Chapter 597: Perilous Before the Fist Question
Baishou couldn't quite adapt to the customs of the Sword Qi Great Wall for the time being. He was listless and sickly, sharing the same affliction with Ren Longcong.
This was the fundamental reason why qi refiners below the Earth Immortal realm were unwilling to stay long at the Sword Qi Great Wall. They couldn't endure it—it was like returning to the Cave Dwelling realm and constantly suffering from the bitterness of seawater flooding in. For young sword cultivators, it was still fine; in the long run, it was actually beneficial, nourishing the soul and flying swords. But for qi refiners of the Three Teachings and Hundred Schools who weren't sword cultivators, merely the process of extracting and peeling away the sword intent from the world's spiritual qi was an immense hardship. In history, during relatively peaceful intervals between battles at the Sword Qi Great Wall, there had been no lack of young, naive qi refiners who came from Daoxuan Mountain, stubbornly making their way to the city wall, accompanied by attendants who were "sightseeing" with them. If the attendants happened to be of low cultivation, by the time they carried their masters back to the gate, they would have already directly dropped in realm.
Lu Sui tentatively asked, "Since your friend is inside the city, how about coming with me to the Baimai Estate on Taixiang Street? That Sword Immortal Song Lu has quite deep ties with our North Juzhou."
Lu Sui actually knew that her suggestion was somewhat unreasonable, but she was afraid that after today's parting, Liu Jinglong would immerse himself in sword practice, forgetting both himself and the world. What would she do then? She had traveled tens of thousands of miles to meet him at Daoxuan Mountain, and she had only seen him a few times? Could it be that they would be close yet worlds apart, and perhaps the last time she saw him would be when she was about to return to Daoxuan Mountain to say goodbye? But if they stayed together at Sword Immortal Song Lu's Baimai Estate, even if Liu Jinglong was still focused on sword practice in seclusion, Lu Sui would feel that under the same roof, whether it rained or shone, at least the scenery they saw would be the same.
Baishou chimed in, "That makes sense! Let's not disturb the sect master's cultivation; let's go disturb Sword Immortal Song Lu instead."
Baishou was rather afraid to meet that Han Huaizi, the sect master of the Taihui Sword Sect whom he had never seen. On Pianran Peak, he had heard many peers chatting—it seemed this sect master was an extremely strict old man. Everyone spoke of him with awe and reverence. In contrast, Huang Tong, the Ancestral Law Elder whom Baishou had met once, had many amusing stories. But the problem was that when Baishou actually met the Senior Patriarch Huang Tong, he still felt as if walking on thin ice, extremely fearful. If even the Sword Immortal Huang Tong made him so uneasy, then meeting the top authority of the Taihui Sword Sect, Baishou would be worried that if he said one wrong word, the old man would kick him out of the Ancestral Hall on the spot. And then that most respectful and righteous fellow surnamed Liu would obediently comply, right? Baishou didn't think he was upset about the master-disciple bond; he was just upset about the prestige and dignity he had accumulated on Pianran Peak.
Lu Sui smiled knowingly.
Ren Longcong didn't quite like this outspoken teenager.
Qi Jinglong shook his head, saying, "I didn't know Sword Immortal Song Lu before. Showing up at his door directly would be too rash, and it would waste the goodwill between Miss Lu and her sect. That wouldn't be appropriate. Moreover, whether by emotion or reason, I should first go pay respects to the sect master. Besides, Senior Li's Wanhe Residence isn't far from our Taihui Sword Sect's mansion. After the previous fist-question, Senior Li left in a hurry, so I need to go thank him in person."
Sword immortals from outside who came to draw their swords here could choose from many vacant private residences between the Sword Qi Great Wall and the city. They could pick one and then inform the Hidden Official's lineage or the Zhu'an and Luoshan sword immortals. If a local sword immortal invited them to stay inside the city, that was also fine. If they wanted to stay on the city wall and pick a spot to guard, that was not discouraged either.
