When Qin Hongdao and the other three arrived at the entrance of Cangwu Town, they found that the Qingyun Sect people had also just arrived. Mu Shan and Mu Ziming were among them.
When enemies met, their eyes burned especially red.
Mu Shan glared at Wen Qiao until her eyes were almost bloodshot. Her face revealed a look of delight mixed with malice.
Mu Ziming’s face was dark, and he seemed rather silent.
Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou reacted calmly. Wen Qiao held Wen Tutu in her arms, stopping him from slicing Mu Shan, who was glaring at her, into pieces of meat.
This strange atmosphere made the scalps of the other Qingyun Sect disciples tingle. They carefully stepped forward and greeted Qin Hongdao one after another, calling her “Senior Sister Qin.”
Qin Hongdao’s identity as the eldest senior sister of Scarlet Heaven Sect carried considerable weight. When disciples of the Three Sects met her, aside from the true disciples of certain True Monarchs, Emperor Monarchs, Sacred Monarchs, and the like, all other disciples had to respectfully call her “Senior Sister Qin.”
Qin Hongdao did not take out her dislike of Mu Shan on the other Qingyun Sect disciples. She remained very friendly, smiling as she chatted with them for a few words.
Mu Shan said impatiently, “Senior Sister Qin, are you ready yet? If you’re ready, let’s set off. Otherwise, if it gets too late, you’ll push it to tomorrow again.”
She was using what Qin Hongdao had said yesterday to mock her.
When the Qingyun Sect disciples heard this, their faces turned bitter. They were afraid Qin Hongdao would think they were on Mu Shan’s side and, after getting angry, slash at them with her sabre.
Fortunately, Qin Hongdao was a very reasonable person. She gave Mu Shan a light glance and said, “Since Junior Sister Mu is in such a hurry, let’s go.”
The group said nothing more and headed out of town.
Behind them followed a crowd of cultivators, their gazes falling on the people ahead from time to time.
By yesterday, the matter of Mu Shan and Mu Ziming challenging Qin Hongdao and Wen Qiao had already spread throughout Cangwu Town. Some busybodies had even privately opened a betting pool, wagering on who would win in the end.
Apart from that, they were also very interested in this match.
Wen Qiao and Mu Shan’s fight was not much to watch because their cultivation levels were too low. It did not arouse much interest. At most, people wanted to know whether Wen Qiao could suppress the arrogance of Qingyun Sect’s eldest miss, or how Qingyun Sect’s eldest miss would torture and kill the person who dared offend her.
The fight between Qin Hongdao and Mu Ziming was different. Both were high-level cultivators. Being able to watch a fight between high-level cultivators up close was an extremely rare opportunity, and it would benefit their cultivation too. No wonder people had been waiting at Cangwu Town’s entrance since early morning. As soon as Qin Hongdao and the others appeared, they followed to watch the excitement.
The group arrived at a small forest ten li outside Cangwu Town.
This place was very close to Cangwu Mountain. Looking up, one could see the continuous stretch of Cangwu Mountain not far away, as well as some cultivators returning from training in the mountain.
Those cultivators found it strange to see so many people gathering around faintly. Once they understood the cause and effect, they were no longer in a hurry to return to Cangwu Town and stayed to watch the battle together.
This was the fight between Qin Hongdao of the red robes and long sabre, and Young Master Qingyun, Mu Ziming. It was highly worth watching, so naturally they did not want to miss it.
Qin Hongdao’s group and the Qingyun Sect disciples stood facing each other, faintly forming a confrontation.
Qin Hongdao held her sabre and smiled. “Let’s fight first and warm up the atmosphere. Junior Brother Mu, come.”
The corner of Mu Ziming’s mouth twitched. This was not a grand sect competition. What need was there to warm up the atmosphere? No, even in a grand sect competition, there was no need for warming up!
He coughed lightly and said modestly, “Senior Sister Qin, why not let Junior Sister and Miss Min go first? Junior Sister talked about it all night and is looking forward to this match very much. Why don’t we first resolve the grudge between Junior Sister and Miss Min?”
Mu Ziming was also someone skilled with words. In just a few sentences, he changed the concept of the grudge between Mu Shan and Wen Qiao. If someone did not know the truth, they might really think Wen Qiao had failed to appreciate kindness and offended True Monarch Daoyan’s beloved daughter.
Ning Yuzhou glanced at Mu Ziming, and the smile on his lips faded slightly.
Qin Hongdao said straightforwardly, “That’s fine too! But I’ll say this first: there isn’t any real grudge between Junior Sister Mu and Miss Min. Everything is just Junior Sister Mu reaping what she sowed and making trouble herself.”
