hotmtlnovel Chapter 170: Sword Technique to Exorcise Evil
Chapter 170: Sword Technique to Exorcise Evil
Chapter 170: Sword Technique to Exorcise Evil
Witnessing the passage of time always evokes some emotions.
Brick-sized mobile phones have evolved into smartphones, rural paths now lead to high-speed railways, and video halls have disappeared, replaced by televisions. Watching the movie from start to finish, Xu Qing was fully engrossed.
Jiang He was nestled in his arms, falling into a deep sleep. Occasionally, Xu Qing would stroke her hair, and she remained still, as if she'd completely let her guard down.
Although she still resisted certain actions, she seemed to have tacitly allowed this closeness. Watching movies now required a shower first, followed by cuddling. Even if she was still resistant, if he insisted on touching her feet, she wouldn’t strongly oppose it.
Perhaps it was because of the jade pendant he had gifted her.
Xu Qing touched the jade pendant hanging around his neck, perfectly deciphering Jiang He’s behavior.
As the credits rolled, the video window minimized automatically, and the computer screen brightened slightly. He glanced down at Jiang He’s sleeping profile, holding her quietly for a moment before leaning down to kiss her gently. She didn’t wake.
"I once dreamed of wielding a sword and traveling the world to see its splendor...
But now, with this warm girl in my arms, all I want is to stay home and hold her."
Realizing it was already past 10 PM, Xu Qing decided to try moving Jiang He into the bedroom. Carrying her inside while she slept would undoubtedly leave her so touched tomorrow morning that she’d cry and beg him to move back into the master bedroom.
Moving carefully, Xu Qing adjusted his posture and lifted Jiang He, who neither snored nor drooled.
Carrying a girl wasn’t like Jiang He’s method of grabbing a piglet by an arm and a leg to toss it into a pen. Instead, he carried her princess-style, as it’s commonly called. Jiang He only weighed about a hundred jin, making it an easy lift thanks to Xu Qing’s training and the fact that she was a girl.
Everyone knows there’s a vast difference between carrying a hundred jin of rice and a hundred jin of a girl. While rice might be hard to lift, carrying a girl is effortless—he could even spin around or jog a few steps.
Jiang He’s eyelids fluttered as Xu Qing moved, but she made no other movements, as if bewitched into staying still.
Xu Qing placed her on the bed and shook his head at the sight of her fair arms and legs peeking out from her pajamas.
“You know this is entrapment, right?”
“What’s entrapment?”
“It’s making me think you’re asleep so I take advantage, only for you to catch me red-handed.”
Seeing Jiang He open her eyes, Xu Qing mischievously placed his hand on her knee, sliding it down her calf to her foot, giving it a playful squeeze. He then quickly retreated to the door, pulling it shut behind him to shield himself from her kicking.
“This way, I’m not taking advantage of you. Good night!”
Being openly cheeky is different from taking liberties while she’s asleep. Xu Qing prided himself on his cleverness.
After making sure Jiang He’s door was secure, he returned to the storeroom, grabbed some clothes, and washed up. Once clean, he sat back at his computer to mull over the movie he had just watched.
"Binbin was the leader of a gang of hooligans. They swore allegiance to loyalty in front of Guan Yu’s shrine, substituting wine for blood in their oath. However, this so-called loyalty was nothing but a fragile illusion...
They were numerous, but lacked organization, discipline, or an industrialized chain of profit. Their unity relied solely on the personal charisma of their leader and the vague, outdated notion of loyalty from the old Jianghu world. They were like a pile of loose sand..."
He wrote and paused, then rewound the movie to re-watch key scenes.
A sprawling 5,000-word article flowed from his fingers, and by the time he finished, it was already midnight.
“You’re still not asleep?” Jiang He’s head peeked out from the master bedroom, catching sight of Xu Qing still in the living room.
He was dressed in matching blue pajamas, with a can of cola and a straw on the table beside him.
Hmph. Men.
The last time she had offered him a straw, he said, “Using a straw is too girly.”
“Just about to sleep,” Xu Qing replied, stretching and yawning as he stood. “You can’t sleep after your nap?”
“No... just go to bed early.”
“You too.”
She even cares about when I sleep now... Xu Qing sighed, turned off his computer, and finished the rest of his cola before heading back to his storeroom.
Jiang He’s presence had subtly improved his life. Xu Qing used to think that his nocturnal lifestyle would age him quickly. By thirty, his hairline would have receded dramatically, and living to sixty would suffice.
