Chapter 51: Guarding for a Moment, Cold River Weeps Blood
The sword light, like a sudden snowstorm, instantly enveloped the entire bamboo forest.
Su Qinghan moved.
The moment she roared those words, she and her sword merged into one, transforming into a poignant streak of white light, rushing towards the night with determination.
No temptation, no reservation.
The "Hanjiangxue" sword technique, a sword technique passed down from generation to generation in the Su family and known for its coldness and agility, was used by her at this moment with unprecedented violence and murderous aura.
The first strike, "A Lone Shadow on a Cold River." The tip of the sword pointed, piercing Chen Ye's brow. She had once practiced this strike for him under a moonlit night, and he had said, "The sword's power is pure and utter, like a solitary immortal." And now, this "immortal" wanted nothing more than to drink blood!
The second strike, "Heavy Snowfall," suddenly shifted its momentum, transforming into a cascade of dancing snowflakes. Though seemingly graceful, each flake was a ray of unparalleled sword energy, blocking all escape routes for Chen Ye. He had previously instructed her on how to distribute her internal energy more evenly across the blade, forcing it to radiate greater power. But now, this blazing sword light was a death-seeker!
The third strike, "Three Feet of Ice." The sword move became stern and domineering, the blade carrying a piercing chill as it sliced across Chen Ye's throat. This strike was the one she was least skilled at. He had once held her hand, teaching her the power step by step. But now, this hand, once warmed by his palm, wanted only to chop off his head!
Su Qinghan used all her strength in every sword strike, infusing it with all her life's skills.
Each of her sword strikes carried all her grief, anger and despair, and each move was aimed at Chen Ye's eyebrows, throat, heart... Every place was a vital point!
Her mind was devoid of thought, only a bloody chaos. Those once sweet memories had now transformed into poisoned needles, repeatedly piercing her heart. Each sting made her swing her sword faster and more fierce.
The medicine he prepared for her was bitter!
The quilt he covered her with was cold!
The promise he made to her was false!
She wanted to kill him! With the sword in her hand, she would chop this man, this demon named "Zhuying", and her own tragic and ridiculous past into pieces! She would make him pay the most painful price for his deception and for the wronged soul of his father!
However, facing this deadly blizzard-like attack, Chen Ye's reaction made Su Qinghan's anger burn even more vigorously.
He showed no sign of surprise or fear, nor did he even assume a defensive posture.
He just stood there quietly until the moment when the sharp sword was about to touch his eyebrows, then he moved.
His movements were extremely simple.
There is no earth-shaking momentum and no complicated and exquisite moves.
He just turned his head to the left, and Su Qinghan's sword, which had condensed 100% of his strength, hit his hair and missed.
Then, facing the sky full of sword light, his figure suddenly became blurred, as if it had turned into a wisp of green smoke under the moonlight. He walked through the seemingly seamless sword net as if strolling in the garden, and not a single sword energy could touch the corner of his clothes.
"A fleeting glimpse."
He used this set of Tianji Pavilion's top-level light skills to the extreme.
Every step he took was in the blind spot of Su Qinghan's sword moves; every time he dodged, it was so precise as if he had predicted the trajectory of her moves in advance.
Finally, when the sword with a biting chill came slashing across, he finally drew his sword.
“Zheng——”
A sound of metallic collision, so crisp and almost pleasant to the ear, was heard.
The short sword in Chen Ye's hand, "Moment", arrived first and lightly touched the sword spine of "Han Jiang Xue" at an incredible angle.
A subtle force came, and Su Qinghan only felt a numbness in his wrist. The sword that was determined to win the battle was uncontrollably deviated three inches upwards, brushing past his neck, and only cutting off a few flying hairs.
A series of attacks all failed.
The resentment and hatred in Su Qinghan's heart almost burst her chest.
She knew he was strong, but she didn't expect that he could be so at ease even when she was trying her best!
This isn't a showdown at all.
This is more like a...play.
A master of martial arts with unparalleled skills is instructing a novice disciple.
Chen Ye's swordsmanship is extremely fast.
Every time his dagger "Moment" was unsheathed, it was like a meteor streaking across the night sky, precise, swift and deadly.
But this sword technique he created for killing people did not show any intention of counterattack at this moment.
Su Qinghan's sword moves are deadly.
His sword, however, was only used to block and deflect her deadly attacks.
She stabbed his heart with a sword, and he gently touched it with the sword body to guide it into the air; she slashed at his wrist with the sword, and he gently tapped it with the hilt to dissipate the force; she slashed at his lower body with the sword, and he touched the ground with his toes, floated back, and just avoided the sharp edge.
