Lave

Chapitre 7

"Let's just have a match, each doing our best. Why bother with formalities?" Yuwen Feng said with a sneer.

"Please." Jin Que Lou straightened his posture.

"Let me see for myself whether the 'Buddha's Hand Three Thousand' truly has three thousand variations."

As Yuwen Feng spoke, he extended his left palm, reaching for the whisk in Jin Que Lou's arm. The gesture seemed casual, but halfway through, his hand moved with lightning speed, arriving in front of Jin Que Lou in the blink of an eye. Just as the whisk was about to be within his grasp, a red shadow spun, and Jin Que Lou shifted his feet to the side, moving a foot to the side, just barely avoiding the attack.

"Good!" some people exclaimed inwardly, while others broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that if they had been in that situation, they might not have been able to escape.

"Jin Yong's whisk is indeed not something to be shown to just anyone."

Yuwen Feng spoke calmly, but his hand did not stop. His outstretched left palm changed its posture, slicing horizontally towards the three thousand dust threads hanging at Jin Que Lou's arm. The palm strike was light and subtle, yet it carried the sound of wind and thunder. Jin Que Lou dared not be slow. He waved his hand, and the whisk rose up. The three thousand dust threads had already transformed into ribbons and wrapped around the slicing palm. Yuwen Feng neither dodged nor avoided. He spread his palm and met the dust threads with it. It looked as if the whisk was automatically sent to his palm. Jin Que Lou saw this and secretly cried out in alarm, but his expression remained unchanged. In an instant, he twisted his wrist and exerted a hidden force in his palm. The ribbons immediately dispersed, and each one was like a steel needle piercing towards Yuwen Feng's left palm. Seeing that the dust threads were only an inch away from his palm, if that strike landed firmly, this hand would probably be ruined.

"Ah!" someone couldn't help but exclaim.

"Hmph!" Yuwen Feng let out a cold snort, and as if witnessing a miracle, everyone saw a sleeve slide down in time, blocking all the dust. Before they could even cheer for this move, the sleeve rolled up, and the dust disappeared instantly. Then, with a flick of the sleeve, a "clanging" sound was heard, and the sleeve and the whisk separated. The man also took a step back.

They stared at each other for a moment, and finally Jin Quelou clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I lost." Then he turned and walked down.

The people in the garden were surprised to hear this. The two had only been fighting for a short while, yet their moves had already changed in an instant. And the fight was already so exciting even though it was just a one-handed battle. If they were to go all out and fight, it would definitely be a rare and wonderful contest. Just as everyone was on the edge of their seats and fully focused on the fight, someone conceded defeat. It was clear that the outcome was still undecided.

Part III: The Grand Gathering in Changtian (Part 2)

In the small pavilion, Lan Qi smiled slightly, opened her jade fan, and half of her face was hidden under the fan, leaving only her pair of green eyes full of smiles.

Ming Er remained calm, his misty eyes landing lightly on Yuwen Feng.

The autumn sky stretches long, and the south wind smiles and nods.

“Brother, your elder brother’s martial arts skills are indeed high, but that Master Jin is an even more upright person.” Ning Lang looked at the barely noticeable half of the thin silver dust at Yuwen Feng’s feet and then looked admiringly at Jin Que Lou, who had calmly returned to his seat.

"Hmm." Yuwen Luo, who was busy taking notes, nodded emphatically. "Rumor has it that he is in love with Shang Pinghan of Feixue Temple. I guess he did this just now to stand up for that female Taoist. My elder brother once chopped Shang Pinghan's sword into nine pieces with a single whip."

"Oh?" Ning Lang turned to look at Yuwen Luo. "Why would he like a female Taoist priest? Taoist priests are people who live outside the secular world."

“There are even monks who like nuns!” Yuwen Luo rolled his eyes and raised his hand, pointing the tip of his pen at Ning Lang’s chest. “Liking is a feeling that arises here.” The pen tip then pointed at his head. “You can’t control what’s here. Maybe you’ll like someone even more outrageous in the future.”

"Ah... I won't like anyone else." Ning Lang blushed and said blankly.