As for the Taihui Sword Sect of North Juzhou, ever since the two sword immortals Han Huaizi and Huang Tong arrived at the Sword Qi Great Wall together, their merit in killing demons had directly earned them a large mansion called Jiazheng Depot. All disciples of the Taihui Sword Sect now had a place to stay; upon arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall, they no longer needed to rely on others. In contrast, Li Cai, the sect master of the Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, had just arrived and had no familiar local sword immortals. So she directly chose the residence of a sword immortal from her home continent who had died in battle, the "Wanhe Residence." Li Cai was not at all afraid of any "bad luck." She moved in openly that very day, and many local sword immortals were willing to regard Li Cai highly for it.
Lu Sui smiled and said, "Jinglong, then I'll take the opportunity to visit Sect Master Han."
Qi Jinglong nodded, "Of course. The sect master has great admiration for Miss Lu's Great Path. He will surely be pleased if Miss Lu is willing to come visit us."
Lu Sui smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Ren Longcong took a deep breath and turned her head away, refusing to look at Lu Sui and that blockhead Liu Jinglong. If she looked too long, she couldn't help but want to curse.
Baishou also thought that the fellow surnamed Liu deserved a scolding. Whether the sect master of the Taihui Sword Sect was pleased or not—was that really what Fairy Lu cared about? Miss Lu had thrown so many flirtatious glances; even a blind man should have caught at least one or two, right? But you, Liu, with your skill, dodged every single time.
After they parted ways, Qi Jinglong, considering his disciple Baishou, did not fly on his sword to the Jiazheng Depot Mansion registered under the Taihui Sword Sect's name. Instead, he walked as much as possible, letting the teenager familiarize himself with the flow of sword intent in this world on his own. However, Qi Jinglong seemed a bit slow on the uptake, quietly asking, "Did I say something inappropriate to Miss Lu earlier? Was it too cold?"
Baishou said testily, "Are you kidding?"
Qi Jinglong sighed in relief. Good thing he hadn't.
Baishou added, "You didn't say a single warm-hearted thing."
Qi Jinglong sighed, "I see."
Baishou asked in confusion, "Liu, why don't you like Sister Lu? She's perfect in every way—there's nothing bad about her. In our North Juzhou, the number of young talents who like Sister Lu is countless. Why is it that the one she likes, you, doesn't like her back?"
Qi Jinglong said helplessly, "Only in this matter, there is no reasoning."
They walked along the city's edge, heading south for over a hundred li, until the master and disciple found the Jiazheng Depot.
For cultivators, even if they didn't ride the wind or swords, a journey of over a hundred li was still like walking through streets and alleys. Even though Baishou couldn't fully adapt to the suffocating feeling of the Sword Qi Great Wall yet, his pace compared to ordinary people crossing mountains and rivers was still like flying, as fast as a galloping horse.
Along the way, scattered mansions and houses, large and small, were mostly occupied by sword immortals of the Upper Five Realms or Earth Immortal sword cultivators from outside who were temporarily residing.
Sect Master Han Huaizi of the Taihui Sword Sect stood at the entrance. Qi Jinglong made a deep bow and said, "Liu Jinglong of Pianran Peak pays respects to the sect master."
Baishou secretly swallowed his saliva, imitating Liu, bowing at the waist, and said in a trembling voice, "Sixteenth-generation direct disciple of the Taihui Sword Sect Ancestral Hall, Baishou of Pianran Peak, pays respects to the sect master!"
Han Huaizi was the fourth-generation sect master of the Taihui Sword Sect, but the Ancestral Hall's lineage naturally extended far beyond that.
Although the Taihui Sword Sect was not ancient in North Juzhou's history, its advantage lay in the fact that every sect master was a sword immortal, and besides the sect master, there were almost always auxiliary sword immortals like Huang Tong, standing at the peak of North Juzhou's mountains. Moreover, each sect master's branching of the lineage varied in number. Liu Jinglong, who had not entered the Taihui Sword Sect's Ancestral Hall as a innate sword embryo, actually had a relatively low seniority. The enlightened master who brought him up the mountain was only a fourteenth-generation direct disciple of the Ancestral Hall, so Baishou could only be considered sixteenth-generation. However, in the inheritance of any sect in the Haoran World, once someone opened a peak or succeeded to a lineage's legacy, the seniority in the Ancestral Hall's pedigree would undergo various adjustments. For example, if Liu Jinglong succeeded as sect master, then the Ancestral Hall's pedigree records for Liu Jinglong's branch would undergo a natural "elevation" ceremony. Baishou, as the first disciple of Pianran Peak, would naturally be promoted to the sixth-generation "Ancestral Patriarch" of the Taihui Sword Sect's Ancestral Hall.
