Hua Yan was truly saddened.
She never expected that Chu Jun, who was considered a disciple of a reputable sect, would resort to such despicable sneak attacks. In her panic, Hua Yan screamed at the top of her lungs.
After yelling, she found herself unable to speak!
Alas!
Of course, she was worried!
Hua Yan clutched Lu Chengsha’s sleeve, sobbed her heart out, and couldn’t help but add, “But Great Hero Lu, your knife throw just now was amazing!”
Afraid that Lu Chengsha couldn’t hear her clearly, she leaned in close to his ear to speak. She felt his chest tremble slightly and his shoulders shrug gently before he pulled away.
From Lu Chengsha’s face, no expression could be seen, but Hua Yan felt that he seemed quite happy.
The next moment, Hua Yan suddenly felt something soft brush against the top of her head, patting it gently.
Huh?
Lu Chengsha retracted his hand, still expressionless, as if the person who had just patted her head wasn’t him.
Hua Yan thought she was imagining things.
What was Great Hero Lu doing?
Was he comforting her?
Did he retract his hand so quickly because he was pricked by the butterfly ornaments on her silver hairpins?
Hua Yan was bewildered.
But she couldn’t speak, and Lu Chengsha wouldn’t speak either, so the atmosphere awkwardly froze.
Hua Yan, holding her head, thought that being patted on the head wasn’t a big deal. She was often patted on the head by her elders and parents. Maybe her head was just particularly pat-able. But ever since she left the Zhengyi Sect, no one had any thoughts about her head. Suddenly being patted, and by Great Hero Lu no less, she just wasn’t used to it!
While she was thinking this, Hua Yan felt her head being patted again.
Hua Yan: ???
She turned to look at the culprit, but Lu Chengsha, with his eyes looking at his nose and his nose looking at his heart, appeared very calm.
Great Hero Lu, is my head nice to pat?
Hua Yan conveyed her thoughts with her breath.
Lu Chengsha: “…Hmm.”
…Alright.
This little interruption made Hua Yan almost forget her previous anger.
Apart from being angry, she also found it strange.
When Chu Jun threw his sword, only Hua Yan stood up nervously, while the other disciples of Tingjian Manor remained calm and unmoved.
Did they all have such confidence in Great Hero Lu?
Hua Yan thought about it and felt quite ashamed. She resolved to have more confidence in Great Hero Lu in the future!
***
After Lu Chengsha’s battle with Chu Jun, the remaining two matches seemed less interesting.
Especially the match between Lu Chengzhao and Bai Yujiang. Although Bai Yujiang’s martial arts were originally superior to Lu Chengzhao’s, his burden was simply too heavy.
One look at his attire would tell you.
Bai Yujiang was dressed in immaculate white robes, with a Nine-Hole Exquisite Pendant at his waist, a jade crown of white silver entwined with filigree on his head, snow-white boots on his feet, and two fine ice silk white sashes draped over his shoulders. His slim waist was cinched with a silver silk embroidered cloud-pattern belt, making him look exceptionally upright and ethereal. From a distance, he resembled a snow pine tree. Coupled with his handsome, fair, and delicate face, he looked less like a person of the martial world and more like a young gentleman about to embark on the path to immortality.
Bai Yujiang’s moves were also incredibly elegant and graceful, like a startled swan in flight.
The martial arts of Baiya Peak were renowned for their beauty, and Bai Yujiang wielded his staff, named “Congealed Ice,” to its utmost potential. Every move, every stance, from his fingertips to his toes, was a dance of beauty, his posture as fluid and graceful as a dance.
Many female disciples in the audience couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
Although Bai Yujiang did not rank highly on the list of young heroes, he excelled in one ranking—the martial world’s list of most desirable suitors. He was known as the dream lover of all female warriors, treating every woman with equal gentleness and consideration, making him irresistible to many.
Hua Yan yawned, starting to feel drowsy again.
Bai Yujiang’s style, while beautiful, lacked killing intent. Moreover, he was extremely mindful of his personal image, unwilling to appear even slightly disheveled in battle. As a result, even if Lu Chengzhao’s martial skills were inferior, he could still hold his own against Bai Yujiang.
The Lu family’s swordsmanship was inherently fierce and aggressive, effectively countering the techniques of Baiya Peak. Thus, the two of them exchanged moves steadily, one after the other.
The match was civilized and elegant.
It looked more like a demonstration of techniques from two major sects.
If they were a man and a woman, it would have seemed extremely romantic and passionate.
The spectators below started to comment slowly.
“Young Master Bai’s ‘Heavenly Dance of Snow’ staff technique is excellent!”
“Young Manor Lord Lu is using Tingjian Manor’s ‘Relentless Sword Technique,’ it seems. He has achieved a commendable level of mastery.”
The atmosphere was very harmonious, completely lacking the tension and excitement of the previous match. Some disciples even took the opportunity to wander outside and visit the latrine.
Only a few female disciples watched intently, even gripping their swords in excitement.
In the midst of the fight, Bai Yijiang still found time to glance back and smile at the excited female disciples, eliciting waves of squeals.
Seeing this, Lu Chengzhao rolled his eyes dramatically.
Hua Yan couldn’t bear to watch anymore and turned to look at the other arenas. To her surprise, the duel between Zuo Jingshuang and Mu Xuelang was still ongoing!
The disparity in strength between Zuo Jingshuang and Mu Xuelang was significant, so the outcome should have been decided quickly. Yet, Zuo Jingshuang proved remarkably resilient.
At this moment, Zuo Jingshuang’s appearance was vastly different from the start. She bit her lip, her face pale and covered in sweat, looking extremely haggard. She was covered in wounds, and through her dark clothing, the blood-soaked areas were visible. This was probably the result of Mu Xuelang showing mercy.
