They asked around and eventually found a small stall selling candied hawthorns. An old man was lying naked on a recliner, his face covered by a straw hat, swaying back and forth.
Kotinghe was a little disgusted.
He doesn't look like a master.
"Boss, two candied hawthorns, please."
"Take it yourself, one tael of silver per stick, just throw the money on the table."
The old man didn't move at all.
"One tael of silver for a single stick! Why don't you just rob someone?!" Ke Tinghe couldn't help but widen his eyes.
The old man impatiently pulled off his straw hat: "Buy it or don't, it's up to you—hey?"
The old man was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly sat up and looked Ke Tinghe up and down: "You've got a good physique, kid. You're a good candidate for sword training."
Turning to Chu Hongluan, his eyes lit up even more: "Wonderful! Wonderful! It's such a pity that you, a young lady, don't know how to use a knife!"
He looked at Liu Jinghong again, paused, clicked his tongue, and then looked away without hesitation.
Liu Jinghong's forehead bulged straight up.
...This old man.
The old man stroked his beard, stood up, and circled Chu Hongluan and Ke Tinghe twice, nodding repeatedly as he did so: "Not bad...not bad at all..."
"Um... Senior, we have something important to discuss with you."
Kotinghe awkwardly explained his purpose.
"No rush, no rush. Have you two fought before? How about we have a match now? Don't use your internal energy."
Kotinghe's eyes widened suddenly: "Do you want my life?"
At that moment, he was roaring with ecstatic joy in his heart: Yes, yes, yes! That's it! She really is my dear grandmaster! How did you know I really wanted to have a proper fight with her!
Since their last battle, Kotinghe had been unable to eat or sleep, mentally replaying the fight a thousand times over, searching for her weaknesses and reflecting on his own shortcomings. His final conclusion was:
The reason he lost to Chu Hongluan, a woman whose physical strength was far inferior to his own, was ultimately because he didn't dare to go all out from the beginning, for fear of hurting her.
To put it bluntly, he looks down on people.
But when masters clash, losing even one point means losing the whole game. He was already at a disadvantage before the battle even started, and then he was distracted by creating special effects to fool the enemy. So his loss was not unjust.
The old man slapped him on the back of the head, making him stagger: "You coward! Are you going to fight or not? If not, then go back! I don't want to hear a single word from you!"
"You're being unreasonable!"
Let's hold back a little longer, lest he win in the end and accuse us of bullying him.
"Hey, I'm not going to be reasonable. I'm just taking advantage of my age. What? You don't like me? Then hit me! Hit me and I'll lie down!"
"......"
It's a bit embarrassing.
Don't tell anyone outside that you are my grandmaster.
"Then let's fight."
In the end, it was Chu Hongluan who spoke.
Without saying a word, Liu Jinghong beckoned, and a bodyguard appeared carrying an enormous sword box.
"The young lady's knife has been returned to its rightful owner."
Liu Jinghong personally took the knife box and opened it.
Chu Hongluan nodded, took out her knife, and that familiar sense of warmth welled up inside her again.
"Huh? Judging from your aura, you don't seem to be a martial artist, but you actually know how to use a knife? And this knife of yours... hiss—where did you get this knife?"
"A gift from my beloved."
Just as Liu Jinghong handed the sword case to the guards to take away, he turned around and overheard this sentence.
Kotingh nudged him with his elbow and gave him a series of winks and jerks.
Liu Jinghong glanced at him sideways, said nothing, her face remained calm, but a large patch of red had already quietly appeared behind her ears.
"Your sweetheart has excellent taste. This knife was chosen perfectly, and it resonates with your energy. No one else could wield it as well as you."
"Yes, he has always had excellent taste."
For example, loving the right person.
Chu Hongluan untied the strip of cloth wrapped around the knife, and Liu Jinghong took it from her and stepped aside, clearing the battlefield.
Seeing this, the old man quickly pushed his candied hawthorn stall aside as well.
Ke Tinghe sighed, feigning helplessness: "Miss Chu, I apologize."
What are you pretending for?
Everyone knows how belligerent you are.
Chu Hongluan's lips twitched, but she still uttered four words in compliance: "That's how it should be."
As soon as the blade left its sheath, Kotinghe's aura changed drastically. He closed the distance first, and the long sword cut through the wind, leaving a dazzling blade light in the air.
Chu Hongluan showed no extra expression on her face, and directly met the attack with her sword, her speed as fast as lightning!
The moment the blades collided head-on, a shockwave rippled outwards, sending sand and stones flying. Kotinghe clearly realized that he had underestimated his opponent.
Because the knife in her hand was different from the one she had last time.
The two clashed briefly, then separated, only to be entangled again in an instant! The clang of blades rang out, sparks flew! Every strike was delivered with ruthless precision!
Ke Tinghe spun around, his blade intent sweeping towards Chu Hongluan like a raging storm! Chu Hongluan remained unfazed, leaning back and bending at the waist to perfectly dodge the attack. Then, she twisted her body and, in the instant she rose, unleashed another horizontal slash! The chilling blade light tore through the air, aiming straight for Ke Tinghe's face!
There's no escaping it!
In desperation, Kotinghe had no choice but to raise his knife to take the hit, and was forced back several feet by the strong wind!
"You lost."
Kotinghe blinked, still reeling from the power of that final strike.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
The old man clapped his hands as he approached, a smile spreading across his face, seeping into every wrinkle: "Not bad, not bad, not bad."
He said "not bad" three times, and patted Ke Tinghe on the shoulder: "Young man, don't be discouraged. If you practice for another hundred or two hundred years with the same internal strength, you will definitely be able to compete with her again."
"......"
You are truly my great-great-grandmaster.
"Since you've put up with this old man's fuss, tell me, what do you want from me?"
Chu Hongluan sheathed the knife, and Liu Jinghong naturally took it, wrapped it with white cloth strips, and then held it in his arms.
Such a heavy knife, how could Miss Chu carry it herself?
The old man pushed his stall and led them all back to his home, a very simple little courtyard.
A knife rack stood against the wall, displaying a row of knives of all sizes and lengths. The surrounding walls and tree trunks bore the marks of countless blades.
The four of them sat down in the courtyard, and it was finally time to get down to business. The old man, who had been all smiles, grew increasingly cold and distant as he listened.
After Chu Hongluan finished speaking, he remained silent for a long time.
In the end, he chose to refuse: "I'm too old for this old man. I just want to practice my sword skills behind closed doors. I can't get involved in such important matters."
Chu Hongluan nodded, without insisting, and got up to leave.
"etc."
The old man called out to her.
“Young lady, although I cannot accompany you, I find your physique extraordinary and you are quite pleasing to the eye. I can give you a method to quickly improve your internal strength.”
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