Then everyone realized that Mu Tao was from the Duke of Mu's mansion, and Shen Li was from the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion. Consort Shu and Consort De were evenly matched in the palace, fighting fiercely. The competition between these two juniors was equivalent to the two mansions competing against each other.
Consort De looked at Shen Lixue's slender figure, so delicate and frail. She knew that if she fought Mu Tao, she would only be beaten badly. "General Mu is a general on the battlefield. He should at least choose a martial artist to fight. It's not very interesting to compete with a doctor like Xiao Lixue. Why don't you let Jiang Feng spar with you for a few moves..."
"Brother Jiang Feng is a prodigy of Xiliang, skilled in both literature and martial arts. I am ashamed to admit my inferiority." After joking, Mu Tao realized that the blind man's martial arts were unfathomable, and that he would only be asking for trouble if he challenged him. He then turned his gaze to Shen Lixue: "Young Master Shen, you also know martial arts, don't you?"
"I only know a little bit about it, just for self-defense, it's not worthy of being presented in a grand setting!" The people sitting at the banquet were all intelligent, including many sharp-eyed martial artists. Shen Lixue was a martial artist, and her walking posture and speed were different from ordinary people. Anyone with eyes could see that. If she deliberately concealed it, it would seem somewhat hypocritical.
Mu Tao waved his hand, his tone slightly arrogant: "The Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion is full of fierce generals. As a distant nephew of the Marquis, Young Master Shen's martial arts skills must also be quite good. There's no need to be modest anymore."
"My martial arts skills are meager, far inferior to the general's wisdom and prowess!" Shen Lixue smiled politely. She had business to attend to in Xiliang, so she tried to keep a low profile.
Mu Tao raised his chin slightly and looked at Shen Lixue with arrogance: "The Zhenguo Marquis's mansion is full of loyal martyrs. There are only those who die in battle, not those who retreat. Although Young Master Shen is a distant relative, he should also have some of the spirit of the Marquis's mansion!"
Shen Lixue's smile gradually faded. Mu Tao meant that if she didn't accept his challenge, she would be a cowardly deserter, and the reputation of the Marquis of Zhenguo's bravery and loyalty would be false.
She was a Qingyan person, and on someone else's turf, she planned to keep a low profile and not want to argue with Mu Tao. However, Mu Tao pressed her step by step, determined to compete with her. If she ran away again, she would not only admit to being a deserter who retreated without a fight, but also bring shame to the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion: "Since that's the case, Shen Li will respectfully comply. General Mu, please."
"Young Master Shen, please!" Mu Tao glanced at Shen Lixue, held his long sword, and slowly walked to the side. A cold, eerie smile appeared on his lips. Heh, Shen Lixue has been tricked. Just now, her aunt lost to Consort De, and he will turn the tables on Shen Lixue to let the officials know that the Duke of Mu's mansion is no less powerful than the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion.
Shen Lixue stood up and was about to walk forward when suddenly her sleeve was grabbed tightly. She turned around and saw Ye Qianyue. Her bright eyes were full of worry: "Brother Li, Mu Tao is very powerful."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Shen Lixue smiled gently, her sleeve deftly slipping from Ye Qianyue's small hand, and slowly walked towards Mu Tao.
Looking at her empty little hands and Shen Lixue walking straight ahead, Ye Qianyue stomped her foot angrily and rushed to Lu Jiangfeng: "Third cousin, you have to think of something! Mu Tao is a brute, he's ruthless and heartless, he'll beat Li-gege to death!"
Lu Jiangfeng held a white porcelain teacup lightly with his jade-like fingers, took a small sip, and said calmly, "You have so little confidence in Xiao Li?"
“Brother Keli is a doctor, a gentle and frail man. If it were a competition of medical skills, I wouldn’t be worried that he would lose. But now it’s a martial arts contest, and his opponent is Mu Tao!” Ye Qianyue glared fiercely at Mu Tao in the distance. She had heard a lot about Mu Tao’s character and actions. On the night of the Lantern Festival, she had personally witnessed him riding a horse and trampling people. How could a weak scholar possibly win against such a vicious brute?
"Don't worry, I believe in Xiao Li!" Lu Jiangfeng's dark eyes were unfocused, yet hazy like mist, and brilliant like fireworks.
Ye Qianyue was slightly taken aback. In all these years, this was the first time she had seen Lu Jiangfeng trust someone so much. Lu Jiangfeng was a child prodigy and his judgment of people and things was very accurate. He said that Shen Li would win, so his chances of winning were very high. However, could Brother Li really win against Mu Tao, that battle-hardened brute?
"I prefer swords. May I ask what weapon Young Master Shen is accustomed to using?" Mu Tao stood in the center of the arena, brandishing the long sword in his hand. He was tall and arrogant, and his bright red cloak made him look even more flamboyant and strong.
Shen Lixue, dressed in snow-white robes, with a slender figure, swept her cool gaze over the weapons beside her: "Young Master Mu is skilled with a sword, so I will also use a sword!" It sounded as if Shen Lixue was reluctantly using a sword to accommodate Mu Tao.
Mu Tao's smug face instantly darkened. How dare this weak scholar look down on him? He's asking for death!
The moment Shen Lixue got the weapon, he couldn't wait to attack with his sword, his bright red cloak fluttering in the air like a streamline: "Young Master Shen, take this!"
