To Decide Superiority

"Who's at the Training Field?" Meng Yuan asked as he dressed.

"I don't know him. He looks like he's got quite the background! Hu Qian told me to come get you—she said you needed to hurry over!" Tie Niu was flustered, even helping Meng Yuan hold up his clothes.

"Tie Niu." Meng Yuan pressed down on Tie Niu's hand and said sternly, "The sky hasn't fallen yet. Remember this: no matter what happens, you must keep your calm. Especially for those of us who practice martial arts. When we face enemies or dangerous situations in the future, we must preserve a measure of composure."

Seeing how serious Meng Yuan was, Tie Niu hurriedly agreed.

Meng Yuan finished dressing, tied up his hair, washed his face, then strapped on his saber and went out.

The Training Field was next door. Before he even entered, he could hear the clamor within.

Pushing open the gate, he saw nine trainees on the martial grounds. Aside from Hu Qian, who was not fighting, the other eight were paired off in duels—and they were using real blades.

They had all learned the Gale Wind Saber Technique. Though they did not know the method for circulating True Qi, they trained day after day, and their saberplay still howled with the force of tigers and winds.

Hu Qian stood to one side, her expression rather gloomy.

Ren Debiao, who had been coming to the Training Field often of late, stood beside Hu Qian with his arms folded. He occasionally turned to speak to her, but Hu Qian ignored him completely.

Several scholars and hangers-on crowded around Young Lord Dugu Kang, pointing and commenting from the side.

Dugu Kang was fat-faced and broad-eared. Dressed like a scholar, he paced before the trainees with one hand behind his back and a folding fan held against his chest in the other. He was likely brewing up another verse.

"I thought it was some huge matter. So the great poet has arrived!" Meng Yuan was not sure whether the Young Lord had come for him, so he intended to find the familiar Scholar Wang and ask what was happening. Only then did he realize Scholar Wang was absent.

With no other choice, Meng Yuan saw that Dugu Kang was watching intently and had not noticed him, so he pulled one of the scholarly attendants aside.

"Where's Scholar Wang?" Meng Yuan and Nie Yannian had given Scholar Wang silver before; they had an old arrangement.

The attendant found Meng Yuan familiar and replied, "Old Wang has the day off today."

"You attendants get days off too?" Meng Yuan had learned something new.

"What?" The attendant immediately bristled at that. "Even oxen and horses get a chance to catch their breath. Why can't we take a rest day?"

"I misspoke." Meng Yuan quickly apologized, then asked, "Why has the Young Lord come here? Blades have no eyes. It would be bad if he got hurt."

"The Princess Consort summoned the Young Lord for a talk. After leaving Quiet Garden, he heard shouting over here and came to have a look." The attendant stroked his beard and reassured him, "Don't worry. The Young Lord will compose a couple poems and leave."

Meng Yuan nodded. Seeing that the Young Lord had not come to settle old scores, he relaxed.

Meng Yuan had previously asked Scholar Wang about this Young Lord. He truly was pure of nature: not fond of women, not greedy for fine food, not a drinker of good wine, not partial to splendid clothes, and not covetous of gold or silver. He only liked composing poetry, and if he did not write several poems each day, he was unhappy.

He truly had no evil intentions. He was genuinely born to wealth and honor.

Since that was the case, Meng Yuan paid him no mind. He would simply wait until the Young Lord finished his poems and left.

When Hu Qian saw Meng Yuan arrive, she hurried over. "This is outrageous! We've become entertainers putting on a show for people's amusement!"

"Endure this breath of anger for now." Meng Yuan knew her pride ran high, so he soothed her.

"If the Young Lord wanted to watch us spar, I honestly wouldn't mind." Hu Qian pulled Meng Yuan aside. "After all, the Young Lord is... that sort of pure-natured person. It's all Ren Debiao's doing. He keeps egging us on to fight one another!"

Hearing this, Meng Yuan looked toward Ren Debiao. Ren Debiao looked back at him and even nodded smugly.

"I've got it!" Young Lord Dugu Kang suddenly cried out. He slapped his folding fan into his palm and took two steps forward.

Everyone looked over. The trainees who had been fighting also stopped.

Dugu Kang slowly chanted, "I came to the Training Field to watch martial arts, great sabers and long swords danced back and forth. Men and women alike were fierce tigers, frightening birds into fluttering away."

What kind of jumbled nonsense was that? Meng Yuan felt that even if Xiang Ling were dragged over and taught for two days, the poems she wrote would be better than this one!

But the Young Lord had people there to flatter him, and those scholarly attendants were already singing his praises.

Meng Yuan silently memorized the attendants' flattering remarks. Once Xiang Ling learned to compose poetry someday, he would be able to flatter her with the same ease.

"Oh, oh! My poetic inspiration is surging!" After being praised several times as having unmatched poetic talent, Dugu Kang was delighted. He immediately waved his hand. "Quick, quick, quick! Make the fighting more exciting! I want to write a frontier poem too!"

Meng Yuan glanced at the attendant from before, took out ten taels of silver, and handed them over. The meaning was clear: hurry and invite this great deity away!

Meng Yuan did not dislike this Young Lord much. He had no scheming mind and no ill intent; he only needed to be coaxed away.

The attendant was evidently used to such dealings and understood Meng Yuan's meaning at once. He was just about to persuade Dugu Kang.

At that moment, Ren Debiao stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Then I shall make a fool of myself before the Young Lord!"

