Chapter 60: Everyone’s Secrets

The group gathered together.

The Nalan siblings told their parents everything about being attacked by a man in black.

After hearing them out, Nalan Qiang and Zhao Fang shared a heavy look. They knew their secret couldn’t stay hidden any longer.

Nalan Qiang stood up and walked over to the hall pillar. He slapped it hard, sending something tumbling from the beam above.

A bundle landed with a thud. Nalan Qiang opened it slowly, revealing a set of clothes, a broad-brimmed hat, and a sword.

He put everything on, and in an instant, it was like he became a different person—a presence that could no longer be suppressed.

He looked just like a wandering swordsman from the martial world.

Everyone stared in stunned silence.

Seeing this, Zhao Fang seemed to gather her thoughts and quietly returned to her room.

She faced the mirror and began to peel off a layer of skin from her face. Soon, she held what looked like a human mask—actually a lifelike disguise.

Her true appearance emerged: a delicate beauty like a lotus rising from clear water, skin fair as snow, her flawless face marked by a tiny tear-shaped beauty mark at the corner of her eye.

She then slipped into a light blue flowing dress, ethereal as an immortal. Her regal presence burst to the surface.

When the two finally stood together, facing the stunned crowd, they clasped each other’s hands. Nalan Qiang spoke up, resignation thick in his voice.

“The truth is, we’re both from the top noble families of the strongest cities.”

“I am Nalan Qiang, eldest son of the Nalan family. My clan, for the sake of profit, tried to force me into a political marriage with a woman I couldn’t stand. All my protests fell on deaf ears!”

“As the wedding day crept closer, I decided to run. On that day, I fled without looking back, bringing shame to my family.”

“They’ve sent people after me ever since, but my trail has vanished. No one has any idea where I am.”

“Along the way, disguised as someone else, I happened to meet Zhao Fang—who was also running from her own arranged marriage. She’s now my wife. It was love at first sight.”

“Only after some time did we realize, to our utter shock, that we’d been meant for each other all along. Life really can be that ridiculous.”

“Both our families were furious when we ran away. Returning home now is next to impossible.”

“After both of us ran out on our families and disgraced them, our fathers—the heads of the Nalan and Zhao families—were outraged.”

“They tried everything to bring us back and save face, but it was pointless. From that day forward, we hid our names and lived in the shadows.”

“No one knows how long we’ve been living on the outskirts of this third-tier city, nestled deep in the woods, just trying to be a normal married couple. Eventually, we had two kids.”

“To give our children a peaceful, happy life, we kept our true strengths hidden.”

“We lived just like ordinary people. My wife cared for the home and children, while I made a living as a traveling physician. In those days, we had more than enough to get by.”

“That whole time, our kids just thought we were nobody special. Truth be told, that’s all we wanted—to live out our days quietly, just a plain and happy family.”

“For sixteen years we kept up the act, and watched our children grow up safe and sound.”

“But no matter how careful or low-key our lives were, we still couldn’t stay hidden forever.” Nalan Qiang’s eyes suddenly burned with fury.

“Their biggest mistake was dragging our kids into this. One day, I will return to the Nalan family for answers!”

Power surged from Nalan Qiang, his aura skyrocketing. The pressure of a fifth-level Sword Emperor Realm crashed over the courtyard, nearly suffocating everyone present.

Zhao Fang shook her head in exasperation and slowly revealed her own cultivation. Powerful energy swept across the courtyard, her level suddenly rising.

It only stopped once she reached fourth-level Sword Emperor Realm. She gently released a wave of power, dissolving Nalan Qiang’s oppressive force.

Only then could everyone catch their breath, as if they’d just come back from the brink of death.

Zhao Fang soothed Nalan Qiang, her voice soft and gentle: “Husband, don’t scare the children!”

Hearing his wife’s words, Nalan Qiang snapped out of his daze and quickly withdrew his aura.

The four of them looked at the pair, who just moments ago had seemed like plain, scruffy nobodies, and now stood transformed. They were all utterly dumbfounded.

“So being ordinary people was all a lie!” The Nalan siblings were especially shocked. “All these years, we lived as a normal family…”

“Now you tell us you’re hidden powerhouses,” the siblings froze in disbelief.

Nalan Xue stared, barely able to speak, stammering as she looked at Zhao Fang, “M-mother, are you really cultivators? Can you tell me about the outside world and what cultivators are like? I want to know how beautiful the world is out there. Is it really much better than ours?”

Zhao Fang stepped forward, gently stroking Nalan Xue’s cheek with a look of deep love mixed with guilt. “Xue’er, we’re sorry for keeping this from you and your brother for so long. We just wanted to live as ordinary people, but now there’s no hiding it.”

“As for the outside world… let me think. There’s so much to talk about.” Zhao Fang slowly walked to the door.

After listening to Zhao Fang’s account, the Nalan siblings were wide eyed with amazement. To them, stepping from an ordinary person’s world into that of cultivators was like living in a well and suddenly glimpsing the sky beyond.

……………………..

The Sword Qi Continent—its dynasties and city ranks explained.

[Dynasty: Jianwu Dynasty]

First-tier cities: the most powerful.

[Tian Gu City, Wanyou City, Hanbing City, Wentian City]

Second-tier cities: moderate strength.

[Xuanwu City, Zhuque City, Baihu City, Qinglong City]

Third-tier cities: the weakest.

[Sky Sword City, Vast Sea City, Heavenfire City, Yingchun City]

Every city is surrounded by thousands of villages and towns.

[Sword Qi Continent cultivation realms: Ordinary Person, Sword Practitioner Realm, Sword Qi Realm, Sword Sea Realm, Sword King Realm, Sword Emperor Realm, Sword Saint Realm, (Demi-God Realm), Sword God Realm]

[No one in history has ever reached the Demi-God Realm, so most people have forgotten about it. Also known as the False God Realm, it’s clearly described in the Ancient Inheritance Scrolls.]

[Mortal Realm, 100 years: Ordinary people grow old and die, their souls fading like an exhausted lamp.]

[Sword Practitioner Realm, 300 years: Truly beyond mortals at last. Every part of the body is enhanced, lifespan doubled—yet by nature, still just human.]

[Sword Qi Realm, 600 years: Finally stepping onto the cultivation path—a dividing line for all. Lifespan greatly extended, with the gift of everlasting youth.]

[Sword Sea Realm, 900 years: All prior abilities are doubled again; live long and prosper, appearance bending to will.]

[Sword King Realm, 1500 years: Now capable of brief flight. At this level, you could dominate a region.]

[Sword Emperor Realm, 3000 years: Now you can fly on a sword and stand in the void. These are city lord-level prodigies, able to order death on a whim for a thousand miles.]

[Sword Saint Realm, 9000 years: Without a Sword God present, the Sword Saint is invincible, able to command the powers of nature and with a terrifying lifespan.]

[Demi-God Realm: Shares the Sword God’s lifespan, with incredible strength. Unless a Sword God appears, the Demi-God stands supreme!]

[Sword God Realm: Lifespan as long as heaven and earth. Death comes only by choice, otherwise unkillable—everything below God Realm is like an ant.]

Ancient Sects: [Sky Sword Sect, Frost Palace, Ten Thousand Beast Sect, Vast Sea Sect, Azure Profound Sect, Heavenfire Gate]