<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What? She wants to challenge Elder Meng?”
“Is she insane…”
The crowd below murmured, but Mubai paid no heed. He drew his sword, flicked his wrist, and pointed the tip diagonally toward the ground.
Elder Meng was confident he wouldn’t lose to this young girl, yet being so blatantly provoked still made his beard tremble with anger. After pausing to catch his breath twice, he said, “Are you truly determined to compete with this old man, young lady?”
Mu Bai curved her eyes and replied, “None of the others are my match.”
Utterly audacious.
Elder Meng genuinely couldn’t comprehend where a junior from Green Lotus Valley found such audacity to challenge him.
You must know that even among the elders of Chaosheng Pavilion, he holds the highest seniority, second only to the Pavilion Master, Nan Fengyi.
Elder Meng let out a cold snort, borrowed a qin from one of the disciples in the Chaosheng Pavilion camp, and cradled it diagonally in his arms as his fingers brushed the strings. “Girl, be careful!” he warned.
As soon as his words fell, the sound of the qin flowed like water from the strings.
“Zheng\u2014”
\u201cClang\u2014\u201d
The instruments of Chaosheng Pavilion are extraordinary, with strings crafted from special materials. When played in harmony with the sect’s internal techniques, they can produce a maddening, ear-piercing effect.
However, even this demonic sound can only slightly disturb one’s mind, far from being lethal. Thus, Chaosheng Pavilion’s instruments conceal several hidden mechanisms. Their combat style typically involves disorienting foes with the eerie music before striking unexpectedly with concealed projectiles.
But for someone at Elder Meng’s level, it’s an entirely different battle technique.
While playing the zither with eerie footwork and lightness skills, the music seemed to emanate from all directions, disturbing Mu Bai and momentarily making it difficult for him to pinpoint the elder’s location.
He closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them, only for the demonic melody to flood his mind. In a daze, countless phantom images of Elder Meng seemed to split and multiply before his eyes.
All the phantoms simultaneously triggered the mechanism on the side of the zither, shooting out sharp silver needles.
There was only one needle, but in Mu Bai’s vision, it split into countless glimmers of cold light, making it impossible to discern which one was real.
With a flick of his wrist, he spun the Green Lotus Sword in a circle beside him, deflecting the attack.
It’s a method of using sheer force to overcome skill.
Elder Meng thought to himself: I initially thought this girl had some extraordinary qualities, but now it seems she’s nothing special.
From the moment he began playing the qin, Mubai stood in place with his sword, occasionally parrying but making no other moves.
Probably couldn’t find an opening and didn’t dare to strike recklessly.
Elder Meng deliberately wanted to embarrass Mu Bai, so he wasn’t in a hurry to attack. Instead, he occasionally flicked out a few hidden weapons just to provoke him, even intentionally slowing his footwork to reveal his figure, hoping to lure him into drawing his sword.
Standing on the stage for so long, if he were to strike with his sword and miss, the humiliation would be immense.
Yet Mu Bai didn’t comply with his expectations, standing motionless like a wooden stake, only his earlobes faintly twitching with the sound of the zither.
“They’ve been fighting for this long?”
“What’s she doing? Why isn’t she moving at all? Could she be immobilized by Elder Meng’s zither music?”
Some disciples, blinded by her beauty, uttered bewildered remarks: “That maiden can hold her own against Elder Meng for so many rounds\u2014impressive, truly impressive.”
Elder Meng sneered inwardly: If I hadn’t held back by thirty percent, how could this ignorant girl who doesn’t know her limits have lasted this long?
He drew a slender sword from within the qin, tapped his toes lightly against the edge of the arena, and lunged swiftly toward Mu Bai.
Under the influence of the demonic sound, countless Elder Mengs wielding sword-instruments charged at Mu Bai from all directions in his vision.
Was it about to end?
He closed his eyes briefly, raised his sword, and accurately blocked the only real entity amidst countless illusions.
Elder Meng hadn’t expected him to pinpoint his actual position, but his reaction was still swift. With a flick of his wrist, he withdrew the sword-instrument behind his back and thrust from a different angle.
