Chapter 50
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Pei Yunshu and Wu Jiu’s match took place in the afternoon of the following day. Early the next morning, Pei Yunshu arrived at the location of the cultivation tournament.
The Young Palace Master had predicted ten talents who could make it to the top ten, and half of them were disciples of Shanshui Sect. Pei Yunshu didn’t find his name on the list, but he didn’t feel disappointed. He was just curious about the strength of the person who had been so arrogantly confident in claiming the first place.
As for the “seductive technique” mentioned by the plump Daoist, it seemed half true and half false. Would someone who could write, “He would achieve the first place in the Cultivation Tournament,” resort to such means?
At noon, it was break time.
The matches were scheduled for the afternoon, so Pei Yunshu decided not to return to Three-Day Peak for now. He used his flying sword to reach the back of the mountain, found a secluded spot, and laid down on a tree to rest for a moment.
The leaves rustled gently, and the sunlight filtered through, casting dancing patterns. Just as Pei Yunshu was about to close his eyes, he suddenly heard a woman’s cry for help in the distance.
He instantly woke up, listening intently to determine the source of the sound. He leaped off the tree and hurried towards the direction of the cry for help.
Not far ahead, he saw several ferocious tigers surrounding the base of a giant tree. These tigers were unusually large, with their mouths wide open, glaring at the person hiding in the tree.
Pei Yunshu couldn’t see the person on the tree, but she must have been terrified. Only a wisp of red cloth hung down, swaying gently in the breeze.
Although these were just tigers, Pei Yunshu, with his Golden Core cultivation, was more than capable of dealing with them. After driving the tigers away, he approached the tree and looked up at the person. “Fellow cultivator, the tigers are gone. If you’re not injured, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait!” The person in the tree suddenly exclaimed, their voice crisp and melodious, tinged with panic and fear. “Fellow cultivator, can you help me down from the tree?”
She sounded timid. “My, my legs are weak.”
Cultivators shouldn’t be afraid of wild beasts that hadn’t yet gained spiritual wisdom, but Pei Yunshu thought of his own fear of snakes and sympathized for a moment.
He leaped onto the tree, heading towards the girl. He carefully stepped on the branches, and as he passed by the girl’s red clothing, the trailing red veil flew onto Pei Yunshu’s face with the wind.
A faint fragrance wafted over and quickly dissipated. The girl above lowered his head, voice soft and gentle, truly pleasant to the ears. “Many thanks to this fellow cultivator for helping. May I inquire about your name?”
Pei Yunshu turned his face slightly to avoid the fluttering red veil and looked up at the girl. His eyes were calming. “I am Pei Yunshu of Shanshui Sect. Fellow cultivator, there’s no need to rush. I’ll bring you down.”
It was only now that he could clearly see the girl’s appearance. She had beautiful features, captivating eyes, and appeared like a celestial being in the moonlight. A shy smile played at her lips, and she gazed at Pei Yunshu with affection.
However, when the girl saw Pei Yunshu’s face clearly, she couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
She was dressed in red, and Pei Yunshu couldn’t determine which sect she belonged to. Pei Yunshu glanced around and noticed that she was holding a long branch in her hands, apparently prepared in advance for him to pull her down. To maintain propriety between men and women, she wouldn’t have to touch him directly.
Pei Yunshu extended his hand towards the branch. “Fellow cultivator, let me hold this end.”
However, before his hand touched the branch, a gust of evil wind suddenly arose, carrying the branch and sending it flying deep into the forest. Pei Yunshu was caught off guard and was about to recall the wind, but before he could react, his vision was obscured by the red veil.
“Fellow cultivator,” the girl sighed softly, “If there’s no branch left, I’ll just have to hold on to you.”
Pei Yunshu was taken aback. He hadn’t said anything yet when the girl swiftly circled his hands around his waist, hugging him tightly.
She used an extraordinary amount of strength, gripping him tightly, and his white robe clung to his waist, forming a slender line. “Your waist is so slim,” he commented. “I can encircle it with just one hand.”
“…” Pei Yunshu gently pulled her hands away. “Fellow cultivator, you don’t need to hold on so tightly.”
The woman’s eyes flickered, and her grip loosened slightly. Initially, Pei Yunshu had intended to let the Qingyue Sword carry her down. But seeing that she clung to him, he decided not to say anything more and flew down from the tree with her.
As the red veil fluttered lightly, a strand of it also clung to Pei Yunshu. When it finally landed on the ground, Pei Yunshu quickly stepped away, putting some distance between them.
He politely said, “Do you remember the way back?”
“I don’t,” the woman replied with a slight blush. Without the cover of leaves when she stood under the tree, she appeared even more beautiful. “If you don’t mind, could you lead me out of this mountain?”
Pei Yunshu nodded, and the Qingyue Sword instantly enlarged. He mounted the sword and turned to face the woman. “Fellow cultivator, please follow behind me.”
“…” The woman raised an eyebrow and said, “Aren’t you going to carry me along with you?”
With a raised eyebrow, she lost some of the softness but gained a sense of pride. Pei Yunshu thought it was fortunate that Hua Yue wasn’t present. He found it strange and said, “Don’t you have any magic treasures to ride on?”
“I do,” the woman replied with a slight frown, “but my legs have gone weak, and I’m afraid I can’t control it.”
In that case, there was no other option. Pei Yunshu sighed softly and brought the flying sword to a stop beside the woman.
