Chapter 82 Swordsman? Romance?
The group arrived at the third floor of Bat Island—the auction house.
Upon entering this level, island slaves distributed masks to everyone.
Showing off her amazing encounter, she took a look and discovered that it was actually a face accessory.
Bat Island is really generous! I bet we'll get a lot of loot after we destroy it.
While showing off his extraordinary encounter and lost in thought, he equipped the mask.
Having this is good; it prevents others from recognizing her at first glance. Otherwise, she was genuinely afraid that Yuan Suiyun would run away at the first sign of her presence, unnecessarily complicating her assassination plan.
The auction hadn't started yet, and Yuan Suiyun hadn't shown up. Bored, he began to observe his surroundings after showcasing his extraordinary encounter.
It's easy to see that this site was built by hollowing out the mountain. Some oddly shaped stones are still preserved around it as decoration.
Because there were no windows, all the lighting was provided by candles, which were placed in groups on bat-shaped lamps.
It's unclear whether it was Yuan Suiyun's quirky sense of humor, but despite the spacious hall, only about ten sets of candles were installed for lighting, making the hall very dimly lit.
Through the mask, Xiuchu Qiyu saw a group of martial arts practitioners wearing the same masks as them, scattered in various corners, talking in hushed tones. She couldn't help but recall the words the sailor who had led the way had mentioned earlier.
"I wonder if they came for their friends and family, or for their enemies?"
While I was thinking, all the candles in the hall suddenly went out, plunging the entire hall into darkness.
"What happened?"
Some guests, like the ones who shared their extraordinary encounters, were visiting Bat Island for the first time and spoke out in alarm, but were calmed down by the regulars next to them with smiles.
"Don't be afraid, this is an old trick of the Bat Island Master. He always likes to appear in the dark, perhaps to prevent others from knowing his martial arts skills."
Sure enough, after a short while, the candles that had gone out were relit. Upon closer inspection, Xiu Chuqi discovered that a person and three cages had appeared on the platform in the center of the previously empty hall.
The cage was covered with a black cloth, so it was impossible to see what was inside. It must be the person that the sailor who led the way mentioned was the one that was to be auctioned off.
The person standing outside the cage, like the others, wore a mask. As their gaze swept over his head, all they could see were the four large characters "Bat Island Master".
"Welcome to Bat Island. As the hosts of Bat Island, we will be auctioning three fine items here today."
The voice was wrong; it was completely different from the voice of Yuan Suiyun he had heard before. Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he suppressed his murderous intent, deciding to wait until he could confirm the other party's identity before making his move.
It wasn't that I was afraid of killing the wrong person, I just didn't want Yuan Suiyun to get away.
What if he also used a stand-in?
After rambling on for a while, the Bat Island lord finally got to the point.
He walked up to the first cage and ripped off the black cloth covering it.
Inside, a young man dressed as a swordsman was locked up. He was covered in blood, especially his legs, which looked horribly mangled. He was leaning against the cage, breathing weakly.
"The first item up for auction today is Xie Huai'an, who has recently made a name for himself in the martial arts world. He has just entered the martial arts world in the Songjiang area and has made a name for himself in just a few months by upholding justice and chivalry."
Showing off her strange encounter, she was taken aback. She recognized the person; he was the waiter she had met once before in Songjiang Prefecture.
Despite being just an ordinary NPC, he has a name that sounds like a protagonist's, and he was seriously injured by Xue Bin for standing up for her, which made him very impressed with his extraordinary encounter.
But how did he end up here?
Before she could even ask, other NPCs questioned, "I've heard of Xie Xingxia. He is indeed a young hero, but his experience in the martial world is still shallow. Doesn't he meet the auction standards of Bat Island?"
The island lord of Bat Island, standing on the stage, remained unperturbed by the doubts and continued to speak slowly.
"Please be patient, guests. If it were just Xie Huai'an, he certainly wouldn't meet the auction standards of Bat Island. But what if I told you that just a year ago he was an ordinary person with no martial arts skills?"
"What?"
These words immediately caused a stir in the hall.
"That's impossible. I've fought Xie Huai'an before. His leg techniques are extremely fierce, at least placing him in the second tier of the martial arts world. You're saying he mastered this skill in just one year?"
