Chapter 233: My Sword
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The square was deadly quiet.
No one expected that He Yan’s opponent in the sword fight would not be Xiao Jue but He Rufei.
Lin Shuanghe muttered, “Is Little Sister He crazy?”
Yan He also frowned and asked Xiao Jue, “What’s going on? She didn’t come to you but went to He Rufei instead.”
Xiao Jue remained silent, his expression calm, as if he had long anticipated the scene before him.
He Rufei looked at the woman in front of her. The woman in official attire had a smiling face, speaking so confidently. She seemed slim and petite, yet had the courage to challenge him.
Did she really take herself as “He Yan”?
A trace of a sneer crossed his mind. The woman in front of him had no resemblance to the He Yan from before. The cheerful and energetic Marquis Wuan, according to rumors, was completely different from his silent and reserved cousin. Even if she wanted to play tricks, shouldn’t she have inquired about the other party’s personality beforehand? This imitation, full of loopholes, was so clumsy that it could be easily seen through.
“Do you want to compete with me in swordsmanship?” He Rufei spoke slowly.
“Everyone says that Flying Phoenix General’s sword is so fast that it can cut through the wind,” He Yan smiled. “Unfortunately, I have never seen it. Since there is a chance today, like what Commander Xiao said, there will be plenty of opportunities for swordplay in the future. I don’t mind this time, but Flying Phoenix General’s sword is not something you can see every day.”
“Young Master He,” she chuckled, “are you willing to have a battle with me?”
He Rufei raised the corner of his mouth, “Of course, but… swords have no eyes. If I lose…” He glanced in Xiao Jue’s direction, “Commander Xiao won’t blame me, will he?”
This was an outright provocation.
It was rumored that Flying Phoenix General and General Fengyun were natural enemies, never getting along. However, rumors were just rumors, and no one had ever seen them truly confront each other. But today it seemed that the rumors were not just rumors, given the tension in the air.
Among the military officers, a young man in a dark blue uniform smiled faintly and said, “No, but there should be a prize for the sword fight.”
“A prize?” He Rufei asked, “How about…”
“Ordinary prizes can’t match General He’s sword.” Without waiting for He Rufei to finish, Xiao Jue interrupted, “Since it’s a sword fight, let’s use a sword as the prize.”
“If you win, I will give you this Drinking Autumn sword. If you lose,” he stared at He Rufei with a half-smile, “the owner of Qinglang will be Marquis Wuan from now on.”
With this statement, the square instantly erupted.
“Really? I didn’t expect Commander Xiao to make such a big gamble this time!”
“That’s Drinking Autumn and Qinglang, all just for a woman, it’s really too much of a play.”
“I think Commander Xiao’s Drinking Autumn sword is not guaranteed. I didn’t expect him to bet so much just for a woman!”
“If it’s Flying Phoenix General, how could he possibly lose to a woman!”
Emperor Wenxuan frowned. The confrontation between He Rufei and Xiao Jue was clearly visible to him. But these two have coexisted peacefully for so many years; when did their relationship become so strained? Disharmony among military officers was not a good thing for a dynasty.
He Rufei looked at Xiao Jue, “Commander Xiao, are you sure you want to use your sword as the prize?”
“It’s not ‘my’ sword,” Xiao Jue replied with profound meaning. “It’s also ‘your’ sword.”
He Rufei smiled indifferently, probably thinking that Xiao Jue’s words were purely meant to be amusing. He had heard of He Yan’s reputation on the battlefield, but there were various reasons for deciding to win a battle. Perhaps He Yan was a bit clever, but in a one-on-one sword fight, face to face, he was confident that He Yan was not his match.
There could only be one “He Yan” in the world, and that “He Yan” was already dead.
“Since Commander Xiao is so generous, I’ll reluctantly comply,” he said. “Please.”
“Wait,” Xiao Jue said.
“What’s the matter?” He Rufei turned to him. “Could it be that Commander Xiao regrets it now? It’s not too late to change your mind.”
