In the entire teahouse, the sounds of storytelling, booing, chopsticks dropping, and bowls being covered all became strangely quiet.
The shouting and hawking on the long street drifted in through the carved window lattices, and from afar it seemed like the sound of another world.
But here, there was no discussion and no eyes were on them.
They were clearly standing at the middle staircase, with guests upstairs and downstairs, but they were deliberately avoided to give them the illusion that no one was around.
In such silence, Zhongshan passed by and went down two steps.
He was originally looking down on people, so if he wanted to speak, Duan Chongxuan and Yin Biyue could only look up at him.
But he didn't.
He walked to the same step as the two of them, turned sideways, and performed a half-salute. His posture was straight and standard.
Yin Biyue and Duan Chongxuan returned the greeting calmly.
It was as if the entire teahouse breathed a sigh of relief.
However, before Duan Chongxuan's frown could relax, Zhong Shan spoke.
He was speaking to Yin Biyue, and his voice was a little sluggish, like the edge of a sword scratching on a stone wall.
"I started learning swordplay when I was four."
Yin Biyue was stunned. Is this... introducing herself?
He didn't know what the other party meant, but since the other party was serious, he should listen carefully.
So he nodded to show that he was listening.
Zhong Shan continued,
"I learned the first set of 'Initial Exploration of Sword Techniques' at the age of six, practiced Qi at the age of ten, and sharpened my marrow at the age of fourteen. I achieved a small success in swordsmanship, and when I focused my mind, I was invincible."
There was an uncontrollable gasp in the teahouse.
This talent is enough to make anyone proud. But Yin Biyue could feel that the person standing in front of him and speaking was just stating the facts without any intention of showing off.
This is true confidence.
True self-confidence does not require showing off to win the recognition of others, because he recognizes himself.
"Before I was sixteen, I always thought I would become a disciple of the Sword Master."
“Pah—”
In the silent teahouse, someone was so frightened that he dropped his tea bowl, and the broken porcelain and tea spilled all over the floor.
Yin Biyue still didn't say anything, even though the other party's words seemed to be provocative.
"The Sword Master chose you over me, but I don't think you're better than me."
“It makes me jealous.”
"Zhehua Club, I am willing to fight with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce fighting spirit surged out!
But the pressure of the realm was strictly controlled and not a single bit leaked out.
Yin Biyue looked at the other person calmly.
He thought that he had some idea of what kind of person Zhong Shan was.
He is not like the people of Baopu Sect who would deliberately spread rumors behind the scenes or do some treacherous things in the dark.
Jealousy is jealousy, and resentment is resentment.
There is nothing shameful, just say it openly and clearly.
I don't accept you, so I want to fight you.
If you have the guts, beat me until I surrender.
Yin Biyue's gaze fell on Zhong Shan's sword again.
He dares to face his inner self and speaks out what he thinks without caring about whether he will be criticized or ridiculed behind his back, even in a teahouse in a busy city.
Perhaps only someone like this can use this sword.
But Duan Chongxuan obviously didn't think so.
Before Yin Biyue could stop him, he had already spoken.
"Fight with you? Your realm is much higher than my brother's, do you dare to do that?"
"According to what you said, I should be the least qualified person to be the Sword Saint's disciple, but I did it anyway. Why? I have no choice. I am lucky. My father asked the dean to write a letter to send me into Xihua Peak. I just went through the back door."
"What can I do? Draw my sword and commit suicide and be reborn, or write a letter in blood to sever the father-son relationship with my father?"
Yin Bi was more stunned.
Zhong Shan was also stunned.
The guests in the room didn't even dare to breathe.
Then, Zhong Shan thought about it seriously and said, "What you said makes sense..."
"What a reason!"
A young man suddenly jumped out from behind Zhongshan. He was wearing the ink-splashed landscape robe of the Qinglu Sword School, holding a sword in his hand, and shaking with anger.
He had been following Zhong Shan and standing on the stairs.
