Isoro patiently closed his eyes again, then opened them, still calmly meeting her gaze. Then, with the tongue still attached to his head, he lunged at her, his cloth shoe raised high.
Damn it, do you really have to ask me questions in such an awful voice?
While hitting and kicking, Isoro, panting heavily, cursed angrily: "That's disgusting! You flicked your tongue and spit all over me!"
The female ghost screamed as she was beaten.
He circled the table, running back and forth in terror as he looked back at Goro, yelling, "If you come at me again, I won't be so polite!"
That shout completely exposed her true identity; she was actually the toothless proprietress.
Frustrated by the pursuit, Goruro picked up the round stool he was using to prop up the table and threw it twice. One stool hit the female ghost on the back, and the other hit her on the head. With a thud, the proprietress dressed as a ghost fell to the ground with a wail.
"How are my brothers downstairs?" Ishiro was worried about the group downstairs. Although they looked strong and powerful, they were all incredibly stupid.
"My husband is down there pretending to be a ghost to scare them." The proprietress's face was covered in thick powder, which dripped down as she spoke.
Huh? It turns out they were actually organized and planned to dress up as ghosts.
Isoro pulled up the rope binding the landlady and said sternly, "Get down and lead the way." There was no other way; he figured he'd have to rescue those brothers himself.
He groped his way up the stairs, and in the dim light of only a single oil lamp in the lobby, he noticed that the landlady's eyes were darting around.
It sparkled in my mouth, with a glimmer of light flashing from under my tongue.
Suddenly, a bad feeling rose in Goruro's heart. He grabbed her and, sure enough, found a thin, shiny blade under the landlady's tongue. Her tongue curled up and rubbed back and forth on the blade.
Slap! Isoro slapped her across the face, angrily pinched the landlady's mouth shut, and casually pulled out a piece of stinky tofu the size of a fingernail from the bag the burly men had given him, shoving it into the landlady's mouth.
He roared, "You've already ingested my secret poison, so obediently lead the way!"
Those stinky tofu were already extremely smelly, and after the big men carried them for many days, they had already fermented. Not to mention eating them, even just smelling them would make you feel nauseous for half a day.
With tears welling up in her eyes, the proprietress was forced to swallow the stinky tofu and finally gave up struggling.
He obediently led Ishiro towards the communal sleeping area.
Inside the dormitory, all was quiet. Ishiro kicked the landlady, who, still tied to the rope, tumbled and crawled, slamming the dormitory door shut with a loud bang.
The door was kicked open, and inside, there was a faint moonlight. A row of burly men huddled in a corner, clutching blankets and trembling.
They were trembling like sticks, but when they saw Xiao Wushiniang leading the white-clad female ghost onto the stage, they immediately perked up and pointed to the window, shouting, "Miss Su, there's another one by the window, with a blue face and fangs, standing there trying to eat us!"
Wu Shilang kicked her, and the landlady rolled on the ground. Then she shouted, "Don't be afraid! He has already drunk my talisman water and can no longer eat people. Everyone, attack him together and chop him into mincemeat!"
Her shout immediately put the burly men at ease. They leaped up from their bunks, brandishing their broadswords, ready to charge forward.
The blue ghost by the window looked utterly devastated. Suddenly, he raised his hand high and flicked it, sending sparks flying. After the sparks burned out, thick smoke rose up and filled the entire dormitory in an instant.
Isoro pinched his nose, his eyes stinging from the smoke and water streaming down his face.
It took a full cup of tea's time for the lingering smoke to dissipate, and gradually I could make eye contact with the others in the room.
The landlady on the ground had long since disappeared, and only half of the rope remained tied to Ishiro's hand.
The burly men were taken aback for a moment, then suddenly knelt down in unison, kowtowing with utmost admiration, "Miss Su, you truly are a master at capturing ghosts. Our Unloading Sword Manor has hope now."
The look in his eyes was as if he had seen a living Buddha in a temple.
Isoro's lips twitched, and after a long while, he couldn't help but kindly explain, "Actually... um... I'm really not Miss Su!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, appearing to believe it.
Ichiro chuckled and continued happily, "You finally believe I'm not Miss Su, huh?"
Then they saw a group of burly men on the ground, all shaking their heads in unison. The leader, with an imposing air, announced, "Everyone, listen up! From now on, we can no longer call Miss Su 'Miss Su.' Miss Su doesn't like being called 'Miss Su,' so we must obey unconditionally! We can no longer call Miss Su 'Miss Su.'"
The long string of words, when spoken, sounded just like a tongue twister.
The others immediately nodded like chickens pecking at rice. Their eyes remained unchanged, filled with utmost reverence and respect, as they bowed to Igarashi again and again.
Isoro's heart immediately sank. He couldn't communicate with them anymore; none of these people were normal...