However, regarding seniority titles, except for new sect masters or mountain lords who were promoted out of turn to inherit a lineage, outsiders addressing their direct disciples could still follow the old calendar of the Ancestral Hall.
Han Huaizi smiled and raised a hand, "No need for excessive politeness. In our cultivation days here, whether long or short, we should adapt to local customs. Otherwise, with just the three of us in this mansion, who are we putting on a show for? Right, Baishou?"
Baishou looked crestfallen. Right? Definitely not right.
Not right? That was even more wrong.
So Baishou pitifully looked at the fellow surnamed Liu.
Qi Jinglong laughed, "How is it that your boundless courage shrinks to the size of a grain of rice in front of the sect master?"
In front of Liu, Baishou was still bold and reckless. He blurted out, "Blame that mute little water monster in the lake—she named herself Mili."
Suddenly realizing that beside him was the sect master sword immortal, as high as the clouds, Baishou broke into a cold sweat and actually spoke his mind, "Sect master, I know I said something wrong. Please, old man, don't kick me out of the Taihui Sword Sect!"
Han Huaizi found it both amusing and frustrating. Fortunately, Jinglong had already mentioned in his letter what kind of disciple he had taken on; otherwise, this sect master would have been caught off guard.
Han Huaizi smiled and comforted, "On the Sword Qi Great Wall, indeed there are many taboos in speech and action. You must not rely on being a sword cultivator of the Taihui Sword Sect and a direct disciple of Liu Jinglong to be arrogant. However, within our own mansion, there's no need to be too restrained. When cultivating here, think more and ask more. As a disciple of the Taihui Sword Sect, on the path of cultivation, if your sword heart is pure and bright, that is the greatest respect for your master; if you dare to advance without hesitation and draw your sword against injustice, that is the greatest emphasis on the Way."
Baishou stood stunned.
This was a far cry from the Han Huaizi he had imagined—the one who would immediately put on a sword immortal's airs and sect master's authority over the slightest disagreement.
Qi Jinglong laughed, "Now you should say loudly, 'I remember.'"
Baishou quickly said, "I remember!"
Qi Jinglong was helpless. He had never seen Baishou so obedient before.
Han Huaizi suppressed a smile and teased the teenager, "Remember what? No need to remember. You're a young sword cultivator; why force yourself to memorize these grand words?"
Baishou was almost bewildered by this sect master.
Then Han Huaizi led the two inside the Jiazheng Depot's gate, talking about the history of this mansion.
Which sword immortals had once lived here, when they died in battle, and how they died.
Baishou's reverence grew, and he unconsciously slowed his breathing and steps.
Because the teenager felt that every breath he took and every step he made seemed to disturb the rest of those predecessor sword immortals.
Han Huaizi quietly glanced at the teenager's expression and eyes, then turned to Qi Jinglong and nodded slightly.
---
A young woman deliberately used her own fist intent to provoke sword qi as an enemy. She wore hemp sandals, a red garment, and her long black hair was tied into a neat, coiled bun.
She carried only a bundle containing dry rations. Without entering the city, she went straight to the Sword Qi Great Wall. When she was still a li from the wall's base, she began sprinting forward, leaping high, stepping on the dozen-zhang-high city wall, then bent over and ran upward, climbing higher step by step.
When she was a few zhang from the top, she stomped heavily on the wall, her figure suddenly leaped up, and finally landed lightly on the city wall.
Then she walked slowly to the left. According to Cao Ci, that small thatched cottage—whether anyone lived in it or not—should be less than thirty li away.
