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To the east, a crescent moon hangs like a hook. Beneath the moon stands a dilapidated earth god temple, and a person stands atop the ruined temple.
With his hands casually behind his back, holding a sword, he was elegant and dressed in white. Although he looked a bit lonely, he had no trace of arrogance and seemed very approachable.
Jin didn't like white, but he didn't dislike easygoing people, so he quietly slipped away, his black cloak spread out flat without a sound.
When they were about two zhang away, the white-clad man on the temple roof also noticed his opponent and turned his face away.
Under the moonlight, with a straight nose and delicate eyebrows, her eyes shone like stars, sharp and with a hint of provocative smile. She was nothing like Jiang Xiaohu, who had been a good-for-nothing in the streets!
Jin Huanlai leaped to the top of the temple, sat down without batting an eye, and said, "I've just run such a long way. I'll rest for a while before we fight, so that even if I win, people won't say I took advantage of them."
Jiang Xiaohu said without any politeness, "You lost, so you have to make two masks for me."
Jin said lazily, "If you lose, you'll have to go and guard the door for me."
Jiang Xiaohu asked, "Do you know who I am?"
Jin looked up and asked, "How do you know who I am?"
Jiang Xiaohu smiled, his eyes sparkling: "The Thousand Hands Sect is known for its lightness skills and hidden weapons. Such superb lightness skills are absolutely unmatched in the martial arts world. I have long heard of the four guardians of the Thousand Hands Sect. The one with the best lightness skills is none other than Guardian Jade Hua Yunfeng."
"Do you think I'm some pretty boy protector?" Jin chuckled inwardly and nodded, "You're half right."
Jiang Xiaohu was quite pleased with himself.
Jin narrowed his eyes and sized him up. His gaze quickly fell on the sword, and he frowned: "I didn't expect that such a heavy killing intent could be contained within the sheath. This sword must be extraordinary."
Jiang Xiaohu brandished his sword: "I doubt you'd recognize me."
Jin was suspicious, but after looking at it carefully for a while, he suddenly jumped up, both shocked and excited: "Gathering Water Sword, you are Shui Fengqing?"
"You guessed half right."
Before the words were finished, a dazzling arc of light flashed, and a powerful killing intent rushed towards them as the sword slashed down from the sky.
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Unexpectedly, he suddenly attacked, catching Jin off guard. Fortunately, his lightness skill was superb; he braced himself with his hand and rose straight up, barely avoiding the sword's edge. It was the first time he had ever witnessed such speed and accuracy in a sword strike, and he was immediately drenched in cold sweat.
Just as one sword was dodged, another sword was already piercing through.
In a duel between masters, seizing the initiative is crucial. Jin was caught off guard and inevitably became somewhat disheveled under such superb swordsmanship. He angrily cursed, "Useless brat, don't you even know the rules!"
Jiang Xiaohu laughed loudly, easily wielding his sword, and several more streaks of silver light flashed by: "I'm no match for Protector Hua. I'm just a useless brat. I'll fight however I want. If I wait until you're ready, I might not be so sure I can win. I took so many kicks yesterday, and it wouldn't be right for your Grandpa Jiang not to get revenge today!"
Jin, who considered himself to be thick-skinned, was speechless. He never imagined there could be someone even thicker-skinned who could say such things with such confidence.
The sword light was as dense as a net, each move pressing forward relentlessly, leaving no opening.
Jin was shocked. The Gathering Water Sword was in this person's hands. Could this be the legendary Heavenly Water Sword Technique? It was indeed well-deserved. No wonder the mysterious Heavenly Water City could rise so rapidly within a year. The city lord, Shui Fengqing, defeated the "Ten Demons of Kunshan" in one night and became famous throughout the world. No one had ever seen his true face. It was unbelievable that such a legendary figure was the most useless Jiang Xiaohu. However, what did "guessing half right" mean?
As the attacks became increasingly difficult to parry, Jin Huanlai finally couldn't help but shout, "If you don't stop now, don't blame your Uncle Hua for showing no mercy!"
