Jianghu (un mundo de artes marciales) - No te cortes

Capítulo 53

First, a photographic memory.

Plum Blossom had seen Ningdu and others practice this move when they helped Shuangjing hold a trial meeting at the Seven Stones Gate.

Although they differed slightly from those made by the Eighth Master, similarities were still evident.

Mei Hua could only hear Shuang Jing's words echoing in her ears.

—Use everything you've learned over the past few years, and everything you've seen on this trip!—

She swung her sword backhand, slashing at Xi Quan's side, and simultaneously used the momentum to leap up. Suddenly, she pulled back her left hand and threw the sword at him from behind.

The crescent-shaped blade flew out, nearly slicing off the hair of those who had managed to crouch down in time. Xi Quan only saw the woman in front of her bend and spin; before her other hand could even straighten, a flash of white light appeared—the blade she had just thrown was spinning back. She dodged to the right, but Plum Blossom had already appeared behind her. Before Xi Quan could react, a sharp pain suddenly shot through seven places from her legs, knees, waist, stomach, chest, and shoulders. Before she could even react, she was slammed into a tree by a backhand strike!

"Great!" Che Shui couldn't help but cheer.

At this moment, Xi Quan had already gotten up. He aimed at Mei Hua, shouted loudly, and charged towards the Eighth Hall Master with his cleaver. The Kunming Blade was heavy and huge, and its agility depended entirely on the strength of the wrist. Xi Quan approached Mei Hua, dodged to the side, and stretched the blade behind him, intending to slash at his left shoulder. But Mei Hua dodged and then suddenly moved forward, his face close to the fierce lady. While she was stunned, he stepped back and swung his left hand back, actually using the blade to scratch Xi Quan's eyes!

“That is…?” Even Xuan Sheng couldn’t help but ask.

"My 'Dreamlike Feather Dance'!" Che Shui exclaimed, then burst into laughter: "You've got it, Plum Blossom!"

The second requirement for being a detective: to be light and silent.

The plum blossoms, as delicate as feathers, seemed to land silently on cotton, as still as snow falling on the shore, as swift as a gentle breeze brushing against willows. They danced rapidly, and for a moment, it was as if a beautiful and noble crane was flying gracefully in the snow of winter. The magnificent and poignant beauty of the plum blossoms drifted everywhere with their scattered red petals. Their posture and pride were no less than that of clear water.

She circled around Xi Quan, sometimes stabbing at his legs, sometimes slashing at his waist. The fierce lady was both shocked and furious. After losing her sight, she tried to use her other senses to find the plum blossoms, but her opponent was someone whose lightness skill was even inferior to Hua Wushuang's, making it seem as if the plum blossoms did not exist around her.

Suddenly, Plum Blossom dodged to the side, her short sword thrusting horizontally from left to right, aiming straight for Xi Quan's chest. Taking advantage of the moment when the fierce lady raised her weapon to block, she used all her strength to slash downwards. With a clang, the curved sword in Plum Blossom's hand was broken and flew away. Xi Quan's Kunming Blade was indeed worthy of being from the Seven Stones Sect, but that strike was delivered by the Eighth Hall Master using all his remaining internal energy. Although it did not break, it was still injured.

"Ah!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this.

Mei Hua staggered back several steps, panting heavily, her face covered in blood. Xi Quan heard her voice and immediately shouted as he rushed towards her!

Mei Hua snorted coldly, took a few steps back, and closed her eyes.

"Ah!" Shuang Jing was startled and exclaimed softly, "This is..."

"Xuansheng's 'Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl'!" Jing Shan and Che Shui both shouted at the same time.

But Mei Hua resolutely threw down the remaining knife and charged forward with her bare fists!

A strong wind swept past her already blurry eyes, as if petals were scattered everywhere.

She traversed vast valleys and deep mountains, crossed expansive landscapes, and what she saw was Peony's serious face. She said calmly:

—The best weapon is the belief that you will absolutely defeat your opponent. If that's the case, even if you lose all five senses, you will still win.—

What came hurtling towards them, cutting through the air, was a horse-slaying saber radiating a dark blue luster!