As she walked, she encountered no guarding sword immortals, because near the two thatched cottages, large and small, there was no need for anyone to be on guard against demonic disturbance. No one could ascend the city wall, show off their might, and then safely return to the southern world.
Because that old sword immortal was there.
She suddenly frowned, because first she sensed extremely heavy sword qi on the city wall ahead.
It should be that legendary grand sword immortal Zuo You—a strange person who, before going overseas to seek immortals, had shattered the sword hearts of countless innate sword embryos.
But as she approached the thatched cottage, she found that on her forward path, there was also a sword immortal with a youthful appearance, who had already turned his head to look at her.
She continued walking forward, glanced at the small thatched cottage not far away, withdrew her gaze, clasped her fists, and asked, "Senior, are you temporarily staying in the cottage?"
Wei Jin smiled and nodded, saying, "If you don't mind, I'll move out of the cottage."
She nodded, "I do mind. So Senior, feel free to continue staying."
She stopped, sat cross-legged, took off her bundle, pulled out a flatbread, and began to chew it loudly.
Wei Jin smiled, unconcerned, and continued his cultivation with eyes closed.
After finishing the flatbread, the woman took out her water flask, drank a mouthful, and asked, "Senior, do you know where that Sword Immortal Kuxia from the Shaoyuan Dynasty is currently on the city wall?"
Wei Jin opened his eyes, "About seven hundred li away is where Sword Immortal Kuxia cultivates and guards. Unless something unexpected happens, he is currently teaching swordsmanship."
The woman nodded, "Thanks."
She shouldered her bundle, stood up, and began to walk in stance, slowly throwing punches. Each step often carried her several zhang, yet the punches were extremely slow. She headed toward the seven-hundred-li-away location.
During this time, she encountered a huge golden bird breaking through the clouds, casting a shadow over the city wall like night falling at noon. It landed beside a white-robed sword immortal, and upon landing, shrank to the size of a sparrow, hopping onto the shoulder of the sword immortal master.
Some sword immortals lounged lazily, lying askew on a couch facing south, tilting their heads to drink wine.
The woman gave them only a glance and looked no further.
Sword Immortal Kuxia was sitting on a meditation cushion. Lin Junbi and many other younger sword cultivators were meditating with eyes closed, breathing and absorbing, trying to draw in the refined sword intent that scattered and flowed in the world as fast as a sword immortal's flying sword—not spiritual qi. Otherwise, they would be picking up sesame seeds and losing watermelons, wasting their trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall. But aside from Lin Junbi, who had significant gains, even Yan Lyu was still clueless for now, only relying on luck. Occasionally, someone managed to gather a wisp of sword intent, and the slightest hint of joy would cause an unstable mind, and that wisp of sword intent would start churning. Sword Immortal Kuxia would then sacrifice his flying sword to expel that extremely faint ancient sword intent from the young sword cultivator's personal microcosm.
The young sword cultivator, who had nearly injured the foundation of his Great Path, turned pale.
Sword Immortal Kuxia spoke to him with heart-to-heart voice, his tone calm, helping the young man stabilize his sword heart. As for the disorder in his qi mansion's spiritual energy, that was a minor matter. No need for this sword immortal to intervene to soothe it.
Having been selected from among the many young talents of the Shaoyuan Dynasty to come to the Sword Qi Great Wall, if he couldn't handle even such a small thing, then tomorrow he could leave the Sun Residence and return to Daoxuan Mountain, obediently waiting there for the rest of the group. After all, the Plum Blossom Garden always treated its guests well.
Sword Immortal Kuxia suddenly stood up, turned his head, and recognized the other person. This naturally sorrowful-looking sword immortal broke into a rare smile and directly turned to greet the woman.
Regardless of how many aliases this junior, who enjoyed wandering the martial world, used outside, or what she was habitually called, on her family's Ancestral Hall pedigree, she had a name that had nothing to do with femininity.
Her surname was Yu, given name Juanfu.
The Yu Clan of the Central Divine Continent was an ancient top-tier aristocratic house.
