Challenge Letter

Chen Ming quietly left Huo Manor with the Hong mother and son. After returning home, he settled them in the guest rooms.

Then he returned to his own small courtyard, lit an oil lamp, took out the "Five Elements Saber Technique," and began reading it by the firelight.

After reading a few pages, he knew it was genuine.

The cultivation formulas within came from the same lineage as the "Bagua Saber Technique," only they were more profound. Comparing the illustrations with the moves Zhao An and that man surnamed Guo had used in their fight a few days ago, he reached his conclusion.

Still, relying on the illustrations alone, it was difficult to reconstruct all the details of every move.

At least, he did not possess that ability.

I'll familiarize myself with the saber manual first. Once Hong Mingquan returns, I'll have him teach me.

Chen Ming thought this as he focused on reading the saber manual.

He was so absorbed that, before he knew it, the night had grown deep.

Suddenly, his ears twitched. Hearing movement outside, he assumed it was the two maidservants. Just as he was about to ask, a whistling sound cut through the air.

A pebble pierced the window paper and landed on the table before him.

A slip of paper was wrapped around the pebble.

Chen Ming's gaze sharpened. Seeing that there seemed to be writing on it, he unfolded the paper. A line of somewhat scrawled words was written there: Meet in the Back Alley in a quarter of an hour. Let us settle who is superior.

"A challenge letter?"

He was somewhat puzzled. Settle who was superior again meant someone who had fought him before...

Could it be her?

After thinking it over, Chen Ming could think of only one person.

The blue-clad girl he had exchanged blows with at Huo Manor a few days ago.

Among those he had fought recently, she was the only one who would specifically come looking for him to fight again.

"Could this be a trap?"

That was his first thought.

Then he realized he was overthinking it. If she had come for Hong Mingquan's wife and child, there would have been no need to lure the tiger from the mountain. If she and her fellow disciples came together, he would not be able to stop them even if there were several more of him.

A short while later, Chen Ming arrived in the Back Alley with a long saber in hand. Sure enough, a figure stood atop the wall surrounding his backyard, dressed in night clothes with a graceful figure. Judging by her build, she was the blue-clad girl.

"My senior brother said that when you fought me a few days ago, you deliberately lost to me. Is that true?" As soon as she spoke, it was indeed that familiar voice.

Chen Ming said, "So it is you, miss. I truly was no match for you, miss. I accepted my defeat wholeheartedly."

She had three senior brothers above her, along with a master who was very likely at Sixth Rank. He did not want to invite trouble.

"Hmph. I trust my senior brother's eye. We will fight once more."

"Let's forget it..." Chen Ming truly did not want to fight her. Losing would cost him experience points too; it was far too disadvantageous.

"That is not for you to decide. Take my sword."

Zhong Shuyu had already drawn her sword. Without allowing any argument, she lunged forward and thrust.

That sword went straight for his heart, vicious and fierce, without the slightest mercy.

Chen Ming hastily drew his saber to block.

Her sword came faster and faster, like a raging storm. Every strike targeted a vital point.

The more Chen Ming fought, the more alarmed he became. This was no sparring match.

One careless mistake, and he might very well meet his end on the spot.

Only then did he understand what she meant by "not for you to decide."

She was actually using this method to force him to fight with all his strength.

His strength was indeed a little inferior to hers. What he relied on was his mastered "Bagua Saber Technique," as well as the fact that her swordplay was not yet fully refined.

The swordplay this girl used was almost identical to the "Five Elements Saber Technique."

Her swordsmanship lacked polish, and the transitions between techniques were not smooth enough. It was precisely the sign of insufficient real combat experience.

Now that she was fighting without restraint, she had instead concealed the flaws in her swordplay.

For a time, Chen Ming found it difficult to come up with a way to fake a defeat without hurting her or getting hurt himself.

If he was not careful, a false defeat could turn into a real one. Getting stabbed through was no joke.

This girl attacked viciously. She was not some sheltered young lady like Huo Qianqian; there was a good chance her hands had been stained with blood.