Mei Hua lightly touched the ground with her toes, dodged to the side, and moved like a butterfly through a flower bush. In the blink of an eye, she was behind Xi Quan, suddenly grabbing at her shoulder, turning her around, and throwing a heavy punch!

One punch, for my third sister.

She beat Xi Quan until her face was covered in blood, and seeing that she had not yet fallen, she slapped her several times on her shoulders, chest and stomach!

This is because it forced us to flee for our lives!

Xi Quan spat out a mouthful of blood and groaned as he fell to the ground, but Mei Hua grabbed his neck with one hand and lifted him up with all her might, swinging her right fist upwards!

That final punch—was it because of how many of Eagle Fortress's members died because of your selfish desires?!

The sound of jawbone shattering came from Xi Quan's jaw. She opened her eyes wide and felt the excruciating pain all over her body. She looked in disbelief at the girl who had thrown the right fist below her. She saw that the girl had her eyes closed and her face was covered in blood, but she was still heroic and peerless in her final blow!

The fierce lady wanted to say something, but suddenly forgot why she was there.

She moved her lips, and everything around her seemed to slow down suddenly.

She felt herself being thrown into the air, slowly rising to the highest point before falling back down. Then, as she touched the ground, an overwhelming pain and burning sensation, like a giant mountain, pressed down on her!

Xi Quan's body rolled a few times on the ground, and then lay motionless on the ground.

The onlookers involuntarily held their breath, watching everything unfold before them without daring to breathe too loudly.

"...Won...won?" After a long while, Jing Shan finally murmured.

"We won...we won!" Che Shui shouted suddenly, throwing his head back and laughing. He rushed forward, shouting, "Plum Blossom, Plum Blossom! You're amazing! You're so incredible!!" He said excitedly, "You played so cool!! Plum Blossom!"

The Eighth Hall Master of Tianxia Inn stood quietly in place, without saying a word, her long hair, which had long been loosened, obscuring her expression.

Beneath her jet-black, flowing hair, deep red bloodstains meandered across her snow-white skin.

She stood there, as if she had turned into a statue.

"Plum blossom?" Che Shui hesitated and stepped forward, about to touch her shoulder, but stopped two fingers away.

It was as if if you touched her, the person in front of you would vanish into pieces in the wind.

"Plum Blossom?" Shuang Jing, who followed behind, couldn't help but call out softly, "...You...?"

"..." The girl in front of me seemed to be saying something.

"?" The crowd was puzzled and cautiously stepped forward to check her injuries. They only understood when they got close enough.

"I can't...fall down...I absolutely can't fall down...falling down means losing...I can't..." Mei Hua murmured, her eyes blurred with blood, her vision already unfocused.

Upon hearing this, Che Shui was startled, and a sudden stinging pain spread from his heart, causing a faint ache in his internal organs. He slowly stepped forward and, with the utmost care and the gentlest voice, softly said, "The Plum Blossom Contest is over. You won. You defeated the ruthless Madam Xi Quan and avenged your third sister."

The plum blossom suddenly fell silent, but remained silent.

She slowly opened her eyes, turned her head, and saw Che Shui's pure and warm smile, nodding at her.

Mei Hua was stunned. Before her smile could fully bloom, she collapsed into the arms of the Lord of Chongchonglou.

Third sister, I did it.

Returning Here - Meeting You Again in the Season of Falling Flowers 1

Che Shui wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up, slightly out of breath. He saw white clouds swirling around and lush green trees. On the mountainside, which seemed not far away, there was a protruding cliff. On it, there was a white platform, like the place where Mei Hua and Xi Quan fought, except that it had a few protruding stone pillars. Because it had been exposed to wind and rain for a long time, it looked more dilapidated and ruined, unlike the smooth and shiny marble floor of the arena where the Eighth Hall Master and Madam Han fought.

