Naked Sword Art

Chapter 458: Xun Wei’s Fame

Before Long the sun eventually came up.

Li Lian didn’t realize when she had fallen asleep, but she found herself waking up in the warmth and comfort of Xiao Fang’s arms.

"Is it morning already..." she rubbed her eyes. "Shit, I’m late!"

Li Lian jolted upright, eyes wide as she scrambled to find her clothes. Xiao Fang sat up lazily, resting an arm behind his head as he watched her with an amused expression.

Even in a hurry, she moved with effortless grace. Her porcelain skin caught the sunlight, her figure elegant and striking as she pulled on her clothes. When she bent forward to slide on her thigh-high socks, Xiao Fang’s eyes lingered a little longer than they should have.

She paused, catching his gaze.

"Fang," she warned playfully without turning around, "don’t even think about skipping your classes today."

Xiao Fang smirked, stretching his arms overhead.

"Me, skip?" he said with a lazy chuckle. "I would never."

Li Lian rolled her eyes, but a soft smile curved on her lips. She didn’t believe him—not entirely.

Still, Xiao Fang meant what he said. The lessons over the next four months were going to be critical to his path forward.

Just as she finished getting dressed, Li Lian climbed back onto the bed, leaned in, and kissed him softly. Her lovely natural scent—a warm mix of cinnamon and vanilla—invaded his space.

"I don’t actually care if you skip your classes," she whispered. "But don’t skip your missions, okay? I told the Matriarch I could convince you to do them, so... don’t embarrass me."

Xiao Fang pulled her close by the neck, pressing his lips to hers again—deeper this time.

"I’ll go," he murmured against her lips. "So don’t worry."

"You better," she smiled, showing teeth while stroking his sleeping dragon. "...Or else, I’ll bite your dick off."

She kissed him one last time before pulling away, and walking towards the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Li Lian said, standing by the door. "My parents have been nagging me to tell you to visit them sometime soon. Just drop by and say hi when you have the time."

"I can go any day. When shall we go?"

"I can’t," she sighed. "The Matriarch barely gives me any time away from training. So... you’ll have to go alone. Do you know how to get there?"

"I’ll manage," Xiao Fang said with a calm nod.

"Good..."

She paused in the doorway, her hand hovering near the frame. Then, in a softer, more hesitant voice, she added,

"...Let me know how it goes."

And just like that, she left.

She didn’t have to explain. Xiao Fang already knew how complicated her relationship with her parents was. That single, quiet request carried more weight than she let on.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Xiao Fang leaned back in thought, remembering his previous encounter with her mother. He couldn’t help but wonder—

’Does she still remember what I told her back then?’

.

.

.

Sitting in class next to Bai Fan and Zhao Pan, Xiao Fang tried his best to pay attention to the lecture, but the pace was far too slow. His mind often wandered.

Teacher Su Lingxi’s voice droned on in the background, but Xiao Fang’s mind was now elsewhere—stuck on the thought of meeting Li Lian’s parents.

"Wang," Bai Fan leaned over and whispered, "so you’re finally going to start joining us on missions?"

"Mn," Xiao Fang nodded. "When’s the next one?"

"In three days," Bai Fan replied. "We’ve been doing them twice a week. Just a heads up—our mentor is pretty tough on us."

Xiao Fang turned his head slightly as if to give her a glance through his blindfold. He noticed it now—both Bai Fan and Zhao Pan’s bodies had changed. Their auras were steadier, more focused, more refined. There was a quiet sharpness to them, like unsheathed blades that had seen real use.

"It seems your strengths have improved significantly because of it," Xiao Fang said plainly.

Bai Fan, the cold beauty, was momentarily stunned by his words. She wanted to thank him, but before she could, Zhao Pan interjected—completely immodest about their progress.

"You’re damn right we have," Zhao Pan said from the other side. "And don’t think we forgot—you still owe us. For the next mission, you’re doing all the work."

Xiao Fang smirked. "Fine. You can rely on me for the next few."

"You say that now," Zhao Pan muttered. "Let’s see if you survive."

Xiao Fang didn’t respond. He simply leaned back in his seat, a faint grin forming on his lips.

He wasn’t worried. Xiao Fang believed that in this country, very few things besides the Royal Court could challenge him.

Class eventually came to an end, but Xiao Fang found himself relatively disappointed. While the topic of mental illusions was certainly complex and nuanced, it quickly became clear why it would take four months to cover—it was the pace. The lectures were simply too slow for someone with his level of comprehension.

He knew he’d need to find another way to learn what truly mattered.

Just as he was about to approach Su Lingxi for guidance, Bai Fan called out to him with a question that caught his attention.

"Wang, are you coming to our swords club meeting? We’re having a special guest join us today."

"It’s that girl from the tournament—Xun Wei," Zhao Pan added.

Xiao Fang paused, a bit surprised. He had been in seclusion for some time, and it seemed Xun Wei’s reputation had exploded in his absence. Her performance during the tournament, especially against Chu Piao, had become the stuff of legend, and now she was something of a celebrity within the sect.

The 19-year-old swordswoman who brought a sect to its knees—and stood her ground against a Divine Swordsman six years her senior.

Xiao Fang wasn’t there to witness her use her Ghost Blade Art [ Phantom Blitz ] technique, but if the rumors were true, and she was really able to push Chu Piao back with it, he knew it must’ve been truly extraordinary.

Xiao Fang couldn’t help but feel proud for her.

"Sure, why not," he replied with a charming smile. "You two go on ahead. There are a few questions I’d like to ask Elder Su Lingxi about today’s lecture."