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墨書 Inktalez
The two engaged in a brief war of words, then ignored each other and parted ways from the Delicious Hall.
Xu Feng felt a chill run down his spine; the momentum released by the two was enough to make someone at the Qi Refinement First Layer like him feel uneasy. Although it wasn't as intimidating as the middle-aged man he encountered in Tang Zhenghao Courtyard, it was still quite close.
Throughout his escape, he had managed to avoid danger each time and had even killed his enemies, which had given Xu Feng the illusion that he was a skilled fighter. However, seeing Red Silk Blade and Han Qian today felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, leaving him chilled from head to toe.
He knew that such comparisons were somewhat unreasonable, but being ignored by others always felt unpleasant.
Soon, the dishes Xu Feng ordered arrived: a red carp for ten spirit stones, exquisitely prepared and aromatic. However, Xu Feng had lost his appetite for fine food and ate a few bites haphazardly before settling the bill and leaving.
Back at his residence, Xu Feng's companions were still recuperating. From their breathing, it was clear they were improving significantly; they would likely recover their strength by tomorrow morning and could still make it in time for Red Silk Blade's "boxing match."
Xu Feng sat cross-legged on his bed, intermittently practicing the Fire Technique. The night passed without incident.
Without a rooster's crow, dawn broke. When the sun rose, Red Silk Blade also emerged.
Outside Baixian Pavilion, by Bright Moon Lake, the morning sun filtered through the sparse willows, casting a golden-red hue over the lake's surface. The gentle morning breeze brushed against Zhu Qing's Daoist robe, tousling his hair before revealing Han Qian's comically dirty face.
The brief confrontation at Delicious Hall yesterday had spread like wildfire among the guests at Baixian Pavilion. The venue had been cleared early for the competition, with designated lines marked for spectators. Their skillful organization suggested this wasn't their first time "hosting" such an event.
Among the crowd were several cultivators who had been waiters at Baixian Pavilion just yesterday; now dressed in coarse clothing, they were shouting and running an impromptu betting operation, accepting wagers from fellow cultivators with similar interests. Judging by the odds, the sleazy Han Qian was slightly favored over Red Silk Blade.
"I heard Red Silk Blade has a deep grudge against Han Qian; he's been looking for him for over a decade."
"Shh! Keep your voice down. Do you want everyone to know that Han Qian raped Red Silk Blade's sister?"
By the time Xu Feng and his companions arrived, there were no advantageous spots left to watch; they could only find a poor angle to observe this high-level Qi Refinement duel.
The Red Silk Blade stood like a spear by the lake, the red silk on the hilt fluttering in the wind. Han Qian had already arrived opposite him, but the Red Silk Blade did not rush forward immediately; years of hunting down foes had dulled his edges.
Han Qian still wore a disdainful expression, but his cautious steps betrayed his inner feelings. The two had been playing a game of hide and seek across the Liuxiang Kingdom, both attending the New Moon Sect's selection for unknown reasons, leading to their encounter here.
When enemies meet, their eyes are no longer red with anger; it is the blade that is red, with white blades entering and red blades exiting!
"Come on," Han Qian suddenly roared, brandishing a nine-section whip in his hand. "Come on, you son of a bitch! You've chased me like a dog for so many years; today I'll break your dog legs and chop off your dog head."
What answered him was a flash of blade light. In the midst of Han Qian's words, the Red Silk Blade had already struck out twenty-one times, each slash taking something from Han Qian—sleeves, pant hems, hair, flesh.
But Han Qian also swung out twenty-one whips, each strike tearing away something from the Red Silk Blade as well.
In an instant, clothes were torn and blood flew.
At that moment, cheers erupted from the spectators.
Was this a life-and-death struggle or a competition? They were fighting for their lives right from the start. Xu Feng swallowed hard; this looked like something out of a gangster movie.
