Chang'an is nowhere to be seen
Wan Qiqing dodged Gu Yilai's sword with a sideways movement, his eyes flashing with a strange light. He said, seemingly admiring yet also envious, "Is this the 'Carved Moon' that Young Master used to lie dead on the steps of the palace? However, Young Master came today to play the zither and did not know that I would be here, so he certainly did not carry a sword with him."
He deliberately interrupted, emphasizing, "This sword must have been hastily drawn up."
He pointed out that Gu Yi had no choice but to deal with the situation on the spot. Moreover, the fact that he had to abandon the Jade Balance, which he had kept for many years, and hastily take out the "Carved Moon," which had been sealed for ten years, shows that he had already miscalculated.
Gu Yi's expression remained cold and unchanged as he said, "The sword is in its sheath, waiting for the right time to be drawn. If the right person is not found, the weapon will not be used."
A clear, dragon-like roar suddenly rang out.
The sword light shone on the snow, its sharp edges like a mirror, and hundreds of pure energies surged forth, once again enveloping the small area around Wan Qiqing.
Wan Qiqing, his white robes fluttering, retreated incessantly.
The moonlight was bright and clear, and the palaces and pavilions near and far were all bathed in a layer of clear light.
Tonight, the rooftop of Jinshui Tower is destined to become the battlefield between Gu Yi, the Junior Tutor of the Southern Dynasty, and Wan Qiqing, the National Preceptor of the Northern Qiang and Master of Lanling Hall.
The world seemed to fall silent; this sword strike and retreat seemed to stretch for eternity.
Gu Yi knew that although Wan Qiqing had retreated swiftly, it was not because he had been at a disadvantage.
He was using this time of retreat to observe the trajectory of his sword intent, looking for any flaws.
This also shows that Wan Qiqing seemed quite confident in defeating him. Therefore, he was able to adopt this strategy of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out and remaining calm and unhurried.
Five more zhang (approximately 10 meters) and you'll reach the end of the double-eaved roof.
At that time, Wan Qiqing will have nowhere left to retreat and will surely launch a counterattack.
Since exchanging blows with Wan Qiqing in the Jixian Hall using music, Gu Yi's biggest impression of him was that although this man was a grandmaster, his greatest characteristic was his unpredictability and ever-changing methods. He was elusive and difficult to fathom.
On the battlefield, he would undoubtedly be a first-rate strategist.
Moreover, their temperament and bottom line are difficult to measure and cannot be inferred by common sense.
Wan Qiqing, a renowned master of the flute, was defeated at the Jixian Palace by the combined forces of him, A Qiu, and Zhongli Wuyan, yet he showed no sign of frustration or resentment. Instead, he turned around and waited for him there. This attitude of treating victory and defeat as nothing was enough to make him a formidable figure.
Three zhang (approximately 10 meters).
Wan Qiqing's eyes suddenly lit up, and he suddenly stretched out two fingers forward.
Gu Yi watched calmly as his two slender fingers precisely touched the tip of the "Carved Moon" sword.
The sword trembled slightly, and a fine, venomous force immediately penetrated Gu Yi's meridians.
Gu Yi flicked his wrist and brandished his sword, causing the "Carved Moon" sword to pause slightly.
In that split second, Wan Qiqing used the power of the sword strike to accelerate his retreat, and then instantly stopped at the edge of the eaves.
Behind where he stood lay the empty, desolate night.
Wanqi Qingyao rose to his feet, his white robes fluttering in the night. He pressed down with his palm from afar, saying leisurely, "Young Master, do you know that this palm of mine has an extremely sorrowful name?"
It felt as if the surrounding air had instantly contracted and solidified, creating a suffocating sensation of compression towards the center.
Gu Yi watched as his hand, as white as jade and brimming with true energy, rapidly grew larger in front of him, its power flowing like a net covering the heavens and the earth. Yet, he remained fearless, the tip of his sword trembling three times, as if a double-petaled flower were blooming.
He calmly said, "Master, please enlighten me."
Wan Qiqing gazed intently at his palm, then suddenly raised his voice and shouted, "Looking north to our homeland!"
The palm strike changed from a push to a pounce, slamming heavily onto the "Carved Moon" sword's edge.