Jiang Xiaohu ignored him and kept hitting him.
"Damn brat!" Jin sneered through gritted teeth. As he turned to dodge, he flicked his finger, sending several invisible needles flying out.
Fortunately, Jiang Xiaohu was a master. After discovering the attack, he quickly swung his sword back and cursed, "You dare to use underhanded tactics to injure people with hidden weapons?"
With the situation easing, Jin laughed loudly: "You can launch sneak attacks, but can't I play dirty tricks?"
Jiang Xiaohu was furious and swung his sword to stab without saying a word.
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The battle lasted for two hours. In the end, they didn't care about any rules and only wanted to win. They used swords in their left hands and all kinds of hidden weapons. White and black figures leaped up and down, each displaying their unique abilities, and the battle became a chaotic mess.
With the hour of Mao approaching, Jin Huanlai was getting anxious. He needed to get back before dawn and settle the score as soon as possible.
Perhaps due to the same impatience, Jiang Xiaohu's originally meticulous and steady swordsmanship began to become impetuous, and small flaws appeared from time to time.
Finally, Jin spotted an opening, swiftly grabbed his sword-wielding right hand, and laughed: "You..."
The next moment, he could no longer move.
Jiang Xiaohu looked at his left hand and smiled contentedly: "Grandpa Jiang's acupressure skills with his left hand are also quite good, very accurate."
Jin glared at him and said, "Damn it, I knew you'd trick me." He sighed.
Jiang Xiaohu sheathed her sword: "Are you in such a hurry to go back?"
Jin remained silent.
Jiang Xiaohu said, "You lost."
Jin laughed and said, "Oh."
Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Jiang Xiaohu was puzzled, but then her expression quickly changed, and she cursed, "You fucking poisoned me!"
“And it’s a newly made poison. No one but me has the antidote,” Jin said with a smile. “I knew you deliberately used a weakness to lure me into attacking. Does it feel itchy? Don’t worry, you can’t stop. Don’t scratch it like a monkey. Hurry up and release your Uncle Hua’s pressure points.”
"Master Hua?" Jiang Xiaohu suppressed his itch and sneered, "The dignified Jin Cult Leader of the Thousand Hands Sect would impersonate someone else?"
Jin raised an eyebrow: "How did you know?"
Jiang Xiaohu said coldly, "Such exquisite hidden weapon and lightness skills are definitely not something a single protector could use. Besides, I heard that Hua Yunfeng is not even thirty years old. How could he have such profound internal strength? I have heard that the Thousand Hands Sect has a secret method of transmitting skills, which only the leaders of each generation know. Who else could be so young but already have nearly forty years of internal strength, besides the famous Leader Jin?"
Jin Huanlai said calmly, "Don't you also have nearly thirty years of internal energy within you?"
Jiang Xiaohu angrily said, "How despicable that a dignified sect leader would use poison!"
Jin Huanlai smiled enigmatically: "Nonsense, what else would the Thousand Hands Sect use if not poison? How is using poison despicable? You dare to use it and let me see."
Jiang Xiaohu glared at him for a long time, then deflated: "I wouldn't dare."
Jin found these words agreeable and said, "Finally, you've said something sensible. Everyone in the martial arts world says that poison is useless, but they don't know how much suffering and effort a person has to put in to create such a potent poison. Look, right now it's just itchy, but in another hour, its whole body will start to turn blue, and after a day it will rot..."
Jiang Xiaohu gritted her teeth: "Where is the antidote?"
Seeing that he was about to search, Jin laughed and said, "You don't need to search. This leader is covered in poison and there is no antidote. If you accidentally come into contact with other poisons, that would be bad. I'll tell you how to cure it instead."
"explain."
"Release the acupoints first."
Mistakenly recognizing a beautiful woman
“No way,” Jiang Xiaohu refused decisively upon hearing the request to release the acupoints first. “Master Jin’s lightness skill is unparalleled in the world. I’m afraid he’ll try to escape after the acupoints are released, and your Grandpa Jiang won’t be able to catch up.”
Jin laughed and said, "So you knew?"
