Chapter Forty-Three: Before the Battle

On the second day of the ninth lunar month, the sky was still dimly lit. Duàn Yì sat alone behind a screen in the house, dressed in white undergarments, holding a piece of gray cloth that looked like an ornament.

The gray cloth was soft and light, yet incredibly tough. It looked like two scraps of cloth sewn together, not very attractive. But Duàn Yì knew that these two pieces of cloth were probably as valuable, if not more so, than the Cold Jade he had been using for practice these past two days.

The Black Silkworm Treasure Robe, made from the silk of black silkworms from the Great Snow Mountain, could block swords and blades and absorb heavy blows. It was an extremely rare protective treasure. Having such a robe could often mean escaping death, or even trading an injury for a life.

"A gift to apologize? The little girl is quick to admit her mistakes and shows deep affection. It's a shame I don't feel anything. I'll see how it goes."

Duàn Yì changed into the Black Silkworm Treasure Robe and touched his right cheek, which had been slapped yesterday. His eyes narrowed, and it still ached faintly. He couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

Although he was straightforward, he wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what the young girl was thinking.

It was because she cared about him that she acted a little impulsively. Of course, he wouldn't blame her.

It was just that while Helan Yue'er was beautiful and had a delicate appearance, and was also simple and adorable, she was simply too young. She had no chest and no hips – truly unprecedented. He couldn't muster even a shred of romantic feeling for her. Instead, he saw her more like a younger sister.

"But people grow up, don't they? Maybe she'll become a charming, truly beautiful woman in the future?"

Gathering his scattered thoughts, Duàn Yì walked to the east corner of the house, took the Ten Refinements Sword hanging on the wall, and retrieved a piece of parchment from his bundle by the bed. He sat down at the table and began his final preparations for the duel.

He opened the parchment, which contained a small amount of pure white powder. Duàn Yì dipped a prepared white cloth into the powder and carefully wiped it onto the edge of the Ten Refinements Sword.

To obtain this powder, he had not only borrowed ten taels of silver from Bái Xī Wén, incurring debt, but he also had to endure the disdainful glances and mockery from the pharmacy workers. His sole purpose was to win.

Meanwhile, in the Ruan family mansion in Daming County, Ruan Xiang paced back and forth in the grand room with his hands behind his back, his eyes full of worry. Beside him stood Steward Xu.

"Is he capable? The night before the duel, he was still so absurd, spending the night at the Fragrant Courtyard with four women. Can he even pick up a sword today?"

Ruan Xiang couldn't help but be angry and worried.

To enlist Lin Bohui's help, Steward Xu had promised him a thousand taels of silver. This was no small sum.

Great Xia used copper coins, silver, and gold as its currency. A thousand copper coins made one guan, worth about one tael of silver. Its purchasing power was roughly equivalent to two thousand yuan today. This one thousand taels would translate to two million yuan, equivalent to two years of income for the Ruan family's business.

If it were worth it, it would be fine. But this Lin Bohui, apart from womanizing, had never been seen practicing martial arts. Moreover, he had spent a large sum of silver last night to have four renowned courtesans from the Fragrant Courtyard accompany him, making Ruan Xiang worry that he would be drained and unable to get up today.

Losing the duel was a minor matter, but failing to avenge Ruan Dong was a major one.

"Master, you don't need to worry. Didn't you investigate?

This Lin Bohui is from Fuzhou in Lingnan, so he must be a junior from the Lin family. The power of his Bixie Swordplay has been proven by seven swordsmen. We've also heard about his reputation. Let's trust him." Steward Xu sighed, knowing his master was worried and anxious, but he was also curious. He truly wondered how this man, so lazy and lustful, could have cultivated such formidable martial arts.

"It's almost time. Send someone to the Fragrant Courtyard to pick up Lin Bohui and head to the Golden Cauldron Sect together."

Ruan Xiang had no choice but to place his hope in Lin Bohui not failing him. As long as he won this battle and brought back the head of the killer, he believed that Ruan Dong's spirit in heaven would finally be at peace.

As for the silver, he had lost his most precious son; what was the point of having money?

Time passed slowly. As noon approached, under the scorching sun, Ruan Xiang and his entourage finally arrived at the mountain. Led by Liu Zhiwei, they reached the arena at the mountainside of Middle Peak. They first paid their respects to the members of the Golden Cauldron Sect and then waited for Duàn Yì's arrival.