"If you don't like anyone else, who do you like?" Yuwen Luo scoffed, unconcerned, and buried himself in his great work.

“A man should love his wife,” Ning Lang replied seriously.

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Luo glanced up at Ning Lang, then continued to bury his head, saying, "Many men hate this phrase."

Wei Lang sought advice from Young Master Yuwen.

Ning Lang was about to speak again when he saw the leader of Wuyun Village walking towards Yuwen Feng. His attention was immediately drawn to him, and he stopped talking about the previous topic.

While everyone was focused on the competition in the garden, someone turned and left from the corner of the garden gate, heading deeper into Changtian Manor.

At the deepest part of Changtian Mountain Villa, a natural mountain wall stands tall.

After rounding the mountain wall, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a wide and expansive hillside. At the end of the slope was the steep cliff of Tianzhi Mountain, which, together with the mountain wall behind, formed a natural barrier, isolating it from the mortal world.

On the lush hillside, layers upon layers of white, moon-like hazel flowers bloom, high and low, near and far. The mountain breeze blows, and the flowers sway, as if wandering in a sea of snow and moonlight. Under the blue sky and green mountains, this place is like a fairyland.

In this sea of snow and moonlight, there is an embroidery frame. A young woman in a light blue dress is embroidering intently with her head down. What is astonishing is that she is embroidering with both hands at the same time. Her slender hands move the needle so fast that grass, hillsides, cliffs, insects and birds appear one by one on the embroidery cloth. The flowers and plants are lifelike, the insects and birds seem to be flying, and the mountain walls are more beautiful than paintings. Her embroidery skills are unparalleled and her needlework is divine.

A tiny yellow butterfly fluttered among the flowers, flying left and right, before finally landing lightly on the flower stamen on the embroidered cloth. With a flick of the woman's wrist, the silver needle flew away, and the yellow butterfly fluttered forever in this illusory fairy garden.

"Miss."

The girl, as delicate as a willow branch, had been moving with utmost care since entering the precipice, and her soft call at this moment was even more exquisite.

With a flick of the silver needle and a knot of colorful thread, a celestial sea of flowers, untouched by the mortal world, is completed on the embroidery cloth.

With a flick of her fingertips, the silver needle disappeared into her sleeve. The woman raised her head, and in that instant, she felt that the undulating and swaying of the snow-covered, moonlit, and flower-filled sea was all captivating her.

"Liu Mo, what's going on up ahead?" The woman's voice was as gentle as flowing water.

“Miss, not only have famous heroes from all sides arrived, but also Young Master Ming and Young Master Lan have come.” Although Liu Mo’s voice was soft, her excitement and joy were undeniable. “At this moment, Young Master Yuwen is fighting Wei Lang, the leader of Wuyun Village, with his bare hands and has already defeated Jin Que Lou, the ‘Buddha’s Hand Three Thousand’.”

"Oh?" Her willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows lifted slightly.

"I just took a good look at them. Among those young masters, many are quite good-looking, but in terms of aura and wealth, the young masters from several prestigious families are the best. Except for the eldest young master of the Hua family, who is a bit chubby, the others are all handsome young men. And the most outstanding are the second young master of the Ming family and the seventh young master of the Lan family." Speaking of these two, Liu Mo's eyes lit up. "They are... their appearance is really... really... extremely handsome! I don't even know how to describe it. I just feel like I'm looking at the second young master of the Ming family and thinking of immortals when I look at the seventh young master of the Lan family."

"Heh..." Hearing Liu Mo's description, the woman in the light blue dress couldn't help but smile faintly, her almond-shaped eyes shimmering with gentle waves, exuding captivating beauty. "It seems those two are indeed as rumored, but..."

"But what?" Liu Mo asked.

"Didn't Lie Chifeng come?" The woman didn't answer and asked another person instead.

“The great hero Lie didn’t come,” Liu Mo replied, then blinked, “Could it be that Miss has taken a liking to…”

Before Liu Mo could finish speaking, the woman waved her hand to stop her from finishing her sentence. "These three are the most famous among the younger generation of martial arts practitioners today, and they are all outstanding. However..." She paused slightly before saying in a low voice, "such people are not suitable as husbands."

