Sacrifice

In the courtyard.

Winter's end had passed, and the wind blowing against the face carried a hint of early spring's warmth.

Brilliant sunlight fell like warm gold through the bare branches, illuminating two figures facing each other.

Green Bamboo, clad in a jade-green tight-fitting outfit, held her fingers together like a sword, her sleeves fluttering slightly.

"Young Master, though I don't use a sword, my killing art is already in my heart. I can use my hands as swords and still unleash the 'Dancing Willow in the Returning Wind'…

What is called a killing art is using the heat within the body to temporarily enhance a certain part of the physique, thereby greatly increasing strength and speed, and even producing some peculiar characteristics.

The killing moves of my lineage focus on the waist's power, capable of bending like a bow in an instant, twisting and reversing, making the attack angles tricky and hard to defend against.

I hope Young Master will be mindful."

"Thank you for the reminder. I haven't learned killing arts, so I'll duel with battle arts instead. The Spirit Serpent Pathfinding Step has four routes and twenty-six steps, and the Spirit Serpent Hand has six routes and thirty-one moves…"

A spar is not a fight to the death.

The substitute maidservant for Mother had revealed her information, so Qi Yu had no reason to hide anything.

After all, although his current foundation stances were mixed, his battle art was solely the Spirit Serpent Skill.

"Please."

"Please."

As the words fell, Qi Yu had already assumed his boxing stance, his arms like a rearing spirit serpent.

In the sunlight…

The wind suddenly swept through the courtyard, rustling the branches…

Snap!

Green Bamboo's figure moved.

Her movement was "strange." She merely tapped her toes, and her entire body, like a leaf caught by the wind, drifted forward at a leisurely pace.

Qi Yu sank his shoulders and dropped his elbows, his footsteps steady.

The spirit serpent… always avoided direct confrontation with its opponent, so as his figure moved, he sidestepped towards the direction Green Bamboo was drifting.

Green Bamboo seemed to be guided by the slight breeze stirred by this "serpent's movement." Her body shifted slightly, changing her original direction and turning towards another side.

Their footsteps intertwined, and unconsciously, they began to circle.

You are on this side of the circle, I am on that side. They paced slowly along the circle, their gazes fixed on each other, fully prepared.

Soon, both realized… if they kept circling like this, they might as well not fight at all.

Therefore, the invisible circle began to shrink gradually.

When they entered a distance of seven steps, a surge of blood qi suddenly erupted around Green Bamboo. Her toes dug into the ground like cones, and with a "bang," her speed increased explosively. Her hands crossed in front of her chest, like a fierce wind, she lunged towards Qi Yu.

For an Eighth Rank martial artist, seven steps was already close.

Qi Yu circulated his heat almost simultaneously, and a white mist enveloped his body.

Snap!

The two closed in, engaging in their first clash as their arms collided.

Green Bamboo felt as if the point of contact had been struck by a massive hammer. Her arm instantly went numb, and her flesh and blood trembled uncontrollably.

She hurriedly used the force to retreat, creating distance. She thought to herself, Why is Young Master so strong? I've sparred with people from the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall before, but if those people were venomous snakes… Young Master is practically a venomous python.

As soon as Green Bamboo retreated, Qi Yu's figure turned, like a spirit serpent striking, and his fist shot towards Green Bamboo's neck from the side.

At this moment, a strange scene unfolded.

Green Bamboo's waist seemed to break as she suddenly bent backward, dodging the incoming fist with extreme speed. Then, as if performing a magic trick, she spun rapidly in mid-air, her palm following the rotational force, slashing out in a large arc, aiming for his waist.

This move was called "Dancing Willow in the Returning Wind," a killing art of the Clear Wind Sword Hall.

Her waist bent like a willow, her swordsmanship was bizarre and unpredictable.

Qi Yu's pupils constricted, and he thought, I can't dodge it.

But as the palm strike neared, he instinctively used a part of the divine and ghostly eighteen postures from the Hunyuan Contending Force. At an incredibly bizarre angle, his abdomen contracted like a spring, and his body, like a full moon bow, narrowly dodged the fierce slash. The missed fist then hammered down from above.

