Chapter 70

A cold glint flashed before her eyes, slightly blurring her vision. A tiny speck of light, the size of a bean, clung to the tip of the sword, dazzling her eyes. But it was only for a moment. Fu Xiang dodged to the side, blocked with her backhand, and then slashed out with her sword, neutralizing Yin Qiu's aggressive attack and briefly reversing the situation where she was under attack and unable to retaliate.

Yin Qiu's steps were steady. Fu Xiang's sword strike in mid-air did not startle her. She leaned back slightly, brushing past the blade, and then swept her leg to strike Fu Xiang's lower body.

Fu Xiang leaped to a different spot, then turned and thrust her sword forward again. Yin Qiu naturally raised her sword to meet it without dodging. The two iron swords collided, sparking a few tiny sparks that faintly illuminated their gazing eyes.

Although the fight was fierce and evenly matched, both of them tacitly kept their movements low, not wanting to attract attention. Fortunately, it was already the end of noon, the time when the disciples were taking their afternoon nap, so there was no one around in the small courtyard, which was just right.

Since entering the palace, the two had been personally taught swordsmanship by Xu Lianzhi and had memorized it well. So as soon as the other made a move, they both knew which move it was and what move to use to counter it. Although Yin Qiu was aggressive, she was not an evenly matched opponent for Fu Xiang. Although Fu Xiang was very interested, she was just having fun and did not focus on fighting.

But soon, Fu Xiang discovered that things weren't as she had imagined.

At first, Yin Qiu was struggling a bit and couldn't gain any advantage, but she attacked very fiercely. She was quite unique when she fought, which was very different from her usual quiet and docile demeanor. When she held a sword, she seemed to be a different person, fierce and difficult to deal with. She was not easy to deal with at all.

As their fight dragged on, Yin Qiu grew increasingly fierce, seemingly finding a way to deal with Fu Xiang. Fu Xiang initially let her win, but later she realized she couldn't let her guard down. A moment's carelessness would allow Yin Qiu to disrupt her strategy. As a result, Fu Xiang unconsciously became serious, and their verbal sparring eventually turned into a real contest.

"How did you improve so quickly?" Fu Xiang exclaimed, both surprised and delighted, dodging the attacks. "You weren't this good when we fought last time. Did you go to Ziwei's place and learn some new kung fu?"

"Can't you tell what sword technique I'm using?" Yin Qiu swept his leg, hitting Fu Xiang squarely in the back of the knee, causing Fu Xiang to stumble.

"I can't beat you!" Fu Xiang said angrily.

"What are you pretending for?" Yin Qiu bluntly exposed her. "You didn't even use your full strength."

Fu Xiang twirled her sword, forcing Yin Qiu back, and gritted her teeth, saying, "How could I not use my full strength? It's the same sword technique, but you're much more agile than me. Did you secretly receive guidance from some master?"

How could Yin Qiu not see that she had been fobbing her off from the beginning? Without answering, she went behind Fu Xiang and poked her with the hilt of her sword. Fu Xiang cried out in pain and cursed, then retaliated by stabbing Yin Qiu in the face with her sword.

Unexpectedly, Yin Qiu did not dodge, but instead faced her head-on. Fearing that she might accidentally hurt her, Fu Xiang had no choice but to hurriedly turn her wrist and move away a few inches. Yin Qiu seized the opportunity, tilted her head and pressed her sword against Fu Xiang's chest. Her left hand was not idle, but she put two fingers together and flicked the sword, which immediately made Fu Xiang's arm go numb and she dropped her sword.

Seeing Yin Qiu's series of actions, Fu Xiang was startled. She subconsciously raised her leg and kicked out with perfect accuracy just as the sword hilt was about to hit the ground. She first slapped Yin Qiu's shoulder with her palm, and then swiftly flipped over to catch the sword. Before Yin Qiu could retaliate, Fu Xiang kicked Yin Qiu in the waist with lightning speed.

