expression was utterly focused and his gaze remarkably tender. That look—he had clearly fallen for her fourth sister!

On the other hand, the fourth sister didn't seem to harbor that thousand-miles-away aloofness toward Xu Weizhou anymore; her entire demeanor had grown much softer.

Goodness gracious, Gu Weiyu silently exclaimed!

Since when had all this happened? Why on earth was she only just noticing it now?!

To think that for all these days, she had unknowingly been acting as a super—super-sized third wheel!