At the same time, Mu Bai also stepped forward, then abruptly pivoted at an almost uncanny angle and slipped past him from the side.
In Elder Meng’s line of sight, a white afterimage flickered past.
These movements took mere moments, imperceptible to onlookers, yet Luo Wangchuan, seated at the back, rose to his feet.
If he wasn’t mistaken, Mu Bai’s steps just now had borrowed from Elder Meng’s own footwork.
Luo Wangchuan’s gaze fixed tightly on Mu Bai, a terrifying thought surfacing in his mind: this maiden is standing perfectly still to observe Elder Meng’s footwork and the patterns between his zither notes, assimilating them for her own use.
If his guess was correct, then Qinglian Valley had truly produced an unparalleled genius.
Among masters, the most terrifying thing in a duel is not being defeated, but having your ultimate technique deciphered by your opponent, who then turns it against you with your own methods.
On the arena, the white-clad figure flickered like a ghost.
With the emergence of the Green Lotus Sword, the heavens and earth were shaken.
Elder Meng’s zither and the sword hidden within were both severed in two.
The green sword light halted at the edge of the\u64c2\u53f0. When everyone got a clear look, they saw Mu Bai holding a handful of beard.
“Old man, your beard is too long and messy\u2014let me trim it for you.”
The long, graying beard that once reached his chest was nearly shaved clean. Elder Meng clutched the broken half of his qin, his face livid.
The outcome of this duel was already decided.
Mu Bai sheathed his sword behind his back and bowed slightly, saying, “You honor me.”
The crowd below was stunned into silence.
Like gunpowder that had just been ignited, moments later, someone whistled first, and applause and cheers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
The disciples of Lingyun Palace, seeing Elder Meng’s defeat, vented their pent-up frustration with such loud jeers that they nearly raised the roof.
The thrush, also carried away by the excitement, raised a slender fist and cheered a few times. Seemingly dissatisfied with not standing tall enough, it somehow dragged over a small stool, stood on it, and cheered for Mubai: “Xiao Bai\u2014Senior Sister loves you\u2014”
Mubai stumbled, nearly falling off the edge of the arena.
Senior Sister really isn’t very reserved.
To be honest, Elder Meng truly possessed remarkable skill. Had he not underestimated his opponent too much, the outcome of this match would have been hard to predict.
Even after stepping off the stage, Mu Bai’s head was still ringing with that demonic sound, throbbing painfully.
He hadn’t walked far when a sharp pain shot through his ear, and blood began to seep out.
Seeing that Hua Mei was still in high spirits, Mu Bai didn’t mention it to her, planning to tend to his injury himself later.
The crowd was noisy, and disciples kept stopping him to chat, asking this and that. Mu Bai’s head was buzzing, and he swayed slightly as he walked.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his wrist.
He thought it was another clueless person and frowned, raising his hand to shake it off forcefully.
It didn’t work.
The soft, gentle voice cut through the clamor: “Xiao Bai.”
Mu Bai turned his head and saw Su Mo standing behind him at some point.
He glanced back but didn’t spot Jin Yi or Ye Xing.
This guy had wheeled himself over in his wheelchair.
“What do you want?”
Su Mo handed over a piece of gauze.
Mu Bai froze for a moment, then snapped back to reality and shook his head: “I don’t need it, you keep it.”
Su Mo smiled somewhat helplessly, pulling Mu Bai’s hand to signal him to come closer.
Mu Bai reluctantly moved a bit nearer, then reluctantly crouched down in front of Su Mo’s wheelchair: “What exactly do you want to say?”
Su Mo suddenly leaned over and gently wiped the blood from his earlobe with gauze, her movements very light.
Her dark hair, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood, fell onto Mu Bai’s shoulder, and for a moment, he forgot to react.
The person beside him whispered softly, “Still angry?”
“…”
Mentioning it only made it worse\u2014Mu Bai was reminded once again that Su Mo had used him as a tool to exact revenge on Jiang Cijing.
Jiang Cijing had fallen for him at first sight, and now this prince was also eagerly showering him with attention.