Yin Qiu's breath hitched, and she fell backward. When she looked up, Fu Xiang's sword tip was already right in front of her, just a hair's breadth away, about to pierce her eyes.

Yin Qiu's expression darkened slightly as he looked up along the sword. His gaze met Fu Xiang's lowered eyes for a moment, and the two stopped simultaneously, staring at each other.

·

A cold wind swept over them, dissipating some of the heat. Yin Qiu's breathing became rapid, and a layer of sweat appeared on her forehead. In contrast, Fu Xiang remained calm and composed, her breathing even, not even a single strand of hair was out of place.

At this moment, Yin Qiu's mind was as clear as a mirror.

She had indeed concealed her true strength.

Various speculations resurfaced in her mind. Yin Qiu casually shook the hem of her skirt and tried to get up from the ground, but Fu Xiang suddenly stepped forward, pressed the tip of his sword against her chest, and said in a deep voice, "That move you just made was not learned from Yunhua Palace."

Yin Qiu stopped moving, sat cross-legged on the spot, looked up at Fu Xiang and asked, "Which move?"

Fu Xiang stood expressionless, holding two fingers together in front of her.

Seeing her actions, Yin Qiu remained noncommittal, saying, "That move you just made was not learned from Yunhua Palace."

The two of them took martial arts lessons together in the training ground every day, and were also taught by Xu Lianzhi. They both knew exactly what they had learned and how well they had learned it. Yin Qiu knew that the skills she had learned after entering the palace were far from enough to test Fu Xiang's other martial arts skills. If Fu Xiang wanted to pretend to be skilled, she could fight for three days and three nights without revealing any flaws. Therefore, Yin Qiu had deliberately used the finger technique that Gongzi Fan had taught her, just to catch Fu Xiang off guard. Fortunately, she achieved her goal. Fu Xiang's move just now was indeed something that they had not yet learned.

Putting aside any talk of techniques, just looking at Fu Xiang's reaction and speed is enough to prove that she has a very strong foundation. That kind of skill is something that someone who has only been practicing martial arts for half a year could have.

The snow in the yard had already been shoveled away, but the floor was still wet. Yin Qiu sat for a while, then felt a little tired, so she moved a couple of times and leaned against the pool behind her.

She didn't speak again, and Fu Xiang remained silent for a long time as well. The two of them remained silent in each other's presence.

After a long while, Fu Xiang finally sheathed his sword, his face unfriendly, and said, "You're testing me."

Yin Qiu remained calm and said softly, "Of course I need to test you. Isn't it a test when two people spar? You said you can't beat me, so of course I have to see how good you really are."

Fu Xiang said, "Stop pretending! I've finally realized what's going on. All that nonsense you've been saying today was just to get a fight with me." She was furious, hands on her hips, and said, "Just tell me, what exactly are you testing me for!"

Yin Qiu then stood up, took out a handkerchief to wipe the water stains off her body, and said, "Then why don't you tell me where you learned that trick just now?"

Fu Xiang stared at her as if she were prey: "You go first."

Yin Qiu then said, "I learned it from my martial uncle."

Her close relationship with Man Jiangxue was common knowledge in the palace. It was no secret that Yin Qiu received martial arts instruction from Man Jiangxue in private, and Fu Xiang naturally knew this as well. She sized up Yin Qiu for a while and asked with some doubt, "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Yin Qiu had made an agreement with Gongzi Fan that even when facing Fu Xiang, she could not easily tell the truth, so she could only pretend to be honest and lie.

Before leaving Mingyue Tower, Meng Wugui repeatedly instructed her to be extra careful upon returning to Yunhua Palace, and not to let others know that she was exceptionally skilled, so as not to arouse suspicion and cause unnecessary trouble. However, she did not expect that while she could guard against outsiders, she could not guard against Yin Qiu. Fu Xiang was caught off guard by the current situation, and her mood became complicated.

Seeing that she remained silent, Yin Qiu pressed her for an answer: "What are you daydreaming about? Tell me quickly."

