Chapter 79: Tide Sword
After saying this, Chu Yutang waved his fan, looking dashing and elegant, and walked forward with a light and graceful step. He stopped in front of Wen Yao and Zhao Xuanxu's table, bowed and said in a clear voice, "I greet His Highness Prince Yan."
The sound wasn't soft, but it was just loud enough to reach the incredibly sharp ears of the surrounding Jianghu people. The words "Your Highness Prince Yan" truly resonated like thunder in their ears. The surrounding clamor gradually faded, and the few people who had spoken to Wen Yao earlier turned their heads, somewhat startled, glancing from Wen Yao to Zhao Xuanxu.
Chu Yutang was unaware and pointed upwards. There, a lantern was supported on a wooden stand. Gold powder painted fine lines on its eight sides, each depicting a rare and precious herb, crowned by a pearl, shimmering brightly.
"The lights are on and the banquet is about to begin. Everyone is here, just waiting for you two and Brother Bu."
God knows how many people came to this banquet just to see Wen Yao and Bu Guanlan fight. Wen Yao's late arrival is one thing, but Bu Guanlan has always been cautious and thorough, and he values his promises the most, so he hasn't come yet.
"I'm not late." Wen Yao smiled: "It was Bu Guanlan who was late. Ask him to pour everyone some wine to apologize."
Everyone laughed upon hearing this, knowing it was a joke. Liuli Island, located overseas and part of the Central Plains martial arts world, had few deep ties with the major mountain gates and aristocratic families. The Bu family was a wealthy and powerful family, and the entire island of Liuli Island depended on them for their livelihood. As the head of the Bu family, Bu Guanlan's prestige in the area was self-evident. Even if such a person made the Bai Xiaosheng Master List, he would still be separated from the majority of the Jianghu.
Simply put, Bu Guanlan was not familiar with anyone present except Wen Yao and Chu Yutang, so no one was embarrassed to drink the wine offered by Liuli Island.
Just as Wen Yao finished speaking, a voice came from the distance. A voice came in at an angle, its voice cold and low, saying, "The invitation says the first quarter of the evening hour, but that time hasn't arrived yet. And yet you promised me away. What's the logic behind this?"
A group of people walked towards here.
Bu Guanlan stood tall and straight, his hands behind his back. He wore a gilded bronze hair crown, exuding an air of nobility. He was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, his features stern and imposing.
Following behind him was Luo Jiu, who smiled at Wen Yao. Wen Yao's gaze paused for a moment on the master and servant, then immediately looked behind Bu Guanlan. Sure enough, Xiaodao, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, was standing there holding Ayin and waving at her.
After not seeing each other for a few months, Ayin had grown a lot taller, her face became rounder, and there were two small round bumps on her head. She stared at Wen Yao excitedly and shyly, and began to strangle her brother's neck with her hands again.
Xiaodao let out a cry and quickly put the person down. Ayin's short legs scurried over to Wen Yao's legs, hugging them tightly. Finally, she turned around and embraced Zhao Xuanxu with open arms.
Wen Yao felt warm in his heart when he saw this.
What a good boy.
She bent down and pinched the small bump on Ayin's head with evil intentions.
Xiaodao was dressed neatly and cleanly, and looked energetic. He said embarrassedly, "Don't blame Brother Bu. It was because Ayin was sleepy after dinner, and I couldn't wake her up no matter how hard I tried. That's why we were delayed for a while."
Ayin pursed her lips and shyly buried her face in Wen Yao's clothes.
Wen Yao patted her head, picked up some rice cakes from the table and stuffed them into the child's mouth: "Okay, everyone is here now. Master Chu, light the lamp."
The Jianghu crowd sat on one side, while a smaller area across from them held a circle of armored officers and soldiers, led by Baili Cheng. He knew the arrivals wouldn't be treated like monkeys by the dignitaries, so aside from himself and Zhao Xuanxu, who had accompanied Wen Yao, no one present held a title or official position. Even so, Baili Cheng remained silent, seemingly leaving the entire process to Wen Yao, his presence only to observe and remain silent.
Chu Yutang waved his hand, and the steward quickly took out a pole half the thickness of a human arm from the tray and unfolded it into a long pole. He lit a candle in front of the pole, and tremblingly reached out to touch the lantern wick. Then, this lantern, which could be described as a work of art ingenious craftsmanship, slowly lit up, shining brightly.
