Chapter 88 088 "Are you serious?"

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Inside the side room.

The two finally returned to their room after a noisy argument, only to be unexpectedly verbally attacked again by that scoundrel Taoist priest, Pei Xuan. Jiang Ling'er was about to retaliate:

"Who said you're my little sister..."

Turning around, she saw that this fellow had instantly changed his expression, his phoenix eyes staring at her with indifferent calm, and he asked again in a cold and indifferent tone:

"Master Lu's kung fu is no less than that kid's. Do you know where Master Lu lost?"

Jiang Ling'er was startled. Under the young Taoist's calm gaze, she straightened her back and became serious. Before she could answer, another palm strike came straight at her!

Jiang Ling'er's pupils contracted slightly; it was precisely this palm strike that knocked Master Lu off the stage!

She hesitated slightly, but reacted quickly, flipping over with her toes to avoid the imminent and unpredictable palm strike. Just when she thought she had successfully escaped, her knees buckled, and she was surprised to find herself kicked by Pei Xuan!

Unexpectedly, this guy showed no mercy. She winced in pain, her steps trembling, and she almost knelt down! Jiang Ling'er frowned deeply, and amidst the pain, she paused. The candlelight reflected on her trembling eyelashes, and it seemed... she understood something.

The young Taoist priest glanced at her:

"What are you standing there for? Fists and kicks don't have eyes, watch out."

Before he finished speaking, he imitated Zhao Xiao's technique and pinched a ridiculous eagle claw with two fingers... It was more like a chicken claw than an eagle claw, and he poked it straight at her eyes!

Jiang Ling'er neither retreated nor dodged, and didn't even blink, letting Pei Xuan's eyes pierce hers!

Just as Pei Xuan's two fingers were about to pierce her eyes, Jiang Ling'er suddenly moved, tilting her head to avoid it. At the same time, her hands unexpectedly blocked the young Taoist's right knee that was attacking!

Pei Xuan was slightly taken aback, and his movements froze in mid-air.

Jiang Ling'er placed both hands on his right knee, using the momentum to leap back three steps. Because their room, number one in the "earth" section, was so cramped, her back hit the bed frame, causing the bed curtains to sway violently. Jiang Ling'er suddenly looked up, momentarily forgetting the pain in her back, her almond-shaped eyes shining with astonishing brightness:

"...It's a leg technique! I know! It's a leg technique!"

Although Zhao Xiao's hand skills were his family's secret technique, the White Eagle Claw, which was evenly matched with Master Lu's Thousand Buddha Acupuncture Technique, with neither gaining the upper hand, there was still a gap of decades in internal strength cultivation. After a hundred moves, Zhao Xiao gradually showed signs of fatigue, while Master Lu had the upper hand and gradually gained the upper hand. However, Master Lu did not expect that in addition to his family's secret technique, the White Eagle Claw, Zhao Xiao's leg skills were also the Thirty-Six Styles of Leg Techniques taught by the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort). His ever-changing White Eagle Claw was actually a cover for his leg skills!

This is his real backup plan!

Rather than saying he lost because of his leg techniques, it would be more accurate to say that Master Lu ultimately lost because he underestimated his opponent.

Upon hearing this, Pei Xuan's lips curled slightly. He slowly straightened up, clapped his hands to brush away non-existent dust, and then asked:

"What about Wen Cheng'an and Gan Zishi?"

Jiang Ling'er paused, then tentatively asked, "Are there different internal energy cultivation methods?"

After all, they were too young. Of course, Zhao Xiao was also young, but he was ten years older than them, with a ten-year gap in skill. It was expected that they would lose to him.

Pei Xuan frowned upon hearing this: "Yes, and no, that's not right either."

Jiang Ling'er paused slightly, blinking her almond-shaped eyes for a while before saying, "...Is it because you lack combat experience?"

The young Taoist priest stared at her, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito: "Think about it again."

Since it has nothing to do with internal energy cultivation and nothing to do with practical combat experience, then it can only be—

Jiang Ling'er looked up at him with a sincere expression, and suddenly realized:

"Your Lingxiao Sect's Falling Petals Mysterious Sword Technique is no good."

