On the second day of September, while the sky was still dim and gray, Duan Yi sat alone behind the folding screen in his room, dressed in white underclothes and holding a piece of gray cloth that looked like an article of clothing.
This gray garment was light and soft, yet incomparably tough. It looked like nothing more than two scraps of rag sewn together and was not particularly attractive, but Duan Yi knew that these two pieces of cloth were likely no less valuable than the Cold Jade he had used for training over the past two days—perhaps even more so.
The Black Silkworm Treasure Robe, woven from the silk of black silkworms from the Great Snow Mountain, could ward off blades and swords and disperse heavy force. It was an exceedingly rare protective treasure. With such a garment, one could often escape death, or even trade injuries for a life.
"A gift of apology? The little girl knew she was wrong and admitted it. Deeply affectionate and righteous... pity I don't feel anything. We'll see in the future."
Duan Yi put on the Black Silkworm Treasure Robe and touched the right side of his face, where he had been slapped yesterday. The corner of his eye narrowed. It still throbbed faintly, and he could not help but give a bitter smile.
He might have been rather straightforward, but he was not a fool. How could he fail to understand what the girl had been thinking?
It was precisely because she cared about him that she had acted impulsively. Of course, he could not blame her.
Still, although Helan Yue'er was exquisitely beautiful and innocent and lovable, she was simply too young. Flat in front and flat behind, truly unprecedented and never to be repeated. He could not summon the slightest trace of romantic feeling for her. Instead, he regarded her more like a younger sister.
"Still, people grow up. Maybe one day she'll become a true beauty brimming with charm?"
Gathering his scattered thoughts, Duan Yi walked to the eastern corner of the room, took down the Ten Refinements Sword hanging on the wall, then retrieved an oil-paper packet from the bundle beside his bed. Sitting at the table, he began his final preparations before the duel.
When he opened the oil-paper packet, it revealed a small amount of pure white medicinal powder. Duan Yi used a prepared white cloth to dip into the powder and carefully wiped it along the edge of the Ten Refinements Sword.
For this medicinal powder, he had not only borrowed ten taels of silver from Bái Xī Wén and taken on debt, but had also endured the disdainful looks and mockery of the pharmacy clerk. All for one purpose: victory.
Elsewhere, in the Ruan family residence in Daming County, Ruan Xiang paced back and forth through an imposing room with his hands behind his back, his eyes full of worry. Steward Xu stood beside him.
"Can he really do it? On the night before the duel, he actually behaved so outrageously, going to the Fragrant Courtyard and spending the night with four women. Can he even lift a sword today?"
Ruan Xiang could not help being angry, nor could he help worrying.
To hire Lin Bohui, Steward Xu had promised him one thousand taels of fine silver. That was no small sum.
The Great Xia used copper coins, silver, and gold as common currency. A thousand copper coins made one string, worth roughly one tael of silver. Its purchasing power was approximately equivalent to two thousand yuan in modern times. Converted this way, one thousand taels amounted to two million yuan, equal to two years of the Ruan family's business income.
If it had been money well spent, that would have been one thing. But apart from playing with women, Lin Bohui had never been seen practicing martial arts. Last night, he had even spent a large sum on four courtesans from the Fragrant Courtyard to accompany him. Ruan Xiang feared he had been drained dry and would have no strength to get up today.
Losing the duel was a minor matter. Failing to avenge Ruan Dong and vent his rage was the grave matter.
"Master, there is no need to worry. Haven't you investigated already?
"This Lin Bohui came from Fuzhou, Lingnan. He must be a junior of the Lin Family. Seven swordsmen have testified to the power of his Bixie Swordplay, and we have long heard of his conduct. Let us trust him."
Steward Xu sighed. He knew that the master's concern had thrown him into disorder, yet he was also curious. He truly could not understand how someone so indolent and lustful could cultivate such formidable martial arts.
"The time is about right. Send someone to the Fragrant Courtyard to fetch Lin Bohui, then head to the Golden Cauldron Sect together."
Ruan Xiang had no choice but to place his hopes on Lin Bohui not failing his trust. So long as he won this battle and returned carrying that murderer's head, Ruan Dong's spirit in heaven would surely be able to rest in peace.
As for the silver, his most precious son was already gone. What use was money to him now?
Time gradually passed. Near noon, beneath the blazing sun, Ruan Xiang's party finally arrived on the mountain. Led by Liu Zhiwei, they came beneath the arena halfway up Central Peak, first exchanged greetings with the Golden Cauldron Sect members, and then waited for Duan Yi's arrival.