Every time he blocked, he used the most delicate force, just enough to neutralize her attack without injuring her wrist.
Each of his dodgments seemed to have been calculated thousands of times, just enough to allow her sword to pass through without causing her to lose her balance due to excessive force.
In this way, he seemed to be making a silent and humble confession.
He was using his sword to express his guilt and helplessness.
Qinghan, I'm sorry.
I know that when you practiced "Lone Shadow on the Cold River," you were thinking of chivalry. It was me who stained this sword technique with blood.
Qinghan, I'm sorry.
I know that when you practiced "Heavy Snowfall," you harbored a girlish sentimentality. It was me who reduced this sky of sword light to nothing but hatred.
Qinghan, I'm sorry.
I know you can't learn to be "freezing three feet" because you are kind-hearted. It was I who forced you to become a vengeful Shura.
Every time his short sword collided with her long sword, it was like a heavy sigh.
As the swords clashed, sparks flew everywhere.
The flying sparks reflected his handsome yet tired face. There was no longer the previous indifference in his eyes, only an inextricable sadness.
He looked at the woman in front of him who was driven by hatred and looked like a madman, and his heart was broken.
He knew that how much she hated him at that moment proved how much she had loved him in the past.
And all of this was caused by him.
So, he couldn't fight back.
He wanted to bear it all. He wanted her to pour out all her anger, all her pain, all her grievances on him.
He even wished that her sword could be faster and more accurate.
Perhaps, only when her sword pierces her heart can she be truly freed from this endless nightmare.
He owed her this.
This is his atonement.
However, in Su Qinghan's view, Chen Ye's resolute concession was the cruelest mockery and the greatest humiliation!
Her attacks grew increasingly frantic, her sword moves becoming increasingly unsystematic, driven entirely by a ruthless determination to destroy everything in her path. In the bamboo forest, sword energy crisscrossed, severing countless emerald bamboos in half, sending leaves scattering like rain.
But no matter how hard she tried, Shen Ye was like an insurmountable mountain, or an all-embracing ocean. All her attacks were like a drop in the ocean, vanishing without a trace.
After dozens of moves, Su Qinghan's internal energy had been mostly consumed, his breathing began to become rapid, and fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead.
And Chen Ye still looked calm and composed, not even the corner of his clothes was torn.
“Why don’t you fight back!”
After Su Qinghan's attack failed, she suddenly took several steps back, using her sword to support herself on the ground. Her chest heaved violently. She screamed at Chen Ye, "Are you showing off your martial arts skills, or are you pitying me?! Why didn't you fight back?!!!"
Chen Ye did not answer, but just looked at her quietly, the sadness in his eyes was so thick that it was about to overflow.
His damn silence and sadness were like a pot of boiling oil, poured onto the raging fire in Su Qinghan's heart!
humiliation!
This is totally humiliating!
A terrible thought crept into her mind like a poisonous snake.
She remembered the description of "Zhuying" in the Six Gates files: his martial arts skills were unfathomable, his moves were ruthless, his blows were fatal, clean and neat, and he never left any unnecessary wounds on his targets.
A clean and decisive blow... a fatal blow...
Su Qinghan's body trembled violently. She stared at Chen Ye intently, with endless fear and deeper hatred in her eyes.
She imagined that night in the fifth year.
Is it possible that her father is also like her now, trying his best but unable to even touch the other person's clothes?
Is it possible that this devil is also like this now, defending without attacking, admiring his father's futile and desperate struggle?
Was he playing tricks on her by not fighting back, just like he had played tricks on her father back then?!
“Asshole…Asshole!!!”
This thought completely destroyed Su Qinghan's last bit of sanity.
She felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat, with all her dignity and pride being crushed under the cat's feet.
"I understand..." Su Qinghan laughed miserably, his laughter even more unpleasant than crying. "I understand... You didn't even consider me an opponent! In your eyes, I'm just a three-year-old kid, waving a wooden sword around in front of you, right?!"
"Killing me is as easy for you as crushing an ant!"
"You're just enjoying it! Five years ago, you enjoyed watching my father die in your hands. Now, you enjoy watching me, the daughter of your enemy, desperately struggling in front of you, yet being powerless to do anything!"
"Isn't it fun?! Doesn't it make you feel accomplished?!"
Every word she said was tearful and heart-wrenching.
Chen Ye's body stiffened slightly when he heard the words "enjoyed my father's death in your hands." He had never expected that his atonement would become so unbearable in her eyes.
But he couldn't argue.
Because the more he defended himself, the more hypocritical his lies seemed to her.
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