Chapter 22: Chapter 22: I Stand Corrected, Three Moves
So, how was my acting? Care to give it a score?
His few understated words left everyone both shocked and enraged.
"You were lying to me the whole time!"
Liu Jian spat out each word as if it were mixed with blood.
"Getting yourself seriously injured just from listening to a song... I must say, that’s impressive," Ning Jiang said with a wry smile.
Liu Jian trembled all over, then suddenly laughed in self-mockery. He had said Ning Jiang wasn’t worthy of knowing his name, but in the end, he had been defeated so miserably.
Ning Jiang had played him like a child in the palm of his hand. His willpower, which he had been so proud of, seemed utterly laughable in comparison to Ning Jiang’s.
The fourth round: Ning Jiang won again. Ten thousand Primordial Stones, plus the betting pool of twenty-eight thousand. Liu Xianyu was already beaming. In just a short while, she had won tens of thousands of Primordial Stones—it was faster than robbing someone.
"Young Master Ning, your acting was so realistic that even I was convinced." At that moment, Liu Shiyi spoke, her beautiful eyes shimmering like water. "I wonder, Young Master Ning, how would you rate my performance of Night Dream Chant?"
"So-so," Ning Jiang said bluntly.
"How arrogant."
"Ridiculous."
"He’s just a brute. How could he possibly understand Shiyi’s zither music? Playing for him is like casting pearls before swine."
Immediately, angry voices rose around Ning Jiang. In all of Luoyang, how many people begged for a chance to hear Liu Shiyi’s zither music and were denied?
Even a figure like Old Sir Liu had praised Liu Shiyi’s Zither Skill.
And yet, Ning Jiang had just said it was "so-so"?
From another perspective, Ning Jiang’s words were also a rejection of them. For him to be so dismissive of music they considered sublime, wasn’t that the same as saying they had no taste?
The lovely expression on Liu Shiyi’s face stiffened. She was only seventeen, after all, and with a young girl’s heart, she couldn’t help but care about others’ opinions of her.
So-so. No one had ever dared to describe her zither music that way.
In all of Luoyang City, the only person whose skill with the zither made her doubt herself was the mysterious Yue Lianxi. Against anyone else, she was confident she could hold her own.
"I don’t understand the zither?"
Ning Jiang shook his head. ’Who am I? The Legendary Venerable from a hundred thousand years ago. I’ve heard countless zither compositions.’
’Some compositions, the moment they are played, can travel nine thousand li, their sound like the voice of the Great Dao, allowing all living beings within that range to fall into a state of epiphany.’
’Other pieces are meant purely for slaughter. When their notes ring out, they can shatter the four seas, crumble the void, and sink the very earth.’
’Still other pieces can even conjure visions of heavenly flowers falling from the sky and golden lotuses blooming on the ground. That kind of music can make one instantly sink into a daze, utterly entranced, and once lost, never to awaken again.’
’That is the music of the heavens, the melody of immortals, a divine opus. Compared to that Realm of skill, Liu Shiyi is still a hundred and eight thousand li away.’
In his eyes, the words "so-so" were already high praise.
Unfortunately, no one could comprehend the Realm he stood in.
"As the saying goes, the calligraphy reflects the person. The same is true for zither music. Someone who truly understands the zither can discern the player’s personality and their state of mind just by listening."
Ning Jiang’s eyes were as deep as a starry night. "When you were playing just now and saw me looking tired, the notes wavered slightly. You were disappointed in me, weren’t you?"
"And as for the overall tone of your music... others might not have heard it, but I heard it clearly. You’re curious about me. You want to know my origins, you want to get closer to me, yet you’re hesitant. We’ve only just met, so for you to have such feelings... it must be because someone told you something about me, right?"
Liu Shiyi’s face was filled with utter astonishment as she stared at Ning Jiang.
Ning Jiang flicked a fingernail and continued, "When playing the zither, the most important thing is to be immersed, to have a spirit of self-forgetfulness. There should be nothing but the zither. You must pour all your thoughts and emotions into the music, with complete concentration. But just now, your mind was on me. How could you possibly produce good music like that?"
"Nonsense," Liu Feng sneered. "Shiyi, don’t listen to him—"
"I, Liu Shiyi, have been taught a valuable lesson!"