By then, some people had already gathered beneath the arena to watch the battle. There were not many, but they were all the backbone of the Golden Cauldron Sect, including the various elders and their personal disciples. Among them was Wáng Jīn Guì, who had once led Duan Yi up the mountain to meet Bái Xī Wén.
"Lin Bohui defeated seven somewhat famous swordsmen from Wei Prefecture in just three months. In terms of martial arts, I definitely cannot compare to him. Can Duan Yi truly duel such an expert?"
Wáng Jīn Guì was not conspicuous among the personal disciples and looked very ordinary, but compared to the others, he knew much more about Duan Yi.
Thinking back, he had first met Duan Yi just over half a month ago. The youth had been poorly dressed and travel-worn, looking exactly like a poor relative seeking refuge with a wealthy household. Let alone an expert, Wáng Jīn Guì could not even see any foundation in martial arts on him.
Although he had said nothing on the surface at the time, he had still felt some contempt in his heart.
Yet how long had it been? Duan Yi had not only defeated Ruan Dong in swordsmanship, but could now contend with such an expert. It was truly beyond imagination.
Besides the Golden Cauldron Sect members, Helan Yue'er, Granny An, and Eunuch Qiu were also waiting calmly in one corner of the arena.
Fortunately, they did not wait long before Duan Yi and Bái Xī Wén came up from a mountain path to one side, drawing everyone's attention.
Bái Xī Wén had been famous for a long time. As the Golden Cauldron Sect's foremost expert, everyone had seen him countless times, so there was nothing remarkable about him. Duan Yi, however, drew many heated stares.
A poor youth possessed peerless talent for martial arts. In a short time, he had attained a level of skill that others could not achieve even after years. He could defeat Ruan Dong with the sword and even duel the now-rising Lin Bohui. How could each and every one of these things not arouse curiosity?
Though cultivation on the mountain was not bitter, it was still terribly dull and monotonous. With a person like this and an affair like this, it was enough to make people want to see the truth for themselves.
Under the gaze of the crowd, with dozens of fiery eyes fixed upon him—all belonging to people deeply versed in martial arts—the pressure was not something an ordinary person could endure.
If one's mentality was not strong enough, or one was not steady enough, these gazes alone would be enough to scatter Duan Yi's focus and spirit, perhaps even throw him into a flustered panic and lead to defeat.
It was like giving a speech in the modern age. Faced with dozens, even hundreds, of eyes, one needed a big heart to speak eloquently. Otherwise, one might not even be able to get the words out properly.
Fortunately, Duan Yi was no ordinary youth from the mountains. As Ice True Qi circulated through his body, it put him in an exceptionally calm state. His heart was like an ancient well without a ripple, and he treated those thorn-in-the-back gazes as though they did not exist.
He had begun sitting in meditation that morning, deliberately gathering himself into this state so that he could bring himself to his peak condition.
As the two sides gathered, they finally saw their opponents in this contest.
In Lin Bohui's eyes, Duan Yi wore a well-fitted blue outer robe today and held the Ten Refinements Sword. His hair was bound by a red ribbon. His entire bearing was cold and clear, yet not lacking in sharpness. Especially his eyes, like a bottomless icy pool, made people afraid to look directly at him.
Ignoring his still-youthful face, he truly did possess something of an expert's bearing. Unfortunately, he could not conceal the fact that he was still green.
After coming to a stop, Duan Yi also examined the man who was clearly his opponent.
Lin Bohui was of average height, not much different from Duan Yi, but far more heavily built.
His hair was greasy and loose, even clumped together in strands, making him look unkempt.
His face was covered in beard, making it impossible to distinguish either his features or his age. He looked like a down-and-out vagrant.
More than that, the arms exposed outside his clothes were also covered in black hair. He looked more like a chimpanzee than a normal person, brimming with savagery and ferocity.
Compared with Lin Bohui's contempt, Duan Yi appeared far more solemn. His five fingers clenched tightly around the Ten Refinements Sword.
The true qi cultivated through Bixie Swordplay is unbearably scorching, with flourishing Yang Fire. That is why this man's body is covered in hair, his male hormones overflowing. This proves once again that my guess was right. He must have practiced the swordplay without castrating himself.
There had been a joke in his previous life about the Sunflower Manual and Bixie Swordplay. It said that two final lines of truth echoed the opening lines: if one did not castrate oneself, one could still succeed.
That was obviously just a joke. It did not mean one could truly cultivate the skill without castrating oneself.
Therefore, though Duan Yi took his opponent seriously, his confidence had not weakened in the slightest.
As the person in charge of this contest, Liu Zhiwei saw that both sides had arrived. With a leap, he landed on the arena, gave a light cough to suppress the murmurs around it, and said, "Duan Yi, Lin Bohui, the two of you come up."
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