The light of the "Luoyue" sword vanished in an instant, turning into an ordinary silver-bladed longsword with ancient patterns and a simple, rustic design.
Gu Yi instantly flipped his wrist, pulling "Louyue" back from Wan Qiqing's palm, and took a step back.
A fleeting blush appeared on his face.
Wan Qiqing struck successfully, but did not press the attack further. Instead, he waited quietly in the night.
"The hollow moon" roars again.
Gu Yi drew his sword and said, "Can a person like the Hall Master, who treats the common people like straw dogs and disregards moral principles, truly have any feelings for family and country?"
Gu Yi rarely took the initiative to ask him a question, and Wan Qiqing chuckled and said, "It's not that I don't have a family and country, it's just that the family and country in my eyes are very different from the family and country in the eyes of the world."
While gathering his qi, Gu Yi slowly said, "I would like to hear the details."
Wan Qiqing was not in a hurry and said casually, "The difference is that the country I regard as my home and country must first and foremost be loyal to me. What kind of home and country is it if there is no loyalty or affection to me?" As soon as he finished speaking, his right hand was already raised and ready to strike. His originally smooth and jade-like hand was now clearly defined with prominent joints and bulging veins.
This will be the last time we clash.
Wan Qiqing's remarks were initially shocking and unprecedented, defying the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues, and extremely absurd and arrogant.
But Gu Yi was not surprised. Because throughout history, almost all those who have ruled as emperors have had such thoughts to some extent, though they may not have spoken them aloud like Wan Qiqing.
This can also be considered the candid demeanor of this generation of masters.
Gu Yi said calmly, "The sword I am about to unleash also has a very moving name."
Wan Qiqing smiled and said, "Young Master, please enlighten me."
Suddenly, a loud dragon's roar resounded, and the Moon-Carving Sword once again shone with a sharp, cold light, followed by an explosive increase in white light.
Gu Yi shouted, "I see no Chang'an!"
I look up and see the sun, but I cannot see Chang'an.
When Emperor Ming of Jin was young, he sat on his father's lap. Someone came from Chang'an, and upon learning news of the lost capital of Luoyang, the father sighed and wept. Someone asked Emperor Ming, "Which is farther, the sun or Chang'an?"
To comfort his father, Emperor Ming replied, "The sun is far away. For now, people come from Chang'an, but we have never heard of anyone coming from the sun."
The next day, the court officials gathered in the palace, and someone asked the same question to Emperor Ming, who was still a child. Emperor Ming replied, "Chang'an is far away."
People were surprised that his answers were different on two separate occasions and asked him why.
He replied, "You can see the sun if you look up, but you can't see Chang'an."
The absence of Chang'an reflects the profound sorrow of the aristocratic families being uprooted after the southward migration of the elite, leaving them nearly a century away from the capital and their homeland.
Gu Yi named the sword move after Wan Qiqing, which was also to show his own stance and ambition and to retaliate after Wan Qiqing revealed his ambition.
The overwhelming sword energy of "Louyue" swept across the sky, displaying an unprecedented killing intent and domineering aura.
He knew that if Wan Qiqing was not eliminated, hundreds of thousands more lives would be lost if they met again on the battlefield.
Therefore, this sword strike was delivered with full force.
Wan Qiqing struck with both palms, catching the sword's edge, and flew back three feet again.
His eyes shone brightly, and he suddenly roared, thrusting his sword forward with incredible speed.
Gu Yi was pushed back a step.
Wanqiqing shouted, "The outcome is uncertain in a short time. Let's call it a day. What does the Junior Master think?"
Gu Yi could tell from the sound of wind rushing past behind him that someone was heading this way. But he was focused on Wan Qiqing in front of him and couldn't be distracted by turning around.
The battle was a draw, mainly because Gu Yi was not at his peak. However, with reinforcements arriving on his side, Wan Qiqing knew he had no chance of killing Gu Yi in the short term, so giving up was only natural.
He had roughly deduced Wan Qiqing's style of doing things: he would not act without a plan and would not pursue anything without profit.
Wan Qiqing's purpose in entering the palace this time was twofold: first, to spy on the strength and weaknesses of the Southern Dynasty, and second, to seize an opportunity to kill Gu Yi. Seeing that his plan had failed, he certainly wouldn't stay to die and wait to be besieged by the palace's experts.
