Chapter 36
Before closing her shop, Grandma Chen made a special detour to the street corner and bought some fresh pig liver.
She's getting old and can't cook fancy dishes anymore, but pig liver is an old recipe she used to use to replenish her blood and energy.
The phrase "Hundred Gates Sacrifice to the Blade" sounds impressive, but it's really just a group of people fighting, which must be very physically demanding.
A steaming plate of stir-fried pork liver was served, its aroma mingling with the scents of ginger and garlic. It was placed in front of Shen Yu: "Please eat more, shopkeeper. You must be exhausted these past few days."
"Thank you, Grandma." Shen Yu smiled at her, finally feeling a bit relieved.
After administering acupuncture to Qiu Chiyan, she was put to a deep sleep. However, Shen Yu had also been receiving treatment all day and was indeed very tired. But she didn't want to show it and cause others to worry.
Yao Liuliu finished cleaning up in the kitchen, picked up a rag, and sat down on a stool: "You haven't been to the inn for a few days, so you don't know how noisy it is during the day. A bunch of people were clamoring to see you. Luckily you weren't here."
"Looking for me...to fight?"
"Not only that! Some even want to become my apprentices! It's gotten to the point where I'm about to take action."
Shen Yu suddenly lost her appetite: "I'm sorry... I've caused everyone trouble..."
Gong Er and Yao Liuliu suddenly stared at her.
"So suddenly so obedient, does the Hundred Gates Sacrifice have this effect?" Gong Er slapped her arm casually. "It's no big deal. You'll have to clean up the mess yourself after the Hundred Gates Sacrifice is over. I'm not going to help you."
“I don’t care.” Yao Liuliu was equally decisive, rejecting any sentimentality.
"...You can't control it, and you can't really understand it even if you beat them..." Shen Yu muttered softly as she ate her rice in silence.
"Then what about me?"
A lazy voice came from outside the door, and then Yifeng strode in.
"...Could you please not be so blatant?" Yao Liuliu quickly closed the door, glancing left and right at the street.
Yifeng, munching on a pear, said, "I'm not ashamed of myself."
"But everyone wants to kill you!"
Shen Yu looked at him: "What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you worried about your match with Zhao Wenlan tomorrow? I'm here to deliver intelligence to you."
"Your message? Does it cost money?"
Yi Feng shook his head: "I wouldn't even look at the three measly things in your shop."
"You're really that kind?"
He stepped on the stool, but Yao Liuliu immediately kicked him down.
"I watched your match." He paused slightly, his expression a mix of strangeness and attempt at composure. "It was quite good."
“Is he better than you?” Yao Liuliu immediately exposed him.
"So what? I'm not jealous."
Yi Feng rolled his eyes, then returned to normal: "Anyway, the person you're facing tomorrow is a man of great spirit. It's impossible for him to back down like he did today."
"I didn't necessarily have to make them back down."
"In short, your bluffing tactics won't work tomorrow. You'd better just show your true abilities."
Yifeng is often unreliable, but when it comes to serious matters, he has a sharp eye.
But he didn't stay serious for long before saying, "If you're not dead, let's have another round. I'd like to see what you can do when you're taken advantage of."
Shen Yu swallowed a mouthful of food, looked up at him, and said, "That's still better than you."
"I hope you're not just being stubborn."
Yifeng coming to the inn was a common occurrence. People complained that he was annoying, but no one really wanted to kick him out.
So he could come and go as he pleased, getting a free meal and then leaving.
Gong Er and Yao Liuliu pulled Shen Yu aside and talked about tomorrow's battle. Xu Dahe and Granny Chen couldn't understand or join in the conversation, but they still sat at the table and listened to them, mainly to keep them company.
In matters of the martial world, the opinions of the people in the inn are actually of little use; they only serve to put their minds at ease.
After they finished venting their worries, Shen Yu went upstairs to stay with Qiu Chiyan and meditated for the whole night.
The first phase of the Hundred Gates Sacrifice is coming to an end.
No one expected that this year's celebratory part of the Hundred Gates Sacrifice would feature a young woman whom no one recognized.
This woman was extremely arrogant; she not only wanted to win, but also to destroy people's weapons and humiliate them.
Shen Yu had heard some comments about herself, but she only learned about the "deliberately insulting people" accusation today.
Huo Liao came to see her early in the morning, first praising her and then reminding her to be cautious in the face of the challenge.
He endured it for several days, knowing that if he went to see her openly, it would only cause her trouble. So he hid from people and came to see her like a thief.
He didn't think his old friend's daughter was any worse than others, but real combat is not child's play, and he was worried for several days.
While the whole world was worried, Shen Yu herself remained calm and relaxed on stage, stretching her legs and feet leisurely.
Going on stage allows you to avoid unnecessary gossip, and the higher you stand, the better your view.
She had long foreseen her opponent today.
Zhao Wenlan was tall and slender with a handsome face and a hint of heroism in her eyebrows. She followed behind her master, but she did not show any obedience, only the arrogance of a young girl.
He was both sharp and shrewd, yet without a trace of arrogance.
He's a good opponent.
Zhao Wenlan naturally saw her too, and greeted her with a silent smile.
After everyone else had finished speaking, three drumbeats sounded, and the duel began.
“I made a bet with my fellow disciples that you would be the one standing here in the end. I won three taels of silver from them,” Zhao Wenlan suddenly said, not in a hurry to make a move.
"What, you want me to share half with you?"
"I gambled today too. I bet I won, and then I put the three taels I won back into the gamble."
Shen Yu pondered: "Three taels... that's too much. I was in a hurry to leave today, and I only brought three coins with me."
