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

Capítulo 54

Looking up, Che Shui's eyes were filled with only icy glint, no longer displaying the carefree smile and suave charm of his former drunken self. He was like a soul-destroying shadow, emanating a chilling killing intent. He didn't seem to be exerting any force, but raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a hint of anger, "Why?! Wu Shuang, what is the reason for all of this?"

"Hehe..." Hua Wushuang forced a laugh, using all her strength to push the other's fan down: "If you can win, I'll tell you!"

"!" Che Shui frowned and said angrily, "You really won't listen to reason, so I'll grant your wish!" He shouted in a low voice, and his left hand had already struck.

The newcomer was clearly unable to hold out any longer and took two steps back to avoid Chen Sheng's counterattack.

Both of them retreated to the stone pillars behind them, scrutinizing each other with sharp eyes.

They all exuded a cold and chilling aura, and their sharply defined faces were filled with a bloodthirsty desire.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, making the leaves rustle and the branches bend slightly, swaying from side to side.

A few autumn leaves drifted and twirled down, but before they even reached the ground, they were suddenly shredded into several pieces!

A clear, resounding sound rang out in the air.

Che Shui opened his double fans, the peach blossom and silver thorns as clear and distinct as night and day. He held them in a cross shape, then suddenly swung them in two, a flash of light meeting the opponent's longsword.

Hua Wushuang's longsword was a few inches longer than ordinary swords. It looked heavy, but it was as light as a feather in his hands. The attacker came from below and rushed straight up. Che Shui retreated several steps. Seeing an opening on his left shoulder, he shouted and thrust his left fan upward with his right hand. Hua Wushuang bent down to dodge and took a half step back. Before Che Shui could attack again, his left hand had already pressed the fan to the ground.

But Che Shui chuckled softly.

Upon seeing this, Hua Wushuang's eyes flashed with surprise, and she blurted out, "Oh no...!"

Before the words were finished, a huge vortex formed around them, and the leaves and branches around them all flew and bent towards their location. The man let out a low shout and waved his double fans, instantly causing sand and stones to fly. An indescribable roar of murderous aura burst out from the circle he drew. Wushuang didn't have time to get away and was immediately thrown towards the bushes behind him. The cracking sound kept ringing in his ears as he was thrown backward. He was thrown off the platform and landed straight in the forest, breaking the branches of several trees.

"Whoa!" He grabbed a tree branch just in time, pulled back forcefully, and used the force to bounce back towards Che Shui. He raised his longsword and shouted, attacking with the speed of the wind. Che Shui snorted coldly, flipped in mid-air, and swung both fans at him simultaneously. With a whoosh, sharp silver needles suddenly emerged from the fan ribs. Hua Wushuang dodged to the side, thrusting his longsword in a bow shape, but Che Shui was much faster. After a few moves, he opened his fans again and swung them at him. Wushuang retreated several steps, easily dodging, but when the fan was less than half a foot from his face, it suddenly changed direction and struck his left shoulder. With a muffled groan, Hua Wushuang retreated several steps. Che Shui smiled coldly, flipped up, opened his two fans, which gleamed coldly, and shouted as he struck again. The silver needles on the fans were sometimes long and sometimes short, sweeping across, cutting off several strands of Wushuang's hair without touching him.

Returning Here - Meeting You Again in the Season of Falling Flowers 2

"Why is that?!" Che Shui bent down and slashed at the stone pillar this time, sending countless fragments flying. He waved his fan, which formed a tornado that rushed towards Hua Wushuang: "The fall of Flying Eagle Fortress won't happen overnight. Why are you so determined to risk your life to obtain the secrets of Thousand Heroes Pavilion?"

"Even if I told you, how would you understand?" Hua Wushuang was also provoked, and her face darkened as she shouted, while she swung her longsword to block the rain of falling stones: "I just want to merge Sword Soft Manor and Flying Eagle Fortress into the number one gang in the world. I don't need any reason! It's just a wish. I'm just different from you!"

How can you understand that the most important people to you are Ye Shuangjing and Xuansheng, and how can someone who can give up glory for the sake of love understand the burden of heavy responsibilities?

"Damn it! Who says I don't understand!" There's no greater friend than an enemy, and besides, Che Shui was an old friend of his, so naturally he knew what he was thinking. The master of Chongchonglou had long known that the manor lord, leaning against the window reciting poetry and laughing drunkenly, harbored grand ambitions, which were subtly revealed when he quietly read and indulged in drunken madness.