Fu Xiang pondered for a moment, her mind racing, and she had already figured out how to deal with Yin Qiu. She replied, "Alright, I had actually learned martial arts before entering Yunhua Palace."

Hearing her admit it, Yin Qiu felt it was expected and was not surprised. She took a step back and sat by the pool, looking at Fu Xiang and said, "You not only learned martial arts, but you learned them exceptionally well. Among our group of disciples, there shouldn't be many who can beat you, right?"

Fu Xiang hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Since you have such good skills, why don't you stay at Mingyue Tower? And why did your father send you to Yunhua Palace?"

Fu Xiang frowned, somewhat dejected, and said, "My father... didn't know I knew kung fu."

Just as I expected!

Fu Cen was indeed unaware of the situation.

"So you deliberately kept it from him? What did you come to Yunhua Palace for?" As her guesses came true one after another, Yin Qiu was not happy at all, but instead became a little more serious.

Fu Xiang did not answer this question, but instead asked, "Your test of me today was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Did someone say something to you?"

Yin Qiu said, "Who can tell me anything? You were the one who boasted before, and now I've tested you and found out you've already learned kung fu. So what's wrong with me asking you a few questions?" After she finished speaking, she added, "Why are you so nervous?"

Since they met, Yin Qiu had always been gentle and quiet, and Fu Xiang had never experienced her quick wit before, so he couldn't help but look at her with new respect.

Fu Xiang gave a low snort, slightly impatiently saying, "I learned this skill myself. I can say what I want to say and not say what I don't want to say. Is there a problem?"

Yin Qiu was not swayed by her and calmly said, "I don't care why you hide the fact that you know kung fu, and frankly, it's none of my business. I just want to know why you chose to come to Yunhua Palace."

Seeing that Yin Qiu was determined to get a definite answer, Fu Xiang thought for a moment and replied, "I've told you before, I don't care about being the young master of Mingyue Tower. My father doesn't like me, and the people in the tower don't approve of me either. What's the point of me wasting my time trying to please them? Rather than suffering in Mingyue Tower, I'd rather come to Yunhua Palace to seek a future. I'm much more comfortable in the palace than in the tower."

What she said makes sense.

Putting herself in Yin Qiu's shoes, she probably wouldn't want to stay at Mingyue Tower either. With no one to love her, and no one to care for her, she could learn martial arts anywhere. There's no such thing as having to stay at Mingyue Tower.

Yin Qiu paused, picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground, and asked again, "But you know very well that you will eventually have to go back. Besides, judging from your previous attitude, you will still take the new disciple assembly seriously. Doesn't that create a conflict? You came to Yunhua Palace because you didn't want to stay at Mingyue Tower, but now you want to work hard to become the sect leader's disciple in order to return to Mingyue Tower. What exactly are you planning to do?"

Fu Xiang was speechless for a moment.

In fact, she never intended to return to Mingyue Tower from the beginning. The reason she traveled all the way back to Jinhuai City to recognize her relatives was to use Fu Cen to send her to Yunhua Palace. This was Meng Wugui's plan.

After arriving at Yunhua Palace, her primary task was to find something for Meng Wugui. Therefore, she never seriously studied martial arts and always made it clear that she did not want to return to Mingyue Tower. However, plans can't keep up with changes. Now, Meng Wugui no longer needs her to find that item. Instead, he wants her to win the new disciple competition and become Xie Yijun's disciple so that she can return to Mingyue Tower and seize the position of tower master. None of this was her original intention. She was just following Meng Wugui's arrangements. But this made Yin Qiu suspicious, creating a contradiction.

Fu Xiang could not reveal the whole truth; she had to keep her mouth shut and not say a word.

·

After a long silence, Fu Xiang finally spoke: "I have resigned myself to my fate. Originally, I really didn't want to go back, but with my father's wedding this time, I thought it over and over and felt that I still couldn't let the position of Young Master be given to someone else for nothing. In the past, I thought the New Disciple Assembly was dispensable and I could just go through the motions, but now the situation is different, so my choice is different. I will do my best at the New Disciple Assembly in August. Xiao Qiu, I'm sorry."