Now he felt he could live to eighty and still be spirited.
As for everything else, there wasn’t much change. Liking a girl often motivates a man to work harder, to earn more for a better life. This had little to do with Jiang He specifically.
Lying in bed, Xu Qing wasn’t sleepy. It had been a while since he stayed up so late. Feeling unexpectedly energetic, he picked up his phone, lowered the volume, and began scrolling through a video site.
The latest buzz was about traditional martial artists being crushed by MMA fighters. It was unclear whether it was hype or real challenges. Any sensible master would know their limits and avoid humiliation, but perhaps some believed their own myths after years of pretending.
The residential complex’s electronic gate system was finally operational. Uncle Zhao sat under a large umbrella nearby, his chair slightly closer to the gate. Delivery riders now had to register before entering.
“From May, we’ll need electronic keycards, right?”
“Yep, in about half a month. Have you applied for yours? Better hurry up.”
“Got it. I’ll head over now.”
Xu Qing chatted idly before wandering to the community center, which wasn’t far but not somewhere he often went. Inside, he saw Aunt Cheng Yulan managing forms for registration.
Seeing her in charge was a pleasant surprise for Xu Qing, simplifying the process. While filling out his form, he chatted with her. Originally planning to register his own keycard first and return later for Jiang He’s, he realized there was no need.
“Also, give me a form for... someone else,” he said, smiling as he wrote.
“Why didn’t she come herself?”
“I was out for a walk and ended up here. Might as well handle it to save another trip.”
Name: Jiang He.
Age: 19.
Occupation: Freelancer.
Last year she was 18; this year, 19. Flawless logic.
Some renters needed to provide photocopies of their ID cards for registration, but homeowners like Xu Qing had it easier. Soon, he had two electronic keycards in hand.
"Only 19, huh," Aunt Cheng remarked as she glanced at Jiang He's form. "Guess she can't get married this year."
"Who said we were getting married this year?" Xu Qing was surprised.
"I did. Just a thought."
"...You think way too far ahead."
Xu Qing was at a loss for words. After a moment, he added, "We haven’t even dated long enough yet. We’ll get married when we’re ready. Besides, she doesn’t have any family back home to handle her paperwork. I’ll have to find time to take her back and sort things out."
"She doesn’t have family?"
"Yeah, it’s been a long time since she’s been back. I’ll see if we can transfer her residency to Jiang City."
"You’ve got your work cut out for you," Aunt Cheng said with a smile. "Getting her registered in your household would be nice. She’s a good girl and knows how to manage things."
"She’s great. Last time she even went with you to collect eggs," Xu Qing chuckled. He figured the lecture events Aunt Cheng organized wouldn’t last long—people had been discouraged before, only showing up because there were freebies.
"Who wouldn’t grab free stuff?" Aunt Cheng said proudly before sighing. "But my daughter won’t bother with it. She says it’s a waste of time, yet she wastes time watching TV and munching sunflower seeds all day..."
"Alright, I’ll let you get back to work."
Xu Qing noticed more people entering the office, so he tucked his hands into his pockets and strolled back home, wondering if Jiang He had finished grinding in the game.
When he got back, Jiang He was still hard at work. Her long hair cascaded down her back as she concentrated, presenting a focused and diligent image.
A frugal and capable Jiang He, Xu Qing thought to himself.
"Someone complimented you today, said you’re good at managing things," he said, placing one of the electronic keycards on her desk.
"What is this?" Jiang He asked, holding up the thin blue plastic card with a small hole in it.
"It’s a key. The new gate outside requires this starting next month. Attach it to your keyring."
"Oh, okay."
After finishing her game, Jiang He fetched her keychain and hung the electronic keycard on it. She lifted the keys to examine them. Living here had led to her accumulating all sorts of little trinkets.
"Aunt Cheng complimented you," Xu Qing continued with a grin. "She even said we’d get married this year. I asked her where she got that idea, and she said it was just her own thought."
He laughed, adding, "But you’re only 19. Legally, you can’t get married yet."
Although, strictly speaking, Jiang He’s actual age would qualify her as an "ancient granny," her physical and biological age was as fresh as her straw shoes.
"19 is too young?"
"Yep, practically an old spinster by now..."
"I’m not an old spinster!" Jiang He protested, clearly sensitive to the term. She was young, after all.