.
Lu Fengho felt blood rise to his throat and coughed up a spray of it.
'What happened?!' he wondered, glaring up at Xue Shengren.
He hadn't seen her move, nor seen the fan change back into a sword, yet a bloodied blade was in her hand, and a cold stinging pain spread across his chest.
She had somehow slashed him without him seeing it. Though it was a shallow wound, he could barely move.
"Hmph." Xue Shengren landed lightly in front of him. "Elder brother, I only let your group find me because I wanted my ribbon back." As she spoke, the sword shifted back into a fan.
She leaned forward.
"That means you're my enemy if you refuse to return it, isn't that right?"
Lu Fengho used his sword to hold himself up but couldn't stand. He remained on his knees, glaring up at the young face before him.
'This can't be the Zhao family trash!' He thought. 'Zhao Lanfeng supposedly had no power until he was fourteen. How can he be this strong?!'
If this tiny person was really Zhao Lanfeng, then he'd not only acquired an incredibly powerful weapon, but also defeated two major clans at the age of nineteen.
Calling him a genius wouldn't even begin to describe it.
Even Shui Chenlin had never made Lu Fengho feel this intimidated.
Xue Shengren suddenly straightened, pulling him from his thoughts.
"I'm benevolent, so I won't kill you. My Shadow Slash technique can be dangerous, so go to sleep for now."
She raised the fan and Lu Fengho braced himself, expecting a blow, but the fan clashed with a... needle?
Then a sword came from her side.
She reflexively blocked with the fan and turned to face the veiled man who had entered earlier.
His sword was blue and silver, surrounded by a dense wavy aura.
Xue Shengren smiled. "Not just anyone can sneak up on me."
She leapt across the restaurant, then began fanning herself. "Ho? *'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' Are you trying to make me the foolish mantis?"
(*An idiom warning about focusing solely on one's prey, forgetting another predator might be hunting them)
A black, fiery aura flickered around her fan.
"Elder brother, go easy on me. Weren't you all the ones who attacked a poor cicada like me first?"
Lu Fengho warned, "Shui Chenlin, be careful! His fan is a sword. This fellow has many tricks!"
Shui Chenlin nodded and stepped forward with one hand behind his back. "For someone to defeat Lu Fengho so easily... We can't underestimate this fellow." He glanced at Xue Shengren, who mirrored his pose.
"So you're called Chenlin?" she asked. "But those stormy eyes of yours seem more suited for *clouding the dawn."
(*Chen means dawn)
Shui Chenlin nearly frowned. "I don't want to hear my name from the likes of you." He dashed forward, but Xue Shengren blocked with ease.
Their first clash sent wind surging through the room. The two flew through the restaurant, sword against fan, both hands behind their backs in a relaxed posture.
They were equal in speed and qinggong, making it look like they were dancing across the air. Shockwaves burst from each clash, shaking the building, as their blue and black sword auras swirled through the room.
Outside, disciples stared in awe.
Fenghuang-Jun had always been the Shui genius. No one in his age group had ever pushed him this far.
"Maybe this Xue Shengren is actually a grand elder with a youthful appearance!" said Shui Junho, and a few others nodded awkwardly.
"Yes! We made a mistake underestimating him!" one said. "Doesn't the clan's Wise Texts say not to judge a book by its cover?!"
A short distance away, Meng Zhuguo felt lucky. Being flung away by a sword hilt was a light punishment.
Inside, Lu Fengho watched with surprise. He had underestimated Xue Shengren.
Meanwhile, the clashes grew fiercer. The floor shook. Bits of dust and wood fell from the ceiling.
Now they were fighting with both hands. At one point, Shui Chenlin poured energy into his left palm. Xue Shengren did the same, and when the energies met, the building shivered.
"Ei?!" Xue Shengren jumped back as several needle tips narrowly missed her, and she landed at a distance.
She grinned. "How interesting! You should have said sly tricks were allowed."
"The element of surprise is important in battle," Shui Chenlin replied flatly. He gestured, and the needles flew back to him, glowing with his blue aura.
He flung them again and they sped toward Xue Shengren, but just before they reached her, she raised her fan. The needles stopped midair.
With a flick, she blew them away, and they returned to Shui Chenlin.