Xiao Jue curled the corner of his mouth and sneered, “General He’s weapon is a rare masterpiece in the world. It’s a bit unfair to the opponent.” With a wave of his hand, Drinking Autumn in his hand flew towards He Yan and was steadily caught by He Yan. “Let’s compare with my Autumn Morning.”
He Rufei frowned, and He Yan smiled slightly, “Thank you, Commander.”
She turned and walked towards the empty space, saying, “Please, Young Master He.”
He Rufei paused for a moment and then followed.
The officials on the square, the imperial relatives on the Tianxing Terrace, were all staring at the two figures on the empty space of the square. This was much more captivating than the two strong men from the Wutuo Kingdom wrestling just now. Maningbu also stared at the woman in the red official uniform; he really didn’t expect He Yan to refuse to compete with them from Wutuo, and even more unexpectedly, He Yan chose He Rufei.
It seems that the conflicts between the two great generals of Great Wei are deeper than they had imagined.
Guangji whispered to Guangshuo beside him, “Fourth Brother, is this appropriate? How can General He bully a woman?”
Even though in Guangji’s young mind, He Yan, as Xiao Jue’s fiancée, was obviously not as perfect as Shen Muxue as Xiao Jue’s fiancée. But the rules and principles he had learned since childhood also taught him that men should not bully women and the weak.
Guangshuo shook his head, “Let’s see.”
He also couldn’t understand. If He Yan didn’t know the heights of heaven and earth, so she chose He Rufei, Xiao Jue not only didn’t stop her, but also proposed to use a sword for a spectacular opening. It was even more puzzling.
Yan He whispered, “Xiao Huaijin, have you gone crazy? How could He Yan possibly win against He Rufei? Although He Rufei won’t take her life… but in front of so many people, if your woman loses, won’t it become a joke and be talked about behind her back in the future?”
“She will win,” Xiao Jue said.
“What kind of joke are you making?” Yan He widened his eyes, looking at him like he was a fool. “I used to not believe when others said you were blinded by lust, but it seems you are just an ordinary man. Even if He Rufei is not that great, he has practiced swordsmanship and been on the battlefield for several years more than your woman. Even if you don’t care about your woman, won’t you care about your sword? I’m not trying to help you; I just don’t want both of the world’s top swords to fall into He Rufei’s hands. I’ll be furious!”
“Oh,” Xiao Jue’s voice still carried a bit of indifference. “You can rest assured. You won’t be furious for now.”
“I…” Yan He was annoyed, “I don’t want to talk to you!”
On the square, He Rufei slowly drew the Qinglang sword from his waist.
The Qinglang sword, with its azure and emerald hues, had just been unsheathed, and the sword aura felt icy and piercing. There was a momentary pause in He Yan’s gaze; that was her sword.
The Qinglang sword had accompanied her through many years, witnessing her transformation from a naive and inexperienced recruit into an invincible and courageous general. During the toughest times, she had sat by the icy riverbank, holding the Qinglang sword, contemplating the path she would take in the future. After many years, the sword was finally unsheathed again, but it was now held by He Rufei.
“Young Master He has a good sword,” she said, “What a pity.”
He Rufei asked, “What’s the pity?”
He Yan just smiled without saying a word, suddenly pulling out Drinking Autumn from her waist, “Draw your sword!”
Two figures instantly entangled.
The Qinglang sword, with its azure and emerald hues, and the sparkling Drinking Autumn, the long swords intersected, one green and one white, like the clear morning in an autumn valley, filled with a chilling silence. The blue mountains were faintly visible, and every tree exuded autumn colors. The sword aura swept the sandy ground around them, clearly a sword fight, yet it was as captivating as a dance.
Flying Phoenix General’s swordsmanship was naturally excellent, both fast and accurate, with an unstoppable momentum. Surprisingly, the woman holding Drinking Autumn, fighting against Flying Phoenix General’s long sword, showed no signs of falling behind.
How is this possible?
She was just a woman, although she had been on the battlefield, she was only sixteen or seventeen now, how could she be the match of a seasoned veteran on the battlefield? Could it be that Flying Phoenix General was holding back?
A hint of surprise flashed in He Rufei’s mind.