Liu Shiyi stood up, respectfully cupped her fists, and bowed to Ning Jiang.
Her expression was one of utmost respect.
Liu Feng felt as if a hand had seized his throat. His eyes went wide, and he couldn’t utter a single word.
Looking around, how many others had their jaws dropped in that moment?
Liu Shiyi, who had always been so proud of her Zither Skill, whose music countless people in Luoyang begged to hear, had actually said, "I have been taught a valuable lesson" to Ning Jiang?
Only Liu Xianyu wasn’t surprised. After all, Ning Jiang was the "divine being, a man of heaven" that Liu Yuanlong had spoken of.
"Let’s begin the fifth round," Ning Jiang said calmly, glancing at the crowd.
’That damn brat.’
Many members of the Liu Family clenched their fists. Out of five rounds, they had already lost four. These four rounds weren’t just about the massive amount of Primordial Stones; it was about the utter loss of face.
As disciples of a former First-Class Noble House, all of these Liu Family members were proud and arrogant. When had they ever been so thoroughly beaten by a single youth?
None of you can win a single round.
Someone recalled the words Ning Jiang had spoken. Before, they had all thought he was being absurdly arrogant. But looking at it now, wasn’t it just a display of his confidence?
"For the fifth round, I’ll be your opponent."
A young man stepped forward. He possessed Peak Postnatal Cultivation, only a single step away from the Innate Realm. This was a genius who ranked among the top five within the Liu Family.
This round was the main event. Both sides would take a Qi Locking Pill and then fight on equal footing.
"Let me be direct, I have no interest in fighting you." Ning Jiang shook his head and looked at Liu Feng. "Liu Feng, you’re the one who has a grudge with me. You and I should be the ones to fight this round."
"And don’t be so quick to refuse. I can add some restrictions on myself. For example, I won’t use a sword. How about that?"
The one who had tricked Ning Jiang into coming here to "bury the hatchet," only to use the opportunity to cause trouble and humiliate him, was Liu Feng. The one who had told him to get lost was also Liu Feng. The one who had incited everyone’s hostility toward him was, again, Liu Feng.
Liu Feng was the main culprit behind this whole setup. How could Ning Jiang let him stand aside and watch the tigers fight from a mountaintop?
Liu Feng’s expression turned cold. He no longer dared to underestimate Ning Jiang. For Ning Jiang to offer not to use a sword, he must have some confidence.
"Still too scared even if I don’t use a sword? Fine, let’s add another condition. I’ll only use one hand." Ning Jiang’s words stunned the entire crowd. "And I’ll only use three moves. If I can’t defeat you in three moves, it’s my loss, and my life is yours."
"Furthermore, if you win, the forty thousand Primordial Stones I’ve won, including all the bets, will be returned to you. How about it?"
"You’ve all lost a lot of Primordial Stones. If you can win them back, you’ll not only restore the Liu Family’s honor but also earn everyone’s gratitude. There’s everything to gain and nothing to lose for you."
Ning Jiang spoke eloquently, "Liu Feng, with such stringent conditions, surely you won’t act like a coward, will you?"
Hearing this, Liu Feng’s eyes couldn’t help but narrow.
Everything Ning Jiang had just said was an open and honest scheme, forcing him into a fight he couldn’t refuse.
No sword, only one hand, only three moves. If he won, he’d get back all the Primordial Stones plus Ning Jiang’s life. There was simply no reason for him to refuse such conditions.
If he refused, everyone in the Liu Family would look down on him.
Besides, he didn’t believe he couldn’t even withstand three moves from a one-handed Ning Jiang.
"Since you’re in such a hurry to die, I’ll grant you your wish." A murderous glint appeared in Liu Feng’s eyes.
"Shiyi, what was that all about just now? And who do you think will win this round?" A few young women gathered around Liu Shiyi.
They found Liu Shiyi’s earlier actions hard to understand.
"I believe he will win."
Liu Shiyi looked at Ning Jiang and said slowly, "His few words just now were like a sudden enlightenment to me. When I go back and absorb what I’ve learned, my music will definitely reach a new level."
She didn’t believe that someone like Ning Jiang, who understood zither music so profoundly, would be reckless enough to throw his life away.
More than the current battle, she wanted to know what kind of music Ning Jiang would produce if he were to play a piece himself.