"I absolutely do not believe it!"
The Bat Island Lord looked down at the restless crowd with satisfaction, raised his hand and pressed down, signaling everyone to quiet down.
"Gentlemen, we on Bat Island have always conducted business with genuine goods and fair prices. We have never sold counterfeit goods or information." As he spoke, he turned around and took a scroll from the island slave's hand.
Upon hearing this, the restless martial arts practitioners below finally quieted down.
"Xie Huai'an, eighteen years old, is an orphan who grew up in the Shantang of Songjiang Prefecture."
"At the age of fourteen, I entered the largest restaurant in Songjiang Prefecture and became one of its waiters. This experience lasted for three years."
"A year ago, while protecting a mysterious woman who suddenly appeared in Songjiang Prefecture, he was seriously injured by Xue Bin, the son of the former number one swordsman in the world, Xue Yiren. He was favored by the woman and was given the martial arts manual, the Twelve Legs of Wei Tuo."
"After six months of cultivation, he succeeded and entered the martial world, beginning his chivalrous deeds."
He then looked at the crowd below the stage and said, "As people of the martial arts world, you should all have heard of the reputation of having extraordinary encounters. First, there is the fame of helping Chu Liuxiang kill Shi Guanyin in the desert, and then there is the achievement of defeating Xue Yiren, the number one swordsman in the world."
"The secret manual she gave me allowed an ordinary person with no martial arts background to become a second-level master in just one year. Could this be a lie?"
Seeing that the people below the stage seemed somewhat interested, the Bat Island Master continued, "Today's auction is not just about Xie Huai'an himself, but the martial arts manual he possesses."
"If there are guests who are on good terms with him and are unwilling to forcibly seize the secret manual, they can take advantage of this opportunity to do him a favor and build a connection with the current number one person in the martial arts world by showing off their extraordinary encounters."
"In that case, isn't he enough to be auctioned off today?"
"Yes, of course. The island lord is well-informed and far-sighted; I can't wait."
"I'll bid 200,000 taels to buy this young man."
"Two hundred thousand taels is nothing! I'll offer three hundred thousand!"
"Four hundred thousand! I'll offer four hundred thousand!"
Hearing the chorus of praise for the owner of Bat Island and the constant bidding around him, Xiuchu Qiyu was furious.
How can there be such a shameless person?
On the one hand, he deliberately damaged the ship to drown himself, and on the other hand, he used his reputation to hype up the auction. If looks could kill, the Bat Island Lord would have been killed ten thousand times over by the look of someone showing off his extraordinary adventure.
"Don't act rashly. This person's identity is still uncertain."
Lu Xiaofeng pressed down on Xiu's shoulder and gently reminded her.
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he took a deep breath and barely managed to suppress his anger.
She simply couldn't bear to look at this disgusting person anymore.
"If only there were a way to get rid of his mask. As soon as I'm sure he's not a double, I'll kill him right away."
The thought of showing off my extraordinary encounter flashed through my mind.
"Huh?"
"Right, we can confirm his identity as long as we remove his mask! How come I didn't think of something so simple before?"
Remembering the letter dragon and phoenix ring that Shangguan Jin Hong had dropped, I showed off my adventure and retrieved it. Then I selected the Bat Island Master on the platform and clicked to use it.
Unbeknownst to them, the Bat Island Master was still admiringly watching the martial arts figures bidding against each other below the stage, while the unexpected encounter was hidden among the crowd. Little did he know that his misfortune was about to befall him.
The next moment, the mask on his face floated away in a completely unexpected way, revealing his true face.
It was none other than Yuan Suiyun!
"Yuan Suiyun, prepare to die!"
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and had even opened the martial arts assistant long ago, just waiting for him to reveal his true colors so he could kill him.
"How come you're still alive?"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Yuan Suiyun only had time to utter those words before he felt a sharp pain in his body. It was the sword energy from Xiu Chuqi's encounter that struck him.
With a flick of her wrist, Xiuyun's sleeve struck the copper pipe behind her, producing a piercing roar.
Upon witnessing this sudden mishap, the guests below the stage reacted quickly, fleeing immediately. Those who reacted more slowly were blocked by the island slaves swarming out from all sides.