Mu Shan’s good mood was instantly ruined by Qin Hongdao’s bluntness. Her eyes spat fire as she glared angrily at Qin Hongdao, hating her terribly in her heart.
This woman really was malicious and always loved making trouble for her.
Qin Hongdao smiled carelessly. She was not Mu Shan’s mother, so why should she indulge her?
“Miss Min, are you ready?” Qin Hongdao turned and asked Wen Qiao beside her.
Wen Qiao looked serious. “I’m ready.”
“Good, go on then! Don’t be polite. Just perform at your usual level.” Qin Hongdao patted the little girl’s shoulder, her face full of encouragement.
Wen Qiao thanked her, then handed Wen Tutu in her arms to Ning Yuzhou and said, “Wen Tutu, stay with Brother Ning. Don’t run around.”
Wen Tutu hung on Ning Yuzhou’s shoulder and whimpered at her a few times to show that he understood.
Sister was going to punish trash, so he had to protect Brother well and not let anyone take the chance to hurt him.
Standing to the side, Sheng Yunshen, who was wearing a cloak that covered him from head to toe, asked worriedly, “Young Master Ning, will Miss Min really be all right?”
Wen Qiao looked soft and delicate, and her figure had not even fully grown yet. Standing beside Mu Shan, Mu Shan looked like a sturdy, imposing young woman, making people instinctively lean toward Wen Qiao.
Seeing such an obvious contrast, Sheng Yunshen could not help worrying. Not to mention that Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou were his lifesavers; in his heart, he had long since taken Wen Qiao’s side.
Ning Yuzhou took out a spirit pill and stuffed it to Wen Tutu, saying calmly, “I believe in Ah Xian.”
Sheng Yunshen gave an “oh.” They had known Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao for too short a time and did not understand much about each other. He truly did not know their background. He wanted to say something, but worried it would be inappropriate to say too much, so he could only shut his mouth.
Qin Hongdao planted her long sabre on the ground and watched the two people walking into the battlefield.
Mu Shan held her elegant maiden’s sword and stared at Wen Qiao. Suddenly, she revealed a sweet and charming smile. Her red lips parted slightly, but the words she spoke were extremely venomous. “Wretch, today I’ll take care of you and let you taste the pain of having your flesh sliced off.”
She had never been able to forget the pain of the stalagmite rats gnawing at her flesh. If not for Wen Qiao, she would not have been bitten like that.
Wen Qiao blinked. “All right. I’ll wait for you, wretch, to make your move.”
Mu Shan’s face flushed red. “Don’t get cocky!”
“All right. Wretch, please begin!”
“Who are you calling a wretch?” Mu Shan shrieked.
Wen Qiao tilted her head. Her expression was somewhat timid, yet carried innocent naivety. “Isn’t it you? I thought you liked being called that, since you call other people that too.”
Mu Shan was so angry she panted heavily.
When the surrounding spectators heard the conversation between the two girls, their expressions turned strange.
As the saying went, the one who provokes first is the low one. It was Mu Shan who kept calling others “wretch” with every sentence. No matter how sweet and charming her appearance was, it was greatly diminished by such undisguised vicious words. Moreover, when the two girls stood together, no matter how one looked, Wen Qiao was prettier. Hers was an especially delicate and fragile beauty, as if she were too weak to bear even the weight of her clothes. The frailty between her brows made people feel even more pity for her.
Besides, she was still young, and her voice was clear, sweet, and soft. When she tilted her head to look at others, she looked like an obedient little girl. Standing beside Mu Shan, who was already over twenty, she was still practically a child.
No matter how one looked at it, Mu Shan’s actions were inferior and gave people the impression that she was bullying someone younger and weaker.
Qin Hongdao and the others could not help laughing.
Sheng Yunshen laughed so hard that his cloak shook. He whispered to Ning Yuzhou, “Has Miss Min always been this interesting?”
Ning Yuzhou glanced at him. “Ah Xian has always had a good temper. If others insist on cursing her, it would be wrong of her not to return it.”
Sheng Yunshen: “…” Do you perhaps have some misunderstanding of what “well-behaved” means?
The Qingyun Sect disciples did not feel very good either.
Their faces were full of shame. They had always known their little junior sister had a bad temper, but this was the first time she had embarrassed them so badly.
In the past, others would take True Monarch Daoyan and her young age into consideration, smile, and let it pass. But this time, she had run into Qin Hongdao, who would not indulge her, and Wen Qiao, who also refused to suffer losses. This made her seem even more vulgar and unbearable by comparison.
How could Mu Ziming not know that everyone’s impression of Mu Shan had fallen? But Mu Shan’s temper was too spoiled, and she rarely listened to anyone. No matter how many things she did wrong, they could only cover for her, lest she suffer grievances and their master blame them after they returned to the sect.