Green Bamboo's palm strike missed. She hastily raised her left hand to block the swift punch.

It would have been better if she hadn't blocked.

As she blocked…

She felt a colossal force pressing down like a mountain.

Bang!

Green Bamboo was sent crashing heavily to the ground by this force, even her backside felt intensely sore and numb.

But her reaction was incredibly fast. The moment she landed, like a falling leaf caught in a gale, her waist twisted nimbly, and her long leg pushed off the ground. Like a falling leaf lingering in the wind… she forcefully retracted half a zhang backward, then stood steadily on one bent leg, the other long leg stretched straight diagonally, her hands adopting the defensive posture of "Beauty Admiring Her Reflection."

Even so, she felt extreme numbness in her arms, body, and backside. She no longer dared to clash head-on with Young Master…

Once the two sides exchanged blows, they could generally gauge each other's level.

Qi Yu had the advantage of Hunyuan Contending Force, giving him great strength.

Green Bamboo, on the other hand, had the advantage of learning killing moves in advance, giving her superior technique.

Now, it was a matter of whether strength would overcome technique, or technique would overcome strength...

The next moment, the two grappled together again, but there were very few sounds of combat.

A long time passed...

The sounds of intense fighting gradually ceased, and the two pulled apart again.

Several places on Qi Yu's martial attire were torn by hand-blades, with threads hanging loose.

Green Bamboo's arm, however, was severely swollen and bruised.

She looked at her young master with a strange and horrified expression.

What a joke...

She had used an Eighth Rank killing move!

And her young master hadn't even learned any killing moves.

Killing moves were methods for mobilizing vital energy!

There was a world of difference between knowing and not knowing.

Her young master... could still fight her to a draw like this?

Was this some kind of joke?!

On the other side, Madam Liu spoke up in time, saying, "That's enough for now." She then looked at Qi Yu and said gently, "Let's leave this battle for another day.

As for A Bi... Mother won't think of sending her away again.

Now, Mother believes you are capable enough to manage the inner household.

And regarding Miss Qian, that matter is also dropped, for reasons you know.

From now on, Mother won't try to force matches anymore.

Whichever young lady you fancy, Mother will approve."

"Thank you, Mother."

While responding, Qi Yu also secretly marveled: The combat power data was indeed accurate. With both at 42, it would truly be an evenly matched fight.

However, the manifestation of their combat power was still different...

It seemed that in the future, he should trust the data but not be blindly confident because of it, nor skip any investigation.

After all, if Green Bamboo had known from the start that he was powerful and heavy, while he didn't know Green Bamboo's fighting style, in an extreme situation, he might even have been instantly killed.

Green Bamboo's matter was concluded.

And Qi Yu was to go to the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall to learn killing moves.

As his mother, Madam Liu naturally began ordering people to prepare clean clothes, calling cards, and funds for Qi Yu.

When they were alone in the room, she gently took her son's hand and examined him closely. Her eyes held both satisfaction and a hint of heartache.

She knew about the undercurrents at the recent annual gathering, and she also knew that her husband and his elder uncle had begun to place their bets on their son.

This kind of pressure... was hard to bear.

Madam Liu felt immense sympathy for her son.

Qi Yu suddenly asked, "Mother, regarding the snowmen and earth-stone puppets before, I asked you about them.

I also mentioned that on the way back from the outer city, I seemed to be targeted by something...

At that time, you told me to focus on martial arts and not be distracted, and not to go to the outer city.

But now, you're not stopping me from going to the outer city. Has the matter been resolved? Am I qualified to know now?"

Madam Liu looked at him, her lips parting as if to speak, then stopping. After a long pause, she finally spoke slowly, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and seriousness, "It's not that Mother intended to hide it from you, nor that you are not qualified to know.

It's just that this matter is complicated, and it involves many parties.

Many of the guards in our mansion, especially on your uncle's side, have already unfortunately perished, but we simply haven't told you.