Soon, the Primordial Stones wagered reached seventeen thousand. Compared to the previous four rounds, this amount was significantly smaller.
For one, most people had already lost almost everything in the first four rounds. Moreover, after Ning Jiang’s four consecutive victories, they had all become much more cautious.
Next, Ning Jiang and Liu Feng each consumed a Qi Locking Pill.
Liu Feng’s own Cultivation was only at the Postnatal Early Stage, completely incomparable to his older brother, Liu Yun, who was in the Innate Realm.
He was a famous silk-pants scion, a master of the romantic arts, who indulged in debauchery and extravagance, which had naturally hindered his Cultivation.
Still, Postnatal Early Stage wasn’t bad.
For comparison, the previous Ning Jiang, who had focused solely on cultivation and the way of the sword, had only reached the Postnatal Middle Stage.
"Let’s begin," Ning Jiang said, placing his left hand behind his back.
"Just wait until I beat you to the ground. Let’s see what kind of expression you’ll be wearing then." Even as Liu Feng spoke, he suddenly leaped, gathering his strength and striking out abruptly.
He feigned contempt for Ning Jiang, but in reality, he was going all out.
Even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit.
From the very start, he wanted to catch Ning Jiang off guard.
Liu Feng cultivated a Palm Technique. His palms looked soft and fleshy, like the pads of a tiger’s paw, but they could actually crack steel.
The Liu Family’s Old Sir Liu, Liu Yuanlong, was famous far and wide for his Palm Technique. Influenced by him, many in the Liu Family practiced Palm Techniques.
But how could Liu Feng’s petty tricks fool Ning Jiang?
Ning Jiang shot his arm forward. His fingers were pressed together, forming a point as sharp as a sword as he stabbed toward the center of Liu Feng’s palm.
This thrust was no less powerful than a strike from an Iron Sword.
Sensing the sharpness of the attack, Liu Feng’s body suddenly swayed. His bones seemed to go limp in an instant. WHOOSH! His body twisted, slithering like a snake through grass.
Profound Level Low Grade Martial Technique, the Golden Snake Step Technique.
Of course, without being able to use his Cultivation, the effectiveness of his Golden Snake Step Technique was greatly reduced, leaving him with only a tenth of his usual speed.
Right now, he was like a snake, swaying left and right, his movements a blur of feints and real attacks as he rapidly closed in on Ning Jiang.
At the same time, he took a sharp breath, sucking in air like a waterspout. His abdomen swelled, and he let out a thunderous roar that could shatter metal and stone. Using the force of this shout, he rapidly struck out with both palms.
Two palms became four, four became eight, and eight became sixteen.
Palm shadows filled the air from all directions, striking with the force of a mountain and a ferocious might.
This was one of the Liu Family’s Profound Level Low Grade Palm Techniques, the Eight Desolates Shattering Iron Palm. If Liu Yun were to use it, he could unleash thirty-two palm strikes in an instant. If it were Old Sir Liu, he could reach the maximum of sixty-four.
Although Liu Feng could only manage sixteen palm strikes, it was still an incredibly domineering technique. If he could use his Cultivation, even walls of bronze and iron would be smashed to pieces.
If this Palm Technique were to land on Ning Jiang, his bones would surely be broken and his tendons torn.
"The Eight Desolates Shattering Iron Palm is known for its unyielding ferocity. Liu Feng is trying to use its aggressive power to overwhelm him in one go, forcing him onto the defensive. That way, he can easily last three moves and win this round!" someone exclaimed.
"Indeed. It’s a very solid strategy."
Liu Yun nodded. "Once the Eight Desolates Shattering Iron Palm is unleashed, even I would only have two choices: either retreat to avoid its edge, or meet it head-on with force. But either way, it’s impossible to neutralize the Eight Desolates Shattering Iron Palm within three moves, let alone with only one hand!"
"In that case, this kid is doomed to lose."
Everyone was pleasantly surprised. The person present who understood the Eight Desolates Shattering Iron Palm best was naturally Liu Yun of the Innate Realm. If even he said so, then Ning Jiang’s chances were looking grim.
However, Ning Jiang’s expression remained unchanged. Facing the ferocious advance of Liu Feng, he didn’t retreat but instead advanced, his body moving as he took a step forward.
And that single, simple step caused Liu Feng’s expression to change drastically!
