Fragrance rises to dance

Chapter 35

The moment he entered, everyone turned to look; such an imposing presence was rarely seen even by those who had spent years roaming the martial world. Shengxiang exclaimed, "Ah! Those eyebrows are so handsome!"

Those who stared intently could see that this man's eyebrows were truly like swords, thick, dark, and extremely sharp; there was no more fitting description for "sword eyebrows." Sheng Xiang's eyebrows were delicate, lovely, and clear, while Wan Yu Yue Dan's were lighter, as if lightly swept with a brush. Only this man's sword eyebrows exuded a domineering and aloof aura, making anyone who saw them feel as if they were three feet shorter beneath his eyes.

As soon as he entered, he found a place to sit. Although there were many people in the store and a beauty like Li Shuangli, he glanced at them and thought they were all the same, not finding them strange at all.

"Handsome and cool!" Shengxiang thought to herself. If it were Rongrong, although she wouldn't pay any attention to this crowd, she would definitely put on an air of "I saw you, but since you're all so boring, I won't bother with you." This person, though older, possessed a dignified indifference that wasn't just for show; it was genuinely cool. And although he looked like he belonged to the older generation, he exuded only authority, showing no signs of age.

“This—brother.” Shengxiang had intended to call him “uncle,” but then hesitated, “I don’t know how to address him?”

The visitor took a sip of wine and replied, "I can count on my fingers."

As soon as those three words were uttered, the entire hall erupted in a gasp of "Ah!" and many people stood up. "The mighty Chu warrior, with his iron steed, is a force to be reckoned with; one man can withstand ten thousand!"

"Who is he?" Amidst the horrified voices, only Young Master Shengxiang asked innocently, then he nudged Wan Yuyuedan and said, "Introduce him."

"The Iron Horse of Chu is truly remarkable." Wan Yuyuedan was also somewhat excited. "The Iron Horse of Chu, who rivals the current Martial Emperor and is known as invincible, was about the same age as me when he became famous. He has been missing for about twenty or thirty years. People in the martial arts world thought he was dead or had gone into seclusion, but I never expected to see him here."

“Hey, since this person has been retired for a long time, how do you know if he’s real or fake?” Shengxiang looked at Quzhiliang curiously. “And he’s still so famous after all these decades, so there must be a lot of advantages to impersonating him.”

“Qu Zhiliang has strong shoulders and a tall stature, but he is different from the Western Region barbarians, so he is not easy to impersonate.” Wan Yuyue smiled slightly. “You can tell what he looks like just by hearing his name ‘Iron Horse of Chu’. Although I have never seen him, I know that I am probably right.”

Qu Zhiliang sat by the wall far away, drinking. He only ordered a plate of dried radish and slowly sipped the light wine served in the shop.

Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem happy despite his worldwide fame.

Not long after, a person wearing a veil entered the hotel and sat down in front of Qu Zhiliang.

It turned out that Qu Zhiliang was waiting for someone at this small shop.

The masked man appeared to be quite young. After sitting down, he didn't eat anything, but seemed to be talking to Qu Zhiliang about something.

Li Shuangli lowered her head. She was a very sensitive person, and for some reason, the two people sitting there gave her a chilling feeling. Although it was May, it truly felt as if snowflakes were rolling around there.

"Qiu Xue Divine Skill," Fu Guan upstairs suddenly whispered.

Those who heard this were immediately horrified. The so-called "Qiu Xue" was an inscription by Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms period on a large river stone, meaning the river was like "rolling snow." The three dots were omitted to indicate that the water was already plentiful, and no further addition was needed. Later generations used the phrase "Qiu Xue Divine Skill" to describe the unstoppable, rolling flow of the great river, signifying that once mastered, this skill would be unstoppable. It was ranked alongside the "Autumn Water as God, Jade as Bone" bone-melting divine skill as one of the two legendary extraordinary skills. Now, someone had actually mastered it—wasn't that astonishing? No wonder he could sit at the same table as Qu Zhiliang.

"To master the Qiu Xue Divine Skill, one must spend two years in an ice cellar, during which time one must not eat any hot food, stay away from any source of heat, or step outside the ice cellar. One must draw the cold air into the body and transform it into one's own essence to create a fiery skill. Ordinary people would freeze or starve to death within three months of entering the cellar." Fu Guan muttered to himself, "Legend has it that once these two extraordinary skills are unleashed, they will manifest as a 'heavenly demon,' bringing great calamity to the world."

"What are these two incredibly skilled martial artists discussing at the foot of Wudang Mountain?" Shengxiang stared at the masked man's back with surprise. "And they're acting so mysteriously and furtively."

"This person only put on a masked hat at the hotel entrance." Wan Yuyue smiled slightly. "I heard that."

"Why don't we take off his veil and see who he is!" Sheng Xiang said, and before she finished speaking, she had already flashed to Qu Zhiliang's table and snatched the veil from his head with lightning speed.

With a crisp "clang," Shengxiang's fingers barely touched the masked man's veil. With a flick of her wrist, an ancient-looking longsword was already pointed at Shengxiang's brow.

That was a quick move!