The hall instantly descended into chaos.
Although I feel sorry for the foundation of Bat Island, now that our identities have been exposed, we can't stay here.
Yuan Suiyun glared at Xiu Chuqi with hatred, retaliating as he spoke viciously.
"Now that you've seen my true colors, you're all going to die!"
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he retorted dismissively, "You seem quite confident, don't you?"
"It's just a pity that you're the only one who will die today!"
Showing off one's luck is not afraid of group attacks, and Chu Liuxiang and Lu Xiaofeng are among the top masters in the martial arts world. Even if they can't fight for days and nights without getting tired like Showing off one's luck, it is definitely not difficult for them to persist until Showing off one's luck is determined.
And their extraordinary encounters never disappoint them.
Within minutes, Yuan Suiyun and his group of red-named island slaves were all lying on the ground. In addition, some Jianghu people who were taking advantage of the chaos were also injured.
Showing off her unexpected encounters didn't bother her at all; her attacks would only harm those with red names.
Even if they weren't members of Bat Island, the fact that she could injure them shows that they weren't benevolent to begin with. We should be grateful for the system update for not killing them. Did she expect her to take responsibility for them by showing off her extraordinary encounters?
Ignoring the group of red-named players lying on the ground, he showed off his extraordinary encounter and walked to the cage where Xie Huai'an was imprisoned, then chopped the cage open.
"How are you? Are you alright?"
The weakened Xie Huai'an had already opened his eyes the moment he showed off his extraordinary encounter and rebuked Yuan Suiyun.
His gaze remained fixed on the person who had shown off their extraordinary encounter, never wavering for even a moment.
Seeing Xiu Chu's miraculous encounter once again come to rescue him, he felt both joy and panic.
"Am I looking too disheveled? Will I leave a bad impression on her?"
Despite his complicated thoughts, he forced a smile when he heard Xiu's question about his extraordinary encounter.
"I'm alright, you saved me again."
I'm too embarrassed to accept such a thank you for sharing this amazing experience.
It's less that she saved Xie Huai'an, and more that she dragged him down with her. If it weren't for her, Xie Huai'an would still be living a good life in Songjiang Prefecture, instead of suffering such torment.
"That's not how it is!"
Xie Huai'an explained urgently, "I'd rather endure this hardship than live a life where I can see the end from the beginning."
“If it weren’t for all of this, I wouldn’t have met you, young lady. This was my own choice, and it has nothing to do with you. Don’t take the blame for my choice or the sins of the bad guys onto you.”
He paused for a moment after revealing his extraordinary encounter.
Why did she feel that these words were a bit ominous?
Previously, Kunyu Xuanjing had always been kind to her, and she could tell herself that it was because she had used favor items to max out his favorability, which was why he always acted like he liked her a lot.
But Xie Huai'an didn't give her any favor items!
Could it be that NPCs can actually fall in love with players?
Other NPCs don't act like this, do they? Aren't they all supposed to be friendly?
What happened to the promise that the Swordsman Online game would only feature swordsmen and not romance?
In the midst of this silence, Lu Xiaofeng and Chu Liuxiang released the people from the other two cages.
Inside, one is Ying Wanli, the white-clad divine constable whom Chu Liuxiang mentioned before, and the other is the young master of a wealthy family in Jiangnan.
The former, like Xie Huai'an, was covered in blood, while the latter was cleaner, though somewhat haggard, and didn't seem to have suffered any major injuries.
"Miss Xiu, could you please examine Constable Ying's injuries?"
She only came to her senses after her unexpected encounter; she hadn't even checked where Xie Huai'an was injured.
"Okay, sure."
Upon checking the character's status and revealing the unexpected encounter, it was discovered that Xie Huai'an's health bar appeared to have only dropped by half, but both of his legs had been broken.
Thinking of the twelve legs of the Weituo he had given him before, he couldn't help but sigh.
"That Yuan Suiyun is really ruthless. He broke the leg of someone who learns leg techniques. What's the difference between that and crippling his martial arts?"
Fortunately, she had obtained the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment in the world of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, which was just the right time to treat her broken leg.
Ying Wanli, on the other hand, simply had his health bar almost empty.
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he gave the man several top-grade Wanling Pills, which fully restored his health, and the man immediately recovered.