After twenty-one strikes, the first round ended, and they entered a brief rest period. This was when the advantage of cultivators became apparent. The Red Silk Blade tossed a pill into his mouth, and his wounds immediately began to heal; the pain subsided, blood stopped flowing, and his complexion improved.
Han Qian did not take any medicine; instead, he pulled out a talisman and activated it on himself. His wounds healed at an almost visible speed.
The second round began immediately. This time, they did not engage in close combat but attacked each other from ten meters apart. Han Qian threw a Martial Talisman over, while the Red Silk Blade retaliated with one of his own. The sky was filled with the sounds of colliding Martial Talismans.
It should be noted that even the lowest-grade Martial Talismans on the market cost five spirit stones each. Throwing them around like this amounted to dozens of talismans being used—it was akin to burning money. In this round, it seemed they were not competing in martial prowess but rather in who had more wealth.
Martial Talisman had been going on for over ten minutes, resembling a scenario where a sprinter encounters a patriot. Both were using high-level Martial Talismans that would cause Xu Feng considerable pain. One was a Pursuer backed by a powerful family, while the other was a notorious bandit known for causing havoc and committing all sorts of crimes. Both had connections and were not lacking in spirit stones.
However, neither of them had managed to unleash a decisive special effect Martial Talisman until now.
Not every Martial Talisman could be intercepted; some inevitably struck both parties. Thus, another focal point of the battle emerged: the competition of defensive equipment.
This time, the victor was Huo Qianli Han Qian. Regardless of whether he cheated or not, he won. Because Red Silk Blade had already collapsed to the ground.
Red Silk Blade struggled to get up but failed. He pointed at Han Qian and uttered a surprising statement that left the audience stunned: “Han Qian, give me my sister's ashes, and I will spare your life.” He couldn't even stand but still claimed he would spare someone?
The crowd erupted into laughter.
“Ajiao was always my woman,” Han Qian said with a vicious expression. “If it weren't for you all looking down on me for being poor, I would never have killed her.” After finishing this sentence, Han Qian broke into a sorrowful laugh, blood spraying from his mouth, followed by blood pouring from his nose, eyes, and ears. His once upright body swayed dangerously as blood continued to flow.
With a thud, Han Qian finally collapsed. Blood streamed from all seven orifices. The onlooking cultivators stirred in excitement.
“That’s Yin Corpse Sect’s Smiling Five Steps Down. How did Red Silk Blade get hold of such poison?”
“Indeed, I saw Han Qian only take three steps before he fell…”
“Never provoke this Red Silk Blade. If you don’t have the Antidote from Yin Corpse Sect, any Refining Qi Stage cultivator is doomed.”
“Exactly! There are no honest people who won’t use poison…”
Amidst the astonished murmurs, Red Silk Blade finally stood up unsteadily and walked shakily to Han Qian. He pulled out a white pill and stuffed it into Han Qian's mouth, saying, “I don’t want to kill you; I just want to retrieve my sister's ashes.”
"You know," Han Qian spat out the pill mixed with blood, "you know I didn't want to do this. I wasn't like this..." Han Qian's gaze began to blur, as if reminiscing about a deep and painful affair.
"You didn't want to," Red Silk Blade said coldly, "but you were also at fault."
"Of course I was at fault," Han Qian slowly stopped coughing up blood, as if he had expelled all the blood in his body. "Otherwise, how could I have ended up like this?" He reached for the storage pouch at his waist and handed it to Red Silk Blade.
A fleeting hint of color appeared on Han Qian's paper-white face. "You've seen me, you know... that I'm... actually... very... very... handsome." However, the last word "handsome" was so faint that even Red Silk Blade couldn't hear it clearly.
The sun rose above the treetops, taking away the chill of early spring, just as it took away wandering lives.
Red Silk Blade took out a purple urn from the storage pouch and held it tightly in her arms, murmuring, "Sister, we are going home."
We are going home...
Xu Feng felt a sudden chill in his heart, as a thought that seemed distant yet was always close crept quietly into his mind...
We are going home...
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