Chapter 559: Blade Duel at the Forbidden City (2)
Xu Huai Shang naturally had no idea what Feng Bujue meant by ‘that skill’ but she could guess that the man was probably mumbling nonsense.
“Hmph… Is it?” Xu Huai Shang scoffed coldly, “Then…” Her hands reached for the double blade around her waist. “… Why don’t you show me?” Her mind was very clear, in terms of shamelessness… she knew she would be no match for Feng Bujue. If this conversation continued, the difference between their Stylish Point would only grow bigger, therefore… Xu Huai Shang’s plan was to end this too shameful and extremely embarrassing conversation as fast as she could and moved to the battle. If the conversation refused to end… then she would just charge forward.
[Hmm… She is quite clever with her tactic…] On the other hand, Feng Bujue was coming up with his own solution. [She knew that she would not be better than I am at gaining Stylish Point so she wants to fight before the difference at that value becomes too wide…] Feng Bujue’s brain was fast as lighting and soon he came up with the solution. He slowly turned around and stood with his head held up proudly. And then he extended his right arm and raised his blade before him, “Very good!” He said powerfully, “Surveying the entire Martial world, only you Xu Huai Shang dares to say something like that to me!”
[You have also spent only a few minutes in this ‘Martial world’ okay… You entered this scenario the same time as I did…] Such words Xu Huai Shang could only mumble in her heart and when she did so, she had to maintain the cool, unfazed expression on her face…
Of course, Feng Bujue was not done yet. During this few seconds, he had already come up with a whole background story for Goddess Xu. It included her family background, her family members, her school of discipline, her masters, her Martial world experience, her lover history, and various stories about her on the world of Martial world… If there was no accident, Brother Jue planned to yap about this for about half an hour.
But… accident always happened.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha… Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…” Suddenly, a brazen and booming laughter echoed through the night sky. When the laughter started, both Feng Bujue and Xu Huai Shang were equally shocked. They both thought this scenario was a simple 1 versus 1 duel, none of them expected… for there to be outsiders.
“he!” After a crisp yelp, a human figure leaped onto the rooftop. The person who arrived was a man, a middle-aged man to be precise. He was wearing a beige colored outfit, he had bushy moustache and a mane-like beard, giving him a very unkempt look. He was holding a sword tightly in his grasp and that clearly stated his identity… a swordsman.
After the man steadied himself, he turned to yell at Brother Jue. “Don’t you think… you have thought too highly of yourself with that statement?”
“First, announce yourself first.” Feng Bujue was practically overjoyed so he quickly turned to the man to engage him in conversation.
“Hmph… such hubris.” The swordsman laughed. “You do not even know me, Liao Wu, the Thousand Kilo Swords of Sai Bei and you dare to say stuff like you have ‘surveyed the entire Martial world?’”
“Hah?” To maintain the lofty persona that he had given himself, Feng Bujue tossed a condescending look at the big man. “What is so strange about that? Nameless characters walking the Martial world are like furs on a cow’s back, there are unknown characters coming out from their hole every single day… how do you expect me to know every single one of them?”
“Hmm?” Liao Wu was instantly incensed. His round eyes stared angrily at Feng Bujue. “The youth these days… Their tongue sure speaks louder than their action!” When he spoke, his left hand held the sheath and his right hand grabbed the hilt. “No matter, I shall stand in place of your master to teach you a lesson in humility…”
“Wait a moment!” Suddenly a woman’s voice rang out and stopped Wu Liao in his tracks. The voice was followed by the person. A light and airy figure descended on the roof. The woman had a beautiful face. She was around 26 and her dress was as white as snow. She held a long blade so she too should be a sword wielder.
“Do calm yourself, Master Liao.” The woman told Wu Liao. “Why the need to get so angry and shed blood due to a few meaningless words from a junior?”
When Wu Liao saw that woman, he was silent for a few seconds. “Oh… so it is Miss Miao, The White Plum Blade.”