In her fury, Mu Shan no longer wasted words and directly stabbed her sword toward Wen Qiao.
Wen Qiao touched her waist. With a shake of her long sleeve, a stone-gold whip appeared in her hand. The whip moved like a spiritual snake, its shadow twisting. When the elegant maiden’s sword stabbed toward her, the whip had already wrapped around it. She lifted her hand, and the sword slipped from its owner’s hand and was flung away.
The atmosphere on the scene turned awkward.
For a cultivator, losing one’s weapon in a single move was a great humiliation.
Mu Shan stood there with disbelief written all over her face, her eyes wide.
Wen Qiao withdrew her whip with a swish and said in disappointment, “Is this all you’re capable of? No wonder you tried to divert disaster onto someone else in the stone stalagmite forest. With your little ability, it’s normal that you were chased so miserably by the stalagmite rats.”
This was a naked stab to the heart.
Mu Shan’s eyes became bloodshot, and she said resentfully, “That sword isn’t what I’m skilled at using. Do you think I’ll lose to you?”
She sneered and leapt up, stepping through the air with a kind of flowing-cloud footwork as she pounced toward Wen Qiao.
As her hands turned, it seemed as if light gauze fluttered. Long gauze flew out like a cage, descending toward Wen Qiao.
Someone cried out in surprise, “It’s Fairy Liuyun’s Flowing Cloud Gauze.”
Fairy Liuyun was the title of Mu Shan’s mother. After she and True Monarch Daoyan became dual cultivation partners, many people knew of the weapon that had made her famous.
Wen Qiao instinctively sensed danger, so naturally she would not face it head-on. At the same time, she threw a section of stone-gold python vine at Mu Shan.
Mu Shan thought it was the other party’s hidden weapon. The light gauze enveloped it and trapped it within the Flowing Cloud Gauze, making it impossible to forcibly summon back.
Wen Qiao did not mind. She lashed out with her long whip, tangling it with the light gauze flying toward her.
Their figures crossed. The Flowing Cloud Gauze was light and beautiful, while the stone-gold whip followed like a shadow. In an instant, who knew how many moves had passed? One advanced while the other retreated; one attacked while the other defended, dazzling everyone watching.
The spectators were somewhat surprised. They had originally thought this match would have nothing worth seeing and that the outcome had long been decided. Who would have thought that when the two were evenly matched, it would be rather exciting?
Not only exciting, but also very beautiful. It was a visual feast.
Female cultivators were different from male cultivators. They often liked to use moves that were beautiful, elegant, and light. When fighting, beauty often came first, and many male cultivators liked watching.
Suddenly, Mu Shan revealed a cold smile and waved her slender hand.
Wen Qiao quickly retreated. She patted her storage pouch, and dozens of talismans appeared before her eyes. She murmured, “Go.”
The talismans flew toward Mu Shan, surrounding the small green jar Mu Shan had thrown out. Rumbling explosions sounded. A cloud of red smoke burst open, and a sweet, cloying scent spread through the air, dispersing in all directions.
The surrounding cultivators sniffed it and suddenly sneezed.
Then more and more people began sneezing. The sound of sneezes rose one after another, and very soon, the noses of that group of people turned red. Even tears welled in their eyes, making them look extremely miserable.
“What is this… achoo—”
Qin Hongdao was experienced. The moment she saw the red smoke, she held her breath, so she was not affected.
Sheng Yunshen, on the other hand, was caught off guard and inhaled a few mouthfuls. He sneezed nonstop.
“What is this? So uncomfortable…”
Ning Yuzhou flipped his hand and handed him a pill bottle. “Eat one.”
Without hesitation, Sheng Yunshen poured out a spirit pill and stuffed it into his mouth. Before long, he stopped sneezing.
On the Qingyun Sect side, aside from Mu Ziming, sneezes rang out continuously. Their gazes toward Mu Shan were extremely resentful.
Where had Little Junior Sister gotten such a strange thing? Not only had it failed to catch the opponent off guard and win, it had instead harmed them, the spectators outside the field.
Mu Ziming stared at the two people on the battlefield. Seeing that Wen Qiao was not affected at all and was constantly approaching Mu Shan, a bad premonition rose in his heart.
Sure enough, after several of Mu Shan’s sneak attacks were dissolved one by one by Wen Qiao, Wen Qiao finally drew close to Mu Shan and sent her flying with a punch.
Instantly, everyone was stunned.
Mu Shan was also stunned. Even when her body smashed hard into the ground and half her face swelled up, her expression was still one of disbelief.
Wen Qiao seized the opportunity and pounced forward, pinning her down and continuing to beat her.
Everyone was even more stunned.
This kind of rogue fighting style—and between two female cultivators at that—was something they had never seen before.