Knowing that experts were all around, he still dared to challenge Gu Yi alone in the Dayan Imperial Palace, which showed his extreme arrogance and self-confidence.
Wan Qiqing might resort to any means necessary, but Gu Yi was not like that; he was unwilling to gather the strength of many to attack him alone. He sheathed his sword and said calmly, "Please, Hall Master."
Just as Wan Qiqing was about to leap up, the voice of the person behind Gu Yi rang out: "Master!"
The sound made Gu Yi's heart skip a beat, and his killing intent unconsciously relaxed by a third.
That was A-Qiu's voice.
Wan Qiqing paused, speechless, and said in a deep voice, "Who are you calling?"
Only Gu Yi understood the meaning behind his question.
Since A-Qiu entered the palace, it is unknown whether her relationship with him has reached Wan Qiqing's ears.
But he had relayed a message to Gongyi Xiu on her behalf. He had also heard of the reputation of the Marquis of Lanling.
What the Marquis of Lanling knew should also be known to the Master of Lanling Hall.
However, Wan Qiqing never used this point to deal with him, which made Gu Yi feel a genuine respect for him.
A Qiu rushed to stand beside Gu Yi and earnestly said to Wan Qiqing's back, "Of course I'll call you Master. Is there anyone else here?"
Only Gu Yi was aware that before A Qiu answered his question, Wan Qiqing's right hand, hidden in her sleeve, had already been raised, her five fingers trembling slightly, indicating that she was gathering strength.
If A-Qiu's answer does not please him, he will probably take action immediately and kill her.
Gu Yi had a feeling that Wan Qiqing's attitude was clearly meant for him.
He needs to understand what he can and cannot say in front of A-Qiu.
No one can say for sure whether Wan Qiqing truly cares about his apprentice, A Qiu, or not.
Wan Qiqing's tall and imposing figure seemed to relax slightly as he said in a deep voice, "Is the person next to you not just anyone, but one of your own?"
Upon hearing this, A-Qiu was speechless, unable to utter a word.
She had traveled with Gu Yi many times, and naturally, she did not treat him as an outsider.
When Gu Yi heard that A Qiu instinctively did not refute him, a different feeling suddenly arose in his heart.
Ah Qiu, quick-witted as ever, blurted out, "Master, have you already fought?" She looked at this person and then at that person, trying to find evidence of who was injured or defeated.
Of the two, one was as calm as still water, as if nothing had happened, while the other stood proudly with his back turned, his expression completely unreadable.
After thinking for a moment, A Qiu finally left Gu Yi's side, intending to go around to his master to see his expression.
Before she could move, Gu Yi grabbed her with his hand that wasn't holding a sword. Gu Yi shook his head slightly at her, indicating that she shouldn't leave his side.
Although Wan Qiqing stood with his back to the two of them, how could these movements escape the notice of this grandmaster?
He remained outwardly calm, but his anger turned into a cruel laugh: "My own disciple, and you, Young Master, are worried about her safety? You might as well give this disciple to you, Young Master!"
He then took a step and walked away.
Knowing that her master was truly angry, A Qiu ignored Gu Yi's hand that was holding her sleeve and chased after him, calling out, "Master, don't go! Are you hurt?"
Wan Qiqing was both furious and amused. He shouted, "Do you think I'm going to stay and wait for the imperial guards to surround me and invite me for tea? Even if Master is wounded to the point of death, do you think he'll admit it in front of him?"
This apprentice is usually quick-witted and intelligent, but now he's so clueless. It's probably mostly thanks to this guy surnamed Gu.
Wan Qiqing grew angrier the more he thought about it, and let out a muffled groan.
Gu Yi, however, said from behind A Qiu, "If you go with him now, you will not be able to return to the palace." His tone was unusually hesitant and anxious.
Wan Qiqing first played a demonic tune at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet under the guise of Shi Changqing, and then reverted to his original form to duel with Gu Yi here. It is likely that the previous "Four Heavenly Secrets Constellations", the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards, and even other hidden masters have been alarmed.
The reason they haven't acted yet is because they respect the rules of the martial arts world and don't want to interfere in Gu Yi's private feud.
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