Chapter 20: What Sorcery
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Zhou Wu claimed he had practiced swordsmanship for ten years, but Meng Xueli retorted that a gentleman could borrow a sword, and ten years wouldn’t be too late, which sounded like a joke.
By the cold pool on the cliffside, the two stood about ten zhang apart, surrounded by over a hundred people who were watching intently.
Note: 1 Zhang is 3 meters.
At that moment, a voice sounded from not far away, “Why are you all gathered here instead of practicing swordsmanship in the morning?”
As the voice fell, a path opened up among the dense crowd of inner disciples, followed by whispers.
“Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Brother Li, and Senior Brother He are here.”
“Perfect timing, now the fight won’t happen!”
Around twenty to thirty people arrived, led by three young men who walked straight into the middle of the field, blocking Meng Xueli’s view.
Zhou Wu transmitted to his companion, “No wonder the surnamed Meng isn’t taking the bait; they must have tipped him off.”
He didn’t sheathe his sword and sneered at the leading young man, “Zhang Suyuan, today I’m having a fair sword match with Elder Meng. The duel has already been set, so don’t meddle.”
Zhang Suyuan shook his head, “Elder Meng has perfected his Qi training, while you have already advanced to the ‘Barrier-Breaking Stage.’ How can you call that fair?” Then he turned and greeted Meng Xueli with a salute.
Wu Jing, standing behind Zhou Wu, spoke first, “That’s just because his skills are inferior. In the Hanhai Secret Realm, will anyone go easy on him?”
Zhang Suyuan ignored Wu Jing and addressed the other disciples, softening his tone:
“When Ji Xiao Zhenren was alive, Han Shan became famous because of him, and we were under his protection. After his passing, it is our duty to take care of his young and weak Dao companion. The Han Shan Sword Sect has thrived for many years because of mutual support, with the strong protecting the weak, and unity against enemies. Now, everyone, go back to practicing your swordsmanship.”
He was highly respected among the inner disciples, and someone immediately echoed, “Senior Brother Zhang is right. Everyone, think carefully.”
“Sounds noble, but you’re just being generous with someone else’s resources!” a disciple from Zhou Wu’s faction shouted. “If you were asked to avoid battles in the secret realm and give up your ranking, would you willingly do so?!”
Zhang Suyuan responded calmly, “I would.”
Zhou Wu sneered, “You three are willing to sacrifice, but why didn’t this ‘great task’ fall on your heads? We don’t dare say the Sect Leader Zhenren is unfair, we just have bad luck!”
“Everyone knows that last month, you found a genius with innate sword spirit in a remote area and were rewarded handsomely by the Hall of Executors for bringing him into the sect. It seems all the ‘difficult tasks’ go to you, while the ‘good tasks’ are given to us.”
His sarcastic remark slightly changed the atmosphere among the crowd, subtly revealing a tense, confrontational stance.
Where there are people, there are factions. Even within the Hall of Legal Principles, there were small cliques like the “Pro-Ji Party.” With the inner disciples having more complex backgrounds, factional divisions were inevitable.
Currently, the inner disciples of Han Shan were divided into two factions. One was led by the personal disciples of the five peak masters, with Zhang Suyuan and the other two at the forefront.
The other faction consisted of the family descendants of the Supreme Elder, with Zhou Wu and his three companions as the leaders.
The Sect Leader’s chief disciple, Cui Jing, was originally supposed to oversee and manage the inner disciples, akin to Jing Di at Mingyue Lake. However, like Ji Xiao Zhenren, he spent most of his time in seclusion, focusing on his cultivation, indifferent to sect affairs, and aloof from everyone.
In such a vast sect like Han Shan, factional distinctions had long existed.
Aside from the five peaks, the caves scattered throughout the valleys mostly belonged to the Supreme Elder’s cultivation family, the Zhou family of Huai Shui.
Ji Xiao’s master, who was considered the Supreme Elder’s junior brother, had tragically fallen early on. Ji Xiao had no blood relatives or disciples and lived alone at Jietian Cliff, holding a transcendent status.
However, after his senior brother Hu Si had a falling out with the Supreme Elder and left Han Shan in anger, Ji Xiao’s relationship with the Supreme Elder became distant and strained.
The Sect Leader Zhenren, prioritizing the greater good, mediated between them many times, but to no avail.
After Ji Xiao’s demise, the Supreme Elder once again became the most powerful in Han Shan. His numerous family elders and disciples felt proud and vindicated.
As for the Sect Leader and the peak masters, in terms of seniority, they were all the Supreme Elder’s juniors, and if the latter reprimanded them, they had no choice but to endure it.
Meng Xueli didn’t understand these complex old matters.
Thin snowflakes were flying, the cold pool was freezing, and he just wanted to go back and warm up as soon as possible.
So he stepped forward two paces and said to Zhang Suyuan and the others, “I know you mean well, but the duel is inevitable. Let’s talk after it’s over.”
The round-faced cultivator named Li Wei quickly said, “Don’t be afraid. When Zhenren was alive, he was close to my teacher. We still have Sword Sovereign’s calligraphy hanging in the main hall of Chongbi Peak… With a difference in realms between the competitors, it’s not a fair duel. Not having the duel wouldn’t break any rules. We’ll escort you back.”
Meng Xueli thought, Fine, everywhere has Ji Xiao Zhenren’s calligraphy except me.