“You flatter me. Miao Yin sends her greeting to Master Liao.” Even though Miao Yin was much younger than Liao Wu, she did not refer to him as her senior because according to seniority, they were on the same generation. Liao Wu scoffed and turned back to Feng Bujue, “Hmph, kid, you are lucky today because Miss Miao is kind enough to plead mercy for you.”
“Hmph… There are busybodies everywhere.” Brother Jue was not going to take this gift. He wished that he would get into argument with these two persons.
“Friends of Martial world,” Before these two NPCs exploded, Xu Huai Shang quickly cut in to say, “Today I have promised…” She hesitated to think about how she should refer to Brother Jue, “…Brother Feng for a duel here. This is between the two of us, so can I please request that you stay out of it?”
“Hah! So it was really you guys who left the words?” At that moment, the third voice said.
Xu Huai Shang felt a headache coming, she thought to herself, [These ridiculous people come one after another… Are we still going to continue this duel or not?]
Experts often followed the sound of their clothes fluttering as they flew in with Qing Gong, and this new arrival was no different. This new arrival was dressed in black and had a red cape on his back. His hair was neatly pinned in a ponytail and his face was handsome. There was no weapon on his body, at least… on the surface, he appeared unarmed.
“Tang Yun’er, why are you here as well?” Liao Wu instantly demanded.
“Hah! Why can’t I be here, since you are already here?” Tang Yun’er shouted back. “Most of us who heard ‘that news’ would generally be slightly curious, right?”
“What news?” Xu Huai Shang chose this moment to ask.
“of course it is…” Tang Yun’er was stunned when he was halfway through his reply because when he turned around and saw Xu Huai Shang, his mind became blank. He had seen quite a lot of beauties in his life but such a gorgeous female swordswoman, this was indeed his first encounter. In Tang Yun’er’s memory, only his own mother Heavenly Fairy, Mu Rong Ying had this kind of heavenly beauty.
“So what is it?” Xu Huai Shang asked again.
“Erm… it’s…” Tang Yun’er had already forgotten the content of the previous question.
“Ha ha ha ha ha…” Wu Liao guffawed loudly. “Kid, looks like you still haven’t been weaned off your mother’s tits. You are stumbling over your words and cannot even remember your own surname once you encounter a beautiful woman.”
Tang Yun’er’s face was red instantly. Being mocked like this before a beautiful woman, he naturally would be angered. “pfft! Liao Wu, stop with your nonsense, or else i… I will…”
“What? What will you do? Such a kid like yourself wish to challenge me?” Liao Wu reached for his sword again, “If you wish to test my temper…”
At that moment, Feng Bujue was snickering to himself while Xu Huai Shang held her forehead and shook her head. It looks like… before they started their duel, this bunch of Npc who came out from nowhere were about to start their own fight first.
“One month ago…” Suddenly the fourth voice appeared. “Someone with impressive kung fu, used Qi to carve out these following words on a giant pillar inside the imperial castle…” The voice sounded very shrill but it sounded familiar to Feng Bujue…
Instantly another figure showed up. This person was undeniably the person with the most powerful kung fu among all the NPCs. He came the fastest and was the most silent. Even when he spoke, his tone and breathing was the steadiest. Practically when the person stood and showed himself, Liao Wu, Miao Yin and Tang Yun’er showed a trace of shock and fear on their faces. They were all famous members of Martial world but just from this interaction, the three realized… the new arrival’s kung fu was hard to predict, in fact it could be said that… the level of his mastery was so far ahead of them that they could only be left in the dust.
“Night of full moon, Top of the Forbidden City. A blade from the west, Fairy beyond the sky.” The voice continued. “He he… at the time, I was confused, who could it be that… have such audacity and such impressive kung fu that they dared to leave a duel challenge inside the imperial castle.” He slowly walked towards Brother Jue. “So it turns out to you… kiddo.”
Once the man stepped a few steps forward, the moonlight lit up his face. When Feng Bujue saw him, he quickly put on a smile and moved his hands into greeting. “Feng Bujue sends his greeting to Master Cao.”
