Chapter 135 The Mask She is, she is not
"You want me... to help you?" Wu Shuang's straightforward words made Lou Cangyu feel elated. "I'll risk my life to help you."
Guan Ye approached Feng Shisan and the others and whispered, "This time we're testing the Xuan Tie Sword, which has nothing to do with Xingguo Workshop. Wushuang is full of confidence in her Xuan Tie Sword. If she wants to win, no one can stop her. Let's just test the waters and not get carried away with a fight to the death. Feng Shisan, are you listening?"
“I’m not deaf.” Feng Shisan rubbed his hands together, already eager to try. “Just testing the sword, not competing for first place, that’s the idea. But that Wan Qixi still needs to be taught a lesson. I’ll take care of Wan Qixi, Xiao Ma will kill Lou Cangyu, and as for Ji Fang, you just keep an eye on Wushuang.”
"Wanqixi is not to be underestimated." Guan Ye's eyes swept over Wanqixi's old horizontal sword. That sword was obviously no ordinary object, and the person who could wield it was definitely not an ordinary person. Wanqixi, who seemed crazy, might also have a story that no one knew.
Xiao Ma stroked the sword in his hand, not even raising his head, and said, "Cang Yu is ruthless. I don't want to end up like A Jiu. A Jiu is lucky, but I might die at his hands."
"Pah, pah, pah." Ji Fang spat. "What do you mean by death? It's just a sword test. Guan Ye said she'll be fine. Besides, I'm not fighting anymore."
Feng Shisan smiled and his eyes sparkled. "You're saying you won't fight now? Too late. Let's go. If I, Young Master Shisan, don't kill them until the world turns upside down, I'm not Feng."
The six stood in two rows, hands behind their backs, swords in hand, proudly standing on the snow. Scattered snowflakes drifted down, and Wushuang opened her palm to catch some, gently blowing them away with her red lips. Lou Cangyu glanced at them out of the corner of his eye and was momentarily stunned.
The wind ruffled his clothes. Ji Fang squinted at Wu Shuang opposite him. Her face, which was faintly visible... seemed familiar, but where... Ji Fang nudged Feng Shisan with his elbow, "Look at Wu Shuang... doesn't she look a bit like someone?"
Feng Shisan followed the gaze, only to see the mask fall down. "Look, what am I looking at?" he thought. Feng Shisan strode away, ignoring Ji Fang completely.
Mu You sat down on the dragon throne and nodded slightly to Cui Jin. Cui Jin nodded in understanding, raised his sleeve and swung it down heavily. Before anyone else could react, Wan Qixi had already flashed the sword in his wrist, which flashed like lightning and stabbed straight at Feng Shisan in the center.
Feng Shisan was afraid that he wouldn't come after him, so he raised his sword and the two swords clashed. Both of them used all their strength, which caused snow to fly all over the ground, dazzling everyone's eyes.
Staring at Wushuang, who stood motionless, Ji Fang hesitated for a moment. But before he could react, the Xuan Tie sword suddenly began to spin at Wushuang's fingertips. In the blink of an eye, the sword light was already upon him. Fortunately, he was agile and dodged with a somersault. He blocked Wushuang's sword with a backhand. Ji Fang's body trembled, and he barely managed to stand up with all his might. He turned around and was shocked to see Wushuang. Her face was lifted up, and half of her face was revealed, which made Ji Fang's hair stand on end.
"You...your face..." Ji Fang almost bit his tongue. "Where have I seen you before?"
Wushuang seemed not to hear his nonsense, her figure moving like a cloud across the snow, the swirling sword in her hand seeming to stir up the wind and clouds. Ji Fang was terrified and could only try his best to dodge, completely powerless against Wushuang's attacks.
"What's wrong with Ji Fang?" Guan Ye didn't understand swords, but she wasn't blind. Even a fool could see that Ji Fang was in a state of mental turmoil.
"That shouldn't be the case," Ajiu shook her head, puzzled. "Although Ji Fang isn't outstanding, he's still a solid and reliable martial artist. He shouldn't have been forced into this situation by Wushuang. Wushuang's swordsmanship is exquisite, but women are physically weaker. Ji Fang still has a chance to fight back..."
On the other side, Xiao Ma and Lou Cangyu stared at each other. As brothers, neither was willing to draw their swords first. Xiao Ma sighed and finally drew his sword. His nimble figure was like a streak of light in the snowy night. Seeing him draw his sword, Lou Cangyu grabbed his sword and attacked. Sparks flew as the two swords clashed. The two roared at the same time, pressing each other without giving an inch.