Yin Qiu was taken aback: "Giving it your all is a good thing, so why are you apologizing to me?"

“I know you also want to win first place,” Fu Xiang said. “You want to be closer to Master Man. If you don’t win first place, you will be assigned to another peak, or even sent out of the palace to various cities. I didn’t want to win before, partly to avoid going back, and partly to fulfill your wish. But it’s different now. If I want to become the young master, the only way is to become the sect leader’s disciple. Otherwise, my father will not take me back. And you can’t beat me no matter what. So I can only apologize to you first.”

Yin Qiu laughed: "You're talking big again. How can you be so sure I can't beat you?"

Seeing her smile, Fu Xiang felt much more relaxed and shook her head with a light laugh, "You've already lost, haven't you?"

“Who said I lost?” Yin Qiu jumped into the pool and took a few steps closer to Fu Xiang. “Perhaps I am indeed inferior to you in other aspects, but at the new disciple assembly, we can only use the skills we learned in martial arts class to compete, and we cannot use other skills. You are not necessarily guaranteed to win.”

Fu Xiang nodded slightly and looked at her, saying, "The kung fu is the same, that's true, but don't forget, I started learning martial arts many years earlier than you, and my foundation is more solid. The more similar the kung fu is, the more you can see the difference."

“I won’t be discouraged,” Yin Qiu said. “If I can beat you when I’m at a disadvantage, that’s what makes me capable, right?”

A cool breeze swept by, ruffling the stray hairs on Yin Qiu's forehead and highlighting her smiling, confident eyes.

“You’ve changed,” Fu Xiang said. “You’re not the same as before.”

“People always have to grow,” Yin Qiu said with a smile. “My master always taught me to be confident no matter what. I have always remembered my master’s words, and so do you. But don’t be too confident. If you lose to me in the new disciple competition, don’t cry.”

“I won’t cry,” Fu Xiang laughed. “You’re the crybaby, always sobbing.”

Yin Qiu said, "Yes, I am a crybaby. What can I do? I feel like crying right now."

After she finished speaking, her eyes suddenly reddened for some reason. Fu Xiang stared at her with a smile on her face, but her eyes also reddened along with Yin Qiu's. Fu Xiang said, "You are a bad person. It's one thing for others to scheme against me, but even you try to play tricks on me. I've been exhausted these past few days, and now you're trying to trick me into revealing information. My heart is aching so much."

In that instant, a surge of guilt and self-reproach welled up and filled her chest. Tears welled in Yin Qiu's eyes, and she suddenly hugged Fu Xiang, saying in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry, Fu Xiang, I hurt you. Hit me, scold me, I've never seen you cry. Please don't cry, or my heart will break too."

Fu Xiang hugged Yin Qiu even tighter. In her short life, she had never hugged anyone so tightly. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She said in a hoarse voice, "I won't cry, and you're not allowed to cry either. No matter what the final outcome is, we will most likely have to part ways after August. We may not see each other for a long time. You must remember my smile, and I must remember yours." As she spoke, she raised her face and grinned at Yin Qiu. "Xiao Qiu, hold back your tears."

Yin Qiu suppressed the pounding in her heart, looked at Fu Xiang through teary eyes, and said, "Your smile is so ugly, you'd better stop smiling."

Fu Xiang said, "Your smile is even uglier than mine."

Yin Qiu said, "Then I'll laugh anyway, and I'll show you how ugly I am."

As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Xiang couldn't help but burst out laughing. Yin Qiu looked at her face and finally showed a genuine smile as well.

Yin Qiu said, "Fu Xiang, we'll be best friends for life."

Fu Xiang's eyes were moved, and she said, "You said it yourself, you can't go back on your word."

"Pinky promise!"

"Okay, pinky promise, never to go back on your word for a hundred years!"

Author's Note: I vaguely remember some lovely readers saying that Fu Xiang and Qiu Qiu are also good friends. Please read carefully! This is a pure friendship!