"Huh? Why?" Liu Mo was surprised. What woman wouldn't want to marry such a man?

The woman smiled and shook her head without answering. "What did you mean by Yuwen Feng fighting bare-handed? The Yuwen family is famous in the martial arts world for their Crimson Dragon Whip."

"That one..."

Liu Mo recounted everything he had seen and heard in the garden.

"I see." The woman nodded secretly, with a slight sigh. "Yuwen Feng became famous at a young age and was indeed a remarkable figure, but he was too arrogant and easily broken."

“Miss, those people…” Liu Mo looked at her, then asked softly, “Who does Miss hope will get the ‘Heavenly Silk Robe’?”

"Well... Father will probably choose the best person, right?" the woman said softly.

"The best?" Liu Mo thought for a moment, "It should be Young Master Ming or Young Master Lan." He turned his head to look at his beautiful young lady and felt happy for her. "These two are exceptionally talented and good-looking, and they are a perfect match for you."

"Ming Er, Lan Qi?" The woman looked up at the hillside covered with half-flowers.

In the garden, after a contest, Yuwen Feng emerged victorious over Wei Lang.

As soon as Wei Lang stepped down, someone else went up.

"Big brother, is your big brother really going to fight so many people all by himself?" Ning Lang looked at Yuwen Feng, somewhat worried.

This fight was completely different from the previous one. The leader of Wuyun Village practiced hard kung fu, and every move he made was powerful. Although Yuwen Feng seemed to easily receive all the blows and ultimately won, the few drops of sweat on his forehead showed that he had also exerted himself. And with so many people still in the garden, could he really fight to the end empty-handed? What's more, there were Ming Er and Lan Qi, whose skills were completely unfathomable!

"That's just how he is; he'd rather die fighting or exhausting himself than show weakness." Yuwen Luo paused, then continued writing.

"Isn't there any way?" Ning Lang asked worriedly.

The competition in the arena began again. This opponent's martial arts skills were no less than those of Wei Lang and Jin Que Lou, and he was extremely agile. He could leap and bound as if he were in a two-hundred-zhang square, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right, flying up and down. Those who watched were dizzy and exhausted, let alone Yuwen Feng, who was fighting against him.

“There is a way.” Yuwen Luo put down his pen and looked into the pavilion. “Someone with superior martial arts skills can go up and defeat him, but…”

"But what?" Ning Lang pressed.

“There aren’t many people in this garden taller than him.” Yuwen Luo glanced around the garden, then looked back at the pavilion. “There are two who won’t go up, and two others who will never move unless the other party does.”

"Huh?" Ning Lang was completely baffled.

Yuwen Luo ignored him, looking intently at the people in the pavilion, and said, "There are two others whose martial arts are comparable to his. If they fight, given your personality, brother, it's unlikely that the outcome will be decided until the death. Going up there will only make things worse."

"That……"

"Let's watch for now." Yuwen Luo turned his gaze to the competition.

Suddenly, Yuwen Feng let out a cold shout, and then a figure flew down. The duel was over, and Yuwen Feng had won.

The defeated man had just left when, before he could even rest for a moment, another man came up. Unlike the previous two who were empty-handed, this man carried a large sword on his shoulder. His broad body was like a small mountain, and his fierce brows and angry eyes were like those of a Vajra in a temple, making him look imposing and awe-inspiring.

"This is terrible," Yuwen Luo exclaimed with a wry smile.

"What's wrong? Is this person's martial arts skill very high?" Ning Lang asked hurriedly.

“No.” Yuwen Luo shook his head. “Although ‘Ghost Head Saber’ Zhou Da is a master, his martial arts skills are far inferior to yours. However, he is born with superhuman strength. His saber alone weighs 120 jin, plus his arm strength… Alas, even if you win, you will probably lose 60% of your strength.”

Before Yuwen Luo could finish speaking, the two in front of him were already fighting. Yuwen Fengyi was fighting empty-handed, while Zhou Da was wielding his sword wildly. Every time he swung his sword, a strong wind would blow through the garden, causing the flowers to sway violently. Those that were close by either broke in half or had their entire pots blown away. Qiu Changtian frowned deeply when he saw this.