The woman looked at him with a seemingly amused smile, and her melodious voice turned gentle and seductive as she asked, “Fellow cultivator, could it be that you don’t want to take me out of the mountain?”
“It’s just that men and women shouldn’t be too intimate,” Pei Yunshu explained. “Fellow cultivator, even if you were to ride on the sword, please don’t…”
He blushed slightly.
The woman gazed at the hint of red on his face, her expression becoming somewhat dazed. After a moment, she mounted the sword without saying a word. Her eyes passed over Pei Yunshu several times, and it wasn’t until the sword ascended high into the air that she spoke again, “Are you truly Pei Yunshu of Shanshui Sect?”
Pei Yunshu, keeping his distance from her, nodded and said, “Indeed.”
The woman’s gaze paused for a moment, and she lightly beckoned with her finger. “Oh, fellow cultivator, I seem to have dropped my hairband!”
Pei Yunshu turned to look, and sure enough, her hair had come loose, emitting a fragrant scent as it wafted in the wind. Pei Yunshu glanced behind her, but the hairband was nowhere to be seen.
Furrowing his brow, he took out a blue hairpin from his sleeve. “Fellow cultivator, I don’t have a red hairband.”
“It doesn’t have to be red,” the woman replied with a charming smile. “Thank you, fellow cultivator.”
A moment later, Pei Yunshu safely landed on the ground and pointed in a direction not too far away. “Fellow cultivator, just head that way, and you’ll reach a place with more people.”
The woman looked in the direction he indicated and smiled gently. “Thank you very much, fellow cultivator.”
Pei Yunshu shook his head and turned to fly away on his sword.
***
After Pei Yunshu left, the woman in red, who remained at the same spot, looked at the hairband in hand and then raised her gaze towards the sky.
Suddenly, a chubby Daoist appeared beside her. He quickly walked over and spoke with a fawning tone, “Young Palace Master, he must be completely captivated by now.”
The Young Palace Master remained silent.
The chubby Daoist was puzzled, so he called out several times, “Young Palace Master? Young Palace Master?”
The woman in red replied, “Your Young Palace Master personally took action. How could he possibly fail?”
“Young Palace Master is right,” the chubby Daoist said. “In the afternoon match, this person is bound to be disoriented, probably already under the influence of a seduction technique.”
The woman in red nodded and said, “Well said.”
She was about to turn and leave but raised his hand to look at the blue hairband in her hand. Her thoughts were unclear, and she stood there for a moment. Eventually, she placed the hairband into her storage pouch before walking away with a dazed expression.
***
In the afternoon, Pei Yunshu stood on the stage, while Zhuyou and the other two were waiting below.
He wore white robes and had a cold expression. Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, who stood on the other side, looked at him and felt as though their junior brother had become a completely different person. For a moment, he seemed like a stranger to them.
Pei Yunshu knew they were beside him but didn’t look in their direction. He focused his attention on the arrival of the Young Palace Master from the Yuan Ling Palace. He remained silent and didn’t glance down even once. When the opponent flew up to the stage, he finally looked forward.
Wu Jiu was dressed in red and stood dazzlingly on the opposite side. His sharp eyebrows extended to his temples, his gaze was piercing, and his whole demeanor screamed “arrogance.” He had declared himself capable of achieving the top spot in the competition, and his strength was undoubtedly formidable.
Pei Yunshu concentrated his mind as he and Wu Jiu exchanged a greeting before drawing his Qingyue Sword. The first battle of the Grand Cultivation Tournament had begun.
Wu Jiu remained still, so Pei Yunshu decided to take the initiative. He leaped toward Wu Jiu. He was eager to test his opponent’s response, and he was prepared to dodge any counterattacks.
However, as he got closer, Wu Jiu, who appeared indifferent at first, suddenly became focused. Pei Yunshu had expected this simple strike to be easily dodged by his opponent, but to his surprise, it landed directly on Wu Jiu’s body and sent him flying off the stage in an instant.
The audience below and Pei Yunshu on the stage were left in shock.
He had only struck lightly, but how did Wu Jiu not even attempt to evade it?
“Young Palace Master!” a cry of anguish rang out.
Only after being knocked off the stage did Wu Jiu react. His face changed color rapidly, and he looked up at Pei Yunshu, who was standing on the stage with flowing white robes. He gritted his teeth and said, “I was actually manipulated by his seduction technique!”
The chubby Daoist who helped him up was confused. “Huh?”
Pei Yunshu had just walked to the edge of the stage and didn’t hear Wu Jiu’s words. He simply extended his hand towards Wu Jiu. “The previous match doesn’t count. Let’s have a rematch.”
He looked concerned, and his long, fair fingers were as white as jade.
A few strands of his black hair floated gently in the air, carrying a faint sandalwood fragrance.
Wu Jiu pushed the chubby Daoist aside, stood upright with his hands behind his back, and raised his chin slightly. “You’ve won.”
“Your ability to knock me off the stage with a single strike was my underestimation,” the Young Palace Master said. “However, my strength is not as it seemed just now. While I lost to you, it was because my mind was momentarily clouded. I’m not just a cultivator who can talk big.”
Pei Yunshu didn’t quite understand if that was right, but he nodded in agreement.
Wu Jiu casually said, “In that case, let’s have a private rematch tonight.”
“Alright,” Pei Yunshu agreed.
“Let’s do it tonight, and you don’t need to dress up too much,” the Young Palace Master immediately added. “Keep it casual.”
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