It Pains This Old Man to Death

Below the arena, no one knew what had happened. They only saw that Lin Bohui, who had exchanged merely two moves with Duan Yi, seemed to have been provoked into madness. He shouted wildly as he launched a fierce assault on Duan Yi.

If his swordsmanship at first had been like thunder and lightning, unfathomably exquisite amid extreme speed, then the swordsmanship Lin Bohui now used blazed like a raging fire. Dots of sword light transformed into countless sword blossoms blooming around Duan Yi.

The sword blossoms were silver, beautiful and dazzling, yet they contained surging killing intent. With the slightest carelessness, Duan Yi would die beneath Lin Bohui's sword, with no chance of escape, because Lin Bohui would not hold back.

Duan Yi remained calm and composed. Settling his mind and calming his breath, he spread the Ten Refinements Sword into a brilliant curtain of sword light. Combining it with the lightness skill of King Yue's Divine Arrow, he used superior Songshan Swordplay to defend himself.

Though Bixie Swordplay possessed peerless power, Lin Bohui had already lost control. His swordsmanship was strong but chaotic, and he had lost all sense of measure. Duan Yi was not afraid of him.

For a time, the battle atop the arena was locked in a dangerous deadlock, making the spectators below tremble with fear. They feared that life and death would be decided in the very next moment.

Yet Duan Yi was soon hard-pressed on every side. His chest and back were grazed by several sword strikes, but no blood flowed. Only the sound of blunt metal scraping against cowhide rang out—szz, szz, szz.

In the gaps between the sword strikes, Duan Yi also used his left palm to unleash the bone-chilling cold of the Ice Divine Palm, sending a strand of Ice True Qi into Lin Bohui's body. At the first touch, he withdrew, taking what he could and stopping while he was ahead.

Then he stopped defending altogether and began dodging Lin Bohui's Sword Momentum, playing a game of cat and mouse.

Though Lin Bohui wished he could immediately cut Duan Yi down beneath his sword, for the moment he could do nothing to him.

The Bixie Sword Manual recorded that in swordsmanship, having no moves was supreme—but one must still have moves.

The essence of the seventy-two sword forms lay in speed rather than techniques: strike with the simplest move from the shortest distance.

Yet all such extreme speed depended on True Qi.

Now, the True Qi within his body was like a wild horse that had broken loose from its reins, entirely beyond control. The force behind his attacks was indeed tremendously powerful, but he could no longer achieve the Bixie Swordplay's principle of using the simplest move from the shortest distance.

Just as before, his barrage of attacks had seemed like pear blossoms beneath a torrential rain. Though the offensive was fierce, his opponent had guarded his vital areas tightly. Moreover, some precious protective gear seemed to shield his chest and back. Even when his sword slashed across them, he could not seriously injure Duan Yi.

"Damn it!"

This young man across from him seemed to have kept the entire situation firmly under control from beginning to end, calculating everything to the last detail. He was like a hedgehog—there was nowhere to sink one's teeth into.

What filled Lin Bohui with the greatest despair was that during their recent exchange, Duan Yi had sent a strand of Ice True Qi into his body, making the already rampaging True Qi within his dantian even more uncontrollable.

As he ground away at the Ice True Qi, his Bixie True Qi raced through his body, wearing down his meridians inch by inch, as though blades were slicing and threads were twisting through them.

"Aah!"

Lin Bohui could no longer restrain himself. He threw back his head and howled, his eyes turning blood-red. Like a madman devoid of reason, he lunged at Duan Yi.

Though the sword in his hand still stabbed and slashed at Duan Yi, and the qi force clinging to its blade remained immensely powerful, producing faint waves of hot wind, it had become utterly disorderly and could no longer threaten Duan Yi.

For a time, those below the arena saw that Lin Bohui, who had just been displaying his might and holding the advantage, now seemed like a madman, hacking and swinging wildly with sword techniques that followed no pattern at all.

"He has suffered Qi Deviation! How did this happen?"

Most of those below the arena had received orthodox martial arts instruction. Their theoretical knowledge was broad and their foundations solid. They could all tell that Lin Bohui had suffered Qi Deviation, yet none knew exactly why.

But many had already guessed that it must be connected to Duan Yi. Lin Bohui's earlier accusation of "despicable villain," along with his killing intent as though he could not wait to get rid of Duan Yi, had been far too abrupt.

Still, none of them could tell exactly what trick Duan Yi had used. Even an expert like Bái Xī Wén could not see through it.

The aged Ruan Xiang had watched the duel without blinking. His right hand clutched Steward Xu's arm tightly. He watched Lin Bohui's every sword strike radiate majesty, the sword wind sharp and fierce, carrying power that even they beneath the arena could feel—yet Duan Yi dodged them all with ease, toying with him like a cat playing with a mouse.

His vision suddenly went dark, and his heart felt as though someone had seized it in a grip. He nearly fainted as he roared inwardly,

"How could this happen? It pains this old man to death!"

Indeed, this was not only the question Ruan Xiang wanted to ask. Even Steward Xu could not understand why the renowned Lin Bohui had lost his nerve so quickly, or why the advantage he had held had become a joke.

