Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Young Master Sword, Upright and Righteous
The General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect rarely showed his hand and kept a low profile, but no one dared to underestimate him.
It was a joke to think that a person who had been appointed as a General Manager would be weak in martial arts.
Upon hearing his words, many people fell silent.
"Zhang is here to learn from your excellency."
At this moment, a short, sturdy man wielding a large copper scissor stepped forward.
"Eh, isn’t this ’Cangshui Crocodile’ Zhang Ziwen?"
Someone exclaimed in a low voice.
’Cangshui Crocodile’ Zhang Ziwen, a master of four layers of Qi Absorption, was famous in the Cloud Triangle region of the Martial World for his Crocodile Scissors skill. Reportedly, anyone targeted by his Crocodile Scissors would struggle to escape being cut.
The General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect apparently also recognized him, and with an undiminished smile, he said, "Please, Master Zhang."
Creak.
Without wasting words, Zhang Ziwen moved his hands, and the double blades of the crocodile scissors opened wide, slicing directly towards the other party’s waist.
"Light as duckweed."
The General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect, although seemingly pudgy, moved with incredible agility. He easily dodged the heavy onslaught of the Crocodile Scissors.
By the fifth move, the General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect suddenly appeared behind Zhang Ziwen and lightly pushed him away with a palm.
"Is that all?"
The crowd was inwardly shocked, having not discerned the General Manager’s specific actions.
Or perhaps it should be said that the General Manager didn’t use any formidable martial arts from start to finish.
"Crocodile’s Eighteen Bites!"
With a look of humiliation and anger on his face, Zhang Ziwen roared. The Crocodile Scissors suddenly sped up, and amid the clatter, it seemed as if they were shredding the air itself.
"Master Zhang, you have already lost."
The General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect shook his head and slapped out a palm.
Thump!
This palm, imbued with strong internal power, directly knocked Zhang Ziwen back two steps.
"The General Manager is exceptional, Zhang admits inferiority."
Gritting his teeth, Zhang Ziwen felt too ashamed to continue staying and turned to leave.
"Amazing. Despite having similar stages of Qi Absorption, the difference in strength is significant."
"Clearly, the General Manager used lower-tier superior-class flying skills and palm skills. Coupled with slightly stronger internal power, this outcome is not surprising."
The crowd whispered in discussion, with some even displaying expressions of envy.
Most wandering martial artists practiced lower-tier martial arts. Unlike some sect masters, who with a bit of luck could acquire superior-class martial arts.
Over time, the gap in strength naturally became significant.
However, this couldn’t be helped. One does not simply join a sect. Furthermore, some people prefer to take risks in the Martial World for the sake of freedom, rather than being bound by the constraints of a sect.
After Zhang Ziwen, several others attempted the challenge.
About half a 2-hour period later, six people were invited into the main hall of the Subdue Evil Sect to discuss the grand plan with the Sect Leader, Upright and Righteous He Qingyu.
By now, people had a clear understanding of the General Manager’s strength.
This man had reached the late stage of the fourth layer of Qi Absorption, making his agility a significant advantage. Although the previous six had resisted fifty moves, they would likely not be his match in a life-and-death fight.
"Is there anyone else?"
The General Manager asked.
Most people remained silent, having lost hope at this point. They simply wanted to see if there was anyone else who could pass the General Manager’s test.
At this moment, two young men stood up.
One wore a golden crown and purple clothes, having a handsome face. The other dressed in green with a sword hanging from his waist.
The crowd couldn’t help but brighten up, drawn in by the two’s charisma.
"My name is Su Junhao, I’m here to try my luck."
After glancing at Shi Xiaole for a moment, the young man in purple calmly turned his gaze away.
"Su Junhao?"
Many people’s hearts skipped a beat, and when they looked at the young man in purple once more, they saw astonishment on their faces.
Su Junhao, known as the ’Young Master Sword’, was recognized as the leader of the Four Outstanding Youths. At the age of seventeen, his cultivation had already reached the peak of the second layer of Qi Absorption, and his swordsmanship was exquisite.
What’s even more astonishing was that just last month, it was said that Su Junhao killed a fourth-layer practitioner of Qi Absorption with just three sword strikes, attracting widespread attention.
One should know, the gap in the Qi Absorption realm is much larger than in the Hidden Qi Realm. To kill someone two levels higher in the Qi Absorption realm carries more weight than being considered one of the Four Outstanding Youths.
Shi Xiaole also looked at Su Junhao, though there was no surprise on his face unlike the others.
Half a year ago, the Four Outstanding Youths of Cloud Corner were beyond his reach. But now, he didn’t think they could survive ten moves against him, let alone someone inferior to him.
"Could you be the Young Master Su?"
The General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect’s expression changed for the first time, revealing a grave look. He smiled and said, "Since it’s Young Master Su, I won’t humiliate myself. Please, have a seat in the hall."
Upon hearing this, Su Junhao smiled unperturbedly, saluted, and then walked into the main hall.
"Young Master Sword is truly Young Master Sword, not even needing to fight."
"Nonsense, he is undeniably the first among young people under twenty in the Cloud Triangle region. Who would dare not show him respect?"
Ignoring the whispering of the crowd, the Subdue Evil Sect General Manager looked at Shi Xiaole, his heart suddenly stirred.
How should he put it? If Su Junhao gave him an impression of grandeur and pride, then this young man in green gave him the sense of a cloud, a clear stream of water; lofty and serene, yet unfathomable.
"What is your name, Young Master?"
Over the years, the General Manager of the Subdue Evil Sect had never met such an interesting young man.
"I am Shi Xiaole."
"Shi Xiaole," he said.