Mu Xuelang’s expression was now one of utter helplessness.
The crowd was shouting for Zuo Jingshuang to concede, but she ignored them.
Hua Yan quickly understood how Zuo Jingshuang had sustained her injuries.
Mu Xuelang used his Huaxue Sword to force Zuo Jingshuang into a dead end. She could have avoided it by stepping back and touching the silk rope behind her, but she didn’t. Instead, she took Mu Xuelang’s sword blow head-on and counterattacked, displaying an astonishing level of tenacity.
Hua Yan was stunned.
What kind of melodramatic tragic romance was this? Was this junior sister fighting so desperately to force Mu Xuelang to take responsibility for her?
Hua Yan, thinking about it, felt a sense of respect.
She had learned a lesson in self-sacrifice!
She decided to try it out if she ever got the chance.
By the time Bai Yijiang and Lu Chengzhao finished their flowery but ineffective fight, Zuo Jingshuang had still not given up.
In the end, she completely exhausted her strength, and the Dangshan sect leader, Ling Tianxiao, had to personally intervene to stop the match. Zuo Jingshuang’s slender body wavered before her Qingshuang Sword clattered to the ground. The next moment, she collapsed.
The Dangshan disciples hurriedly rushed to her aid and carried her off for treatment.
Even those who had previously mocked Zuo Jingshuang fell silent, including the disciples of Qingcheng sect.
No one would mock someone who gave their all.
Even Mu Xuelang watched her retreating figure quietly, a look of pity in his eyes.
Mu Xuelang gazed at Zuo Jingshuang, while Hua Yan gazed at Mu Xuelang, wishing she had a gong to bang while shouting,
“Sympathy is the beginning of love!”
Big Green Onion Mu, don’t hold back, if you’re worried, just go after her!
Too bad her voice was hoarse.
Hua Yan felt deeply regretful.
After the brilliant matches earlier, there wasn’t much left to see.
Hua Yan greeted Lu Chengsha and then continued to wander around.
This time, wandering around wasn’t as easy as before because, after the earlier commotion, everyone recognized her attire and knew she had a close relationship with Lu Chengsha. They all looked at her with inquisitive and curious eyes.
Even the little disciple named Qing Yuan, whom she met yesterday, stuttered, “So, so it turns out you came with Young Hero Lu. Yesterday, I, I was rude…”
Hua Yan felt a bit like she was riding on someone else’s coattails.
She wanted to explain, but since she couldn’t speak, she gestured for a long time before Qing Yuan understood that she had been saved by Lu Chengsha and came along to watch the Sword-seeking Tournament.
Qing Yuan accepted this explanation, but his eyes still showed a hint of envy. “Is it great to come to the Sword-seeking Tournament with Young Hero Lu?”
Hua Yan thought about it and nodded vigorously.
Absolutely amazing!
Qing Yuan looked even more wistful. He sighed and said, “I don’t even know who to envy more.”
Hua Yan: …Hmm?
Seeing her confusion, Qing Yuan laughed and said, “It’s nothing, I was just speaking off the cuff.” He looked at the disciples fighting on the stage, then at the black figure with a blue sword tassel in the seats of Tingjian Manor, feeling a surge of indescribable emotions.
There are thousands of disciples in the martial world, but only a few have the talent to stand at the pinnacle of martial arts and be admired by everyone.
***
On the third day of the Sword-seeking Tournament, Hua Yan sensed the excitement even before leaving the inn. While the previous two days saw mostly martial artists in attendance, on the third day, even many commoners were eager to get a glimpse of the event.
All because today was the day of the Qiqin Gathering.
Unlike typical martial sects, Qiqin Tianxia was founded by a woman named Qin Xiaoran, who excelled in both qin artistry and martial arts.
Years ago, she held a month-long qin gathering on Qinqin Lake, attracting numerous enthusiasts from the martial world. They competed in qin artistry and martial arts day and night, with the sounds of music and swordplay filling the air, creating an atmosphere of utmost elegance.
She eventually developed a martial art that combined qin artistry with martial prowess.
Many from the martial world came to learn from her, and even some women from prestigious sects switched allegiances to join her.
Qin Xiaoran was once renowned as the most beautiful woman in the martial world. Not only was she exceptionally beautiful, but she also had an elegant demeanor and refined speech. She was well-versed in qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and etiquette, admired by countless martial artists. Thus, many martial artists were happy to send their daughters to Qiqin Tianxia, hoping they could learn even a fraction of Qin Xiaoran’s grace.
Although Qin Xiaoran has passed away for many years, Qiqin Tianxia remains the sect with the most female disciples in the martial world.
In most martial arts sects, male disciples outnumber female ones, but they still need to marry when they reach a certain age. Qiqin Tianxia is known for its beautiful female disciples, so… ahem…
There’s an exaggerated saying: “Getting a wife from Qiqin Tianxia is worth more than becoming a sect leader.”
Because of the intricate marital and familial ties between various sects and Qiqin Tianxia, and Qiqin Tianxia’s inherently non-competitive nature, its status is quite elevated.
Even during the Sword-seeking Tournament, a day is specifically reserved for the disciples of Qiqin Tianxia to perform qin music.
Speaking of Qiqin Tianxia, Hua Yan paid special attention, mainly because Shui Se had once mentioned that when she talked about Lu Chengsha, she also mentioned that the eldest daughter of Qiqin Tianxia, Qin Muyan, had a somewhat ambiguous relationship with Lu Chengsha involving a peony—although Hua Yan now doubted the truth of this story, just like Shui Se… she was still quite curious to see this eldest daughter in person.
She just didn’t expect that before she could go see Qin Muyan, Qin Muyan came to find her first.