Then, in a blink, she struck downward with Shadow Slash again. But he blocked it and threw a table at her in the same motion.
"Hmph." She sliced it cleanly and kicked the halves aside.
"Hao! Elder brother called Chen!" She landed softly. "You're really on a different level. If I had to guess, you're at the peak of the purple realm?"
She suspected he was stronger but decided to play along.
After all, she was hiding her strength too.
"You're also at the peak of the purple realm," Shui Chenlin replied, slightly impressed.
But just like her, he suspected she was much stronger.
Silence fell as they sized each other up.
Xue Shengren broke it. "Elder brother, should we continue?"
Shui Chenlin scowled. "Little boy, it's distasteful for someone like you to call me that. I have two questions before we continue."
Xue Shengren pouted. "Ha?! 'Little boy'?! That's rude!"
Shui Chenlin raised a brow. "Someone going around calling perfect strangers 'elder brother' and 'fatty' shouldn't complain. You even dared to say my name."
"Ehehehe... I can't argue with that," she said, rubbing her nose.
"First question. Are you responsible for the slaughter at the eastern and southern dragon clans?"
"Return my ribbon and I'll tell yo- Ei?!"
Before she could finish, Shui Chenlin flung an air talisman at her. She blocked it with one of her own, effortlessly.
She then fired three more talismans. He countered with three of his own. They all canceled out, and silence returned.
She folded her arms. "Tch! How low of you to attack mid-conversation."
"The element of surprise is important in battle," he repeated. "Will you answer my question?"
His sword, Qin Song, turned into mist and vanished.
"Isn't it obvious?" she said. "Still pretending that white ribbon didn't lead you straight to me?"
He held the ribbon up and let it dangle. "We know it's yours, but I'm confirming this once more. Are you Xue Shengren, the one who destroyed the ruling clans?"
She followed the ribbon with her eyes, then lunged for it.
Shui Chenlin jumped away, keeping his distance.
"You can have it if you answer my questions."
"Using one's weakness against them?" She folded her arms. "Fine, I'll answer. I don't know where the name Xue Shengren came from, but I'll accept it. If I said I didn't destroy the clans, would you believe me?"
Silence.
He clearly didn't.
"What's the use in asking, then? I'll spare you the confusion." She began pacing and fanning herself. "I killed them with relish. I won't talk about the clan members, but I don't regret what I did to the ruling families!
"So what's your second question?"
She noticed Lu Fengho trying to stand.
"Handsome brother, I wouldn't move too much," she said. "My Shubi doesn't just cut flesh. You might harm a few meridians if you're not careful."
Lu Fengho's face paled.
She raised a brow. "Handsome types are too serious! Just circulate your qi slowly. You'll be fine!
"I planned to knock you out so you wouldn't move, but elder brother 'surprise attack' showed up."
Lu Fengho and Shui Chenlin exchanged glances, then looked back at her.
Dressed in all black, with her small stature and perfect face, Xue Shengren really did look like a childish demon.
But she wasn't what they expected.
She was petty like a child, but hadn't done any lasting harm to them.
Shui Chenlin could sense no killing intent from her.
It felt like she was just playing.
And he had little doubt that if he handed over the ribbon, she'd leave without causing more trouble.
He gave a light cough. "Ahem. My second question. You... you're Zhao Lanfeng, aren't you?"
Xue Shengren's eyes widened slightly. Now that was her name.
The restaurant fell silent again.
But then her shoulders shook lightly and she began to laugh.
"If you knew my name, why call me something as unpleasant as 'Xue Shengren'?"
Shui Chenlin's brows rose. 'Not possible!' he thought.
He had met Zhao Lanfeng twelve years ago, when he and his father visited the Zhao family.
He was thirteen. Zhao Lanfeng had been seven. He remembered a young boy chasing fireflies by a lake...
"You -" he began, but the words caught in his throat.
The Zhao Lanfeng in his memory and the person before him felt like two completely different people.
Back then, Zhao Lanfeng had no spirit talent, and everyone called him the Zhao family trash.
Even those they questioned since the clan attacks said Zhao Lanfeng couldn't cultivate up to the point he disappeared.
That was just five years ago...
Was it even possible?
How did someone with no spirit power become this powerful?!
.