False pretense.
Mu Bai pushed Su Mo’s hand away and turned to walk up the stone steps of the grand hall.
Before he had taken more than a few steps, he saw the leader of Lingyun Palace standing on the steps, as if waiting for him.
Perhaps due to martial artists aging more slowly, if one ignored his imposing aura, Luo Wangchuan appeared to be a young man in his early twenties, coldly handsome. Were it not for his notorious reputation of being utterly indifferent to women, he would likely have even more admirers.
As a fellow swordsman, Mu Bai still held some respect for this sword fanatic.
He stepped forward and bowed to him.
Luo Wangchuan clasped his hands behind his back and nodded, saying, “I never expected that after years of seclusion, Qinglian Valley would quietly nurture such a genius.”
Mu Bai modestly replied, “Master Luo, you flatter me. The Lingyun Palace is also brimming with talent. Thanks to Brother Ziyi’s arrangements last night, we were able to sleep soundly.”
Luo Wangchuan’s brows twitched slightly, and his tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction with his disciple: “Ziyi does have remarkable talent, but… his heart isn’t truly devoted to the sword. It\u2019s hard for him to achieve greatness.”
After a pause, he added, “If you’re not in a hurry to leave, why not stay at Lingyun Palace for a while?”
Mu Bai: “Huh?”
Luo Wangchuan thought he was unwilling and added, “Your senior sister can stay too.”
“……”
“The Lingyun Palace has several scenic spots. I’ll have Ziyi take you around then. Don’t worry about travel expenses either\u2014I’ve instructed the steward to provide for all your food, clothing, and accommodations according to the standards for elders… What, is there still something you’re dissatisfied with?”
Mu Bai quickly shook his head. “No, no. Thank you, Sect Leader Luo.”
And so, Mu Bai stayed at Lingyun Palace.
Early the next morning, Luo Ziyi invited him to a small hall for a chat.
When Mu Bai stepped into the hall, Su Mo, Huamei, and Jiang Cijing were already seated.
Huamei picked up the latest Jianghu Dispatch and waved at him: “Xiao Bai, come quickly\u2014you’re famous now.”
Mu Bai fixed his gaze and saw several stark black-on-white headlines that immediately caught his eye\u2014\u2014
Earth-shattering! The Disciples of Qinglian Valley Are Surprisingly Formidable.
After Years in Seclusion, the Top Sect of Jialan Reemerges in the Jianghu.
Elder of Chaosheng Pavilion Suffers Crushing Defeat\u2014Is Qinglian Valley on the Rise?
Mu Bai: “…”
To avoid accidentally spitting it out, he folded the dispatch and pressed it on the table before pouring himself a cup of tea.
At that moment, a teacup slid across the table toward him, filled with a clear, brown liquid.
Su Mo said gently, “Xiao Bai, this is a calming tonic. It will make you feel better.”
Mu Bai: “…”
Indeed, he had suffered from a splitting headache all night, unable to sleep, and his ears were still ringing when he woke in the morning.
Even so, Mu Bai picked up the teacup and moved it back exactly as before: “I’m perfectly fine, no need for Young Master Su to trouble himself.”
As he pushed it closer, Su Mo lightly pressed his hand and pushed it back again: “It’s just a bowl of medicine, no need to stand on ceremony.”
Mu Bai moved closer again: “I don’t like taking medicine, Young Master Su should drink it yourself.”
Moved back\u2014”There’s honey in the medicine, it’s not bitter.”
Moved closer\u2014”It’s not about whether it’s bitter or not.”
Moved back\u2014”Then what is the problem?”
Poor teacup was being pressed between their hands, pushed back and forth.
Jiang Cijing sat across from them, subtly nudging Luo Ziyi with his elbow. “Are they having an argument? Is this my chance?”
Luo Ziyi glanced at their hands stacked above the teacup and mused for a moment before saying, “Brother Jiang, not to discourage you, but don’t you think… these two seem confrontational on the surface, yet are actually completely in sync?”<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-2946","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2946"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2946\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3001,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/2946\/revisions\/3001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=2946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}