Piercing the Bolster

"Jin Xiuming, what nonsense are you spouting?!" Lin Fuxiang's lovely face turned pale with fury. Her longsword swept in a circle, scattering dazzling radiance as it surged furiously toward Jin Xiuming.

Jin Xiuming immediately revealed an expression of utter shock. It was not as though he had never fought Lin Fuxiang before; he knew her Flying Waterfall Sword Technique quite well. Yet as Lin Fuxiang's sword light poured forth, its power far exceeded anything he had anticipated!

He let out a strange cry and retreated again and again, not daring to meet Lin Fuxiang's edge head-on.

They had not seen each other for barely more than a month—how had she become like an entirely different person, growing so formidable?

Seeing Jin Xiuming retreating without pause, his three lackeys shouted in unison and attacked Lin Fuxiang together, hoping to ease the pressure on Jin Xiuming.

Only after being shielded by those three did Jin Xiuming finally catch his breath, his expression turning exceedingly ugly.

Before this, his strength had always been evenly matched with Lin Fuxiang's. Yet now he had been beaten into fleeing in miserable disarray. How could he possibly endure such humiliation?

With an angry roar, he joined the battle, fighting Lin Fuxiang alongside the other three.

Lin Fuxiang feared nothing. Her longsword flicked, stabbed, slashed, and chopped, every movement brimming with mystery. Though she faced four enemies alone, the Flying Waterfall Sword Technique Zhou Heng had repaired was profoundly marvelous. Not only was she not at a disadvantage, she even held a slight upper hand!

Her heart filled with delight, and her reverence for Zhou Heng deepened further.

"Bitch, why not call that lover of yours over to fight too?" Seeing that he could not defeat Lin Fuxiang with his skills, Jin Xiuming opened up another battlefield instead, spewing filth from his mouth.

Lin Fuxiang had never been slandered like this before. She was both furious and indignant, and her longsword danced even faster, every strike sharp and fierce.

"Haha, the little bitch sure protects her adulterer well. She knows that little bastard is useless!" Jin Xiuming retreated in miserable embarrassment again and again. His mouth was too foul, so he bore more than half of Lin Fuxiang's attacks.

"Bitch, that pretty boy is neither as handsome as I am nor as strong as I am. How did you fall for him? Did he fuck you so good?"

"Fuck, if I'd known you were such a **, why would I have wasted all that effort pursuing you? I'd have just let you taste the skills beneath my crotch!"

Lin Fuxiang trembled all over with rage. She knew Jin Xiuming was a wastrel, indulging in wine, women, and pleasures, but in front of her he had always barely managed to preserve the image of a refined young gentleman. Who would have thought that beneath it all, he was so vulgar and vile!

She unleashed her full might. The improved Flying Waterfall Sword Technique grew increasingly smooth and skillful in her hands, and the sky filled with her fierce sword light.

"Young Master Jin, we can't hold on any longer!"

"Let's retreat!"

Jin Xiuming's three lackeys all shouted loudly. Though they bore less pressure, if anything happened to Jin Xiuming, even if they did not die, they would lose a layer of skin!

"Ah—" Jin Xiuming let out a miserable scream. His left arm had been struck by a sword, blood spraying out as tears streamed from the pain. "Go! Go now!"

After feinting with his sword, he turned and ran first. The three lackeys hurriedly covered his retreat, and the four of them quickly withdrew.

"Hmph!" Lin Fuxiang returned in a huff. Though she had been the one with the upper hand, Jin Xiuming's words had truly enraged her. Her chest still rose and fell, rippling into enticing waves.

"Senior—" She stopped beside Zhou Heng, a trace of puzzlement in her eyes.

Earlier, Jin Xiuming and the others had belittled Zhou Heng until he was worth less than nothing. Though those people could not spit ivory from a dog's mouth, they had no reason to deliberately fabricate such a story. What would be the point?

She was not stupid to begin with. Suddenly, she realized that Zhou Heng had never truly exchanged blows with her from beginning to end. What he had displayed was only his talent in martial arts; he had never shown his actual realm!

Lin Fuxiang could not help staring intently at Zhou Heng with her beautiful eyes. In the end, her gaze settled on his lips as if a flower grew there, and she could not look away.

—Fine down covered Zhou Heng's lips. That was because he had yet to grow into a true man; stubble and fine down were not much different.

Yet even after her father shaved, a patch of hard bristles would remain. That was completely different!

Peerless experts could preserve their youth forever, but could they restore their bodies to adolescence?

"You... how old are you, exactly?" Lin Fuxiang vaguely felt that she might have fallen for an enormous scam!

"Seventeen!" Zhou Heng had never intended to deceive her from the beginning. Lin Fuxiang had insisted on calling him Senior—what could he do about that? Thus, he answered with complete righteousness, even adding, "I'll be eighteen after the New Year!"

Lin Fuxiang nearly fainted from anger!

She had actually called a youth two years younger than herself Senior over and over for half the day! And she had even acted coquettishly and thrown tantrums before him. Th-this-this... now that she thought back on it, her face burned so fiercely that she wished she could find a hole in the ground and bury herself!

How embarrassing!

Too hateful! Too infuriating! This brat had clearly known she was making a colossal mistake, yet he had not pointed it out. He had simply let her continue misunderstanding, and must have been delighted to watch her make a fool of herself!

Her beautiful eyes, clear black and white yet filled with bitter hatred, glared fixedly at Zhou Heng as she ground her teeth until they clattered.