Jiang Xiaohu said, "I often default on my debts too."
Jin sighed, "That's right. I was also afraid that you would renege on your promise after I told you about the antidote, but it's best to get rid of the poison as soon as possible. If it's been two hours, even I, the leader, will be powerless to save you. You can sit down and think about it slowly."
Jiang Xiaohu said, "Hand over the antidote first, and I will never go back on my word."
Jin laughed and said, "I won't gamble with my life."
Jiang Xiaohu snorted coldly and turned around: "Then you can just wait here until dawn. If anyone tries to catch the thief, Grandpa Jiang won't care."
After saying that, he jumped off the roof without looking back and left.
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About half an hour passed, and the eastern sky gradually brightened. Jin Huanlai was secretly anxious. If he didn't go back soon, the little girl might run away and cause trouble once she left Jin Garden. He didn't expect that the boy to be so calm. Could it be that he had seen through the problem? He was a little alarmed, but he quickly dismissed the possibility. Jiang Xiaohu had endured humiliation for so many years, so there must be a reason. Moreover, she must have something important to do and would never risk her life.
Just as I was thinking this, Jiang Xiaohu returned.
Jin laughed and said, "I thought you were really reckless."
Jiang Xiaohu glared at him, already scratching herself: "We have no grudges against each other, I will never harm you. As long as you tell me the antidote, I will immediately release your pressure points."
Jin looked away and said calmly, "It's not that I don't believe you, I just don't want to take the risk." The title of leader of the Thousand Hands Sect is a temptation in itself, and I can't die now.
Jiang Xiaohu said helplessly, "To be honest, if I didn't use poison or hidden weapons, could you beat me?"
Jin replied without hesitation, "Your internal strength is inferior to mine, but your swordsmanship is indeed superb. It's hard to say."
Jiang Xiaohu nodded: "I'm not saying that it's better to use a sword. It's not easy to use poison and hidden weapons so skillfully."
Jin replied, "It's good that you understand."
Jiang Xiaohu pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "If you're willing to admit defeat, I'll release your pressure points, how about it?"
Jin laughed again: "Want a mask?"
Jiang Xiaohu admitted: "If a person wants to show his face in the martial arts world but doesn't want to be recognized, the only way is to disguise himself. Under heaven, only the Thousand Hands Sect makes the most ingenious masks. I need two identical ones."
Jin Huanlai said, "You have already seen through my identity as a member of the Thousand Hands Sect."
Jiang Xiaohu nodded: "I never imagined you would be Jin Huanlai."
Jin hesitated for a moment, then said, "If they are the same, what's the point of having two?"
Jiang Xiaohu didn't explain, but reached out to scratch an itch: "Yes, I want two exactly the same ones. As long as you agree, I will release your acupoints."
As dawn approached, Jin Huanlai couldn't wait any longer: "Fine, but aren't you afraid I'll back out after I release your acupoints?"
Jiang Xiaohu looked at him for a moment: "I believe you."
Open his acupoints.
Jin then stretched his limbs: "Besides our Thousand Hands Sect, there are no other methods of transmitting internal energy in the martial arts world. Where did your internal energy come from?"
Jiang Xiaohu laughed: "Come back tomorrow night if you want to know."
Jin crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow: "I didn't expect the Gathering Water Sword to be in your hands. The useless Jiang Xiaohu is actually connected to the Lord of Tianshui City. If this news gets out..."
Jiang Xiaohu interrupted him: "It won't get out."
Jin replied, "What if word gets out?"
"Then I guess I'll just have to accept my bad luck and misjudged the person," Jiang Xiaohu cursed, not caring about anything else. "Antidote, antidote, damn it, I'm itching to death!"
Jin shook his head and patted his shoulder: "There's nothing you can do. You have to accept your bad luck. I haven't figured out an antidote for this poison yet, but it will be neutralized in two hours. Just bear with it."
After saying that, he laughed loudly and darted out like an arrow released from a bow.
Behind them came the angry shouts of Jianfeng and Jiang Xiaohu.
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