Chapter 30: Precariousness vs. Peaceful Times
The two fought fiercely, and were evenly matched.
They forgot about time, didn't feel hungry, and their hearts and eyes were filled with the desire to defeat their opponents.
The sky gradually became brighter, and then gradually began to become darker.
When they arrived, the sun was still rising on the top of the mountain. Halfway through the fight, noon came, but they didn't feel anything in their stomachs, so they skipped lunch and continued fighting with all their might.
The red glow of the sunset dyed the entire mountaintop, and sweat almost soaked their clothes.
Tang Beiju was beaten all over his body, and Shangguan Shujie was not much better off, with bruises all over her face, completely lacking the appearance of a lady from a noble family. It was obvious that Tang Beiju had no idea how to "cherish women".
Shangguan Shujie wanted to continue, but Tang Beiju suddenly took two steps back and made a gesture to stop.
This sudden action confused Shangguan Shujie. She asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
"No more fighting." Tang Beiju put away his sword and spoke in an extremely calm tone, which was very annoying.
"Stop fighting?!" Shangguan Shujie was so angry that she forgot her proper manners and started cursing on the spot:
"You were the one who called me over! I refused you time and time again, but you ignored me and insisted on me fighting you! Now I'm fighting you, and the fight is getting intense, and you actually say you don't want to fight anymore?! Are you crazy? Are you kidding me?!"
The more Shangguan Shujie thought about it, the angrier she became. She had finally become addicted to fighting, but Tang Beiju actually said he didn't want to fight anymore?
Despite Shangguan Shujie's overwhelming anger, Tang Beiju remained calm. He just raised his eyebrows slightly and pointed at the pink stick in Shangguan Shujie's hand.
"It's not that I don't want to continue fighting, but there's no point in continuing. Let's just call it a draw."
Following the direction Tang Beiju pointed, Shangguan Shujie lowered her head and quickly glanced at her weapon. Soon, she realized where the problem was.
Because she and Tang Beiju fought too fiercely, the stick was worn all over. If the fight continued, the weapon might not be able to withstand it and might break on the spot.
"My sword is in a similar situation. If this continues, your staff and my sword will probably break at the same time.
It's a draw, so there's no point in continuing. You don't want to lose that old friend who's been with you for so many years, do you?
This is not because their weapons are of poor quality. In fact, under such top-notch masters, the fact that the two weapons can last for a whole day against each other just proves that their quality is absolutely superior.
However, everyone's weapons are of the same high quality and are equally good, so when they fight each other, the pressure they endure is doubled.
It's not worth it to destroy such a good weapon just because of a fight that has nothing to do with life or death.
Although Tang Beiju is a martial arts fanatic, he also cherishes weapons. He is reluctant to throw away the sword that has been with him for many years.
Tang Beiju's words calmed Shangguan Shujie down a little.
She put away the pink stick and hung it around her waist, which was considered as her agreement with Tang Beiju's statement.
The sky was completely dark at this time, and the moon hung high in the sky, like a glowing boat floating in the dark lake.
Looking at the wonderful scenery before her, Shangguan Shujie couldn't help but wonder:
So is she a lake or a boat?
"It's been a long time since I've fought someone so openly and honestly, without any hesitation."
Shangguan Shujie's eyes rippled as she spoke softly.
Shangguan Shujie was born with a good appearance, and with the pleasant scenery at the moment and the sad tone, this should have been a sad picture of a beauty under the moon, which would have a captivating effect.
It’s a pity that Shangguan Shujie was beaten black and blue by Tang Beiju, who was a complete martial arts fanatic.
Therefore, even though there were only Shangguan Shujie and Tang Beiju at the moment, with no one around and the moonlight dim, the time, place, and people all created an ambiguous atmosphere that aroused people's imagination.
But there was no charming smell in the air at all.
After a thrilling duel, Tang Beiju was in a very good mood. After tidying himself up, he was just about to go down the mountain when he heard Shangguan Shujie's words. He became interested for once and asked:
"You are so powerful, why are you hiding it?"
Shangguan Shujie's face showed no expression when she heard the question. Her eyes were as calm as water. The moonlight from the sky shone into her eyes. She asked back:
"You've fought me twice. Compared to my previous moves, what do you think are the differences between my latest moves?"
"The former is open and aboveboard, while the latter is sinister and vicious."
Without even thinking, Tang Beiju gave a direct and accurate summary.
After Shangguan Shujie completely let go, Tang Beiju took on the challenge head-on. Every time he took on the challenge, he became puzzled.
He knew Shangguan Jieshu and knew very well that the Shangguan family was a prominent family. They had never had to worry about food and clothing since childhood and grew up in the light.
As for his younger sister, Shangguan Shujie, according to Shangguan Jieshu's brief description, except for the special exception of fighting, most of the time she was a dignified and virtuous lady from a noble family.
