## AST 1230 – Saint Lord Custodian, What Is Love

It was when Qing Shui grabbed onto that soft hand that he discovered that their relationship seemed to have gotten a lot closer. However, it was also when he took it that he knew that he had gone a little overboard.

The Eldest Princess only noticed that she had lost her cool once again when Qing Shui had grabbed her hand. She had never been like this before. By right, this was nothing between siblings, but the two of them hadn’t reach that stage yet and were just friends, or rather, slightly better than friends.

She quietly draw out her hands but realized that Qing Shui had grabbed onto it tightly.

“You little rascal. How long are you going to grab onto my hand for?” The Eldest Princess chided. She felt that it was too strange today that she didn’t think that it was not realistic.

Qing Shui released the Eldest Princess’ hand and saw that there was a faint layer of flush on her face. That charming beauty made him thought that she was good enough to eat and he really wanted to get a few bites…

This episode got them to be much closer. This wasn’t an improvement of a love relationship between a man and a woman, but it was hard to describe.

“Sister Su, you’re already Heaven Secrets Academy’s Elder. What other people are there in the Heaven Secrets Academy who are above the Elders? Those people should be the true pillars of the Heaven Secrets Academy, right?” Qing Shui tried to find another topic.

“Let’s take a walk around here. I’ll give you a brief explanation.” The Eldest Princess smiled and said and after Qing Shui nodded, they walked on.

“The Elders are the true foundations to the Heaven Secrets Academy. Only those who have become an Elder could be considered a true member of the Heaven Secrets Academy. There are quite a number of Elders in the Heaven Secrets Academy. In the future, these people would have the chance to become Custodians and the Supreme Elders. Only the Custodians and the Supreme Elder can be considered the core existence of the Heaven Secrets Academy, the people supporting the Heaven Secrets Academy.” The Eldest Princess only turned to look at Qing Shui after saying these.

“Then what status does the Saint Child has in the Heaven Secrets Academy?” Qing Shui thought of how the Saint Child’s abilities was rumored to be at ten million nebula or even stronger. Therefore, he wanted to know his own position in the Heaven Secrets Academy and wanted to see what level the Western Oxhe Continent was at.

“He is Heaven Secrets Academy’s Saint Lord Custodian.” The Eldest Princess said slowly.

“What’s a Saint Lord Custodian?” Qing Shui was puzzled.

“By right, after the core disciples would be the teachers, followed by the Elders. There would be Elders who have the chance to become a Saint Lord, whose abilities would be at the Custodian level and is slightly above the Supreme Elders. The Saint Lords are also those who have the hope of taking over the position of the head of the Heaven Secrets Academy in the future. Not only must a Saint Lord be powerful, he must be loyal to the Heaven Secrets Academy and there must be a lot of people supporting him.”

Qing Shui understood now. In simple terms, the Saint Lords were the future candidates who might become the head of the Heaven Secrets Academy in the future. Custodian referred to their abilities. The Supreme Elder wasn’t weak, but most of them attained their level through experience. Supreme Elders tend to be people who were very old in age who had gotten stronger bit by bit. There were also some Supreme Elders who had attained their positions due to their old age as well as the strength of their juniors. It was a form of respect to them.

Comparatively, the Custodians were different. They had attained their positions through their own abilities. There were no age limitations nor any costs required. The individual’s background would not be questioned. As long as one had the abilities and was loyal to the Heaven Secrets Academy, it would suffice. They would guard over the Heaven Secrets Academy and it was only those who played a role in guarding could be called a Custodian.

“Then in the future, Sister Su would also become a Saint Lord Custodian. You might even become the head of the Heaven Secrets Academy, bringing the Heaven Secrets Academy to exceed the Grade Four level even higher to Grade Five, reaching the very peak.” Qing Shui smiled and looked at the Eldest Princess.

“How can it possibly be so easy? Putting aside that it’s very hard for one to raise their cultivation, to bring up the level of an entire influence requires the overall improvement of the group.” The Eldest Princess shook her head.

“ Sister Su, do you have any wishes? For example, to become a Saint Lord Custodian, or to become the head of the Heaven Secrets Academy.”

“I do, but they aren’t very strong. Sometimes, human just push themselves. Often, one doesn’t have a choice. It’s not that others are forcing you, but rather, you are forcing yourself. It’s human nature to want to win, regardless if it is for men or women. This is a pursuit. Just like how people would feel happy when they go through progress. Therefore, my wish is to hope that I can keep on seeing my own progress. And I hope that the path before me won’t be filled with too many hurdles.” the Eldest Princess smiled and looked at Qing Shui.

A lady with unparalleled beauty would be especially charming when she smiles. Although it is an exaggeration to say that beauties could draw out another person’s soul. However, it’s true that it can cause one to enter a daze and forget to breathe, especially under close view.

“I’ve learnt a bit about fortune telling through looking at one’s appearance. You’re born with a blessed life of great fortune, to have an amiable relationship with your husband, to have many offspring…”

The Eldest Princess looked at Qing Shui speechlessly. She knew that Qing Shui was just joking but it still felt weird. After all, she had never felt like this before. She wasn’t used to this, but she didn’t detest it.

The Eldest Princess wasn’t sure what feelings Qing Shui harbored. She don’t even know what’s the relationship between them. In a sense, this can be considered to be an affinity between them.