However, the few people who had talked to him earlier were so powerful and brilliant that few people noticed him.
He suddenly spoke at this time, and everyone recognized him as Zhongshan's fellow junior fellow student, 'Flying Feather Sword' Cheng Tianyu.
The young man spoke angrily, "My senior brother has a high level of cultivation because he has practiced diligently! It's not something that fell from the sky! What's there to be embarrassed about! Even if your senior brother has practiced for a shorter time and is not as high as my senior brother, it's because he was born late! My senior brother was born early! There's nothing we can do about it, he's just lucky!"
Cheng Tianyu was very angry.
When his senior brother was talking, he certainly couldn't interrupt him. He could only stand at the back.
But when he heard his senior brother say that the other party was right, he was so angry that he ignored all etiquette.
Yin Biyue thought, this is bad.
He had no intention of starting a fight, but the verbal battle came too quickly. Before he could react, the two men started fighting as if they had taken poison.
He glanced at Zhong Shan and found that Zhong Shan seemed a little... at a loss.
The chubby-faced young man Cheng Tianyu became angrier as he spoke, "You Xihua Peak people are really going too far. Not only did your third senior brother Yan Xing slander my senior brother Song's innocence before, but now you actually..."
"shut up!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and discovered that the person at the door was Young Master Song of the Qinglu Sword Sect.
He didn't know whether it was because he was angry or because he was in a hurry, but his breathing was slightly unstable.
What was even more surprising was that Cangya’s first disciple also came.
Luo Mingchuan stood there with a solemn and dignified expression.
The moment Yin Biyue saw him, she suddenly felt relieved.
It's good that you're here... If you're here, there won't be a fight.
He really doesn't know how to handle this kind of situation, so now he has to rely on Luo Mingchuan.
Cheng Tianyu was scolded and suddenly woke up. He realized that he had said something shameful in public. His face immediately turned red and he stammered, "Senior Brother Song..."
Song Tang said in a deep voice, "Come down."
Cheng Tianyu walked down silently, and Zhong Shan followed behind him.
Luo Mingchuan said nothing.
Yin Biyue took Duan Chongxuan and walked down.
Duan Chongxuan had just been aroused by Zhongshan's fighting spirit and had spoken without thinking. Now that he had calmed down, he felt a little ashamed and embarrassed that he had been treated like a monkey for so long.
So he stood behind Luo Mingchuan and pretended to be mute.
Song Tang half bowed, "Junior brother is young, I apologize for the offense."
Cheng Tianyu stood behind him, also lowered his head and pretended to be mute.
Luo Mingchuan dodged the salute and returned a half salute, "I dare not, it is my faction that has offended you."
The two of them exchanged greetings calmly, looking calm, as if nothing had happened.
For a moment, everyone in the teahouse thought that the tit-for-tat argument on the stairs just now was just an illusion.
Yin Biyue and Luo Mingchuan walked out of the teahouse and went in the opposite direction of the three people from Qinglu Sword Sect.
Duan Chongxuan followed silently.
It feels like... two naughty kids had a fight and were taken back by their respective parents.
Yin Biyue was startled by his fleeting thought.
There was no conversation along the way until we arrived at the Qiu Lake courtyard, under the magnolia.
Luo Mingchuan turned around and didn't mention what happened just now. Instead, he said to Yin Biyue, "The draw results are out. Junior brother, you have a bye."
The chatterbox's attention was diverted to that. "How could that be? Isn't it exactly group eighty-one?"
Luo Mingchuan explained, "Before the draw, one person gave up because of a serious injury. So there was an extra bye, and he went directly to the next round. It just so happened that no one drew Junior Brother."
Yin Biyue was stunned. She actually advanced directly. What luck.
Duan Chongxuan smiled and said, "Fourth Senior Brother is indeed blessed by Heaven."
No, no, no, wait a minute, this is only the second round. Now that you have used up all your luck, what will you do in the future?
