Chapter 87 087 "You two should take your fighting back to the bed!"
--
Let's go back a quarter of an hour.
At the martial arts arena.
Zhao Xiao jumped off the stage without warning, startling everyone. Only the disciples of the White Tiger Hall, after their initial surprise, erupted into a thunderous cheer.
The reason was simple: after so many years, it was finally their White Tiger Hall's turn to sit in the position of the number one镖头 (chief镖头, head镖师, a term referring to a powerful and influential figure in the martial arts world) of the world's number one镖头! The disciples of the White Tiger Hall were in an uproar, but for others, the former head镖头 Jiang's reputation was too great, and the newly appointed head镖头 was too unfamiliar and too young. In fact, many martial arts seniors thought he was just a greenhorn.
It was all a matter of timing and luck. The world's top镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was facing a talent shortage and was destined to decline. He had only gotten the position of chief镖师 by sheer luck.
Moreover, the martial arts tournament has always been presided over by the old head镖师 (chief镖师). The old head镖师 has no interest in the conflicts of the martial arts world, and he is never obsessed with empty fame. Therefore, this is the first time in many years since the establishment of the martial arts tournament that the number one镖师 (chief镖师) of the world, as the host, has stepped onto the martial arts arena.
Therefore, apart from the disciples of the White Tiger Hall, everyone else looked at each other in bewilderment and remained silent for a moment.
Danxia Cave True Monarch looked at the arrogant young man staring straight at him, paused for a moment, and immediately realized that this kid was going to use him to establish his authority.
True Monarch Zongshan coughed softly, and before Zhao Xiao could speak, he repeatedly waved his hand, smilingly declining:
“I’m getting old and useless. I’ve had my fill of the fight. This martial arts arena should be handed over to you young people…” As he passed Wen Cheng’an, he patted him on the shoulder. “It would be unfair for an old man like me to win. Please give my regards to your sect leader for me. By the way…”
Zongshan Zhenjun lowered his voice and gave the boy a light pinch on the shoulder: "This new chief镖头 is not simple, be careful."
The boy was taken aback, then subconsciously nodded in agreement: "...Yes."
Wen Cheng'an, the eldest disciple of one of the Seven Young Masters of Lingxiao, thus became the opponent of the newly appointed number one镖头 (chief镖头, a type of bodyguard/escort) in the arena without even realizing it.
The young man was not intimidated. He only paused for a moment before quickly regaining his composure. Looking at the young man who appeared to be about the same age as his Uncle Xiaoyaozi, he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said:
"I have heard that the Thunderclap Palm, the number one dart in the world, is unparalleled. I have come here to ask for your guidance."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiao's icy gaze pierced through the young Wen Cheng'an, landing on the Danxia Cave Sect Master who had already stepped down from the martial arts arena. A flash of anger crossed his slightly sinister eyes. He then turned his gaze back to the young swordsman, his expression even more somber, and let out a cold, unceremonious laugh:
"You think you're worthy of my Thunderclap Palm?"
Wen Cheng'an was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that the dignified chief镖头 (head of the number one镖师) in the world would be so ruthless.
Before the boy could react, Gan Zishi, the fourth of the new Lingxiao Seven Sons behind him, was already furious:
"What did you say? Say it again!"
Gan Zishi had a fiery temper, especially since he was very close to his senior brother Wen Cheng'an. He immediately tried to rush onto the martial arts arena but was held back by his fellow disciples. His sixth junior sister, Lin Mengwan, whispered in his ear:
"You reckless fool! Don't break the rules of the martial arts tournament! Have you forgotten what the sect leader told you before you left the mountain? Leave this to Senior Brother, Senior Brother... Senior Brother will handle it."
Even as she spoke, the girl gazed at the boy's pine-like back on the high platform, her lips pressed tightly together, almost losing their color, a tension and unease she herself was unaware of.
Wen Cheng'an, their senior disciple and the eldest disciple under the Lingxiao Sect's leader, a usually humble and well-mannered young man, also turned cold, drew his long sword from his waist, and said in a deep voice:
"Please make your move, senior."
Unfortunately, despite enduring a hundred moves, he was still defeated and knocked off the stage by Zhao Xiao with a single palm strike!
The fellow disciples who had come in groups below the stage were all astonished: "Senior Brother!"
Lin Mengwan cried out, "Senior Brother!"
Gan Zishi's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He could no longer hold back, broke free from Lin Mengwan's restraints, and leaped onto the stage: "Take this!"
But after several moves, Zhao Xiao not only caught the blade with his bare hands, but also stepped on him!
Zhao Xiao, with an arrogant expression, stared down at him, speaking each word with deference:
"Are you convinced?!"
--
【Are you convinced? ! 】
Back to the present.