How could Shangguan Shujie, who was raised in such an environment, be so skilled in these cruel methods?
If he had not walked in the bloody wind and rain for many years, it would be impossible for every move to be filled with a sinister evil spirit.
Shangguan Shujie, I'm afraid, has killed quite a few people in private.
That stick that looks pink, tender, cute and harmless is probably stained with the blood of countless people.
Hearing Tang Beiju's comments, Shangguan Shujie put on an intriguing smile and said softly:
"Your judgment is correct, which is why I dare not reveal my strength in front of you.
You are all top masters. As long as we fight, if you are not careful, even if you only reveal a little bit, you will definitely be able to detect my past from my martial arts moves.
For us warriors, our mouths can deceive us, our eyes can deceive us, and even our intuition can deceive us.
But when fighting alone, every bit of skill revealed is absolutely unmistakable."
——
Cabbage Country, Shangguan Mansion.
The Shangguan family holds a prominent position in the country of Ganlan. They have produced many famous figures both in the imperial court and among the people.
Shangguan Shujie was born into such a powerful family.
Most of the children born in the Shangguan family are gifted, whether they are studying literature or martial arts, even the worst level can never be described as mediocre.
Even among this group of gifted people, Shangguan Shujie's brother, Shangguan Jieshu, can still stand out with his talent and is the next candidate for the future head of the Shangguan family.
Before Shangguan Shujie started practicing martial arts, her parents had always been training her to be a lady from a noble family.
They hope that Shangguan Shujie will become a graceful, dignified, and well-behaved mistress in the future.
Her brother is already a candidate for the future head of the Shangguan family, and the Shangguan family is such a large family that even the current emperor has to give some face to it.
With such an identity, no matter who Shangguan Shujie marries in the future, she can live comfortably, peacefully, happily and happily for the rest of her life.
When Shangguan Shujie was young, she was also instilled with these ideas:
In the future, she wants to be a virtuous housewife, responsible for managing all the chores in the backyard for her husband and treating him with respect.
The turning point of the matter originated from Shangguan Jieshu's mischievous mentality as a teenager.
When Shangguan Shujie had to learn boring knowledge, such as how to manage the family's daily expenses, Shangguan Jieshu broke into her life.
He secretly taught her the Monkey-Guan stick technique that he wanted to learn, and was even afraid that she wouldn't be able to learn it, so he simply forced the martial arts secret book on her.
Compared to learning management techniques, it is obviously more fun to secretly practice the dog-watching stick technique.
By the time Shangguan's parents found out, it was too late. Shangguan Shujie had been completely led astray.
What surprised them even more was that Shangguan Shujie could perform such a difficult martial art as the Monkey Guardian Stick Technique smoothly, as if this skill was born for her.
Genius! A genius even more talented than Shangguan Jieshu!
The moment he learned the truth, Shangguan's father fell into a long silence, and Shangguan's mother burst into tears on the spot.
…
"Cry? Why are you crying?"
Hearing Shangguan Shujie say this, Tang Beiju subconsciously interrupted.
He was very puzzled. Isn't talent a good thing? Why did Shangguan Shujie's mother become sad?
Shangguan Shujie smiled faintly, a smile that was extremely complex, containing so many meanings: helplessness, relief, sadness...
"The Shangguan family values talent, and I am extremely talented in martial arts. This also means that I have one more path to choose from.
It’s a pity that even though I am a genius among geniuses, I am a woman.
This extra road is not considered a bright road in the Shangguan family."
…
Talent can be hidden, but extraordinary talent that far exceeds that of ordinary people is not so easy to hide.
Soon, all the authoritative elders of the Shangguan family knew about it.
These people are experienced and have achieved their current success after many years of working outside.
Therefore, they were not in a hurry to decide Shangguan Shujie's future. They gave Shangguan Shujie time, and when she reached the age of 15, she could choose for herself which path to take.
"The Shangguan family's achievement today is definitely not as simple as outsiders think.
We must not only be strong in public, but also provide support in secret.
Since you have this talent, we will consider training you to be the person in charge who secretly supports the operation.
However, being a person in power is not an easy thing. You have to face countless bloody storms and worry about life and death all the time. This is a position of living on the edge of a knife.
Because of this, we will also allow you to learn how to become an excellent family mistress at the same time.
If you prefer to live a peaceful and happy life, we will respect your choice.
When you reach the age of marriage, it is time for you to make a decision: do you want to live a life of uncertainty or a peaceful life? It all depends on you."
Several family leaders gathered together and found a large room, where they discussed for a long time about Shangguan Shujie's future.
Shangguan Shujie and her parents were waiting for the results at the door.
After a long time, the current head of the Shangguan family opened the door.
He walked straight to the young Shangguan Shujie, looked at her gently, and spoke earnestly.
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