"Oh? The Sword and Saber Master, Shi Xiaole?"
The eyes of the managing leader of the Subdue Evil Sect gleamed.
The others looked at each other. However, their reactions were clearly not as enthusiastic as when Su Junhao introduced himself.
This was understandable.
After all, only a few people, such as Zhu Xiuling, witnessed Shi Xiaole’s act of killing Uncle Wu, and the Zhu Family had deliberately concealed the news to secretly investigate who backed Uncle Wu.
Moreover, his feats of killing the Ghost Mountain Three Evils and the Chief of the Black Dragon Village, defeating Yintong, would not be likely to be publicized. Thus, the deepest impression of Shi Xiaole remained his performance at the Cloud Sky Meeting.
Comparing this performance with the soaring popularity of ’Young Master Sword’ Su Junhao, it naturally paled in comparison.
The managing leader of the Subdue Evil Sect smiled and said, "I’ve heard of Young Master Shi’s reputation for a long time. Today, I would like to experience it firsthand."
Having said that, he placed one hand behind his back and adopted a combat stance.
Clang.
Shi Xiaole thrust his sword forward, just like a mist swirling around, which was unmistakably a move from the Thirteen Skills of Mystifying Cloud and Mist.
As the managing leader of the Subdue Evil Sect was about to strike, his expression suddenly changed. In his vision, Shi Xiaole’s long sword trembled. Mysteriously, he thrust it from the other side, forcing him to retreat.
What was most stunning was that the aura exuding from Shi Xiaole’s strike was unequivocally at the level of the first stage of Qi Absorption!
Thud, thud, thud.
Just three steps after the managing leader of the Subdue Evil Sect retreated, a long sword was held across his chest.
"I yield."
Shi Xiaole sheathed his sword.
"You, you..."
The managing leader of the Subdue Evil Sect was dumbfounded, feeling an onset of dry mouth.
As for the others, they had already been frozen there, doubting their own eyes.
"I was careless."
Seeing the expressions of those around him, Shi Xiaole felt somewhat helpless.
Primarily because he was not completely familiar with his regular strength, he exerted too much force. Combined with his opponent’s overconfidence in using only one hand, it led to the result just now.
"The famous Sword and Saber Master, who would have thought he’d be so formidable?"
"I wouldn’t have been able to dodge that last strike."
Only after Shi Xiaole left did the crowd finally explode with discussions, their shock not the least abated.
"I really underestimated him."
Looking at Shi Xiaole’s retreating figure, the managing leader of the Subdue Evil Sect shook his head with a peculiar glint in his eyes.
"Huh?"
Inside the hall, noticing Shi Xiaole’s entrance, Su Junhao momentarily paused his teacup, but quickly resumed his original state.
Although he was surprised that the other party had survived the test, he had his own pride. Not everyone would be worthy of his attention.
While Su Junhao was nonchalant, the others were somewhat surprised.
The man sitting at the head of the table was refined in appearance, with slender eyes, and asked, "Judging by the young hero’s attire, could it be the highly acclaimed Sword and Saber Master, Young Hero Shi?"
"Indeed, it is me."
Sitting in the empty seat, Shi Xiaole was also observing this man.
If he had guessed correctly, this man should be the son of He Bugui, He Qingyu, the embodiment of ’Upright and Righteous’.
"Haha, having both young heroes gather here today indeed pays a great compliment to the Subdue Evil Sect, and further boosts my confidence in defeating our rival by a third."
He Qingyu laughed heartily, exuding a robust spirit.
Ignoring the gazes of the others, Shi Xiaole withdrew his gaze.
From his outward appearance, He Qingyu seemed to have no obvious flaws and carried an aura of gallant righteousness. Whether his character was as people say, that remained an uncertainty.
"Swordsman He, which evil force are we striking against this time?"
After a quarter of an hour, the managing leader declared that all the martial artists outside had left. One of the experts in the hall then spoke.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, He Qingyu said, "It’s the Nine Lotus Sect."
A moment of silence filled the hall.
The Nine Lotus Sect was the most powerful martial force near Four Directions City. It was said that their sect was established by nine sworn brothers, each a notorious figure in the Martial World.
Over the years, the Nine Lotus Sect had committed numerous atrocities. However, with the nine Lotus Lords in power, no martial artist who dared to challenge them had met a good end.
Eventually, the Nine Lotus Sect had become a taboo in the nearby martial world.
"You all do not need to worry. According to my secret information, four of the Lotus Lords have left on business in these few days, leaving only five behind. It’s the perfect opportunity to make our move."
He Qingyu swept his gaze over the others and said, "For the righteousness of the martial world, I have decided to go all out. If anyone wishes to withdraw, please say so. I will not stop you."
After this declaration, a few became silent.
They were all people of reputation. If they decided to back down today, even if He Qingyu didn’t say anything, it was hard to guarantee what others would think. Even if there were only five Lotus Lords remaining in the Nine Lotus Sect, it was still worth a try. If they succeeded, their reputation in the Martial World would definitely soar.
The crowd did not doubt whether He Qingyu would lie.
Firstly, his status was earned through decades of strenuous battles and risking his life, indicating his trustworthiness.
Secondly, the Nine Lotus Sect had been in constant conflict with the Subdue Evil Sect for years. The deputy leader of the Subdue Evil Sect had died at the hands of the Nine Lotus Sect, leading to a great feud between them.
"What are you saying, Swordsman He? Just share the detailed plan - we’re with you."
A bald man thumped his chest.
He Qingyu laughed out loud, quickly revealing the plan and stating that the Subdue Evil Sect would gather its full strength, vowing to annihilate the Nine Lotus Sect tonight.
Shi Xiaole had been quietly listening to the side, thoughtful.