Jiang Ling'er trembled all over. The humiliating memories of the past were like a knife piercing her heart, causing her to bite her lower lip instantly, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth and tongue.
Seeing Wen Cheng'an sent flying to the ground, and Gan Zishi trampled under Zhao Xiao's feet, Pei Xuan's phoenix eyes darkened instantly. However, the obvious abnormality of the person in his arms startled him. He lowered his gaze, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. His thin lips brushed against Jiang Ling'er's fragrant hair as he whispered:
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Ling'er's face turned deathly pale as she slowly shook her head.
His pale face made his eyes appear even more piercing, his gaze fixed on the arrogant Zhao Xiao in the martial arts arena. His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms without him even noticing.
Meanwhile, on the high platform, Yuan Wenkang, the head of the Xuanwu Hall, also frowned upon seeing this.
On the high platform stood revered elders from Shaolin, Wudang, Danxia Cave, and other martial arts sects. To the right of the chief镖头's seat, which should have been occupied by He Yong, the leader of the Azure Dragon Hall, the positions had become his right-hand men since Zhao Xiao was elected the new chief镖头. However, the seat that should have belonged to the Azure Dragon Hall leader wasn't vacant despite He Yong's absence; instead, a mysterious figure sat there.
She was also a remarkable woman who carried a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) and wore a veil.
The woman glanced at the commotion below, her slender, delicate fingers, adorned with budding nail polish, rested her chin on her hand, and chuckled softly.
"This is going to be interesting."
Almost everyone in the audience was watching the commotion in the martial arts arena, except for one person who remained unmoved.
That was Ji Yunshu, the young master of Sun and Moon Fortress, a rare sight among the senior figures sitting in the corner of the high platform.
Since Ji Liangcheng, the lord of Sun and Moon Fortress, fell ill several years ago, this young lord has been handling all matters. However, this promising young lord seems to have not yet recovered from the blow of his beloved wife's death, and has always appeared sickly and listless.
No matter how noisy the crowd was, the young man, wrapped in a fox fur coat, remained aloof and uninterested.
Like the fox spirits in the tall, beautiful, dangerous, yet troubled folk tales, her beautiful and melancholic peach blossom eyes resembled a dead sea, without the slightest ripple.
--
On the martial arts arena.
Zhao Xiao stared at the boy's almost bloodshot eyes at his feet. Under the blazing sun, for a moment he hallucinated a pair of equally bloodshot almond eyes staring at him.
The same spirit of unwillingness to give up and never admit defeat.
Disgusting, scumbag.
A sinister glint flashed across the young man's eyes as he stomped his foot and asked again:
"Are you convinced?!"
Seeing this, Wen Cheng'an's pupils constricted, and for the first time, hatred appeared on the still somewhat immature face of the young man. He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips with his thumb, grabbed his sword, and charged back onto the martial arts arena!
"Let go of my junior brother!"
The young man paused, then looked up and sneered, "Overestimating yourself."
Zhao Xiao held no weapon in his hands, but instead bent his hands into the shape of eagle claws and met the boy's oncoming bladeless sword with his bare hands!
Everyone was shocked, but Jiang Ling'er secretly exclaimed, "Oh no!"
Zhao Xiao actually caught the boy's white blade with his bare hands!
Wen Chengan was stunned, and the whole audience erupted in uproar!
Jiang Ling'er frowned and clenched her fists, while Pei Xuan's face was ashen.
"The Lingxiao Sword Technique is nothing special."
Zhao Xiao sneered, his eagle-claw-like hands, as if made of black iron, snapped the boy's longsword inch by inch in the boy's shocked eyes!
Finally, he casually tossed the blade to the ground like scrap metal, turned around, faced the crowd below the martial arts arena, and angrily shouted:
"Who else?!"
The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers that nearly lifted the roof off!
Fortunately, the cloak provided some cover, allowing Jiang Ling'er to stare intently at Zhao Xiao on the field, her face pale and ashen. The young Taoist priest's expression also turned cold. His phoenix eyes swept over the dazed, ashen-faced youth, Wen Cheng'an, before finally settling on Zhao Xiao. His phoenix eyes were dark and unfathomable.
"Chief镖头! Chief镖头! Chief镖头!"
Amidst the almost deafening cheers, a thin, middle-aged man dressed as a refined, impoverished scholar leaped onto the stage.
"I'll do it!"
Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment. It was Lu Qingyuan, Master Lu.
Lu Qingyuan glanced at the mess of white blades scattered on the ground. He was arrogant and not a good person. He believed that martial arts were a skill, and that even petty thugs would fight to the death. In a martial arts arena, the winner stands and the loser lies down. What did it matter if he was trampled underfoot? What did face matter? Life and death were trivial matters, but he couldn't stand seeing people waste weapons.