"Was this the position I wanted back then?! If I don't turn Chongchonglou into the number one building in the world, how can I face Tiansha who died for me, Shuangjing who lost her martial arts, and Xuansheng who lost all his memories?!" These words were painful to even breathe. In the martial world, one is often not in control of one's own destiny, but we can always make some decisions, even if the road is full of thorns and quagmire.

"Fall in defeat! Peerless! If you admit defeat and fall, I will rebuild Flying Eagle Fortress with you!" Che Shui roared, his double fans slashing like sharp swords!

Hua Wushuang swung his sword to block, but his opponent had already flashed in front of him. Che Shui swept a leg towards him, and Wushuang was about to dodge when he realized it was a feint. His opponent bent down, his left hand slapping at his legs from the other side. Wushuang had no choice but to roll to the side, then leap high into the air. But Che Shui had already beaten him to it, soaring high. Hua Wushuang looked up and saw raindrops falling on his face. Che Shui's figure was shrouded in the misty rain. As he squinted, Che Shui spun down, his silver fan striking his shoulder, chest, stomach, and abdomen, sending him flying and crashing against a stone pillar.

"…!" Hua Wushuang gritted his teeth and got up. Blood trickled from his mouth, but he still gripped his sword tightly and murmured unsteadily, "If it means making such a sacrifice to make Flying Eagle Fortress and Sword Soft Manor the best in the world… I… I'm willing…"

"You!" Che Shui was speechless with anger. "Have you ever thought about what your purpose is in reviving the gang?!"

He roared, his mind flashing back to the smiling faces of Baiyun and Jinguan. Those people had accompanied him through the most difficult time in Chongchonglou, and then, on this road to death, they had carefully and tenderly pushed him toward the exit of rebirth, leaving themselves on the cliff of the underworld.

Che Shui felt a pang of bitterness in his heart: "Do you know how many people will lose their lives because of your and Xi Quan's wishes?! How many brothers and sisters, how many disciples who admire you, have you thought about them?!" He became angrier as he spoke, pressing forward step by step, and the hand holding the silver fan used more force to push towards Hua Wushuang, so that even the vortex of air formed in the air had cutting blades.

"Have you ever thought about why they followed you, why they stayed in Flying Eagle Fortress?!" Spinning in the air and then falling, Che Shui swung his foot, which was blocked by Hua Wushuang's hand. But the body of the Chongchonglou Master suddenly fell as soft as cloth, and swung his hands at the other's legs, immediately cutting a bloody gash on the knee.

"Ugh!" Unable to hold back, he fell to the ground, but Hua Wushuang was not to be outdone. He was the only person besides Xuan Sheng and Shuang Jing to have completed the treacherous tower in the past ten years. He braced himself up with his hands and leaped with all his might. Before Che Shui could even look up, he felt the air around him change direction. Then, as if ice blades were falling from the sky, sharp and intense sword energy rained down from all directions. Che Shui's arms, shoulders, and even back were slashed with countless tiny bloody marks. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, using his double fans to shield his chest and head. Taking advantage of an opening, he retreated several steps and leaped towards a nearby stone pillar.

"What do you know!" Hua Wushuang roared, "We've only met a few times, what right do you have to criticize me?!" He followed closely behind Che Shui, his sword flashing like a meteor and his momentum like a raging storm, his hair flowing like a stream, scattered like seaweed in the wind: "Do you really think I'm doing this for myself? If Flying Eagle Fortress becomes powerful, and if Sword Soft Manor has the help of the number one gang in the world, the whole world will benefit!"

Che Shui stopped in his tracks, turned around abruptly, and used his silver fan to pick up fragments from the stone pillar and scatter them towards Hua Wushuang. His anger was tinged with helplessness: "Even so... even for the sake of the world, even for the sake of the martial world, I cannot let you succeed! Harming Shuang Jing and Xuan Sheng is absolutely unacceptable! Even if it means death, I will make sure they leave this place alive!"

"Then go and die with them!" Hua Wushuang roared.

The two of them each tapped a stone pillar on the opposite side and rushed forward!

"Drink up!"

The silver fan in the clear water is as sharp as a thorn!

The peerless longsword is like a blue dragon soaring in the sky!