Actually, I wanted to add that those two ghosts weren't really ghosts.
However, judging from the current situation, the people of Xiejian Manor are very fond of religious superstition, so they probably won't believe it for the time being.
Isoro sighed deeply, tears streaming down his face. "Father, Mother, your daughter has fallen... she's actually become a charlatan..."
With tears glistening in their eyes, Goro and his group continued their journey to the Unloading Sword Manor.
The sword-tasting competition was lively and there were nothing surprising at first. However, in the end, all the young women who came to participate in the sword-tasting competition were overjoyed because the three most handsome men on the list of handsome men in the martial arts world had all arrived.
Duan Shuixian, as beautiful as a peony; Leng Wushuang, as cold as ice; and Luo Jinfeng, as delicate as a secluded orchid.
The three of them standing there instantly captured the hearts of many young girls.
If the other heroes present hadn't been there to test their swordsmanship, they probably wouldn't have been in the mood to participate in this martial arts gathering under these circumstances.
The reason these three young masters were so captivating was that they never attended martial arts gatherings like these, and were rarely seen. Leng Wushuang was disdainful, Luo Jinfeng was simply lazy, and Duan Shuixian lacked interest because she had no one to rival her beauty.
The fact that three people had gathered at once filled the male warriors present with immense frustration.
Apart from Young Master Leng, the other two seemed somewhat distracted. Their eyes kept darting around, and after scanning the area, Duan Shuixian's face suddenly darkened. She turned around sullenly and complained to the guard in blue, "How boring, she actually ran off somewhere else."
Those who should have come didn't, while so many who shouldn't have come showed up.
While fanning himself with a resentful air, Duan Xiaoshao did not forget to strike a pose that could launch a thousand ships. He tilted his left cheek at a 45-degree angle, half-revealing his teeth, and glanced at his reflection in the teacup from the corner of his eye. He truly looked like a dashing young gentleman.
In terms of looks, Duan Shuixian is no less attractive than Leng Wushuang, who ranks first, and Luo Jinfeng, who ranks second. The key is that Duan Shao comes from a merchant family and does not often travel in the martial arts world, so he naturally suffers a little disadvantage and is ranked third.
Although she said she didn't mind, Duan Shuixian still cared a lot about it.
Leng Wushuang disliked the crowd and noise in the hall, and besides, the ancient sword was not exhibited on the first day; it only appeared briefly at the opening ceremony before disappearing without a trace.
The one left behind was Luo Jinfeng, who ranked second. He frowned and looked around with slight disappointment.
So Duan Shuixian glanced over again and again, looking at her reflection in the teacup while comparing her appearance with Luo Jinfeng's.
When he finally reached the hundredth strike, Luo Jinfeng finally erupted.
He strode over, lifting his robes with a thud, and said through gritted teeth while smiling, "Brother Duan, is there something unseemly about my face that makes you keep turning your head?"
Originally, not being able to find that girl, Wushilang, was like a fire burning in his heart. But then Duan Shuixian, with her lewd look and her swaying eyes, kept glancing at him, which only fueled the fire in his heart to the extreme.
Duan Shuixian paused slightly, then smiled and said, "Brother Luo, you're overthinking it. I saw you looking around anxiously, as if searching for someone, so I couldn't help but glance at you a few more times." With a snap, she closed her folding fan and continued to ask with a smile, "I wonder who you're looking for, Brother Luo? We, the Three Young Masters of the Martial World, should be of one mind. If you need any help, I will do my best to assist you."
Her words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner, and Duan Shuixian always had a flirtatious look in her eyes. This surprised Luo Jinfeng greatly. It was said that many men were fond of women who would fawn over handsome men and try to please them in every way.
This young master of the Duan family seems to have a flamboyant manner and is inexplicably enthusiastic towards me. I guess he must be a person who likes that kind of thing.
Thinking of this, Luo Jinfeng felt a chill run down his spine. Then he saw Duan Shuixian staring at him with wide, seemingly affectionate eyes, which made him even more certain of his guess.
So, not wanting to look Duan Shuixian in the eye for even a moment, he hastily clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Duan. I appreciate it." Before he finished speaking, he was already dozens of meters away, and he seemed to be fleeing as if he were escaping.
Duan Shuixian stared silently for a long time, then suddenly turned slowly to look at the blue-clad guard beside her, asking in a deep and distant voice, "Tell me, is he more handsome or am I?!"
The guard in blue, his face flushed red, hesitated for a long time before finally replying with difficulty, "Young master, you are all equally beautiful!"
Duan Shuixian slammed the table in a rage. No, she had to go back and change into a more flamboyant outfit, otherwise she would be outshone and her ranking on the list of handsome men in the martial arts world would be even lower.