In the back mountains of Canglang Island, these two had sparred countless times. Lou Cangyu had been competitive since childhood, always striving to win, and he would always give it his all in every match. Xiao Ma, on the other hand, was indifferent to fame and fortune, and only knew how to use his sword to have a skill to rely on when he left the island. Naturally, he would not risk his life to fight Lou Cangyu. In their matches, Xiao Ma had been cut by Lou Cangyu many times. The injuries were not fatal, but they still made him furious. Today, when they fought again before the emperor, Xiao Ma was unwilling to hold back any longer. He drew his sword and faced Lou Cangyu. There were no brothers left.
Lou Cangyu twisted his body and took a step, his Xuan Tie sword flying out like a bolt of lightning, the sword flowers dancing up and down. Xiao Ma's long sword flashed by, the move suddenly changed, the sword going off-target and aimed straight for Lou Cangyu's vitals. Lou Cangyu leaped into the air to dodge the sword, and swung his Xuan Tie sword to chop at Xiao Ma's head. The move was as fast as the wind, the sword force fierce and without hesitation.
“These two…” Guan Ye sighed, “Xiao Ma said he had been injured quite a few times before, and I thought his swordsmanship was just average. But now, judging from his killing intent, he’s no less than Lou Cangyu.”
Ah Jiu stared intently, "Don't underestimate him. Xiao Ma just doesn't bother competing with us in swordsmanship. He hasn't accomplished anything yet, so he won't allow himself to make a mistake."
Mu Chenbi's expression was stern. With his keen insight, he had already discerned that Wan Qixi was slightly superior to Feng Shisan, but Feng Shisan, with his sheer force, was also a formidable opponent. The two were far from over. Meanwhile, on Lou Cangyu's side, Xiao Ma's swordsmanship was likely inferior, but this swordsman was exceptionally clever and patient. His moves were so quick and precise that they left the opponent breathless. Lou Cangyu was growing increasingly impatient; if the fight continued, a slight misstep would allow Xiao Ma to seize an opening and strike decisively.
Wushuang… Mu Chenbi's phoenix-feathered eyelashes furrowed. Wushuang's swordsmanship was not weak, and the woman's movements were agile, but her stamina was limited and she was not good at prolonged battles. Ji Fang only needed to withstand thirty moves from Wushuang to win without a fight, but… Mu Chenbi frowned. Ji Fang's face was filled with panic. It looked like he was dodging Wushuang's sword, but in reality… it seemed like he was dodging Wushuang herself… No, since she was a living person, what was there to be afraid of in broad daylight? Judging from Ji Fang's appearance, he wasn't dodging a person… but rather…
Not human? Then what could it be?
The arena was filled with the glint of swords and the sharp clash of weapons. The swordsmen were no longer restrained in their moves, and their attacks became faster and more ruthless. The blades whistled through the air, startling the snowflakes that fell to the ground and creating a dazzling screen of light.
Feng Shisan gritted his teeth and withstood Wan Qixi's fierce sword strike. He glanced at the disheveled Ji Fang out of the corner of his eye and hissed, "Ji Fang, hold on! After being beaten like this by a woman, how can you still have the face to go back and see A Yuan?"
Ji Fang darted forward and leaned against Feng Shisan's back, panting heavily. Feng Shisan deflected Wan Qixi's sword and tilted his head in surprise to look at Ji Fang's deathly pale face. "What's wrong? Did you see a ghost and get so scared?"
"This is...this is truly unbelievable." Ji Fang stumbled and spun around, dodging the blade of Wushuang's thrust. "She...she is...she is..."
"It's your grandmother!" Feng Shisan roared, shoving Ji Fang aside. "You fight the Western Region people, I'll defeat Wushuang for you first."
Seizing the opportunity, Feng Shisan suddenly attacked Wushuang, rushing straight towards her vulnerable spot. Before he even got close, a powerful sword aura burst forth, cracking the bluestone slabs beneath the snow where the aura struck. Wushuang showed no fear; her right wrist moved with lightning speed yet remained steady. She flipped in mid-air, like a fairy hovering in mid-air, before landing lightly on her feet. As she turned her head, the veil covering her face billowed high. Feng Shisan looked up and heard a clang as his precious sword slipped from his grasp and fell into the snow.
"Feng Shisan!" "Young Master Shisan..."
With a slight twist of her wrist, Wushuang sent the Xuan Tie sword flying, tracing a streak of light that circled around Feng Shisan before returning to her palm. Wushuang held the sword in her hand, her gaze following the movement of the blade before settling on Feng Shisan's dazed face. "You flatter me."
“You are…” Feng Shisan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his voice choked, “Who are you?”