They had once single-handedly supported a Great Chen Dynasty, which was even more powerful than the current Shaoyuan Dynasty. After the Great Chen Dynasty fell, within a hundred years, they had propped up an even larger Xuanmi Dynasty.
Yu Juanfu and her fiancé Huai Qian were both among the most outstanding young talents of the Central Divine Continent. But both were interesting: Yu Juanfu, to escape the arranged marriage, ran off to the Golden Armor Continent and practiced fists alone in an ancient ruin for many years. Huai Qian wasn't much better; he also ran off to North Juzhou, reportedly specializing in hunting and collecting lifebound flying swords of Earth Immortal sword cultivators. However, it was said that last year, Huai's ancestral patriarch unexpectedly showed up, personally visiting a friend who was also one of the Ten of the Central Divine Continent. The reason was unknown.
Sword Immortal Kuxia's martial uncle, Zhou Shenzhi, like the Huai ancestral patriarch, was also among the Ten, and his rank was even higher. He had once received a well-known comment: "Always looking down on everyone, but his sword path is even higher." Zhou Shenzhi was notoriously difficult to deal with across the vast map of the Central Divine Continent. Even toward his martial nephew Kuxia, this great sword immortal, famed throughout the world, never had a good expression.
Their lineage had been on good terms with the Yu family for generations.
Yu Juanfu was even the favorite junior of Sword Immortal Kuxia's martial uncle—perhaps the only favorite.
Zhou Shenzhi once said to others that his own descendants were all useless and unworthy of Yu Juanfu.
And everyone knew that Zhou Shenzhi's offspring were already renowned in the world for being prodigies and born immortals.
To what extent did Zhou Shenzhi dote on Yu Juanfu? When Yu Juanfu first traveled through the Central Divine Continent for three years, Zhou Shenzhi had been secretly protecting her. Then the straightforward Yu Juanfu accidentally caused a huge disaster, attracting the ambush of a great cultivator in the Immortal realm. Zhou Shenzhi directly cut off that cultivator's hand. The cultivator fled back to his Ancestral Hall, chose to seal himself in a minor cave heaven, and went into seclusion. Zhou Shenzhi leisurely followed behind, and eventually, the entire sect knelt down. From the mountain gate to the peak, Zhou Shenzhi made it clear: anyone who spoke would die, anyone who looked up would die, anyone who showed the slightest resentment would die.
And how broad-minded was Yu Juanfu? Instead, she complained that Zhou Shenzhi should have only driven off the enemy and left the revenge to her. Unexpectedly, Zhou Shenzhi wasn't angry; instead, he continued to escort that little girl Yu Juanfu until she left the Central Divine Continent and reached the Golden Armor Continent before turning back.
Seeing Sword Immortal Kuxia approaching, Yu Juanfu stopped, clasped her fists, and said, "Greetings, Senior Kuxia."
Sword Immortal Kuxia smiled and nodded, "How did you end up here?"
Yu Juanfu said, "Practicing fists."
Saying that was essentially saying nothing.
But Sword Immortal Kuxia laughed and said a dry phrase, "Already at the Golden Body realm. Keep up the good work."
Then both fell silent, but neither felt uncomfortable.
Sword Immortal Kuxia was not the type to be good at currying favor, nor did he hope that by caring for Yu Juanfu a little, he could win his martial uncle's approval. The truth was that Kuxia genuinely thought highly of Yu Juanfu.
As for Yu Juanfu, she was jokingly called "the Yu family member whose all elder affinity was consumed by Zhou Shenzhi alone."
Regarding the child marriage between the Huai and Yu families, as time passed, the Huai ancestral patriarch actually didn't like this stubborn and tough girl. So when Yu Juanfu later ran away to travel the martial world to escape the marriage, the entire Huai family had no complaints. Many Huai elders instead comforted their Yu friends, saying it was good for young people to travel more, that the marriage was not urgent, that Huai Qian was a cultivator, and that Yu Juanfu, although a pure martial artist, would surely have a long lifespan given her martial arts talent. Let the two children slowly get along on their own.