Thinking about it this way, Duan Shuixian lost even more interest in drinking tea. With a flick of her sleeve, she actually channeled her inner energy and flew away lightly. The poor guard in blue behind her, whose lightness skill was inferior to his young master's, ran like a toad in heat, panting heavily.
The next day, when she officially arrived, Duan Shuixian wore a bright red coat, and the two white jade swords at her waist still jingled with every step she took, adding a touch of elegant charm.
With a golden crown binding his hair and a gold-flecked fan in his hand, he entered the inner hall, shaking and tossing his head, thinking himself elegant and refined.
The place was already packed with people.
Everyone had an excited look on their face.
The old master of Suzhou's No. 1 Manor had already declared that if anyone could pull out one of the ancient swords, then both Lingxi swords would be given to him.
Duan Shuixian's mind wasn't on the Lingxi Sword. Her eyes darted around, but she couldn't find Luo Jinfeng, who was dressed in white like snow. Instead, Leng Wushuang, who was ranked first, was still dressed in black and stood arrogantly in front of the stage.
He carried a pale gold sword slung across his back, and wore a long black robe with a snow lotus embroidered in delicate gold thread at the hem.
Her eyes were like stars, her eyelashes like fans, her lips were red and tightly pursed, and a section of her hair was pulled up and tied on top of her head, with a very ordinary white jade hairpin inserted diagonally. The rest flowed down her back like soft silk, contrasting with her black clothes, giving her an indescribable coldness.
"Xiao Wei, am I prettier, or is Young Master Wushuang prettier?" Duan Shuixian asked the blue-clad guard behind her absentmindedly, while taking out a bronze mirror and glancing at Leng Wushuang.
The guard in blue was filled with terror. He suddenly remembered that his young master had asked the same question yesterday, and then ran like a madman for an hour, leaving him to follow behind like a dying old dog, his tongue too tired to retract.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. After much deliberation, the guard in blue carefully replied, "Young Master, you and Young Master Leng each have your own unique charm!"
This is the answer I was expecting!
Leng Shuixian smashed the mirror and coldly looked at the peerless young master. It was so unfair that the world could dismiss her, who was ranked third, with such a simple phrase as "different charm."
Leng Wushuang felt a chill run down her spine under Duan Shuixian's gaze, and turned to look at her coldly. She remained silent, her expression icy, her eyes like the coldest ice, carrying a thin layer of anger as she glared at Duan Shuixian.
After a moment of eye contact, Duan Shuixian could no longer restrain herself. With a leap, she ran away, her mind racing. As she ran, she thought, "If we're going to be different, we should be the same. He, Leng Wushuang, is dressed in black, so I, Duan Shuixian, will also wear black. That way, we can naturally compare... who is more handsome, me or the First Young Master."
Thinking of this, he stepped even faster, almost flying, and swept across the street and ran out.
The guard in blue was on the verge of tears, following behind his young master like a mule exhausted to death, panting heavily.
The young master's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, the most unfathomable thing...
When Duan Shuixian changed back into a black outfit and excitedly ran back to the main hall, the sword appreciation event had already ended. The Peerless Young Master had vanished without a trace.
The remaining heroes were filled with regret and lingering emotions.
Duan Shuixian also sighed with lingering regret. Although their reasons for sighing were different, everyone present was filled with melancholy.
Those ancient swords were indeed coveted; they were incredibly sharp and exceptionally lightweight. Although everyone wanted to seize them, no one who wasn't the sword's owner could draw them.
It wasn't that they hadn't tried; everyone went up and tried to pull it off. They tried their best, but no one could pull it off.
The last one to draw his sword was the peerless young master of the Unloading Sword Manor. As soon as his slender, clean fingertips touched the hilt of the Spirit Rhinoceros Sword, both swords emitted a buzzing sound.
With a slight effort, the Peerless Young Master drew the Azure Sword from the Spirit Rhinoceros Sword. The blade was a translucent azure, and the wing was as thin as paper. With a flick of his index finger, it made a crisp sound.
It is indeed a fine ancient sword.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Young Master Leng Wushuang casually removed the sword-binding belt from his shoulder, then inserted two fine ancient swords into it and tied them to his back, exuding elegance and composure.
After getting ready, he also tidied his hair on his back. Then, without saying a word, he pushed off with both feet and flew out in a flash.
It moved as fast as lightning, leaving everyone stunned.
The old manor lord, who had prepared a grand and imposing speech, stood on the sword platform, remaining silent for a long time.
Then, with a surge of emotion, he exclaimed in his heart: "The peerless young master is truly as cold as ice... He truly lives up to his reputation!"
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The sky darkened into a gray gloom, and the willows by the roadside swayed in the wind like ghosts beckoning souls. The closer they got to the Sword Removal Manor, the darker the sky became.