Ye Luo back tucked out of the way and then, using Voice Transmission, asked Luo Mingzhu, who held her ground, “What style is that? That’s not Luo Clan’s swordplay. Tianshan Sect’s swordplay?”
More than a decade ago, people already ranked Tianshan Sect’s patriarch – Glacial Water Death – as Luo Ming’s equivalent in the south for his swordplay.
When Luo Ming collapsed ten years ago, he sent Luo Mingzhu to Tianshan to bring back knowledge of Tianshan Sect’s skills – and to also arm her with the strength to protect herself from vengeful people Luo Clan were about to accost.
Luo Mingzhu wore her confidence on her lips: “That’s only the entrée. I haven’t even used Dead Water Glacial Purification Swordplay. I’ll give you a chance to surrender now.”
Luo Mingzhu hastily extended her fingers to catch a blade inbound for her face. Though she protected her face, her fingers went numb.
“Surrender to someone I can beat?” Ye Luo wasn’t armed with a bow and arrows, but she assumed the stance of an archer in the distance. “What good is swordplay if I don’t let you near me?”
Luo Mingzhu reflected on Ye Luo’s technique to figure out the discipline the latter employed. “Tiezhen Divine Archery… Yes, it’s Tiezhen Divine Archery. You’re not from Beijiang, though. Your surname is Y-, how are you related to Ye Yun (pronunciation: Ye Wen) of Emperor’s Entourage?”
“What do you think? Unlike you, I don’t bask in my father’s glory.”
While they did call Ye Yun and Baima the lackeys of the imperial court, the commanders of Emperor’s Entourage and Qilin Guards, respectively, were not men to be trifled with. They called Qilin Guards the nightmare of those in the pugilistic world and Emperor’s Entourage the nightmare of the martial arts community.
Could anyone from a famous sect or clan honestly assert they’d never taken a life? If the imperial court wanted to profile them, there was no way any of them were innocent. The only question was whether or not they were worth the imperial court’s time and resources. Should they be deemed a threat, Qilin Guards would bring the guillotine to them. Who decided if they should be executed? That would be none other than the agents from Emperor’s Entourage. Accordingly, Ye Luo and Luo Mingzhu were effectively the executioner’s daughter and the criminal’s daughter at this point.
They were going to resume the fight when Luo Mingzhu blurted, “Wait!”
“What do you want now?!”
After surveying their surroundings, Luo Mingzhu pointed out, “… Where is Young Master Su?”
“Huh?”
***
“Where am I?”
Su Xiao never should be trusted as a navigator and that goes double for when he’s in a crowded, foreign place. Luckily, he remembered their lodge and had a mouth to ask for directions.
Hmm, Sister Ye and Miss Luo are both out of character today. It’s better if I keep a safe distance from them. Mm, mm. Let’s just let nature take its course and go for a stroll.
Spring had marched in, and the weather was in a good mood. Walking along the flowing water with a light-orange illumination was perfect for uplifting one’s mood.
Su Xiao, dangling a green foxtail from his mouth, tucked his hands behind his head and went for a stroll, laughing and humming as he visualised Ming Feizhen doing the same.
“Mister, how much does your beef go for?”
“Ten copper coins for half a kilo.”
“That’s too much.” Su Xiao curled his lips. “Can you give me a discount for two and a half kilos? I’ll treat you to candied haws.”
“Ah, fine, only for you. I’ll give you 20% off, okay?”
“Thanks!”
Whilst packing Su Xiao’s order, the hawker gave Su Xiao some tributes to snack on. “Can you even finish all of this, Miss?”
As he chewed on the beef stick, Su Xiao answered, “It’s for my friend, not me.”
“Wow, what a lucky fella to score such a considerate wife.”
“Ah, I’m not a g-”
“Help!”
Su Xiao dropped a silver tael and said, “I’ll come back for it later” before bursting off in the direction of the girl’s cry.
It didn’t take long for Su Xiao to reach the nearby restaurant that the girl’s cry came from. Two men had the girl pressed down on a table on the second floor. There were people around, but nobody lent a hand to the girl clad in ordinary linen clothes because of the men’s sheer size, not to mention one of them had a big broadsword dangling from his belt. Besides, there were ten-odd more of their friends accompanying them.
The girl bit the hand that came over her mouth, prompting the flared man to hurl her off the second floor. She shut her eyes as she accepted her demise when the people around broke into applause.
“Miss, are you all right?”
The girl opened her eyes from Su Xiao’s warm arms and stuttered, “Wh-who are you?”
“My name is Su Xiao. Sorry for being late.” Su Xiao set the girl down and then glared at the men. “You think you will get away with your crimes?”
The bald gang leader unfolded his arms, finally feeling interested, and sent an eye gesture to the man who threw the girl off the second floor.
“Oh? Defender of justice, do you know who we are?”
“Wench, who do you think you are to bother us? While I’m feeling merciful, r-”
While he didn’t get to finish what he was saying, his nose did finish feeling the full brunt of Su Xiao’s fist smash that sent him to the ground over three metres away. Blood poured from his mouth due him biting his tongue on the way down.
Arm still extended, Su Xiao fumed, “Who are you calling a wench?” and then side kicked another heavy gang member before the latter could jump him.
The gang leader flicked his chin up. “Get him.”
Su Xiao waited for their blades to come close to him before ripping Ancient Cold out, snapping over ten broadswords in one swoop. The energy emitted from Ancient Cold flooring them.
The bald gang leader pulled his brows in and stopped drinking his tea.
Su Xiao returned Ancient Cold to its sheath, then looked over to the leader. “You going to turn yourself in, or do I need to drag you to the magistrate’s office?”
The gang leader didn’t respond right away. When he grinned, Su Xiao felt apprehensive, but he wasn’t sure what the grin was all about. Suddenly, the man he side kicked caught him in a bear hug from behind.
“Hahaha, didn’t see that coming, did you?!” jeered the leader. “Your ignorance has cost you dearly.”
“Boss, kill this wench! She’s bloody breaking my hold!”
The leader advanced on Su Xiao, broadsword held overhead: “Who the hell gave you the guts to mess with me?! Huh?!”
Su Xiao extended his neck and then flexed it as hard as he could, smashing the leader’s nose with his forehead. Next, he torqued as hard as he could, breaking the man’s arms roughly enough to send the man to sleep. With blood coursing down from his forehead, Su Xiao asserted, “Why do I need someone’s backing to punish evil?”