[oh lord…] Xu Huai Shang was crying for her lord internally, [What is this now?]
“He he… Master Feng, it has been 30 years since we last met…” Cao Qin gave Feng Bujue a once over, “…how have you been?” Once he said that, Feng Bujue understood that it had been 3 decades since the last time he entered this universe. But there was still one problem… Cao Qin did not look that much older, no matter how you looked at it, he could not older than 50.
“Things have been fine…” Feng Bujue smiled. “Master Cao, you though have been flourishing, you look younger, the older you get.”
“Hmph…” Cao Qin used his semi male and female voice to scoff, “I have a natural talent and has mastered the heavenly skill 15 years ago and has already entered the state of godliness. To have such an appearance… it is nothing that shocking.” He said as he raised his eyes to look at Brother Jue. “But you Master Feng… does surprise me. Are you truly a god reborn, one that violates the rules of time?”
“Ha ha ha ha ha…” Feng Bujue chuckled loudly and bought a few seconds for him to come up with a lie. “As you know I am not that popular anywhere, even in hell, the King of the Underworld does not wish to welcome me.” He responded with a joke.
Cao Qin was a clever person so he did not pursue the question. He used a rather soft gesture to twirl at a silk strand at the rim of his cap. “If you do not wish to share your secret, so be it, I am not that interested either.” Then he turned around and scanned the rest. The three experts who were still fighting earlier all shivered involuntarily once they felt Cao Qin’s eyes on them. Only Xu Huai Shang… was as still as water, completely unfazed.
“Master Feng, if you want to duel with someone, that is your business.” Cao Qin continued, “if you want to fight at the top of the imperial palace…” He sighed. “To be honest… no one can stop you.” He pointed down the distance. “But why would you leave behind the challenge a month earlier?” He paused and said, “Do you know… how big of a trouble you have brought the government with that message?”
“It was my fault… for not considering this further…” Feng Bujue was quick to apologize, he definitely did not want to make Cao Qin his enemy. If this world had a ‘Wuxia world’s survival guide’, one of the chapter would be dedicated to ‘do not mess with any of the eunuch inside the palace.’
“Aiz… so be it.” Cao Qin shook his head and said, “Thankfully, I have already prepared everything so the news has not spread far around the Martial world, there are less than a hundred who knew about this; there are about 30 plus that tried to sneak into the imperial palace and only 3 that have succeeded.” Cao Qin said as he placed his hands behind his back and turned to look at the three. “The three of you are quite capable.” His gaze was like a sharp knife cutting through the night. “I know the normal guards inside the castle might not able to stop you so one hour earlier, I have already ordered all of the imperial army away from this place and planned to come in person… to deal with the pests…”
With that, the blood in the three persons’ bodies froze. Cao Qin then continued and said, “But… I am overjoyed today to have encountered an old friend.” He giggled. “And I am personally quite interested… to witness this duel myself.”
Liao Wu, Miao Yin and Tang Yun’er felt like they had been on a roller coaster, in that short moment, they thought for sure that they would be dead but from the looks of it, there was still a chance.
“How about this…” Cao Qin said as he walked down the roof ridge and stood beside the three. “After the duel is over, I will personally send you out. But the condition is… there shall be no mention of what happen here tonight when you are still alive or else…” Before he said things like ‘I will murder all of your family’, the astute Miao Yin already said, “Thank you senior for your kindness and mercy.”
Tang Yun’er followed the wind and quickly added, “thank you, senior.”
Liao Wu had turned from lion into a cat, he stammered, “Thank, thank you Master Cao…”
“Em…” Cao Qin nodded with satisfaction. Actually he did not like to kill, what he needed… was this feeling of being respected. To be honest, if you have reached the stage of someone like Cao Qin, there was nothing else you would want from the world. He already mastered the most powerful kung fu; he had both wealth and power; he had no need for woman but he had adopted many sons. The only thing that could make him happy now was the sense of self-pride and honor. Cao Qin was favorable towards Feng Bujue mainly because he could not detect any discrimination from this Master Feng. The respect that Feng Bujue had for him was different from others which born from fear.