Suddenly, Che Shui veered off course, dodging the frontal attack. Before Wu Shuang could react, Che Shui swung his right hand down hard, and with a tearing sound, a bloody gash appeared on the opponent's back. The leader of Chongchonglou showed no mercy, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back, striking his face with his left elbow, and slamming the fan in his left hand into Hua Wu Shuang's chest. With a muffled groan, the opponent fell against a stone pillar, cracking the pillar.

“I said, fall down, and after you wake up again, I will help you rebuild Eagle Fortress!” Che Shui pointed at him with his fan and said coldly.

"No!" Hua Wushuang roared, gritted her teeth and leaped up, attacking with her longsword in a circle, thrusting left and right, and slashing diagonally up and down. Her moves were vicious and powerful. Che Shui was forced to retreat repeatedly, his clothes were torn by the blade energy, and his face was covered with several bloody marks. Hua Wushuang saw an opening, stepped forward, and unleashed her full power with her longsword!

Che Shui frowned, using his sword to block the direct attack. With a clang, he was forced back several steps, feeling numbness and weakness in his right hand, almost unable to grip his weapon. It was clear that his opponent had gritted his teeth and attacked with all his might. Hua Wushuang showed no mercy, launching another sword strike. Che Shui snorted coldly and thrust forward with all his might. With a clang, their weapons actually collided in mid-air!

The dagger was pointed at the tip of the sword; on one side were crimson peach blossoms, on the other side was a deep blue sword.

Suddenly, Hua Wushuang let out a muffled groan, and the green sword in her hand fell to the ground.

He had already been subjected to a series of attacks from Che Shui, whose internal strength was far superior to his own. He assumed that Che Shui was arrogant and did not expect the gap between them to be so huge. He had already used up all his strength in the direct attack, but Che Shui blocked it with twice the strength. As Che Shui's internal strength extended with Wu Shuang's arm, he couldn't help but clutch his chest and spit out a mouthful of blood.

Che Shui's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, giving the other party no chance to react. He raised his left hand high and swung it down at the other's shoulder!

This attack will at least cripple one of Hua Wushuang's arms.

"Ugh—!!" A muffled groan rang out.

Hua Wushuang opened her eyes wide and felt herself being tightly embraced by a pair of not-so-strong but warm arms.

Before me was a face that was half mask and half skin, and the blood spurting from her mouth was like a deep red rose blooming in the gray mist and rain.

"Jing Shan!" Che Shui was also shocked and stood there. He had used seven-tenths of his strength in that palm strike, and it was also swung with a silver fan. Not to mention her, even Hua Wushuang probably couldn't have taken it. He hurriedly reached out and caught the fallen woman in time.

Click—

A soft sound was heard, and the mask that remained on her face fell to the ground, shattering in an instant, breaking in half.

As the rain fell, her long, jet-black hair cascaded down, concealing her face beneath a mask etched with silver and red patterns. Her beauty was unparalleled, surpassing even the most beautiful women Che Shui had ever seen.

The woman's delicate features and smiles surpassed even Wang Zhaojun's, her pure and flawless beauty rivaling that of Xi Shi. Her face was like a piece of fragrant jade, her grace like a phoenix soaring and a dragon flying. Even with her eyes closed, one could see her skin like plum blossoms in spring snow, her eyebrows like chrysanthemums covered in frost, her long hair flowing like a spring, and her cheeks like peaches. However, her eyes were tightly closed, as if she would never open them again.

Hua Wushuang stared, completely mesmerized.

I remember, back then, at the Willow-lined River Bridge, in the Oriole-viewing Terrace Garden, when he lifted the bamboo curtain and entered the study with the wicker fan, he saw a young girl, still young but already breathtakingly beautiful, holding an exquisitely crafted half-mask that resolutely covered her stunningly beautiful face. Seeing his puzzled expression, she smiled calmly and said:

—They say beautiful women are the cause of trouble throughout history. If I'm going to bewitch people like this, what kind of master thief am I? How can I help you make Sword Soft Manor the top gang in the world?—

He remembers that he was tempted at the time.

In order to stand beside him, this woman resolutely abandoned the beauty that all women should be proud of.

It was her unwavering devotion that led him to decide to carve out a new path for Jianrou Manor.

She managed everything in the gang so well that he could move towards his goals without any worries.

Because it was her, she believed in him without a doubt, and believed that under his leadership, Jianrou Manor would reach new heights and peaks.

It was Jing Shan, not anyone from Flying Eagle Fortress.