"You bastard!" Her lovely face flushed crimson like sunset clouds, breathtakingly radiant.

Zhou Heng spread his hands. "I told you I wasn't some Senior. You were the one who insisted on calling me that!"

Lin Fuxiang thought about it and realized that was indeed true. But who could have imagined that a youth could completely break down her Flying Waterfall Sword Technique? Who could have imagined that with one sweep of his sword, a youth could leave her unable even to block or dodge?

After Zhou Heng helped her improve the Flying Waterfall Sword Technique, she had naturally become even more convinced of his identity as a Senior. Who would have thought? Who would have thought...

She wanted to die!

Lin Fuxiang's lovely face burned like fire. She glared viciously at Zhou Heng, planted both hands on her hips, and said, "Little rascal, you made your sister embarrass herself so badly. How are you going to compensate me?"

What? She had suddenly risen from junior to elder sister, while he had fallen from Senior to little rascal?

Zhou Heng smiled at the incomparably beautiful girl. Was she using this method to conceal her embarrassment after flying into a rage from shame? He scratched his head and said, "What do you want?"

Lin Fuxiang rested her cheek on her hand and thought about it. Strictly speaking, she had gained an enormous advantage. The completed Flying Waterfall Sword Technique was worth more than a city; it would leap to become the Nine Spirits Sect's most powerful martial skill!

But after making such a fool of herself, could she let this detestable fellow off so easily?

Most importantly, this bastard did not seem the least bit aware of it. The sight of him made her angry!

"I came into the mountains to try my luck because I want to find a New Year's gift for Father!" After pondering it over and over, she clapped her hands. "How about this? Help me find a gift that satisfies me, and I'll let bygones be bygones!"

This bastard was very strong. If he joined forces with her, they would be capable of killing a Bone Refining Realm demonic beast!

Zhou Heng could not help laughing. "If I prepare it for you, won't it lose its original meaning?"

"What matters is the thought!" Lin Fuxiang rolled her eyes at him, finding this brat increasingly detestable. Just looking at him made her furious.

"If it's the thought that matters, then any gift will do," Zhou Heng replied, following her words.

"You—" Lin Fuxiang was about to explode from anger. How could there be such a hateful person?!

"Fine, let's go find a gift!" Zhou Heng nodded. He suddenly remembered that his father would also return during the New Year. He wanted to give Zhou Dinghai a gift as well.

Lin Fuxiang glanced at him. Why did this little villain, this little rascal, suddenly change his mind?

Could he be trying to curry favor with her?

Hmph, she would not be so easily won over!

The two set off, searching all across the mountains and wilderness.

The Heaven-Leveling Mountain Range was a vast treasure trove. It contained precious spirit herbs and Strange Fruits, rare metal deposits, and demonic beasts! Some demonic beasts could only be eaten as food, but others were perfect tonics, their effects no less than spirit herbs!

That was all well and good, but for just two people to find spirit herbs, mineral deposits, or demonic beasts in the depths of the mountains required heaven-defying luck!

And now that heavy snow had sealed the mountains, the difficulty only increased.

The two found nothing after walking for an entire day. When night fell, they found a clean cave and hid inside, lighting a fire to drive away the bitter cold. Lin Fuxiang's shame and anger had yet to fade, and she had no intention whatsoever of speaking to Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng was even happier to have some peace and quiet. Leaning against the cave wall, he closed his eyes and began studying the Heaven-Soaring Second Style.

From being unable to advance an inch at first, to gradually grasping its form, to now comprehending a trace of its intent, Zhou Heng had a feeling: the deeper his mastery became, the less True Essence Power the Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles consumed, yet its power instead grew greater!

The Heaven-Soaring Nine Styles seemed as though they had been created by heaven and earth themselves. If one only attained their form, one had to use one's own True Essence Power to forcibly drive the sword technique. But upon grasping their intent, one could resonate with heaven and earth—when the sword moved, heaven and earth answered.

Zhou Heng pursued the martial path with fervent passion. A towering mountain lay ahead, waiting for him to conquer it, so he was naturally filled with excitement. How could he have the mood to pay attention to a spoiled young lady throwing a tantrum?

Seeing Zhou Heng sitting with his eyes closed, Lin Fuxiang could not help feeling waves of anger rise in her heart again.

Was she ugly? This bastard would not even give her a proper glance, instead closing his eyes! How many outstanding young men in the Nine Spirits Sect circled around her? Even speaking a single sentence with her would make them ecstatic. Yet now that Miss Lin sat beside him, this bastard actually pretended to meditate with his eyes shut?

Detestable!

The corners of Lin Fuxiang's mouth twitched slightly. In her mind, she imagined Zhou Heng kneeling at her feet, weeping bitterly and begging for mercy. When she reached the satisfying part, she could not help laughing aloud.

The moment the laughter escaped, she knew something was wrong. Sure enough, Zhou Heng gave her a strange glance!

She had been looked down on! She had actually been looked down on!

In her shame and fury, she nearly slammed her head into a rock.

She turned her back so she would not have to look at Zhou Heng. Her beautiful eyes glared at a slightly protruding stone on the cave wall as though it were Zhou Heng. She ground her teeth in hatred while drawing circles on the ground with her slender hand to curse him. Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavier, and she drifted into dreamland.

"That hateful fellow! I will, I will, I will definitely teach you a lesson!"

She muttered in her sleep.

P.S.: I thought this chapter was pretty fun to write~