Before the sword fight, He Rufei thought he had already given enough credit to He Yan’s swordsmanship, but now it seemed he had underestimated her.
The woman’s swordsmanship was skillful, as if she had been practicing swordplay since childhood. The sword edge was extremely steady and cunning, effortlessly avoiding each of his attacks. Her own attacks were equally formidable, swift and relentless, comparable to his own, and sometimes, due to the woman’s agile figure, it even seemed faster.
Lin Shuanghe was stupefied, muttering to himself, “My Little Sister He is… this powerful?”
Although he knew He Yan was formidable, he had never witnessed her in a life-and-death battle, only hearing about it. From his perspective, while He Yan might be skilled in military strategy, a woman’s physical strength and agility were incomparable to a man’s, especially when facing someone like He Rufei.
He Rufei was indeed a bit weak when he was studying at Xianchang Academy in his youth. However, later on, he became a talented general in Great Wei, on par with Xiao Jue. The anxiety that had been lingering in his throat was now set aside, replaced by deeper confusion. If He Yan was so powerful, did that mean she was at least on par with He Rufei?
Did Xiao Jue know about this in advance, allowing her to confidently use the Drinking Autumn sword as a highlight for He Yan in this competition?
Where the sword edge reached, there was actually one person, overlooked by everyone, hidden among the civilian officials – Xu Zhiheng.
Since the day he met He Yan at the celebration banquet, Xu Zhiheng had always felt uneasy. Fortunately, he hadn’t met He Yan again later. However, from the moment Maningbu mentioned He Yan, Xu Zhiheng had a foreboding feeling.
This foreboding reached its peak when He Yan suggested a sword fight with He Rufei.
If it weren’t for everyone standing in an orderly manner at the moment, with the emperor watching from the Tianxing Terrace, Xu Zhiheng might have already been unable to restrain himself from fleeing. The woman holding the sword had a delightful smile, and in an instant, her face overlapped with the face of a certain woman from his memories.
Xu Zhiheng watched He Yan entangled with He Rufei, listening to the surrounding gasps and exclamations, feeling a chilling sensation all over his body.
She’s back… It couldn’t be anyone else; only she, He Yan, was back.
He Yan blocked He Rufei’s sword with her own, leaped lightly, and appeared behind He Rufei.
The Drinking Autumn sword understood her heart well. Although it was Xiao Jue’s sword, she wielded it skillfully. Her gaze focused on He Rufei, and her expression turned somewhat cold.
He Rufei was imitating her sword moves.
Perhaps because He Rufei was afraid that pretending to be “Flying Phoenix General” would expose his flaws, even though he took off his mask and hadn’t been on the battlefield, he deliberately imitated He Yan’s sword moves. In fact, he imitated about eighty percent of them. If it weren’t for his close intimacy with He Yan and frequent observations of her swordplay, others might not be able to distinguish.
However… he lacked twenty percent, and that twenty percent happened to be the most crucial part of He Yan’s swordsmanship, one-tenth from Xiao Jue’s guidance in his youth and one-tenth from Master Liu Buwang’s teachings. Objectively speaking, He Rufei’s sword moves were quite good, but someone who had never been on the battlefield, who hadn’t experienced teetering on the edge of life and death, would inevitably hold back in the sword aura.
He Yan smiled slightly and thrust her sword towards He Rufei. He Rufei was surprised, raised his sword to block, the two swords collided, the swords remained motionless, but He Rufei took two steps back.
A low murmur of surprise echoed around.
The civilian officials didn’t quite understand, but the military officials saw clearly. Someone said, “Flying Phoenix General actually fell behind?”
“It must be because he showed mercy, allowing Wuan Marquis to win.”
He Yan’s smile carried a touch of frost, “Young Master He, you have a good sword. It’s a pity you don’t understand how to use it.”
“Arrogant!” He Rufei spoke with a dark expression, turned around, and rushed forward.
He Yan smiled, leaned backward, and Qinglang brushed over her head, cutting off a strand of her black hair. Her voice, filled with a smiling tone, resonated throughout the entire Tianxing Terrace.