Only Ning Yuzhou and Qian Shou, who was hidden among the crowd, remained very calm. Back in Cangwu Mountain, this was exactly how Wen Qiao beat demonic beasts whenever she caught them. She beat them until they cried bitterly and no longer dared appear.
Wen Qiao was beating Mu Shan as if she were a demonic beast.
The problem was that demonic beasts had thick skin and tough flesh, so being beaten was one thing. But Mu Shan was a young lady, and even the beloved little junior sister of Qingyun Sect. She was delicate and tender. After such a fierce beating, the result was easy to imagine.
“Ah—stop—! You savage—! Please stop hitting me… Waaaah… Senior Brother, save me…”
The people outside the field listened as Mu Shan went from shouting arrogantly to begging for mercy, and then to crying for her senior brother to save her. Their feelings were extremely complicated.
There was not the slightest beauty of a fight between female cultivators. Their earlier selves, who had thought the fight was very beautiful, must truly have been blind.
When Mu Ziming heard his junior sister’s miserable cries, he moved to step forward, but Qin Hongdao’s long sabre blocked him.
“What are you doing? It isn’t over yet,” Qin Hongdao said with a smile.
“But Junior Sister…”
“This is their match. Neither of them has admitted defeat. How can outsiders interfere in their battle? Or do you think battles between female cultivators are child’s play, and you can interfere whenever you want?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
This was a fatal question. If he answered yes, would that not offend all female cultivators under heaven? If he did not answer, his junior sister was crying so miserably…
Inside the battlefield, Wen Qiao had beaten Mu Shan fiercely. She asked, “Do you admit defeat?”
Mu Shan had been beaten until her head buzzed. She subconsciously answered, “No!”
If she refused to admit defeat, then the beating continued!
Punch after punch, every fist landing solidly on flesh. Mu Shan screamed. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Wen Qiao, and her mouth moved slightly.
Behind them, the Flowing Cloud Gauze that had been abandoned to the side suddenly stood upright and came down from midair.
The surrounding cultivators cried out in alarm.
Just when they thought the situation was about to reverse and Mu Shan was going to make a desperate counterattack, the Flowing Cloud Gauze suddenly exploded from the inside. Dense vines burst through it, tearing the beautiful, light white gauze into pieces.
Only then did everyone remember that earlier, Wen Qiao had thrown out a section of stone-gold vine. It had happened to be swallowed into the Flowing Cloud Gauze and had not been released.
With the Flowing Cloud Gauze torn apart, Mu Shan’s qi and blood surged upward, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Junior Sister!” This time, Mu Ziming could no longer stand by and rushed over.
Qin Hongdao also charged forward. Her long sabre swept across, forcefully blocking Mu Ziming and preventing him from approaching those two. She was the only one here capable of stopping him.
Mu Ziming said anxiously, “My junior sister admits defeat!”
Wen Qiao held Mu Shan, who looked like a dead dog, and stared at her. “Do you admit defeat?”
Mu Shan’s face was covered in blood. Her eyes were unfocused, and her mind was unclear. She could not hear what Wen Qiao was saying at all.
Seeing this, Wen Qiao took a spirit pill from her storage pouch and stuffed it into her mouth.
“What did you feed her?” Mu Ziming shouted nervously.
Wen Qiao ignored him. Still holding Mu Shan, she shook her hard. After shaking her awake, she asked again, “Do you admit defeat?”
Mu Shan was dazed all over, and her whole body hurt. She groaned and opened a pair of swollen, bruised eyes. When she saw Wen Qiao, fear appeared in her eyes. She was shocked and terrified and did not hear clearly what Wen Qiao had said.
Wen Qiao had no choice but to repeat it. Seeing that Mu Shan did not react, she said coldly, “Since you don’t admit defeat, I’ll have to beat you again.”
Mu Shan: “!!!!” Was this woman a demon?!
Seeing that fist about to fall on her again, Mu Shan cried hoarsely, “I admit defeat!”
The fist stopped in front of her. Wen Qiao asked again, “Then will you come looking for trouble with us again in the future?”
“I won’t…”
“What about the bounty at Guiyuan Pavilion?”
“I-I’ll have them withdraw it…”
Only then was Wen Qiao satisfied. “Make an oath, and write a written pledge too, so you don’t go back on your word later. If you dare go back on it, I’ll hang the pledge you wrote in the most eye-catching place at Guiyuan Pavilion, so that cultivators across the entire Shengwu Continent can see what kind of hypocritical petty person True Monarch Daoyan’s daughter is.”
Mu Shan: “…” Are you a demon?
The surrounding people were already speechless. Only Qin Hongdao burst into loud laughter. “Little Sister Min said it well! That’s exactly how it should be done. I’ll do the same in the future too!”
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