Pei Xuan: "..."

"…………"

The young Taoist priest's handsome face visibly turned cold. His chest heaved noticeably as he turned and glanced around, casually breaking off a withered branch from the vase beside him, and then looked at her sideways.

"None of those are right. Now it's your turn to hit me."

Jiang Ling'er paused for a moment, then sat down on the bed, swung her legs, and laughed: "Are you angry? Don't be angry."

She was joking, of course. But seeing the young Taoist's handsome face turn cold, she swung her legs even more enthusiastically, "The White Eagle Claw created by Uncle Zhao Ji is very versatile and is also the top palm technique in the Southern School. It's not shameful to lose to the White Eagle Claw."

The young Taoist priest was not comforted in the slightest; in fact, his already pale and handsome face, which was recovering from a serious illness, seemed to be covered with a layer of frost, faintly revealing a bluish tinge.

“What’s so fun about practicing with a piece of wood every night? I’ll give you a handicap.” Pei Xuan said, putting his left hand behind his back and waving a ridiculous withered branch in the air with his right hand, pointing the tip of the branch directly at Jiang Ling’er, who was sitting slouching. “Now your opponent is me.”

Jiang Ling'er paused, her swaying legs halting, and frowned: "Are you serious?"

Pei Xuan raised an eyebrow: "You're scared."

Make x statements.

Jiang Ling'er frowned. What a clumsy attempt at provocation.

She knew it, but still... she jumped up and said, "What's there to be afraid of!"

A thunderous palm strike landed right then and there!

She wasn't truly provoked by Pei Xuan's words into a fit of rage and a fight. If it were the old her... perhaps she would, but not now. Even if someone insulted the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) to her face, she would remain indifferent and would never cause a scene at the inn like she did back then.

Jiang Ling'er has long since learned to be patient and restrained.

She took action at this moment to fulfill her own desires.

In fact, ever since witnessing Pei Xuan and Shui Qing's fight at the foot of Dagushan Mountain, in addition to the image of the old镖头 (bodyguard) wielding the Thunder Palm, I have dreamt of Pei Xuan and Uncle Shui fighting every night.

She remembered every move clearly, and it would play endlessly in her mind every night, amplifying it. She would even unconsciously imitate Pei Xuan's or Uncle Shui's moves in her dreams!

Sparring with a master is always exhilarating, and she was no exception.

Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping, so I went along with it. Since he wants to fight... then let's fight! It'll be a good way to vent the frustration I've had all day!

However, considering that this person had just recovered from a serious illness and had exhausted all his internal energy, Jiang Ling'er was unwilling to take advantage of his weakness, so she also removed the internal energy from her palm.

The internal force in his palm was deflected, but the attack did not diminish. Pei Xuan calmly dodged to the side like a wisp of smoke, and his palm missed its mark.

Pei Xuan raised his eyes, glanced at her, his gaze somewhat cold, and scoffed:

"Feeling listless?"

Jiang Ling'er paused, then choked.

"Afraid of being beaten to death or something? Look at me, I've lost all my internal energy, how pitiful I am!"

“I…” Jiang Ling’er paused, a deep frown forming between her brows, “I didn’t think that way.”

The young Taoist priest glanced at her, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Is that so..." Suddenly, he spread his hands and sighed softly, "Very well, I don't want to force you. Someone like you... I'm afraid you wouldn't last ten moves against Zhao Xiao. Fear before the battle, timid before it even begins... Oh, I forgot, you were Zhao Xiao's defeated opponent, so it's normal for you to be afraid of him. Ha, even if it wasn't Zhao Xiao standing in front of you, would your legs go weak just from hearing the name 'Zhao Xiao'?"

A vein suddenly bulged on Jiang Ling'er's forehead.

Before Jiang Ling'er could reply, Pei Xuan touched his high, straight nose and laughed, "So what if you're afraid? I won't laugh at you if you say it..."

Just as he finished speaking and was about to gather up the dead branch, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and dodged!

He suddenly lifted his eyelids, his clear phoenix eyes reflecting Jiang Ling'er's almond-shaped eyes that seemed to be burning with two bonfires as she approached.