Ji Fang turned around upon hearing the sound and was startled to see Feng Shisan's sword lying on the ground. In that moment of distraction, Wan Qixi seized the opportunity. Wan Qixi whistled mockingly, and with a whoosh, he snatched Ji Fang's sword away, not forgetting to perform a graceful sword flourish before standing proudly in the snow with his hands behind his back.
"You won already?" Wan Qixi flipped the sword in his hand. "This sword is really not bad."
The two swordsmen from Xingguo Ward suffered consecutive defeats, and the ward master Pei Yuan's face grew increasingly grim. Guan Ye noticed something was wrong and was about to step forward to see what was going on when A Jiu grabbed her wrist and shook her head.
“She…” Guan Ye’s face turned pale. “It was her… Wushuang who sent Lou Cangyu out of the inner quarters… it was her.”
Jiang Muyun is dead. The people of Canglang Island witnessed her heroic death. Jiang Muyun is dead, so who is Wushuang?
Luo Yichen was puzzled and couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, have the two swordsmen from Xingguo Ward seen a ghost? The way they lost... is too strange."
Mu Chenbi pressed the back of his hand to his lips. He understood swordsmanship and was skilled with them. Of course, he could see that Ji Fang and Feng Shisan were not inferior in skill. Their defeat was not due to their skill, but rather... because they lost to that person.
Xiao Ma deflected Lou Cangyu's aggressive sword strikes, then turned to look at the other two. Seeing that both of them had dropped their swords, Xiao Ma felt a chill run down his spine. He was all alone now, which was truly... a matter of life and death.
Seeing that Wanqixi and Wushuang had both won, Wushuang lovingly wiped the blade of his sword with his fingertips and gave Lou Cangyu a meaningful look, as if questioning why he hadn't won yet. Lou Cangyu's anxiety rose again. He tried to finish the battle quickly, but the Xuan Tie sword in his hand seemed to be out of his control. He couldn't handle it as smoothly as he had on Canglang Island. Why? Xiao Ma's skills are not as good as yours. On Canglang Island, he couldn't even withstand thirty of your moves... Why... Why can't you beat him?
Seeing all eyes on him, Lou Cangyu's fingers trembled as he gripped his sword, causing the blade to lose its composure. He closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure, but his eyes were filled with Wushuang's face, the overlapping images making his mind chaotic. Lou Cangyu roared angrily, then opened his eyes to see Wushuang's brows lowered, her eyes seemingly filled with disappointment in him. Lou Cangyu was suddenly filled with a sense of bewilderment, as if everything in the world had lost its color.
Xiao Ma unleashed his sword's edge and charged forward. In a single stride, Xiao Ma flashed to Lou Cangyu's side like a shooting star, his elbow deflecting Lou Cangyu's sword-wielding wrist. Before Lou Cangyu could retaliate, the cold blade was already positioned against Lou Cangyu's neck.
"I won," Xiao Ma whispered breathlessly in Lou Cangyu's ear. "Don't blame me."
Lou Cangyu's hand went limp and he dropped the sword. His eyes were as dark as night and full of dejection. When he looked up at Wushuang, his eyes were red.
Guan Ye swung her fist. Little Ma won beautifully. Xingguo Fang was not completely defeated after all. Wait... Guan Ye froze. Lou Cangyu was also a swordsman from Xingguo Fang... Winning this internal strife... didn't seem like a glorious thing.
Mu Chenbi caught a glimpse of this series of actions out of the corner of his eye. With a smile on his lips, he found Guan Ye's straightforwardness and cuteness even more endearing.
Xiao Ma sheathed his sword, strode towards his companion who was still dumbfounded, slapped Feng Shisan's sword, and said angrily, "What's wrong with you two? When have you ever lost, Young Master Shisan?"
"She..." Feng Shisan's lips trembled, his large eyes trying to look at Wushuang, but then he turned his eyes back in fright. "She is...she isn't..."
In his excitement after the victory, Xiao Ma sneered, "What do you mean 'she's not her'? Who are you talking about? Miss Wushuang?" As he spoke, Xiao Ma turned his head to look and saw Wushuang smiling at him. Xiao Ma narrowed his eyes and nodded to Wushuang.
Wushuang suppressed her smile, a dangerous glint appearing in her deep eyes. Her left hand reached for her mask, her fingertips deftly hooking it open like snowflakes, revealing a mysterious and startling face.
Xiao Ma's pupils widened suddenly, his sword pointed at Wushuang, and he turned away in surprise, exclaiming, "Jiang Muyun... Jiang Muyun!"
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