Chen Ming dealt with her intently, not daring to let his attention wander in the slightest.

At the same time, he compared her sword moves with the techniques in the saber manual...

After they had exchanged more than forty moves.

When he saw the girl shift past him, her longsword poised between thrusting and not thrusting, inspiration flashed through his mind. He predicted that her next move would be "When Things Reach Their Extreme, They Turn Around."

Chen Ming's hands moved faster than his thoughts. His long saber had already slashed out, striking the weakest point of the girl's sword.

Clang!

The longsword flew from the girl's hand.

She cried, "Ow!" and staggered back two steps, clutching her wrist as she glared at him furiously.

Chen Ming's heart skipped a beat. This was bad. He had thoroughly offended her now.

Should he kill her to silence her?

The thought flashed through his mind, only to be rejected at once. Things had not reached that point yet.

Zhong Shuyu said angrily, "You really did hold back last time."

Chen Ming explained, "I truly did not. I only recently acquired the saber manual for the 'Five Elements Saber Technique.' I understood your moves very well, which is why I narrowly won by half a move."

"You actually used such a crude saber technique as the 'Bagua Saber Technique' to defeat my 'Swallow Returns Swordplay.'" The more Zhong Shuyu spoke, the angrier she became.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she looked behind Chen Ming, as though she had seen something terrifying.

Chen Ming instinctively started to turn his head. Sensing a foul wind rushing at him, he did not even think before sweeping his long saber and knocking aside the incoming object.

Ding!

It was a hidden weapon—a Plum Blossom Dart.

He glanced at the Plum Blossom Dart at his feet. By the moonlight, he saw an extremely faint blue gleam on its body. Narrowing his eyes, he said expressionlessly, "Miss, you and I bear neither grievance nor grudge. Why did you resort to such a poisonous hand?"

"Tch. When walking the martial world and encountering an enemy, one naturally has to use every means possible. Consider this a lesson. If you are still so softhearted next time, you will not have such good luck."

After saying that, Zhong Shuyu flipped onto the wall. In a few leaps, she vanished without a trace.

You defeated an LV12 enemy and gained 150 experience points.

The notification had finally appeared.

Just now, it was precisely because Chen Ming had not seen the notification that he had kept his guard up and avoided being ambushed.

"In other words, the system notification can reveal whether the other party has faked a defeat or sincerely admitted defeat."

He had discovered another hidden function of the system.

Chen Ming tore off a strip of cloth, wrapped up the Plum Blossom Dart on the ground, and picked it up.

Both were spoiled girls, but compared with this blue-clad girl, Huo Qianqian was far kinder.

That was why people feared comparison.

Chen Ming climbed over the wall and returned home. When he reached his small courtyard, he saw a short figure pacing at the entrance.

"Martial Uncle Chen."

The other party spoke first. It was Hong Zilin's voice. He asked quietly, "Did someone come to cause trouble for us?"

Chen Ming had not expected to alert him. "No, they came for me."

"Oh."

"All right, it is late. Go back and sleep."

"Yes, Martial Uncle."

Hong Zilin gave a salute, turned, and left.

After returning to the guest room and pushing open the door, his mother asked softly, "How was it?"

"Martial Uncle drove the person away already."

"Did they come for us?"

"Yes." Hong Zilin said, "I finally understand why Father wanted us to follow Martial Uncle Chen. He did not want us to feel burdened, so he lied and said the person had come for him."

"Yes." Li Shi said worriedly, "I wonder who your father offended. Before he left, he so solemnly instructed us mother and son to follow this man."

"Father naturally has his reasons. Mother, it is late. Sleep."

"Alas..."

Chen Ming returned to his room. Unable to sleep for the moment, he picked up the saber manual again and studied it.

"Just now, she said the swordplay she used was 'Swallow Returns Swordplay.' Why is it almost identical to the 'Five Elements Saber Technique'?"

"Could it really be as they said—that the 'Five Elements Saber Technique' was originally swordplay and was forcibly altered into saberplay, all to deceive the eye?"