The seriously injured Mei Hua was left to Shuang Jingxuan and Long Ye to take care of temporarily, because they knew that the next challenge would definitely be facing Hua Wushuang. Che Shui and Jing Shan then came to face the former master of Jianrou Manor.

As dawn broke, the overcast sky created a sense of oppression. Even though it was late autumn, the valley seemed unaffected by the outside world, with a climate that remained as warm as spring. A damp mist, carrying a sultry humidity, permeated the air, as if a torrential downpour was about to fall at any moment.

"Are you nervous?" The leader of Chongchonglou suddenly asked the woman beside him. They had been traveling all night and this was the first time they had exchanged a single word.

"?" Jing Shan looked at him with some confusion, and said coldly, "Why are you nervous?"

Che Shui smiled slightly: "The opponent you're facing is someone you've practiced martial arts with, played with, and grown up with since childhood, right? Even if there's not a shred of affection between you, he's an enemy who knows even your most insignificant weaknesses." He said coldly, and seeing Jing Shan's expression change slightly, he softened his expression with a touch of pity. He paused, sighed, and said: "If you trust him, then let me make the move."

Jing Shan remained silent and shook her head.

“That was… deceiving everyone in the entire Jianrou Manor.” She said after a moment, her tone calm, but a hint of indignation and excitement could still be heard.

Looking up at the distant stone pillar, Jing Shan's eyes reflected the vast expanse of gray sky and misty forest, as if a thick fog of moisture clung to her pupils. She sighed and said, "You know, our master dotes on him terribly, almost like his own son, but... he actually used Jianrou Manor as a stepping stone for Flying Eagle Fortress..."

"There must be some reason behind it, right?" Che Shui interrupted him calmly, his gaze calm but firm. "It's not because of ambition or desire. Someone like Hua Wushuang must have some kind of hardship, or some distant and grand ambition that we can't understand, that he would resort to such unscrupulous means."

"?" Jing Shan looked up at him, somewhat puzzled but still somewhat convinced: "How did you know?"

Che Shui laughed and said, "The bystander sees most of the game. The Hua Wushuang I remember is definitely not a vicious and despicable person, nor is he a hypocrite... This time, when we face him, we should know the truth."

Jing Shan remained silent as she climbed the cliff behind Che Shui. As the fighting drew closer, she could almost see Hua Wushuang's nonchalant smile, just like when she used to lean against the window of the wooden house, holding a book, and turn around with a smile.

If only life could be like the first time we met.

He remained the dashing young swordsman, deeply loved by his master, while she was still the carefree junior sister who constantly bickered with him. He finished his martial arts training and left the mountain, while she stayed behind, roaming the martial world as a master thief. If they were to meet again, they would greet each other politely, exchange a smile, brush past each other, and never look back. Where would all those days of bickering, arguing, and walking side-by-side come from?

Thinking of this, I felt a pang of sadness, and all the places on my body that he had hit suddenly started to hurt again.

Lost in thought, I found myself at that place.

Before them, the copper shop was damp with dew, moss clung to the stone well, the valley was filled with tobacco smoke, and the sky was filled with glistening catkins. The green seemed to be about to rain, and a faint mist rose. The person stood in the ruins, dressed in white with hair as white as snow and eyes as warm and gentle as jade. With a slight smile, he raised his head and looked at them.

He stood on a stone pillar that was broken in half.

It was a circular platform surrounded by sixteen stone pillars, with Hua Wushuang standing in the middle. Che Shui and Jing Shan looked over and realized that the floor below was actually soaked in water; the place where they were about to have their duel was a huge pool.

"I originally thought you wouldn't be able to reach this place," Hua Wushuang said with a faint smile. "So, who will make an appearance? The master of Chongchonglou? Or my subordinate, Jing Shan?"

