Qiu Hongxiu said, "This is the first time I've seen a girl so excited. Is that guy Mu Yuan? He's quite handsome."
Zhong Tao said, "He looks to be at most seventeen or eighteen. Hongxiu, if you're going to look for someone, find me someone bigger."
"If I go to him, what can you do to me?" Qiu Hongxiu smiled, then glanced back at Shangguan Tou. "The younger generation is surpassing the older one. He's still young and his martial arts are already so high. Yipin Tou, you're getting old, and even Zhi'er has run off with someone else."
Shangguan Tou said, "I've met him. He's the Grand Protector of Chonghuo Palace and has a good relationship with Zhi'er."
Qiu Hongxiu laughed and said, "That's why it's easy to run away."
Zhong Tao said, "Hongxiu, when are you going to watch your mouth?"
"Young Palace Master!" Mu Yuan said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting. "I knew you would come here. Where have you been these past few months?"
Behind him stood the four guardians and a large group of Chonghuo Palace disciples.
“I’m with Young Master Shangguan.” Xuezhi pointed to Shangguan Tou behind her, and then greeted the four guardians behind him. “I’m no longer the young palace master, so please don’t call me that. It’s embarrassing to hear.”
"Then... what should we call it?"
"Xuezhi".
"Xuezhi? Well... alright."
Hongxiu whispered from behind, "Learn from Yipintou, you can call her Zhier too."
Shangguan Tou glanced at Hongxiu and remained silent.
46 47 48
46
In truth, Shangguan Tou's understanding of Mu Yuan was far more than just a little. Whenever Xuezhi chatted with him, she would always mention Mu Yuan from Chonghuo Palace. Shangguan Tou didn't know what the real Mu Yuan was like, but from Xuezhi's description, he was a divine being, someone completely opposite to himself.
Mu Yuan and Haitang are similar in that their most prominent characteristic is the absence of any distinguishing features. Moreover, Mu Yuan was adopted by Chong Lian, and the immense pressure of idolizing Chong Lian further eroded his personality, making him increasingly smooth-edged. He lives a very disciplined life, going to bed early and waking early. Aside from meals, sleep, and relieving himself, he dedicates every spare moment to martial arts practice, studying secret manuals, and managing the internal affairs of Chonghuo Palace. In other words, he has absolutely no need for leisure time; he acts decisively, is highly efficient, insightful, and never wastes time on anything he deems useless. Furthermore, Mu Yuan is left-handed, has no hobbies, and no ambition; he seems to possess boundless motivation without the need for any desires. Ignoring factors like martial arts skills, a person without desires is a person without weaknesses. The only way to defeat such a person is to kill him. But often, killing someone does not equate to defeating them.
However, everyone has things they want. It's just that Mu Yuan's desires are well hidden, and no one knows them.
At this moment, Mu Yuan said, "I have already discussed bringing you back with the elders, but their attitude remains quite firm. Do you have any plans to return?"
Xuezhi said, "Actually, Liuli is right. It's good to venture out into the world. In a few years, when I become stronger, they will definitely accept me back."
"Do you really think that way, or are you just making empty promises about not being able to come back?" Liuli glanced behind Xuezhi and whispered, "Or is there some other reason?"
"Of course I have them," Xuezhi laughed. "I'm living a very happy life now, with a whole bunch of older brothers and sisters."
"Hmph, I've heard about it."
Haitang and Zhusha exchanged a glance. Zhusha said, "Alas, the young palace master is still too young. She doesn't know the treacherous nature of the martial world... Huh? Where is she?"
Xuezhi had already returned to Shangguan Tou's side.
Everyone says these past two years have been the years of Shi Yan. Last year, Shi Yan hosted the Heroes' Assembly in Fengtian, and now he's reappearing as the permanent host of the Weapon Ranking Assembly, announcing the top twenty weapons from last year's list. Then, the first to be matched up are the Brewing Moon Sword from Brewing Moon Manor and the Shattered Wheel from Southern Guest House.
Many people were already standing below the arena, straining to look up at the fight above.
Nan Ke Lu issued a challenge, but nine out of ten people believed that Niang Yue Manor would ultimately win. Unfortunately, the Weaponry Tournament was held at Shaolin Temple, and many of the entertainments found at other hero gatherings, such as gambling, selling secondhand weapons, and discounted armor, were prohibited here. Otherwise, Xue Zhi would definitely have gone to place bets on Nan Ke Lu to win.
"Zhi'er, who do you think will win?"
"Nankelu".
"Why?"
"Because the former leader of Nankelu was my second uncle's best friend."
"You mean... Qu Youyan, the one-handed, blind man who was expelled from Shaolin?"
"That's right."