This matter is not completely resolved, but the outer city is temporarily safe.

Your father and I have thought it over carefully, and we believe it's best for you not to know for now, so as not to distract your mind and hinder your martial arts cultivation."

Qi Yu said, "Mother, since this matter is so complex, I have no intention of knowing the details. You just need to tell me what exactly followed me that day?"

Madam Liu pondered for a long time, finally uttering a single word: "Sacrifice."

Qi Yu fell silent.

From that simple word, he could already infer many things.

What he had seen that day was clearly a Paper-Grade demon.

Since Mother said they were sacrifices...

It seemed that in the darkness he hadn't seen, some kind of "god-pleasing" blood battle had already begun.

After all, demons and monsters were the gods' favorite sacrifices.

The carriage moved slowly, its shadow crossing the moat bridge as it entered the outer city and stopped before the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall.

Qi Yu alighted from the carriage. The person who greeted him was not the hall master, Song Qinghong, but Song Xue.

Young Miss Song was dressed in a simple, neat martial arts uniform, with eyes like water almonds and a high ponytail, exuding an heroic and spirited aura.

"Young Master Qi, you've come here because you've gained some insight into the Spirit Serpent Fist, reached the Eighth Rank, and wish to learn the subsequent killing techniques to win the title of Martial Scholar in the martial arts examination a month from now, correct?"

Qi Yu nodded.

Young Miss Song's voice fell like clear snow.

"Killing techniques can't be acquired overnight. Young Master Qi will have to come here a few more times."

Qi Yu laughed, "I've already brought my bedding. I plan to stay at the martial hall for an extended period. Miss Song, will you take me in? If not... I'll have to wander the streets."

Young Miss Song was taken aback for a moment.

She didn't know how to respond to the young man's teasing.

She always felt that ever since this prodigal son started practicing martial arts that day, his personality had changed.

However, if he wanted to learn, she was happy to teach.

Even if no one cared about their childhood engagement anymore, she still remembered being childhood sweethearts with the young man before her.

Regardless of whether the marriage would ultimately happen, she still hoped that Qi Yu would be well and strive for progress.

"Alright, I'll arrange it for you."

Young Miss Song responded readily. Seeing Qi Yu looking around, she added, "Father is currently in the secret chamber, teaching Junior Disciple Chu with all his might. As for Young Master Qi's killing techniques, I can only teach them to you on his behalf."

Qi Yu sighed emotionally, "Uncle Song is so dedicated to Junior Disciple Chu; it's clear he has high hopes for him."

Young Miss Song said, "A few days ago, Junior Disciple Chu was beaten, and it even damaged the reputation of our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall. However, Junior Disciple Chu will personally reclaim what he lost in the martial arts examination and provincial examination, along with the reputation of our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall."

Qi Yu smiled faintly, saying nothing.

He naturally knew about Han Yan beating up Chu Xiao, and he even vaguely suspected that Wang Yuan might be manipulating things behind the scenes.

Recalling that gathering in detail, all the arrangements seemed so clever.

Qian Fu's appearance resolved his hidden dangers; however, Han Yan's appearance triggered new conflicts.

The feud between Han Yan and Qian Fu that day seemed to be within Wang Yuan's calculations, starting from the sentence, "This is the peerless genius from the Black Bear Martial Hall."

Later, Wang Yuan mentioned that what he was about to do would conflict with him slightly. Now it seems, could Wang Yuan be trying to bring down the Spirit Serpent Martial Hall?

As for the reasons behind it, it was likely entangled with many complex matters...

After dinner...

Qi Yu and Song Xue sat in silence.

Young Miss Song suddenly stood up and said, "Follow me," then led Qi Yu into the courtyard under the moonlight, saying faintly, "Killing techniques involve mobilizing the Blood Burst method. White Serpent Throat Seal and Azure Serpent Entwining Kill are the two major killing techniques of our Spirit Serpent Martial Hall. They can be used with both hands and also have corresponding spear techniques. I will teach them to you now."