“You people of people only knew how to come to watch the show but did not know that there is a higher mountain beyond the highest mountain.” Cao Qin continued to say, “30 years ago, during the Blade Duel at Chang Lin, Lin Chang’s Shapeless and Formless Law was unbeatable, even the Blade God Ye Cheng and Nameless Blade Xie San had fell under his hand, the members of the 1 Family 2 Spires 3 Factions 4 Sections were slaughtered like pigs.” He paused for 2 seconds. “if not for this Master Feng, this Martial world that you walk today would not have existed in the first place.” He used a lecturing tone and explained to the three experts who were already stunned. “And your generation are even worse than that one. Hmph… after knowing some kung fu, you dare to infiltrate into the imperial castle.” He followed it up with a few chilling giggle. He lifted his eyes to look at Brother Jue and Xu Huai Shang, “Open your eyes and watch closely… what is the meaning of true master.”
The wind was still blowing. The night was not yet over. But the sword and blades were still… in their sheathes.
Under the fiery scrutiny of the four audience, Feng Bujue’s Stylish Point had hiked up quite a bit and rose to positive 50 and Xu Huai Shang rose to positive 18 rising the same boat as brother Jue.
[So that’s why… he has been to this world before.] Xu Huai Shang surmised what she had heard earlier, [And has some friendship with this Eunuch Cao.] She thought. [Thankfully the background of this Killing Game is a ‘duel’ so that NPC probably would not directly come forward to help him…] At the same time, Brother Jue was thinking, [So… i have returned to this world and this universe definitely does not have characters like Ye Gu Cheng and Xi Men Chui Xue, so the setting has been forced on us?] His gaze moved to the blade he was holding. [‘That skill’ that I randomly said corresponded to Fairy beyond the world without me knowing it, but… how would I know how to use that skill!]
“Quick make your move, Feng Bujue!” Xu Huai Shang yelled out and she had pulled out her blade swords. Now that there was an audience, it was easier to farm Stylish Point and if this dragged on, it would not benefit her.
“Before I do that, I still have one thing to say.” Feng Bujue announced evenly.
[Qie… damn it.] Xu Huai Shang thought to herself. But on the surface, she still needed to maintain her detached persona and answer, “Go ahead.”
[Hmm… what should I say…] Feng Bujue was merely trying to buy some thing to farm some Stylish Points so at that moment, he was thinking to himself. [How about I lead with ‘I love you’ to mess with her? Hmm… It wouldn’t be reported to the system as sexual harassment would it?] His mind was churning. [But wait a minute… a popular female player, people would have confessed to her on the daily, this sentence would not make much damage on her…] He then thought, [Unfortunately I am not a female or else I could have said things like ‘I am carrying your child’. Aiz… how about I just announce that I have shit my pants and call it a day.] But as just the words were about to reach his lips, he stopped himself. [no, that won’t work… even if it might muddle her mood, my Stylish Point will careen if I say that, it sounds so bad…]
“What is it that you want to say?” Xu Huai Shang urged, “Or this is just a ploy to buy time?” She pressured and took 2 steps forward.
Without no other option, Feng Bujue uttered the following, “If I have failed in the end, please… bury me next to my wife.” When he said that, melancholy overtook his face, his talent as an actor was on full display.
[Who is that? Who is your wife? How I am supposed to know who that is?!] Xu Huai Shang really wanted to shout at the man.
“Okay…” She accepted the man’s confusing request with a complicated expression. Due to anger and confusion, her shoulders were shaking. But from the perspective of the audience… Xu Huai Shang’s performance was to them a different meaning.
Tang Yun’er sighed with lamentation, “Aiz… truly it was as Master Feng said, what is not meant to be shall not be.”
Xu Huai Shang was shocked and she shouted internally. [What the hell? When did you arrive? What have you heard?]
“Oh?” Cao Qin also sensed the gossip in the air, he turned to ask the people next to him. “So these two.. have that kind of relationship?”