"Thank you for saving me, young lady. If you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. As long as it doesn't violate chivalry, I will go through fire and water for you."
Xie Huai'an, who had been staring at the person who had shared their extraordinary encounter, finally realized what was happening. Blushing, he chimed in, "Me too."
"I'm willing to do anything that goes against chivalry, as long as the girl needs me."
"..."
Seeing the other person's innocent, love-struck look, I was at a loss for words when I recounted my extraordinary encounter.
Fortunately, the young master of a wealthy family in Jiangnan spoke up at this moment and rescued her from this predicament.
"Liu Wu thanks you very much, young lady. I will repay you handsomely when I return home."
This is exactly the way she handles gratitude!
Showing off her extraordinary encounter, she nodded repeatedly: "Okay, just send it to me directly when the time comes."
Accustomed to polite refusals before discussing anything else, Liu Wu was taken aback: "Young lady, you are indeed frank. Only someone with such a frank nature could have mastered such a divine skill. I admire you."
"Oh, no problem, no problem."
Fearing the other person might suddenly blurt out a domineering line like, "Woman, you've caught my attention," he quickly ended the conversation.
He turned and pierced Yuan Suiyun's dantian with his sword, crippling his martial arts. He then specially equipped himself with the acupuncture manual he had secretly copied from Shaolin Temple to seal all of Yuan Suiyun's major acupoints before signaling Lu Xiaofeng to tie him up.
"Tie Yuan Suiyun up and drag him along to rescue those poor girls."
"After everyone is rescued, kill Yuan Suiyun in front of them, so that they know that the culprit is dead. It will be a way to give them some psychological comfort."
Yuan Suiyun was such a proud person, how could he possibly bear to be executed in such a humiliating way in front of those women he had always looked down upon?
He wanted to struggle and commit suicide, but because his body's major acupoints had been sealed before he revealed his extraordinary encounter, he was unable to move and could only be dragged away by Lu Xiaofeng in grief and anger.
Having survived the chaotic battle, the sailors who brought them in had already fled. But it didn't matter; there were plenty of island slaves on the ground who knew the way.
Show off your unexpected encounter by randomly selecting someone.
Do you know the way?
Upon witnessing the islander's impressive adventure, the islander nodded repeatedly, "I know him, I know him."
Ignoring the island lord's angry gaze, the island slave continued to speak.
“Not only do I know him, but I also know where the island lord kept the treasures he obtained from the auction. Please give me a chance to redeem myself. I am willing to tell you everything.”
Showing off her amazing adventure, she nodded in satisfaction, but to avoid being scammed, she left one more island slave behind.
"Alright, I'll spare your lives for now. If anyone gives false directions or deceives people, I'll kill them immediately. The person who exposes them will be the only one to live."
As for the others?
Of course, they were killed.
How can Bat Island be considered completely destroyed if everyone on it isn't wiped out?
Even these two who surrendered could only outlive Yuan Suiyun by a quarter of an hour.
How can not giving them a way out by not killing them immediately?
It's just that this path to survival is too short.
Whether it was because they had a new competitor or because they were terrified by Xiu Chuqiyu, the two island slaves did not cause any trouble and obediently led Xiu Chuqiyu and the others to the second floor.
Only three people—Xiu Qiyu, Chu Liuxiang, and Lu Xiaofeng—came here.
Hua Zhenzhen fainted after the battle ended because she was squeamish about blood, so Hu Tiehua and Zhang San had to stay behind to watch over her. As for Xie Huai'an and the others, they were sent out to hunt down the other escaped island slaves after showing off their extraordinary encounter.
She had promised to completely destroy Bat Island, and she was determined to do so; she would not allow anyone to survive.
"This is where the island lord stores his secret manuals. In the past, guests would also select and purchase these manuals here," the island servant leading the way said obsequiously.
"I know how to open these boxes. Would you like to see these secret manuals, young lady?"
Having just enjoyed the benefits of the secret manual, Xiu Chu's extraordinary encounter stopped without hesitation, intending to copy down all the secret manuals here.
"stop!"
A hoarse female voice rang out.
Showing off her extraordinary encounter, she turned around and was surprised to see Master Kumei and Gao Yanan.