“‘Ghost Head Blade’ is a misnomer. It should be called ‘Mad Head Blade’. How could someone be so ruthless as to destroy flowers?” Lan Qi murmured, her voice very soft, but everyone in the garden could hear her clearly, including the two people in the midst of their fierce battle.

"Drink!" Zhou Da shouted, and swung his broadsword even more fiercely. A sudden gust of wind arose, and several bowls of wine were swept into the air.

"Alas, how can flowers created by a beautiful woman be so wasted?"

With a soft murmur, Lan Qi leisurely rose and stepped down from the pavilion. Instead of taking a detour, he walked straight and casually between the two combatants. Yuwen Feng's palm and Zhou Da's knife froze just as they were about to strike him, as if blocked by something. But it was only for a moment. The palm struck down and the knife slashed down. Yuwen Feng's palm blocked the knife hilt, and Zhou Da's knife hilt blocked Yuwen Feng's palm. Lan Qi had already passed between them.

His movements seemed slow, but by the time he passed by, before the flowerpots that had been swept away had even hit the ground, he raised his hand and a flowerpot landed in his palm. With another flick of his wrist, the flowerpots floated back to their original positions. He continued to raise and flick them, and all the flowerpots that had been swept into the air fell back to their original positions. Finally, he bent down and picked up the half-flowers that had been broken off by the blade and fallen to the ground, one by one.

The duel continued. The force of his palm strikes and the wind from his blades ruffled his clothes, but did not harm him in the slightest. Holding several branches of half-dried fruit in his arms, he leisurely walked back to the pavilion, sat down, and was unharmed.

"boom!"

That was the loud sound of a broadsword striking the stone ground.

Zhou Da knelt on the ground in a disheveled state, still clutching his broadsword. A foot was placed on the back of the blade, and Yuwen Feng looked down at him from above.

"Please keep this flower in water."

While everyone in the garden watched the outcome of the contest, Lan Qi paid no attention and simply handed the flower in her hand to Qiu Zang, who was standing in the pavilion.

Upon being looked at by those deep blue eyes, Qiu Zang involuntarily walked over and took half a flower.

Part 4: Natural Rivals (Part 1)

"Yuwen Feng seeks guidance from Seventh Young Master!"

A voice filled with arrogance and anger rang out. Yuwen Feng pointed at Lan Qi, ignoring the opponent who had already reached the halfway point and challenged him, and ignoring the astonished gazes of the entire garden. His eyes were fixed on the smiling, elegant person in the pavilion.

Lan Qi shifted her gaze to Yuwen Feng, raised an eyebrow, but did not move. She waved her jade fan, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face.

"Yuwen Feng requests guidance from Seventh Young Master!" Yuwen Feng's firm voice rang out again, his gaze fixed on Lan Qi without blinking.

Lan Qi stood up, his demeanor elegant, a faint smile still on his face. But as he stepped down from the pavilion, his opponent, who had been standing halfway and had intended to challenge Yuwen Feng, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and involuntarily retreated step by step to his original position.

Yuwen Feng stood ramrod straight, coldly and arrogantly looking at his opponent who was walking towards him.

"I am but a mediocre young master, yet I have been favored by Young Master Yuwen and personally called upon by his name. How fortunate I am!" Lan Qi strolled leisurely to Yuwen Feng's side. "How could I not repay Young Master Yuwen's kindness?" His voice trailed off softly, as if an invisible thread was hooking into one's ears, making one listen intently.

"Young Master has fought four battles in a row and has already exhausted a lot of energy. I cannot take advantage of you. To be fair..." Lan Qiyu smiled faintly, covering his lips with his jade fan, leaving only his pair of green eyes, which shimmered like a river of cool spring water in the scorching July sun. This caused the whole garden to be momentarily distracted, and even Yuwen Feng, who was full of anger towards him, was momentarily stunned.

evildoer!

Many people, including Young Master Yuwen, had this thought at that moment.