The Mantis Stalks the Cicada - Part One (Newly Revised)
The summit of Black Mountain, in any slightly higher area, was packed with people.
The pine needles trembled in the wind at the mountaintop.
Outside the railing, in a spot too narrow for a person to stand, three cats were munching on their food. Shin Ye-eun had heard that cats can clean themselves.
These three cats are very neat. One is orange and white, another is a calico cat, and the two are standing together.
The other one, standing a little further away, had black and white fur and was smaller. As if sensing her gaze, it raised its head, and Xin Ruien then noticed its two-toned face. Its two intelligent eyes were contrasted between pure black and white.
"It looks like it's going to rain," someone said.
Xin Ruien turned around, but Su Yishan was already gone. The crowd had separated them.
Dark clouds were pressing down from the horizon.
To the north of the Sword Testing Platform, Zhao Zheng was also looking up at the sky.
Jia Dongye, Liu Mengde, and Wang Wenfang were dressed in lotus-leaf robes, their faces hidden in the shadows of their hoods. They sat on either side of Zhao Zheng.
To the right of Zhao Zheng and his group of four were the three major families of Wenqu City. They were not originally qualified to sit here, but Chen Changji had single-handedly brought the conference together, which is why the Chen family had this seating arrangement. However, Chen Changgui not only came himself, but he also brought his enemies and the Bai family with him.
To the left of Zhao Zheng and the other three was the judges' seat.
On the judging panel were eminent monks from Xinyuan Temple and elders from Canghai Sword Manor. There should have also been elders from Yijian Mountain, but now that Han Yizhi had been disqualified, various factions across the land harbored resentment towards Yijian Mountain. This conference, half-determined to deal with Han Yizhi and Pei Jiangxi, naturally excluded Yijian Mountain from its seats.
These people may not be the most skilled in martial arts, but they possess vast knowledge. Among the heroes present, those who could surpass them are as rare as morning stars.
Limited seating was also arranged on the east, west, and south sides of the Sword Testing Platform, where only some prominent sects in the martial arts world were seated.
Many others, like Shin Ye-eun, stood shoulder to shoulder. To be able to secure a high vantage point was considered extremely fortunate.
At the heart of it all. On the testing ground, the two protagonists are fully prepared, waiting only for the judges to sound the starting drum.
He Zi'an held a long sword in his hand and carried an old sword case on his back. It was sent to him by Su Yishan from the He family, who had traveled a long way.
On the other side, Du Taibai also carried two weapons: a long, emerald-green staff and a simple longsword. The staff was a heirloom of the Beggars' Sect, planted in the rock and standing upright like a pine tree.
However, everyone knows that by Du Bai's generation, the long staff was more of a symbol than a weapon. The techniques of using the staff had probably been lost.
Therefore, Du Taibai's only weapon was that simple, even somewhat vulnerable, longsword.
What interested everyone more was He Zi'an's sword case. This was the first time He Zi'an had brought that sword case onto the stage, and there was no doubt that he regarded it as his trump card.
He Zi'an stared intently at the longsword in Du Taibai's hand. He would not underestimate his opponent, no matter how weak he appeared on the surface.
There are no weaklings among those who have made it this far.
A light rain pattered on Xin Ruien's cheek, leaving a cool sensation. She raised her hand, but there were no traces of raindrops on the back of her hand.
Thump—
The drums thundered, and birds soared into the sky.
On the sword-testing platform, the long sword was drawn, and the world seemed to brighten slightly.
*
The Beggars' Gang's stronghold on the mountainside.
In the northwest corner, near the cliff face, there was an inconspicuous camp. Although it looked ordinary, it was a place that even members of the Beggars' Sect were forbidden to approach.
The Beggars' Sect disciples had already come out in full force, but low, dreamlike murmurs could be heard from inside the tents.
"One, two..."
The man's face was sinister; he was undoubtedly Xue Gonglingguang.
"Three."
Ling Guang frowned. On his forehead, two thin marks shimmered red in the darkness, as if breathing freely.
Outside the Beggars' Sect's position, a pair of hands gently pushed open the gate made of withered wood. The newcomer walked straight towards Ling Guang's tent.