"Naturally, it's me!" Before he could finish speaking, Jing Shan stepped forward and rushed up the stone pillar opposite him, saying sharply, "Now, settle all the unsettled accounts!" With a whoosh, ten flying knives stood upright between her fingers. The ten icy silver knives were like flat leaves, and with the raindrops falling on them, they looked even more silvery-white.

Hua Wushuang glanced at her, saying nothing, but pointed with a calm smile to a pool of water at her feet: "Do you know what the water under here is?"

"?" Jing Shan frowned: "How should I know? Stop keeping me in suspense!"

The other person smiled slightly, took the silver hairpin from their hair, and casually tossed it as their waterfall-like black hair cascaded down. With a splash, the hairpin fell into the pool, sank with a few gurgling sounds, and then crackled and popped. A wisp of green smoke rose up, and it was melted and destroyed.

“The Moxibustion Stone Pool.” Hua Wushuang smiled innocently: “This is where Flying Eagle Fortress used to destroy the corpses of enemies in the past.” He pointed to the stone pillars surrounding the pool: “Jing Shan, think carefully. If you really fall in, you probably won’t even find your bones.”

"Enough with the nonsense!" the woman snapped, her half-mask, soaked by the rain, appearing as if smeared with tears. "Give me your life!"

"Jing Shan!" Che Shui frowned, sensing something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it: "There must be a trap!"

"Do you think I don't know his tricks?!" Jing Shan finished speaking and rushed forward. When she swung her left hand, the silver knives floated towards Hua Wushuang like snowflakes!

"Jing Shan...!" Che Shui tried to stop her, he knew at a glance that she was no match for him, but it was too late. Hua Wushuang lightly dodged the weapons and was already behind Jing Shan in the blink of an eye.

"!" She only had time to turn around and glance back.

In an instant, she saw the same playful, languid, and gentle look in those familiar eyes as before. It was just like when he had fallen into the river drunk at the mountain villa, and she had used a bamboo pole to lift him out of the riverbank—that helpless and timid look in her eyes, clearly a smile of deep apology, yet unable to avoid the trouble he had caused.

"..." She saw Hua Wushuang's lips move, but she didn't hear what he said.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her back and went straight to her shoulder!

Jing Shan opened her eyes wide. She saw that incredibly familiar longsword emerge from her right shoulder, and then with a whoosh, it was pulled out, splattering red blood and creating a misty rain.

"Jing Shan!" Che Shui shouted, tapping her toes on the nearest stone pillar and catching Jing Shan just in time before she fell into the water. At that moment, her hair had already touched the water's surface, making a sizzling sound before turning into wisps of green smoke. The Lord of Chongchonglou lifted her up with a forceful movement, hoisted her onto his back, set her down on a nearby stone pillar, and then reached out to heal her wounds.

"Hang in there!" He helped her stop the bleeding by pressing her acupoints, then tore off a large piece of his sleeve to bandage her wound tightly, his eyes filled with anxiety: "Xiao Jing and the others will be here soon, and Sect Leader Murong will be here soon too, you hang in there...!" Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly dodged to the side, and with a clang, Hua Wushuang's longsword slashed down, leaving a scar where he had just been standing.

"you……!"

"Now that you're up here, let's make our move," Hua Wushuang said calmly. "If you're not focused and get defeated, don't blame me." He smiled lightly at Che Shui, as if they were still fooling around in Jianrou Manor.

"Damn it...!" Che Shui was slightly angered. He unconsciously opened his double fans, and a gust of wind rushed out. His toes had just landed on the tree branch when he immediately dodged to the left. A whoosh of wind came past his ear, and before he could react, Hua Wushuang's longsword swung towards him. Che Shui turned to dodge and leaped high into the air to retreat, but his opponent was even faster. With a whoosh behind him, he had just turned his head when another sword came slashing down at him!

Clang!

The sound of steel clashing broke through the patter of rain.

"Ugh...!" Hua Wushuang frowned, gritting her teeth and pressing down hard on her weapon.

As expected of the master of Chongchonglou, his internal strength is exceptionally strong.