She didn’t know why she thought of relationship between a man and woman. She got a shock. She knew that the 7th Princess had taken a bit of a liking to this lad and back then, she was the one who had kept persuading the 7th Princess…

Although she knew that she didn’t like this guy, she was still frightened by her own thought. She unknowingly discovered that they had gotten a lot more closer.

Everything now were things which she would never dare to imagine in the past. When she thought of this, she looked toward Qing Shui with a weird expression.

This man was very honest and his eyes were very clear. He looked very handsome with a soft demonic beauty. However, he also had a yang aura which distinguished him from gigolos.

“Do you like Suxin?” the Eldest Princess suddenly asked Qing Shui.

“Suxin? Who is Suxin?” Qing Shui asked, puzzled.

The Eldest Princess was slightly taken aback before she spoke gradually, “The 7th Princess’ name is Suxin.”

Qing Shui guessed as much. His question had popped out unconsciously. He really didn’t know the 7th Princess’ name and had only guessed it when he asked the question.

“Why are you asking?” Qing Shui looked at the Eldest Princess, puzzled. He didn’t even know the 7th Princess’ name and they haven’t even spent time alone before. Moreover, he felt that there would be no such connections between himself and the 7th Princess.

Everyone liked beauties, but liking is not the equivalent of love. Qing Shui didn’t know what love was, but he knew that if a person were to fall in love with another, the person would willingly give up and sacrifice a lot for the other party. Other than kinship, love was the only other thing with such great prowess.

“I noticed that Suxin might have a favorable impression of you, or she may even like you .”

“If I were to say that I’ve a favorable impression of you and may even like you a little, what would you do?” Qing Shui looked at the Eldest Princess and asked softly.

The Eldest Princess was stunned, “Why didn’t I sense anything….”

Qing Shui felt baffled and said, smiling bitterly. “That’s it. A good impression is something that will come and go very quickly. These are but temporary. For example you can think well of a person, but when the other party shows their bad side or do things which you can’t accept, the positive feeling you may have would disappear completely very soon. To like a person, is even simpler. Take myself for example, I like beautiful ladies, but what would that matter? Everyone likes beautiful things and it’s also very normal for there to be feelings of like between men and women. However, that isn’t love and won’t be able to stand up to tests.”

The Eldest Princess looked at Qing Shui. He was really honest. She felt that this man wasn’t that detestable. Moreover, what he said made sense too. People who could say something like this would at least be one who was honest and dare to admit his own actions.

“Then what is considered love? How can it be tested?” The Eldest Princess asked.

“Toward love, 100 people would have 100 explanations to it. There aren’t any right or wrong to this, nor are there any model answer. For example, between two people who loved each other, one could die in order to protect another, while the other would commit suicide because he or she wasn’t willing to stay alive alone. To some people, this could be called love. Another scenario would be for the latter to choose to live on, to look for someone he or she love even more. That is another form of love as well. It was because when the former died in a bid to protect the other party, the person wished for the other party to stay alive.” Qing Shui smiled and said.

“Which kind are you?” The Eldest Princess looked at Qing Shui, her beautiful eyes glimmering.

“I’ll be the one who dies for the other party. This way, I won’t have to feel conflicted if it’s better to die or to remain alive.” Qing Shui said calmly.

The Eldest Princess’ question was wasted, but she liked his reply. It wasn’t for any other reason, but was just a feeling.

“I’m curious. In your heart, what is love?” If others were to know that she was discussing about love between men and women, their jaws would definitely drop from the shock.

In fact, even Qing Shui was a little taken aback. Although the princess continued to treat this topic with ease, and was still beautiful like a fairy, there was still a hint of a mortal’s dignified disposition. Such a contradiction made the temptation she exuded to be even more lethal.

“They say that only love that can be put through tests is true love. I feel that no matter what love is, when it reaches an extreme, it would turn to kinship, into a love that is bound by blood. It’ll be just like the love one has toward his birth parents and blood siblings.” Qing Shui smiled and said to the Eldest Princess.

There was no need for him to explain any further. A normal person would know what kinship feels like. Kinship was one which would never change. What Qing Shui wanted to say that, only when the love reached a new extreme, it would become a love like this.

“I never knew that you’re this good with words. No wonder you have such a beautiful wife.” The Eldest Princess smiled softly and said.

…

“Help me stay on guard for a while. I’ll take it now.” The Eldest Princess shook the porcelain bottle she had in her hand.

“Alright!”

Time passed very fast, and there weren’t any huge disturbances. However, Qing Shui still felt that the aura in her body had gotten stronger. When the aura calmed down, she opened her eyes.

Qing Shui now felt that the Eldest Princess’ strength was a bit indistinctive, but he knew that the increase was huge. She looked at Qing Shui and smiled, “Good things are really different. One drop from the Spring of Life is comparable to several decades of cultivation.”

Qing Shui felt that the reason he could absorb those powers previously was also thanks to the Spring of Life. There should also be some powers from the Spring of Life which he had absorbed then.

The benefits obtained from the Spring of Life was permanent. The improvements to the body’s functions and potential would affect one for life.

“If I get more in the future, I’ll give it to you again.” Qing Shui smiled and said.

“I should be leaving. Qing Shui, you must be careful. I know that you might have your own secrets, but you still must be careful. Will that Fu Yanting die?” The Eldest Princess gave it some thought before asking.