“General He, have you been away from the battlefield for too long, making your sword moves so dull?” She gestured with a finger, displaying an arrogant attitude. “Can you even lift the sword in your hand?”
He Rufei’s complexion was already very unsightly.
The Emperor’s expression was equally displeased. If He Rufei continued like this, wouldn’t he be tarnishing the dignity of Great Wei? This woman was also lacking in understanding. Even if she had good skills, she shouldn’t be so domineering, especially since she had only temporarily gained the upper hand. How dare she speak so arrogantly?
Yan He, with his arms crossed, frowned and said, “He Rufei’s swordsmanship doesn’t seem that impressive now. But the sword moves of the two of them seem somewhat similar.” He had a thought and looked at Xiao Jue, “Could it be that you’ve also given pointers to He Yan in swordsmanship?”
“You’re like those street performers who teach martial arts,” Yan He expressed strong disdain, “Anyone can become your disciple. Do you even remember that you are Xiao Huaijin?”
“You’re too noisy,” Xiao Jue replied displeased.
“Huh,” Yan He saw through him with a glance, “Why are you pretending to be calm here? Have you been anxious inside, wanting to rush up and help He Yan in the sword fight? But don’t worry, I don’t think He Rufei will necessarily win. What your woman said is not wrong. It’s probably been a long time since he was on the battlefield, and his hands have become weak. Truly embarrassing for Xianchang Academy!”
The sword fight between He Yan and He Rufei had already exceeded everyone’s expectations.
They had originally thought that this sword fight would end quickly because, setting aside gender identities, one was a rookie recruit, and the other was a renowned general. No matter how you looked at it, He Yan seemed destined to lose. Even if she won, it would be deliberately arranged by He Rufei.
If He Yan quickly won, it would show that Flying Phoenix General was considerate of the woman and didn’t want to embarrass her, preserving the dignity of Wuan Marquis. But He Yan and He Rufei had been fighting for so long.
If they fought for so long without a clear winner, it couldn’t be that Flying Phoenix General was deliberately showing mercy.
And judging from the reactions of those military officials, He Rufei… hadn’t even gained the upper hand.
Was Xiao Huaijin’s fiancée really so powerful? Even He Rufei couldn’t defeat her. Or had Flying Phoenix General’s skills really deteriorated over the years?
Among the people present, aside from Xu Zhiheng and He Rufei, the one with the most unpleasant expression was Xu Jingfu.
Today’s events were truly unexpected for Xu Jingfu.
Those Wutuo people were very cunning, and their secret dealings with Crown Prince Guangyan were particularly extensive. Crown Prince Guangyan had a narrow-minded view and was short-sighted in his actions. Apart from being ruthless, he lacked any qualities of a future monarch. Xu Jingfu only doubted whether the Wutuo people had left any hidden moves. If it weren’t for the considerable effort he had invested in Crown Prince Guangyan over the years, he would have abandoned the plan and defected to the other side long ago.
Guangyan had reservations about him, and the Wutuo people had been privately dissatisfied with him since the Battle of Jiyang. But so what? In the court of Great Wei, he held unparalleled power, and the Wutuo people couldn’t stir up trouble even if they wanted to.
When Maningbu proposed a duel with He Yan today, it caught Xu Jingfu off guard, and the final participants in the duel turned out to be He Yan and He Rufei, making him realize that something was amiss.
He Yan, the daughter of a Gate military official, was undoubtedly acting under the orders of Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue’s proposal to use swords as an opening act was clearly not well-intentioned. Xu Jingfu had been at odds with Xiao Jue for so many years, watching him evolve from a youth barely supporting the lintel to the acclaimed Commander of the Right Army. Sometimes, Xu Jingfu understood Xiao Jue better than himself. The collaboration between He Yan and Xiao Jue was evidently a trap set for He Rufei, and He Rufei, in his foolishness, had fallen into it.
Perhaps He Rufei had seen through it, but he was too confident in himself, unwilling to believe that he could lose to a woman.
While everyone was watching He Yan and He Rufei’s sword fight, marveling at the seemingly equal skills, Xu Jingfu wondered if it really mattered.
Did Xiao Jue stage this spectacle just to humiliate He Rufei in front of the court officials?