As he stroked his non-existent long beard on his smooth chin, Master Lu casually flipped through the silver beads on his abacus and snorted coldly:
"You ignorant brats only know how to flatter your elders. Now that I'm here, are you satisfied?"
Zhao Xiao's gloomy face finally broke into a smile: "I've long heard of the 'Iron-Calculated Judge's' reputation, and today I finally get to meet him."
Suddenly, a young Taoist's voice came from above: "Guess who will win?"
Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment, staring intently at Master Lu and Zhao Xiao. She bit her lip for a long time before reluctantly saying:
“...Zhao Xiao”.
Scenes from her memory kept intertwining and overlapping with the scene before her eyes. Even though she didn't want to say it, she had to admit that Zhao Xiao's skills had improved a lot in just a few months.
It could even be described as rapid progress.
Pei Xuan paused upon hearing this, then looked down at her.
The woman in his arms had a high nose bridge and a slightly pale face. Because of her thinness, she resembled a small white flower blooming in early spring, fragile yet showing great determination.
A crimson hue crept up her clear almond-shaped eyes like spider silk. She stared intently at Zhao Xiao, watching his every move, and even forgot to blink.
Pei Xuan gazed at her quietly for a long time, a very slight curve appearing at the corner of his lips, which she herself probably didn't even notice...
In recent days, not only have her martial arts skills improved, but her eyes have also become more cunning.
-------------------------------------
The sun is setting.
On the way back to the inn, the two remained silent.
Jiang Ling'er's mind raced through the scenes from the martial arts arena that day.
Master Lu has lost.
For the rest of the time, Zhao Xiao stayed on the stage until the very end.
She was right, but she wasn't happy at all.
During this time, Pei Xuan remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
When they returned to the inn, Jiang Ling'er had barely stepped into her room when she turned to leave, only to be suddenly grabbed by the arm.
"Where are you going? You haven't eaten yet."
The young Taoist priest caught her by surprise.
Jiang Ling'er impatiently shook off his hand: "It's none of your business..."
Unexpectedly, Pei Xuan persisted, his brows furrowed, gripping her arm tightly, even tightening his hold on it.
"You haven't eaten since last night, have you?"
"It has nothing to do with you."
Jiang Ling'er shook off his hand and walked out with her head down.
"Practicing martial arts like a madman, without eating, drinking, or sleeping, won't make you a match for Zhao Xiao tomorrow. Or..." The young Taoist paused, then laughed, "...are you scared?"
Jiang Ling'er paused, then turned around, her eyes wide as saucers, her voice almost trembling:
"...What did you say? I'm afraid of him?!"
The young Taoist priest, arms crossed, leaned lazily against the window, a smile on his face, watching her with a grin, and suddenly attacked without warning!
Jiang Ling'er was stunned and instinctively tried to block, but Pei Xuan didn't give her a chance to breathe. He attacked viciously and pressed forward step by step. The two actually started fighting in the narrow passageway of the inn!
Although Pei Xuan had lost all his internal energy, he could still use his martial arts moves.
He didn't even look like he had just recovered from a serious illness. He cornered her against the wall, and the young Taoist suddenly made his hands into a ridiculous chicken claw shape and tapped her on the forehead like a chick pecking at rice!
Jiang Ling'er cried out in pain, then paused for a moment before realizing what was happening—it was Zhao Xiao's move!
"What are you standing there for? Watch your step!"
He said "Watch your step," but then he hit her hard on the forehead, using the same move Zhao Xiao used to catch a blade with his bare hands!
Jiang Ling'er didn't care about the pain or even the anger of being fooled by this guy, because the skills he was using were all Zhao Xiao's martial arts style. He had only watched it once and had memorized it all... and even completely copied it!
That's...that's Zhao Xiao's family's secret technique, the White Eagle Claw!
Pei Xuan wanted to give her another nudge, but seeing her covering her forehead with her hands, her almond-shaped eyes wide and staring at him, he found her both pitiful and adorable. He chuckled softly, then his smile vanished, and he said seriously:
Do you know where Master Lu went wrong?
Jiang Ling'er was slightly taken aback, but immediately understood the young Taoist's intention. She murmured:
"you……"
He had barely uttered three words when suddenly, bursts of mocking and angry shouts erupted from the side rooms on both sides of the corridor:
"You two should take your fight back to your bed. The world is going to the dogs. What kind of behavior is this, being all lovey-dovey in public?!"
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
“…”
Jiang Ling'er froze, her face flushed with embarrassment, while the young Taoist shamelessly agreed.
"I'm so sorry I have a shrew at home, right? Let's go back inside and cuddle up..."
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
Jiang Ling'er pinched the young Taoist's arm hard with a dark face:
"Screw you!"
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