Chapter 127
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“Junior Brother, where are you going?”
Gu Qingyuan gracefully descended with the grace of a dragonfly, leisurely blocking the path of the duo. “It’s common for fellow disciples to exchange pointers. Junior Brother wouldn’t deny Senior Brother this courtesy, right?”
Lu Qian, with a cold expression, said, “Do you want to spar swordsmanship with an unarmed and innocent junior brother?”
Xue Yao: “……”
His Long Aotian truly excelled at applying learned principles to various situations!
Gu Qingyuan slowly lowered his gaze, appraising Lu Qian’s shop assistant attire, and asked impatiently, “Where’s your iron?”
“Was just about to fetch it,” Lu Qian clasped his hands, “Meet you later.”
“Hold on.” Gu Qingyuan blocked the way with his sword. “You’re not planning to return to the palace to fetch it, are you? Planning to bring ten thousand imperial guards to deal with Senior Brother while you’re at it?”
Lu Qian sneered. “Nine thousand is more than enough.”
Xue Yao: “……” That’s practically the same as ten thousand!
Gu Qingyuan laughed, revealing a set of small white teeth, and playfully pointed at Lu Qian with his left index finger. “I’m almost starting to like you, little beast. Can’t delay any longer. If we keep chatting, Senior Brother won’t hold back. Come on then—”
With a commanding shout, he swung his long sword towards the sky. A slender tree branch was cut by the sword energy, falling from the tree, and he effortlessly caught it mid-air.
Without hesitation, he nonchalantly tossed his long sword towards Lu Qian.
Lu Qian raised his hand to catch the thrown sword, momentarily stunned by its weight.
The Sword Saint’s techniques typically complemented a light sword, emphasizing the lighter, the better, ultimately triumphing without a sword. So why did Gu Qingyuan, renowned across the martial world as the Little Sword Saint, use such an oddly shaped heavy long sword?
“This way, Senior Brother won’t be taking advantage, right?” Gu Qingyuan waved the tree branch in his hand.
Lu Qian, knowing he couldn’t avoid this sparring session, coldly asked Gu Qingyuan, “Senior Brother, which sword technique are you skilled in?”
“Grand Peak Sword,” Gu Qingyuan swirled the slender tree branch in his hand like a graceful dragon.
“Senior Brother, how proficient are you in the Gentle Wind Sword technique?”
Gu Qingyuan sensed that this critter was trying to be cunning.
The Grand Peak Sword technique was the most masculine sword art in the Sword Sect, in contrast to the extremely feminine Gentle Wind Sword technique.
These two sword techniques complemented and countered each other. Typically, those skilled in one could not naturally grasp the opposing sword technique. Hence, he wouldn’t employ the Gentle Wind Sword.
Seeing Gu Qingyuan’s hesitant expression, Lu Qian declared firmly, “Then, how about a spar with the Gentle Wind Sword?”
Gu Qingyuan: “……”
He had grown up without ever encountering a Sword Sect disciple so openly and blatantly afraid of death.
In reality, Lu Qian didn’t know the Gentle Wind Sword either. He had merely observed the Sword Saint demonstrate it once. As it focused on defense as a form of offense, he hadn’t bothered learning it.
Lu Qian was proficient only in the Sun Form of Dual Harmony Sword Technique, and had reached about sixty percent proficiency. However, neither knew the Gentle Wind Sword, so he could rely on talent and luck.
“Isn’t this inappropriate?” Gu Qingyuan raised an eyebrow. “The only sword is in your hands. When deciding which sword technique to spar, Senior Brother should make the call. Master mentioned your Dual Harmony Sword has shown some promise. Let’s compare using that.”
“What’s the Dual Harmony Sword?” Xue Yao nervously asked Lu Qian, “Is Your Highness skilled?”
“Skilled,” Lu Qian blurted out.
Automatically saying “skilled” in front of the little reader-in-waiting, but in reality, he wasn’t really confident.
“Then let Senior Brother witness how skilled you are.” Gu Qingyuan swung the branch towards Lu Qian and said to Xue Yao, “Step aside.”
Xue Yao, uneasy, instinctively stepped forward to block Lu Qian.
Lu Qian softly comforted the little reader-in-waiting, “He’s just bluffing. If he really wanted to kill your grandpa, there wouldn’t be so much talk.”
“……” Xue Yao found it quite reasonable. Besides, Gu Qingyuan was rumored to be a carefree and upright figure. The Sword Saint probably just wanted him to teach a lesson to the younger disciple. It wouldn’t escalate to a lethal situation.
Xue Yao stepped aside.
Watching from a distance, the Sword Saint’s disciples stood silently facing each other for a prolonged moment, with neither of them making a move .