The two walked back together to where Sword Immortal Kuxia was teaching swords. Kuxia gestured for Yu Juanfu to sit on the meditation cushion, and she didn't stand on ceremony. She took off her bundle, took out another flatbread, and ate it with water.
Lin Junbi opened his eyes and smiled slightly.
Yu Juanfu clearly saw him but pretended not to.
---
On the street outside the Ning Manor's main gate, a young sword immortal in a blue robe walked slowly with his disciple.
The teenager lowered his voice and said, "Liu, I heard that Chen Ping'an is really impressive now. He has a resounding nickname—'Second Boss.' Especially his wife, she's formidable on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Sword Immortal Li told me privately that she can't stand that Ning Yao; otherwise, she wouldn't feel so stifled."
Qi Jinglong said nothing.
They knocked on the door, and it was Nalan Yexing who opened it.
Qi Jinglong announced his name.
Nalan Yexing's expression was initially strange, but then he immediately smiled and led the master and disciple to the Dragon-Slaying Cliff.
Chen Ping'an, who had been diligently refining qi, had already left the pavilion and walked down the Dragon-Slaying Platform, smiling and waving.
Baishou originally felt relieved seeing his brother Chen Ping'an; otherwise, on this Sword Qi Great Wall, he would have felt uncomfortable every day. But Baishou had just relaxed for a moment when he suddenly remembered that this guy was someone's master. He immediately drooped his head, feeling that life had lost all meaning.
Nalan Yexing had already taken his leave.
Chen Ping'an led the two into the pavilion and asked with a smile, "After three fist-questions, you felt that showing off in one North Juzhou wasn't enough, so you came to our Sword Qi Great Wall to flaunt yourselves?"
Qi Jinglong said, "With nothing better to do, I came to see the sect master and Sword Immortal Li, and also to check on you."
Chen Ping'an, hands in sleeves, leaned against the railing, glancing at Baishou. Unusually, he seemed a bit downcast?
When they reached the pavilion, the teenager plopped down beside Chen Ping'an.
Qi Jinglong didn't mind at all; indeed, his own disciple was closer to Chen Ping'an.
Qi Jinglong smiled and revealed the secret: "Before coming here, we first visited Luopo Mountain. Someone heard that your first disciple had only been learning fists for a year or two, so she said she would suppress her realm to the Lower Five Realms and also let her use one hand."
Chen Ping'an already had a rough idea of the outcome.
Qi Jinglong continued, "That disciple of yours was timid, so he asked if she could also let him use one leg."
Chen Ping'an glanced at Baishou, holding back a laugh, "And she agreed?"
Qi Jinglong nodded, "She agreed. That someone was delighted and said she would stand still and let Pei Qian attack freely."
Chen Ping'an shook his head, "You don't need to tell me the result."
Chen Ping'an shook his sleeve and took out a jug of Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven wine he had just cadged from the shop. "Come, let's celebrate our grand sword immortal Baishou's auspicious beginning."
Qi Jinglong waved his hand.
Baishou looked up, gritting his teeth, "I guarantee—absolutely, certainly, ten out of ten—that she's been learning fists for more than a year or two! Chen Ping'an, be honest with me: how many years has Pei Qian been learning fists? Ten years?!"
Chen Ping'an directly tossed the wine jug to Qi Jinglong, then took out another jug for himself—also cadged. He uncorked it, took a sip. This jug of wine seemed especially good. Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged, one hand on the railing, the other palm pressing on the wine jug on the bench. "Did my first disciple punch you down, or sweep you with a leg? Did she get hurt by our grand sword immortal Baishou's sword qi? No problem; even if she was hurt, it's fine. In sparring, if you're outmatched, you should just smash yourself with a piece of tofu."
Baishou was so furious he nearly popped his eyes out. He clenched his fists, let out a heavy sigh, and pounded them on the bench in frustration.
Qi Jinglong placed the wine jug beside him and laughed, "That disciple of yours seemed even more bewildered than that someone who was sent flying. I don't know why, but she looked particularly guilty. She crouched beside that someone, staring wide-eyed and tight-lipped with the guy lying on the ground bleeding from all seven orifices. Then Pei Qian ran to her two friends to discuss how to smooth things over. I didn't eavesdrop much—only caught Pei Qian saying that this time she absolutely couldn't use the 'fell down' excuse again, because last time the master didn't really believe it. She had to come up with a more reliable explanation."