"I'm afraid of him? That's bullshit!"

Jiang Ling'er gathered all her inner strength and unleashed a thunderous palm strike towards his heart!

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With a loud bang, the teacup on the table rolled to the ground before being caught by a large hand.

Inside the inn, room number one of the highest tier.

The refined middle-aged swordsman placed the teacup on the table, picked up the teapot, poured another cup of hot tea, and pushed it in front of the handsome young man in a fox fur coat, whose face was pale and sickly.

"Young Master."

Although he carried a long sword at his waist, the middle-aged swordsman resembled a refined and stern scholar, yet his sidelong glance at Ji Yunshu's subordinates revealed a touch of the swordsman's chilling and murderous aura.

"Go see what's going on downstairs."

"yes!"

The subordinate hurriedly took his leave.

“Mr. Gao, you don’t need to call me ‘Young Master’ in public. Just call me ‘Yun Shu’.”

The young man was Ji Yunshu, the young master of Sun and Moon Fortress, and the refined swordsman who poured tea for him was Gao Yang, the head of Sun and Moon Fortress.

Ji Yunshu picked up the teacup with his slender, long-jointed hand, about to take a sip, when suddenly there was a commotion downstairs. The scalding hot tea splashed onto the back of his hand, burning the young man's brows. His pale hand, which had been exposed to the sun for a long time, turned red in an instant.

Gao Yang saw this, frowned, turned around and strode out of the house:

"I'll go take a look."

He had barely taken a step when his subordinate rushed in to report:

"Reporting to the young master and Mr. Gao, apart from the top-class room we booked, the rest of the guests in this inn are a motley crew of all sorts of people, from all walks of life. They are all roughnecks who have come from all over the country to participate in the martial arts tournament and break the law with their martial arts. It is inevitable that there will be some noise."

Gao Yang's expression did not relax upon hearing this; he tapped his knuckles on the table.

Who lives down there?

"He's a senior from Yingzhou..."

"I asked about the next floor."

During this time, Ji Yunshu stared at the back of his hand, which was scalded by hot tea, without saying a word. He was always taciturn, as everyone knew, especially after the death of his wife, he became even more silent and unpredictable. Even Gao Yang could not guess what this young master was often thinking.

His subordinates were stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that martial artists have sharp ears and eyes, especially masters like Gao Yang with extremely high internal strength. Even if the inn is large, they can detect the source of the noise immediately and even accurately.

"Replying to Mr. Gao, you should be asking about the guests in room number one. According to the waiter, the guests are a young, energetic couple."

"Has anyone asked why there is such a commotion at this hour...?"

Gao Yang froze halfway through his sentence.

Young couple.

They were still a young couple, full of youthful vigor...

Suddenly, I was inexplicably reminded of a quiet night when the stars had faded, a small village with campfires twinkling like stars, behind a haystack...

Gao Yang's expression suddenly became somewhat strange, and upon closer inspection, it appeared slightly stiff.

"Let's go."

With a faint, emotionless expression, Ji Yunshu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and took the lead in walking out of the room.

After a slight pause, Gao Yang coldly ordered the people around him, "Go and book the nearest inn."

He then followed in Ji Yunshu's footsteps.

As I walked from the third floor to the first floor, from the top-tier room to the bottom-tier room, just as I was about to step out of the inn, I inexplicably glanced at the bottom-tier room, which was still brightly lit in the middle of the night.

Two figures flashed by.

One stands tall and straight like a pine tree, the other slender and resilient like a willow.

However, the glimpse was quickly obscured by Gao Yang's stern, scholarly face.

"So as not to offend the young master's eyes."

Ji Yunshu: "..."

The young man gave a slight, almost imperceptible smile, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His pale face made his peach blossom eyes appear even deeper, darker, and unfathomable.

He turned and left without looking back.

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Room No. 1 with the word "di".

The place was a complete mess.

Ever since that rainy night when Jiang Ling'er opened her eyes in the wasteland, the name "Zhao Xiao" has haunted her like a nightmare, night after night, day after day.

She couldn't bear to hear a single word or phrase; she was inferior to Zhao Xiao!