Seeing the rapidly approaching cold sword, Shen Lixue smiled slightly, unhurriedly, her white robes turned lightly, and she gracefully dodged to the side, then swung her sword to stab Mu Tao in the chest: Mu Tao is a border general, experienced in countless battles, highly skilled in martial arts, and possesses great strength. When fighting him, one must never raise their sword to block it head-on.
As Shen Lixue's longsword struck his chest, Mu Tao had no choice but to withdraw his attack and retreat, his young face clouded with gloom.
A true expert's skill is immediately apparent. His moves were swift, ruthless, and precise. Not only did he fail to strike Shen Lixue, but he was also forced to retreat by her. Shen Lixue was no ordinary opponent. He abandoned his underestimation and focused all his attention on the battle. He twirled his longsword, gathering eighty percent of his inner strength, and launched a fierce attack on Shen Lixue once more.
Shen Lixue lightly touched the ground with her feet and leaped into the air. Her white robes drew a graceful arc in mid-air as she instantly appeared behind Mu Tao. With a beautiful turn, her longsword flashed a dazzling silver light in mid-air and swiftly pierced towards Mu Tao's back...
Having watched too many songs and dances, the court officials and their families were somewhat aesthetically fatigued. When Mu Tao challenged Shen Lixue to a duel, they thought it would be a simple case of one side beating the other. Unexpectedly, Shen Lixue, though physically weak, was quite skilled in martial arts. She fought Mu Tao for dozens of rounds without being at a disadvantage.
Everyone watched in stunned silence, their listless expressions vanishing as they focused intently on the competition. Compared to the simple sword dances of the past, this battle was a contest between the Duke of Mu's mansion and the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion, truly an eye-opener for all.
"Graceful as a startled swan, swift as a swimming dragon, what superb lightness skill, what superb lightness skill!" The Third Prince looked at the white-clad figure fluttering about and nodded repeatedly in admiration.
Lu Jiangfeng paused slightly while drinking tea. The various light-body skills in the world are similar, but each has its own characteristics. He could hear the faint sound of Shen Lixue's light-body skill, but could not see its form. After the Third Prince praised it, he vaguely guessed where Shen Lixue's light-body skill came from.
His dark eyes looked in the direction of Shen Lixue, a faint glimmer of light appearing in them. Shen Lixue was not from Xiliang!
Shen Lixue and Mu Tao exchanged blows, and before they knew it, dozens of moves had passed.
Shen Lixue was agile and skillful, and with the coordination of her internal energy, she fought to a draw with Mu Tao, whose martial arts were superior to hers.
Time passed second by second, and Mu Tao had used up one-third of his internal energy. He hadn't even touched the hem of Shen Lixue's clothes, let alone seriously injured her.
He is General Mu Er, praised by everyone on the border. Killing enemies is as easy as slicing a watermelon. Yet now he can't even handle a weak scholar. It's a disgrace: "Chen Li, if you have the guts, fight me openly. Why are you hiding like a coward?"
Shen Lixue sneered. Mu Tao's advantage was his strength and brute force. She was a woman, and her body was more delicate. Although she had half of Dongfang Heng's internal strength, she was still somewhat inferior to the agile and battle-hardened Mu Tao. If she were to fight him head-on, she would definitely lose.
If she were to combine her lightness skill with her agility, the outcome of this battle would be uncertain. Mu Tao knew this, which was why he provoked her with his words. But she was no fool and would not fall for his trick.
"Mu Tao, are you being unreasonable? You like to use brute force to hurt people directly. Brother Li is good at lightness skills. What's so strange about using lightness skills to assist in the fight? Besides, he's also sparring with you. He's not just dodging. You're the one who's clumsy and can't hit him. You still have the nerve to shout!"
Ye Qianyue crossed her arms over her chest, looking at Mu Tao with arrogance, her clear voice carrying across most of the venue.
The guests huddled together in twos and threes, whispering among themselves: "Shen Li's martial arts are truly impressive..."
"His lightness skill is also extremely high..."
"His medical skills are also quite good. He's young and a promising talent..."
Before the banquet, Shen Lixue was just an unknown stranger. It was truly remarkable that she could fight to a draw with the famous General Mu Er from the border.
The martial arts skills displayed in front of everyone were real, unlike poetry which can be faked. She withstood so many moves from Mu Tao without batting an eye, which earned her even more admiration from the crowd.
Mu Tao was furious. Everyone was praising Shen Li, which was indirectly belittling him. He, a dignified border general, couldn't teach others a lesson, but instead became a stepping stone for others to make a name for themselves. How despicable and hateful! A bunch of blind old fools.
His gaze turned cold, and with a light step, his long sword, gleaming with cold light, pierced straight towards Shen Lixue.
A strong wind howled in, and Shen Lixue knew that this sword strike was infused with ten layers of power. She smiled coldly and thrust her long sword toward Mu Tao's neck.
Mu Tao's lips curled into a strange smile. Just as the longsword was about to pierce his neck, he suddenly turned to the side. The sharp sword grazed his skin, leaving a shallow wound. With his left hand, he gathered ten layers of internal energy and struck Shen Lixue fiercely.
Mu Tao's sword thrust at her was a feint; his real attack was a palm strike!
If they can't hit someone openly, they'll resort to underhanded tactics.
With a flick of her wrist, Shen Lixue's small, white hand instantly met Mu Tao's palm. With a loud "bang!", the two palms collided, and they each took four or five steps back before coming to a stop.