Baishou's face darkened.
He leaned back against the railing, covering his face with both hands.
Qi Jinglong reminded, "I promised Pei Qian that I wouldn't reveal this. So just pretend you never heard it, and don't punish Pei Qian for this. Otherwise, I won't be able to visit Luopo Mountain anymore."
Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.
He hadn't planned to say anything to her anyway.
Baishou muttered, "I'm definitely not going to Luopo Mountain again. Pei Qian, next time, try coming to my Taihui Sword Sect! Next time, if I don't let my guard down, even if I only use half my cultivation..."
Before the teenager could finish, Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded, "Alright, I'll tell Pei Qian that the next martial match will be on Pianran Peak."
Baishou instantly felt extremely aggrieved. Remembering what the fellow surnamed Liu had said about that worthless girl, he yelled, "Anyway, Pei Qian isn't here—can't I at least talk tough for a bit? What's the big deal?!"
That kick from Pei Qian back then was truly vicious.
Baishou hadn't only fallen unconscious with blood flowing from seven orifices; in fact, when he struggled to open his eyes, it was like being drunk, with several Pei Qians flickering before him.
And what made it worse was what that worthless girl said. At the time, Baishou's face was ashen, his lips trembling, his limbs twitching. She crouched beside him, and perhaps seeing his wandering gaze not finding her, she "kindly" whispered to remind him, "Here, here, I'm here. Don't you die on me, okay? I really didn't mean to. You spoke so big earlier; how was I supposed to know you really were all talk? Luckily, I was worried that if I used too much force, I might hurt myself with that legendary immortal sword qi, so I only used seventy or eighty percent effort. Otherwise, how would I explain to my master later? Stop pretending—wake up! I'll stand still and let you hit me once..."
After that, Baishou passed out.
Chen Ping'an smirked, "What a coincidence. Before you came, I just sent a letter back to Luopo Mountain. If Pei Qian is willing, she can come to the Sword Qi Great Wall right away."
Baishou turned his head and asked, "Master, when are we returning to the sect? Pianran Peak has no one to take care of the thatched huts now. When the wind blows and rain falls, I feel uneasy."
This should be the first time outside the Taihui Sword Sect's Ancestral Hall that Baishou called Qi Jinglong "Master," and so sincerely.
Qi Jinglong thought for a moment, "At least wait until Pei Qian arrives."
Baishou's eyes went blank.
Qi Jinglong said, "By the way, I heard there's a very remarkable martial arts genius from the Central Divine Continent named Yu Juanfu who wants to find you for fist practice."
Chen Ping'an laughed, "Not interested."
Baishou said weakly, "Don't be fooled by the name—it's a woman."
Chen Ping'an was taken aback.
It couldn't be that coincidental.
Qi Jinglong nodded, "Indeed, she is a woman. About your age, also with a very solid foundation in the Golden Body realm."
Seeing Chen Ping'an's inexplicable expression.
Baishou's eyes lit up, "As for whether she's good-looking, I don't know. When you get to fighting her, you can take a few more looks. And besides, fists and feet have no eyes—hehehe..."
Then Baishou felt as if his hair stood on end, a chill running down his spine, his limbs icy. He stiffly turned his head and saw a woman slowly entering the pavilion.
She said nothing, showed no displeasure, and didn't deliberately target him, Baishou. Yet the teenager keenly sensed a Daoist suppression that seemed to "harmonize with the world" of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Perhaps she only slightly moved her mind; she was somewhat unhappy, and thus this whole natural world was naturally somewhat unhappy with him, Baishou.
Baishou stiffly turned his head again and said to Chen Ping'an, "Don't get rough, okay? When martial artists spar, they need to follow the rules. Of course, it's best not to agree to that so-and-so's fist practice. No need."
Chen Ping'an reached out and pressed the teenager's head, smiling, "Careful, or I'll twist your dog head off."