Luo Mingchuan added, "Junior Brother Duan, Lianjian Sect disciple Xu Guang has picked you. The first match will be in four days."
Compared with other sects, Lianjian Sect has more female practitioners. The entire Luoxia Peak is full of female disciples, but overall there are more male disciples.
Duan Chongxuan had obviously heard of this person, and said with a smile, "Lianjian's spiritual practitioner. It just so happens that I also want to accumulate some experience in fighting against spiritual practitioners."
Yin Biyue knew that what he said meant that he had no intention of using external objects such as talisman paper, so he reminded him, "There are still a few days left, prepare well."
"Don't worry, Fourth Senior Brother." Chatterbox agreed, smiled at Luo Mingchuan, and went into the house. He could see that Luo Mingchuan seemed to have something to say to his senior brother.
So there were only two people left in the courtyard.
Luo Mingchuan not only had something to say, but also something to give.
But when he looked at the person in front of him, he suddenly didn't know how to start.
"Who did Senior Brother Luo fight against?" It was Yin Biyue who spoke first. He was indeed curious about Luo Mingchuan's next battle.
Luo Mingchuan replied, "A Buddhist monk from Xingshan Temple. The third session will be tomorrow."
There was another silence, with no one talking.
Yin Biyue suddenly found that Luo Mingchuan's face looked a little abnormal. His ears were red and his eyes were wandering.
...Isn’t this going to cause heatstroke again?
Although he couldn't feel the heat at all because of practicing the Hanshui Sword, he could see that the sun was very strong today.
He hurriedly said, "Brother Luo, go back and rest. There will be a competition tomorrow."
"……good."
Luo Mingchuan turned around and took two steps, then turned back and said, "Junior Brother."
The wide sleeves of his robe covered the beads in his hand. He tightened his grip again and again, and the beads pinched him so hard that it hurt.
Yin Biyue was about to go back, but stopped when he heard this, "Hmm?"
"…Nothing. You should have a good rest too."
Luo Mingchuan returned to his room and sat dejectedly at his desk.
On the table stood a delicate, round bead, shining with a dark red light.
"Junior brother, this is the Lihuo Pearl. If you carry it with you on a daily basis, you will no longer suffer from the pain of the cold air."
It's such a simple sentence. I've thought about it so many times, why can't I say it?
Ever since they returned to Qiuhu together that day, he had been asking for news about the Lihuo Pearl. This kind of pearl is produced in the crater of the Donglu volcano and can drive away the cold. Practitioners near the snowfield often wear it. However, the climate in Yecheng is mild and the winter is not very cold, so the Lihuo Pearl is naturally rare. Fortunately, he met Song Tang today, who is familiar with Yecheng, so he was able to buy it on the black market.
On the way back, he saw many people gathered outside the Taihe Tower, whispering but not daring to go in. He concentrated and heard the noise inside, and he and Song Tang rushed over and saw that both parties were fine.
As a bystander, he could see that although Zhongshan had the intention to fight, he had no ill intentions. However, Duan Chongxuan and Cheng Tianyu almost came to blows.
He had already made up his mind about Zhongshan's matter, but he couldn't tell his fellow apprentice brother about the solution for the time being.
The winner of the Flower Folding Club can only be a junior fellow apprentice.
No matter how difficult these things are, there are always clues and solutions, but...
Luo Mingchuan glanced at the beads on the table and wondered why he didn’t want to give them to his junior brother?
Because I feel that as long as I stay by my junior brother's side, I can dispel the coldness for him, so there is no need?
Or...some other reasons.
Luo Mingchuan didn't dare to think about it any further. He felt that if he thought about it any further, he would get an answer that he couldn't face.
So he stood up and went to meditate, silently reciting the "Qing Xin Yan", and then began to practice.
In the room across the courtyard, Yin Biyue was also meditating.
Today he faced Zhong Shan's tremendous fighting spirit and felt that the barrier had loosened.
He knew that he was not strong enough to defeat Zhong Shan now.
He wants to break through the obstacles.
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