"Master Lin's relatives and friends are truly spread all over the country," Shangguan Tou said. "However, the reason why Nan Ke Lu is so famous is because of Qu Youyan. Qu Youyan has now passed away, and I'm afraid their strength has been damaged, making it not so easy for them to win."
Qiu Hongxiu said, "I also think Nan Ke Lu will win."
Zhong Tao asked, "Why?"
"intuition."
Zhong Tao pursed his lips: "Women always have so many intuitions."
The victor turned out to be a disciple of Nan Ke Lu. Everyone initially thought it was just a coincidence, but unexpectedly, when Niang Yue Manor sent someone to fight again, Nan Ke Lu won once more. After several more battles, Niang Yue Manor lost more often than they won, and in the final showdown between the leaders of the two major sects, Nan Ke Lu emerged victorious once more. As a result, Nan Ke Lu's ranking jumped from ninety-ninth to thirty-sixth.
Zhong Tao stared at Qiu Hongxiu in astonishment.
Qiu Hongxiu smiled and said, "A woman's intuition is still very accurate."
Unfortunately, Nan Ke Lu suffered heavy losses in this battle, and being an unexpected dark horse, they were quickly defeated by Xuan Tian Hong Ling Guan. Upon seeing the demons of Hong Ling Guan, Xue Zhi thought of the evil boy with the braided hair, but after looking around, she realized he wasn't among them. Hong Ling Guan had a terrible reputation, but they still possessed considerable strength; after winning two consecutive matches, they went to rest.
Because of the tournament's rules, any sect could only challenge sects ranked within the top twenty of their own in the previous round. Therefore, no top-tier sects participated throughout the day. Xuezhi was so relaxed at her first tournament, approaching it purely as a spectator. Even on the afternoon of the second day, when the heavyweight Wudang sect appeared and the atmosphere became quite tense, Xuezhi still watched the competition with a smile, discovering how wonderful it felt not to be the young palace master.
However, when Wudang Tai Chi Sword challenged Chonghuo Palace's Hunyue Sword, Xuezhi could no longer relax. Looking at the towering arena, her usual tense emotions returned. Neither sect beat around the bush; both sent their most important figures directly. Wudang Mountain's second disciple, Li Xuan, faced off against Chonghuo Palace's Liuli.
Xuezhi clasped her hands together and prayed to God.
After several dozen rounds, Liuli fell off the stage due to a momentary lapse in concentration. She quickly grabbed the edge of the stage and climbed back up, but lost her advantage and was defeated.
"Damn it! Haitang, Haitang, come on!" Xuezhi called out.
Zhong Tao glanced at her and swallowed hard. Shangguan Tou smiled.
As expected, Haitang went up. Long ago, Haitang was a master who ranked after Chonglian and the four elders. In addition, she was beautiful and was described by many as a "femme fatale".
Xuezhi gritted her teeth and clenched her fists: "Long live Haitang!"
Zhong Tao finally couldn't help but say, "Hey girl, don't you have any sense of responsibility as the young palace master?"
Xuezhi didn't hear a thing.
As expected, Haitang's sword flashed fiercely, and she quickly dispatched Li Xuan. Then, her eldest disciple, Shuyun, took to the field. This time, the fight lasted longer, about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, before Haitang emerged victorious once again.
Finally, Master Xingyi sighed deeply and said to the people around him, "Alas, these children, this can't go on. Every time I have to deal with that little girl from Chonghuo Palace myself, what kind of behavior is this?"
With the sect leader taking the stage, Haitang had no chance of winning. After a few exchanges, Haitang was defeated by the final move of the Tai Chi sword technique, her throat struck, and she was forced off the stage.
The changes in the previous sects were usually not too significant, so many people thought that this time it would be Chonghuo Palace in fourth place and Wudang Mountain in third place again.
Just as Master Xingyi was about to go down, he heard the sound of someone landing behind him, so soft that he hadn't noticed anything before.
He turned around, and Mu Yuan, holding the Hunyue Sword, clasped his hands in a fist salute towards him.
Xuezhi suddenly jumped up: "Brother Mu Yuan! Brother Mu Yuan! Long live Brother Mu Yuan!"
47
Mu Yuan's hearing was also excellent; even standing so high, he could still catch a glimpse of Xue Zhi. Xue Zhi shook her hand vigorously, overjoyed: "I've never seen Brother Mu Yuan make a move on the Weapon Ranking before! He'll definitely win today, he'll definitely win!"
Shangguan Tou smiled and nodded, patting her on the back: "Look, it's starting."
Xuezhi immediately focused her attention.
Tai Chi Sword emphasizes "stability," while Hunyue Sword emphasizes "chaos." These two sword styles are almost completely incompatible, so the outcome is often determined by the fighters' internal strength and swordsmanship proficiency. The reason Hunyue Sword has lagged behind Tai Chi Sword in recent years is because Haitang's internal strength is inferior to that of Daoist Xingyi Tan Yi.