A quick glance at the two revealed that Abbess Kumei had a yellow name, while Gao Yanan had a green name.
Since she wasn't a red-named person, she didn't need to pay attention and continued copying the manual, showing off her extraordinary encounter. To outsiders, this behavior appeared as her ignoring Master Kumei's objections and continuing to peruse the manuals on the shelf as if no one else was there.
Master Kumei had been the head of the Huashan Sect for decades and always kept her word. How could she tolerate such provocation? Moreover, the book that Xiuchu Qiyu was reading happened to be the Huashan Sect's Thirteen Styles of Qingfeng. How could she sit idly by?
The tip of the sword that was thrusting towards him was caught between Lu Xiaofeng's two fingers.
“Pointing the sword at her is not a good idea.”
Chu Liuxiang, who was a step behind, slowly spoke up: "Master, won't you explain to us why you colluded with the island lord of Bat Island to try to kill us at sea and abandon ship?"
Abbess Kumei snorted coldly: "Why should I explain my actions to others?"
As he spoke, he tried to draw his sword. But how could Lu Xiaofeng's Spiritual Finger be so easily countered?
When Master Kumei failed to draw her sword, she decisively abandoned it and pressed forward, unleashing another unique skill of the Huashan School, the Heart-Piercing Hand.
This time, Chu Liuxiang was finally quick enough to block Ku Mei's attack.
Before she could change her move, Xiu Chuqi, who had already finished copying the manual, finally had a free hand and opened the martial arts assistant.
A moment later, another person lay on the ground.
Chu Liuxiang looked at Gao Yanan, who was protecting Abbess Kumei, with pity: "I remember you told Xiao Hu before that your dream was to be a chivalrous hero who punishes evil and promotes justice. Now you've fallen so low as to associate with Bat Island. Have you forgotten all your former lofty ambitions?"
Gao Yanan closed her eyes in pain.
How could I forget?
But life always involves choices, and she couldn't abandon the master who raised her since childhood for a vague dream.
"I……"
“It has nothing to do with her. She couldn’t disobey her master’s orders. I forced her.”
Before Gao Yanan could speak, Abbess Kumei interrupted her, her gaze sharp as she looked at Chu Liuxiang.
"Rumors circulate in the martial arts world that Chu Xiangshuai never kills anyone. Is this true or false?"
Chu Liuxiang was taken aback, wondering why she suddenly asked this, but he still answered frankly, "Of course it's true."
"That's good."
She turned to look at Xiu Chuqi before continuing to speak to Chu Liuxiang: "My disciple has nothing to do with Bat Island. She came to Bat Island with me because she was worried about me as her master."
"I implore General Chu to protect her out of consideration for our past relationship."
Without waiting for Chu Liuxiang's reply, he severed his own heart meridian and died without hesitation.
"Master!"
Gao Yanan gasped in surprise, and large tears streamed down her face.
The next moment, Gao Yanan, who was crying, also collapsed. Chu Liuxiang withdrew his hand from behind her neck, looked at the girls who had shown off their extraordinary encounters, and smiled ingratiatingly.
"I'm afraid she's too emotional, so I'll let her sleep for a while and then I'll take her to Hu Tiehua's place."
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he glanced knowingly at Chu Liuxiang and said irritably, "Go ahead, go ahead."
Watching Chu Liuxiang's departing figure, Xiu Chuqi couldn't help but complain to Lu Xiaofeng, "What does Chu Liuxiang mean by this? Doesn't he trust me?"
"I'm not a serial killer. Gao Yanan is a green-named person, why would I kill her?"
Upon hearing this, the island slave huddled in a corner, trembling, not daring to utter a single word of complaint.
Lu Xiaofeng had no such concerns. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Perhaps his decisive and ruthless demeanor earlier intimidated him. After all, that girl is Chu Liuxiang's friend, so it's understandable that he was a little nervous."
Xiu Chu knew this, which is why she didn't say anything unpleasant to Chu Liuxiang.
There's no need to keep giving them a friendly look. If they don't even have that much trust, what kind of friend are they?
Showing off his extraordinary encounter, he thought angrily.
Kunyu Xuanjing and Lu Xiaofeng are still better, much better than Chu Liuxiang!
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