Jiang Ling'er's moves became increasingly fierce, like a whirlwind, yet she couldn't even touch Pei Xuan's clothes!

Not a single bit! Not even half!

Not only that, Pei Xuan held a withered tree branch in his hand and patiently dealt with her as if he were teasing a child. He walked as if he were strolling in a garden, and every step he took seemed unintentional but was precise in avoiding her thirty-six styles of leg attacks... However, since he had just recovered from a serious illness, his body and techniques remained unchanged, but his face grew paler and paler.

Jiang Ling'er was anxious, but she also knew that he couldn't hold on for long.

Sure enough, just as his steps faltered slightly... now!

Jiang Ling'er seized the opportunity, made a feint at his chest, then leaped behind him with a light touch of her toes, and struck his back with a "thunderous" palm strike imbued with half of her internal energy!

Pei Xuan seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; in an instant, he switched his right hand to his left, and just as Jiang Ling'er's palm was about to strike his back—

The tiny candle flame suddenly flickered violently, and a tiny spark burst forth right before Jiang Ling'er's eyes. Before she could even react, the tip of the withered tree branch was already close, hovering just an inch in front of her pupils!

Pupils contracted, trembling almond-shaped eyes reflecting the sharp tip of the withered branch, and—the young Taoist's cold, almost cruel phoenix eyes:

"This is the true Falling Petal Sword Technique."

With Jiang Ling'er's palm still a foot away from him, the withered branch Pei Xuan held was already close to her eyes. If he moved forward... no, down an inch, her life would be over.

She lost.

Everything happened in an instant. The palm strike rippled outwards, lifting the stray hairs at her temples. Jiang Ling'er's long eyelashes trembled, her movements froze in mid-air. Due to the sudden stop, the internal force in her palm backfired, and she stumbled and was about to fall to the ground when a strong arm caught her around the waist.

Feeling the soft, delicate touch on his fingertips, different from his own, Pei Xuan paused, then subtly released his grip. As if to conceal something, he pressed his fist to his lips and coughed twice:

"I created the Falling Petals Sword Technique, how could I not know it?" He then seemed to remember something and said with a hint of disdain, "They've all learned it but forgotten it?"

Who else could "they" refer to? Naturally, it referred to his Lingxiao disciples, Wen Cheng'an and Gan Zishi. Pei Xuan suddenly remembered the oddly shaped chicken claw he was holding and disgustedly shook his hand away.

"I'll say it again." The young Taoist raised his eyes and stared intently at Jiang Ling'er, his usually glib-tongued demeanor now filled with arrogance and indifference: "How could my Lingxiao Sword Technique be defeated by a mere showman who plays with monkeys and birds?"

With his arrogant and handsome face, the dim candlelight outlined a golden edge on the young man's tall and thin body.

Jiang Ling'er froze, staring blankly at him.

Pei Xuan looked at the pale, dazed face in front of him, as if struck by frost, and wondered if he had gone too far. Most martial artists are proud and arrogant, and not everyone can accept such a crushing and humiliating fight.

Besides, he was much older than her. Even if he had lost all his inner strength, he was still a dignified man. It was really bullying to bully a young girl.

Pei Xuan was feeling guilty when Jiang Ling'er suddenly stepped forward without warning, grabbed his sleeves with both hands, and shouted:

"Teach me!"

Pei Xuan: "..."

Pei Xuan paused upon hearing this, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Jiang Ling'er gripped his arm even tighter, as if afraid he would run away. Just as she was about to say something, her stomach rumbled loudly before she could.

Jiang Ling'er: "..."

Pei Xuan: "..."

Jiang Ling'er blushed with embarrassment, but... that's not important! There are more important things to do right now!

She gripped his arm tightly and pleaded, "Could you... could you..."

"cannot."

Pei Xuan refused quickly, and seeing Jiang Ling'er's face fall rapidly, he added with a smile:

"Let's eat first."

Jiang Ling'er was taken aback upon hearing this, then her eyes lit up, a striking brightness. Her dejection vanished instantly; even the stars in the sky couldn't compare to the radiance in her eyes. She nodded emphatically.

"good!"