Xu Jingfu didn’t think so. There was no enmity between He Rufei and Xiao Jue before, even though He Rufei had joined him, attempted to assassinate Xiao Jue’s trusted subordinates in Liangzhou City, and sought to gain credit by presenting their heads to him, despite the eventual failure.
But Xu Jingfu saw sincerity in He Rufei’s actions. With the support of civil officials, he also needed the response of a military general. He Rufei appeared at just the right time. Although Xu Jingfu didn’t understand why He Rufei chose him, he could comprehend that the political arena had the power to change a person. Even a brave and skilled general, when faced with greater benefits and higher positions, would willingly offer up his precious sword.
He Rufei… Xu Jingfu’s growing anxiety felt like thick ink, wrapping around him. He looked at He Rufei, who was currently fighting the woman, and felt his heart sink.
If something happened to He Rufei… would it implicate him?
After all, their close association had begun since the battle at Yuanbao Town in Liangzhou City.
The sword’s tip, carrying a murderous intent, stabbed diagonally from behind, but the person being stabbed seemed to have eyes on his back. He lightly dodged, letting the sword tip miss him.
“Young Master He’s swordsmanship looks a bit familiar,” He Yan smiled, “But it only resembles the form, not the essence. How to wield this sword,” her lips curled up, concealing a subtle killing intent, “Do you want me to teach you?”
Suddenly turning around, she thrust her sword.
With a “bang,” the sword tip pierced into He Rufei’s chest, but only a little, without further penetration.
“Even Young Master He wears soft armor on the Tianxing Terrace?” He Yan exclaimed in surprise, “Are you that afraid of death? Are you expecting enemies to seek revenge halfway through?”
He Rufei sneered, “You talk too much!”
“Your swordsmanship is just too weak.”
In terms of provocation, He Rufei was truly no match for He Yan. Back at the Liangzhou Garrison, He Yan could provoke every recruit with just a few words, making them grind their teeth in hatred. Now was no different.
He Rufei also felt a sense of difficulty.
The swordsmanship of the woman in front of him was truly exceptional. There were no loopholes to exploit, and, on the contrary, she could always spot his mistakes, seeing through them at a glance. Several times, He Yan could have quickly ended the sword fight, but she chose not to. Instead, she skillfully unbuttoned one of his buttons, cut off a piece of his sleeve, calmly and unhurriedly, like a cat toying with a mouse, making him appear inferior to a woman in the eyes of the onlookers.
Inferior to a woman!
Even though he was the real He Rufei, the eldest son of the He family, he had to live his life following He Yan’s lead. He felt like He Yan’s stand-in, and in the end, people would say he wasn’t as good as He Yan.
Don’t think he couldn’t see it. The discussions and criticisms behind his back, the comparison of the current General He to the former Flying Phoenix General – why? Why did he have to be compared like this, to live in the shadow of others, inferior to a woman? It was ridiculous. That woman was already dead. How could a dead person be compared to him? The winner in the end would be the one who lived.
He wielded his sword, thrusting it from behind He Yan at a cunning angle. This was the most powerful move of Flying Phoenix General, and he had practiced it for a long time… It was said that no one could evade the final strike of Flying Phoenix General.
The sword tip was about to pierce the woman’s back, and the tension in the air reached its peak.
In the next moment, Drinking Autumn elegantly and accurately intercepted his sword. The woman in red did not turn around, but instead, she reversed the sword, fiercely stabbing back. The sword edge was sharp, and He Rufei was taken aback. He tried to dodge, but the woman didn’t actually intend to stab him. She somersaulted over and landed behind him, delivering a powerful kick straight to the back of his knee. Caught off guard, He Rufei’s knees buckled, and he fell to his knees.
An icy cold sensation immediately spread across his neck.
The woman in red looked down at him with a triumphant smile, silently moving her lips. Although too far away for others to hear, He Rufei could clearly see what she said.
“Big brother,” she said, “using my sword, are you… worthy?”
－－－－－－Sidebar－－－－－－
He Rufei: I guess I’m not worthy
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and the crowd goes wild!!!!!