He shook his head, “I’m not afraid. It will only take a moment. Step aside.”
Zhang Suyuan and his companions were stunned and refused to move.
Meng Xueli had to whisper, “My Dao companion left many powerful magical artifacts, very powerful ones.”
The three of them suddenly understood, thinking they knew his intention. Zhang Suyuan advised, “Then you must strike first and quickly.” With that, he led his people aside.
Only the little young disciple remained, his face pale, his eyes red. Meng Xueli patted his head and whispered, “Saying it would take a moment was a lie. Close your eyes and count to thirty; I’ll be back by then.”
Finally, the two duelists stood on opposite sides and saluted each other.
At this moment, the dawn light shone from the east, while the western sky was still dark blue, with half a moon faintly visible.
The ice on the cold pool was hard and thick, covered with a thin layer of new snow.
In the morning wind, the dead trees by the pool trembled like old men.
In stark contrast to this bleak scenery was the bustling and excited atmosphere of over a hundred people on the open cliffside.
Zhou Wu said, “Since there is a difference in realms, if I can’t defeat you within three moves, let’s call it a draw. That way, it won’t be considered bullying the weak.”
He infused his Blazing Sun Sword with his true essence, and a sharp aura emanated from his body, instantly covering the cold pool. The thin snow on the ground melted at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the brown soil beneath.
The outer disciples of the Hall of Legal Principles witnessed such a scene for the first time and couldn’t help but hold their breath and stare.
Meng Xueli smiled, “I am your senior, so I will let you make the first move. That way, it won’t be considered bullying.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a bright sword light pierced through the wind and snow from the opposite side, instantly bridging the distance of over ten zhang and reaching his face in the blink of an eye!
The sword’s shadow was like a flying rainbow, and where it passed, waves of heat surged, instantly evaporating the snow on the cold pool and causing a vast white mist to rise and spread.
Meng Xueli was enveloped by the blazing sword light. The ‘Willow by the Pool’ in his hand shook violently, and his thin figure swayed like a weak willow branch in a strong wind, on the verge of collapsing.
This moment was incredibly brief. Zhang Suyuan and the others only had time to think one thing: It’s over, Zhou Wu has seized the advantage, and Elder Meng is petrified.
“It’s the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun Sword!”
As the sword light slashed down, some disciples closed their eyes, unable to bear watching, while others saw with their own eyes… Meng Xueli mysteriously vanished into thin air.
Even Zhou Wu, who was closest to him, didn’t know what happened. He couldn’t change his move in time and suddenly felt intense pain at the Dazhui acupoint on his back.
In the thick white mist, Meng Xueli ducked and brushed past the edge of the Blazing Sun Sword. At the same moment, the fine sword in his hand reversed like a spear, thrusting back.
He didn’t even fully turn his head, half relying on intuition, and stabbed precisely with this strike.
Zhou Wu stumbled forward two steps, his mind in shock, and turned around to slash again.
He released all his true essence, causing the sword light to surge, bursting out from the sword like a blazing waterfall.
At that moment, Meng Xueli held the sword hilt in one hand and the scabbard in the other, attacking from both sides as if wielding twin swords.
Zhou Wu instinctively dodged the sword edge, but the ‘Willow by the Pool’ blade didn’t contain any true essence, merely a feint.
The Blazing Sun Sword’s momentum had formed, and both attacked simultaneously, but Meng Xueli was faster.
In a flash, Meng Xueli’s green sword scabbard struck hard against Zhou Wu’s chest!
There was a clear cracking sound as a white figure flew straight towards the cold pool, Zhou Wu and his Blazing Sun Sword cutting through the white mist produced by the cold air.
“Boom, boom!” Two more loud bangs sounded like sudden thunderclaps.
The dead tree by the pool snapped, and the ice surface cracked!
Zhou Wu plunged towards the bottom of the pool!
Meng Xueli sheathed his sword and walked towards the edge of the field. Behind him, shattered ice and pool water splashed, sending a ten-zhang high wave into the sky.
“Crash!”
The massive wave fell like a violent rainstorm.
Meng Xueli retrieved the hand warmer from the young disciple’s arms, “You can open your eyes now.”
Liu Xiaohuai’s voice trembled, tears streaming down his face, “Twenty-six.”
The entire sword practice field was in disarray, silent as a grave.
Everyone, caught off guard, drenched as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over them.
Finally, a sharp voice broke the silence, “This is impossible! I don’t believe it!”
How could Zhou Wu, who had practiced swordsmanship for ten years, be easily defeated by Meng Xueli, who didn’t understand swordsmanship, wielding a ridiculous, non-mainstream soft sword?
No one understood how this had happened.
“I didn’t see it clearly, what exactly happened?”
Zhang Suyuan muttered, “Anticipation and timing.”
Could one truly achieve such a feat by relying solely on absolute precision in power, angle, and timing, despite the difference in true essence?
Zhou Wu’s faction erupted, and Wu Jing rushed out from the crowd, “What kind of sorcery did you use? That’s not swordsmanship!”
Meng Xueli, now wearing a cloak, shook his head helplessly, “I never practiced swordsmanship in the first place.”
Author’s note:
Meng Xueli: I’m freezing, Dao companion, come warm my hands, quick.
Ji Xiao: Coming, coming.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