Just consider Lin Bohui: born of a distinguished family, his swordsmanship exceptional, he had defeated seven swordsmen in Wei Prefecture in succession, and none of those seven had lasted ten moves against him. Yet when facing this green Duan Yi, he had been unable to accomplish anything. Now defeat was already certain. They simply could not understand it, could not see through it.

Ruan Xiang even felt that spending a fortune to hire Lin Bohui had been unbelievably foolish. With that silver, he might as well have hired assassins to find an opportunity to finish Duan Yi off. That would have been far more straightforward.

And now? A written challenge had been signed, with the Golden Cauldron Sect as guarantor. He could no longer deal with Duan Yi. Otherwise, he would be making an enemy of the Golden Cauldron Sect, a price he could not bear. He was so stifled that he was about to go mad.

On the arena, Duan Yi moved like an arrow. As he leapt and darted about, he avoided the sword of the frenzied Lin Bohui. Looking at Lin Bohui's crazed state, his expression did not change in the slightest.

Victory had never been a matter of luck, especially when the disparity in strength was clear.

From the moment Duan Yi guessed that Lin Bohui had not castrated himself to practice the sword, he had already begun considering how to deal with him.

Going to the county town to kill, making his swordsmanship fiercer and more ruthless, had been the first step. That was for improving his fundamental strength.

Going to the Fragrant Courtyard and questioning the girl who had received Lin Bohui as a customer, confirming that he truly was a man, had been the second step—and it was also the source of his confidence in victory.

The key to victory, however, had been the medicinal powder Duan Yi had rubbed onto the blade of the Ten Refinements Sword. It was not poison, but an aphrodisiac.

The prescription had come from a girl at the Fragrant Courtyard, while the herbs had been purchased from a pharmacy in Daming County. It could stir lust and send one's heart galloping like a restless monkey and racing like a wild horse.

In truth, such a thing was not even as effective as lime powder against ordinary martial artists, because anyone who practiced martial arts would surely possess willpower beyond that of ordinary people.

But for Lin Bohui, who had not castrated himself to practice the sword—especially in the midst of battle—this aphrodisiac was no less terrifying than the deadliest poison.

Together with Duan Yi's considerable martial arts, and the Black Silkworm Treasure Robe he had received from Helan Yue'er, he weathered Lin Bohui's frenzied counterattack and finally secured victory.

"I know you inside out, while you know nothing about me. With intent calculating against the unwary, your defeat was not undeserved."

Seeing Lin Bohui's aura grow weaker and weaker, while his madness gradually subsided, Duan Yi could not help shaking his head.

It was not that this man's martial arts were weak or his swordsmanship poor. He had simply encountered Duan Yi.

Indeed, rather than saying Duan Yi had defeated him, it would be more accurate to say that he had been defeated by himself.

Duan Yi had merely been the trigger. By his estimation, Lin Bohui would sooner or later be unable to escape the trial of Qi Deviation.

"This time, I truly have Yuè'er to thank. Otherwise, Lin Bohui might not have been able to kill me, but he could still have injured me. It would not have been as effortless and natural as this."

There had been danger, of course—during the period when Lin Bohui still retained his awareness and attacked Duan Yi.

Had the Black Silkworm Treasure Robe not protected him, he could not have avoided flesh wounds. As it was, he had only been left somewhat numb and aching from the qi force attached to the sword.

Duan Yi sidestepped another of Lin Bohui's sword strikes. The Ten Refinements Sword in his hand reversed, and with a knock of its hilt, he struck Lin Bohui directly on the wrist holding the sword. With a clang, the longsword flew from his hand.

Then he followed with a flying kick, striking Lin Bohui squarely in the chest and sending him flying. Lin Bohui flew backward through the air for thirty feet before crashing down beneath the arena with a boom, fainting at once. Victory and defeat were thoroughly decided.

Walking to one corner of the arena, Duan Yi picked up the discarded scabbard and sheathed the Ten Refinements Sword. He looked at the crowd below, cupped his fists in salute, then leapt down without sparing Lin Bohui or the Ruan family another glance.

The people of the Golden Cauldron Sect looked at Duan Yi with unreadable expressions. Some of the younger inner disciples even regarded him with envy and awe.

The victor became king and the loser a bandit. No matter what method Duan Yi had used, victory was victory. With everyone present as witnesses, no one could erase such a result.

And regardless of how glorious Lin Bohui's past had been, after today, Duan Yi would surely step upon Lin Bohui's head and rise another level, becoming the fastest-rising young swordsman in all Wei Prefecture.

With Bái Xī Wén behind him as well, his future achievements could be anticipated.

"Good. It is enough that you returned safely. This matter ends here. The Ruan family will never trouble you again. Otherwise, they will be making an enemy of me, Bái Xī Wén. Let us go."

Bái Xī Wén had many things he wished to ask Duan Yi, but he knew this was not the right place. He could only offer a few formal words while warning Ruan Xiang and Steward Xu, who stood some distance away.

Upon hearing Bái Xī Wén's words, Ruan Xiang finally could not hold himself back. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

Steward Xu could only call for the Ruan family servants who had followed them up the mountain to carry Ruan Xiang and Lin Bohui down. They left in a sorry state.