Someone in the audience cheered immediately, slammed the table and stood up: "Stop talking nonsense, I'll take the lantern!"
Everyone knew exactly what we were doing here tonight.
Whether or not to enter the Wu Zhao Si is a matter of second thought. The wooden sign hanging nearby clearly states that whoever can take down this lantern tonight will receive one hundred taels of gold prepared by the Wu Zhao Si.
Everyone loves gold.
The first to stand was the heavy swordsman who had initially spoken to Wen Yao. He had just shattered the table with a single blow, then, brandishing his heavy sword, leaped onto the stage, stirring up a fierce gust of wind. The people around him covered their faces, cursing and laughing, "Huang Shi! You're so eager to get this gold? Did you go out drinking and spend all your wife's money again?"
Others stood up and followed him out, determined to prevent Huangshi from getting the hundred taels of gold so that the Iron Lady in his family would give him a good beating.
The soldiers watching nearby broke out in a cold sweat. They watched as more and more people engaged in combat, each blow a lethal blow. The flashes of swords and sabers clashed, sending wood chips flying everywhere. It made one wonder if these people had some grudge that had driven them to such brutal action.
Baili Cheng, sitting on the side, was also somewhat excited as he watched. Even though his martial arts talent wasn't particularly strong, he couldn't help but sigh, "They're all renowned figures in the Bai Xiaosheng Gang. This is the true martial arts world."
As more and more people got excited and started fighting with swords, the lanterns swayed in the turbulent winds of swords and knives. Fortunately, Chu Yutang had the foresight to tie the lanterns securely with several ropes.
Chu Yutang withdrew his gaze and sat down at a table near Wen Yao. Bu Guanlan sat at the table on the other side of Wen Yao.
Xiaodao was holding Ayin, and Ayin was holding Migao. The two of them were concentrating on watching the fight on the stage, and they didn't notice that the silent atmosphere around them was a bit weird.
Zhao Xuanxu stood beside Wen Yao, firmly separating her from Bu Guanlan. He held Wen Yao's hand tightly with one hand and pressed it against his knee.
He was like this every day, coming up to her unexpectedly from time to time, and Wen Yao was used to it. She glanced around at the people in the room, wondering who would join the Wu Zhao Division after tonight, her mind racing.
Bu Guanlan looked straight ahead, the slight smile he had just shown was gone, and his eyes were calm.
He and Wen Yao both sat still.
All present were martial arts masters, and in a melee there always had to be a winner. Soon, one of them wielded a spear, and after finding an opening, the spear leaped out like a silver dragon, piercing the long string holding the lantern and snatching it into his arms.
A woman from the Mingtai Sword Tomb saw this and came forward with a light figure like holding a sword. A smile curved her red lips and said, "Little brother, this lantern is beautiful. Please give it to me. I can give you the gold. I won't fight with you."
Huangshi got rid of the people around him and saw that the lantern had been taken down by someone else. He immediately waved his heavy sword to snatch it away.
"Brother Huang! Wait a minute!" This man was not only skilled in martial arts but also intelligent. Seeing everyone around him turn their gazes, he realized he had suddenly become the center of public attention and quickly said, "I'll give you forty taels of gold, and the lantern will go to the female knight from Mingtai Sword Tomb. If you don't listen, I'll go to your house and tell your wife that you've drunk all the money!"
The people around laughed out loud.
After he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly turned to Wen Yao, who was sitting in front of him, and he shouted, "I'll set up a bet with the remaining sixty taels of gold. I'll bet on a fight between Xingyi Sword and Liuli Island's Bu Guanlan today to see who will be the best in the world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the place erupted in activity. Everything on the table was swept away, and a gun was placed in the middle, with bets immediately placed on both sides.
This group of people are very skilled at running gambling games.
Wen Yao was dumbfounded, looking at the silver and jewelry piled on the table: "Really?"
And judging from the amount, the money she earned was comparable to that earned by Bu Guanlan.
Someone shouted loudly: "Why doesn't the ghost market owner follow the bet?"
"Hey." Chu Yutang waved his fan for a while and said, "No, no, I don't gamble. I don't gamble."
Hao Chunhe mingled with the crowd, sneaked over and stuffed a bag of silver into Wen Yao's side.
Zhao Xuanxu took a quick look at the silver and money on the table, even a little dissatisfied. He raised his hand to touch the purse in his sleeve, and it seemed that he wanted to add bricks and tiles to Wen Yao's side.