“aiz… the poor lady only chases after her heart but master Feng only has the place in his heart for his wife who has passed away.” Miao Yin nodded.
[Ah!!!] Xu Huai Shang yelled in her heart, she felt like dying. She was having a harder time maintaining her detached expression. [Miss Miao you have read too many romance novels! Just how did you manage to fill in so many plot developments?! When did this happen?!]
Even the manly Liao Wu said in a low voice, “I really did not expect Master Feng to be such a passionate man, he is not affected at all by the young lady’s beauty and affection, one has to be impressed…”
[impressed your head! Is there still any sane people in this world!] Xu Huai Shang bit her lower lip to prevent herself from voicing her thought but this action was misinterpreted again by the audience.
“In that case… then I shall make my move…” Feng Bujue also did not expect his words to have such miraculous effect, it had completely messed up Xu Huai Shang’s emotions. This was such a rare opportunity so naturally Brother Jue readied his stance and made his move…
“Ha!” Feng Bujue howled and kicked underneath him, his body… soared through the sky. With a dull echo, the blade escaped from its sheath and glinted dangerous.
“A blade dangled over 9 skies…” With the skill, Brother Jue used his clear voice to recite in the air, “The Moon peeking out from beyond the clouds…”
[Another poem?] Xu Huai Shang thought to herself. [Are you addicted to poetry so something?]
“Floating on the dust of the world… Fairy slicing through the door of heaven!” Feng Bujue came up with a poem on the spot while he waved his blade meaninglessly about. The poem contained the term Fairy, Beyond, the, Sky and combined that with his derivative performance, his Stylish Point blasted through the roof and came to 120. With that high of a Stylish Point, even it was just a simple stab, it had a powerful energy.
“Ha—” Seeing as the timing had ripened, he turned with Geppo and sliced downwards towards Xu Huai Shang. Xu Huai Shang had encountered many sword wielders in game and she was herself a master at blades. Therefore, she could see easily that Brother Jue’s few strikes were just for show and it was those made by an absolute amateur…
[Qie… This is not even a veritable skill…] Xu Huai Shang thought to himself, [It’s clear that he does not know to wield a blade, so why does he have to waste so many time doing this…] With that confirmation in her heart, her action was confident. Facing that ‘Fairy beyond the sky’, Xu Huai Shang did not evade, she used both of her swords and countered with her own skill.
“Northern Sparrow Cross!” With a blush on her face, Xu Huai Shang shouted out the name of the skill. She was forced to do so, that was the setting of the scenario, shouting the skill name might improve the damage of her skill.
The snowy white cross-like slash flew into the sky and met Feng Bujue’s “Fairy beyond the Sky” face on. Brother Jue was prepared for this. Basically the moment his enemy made her move, his legs kicked twice in the air. This two Geppo allowed his body to shoot to the side like lightning and changed the trajectory of his fall and barely avoided the slash that came at him.
[I knew you would use this skill…] Feng Bujue thought, [Using a ice-elemental long distance attack to stop me. Be it its speed, damage and range, it is the best option… but we have already fought once, there is more than enough data for me to use in zero time simulation. As long as I am ready, your long distance attack will never work on me.]
“So you have avoided that…” At that moment, Xu Huai Shang’s cunning voice appeared beside Brother Jue, “I knew that would happen.” Turns out she had predicted Feng Bujue’s evasion. The Northern Sparrow Cross was just a distraction. When she used that skill, Xu Huai Shang herself had leaped into the air and followed closely behind the slash of her swords.
Ping—the sound of steel clashing shattered the silence of the night. Feng Bujue reacted quickly. He quickly stopped turning and pulled his blade to block the double swords that came at him. Xu Huai Shang’s attack failed but that did not stop her. She instantly turned around and used both of her blades to start another bout of quick attacks. Glints of swords, shadows of blades weaved in the air. The two figures floated in the sky, coming back and forth, there was no sign of either of them coming down at any moment.