Xue Yao prayed for this peaceful state to continue. If the two could compete using their mental focus, it would be even better.
However, as a cluster of leaves drifted down between them, both simultaneously raised their swords and attacked each other.
In the instant the sword energies clashed, an invisible force ruptured, wild grass on the ground bowed in all directions, and birds hidden in the branches scattered in alarm.
Despite the ten-yard distance, Xue Yao could sense the sharpness of their sword energies.
Their sword techniques were too fast for the naked eye to follow. Lu Qian, with his arrow sleeves, showed no signs of deviation. On the other hand, Gu Qingyuan’s wide sleeves filled with the intense sword energy, resembling two drifting butterfly wings in mid-air.
Xue Yao’s eyes and mouth widened.
He had never seen Lu Qian display such skill. He wondered if this guy could, like legendary martial artists, unleash a sword strike whose energy could cut through bamboo and wood several yards away.
But why did Lu Qian claim he wasn’t skilled in swordsmanship before?
Had he learned to be humble? Or was he starting to be cautious around his own attendant?
The latter speculation led Xue Yao into a spiral of overthinking, transforming his mood from nervous to unhappy!
The two martial brothers fought fiercely, making it difficult to distinguish between heaven and earth.
After dozens of rounds, Lu Qian unexpectedly began to show an advantage.
Though Xue Yao couldn’t comprehend the sword moves, he could see Lu Qian taking the offensive, gradually forcing Gu Qingyuan to retreat step by step.
However, before he could feel relieved, Gu Qingyuan’s sword style suddenly changed. A swift turn in mid-air, his movements no longer as agile and varied, but instead forceful like a bamboo breaking, initiating a counterattack!
Lu Qian furrowed his brows slightly, switching from offense to defense, but struggled, gradually falling behind. He watched as Gu Qingyuan’s tree branch, carrying a powerful sword energy, thrust directly at him—
“Hold on,” Lu Qian requested a pause.
Gu Qingyuan redirected the sword energy to the side, a sturdy tree trunk showing a one-third deep crack where it was struck. “What’s the matter?”
Lu Qian protested with a frown, “It was agreed to only use the Dual Harmony Sword, and you employed Grand Peak Sword technique.”
“That’s right. The sparring is almost over. Next, under Master’s orders, I’m going to teach you a lesson.” As soon as the words fell, Gu Qingyuan swiftly moved, disarming Lu Qian of his long sword!
Xue Yao, still unaware of what had happened. He only saw Long Aotian, who had the upper hand just moments ago, suddenly being counterattacked. After a brief pause and a few words exchanged, Long Aotian found himself being chased and spanked by Gu Qingyuan with a tree branch…
“Stop! Stop!” Xue Yao sprinted to shield his cub, turning to face Gu Qingyuan’s tree branch with a determined stance. “Why do you think you can hit people?”
“This is an internal matter within our sect.” Gu Qingyuan swayed the tree branch, trying to convince him to step aside.
“Even the Sword Saint has never hit His Highness!”
“Master is magnanimous, not bothering with treacherous and deceitful little disciples.”
“His Highness is not treacherous and deceitful!” Xue Yao questioned with a guilty conscience, although the rebellious brat had returned and didn’t even acknowledge him.
“Where’s his conscience?” Gu Qingyuan clenched the tree branch dangerously, squinting his eyes. “He refuses to eat Master’s best dish, braised tofu.”
Xue Yao turned to look at Lu Qian in surprise. “Why is Your Highness so picky? You used to love tofu, right?”
“He stuffed three spoons of cumin and five pieces of star anise into the tofu.” With a furrowed brow, Lu Qian, in unbearable pain, made a gesture to the little reader-in-waiting. “It was a huge piece of tofu.”
“Ugh.” Xue Yao looked disgusted.
“That’s because Master spoils you!” Gu Qingyuan couldn’t contain his anger. “He used to give me only three pieces of star anise!”
“Enough, Senior Brother.” Lu Qian coldly lifted his eyes, glaring at Gu Qingyuan. “Finish your braised eggplant first before coming after me.”
Gu Qingyuan was suddenly shocked. “What did you say?!”
Lu Qian tilted his head slightly, squinting as he examined Gu Qingyuan. “Senior Brother used to live in the room next to the bamboo grove in the southern garden, right?”
“So what if I did?”
“What’s the story behind the pile of rotten eggplants buried under the window at the back of the house? Is Senior Brother planning to grow eggplants?” Lu Qian seized upon Gu Qingyuan’s vulnerability. “Your grandpa discovered it when burying tofu, you know.”
Gu Qingyuan took a sharp breath!
If his Master discovered that he didn’t like eating braised eggplant, and he had secretly “buried” the braised eggplant his Master personally made every day, their master-disciple relationship would surely come to an end!
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