Wen Yao knew very well that he was a person who spent money recklessly, so he immediately held his hand down.
"Stop it."
She is not much different from Bu Guanlan. If we really want to determine the winner, it will be a matter of life and death.
Just as he was thinking, Wen Yao saw Bu Guanlan suddenly stand up and reach to his side. Luo Jiu quickly opened the sword case on his back and took out a long sword with a completely black body and a crystal-clear blade.
This is a very majestic and beautiful sword.
The people around immediately lowered their voices and looked towards the sword at the same time.
Since ancient times, famous swords have been like beauties, with countless renowned swords. However, in the past fifty years, only one sword has emerged, its astonishing talent and brilliance unrivaled: the Xingyi Sword.
The sword Bu Guanlan held was called Chaosheng, a long-renowned sword owned by successive Bu family patriarchs. Legend had it that it was forged from dragon bone, making it exceptionally sharp and fierce.
"Come on." Bu Guanlan looked straight at Wen Yao, "There's no chance in Yanling. We haven't seen each other for many years, and it's been a while since we last sparred."
When he said this, his tone was filled with nostalgia for the past, a sense of mutual admiration, and a certain solemnity.
Wen Yao restrained his tone and became serious. He turned his wrist to signal Zhao Xuanxu to let go, stood up, and pulled out the Xingyi Sword with his backhand.
The Xingyi Sword was as dazzling as starlight, and it kept humming after being infused with internal energy.
Bu Guanlan struck first, his wrist raised and sword energy emanated. The table and chair he had been sitting on were swung back by the unparalleled internal energy, creating a vast space with considerable force. He then suddenly raised his hand to block, and the Xingyi Sword's blade brushed past Chao Sheng, sending sparks flying.
The Xingyi Sword Technique was a technique Wen Yao had developed through years of combat experience, both from being killed and counter-killed. Its distinctive characteristics were its speed and density, leaving no room for escape.
Bu Guanlan was not at all flustered. He opened and closed the Chaosheng Sword, and his internal energy was like a tidal wave, suppressing everything.
In a short moment, the two exchanged over a hundred moves, their speed increasing. Those with lesser martial arts skills could no longer discern the two's sword moves and patterns, while those who were closer had already carried themselves and the table away and stood far away.
"Hey." Someone had placed a bet and had been watching for a while. Seeing this, he couldn't help but ask, "Who has the upper hand? I'm betting eighty taels of silver!"
"How should I know...hiss, why was Wen Yao ranked above Bu Guanlan in the first place?"
The rankings of the world's top masters were generally based on the results of their fights. But upon closer inspection, no one present had ever heard of Wen Yao and Bu Guanlan fighting, nor did they know the outcome. They only remembered that one day, Wen Yao's name suddenly jumped above Bu Guanlan's.
"Ghost Market Master." A woman from the Mingtai Sword Tomb approached Chu Yutang and asked, "Did you expect that they wouldn't be able to determine the winner today, so you didn't place any bets?"
"Chu doesn't do unprofitable business or anything he's not sure about." Chu Yutang said with a smile, "And Chu really doesn't like gambling."
While people were talking below, they suddenly heard a "puff" sound and a faint smell of blood emanated.
Chao Sheng scratched a deep wound on the back of Wen Yao's hand, and blood immediately gushed out. Unfazed, she flicked her wrist, leaving a sharp mark on Bu Guanlan's forearm. The Xingyi sword's tip shot upward, aiming for Bu Guanlan's neck, only to be knocked down by Chao Sheng, who followed closely behind.
The two peerless swords clashed once again, the movement making people shudder with fear. After this time, Wen Yao and Bu Guanlan each took two steps back and did not fight again.
"draw."
Wen Yao shook his hand, and blood splattered to the side, forming a few scarlet circles. "You've made great progress in the past few years."
Bu Guanlan didn't care about the narrow wound on his arm. With a slight smile, he said in a deep voice, "I still can't beat you."
"What kind of fight do you want to have with me?" Wen Yao was amused by his words, then sheathed his sword, turned around and strode towards his position.
Zhao Xuanxu stood up, took three or two steps over, and covered Wen Yao's wound with a handkerchief.
"With that sword strike just now," Zhao Xuanxu revealed his true form, his murderous aura cold and sinister, and said sinisterly, "You could have clearly cut off his arm directly."
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