Sheng Xiang's sudden pounce was incredibly fast; Qu Zhiliang had to see him coming first. Judging that the attack wasn't directed at him, he instantly decided to expose his back and left ribs to strike with his sword. Moreover, this strike was completely effortless, as if he had practiced it a thousand times, intending to strike Sheng Xiang's brow in this very way.

His sword was not drawn, but with a slight push of his fingers, the blade was already spring-loaded. With the strength in his hand, he could easily pierce Shengxiang's brain without even using the blade.

In reality, he had no intention of showing mercy.

However, his sword sheath did not touch Shengxiang's forehead; instead, it was placed through a thin piece of paper.

The piece of paper was an open folding fan.

In that instant, the incense fan opened from its sleeve and shielded its head, saving its life.

"Good skill," Qu Zhiliang suddenly said coldly, then flicked his wrist and sheathed his sword on the ground.

Shengxiang slowly tossed his folding fan aside, blinking as if still trying to confirm if he was still alive. "That scared me to death..." This instantaneous life-or-death struggle, entirely determined by skill, was something he had never experienced before. He always thought that strength couldn't determine everything, that skill and intelligence were more important than strength. But when Qu Zhiliang raised his longsword, he realized for the first time with a jolt of shock—when one possesses absolute power, there are no openings to exploit. The undeniable, suffocating majesty emanating from Qu Zhiliang pierced through the gap in the longsword, instantly penetrating Shengxiang's entire being.

That was the aura of someone approaching the supreme master of the martial arts world, a confidence and strength forged through countless battles and near-death experiences. He truly understood the saying, "The iron horse of Chu is as swift as a finger, one man can stand against ten thousand."

Why would someone like him come to Wudang at this time? Shengxiang's mind raced, and he patted his chest. "This young master has been frightened. Let's stop here for tonight and go back, okay?"

The others naturally agreed, as they were already quite drunk and somewhat disoriented.

"Such a heavy killing intent."

When Shengxiang returned, Wanyu Yuedan spoke slowly.

When they returned to the Wudang Taoist Temple, everyone had just finished their dinner. Shengxiang pushed open the door with one hand and grabbed Li Shuangli, who was hiding outside, with lightning speed. She walked in with a smile, "Xiao Bi—your sweetheart has come to see you."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuangli blushed deeply. Bi Qiuhan was helping the Taoists clear away the dishes when he heard the voice. He turned around and happened to meet Li Shuangli's gaze, momentarily stunned.

Rong Yin wasn't coming out for meals, so naturally he wouldn't help with anything. But Sheng Xiang, sensing the atmosphere, knew something must have happened between Bi Qiuhan and Rong Yin. With his incredibly clever mind, he immediately figured Rong Rong, true to her nature, had gone and threatened him, leaving the honest and kind Bi Qiuhan bewildered. Just as he was about to say something with a smile, Bi Qiuhan suddenly fixed his sharp gaze on Sheng Xiang, "Why did you bring her here?"

Shengxiang was taken aback, puzzled. "I brought her here..."

"You know it's dangerous here. Who knows if that madman Li Lingyan will come back to burn the mountain again? She's not like your all-powerful Young Master Shengxiang. What if something happens? You want me to... you want me to..." He realized he had lost his composure and slammed his hand on the table. He didn't know what to say next. He was rarely so embarrassed, and his face turned deathly pale.

If it were the usually quick-witted and sharp-tongued Sheng Xiang, she would have retorted that she was clearly Li Lingyan's sister, and that by taking her hostage, Wudang Mountain would only be safer, not more dangerous. But now, Sheng Xiang knew that Bi Qiuhan had been losing sleep ever since learning the truth, and Rong Yin was pressuring him. He was clearly tormented by the conflict between his conscience and justice, and seeing the person he wanted to protect even more suddenly had a profound impact on him. Therefore, Sheng Xiang, unusually, kept quiet and played the victim, choosing not to stoop to his level.

Upon hearing this, Li Shuangli's eyes reddened. She walked over and stopped Bi Qiuhan's sleeve, timidly lowering her head and saying, "If I'm here, Ling Yan... he wouldn't dare to do anything. He promised me... he would never hurt you..."

Even though her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, everyone heard it. Bi Qiuhan's expression changed drastically. With a "whoosh," he flung Li Shuangli away, regaining his composure, and sneered, "You, surnamed Bi, were helpless against Li Lingyan, and you even had to plead for my life beforehand! Bi Qiuhan thanks you, Miss Li, for your great kindness, but I am unworthy of this! Even if I couldn't do anything to Li Lingyan, I wouldn't be so despicable as to take you hostage. What do you take Bi Qiuhan for? An old dog begging for your mercy to spare my life?"

"Xiao Bi!" Sheng Xiang interrupted his indiscriminate cursing, "You need to understand that you're cursing Miss Li!"

Bi Qiuhan's anger subsided slightly, and he shut his mouth with a deep gloom on his face.

“Qiu… Bi Han…” Li Shuangli was so frightened that her face turned pale. She didn’t know why he was angry. She looked at Bi Qiuhan with surprise and uncertainty.

“You don’t understand anything at all!” Bi Qiuhan turned around abruptly, not wanting to see Li Shuangli.