By then, a crowd had already gathered below the arena to watch. The number was not large, but they were all core members of the Golden Cauldron Sect, including the various elders and inner disciples. Among them was Wáng Jīn Guì, who had once guided Duàn Yì up the mountain to meet Bái Xī Wén.

"Lin Bohui has defeated seven well-known swordsmen from Wei Prefecture in just three months. In terms of martial arts, he is definitely not someone I can compare to. Can Duàn Yì really duel with such a master?"

Wáng Jīn Guì was not conspicuous among the inner disciples; he looked quite ordinary. However, compared to others, he knew Duàn Yì much better.

He recalled their first meeting less than half a month ago. The young man was dressed shabbily and looked travel-worn, like a poor relative seeking refuge with a wealthy family. Not to mention a master, he couldn't even discern any martial arts foundation.

Although he didn't say anything at the time, he still held a bit of contempt in his heart.

But in such a short period, Duàn Yì not only defeated Ruan Dong in swordsmanship but could also contend with such a master. It was truly unimaginable.

Besides the members of the Golden Cauldron Sect, Helan Yue'er, Granny An, and Eunuch Qiu were also waiting calmly in a corner of the arena.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long. Duàn Yì and Bái Xī Wén arrived from a side mountain path, drawing everyone's attention.

Bái Xī Wén had been famous for a long time. As the top expert of the Golden Cauldron Sect, many people had seen him countless times, so it wasn't particularly surprising. It was Duàn Yì, however, who attracted many curious glances.

A poor young man with supreme talent for martial arts, who had achieved in a short time what others couldn't in years. He had defeated Ruan Dong with his sword and could now duel with the renowned Lin Bohui. How could these things not pique people's curiosity?

Although cultivating on the mountain wasn't hardship, it was tedious and monotonous. With someone like this and an event like this, it was enough to make people want to see what would happen.

Under the watchful eyes of dozens of fiery gazes, all from people well-versed in martial arts, the pressure was not something an ordinary person could withstand.

If one's mentality wasn't strong enough or stable, these gazes alone would be enough to distract Duàn Yì, disrupt his focus, and even make him flustered, leading to defeat.

This was similar to modern public speaking. Facing dozens or even hundreds of eyes, one needed a strong heart to speak eloquently, otherwise, they might not even be able to articulate their words properly.

Fortunately, Duàn Yì was not an ordinary mountain youth. The circulation of the Ice True Qi within him kept him in an extremely calm state. His mind was as still as a tranquil pool, and he regarded these piercing gazes as if they were nothing.

This state was achieved by sitting in meditation since this morning, deliberately concentrating, all to bring Duàn Yì to his peak condition.

As the two sides converged, they both saw their opponents for the match.

In Lin Bohui's eyes, Duàn Yì was wearing a well-fitting blue outer robe today, holding the Ten Refinements Sword, his hair tied back with a red ribbon. His entire demeanor was cold yet sharp. Especially his eyes, like a deep, unfathomable cold pool, inspiring awe.

Ignoring his young face, he did possess some air of a master. It was a pity that it couldn't hide the fact that he was still immature.

After standing firm, Duàn Yì also sized up the person who was clearly his opponent.

Lin Bohui had an average build, similar to Duàn Yì, but he was much sturdier.

His hair was greasy and disheveled, even clumped together, making him look unkempt.

His face was covered in a beard, making it impossible to discern his features or age. He looked like a disheveled vagrant.

Not only that, but his exposed arms were also covered in dark hair. The man looked more like a gorilla than a normal human, exuding wildness and ferocity.

Compared to Lin Bohui's disdain, Duàn Yì appeared much more serious, his five fingers gripping the Ten Refinements Sword tightly.

"The True Qi cultivated by the Bixie Swordplay is unbearably hot and violent, with strong Yang fire, which is why this person is covered in hair and bursting with male hormones. This once again proves my guess was correct: he must have practiced the swordplay without castrating himself."

In his past life, there was a joke about the Sunflower Manual, or the Bixie Swordplay, saying the last two lines of truth echoed the first two lines: "If you don't castrate yourself, you can still succeed."

This was clearly a jest and did not mean one could actually practice the skill without castration.

Therefore, although Duàn Yì took his opponent seriously, his confidence had not wavered in the slightest.

Liu Zhiwei, as the person in charge of this match, saw that both sides had gathered. He leaped onto the stage with a light cough, silencing the whispers around the arena, and began, "Duàn Yì, Lin Bohui, you two come up."