“Four.” Ling Guang’s expression turned to joy, mixed with a hint of ferocity.
Footsteps approached, and a hand lifted the tent curtain.
Ling Guang opened his eyes and looked in the direction from which the light had entered.
"You've arrived."
The sunlight streamed into the tent, and the mark on his forehead dimmed slightly.
*
In the center of the "Subduing Demons at Mashou Mountain" mural, a stone suddenly fell off, right between Xuanyuan and the sixteen swordsmen. The composition and perspective of the mural suddenly changed, as if another person were standing there.
A light drizzle was falling from the sky.
The sudden noise drew the two girls who were taking shelter from the rain in the Twelfth Sword Intent Hall out.
"I told you the weather was bad today. Your injury hasn't healed yet, be careful not to catch a cold." Qu You draped a coat over the girl from behind, her gaze also drawn to the mural.
The girl looked up at the Sword God Temple, or perhaps at the sky: "Can one truly find protection here?"
Qu You took the paper fan from the door and stood side by side with the girl.
Tiny water droplets, like pearls, adorn the long, upturned eyelashes.
The girl's eyelashes trembled rhythmically in the drizzle.
Qu You's heartbeat seemed to be disrupted by this rhythm as well.
Has it been half a month, or a month, since I met her in the woods?
“Yes, you can,” Qu You said sincerely.
Kim Yoo-jung looked into Qu You's eyes, raindrops trembling on her eyelashes. She pointed to the Xuanyuan in the mural: "Can he do it too?"
Qu You looked at the spot in the center of the mural that had peeled off, and then at Kim Yoo-jung.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the face of the colossal statue in the Temple of the Sword God.
Kim Yoo-jung blinked once, and a tear fell from her eyelashes. Qu You saw it clearly and subconsciously reached out to catch it.
Water droplets fell through Qu You's fingers and disappeared into the drizzle, leaving no trace.
The flash of lightning faded, and the thunder arrived as expected. Kim Yoo-jung's body twitched, and she stumbled backward.
Qu You crossed his arm and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Even if you stand on their other side, can you still receive protection?"
The two of them stared ahead. After the lightning, the mural in the rain seemed to grow even dimmer.
"Senior sister," Kim Yoo-jung called out towards the rain.
A cold wind, carrying thin strips of black cloth, flew out of the Sword God Temple and landed in front of the two.
Larger raindrops fell from the sky, piercing through the gloom between heaven and earth and landing on the ground.
*
Rain pelted the sword-testing platform, causing pits to appear in the dark mud, which then healed themselves.
On the sword-testing platform, the mud churned together, forming "mountains" as tall as a person. These "mountains" transformed into blurry human figures, who roared and charged towards He Zi'an in the center from three different directions.
With each roar, red sparks emanated from its pitch-black body, like embers about to reignite.
Every time He Zian chopped one up, a new clay figure would emerge.
Like waves constantly crashing onto the shore.
He Zian shattered the mud figure in front of him with a single sword strike, and two more mud figures approached him from behind at the same time.
"Watch out!" came a cry from the crowd.
He Zi'an didn't even turn his head, leaping into the air to dodge the horizontal slash. The next moment, the two mud figures also shattered into pieces on the ground.
No one saw how he drew his sword.
Further away, the three clay figures re-formed and continued to rush towards He Zi'an.
The testing ground was now a menacing black sea.
The surging waves and the jagged, mud-covered figures surrounded the surfers. It was as if the world and landscape had shifted. Only the unyielding beggar's staff marked the boundary of the contest.
"Young Master He is in danger."
"This is a war of attrition, and He Zi'an's wounds are still increasing. For Du Taibai, however, it is just a depletion of his true energy."
On the surface, that certainly seemed to be the case. Shin Ye-eun looked uneasy, but instead of looking at the center of the competition, she tilted her head back.
They had already anticipated that the competition would become a protracted battle.
The trails left by the rain became clearer in Xin Ruien's eyes. She opened her hand, and the cold water droplets hit her hand, feeling heavier and heavier.
Those tracks are becoming longer and denser.
What really worried Shin Ye-eun was this sudden rain.
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