Now, Mu Yuan stepped forward and unleashed a few swift and decisive sword strikes, his aura completely different, instantly giving his opponent a taste of his power. Daoist Xingyi retreated several steps, almost landing on the extremely small arena, but he steadied himself, turned around, and leaped back to the center of the arena.
In the ensuing exchange, the sounds of swords clashing were rapid and chaotic, each strike sharp and decisive. Master Xingyi's footwork was steady, his hands always moving faster than his feet, allowing him to parry attacks without dodging. However, at this moment, he seemed to be struggling against Mu Yuan's expressionless, heavy blows, completely unaware that he was slowly retreating. Therefore, when his heel slipped and missed its mark, he didn't even realize it.
Everyone gasped in surprise.
Seeing that Daoist Xingyi was about to fall off the stage, Mu Yuan suddenly sheathed his sword, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him back onto the stage. Mu Yuan was about to continue the duel when he sheathed his sword, cupped his hands, and asked, "May I ask if you are from Chonghuo Palace?"
Mu Yuandao: "Yes."
Master Xingyi looked him up and down and sighed, "What a young hero! This is the first time I've seen someone from Chonghuo Palace wield the Hunyue Sword to this level without even practicing the Nine Forms of the Lotus God."
"You flatter me, senior."
Xuezhi shouted, "Nonsense! Chonglian was already incredibly powerful before he even started practicing the Nine Forms of the Lotus God!"
A Wudang Mountain disciple nearby chuckled, "Everyone knows that Chonglian was once the best in the world, relying entirely on the 'Nine Forms of the Lotus God' to defeat many heroes who conquered the martial world with genuine skill. However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. He cheated by practicing evil techniques, so naturally, he didn't live long. Now that he's dead, it's finally settling things right for the martial world—"
Before he could finish speaking, Xuezhi slapped him across the face.
The man was knocked back several steps by her, covering his face and staring at Xuezhi in disbelief for a long time. Suddenly, he raised his sword to strike. At that moment, a staff clattered and blocked his sword.
The Wudang disciple stammered, "Shangguan...Shangguan Tou?"
Shangguan Tou's image as a man is long ruined. But as a person, especially as the Valley Master of Yue Shang Valley and the son of the Imperial Advisor, his reputation is still quite good. Since he is a refined young nobleman from a prestigious family, he must have the demeanor of a nobleman. To have the demeanor of a nobleman, one must follow the "Law of the Nobleman," which is: never be repulsive; smile when not angry, and still smile when angry; always add "please" when telling someone to get lost; and automatically replace all those words with "Your Excellency" when you want to curse someone as a bastard, a scumbag, a piece of trash, or an idiot.
Therefore, taking into account the above regulations, Shangguan Tou smiled and said:
"Please get out of here."
So the person was asked to leave.
"Thank you, Sister Zhaojun!" Xuezhi rushed over and hugged Shangguan Tou's arm, giving it a hard squeeze, then shouted loudly towards the arena above, "Brother Muyuan, this time Chonghuo Palace's first place depends on you!"
Seeing that Mu Yuan hadn't left, Xue Zhi was especially happy. Although she didn't know why, he had finally agreed to stand up for Chong Huo Palace. Xue Zhi lacked practical combat experience, but based on her long-term observations, she hadn't found many people more skilled than Mu Yuan.
On one side of Lingjian Manor, Xia Qingmei suddenly picked up her sword: "I'll go and meet him."
Feng Zi said, "Go, senior brother! We can't lose to my sister!"
48
When Xue Zhi saw the person jump onto the stage, she fell silent instantly. When Xia Qingmei went up, not many people were surprised, but quite a few women screamed. At least half of these women were taught by Xue Yan. Among them, Yuan Shuangshuang was the loudest. Qiu Hongxiu glanced at the group of girls, frowned, and lowered her voice, saying, "Logically speaking, I'm not the kind of person who would dislike someone of the same sex, but why do I feel so wanting to strangle those little girls when I see them?"
Xuezhi turned around and said expressionlessly, "It's not just you, I want to beat them up too. Especially that guy surnamed Lin."
"Someone surnamed Lin?"
"Lin Fengzi, the tallest and thinnest one."
"Ah, I know who you're talking about." Qiu Hongxiu pondered for a moment, "She's alright, she seems quite pure and pretty."
Zhong Tao also went over to take a look: "Wow, she's clearly a fairy, right, bald?"
"Zhi'er is prettier."
Xuezhi turned around and glared at Shangguan Tou: "Don't tell me this! It's annoying! I don't care if she's pretty or not, I just don't like her as a person, I hate her inside and out!"