She took out three copper coins from her waist, stood on the platform, and with a sharp flick of her fingertips, tossed them precisely to her fellow apprentices: "I'm betting on myself too."
"Then, let the betting begin."
As soon as Zhao Wenlan finished speaking, her figure seemed to transform into a streak of white light, and she was already in front of him. Her palm strike was extremely fast, and the wind from her palm brought up a wave of air, as if it had lifted up the entire air.
Neither of them carried weapons. They met each other with their palms, their internal forces clashing in mid-air, producing a deep, thunderous sound.
"Damn it, she's really messing with me." Chu Wen watched from below the stage, flicking his fan, both angry and helpless. "She really didn't use her full strength."
“…Brother Chu, watch your words.” Cheng Xiu gritted his teeth, but still maintained a cold expression.
Several victims of the Shenyu incident, who had become more detached from the competition, relaxed a bit and stood closer and closer together today. Eventually, they simply gathered together to watch the game.
"How can someone so young possess such profound internal strength?" someone wondered.
"Talent, I guess. Anyway, I practice hard every single day, but I still don't become like her."
"So..." Dou Qi fell into deep thought, "she concealed her strength for the final match?"
Chu Wen frantically waved his fan: "Otherwise, they wouldn't hesitate to fight us and use the moves they just learned to take us down."
"Then, her relationship with Miss Zhao...?"
"She's still new to the industry... let's wait and see."
The two women on stage exchanged palms without any clear winner, and neither appeared to be in any discomfort.
Shen Yu shook her hand and chuckled, "Good strength."
"You're not bad either." Zhao Wenlan didn't hold back her praise. She had been cultivating her inner strength like an ascetic since childhood, but she was also very lively.
Internal meditation is not very popular. Firstly, it is very difficult and slow to show results. Secondly, it does not have many dazzling and cool moves. In the martial arts world, swordsmanship is still more common.
Therefore, Zhao Wenlan was very happy to see Shen Yu, who was a few years younger than her.
And so the momentum on stage rose again.
Zhao Wenlan's palm technique was fierce, but the internal strength she cultivated was both firm and gentle, and it formed its own momentum as it swirled.
Shen Yu, however, was completely different. Her steps were light, and her palm strikes were like flowing water. When the two forces collided, Shen Yu used the momentum to deflect the force, while Zhao Wenlan pressed down hard.
The air jolted, and the two of them simultaneously took a half-step back.
Without saying another word, they simultaneously struck out with their palms.
This time, there was no more probing. Zhao Wenlan's palm strike came down from above, like thunder striking the head. Chen Yu met the palm strike with force, his internal energy flowing through his meridians, transforming into a soft, reversible force.
The two streams of true energy clashed once more, causing the platform beneath Shen Yu's feet to crack slightly.
Zhao Wenlan unleashed a barrage of palm strikes without pause, yet Shen Yu remained steadfast as a rock. Her strength was like dense silk threads, binding her opponent's fierce energy layer by layer, dissipating its sharpness and rendering it invisible.
Zhao Wenlan gritted his teeth, suddenly flipped his wrist to change his stance, his palm wind suddenly shifted, his true energy was contained and burst forth again, and his whole body shot out like an arrow.
Shen Yu's eyes narrowed, and he moved his feet slightly. His palm strike retreated half a step, then suddenly moved forward again, changing his stance within half an inch, using soft force to lure the enemy into revealing a weakness.
Before Zhao Wenlan could retract her force, it struck Chen Yu's palm squarely.
A muffled thud.
A shockwave erupted between the two, and Zhao Wenlan took three steps back.
Shen Yu's sleeves were also shaken, but he didn't budge an inch.
The two stood silently as the dust settled.
Zhao Wenlan raised her eyes, her chest heaving slightly, her mouth filled with the taste of blood, her eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of resentment and joy.
Her opponent seemed to have no fixed moves; from the first day of the competition, she used softness to overcome hardness, defeating everyone.
After a moment, she let out a soft sigh: "I admit defeat in this round."
Shen Yu cupped her hands in greeting, her expression calm. Although her breathing was steady, her internal energy was heavily depleted. However, she immediately looked towards Yuan Zhenliang on the stands.
The outcome is decided.
From the moment they entered the fray, neither held back. Their energies intertwined, and the winds of their palms swirled across the stage like a whirlwind. The spectators held their breath in unison, forgetting even to cheer.
Huo Liao was the first to stand up and said loudly, "This year is quite something. The momentum of these two juniors is even fiercer than when they were vying for the title of martial arts alliance leader. We old folks will probably have to step down in a couple of years."
The crowd readily agreed.
The audience below the stage erupted in waves of excitement.
"You won. Come down and have a drink with me. I'll give you the money you won." Zhao Wenlan's eyes were still bright, and she wasn't overly upset about being outmatched.
"That's enough for today, I have other things to do."
After Shen Yu finished speaking, he darted off the stage and landed in front of Yuan Zhenliang in front of the stands.
"Blood Heart Bodhi, you promised." She reached out her hand to ask for it.
Yuan Zhenliang stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "This young friend is quite impatient. We don't owe you anything. It's still early today, why don't we all go to Longmen Tower together? My treat..."
"I need it urgently. Go eat if you're hungry." Shen Yu remained blocking his way, determined not to give up until she got the things.
The boss, who was fawned over by everyone, was naturally disappointed to see such a disrespectful young man. However, the important figures around him also helped to mediate between Shen Yu and the boss, so he couldn't keep the items to himself and had no choice but to hand them over to Shen Yu.
Once Shen Yu had the item, she immediately lightly touched the roof beam with her toes and disappeared from everyone's sight.
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