But when did he abandon her faith and betray her loyalty?

"..." Jing Shan slightly opened her eyes, wanting to say something, but even breathing felt extremely painful. She involuntarily looked at Hua Wushuang, only to see that the man's face was full of astonishment, his eyes were desolate, and slowly, an expression of extreme panic appeared.

Just like that year, she went deep into the mountains to gather herbs for her seriously ill master, but got lost and was delayed on her return journey. Everyone thought she would not come back. When she returned to the manor, everyone else was surprised and excited, but he alone, seeing her return safely but covered in wounds, finally put down his worries, but looked away with a wronged expression as if he was about to cry.

The days felt like years, but when I opened my eyes, I saw that my youth had faded away.

“…If that’s the case…I will grant your wish…” she said with difficulty.

These words are widely known and respected.

Hua Wushuang stood frozen in place, unable to speak or move. A voice resounded in her heart, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing.

He understood the meaning of the thorn fan.

—If it requires making such a sacrifice to make Eagle Fortress and Sword Mist Manor the best in the world… I'm willing.—

Since you're willing, I'll grant your wish.

From childhood to adulthood, what wishes of yours have I failed to fulfill?

From childhood to adulthood, what orders of yours have I ever disobeyed?

But... I just don't want to see a future like that.

I don't want to watch you turn away, and then all our memories and years will disappear behind you.

“Jing Shan…” Hua Wushuang took a step forward, wanting to grab her hand, but pulled it back in mid-air.

What right did he have to touch her?

Wasn't it said that as long as Flying Eagle Fortress surpassed other gangs and became number one, he could pay the same price as Che Shui?

Why then did my heart suddenly tremble with pain, and fear and terror engulf me like a raging storm?

"you……"

Do you regret it?

Jing Shan wanted to ask him, but as she breathed, a large amount of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.

Che Shui watched in horror, using her inner strength to stabilize the other woman's pulse, only to find that her breath was already very weak; she was desperately clinging to her last breath. Panicked and unsure what to do, she looked back into the distance, but there was no sign of Shuang Jingxuan or Murong Jin. In her shock and anger, she suddenly remembered something and abruptly looked up: "Are there any other martial arts and healing places nearby in Qianxia Tower?!"

"...What?" Hua Wushuang stared blankly at Jing Shan, whose face was growing paler and paler. After a long while, she raised her head and said listlessly, "What?"

Che Shui wished he could throw a punch: "I said, are there any spiritual herbs or anything like that nearby? Wasn't Qianxia Tower supposed to be full of secret chambers? Isn't there anywhere we can save people?!"

Hua Wushuang silently shook her head, looked at Jing Shan for a moment, then nodded and smiled happily: "Actually, yes..."

"What? Why didn't you say so earlier!" The Lord of Chongchonglou suddenly looked up: "Hurry up and let's go!"

Hua Wushuang shook her head again and reached out to take the thorn fan from her: "I'll take care of it."

"What?"

“I said, I’ll do it.” Hua Wushuang nodded firmly: “Jing Shan, come with me. You continue upstairs.”

He pointed to the mountain path behind him, his tone suddenly becoming calm, a stark contrast to his previous fury: "The next pass is guarded by the City Lord of Half-Moon City. As for the arena for the duel, I don't know what it looks like, anyway..." Jing Shan stirred slightly in his arms, and he quickly stopped, taking off his outer garment and wrapping it around her. Even his weapon felt cumbersome, so he tossed it aside, holding Jing Shan tightly, and slowly stood up.

Che Shui, feeling lost and forgetting that they were on the battlefield, couldn't help but ask, "Wu Shuang, where are you going?"

The man in front of her stopped in his tracks. His back was billowing in the wind as he slightly raised his head, letting the raindrops fall on his face. His cheeks were covered in raindrops, but his eyes were smiling as he looked back. His clear pupils were as refreshing and relaxed as lake water under the misty rain. He grinned and said, "Let's go home."

After saying that, he grabbed the thorn fan and leaped high into the air, plummeting straight down from the protruding cliff onto the arena into the abyss!

"Wushuang—!" Che Shui was shocked. He instinctively reached out and grabbed a handful of rainwater. He rushed forward to look, but saw that the smoke below was like a sea, and there was no sign of the two figures.

"Peerless—!"

The peaks and ridges are lofty and steep, shrouded in mist and rain.