After saying this, he looked at Meng Yuan. "Meng Yuan, didn't Master Nie teach you a set of fist techniques? Come, come, let me see how well you've practiced them!"

"Master Nie never taught me any fist techniques." Meng Yuan smiled. "Brother Ren, it's getting late. The Training Field should be serving lunch."

"No matter. Then let's try the Gale Wind Saber Technique! You were able to kill the Buddha Demon, so your skills must be impressive. Let me weigh you up!" Ren Debiao drew his saber.

Meng Yuan remembered that when they left Peach Blossom Ridge, Master Nie had said he had gained something while Ren Debiao had gained nothing. That meant Meng Yuan had offended Ren Debiao.

Now it seemed Master Nie's eyes were truly sharp. Ren Debiao was indeed still resentful over what had happened at Peach Blossom Ridge!

The trainees had never heard Meng Yuan speak of killing demons. Now that Ren Debiao had revealed it, they all looked at Meng Yuan curiously.

Young Lord Dugu Kang was curious as well. He turned his head and quietly questioned an attendant.

"Ren Debiao, you've already entered the Eighth Rank. He's practiced martial arts for less than three months—what are you being so arrogant for?" Hu Qian protested on his behalf.

"I am not skilled at fighting. Brother Ren, please go ahead." Meng Yuan did not draw his saber.

"You don't even dare draw your blade. Are you even a man?" Ren Debiao asked.

"I captured one Black and White Goat Demon alive and grievously wounded another. I tracked down a wolf demon and killed it with all my strength." Meng Yuan smiled. "Whether I am a man or not is not a question you are qualified to ask."

Ren Debiao had only earned a sesame-seed-sized merit during the Peach Blossom Ridge expedition. Hearing this, he immediately grew enraged and thrust his saber forward. "Then let me see the skills you used to kill demons!"

Meng Yuan ignored him. He even turned around and exposed his back to Ren Debiao.

Ren Debiao's saber was extremely fast, immediately coming to rest against Meng Yuan's back. Yet he ultimately did not dare thrust it in.

Meng Yuan had already seen through him. His martial aptitude was indeed good, but he had no tolerance for others. Fierce in appearance but timid at heart.

Seeing Meng Yuan hold him in such contempt, Ren Debiao flew into a rage from humiliation. Spotting Tie Niu nearby and knowing he was closest to Meng Yuan, he flipped his saber and lunged at Tie Niu.

Tie Niu had not even figured out what was happening. Seeing the blade come at him, he hurriedly raised his own saber to block, only to see the opponent's blade flash past with terrifying speed. It slipped around his defense and slashed his arm, immediately opening a wound.

"Have you gone mad?" Hu Qian could not stand it any longer and immediately raised her saber to rescue him.

"I'm telling Master Nie!" Seeing Hu Qian make a move, Wu Changsheng hurriedly joined in as well, raising his saber to chop at Ren Debiao's right flank.

But Ren Debiao was already Eighth Rank, his True Qi abundant. His saber was both swift and fierce. With a mere turn of his body, Bang! Bang! he knocked Wu Changsheng's saber from his hand. Hu Qian managed to keep hold of hers, but she was forced back several steps.

Ren Debiao did not pursue Hu Qian. He merely slashed Wu Changsheng's left arm.

"Only through diligent training and bitter cultivation, entering the ranks and breaking through one's realm, can one attain the true meaning within the blade!" Ren Debiao had defeated three people in a row. He looked toward Meng Yuan, only to find that Meng Yuan still had not looked his way. Just as he was about to display his movement technique again, he heard Dugu Kang sigh repeatedly.

"Boring!" Impatience showed on Dugu Kang's fat face. "You keep beating people weaker than you. What's interesting about that?"

"Let's go, let's go!" Dugu Kang tucked his folding fan behind his neck and immediately headed out. As he passed Meng Yuan, he actually grabbed him and said, "Come with me and tell me about killing the Buddha Demon!"

Have you forgotten that I beat up your family's dog?

"The Training Field hasn't dismissed yet. When the day is fair and the breeze is gentle, I'll tell the Young Lord about it another time." Meng Yuan smiled.

"You really won't come with me?" Dugu Kang glanced back at Ren Debiao, then whispered, "If you don't leave, he's going to hit you later!"

This Young Lord was not a fool, was he? Seeing that Dugu Kang's conscience was not bad, Meng Yuan smiled. "No matter. It is only a spar."

Dugu Kang looked Meng Yuan up and down. "Then don't forget to come tell me about the Buddha Demon!"

He patted his backside and left with his attendants and servants.

The Training Field returned to quiet.

Meng Yuan let out a breath and pressed a hand against the hilt at his waist. "Brother Ren, you and I both serve the Princess Consort, and we have both received Master Nie's instruction."

"You want to have a match?" Ren Debiao looked wary. He only felt that Meng Yuan now resembled how he had been at Peach Blossom Ridge. Back then, Meng Yuan had killed Wolf One, yet the excitement and exhilaration in his eyes had not faded, and his whole body radiated killing intent.

"Brother Ren, there were too many outsiders just now. If we turned our weapons upon one another, we would inevitably tarnish the Princess Consort's good name." Meng Yuan held his saber hilt. "You provoked me, and I did not care. But Master Nie ordered me to oversee this place, and you injured my companions. Now that the outsiders are gone, apologize to Tie Niu and Wu Changsheng. Then this matter will be settled."

"And if I refuse?" Ren Debiao sneered.

"Then you and I will decide both superiority and life or death." Meng Yuan drew his saber.