The final move

On the day of bandit-slaying and demon-purging, how could anyone be looking to make friends?

Gloom shrouded the alley. Chen Yi glanced at Yin Weiying, then at the middle-aged saber wielder slowly approaching in the distance.

"Do you know him?"

Chen Yi asked.

Yin Weiying shook her head, then said:

"I often cultivate in seclusion at the prince's estate. Never mind the Attendants-I barely know even a few maids."

Chen Yi immediately abandoned the idea of using Yin Weiying as leverage and said:

"Min Ning, take her and head back. I'll catch up shortly. That man... is an expert."

Min Ning hesitated for a moment, but still nodded. She took Yin Weiying by the hand and headed back. After a few steps, she said quietly:

"Catch up as soon as you can."

Chen Yi said:

"I'll try."

In the martial world, anyone who announced their affiliation right away was either an arrogant incompetent or an established expert. The man before him had a steady, solid aura, and every step was unusually powerful. He could not be the former.

Besides, Chen Yi had long since heard of this man in the Capital City.

He was a True Disciple of the White Willow Sect. Simply choosing to enter Prince Jing's service would give one a chance to befriend him, become his student, and become a True Disciple of the White Willow Sect's next generation.

And if Chen Yi remembered correctly, his martial prowess was at least fifth grade.

"Prince Jing originally told me to kill you in a couple of days, but plans never keep pace with change. Someone divined that you were around here, so I came to try my luck. Heaven has eyes-to think I really ran into you."

Huang Liuqing spoke leisurely. He glanced at Min Ning and Yin Weiying and said:

"Relax. I honor the code of the martial world. I'll only kill the Western Depot's Thousand Household, and leave everyone else alone. After killing you, I'll even spend a little money to have your body collected."

Chen Yi chuckled.

"How very kind of you."

Huang Liuqing spat into the alley and cleared his throat.

"State your affiliation."

Chen Yi said:

"No need."

"Why not?"

"No need means no need."

"You think you won't die?"

"No."

"Then why exactly is there no need?"

"Because I don't have one."

Huang Liuqing froze, then burst out laughing.

"Interesting. Draw your saber, then."

Chen Yi drew the Embroidered Spring Saber, its cold gleam faintly lighting the alley.

Huang Liuqing also drew his saber. It had a ring pommel with a red tassel tied to it, and its blade was the color of black iron. Not only was it plain, but even its outline was hard to make out in the pitch-black alley.

The two exchanged a look, and the lantern in hand was tossed aside. It fell to the ground, its flame flickering and casting light over the sabers in the alley. As though this were a signal, Huang Liuqing strode forward.

Raising his ring-pommel saber, Huang Liuqing flashed forward and stepped in front of Chen Yi. His blade slashed down, wind howling around them, sweeping the lantern off the ground before dropping it again.

Chen Yi took a step back and blocked with the spine of his saber. The crash of clashing iron erupted in the alley.

The blade shuddered violently. Chen Yi circulated his True Qi and exerted strength through his wrist, forcibly steadying the Embroidered Spring Saber. Then he wrenched the ring-pommel saber downward and followed with a killing horizontal slash.

A fierce wind surged.

Seeing the ferocity of this backhand slash, Huang Liuqing dodged diagonally backward. Just as he was about to steady his footing and turn his evasion into an encircling attack, Chen Yi advanced straight ahead and slashed again.

Driving power through his waist, he activated the Eagle-Fall Art and Jiao-Slaying Saber Technique together. His saber surged like an overturned sea. Huang Liuqing grinned savagely and stopped retreating, raising his saber to attack instead. Their edges met with a clear clash, sparks flashing in the night.

The collision knocked both men back. Chen Yi retreated two steps, while Huang Liuqing, a fifth-grade martial artist, took only one, his stance steadier as well. Offense and defense reversed in an instant.

In a fight between martial artists, this was often where the difference in their realms showed.

Chen Yi retreated another two steps to open some distance, but Huang Liuqing strode after him. Every swing of his ring-pommel saber brimmed with wild power, weaving deep murderous intent into the night.

On this day of bandit-slaying and demon-purging, he resembled Hua Guansuo, slaying men as well as ghosts.

Saber light flashed in the alley.

Chen Yi employed his movement technique, blocking and dodging while searching for an opening. But Huang Liuqing's slashes came one after another like a violent storm. Though his movement technique was ordinary, he had honed the White Willow Sect's saber technique almost to its utmost limit. Rumor throughout the martial world held that, in his youth, he had once cut a warhorse in half at the waist beside a river.

Every slash was ferocious beyond measure, seeking to crush finesse with brute force.

Chen Yi moved nimbly, each turn and swing of his saber evading a fatal blow, until a slash descended from above. Cold light flashed, the strike sending the wind screaming, and a lantern on the ground swayed before going out altogether.

Chen Yi retreated half a step and raised his saber to block. Their blades met, and a tremendous shock drove both men back. Feeling a tearing pain in his palm, Chen Yi lowered his gaze slightly and discovered that the web of his hand was bleeding. A half-inch-deep notch had been hacked into the Embroidered Spring Saber.

"Fine footwork, and fine saber technique too. You're a great talent. At your age, I couldn't even hold a saber properly, yet you've mastered both."

After offering his praise, Huang Liuqing looked at the web of Chen Yi's hand and said mockingly:

"Blades have no eyes. My apologies, my apologies."

Chen Yi drew a breath without speaking.

Throughout the entire exchange, he had remained at a disadvantage.

He was only Sixth Grade, while Huang Liuqing was fifth grade.

This was not merely because Huang Liuqing suppressed him with his higher realm. His White Willow Sect saber technique was also heavy and powerful, cutting iron like mud, leaving Chen Yi's Copper Bone Art useless. Moreover, the ring-pommel saber was longer than the Embroidered Spring Saber. His storm-like assault left no opening to close in and punch, nor could Chen Yi meet him palm to palm and pour all his hundred-plus years of True Qi into his body, making him burst apart and die.

The web of his hand was numb, but Chen Yi still gripped the Embroidered Spring Saber tightly.

Against someone from another sect, he might have been evenly matched, but now...

Saber light flowed slowly like water. Their breathing gradually settled.

Chen Yi curved his body slightly, lowering his waist and stance.

"I have one more move. I wonder if you can withstand it."

"Your last secret weapon?"

"I rummaged through every chest and cupboard to find it."

Huang Liuqing's eyes showed curiosity at this.

"I'll use only this one move. If you survive it, you're welcome to learn it."

Chen Yi steadied his breathing as he spoke.

Huang Liuqing cupped his fist and joked:

"You honor the martial world's code. Master, please accept your disciple's bow."

Seeing how effortlessly he handled himself, Chen Yi knew he had not used his full strength. He said unhurriedly:

"If you can withstand it, there'll be no point in my swinging again. I'll have nothing left but to bare my neck for slaughter. I only hope you'll make it quick."

Seeing his body poised like a fully drawn bow, ready to unleash its strength, Huang Liuqing realized this move was no small matter.

He spoke with a martial artist's solemnity:

"What move is it?"

Chen Yi shifted his saber to his left hand and lightly gripped the scabbard at his waist with his right, murmuring:

"Watch closely."

Chen Yi drew a breath and pulled his saber hand back. His right hand suddenly exerted force. A dark shadow flashed through the alley as he hurled the scabbard with tremendous force.

Huang Liuqing raised his saber to meet it, slashing toward the scabbard with surging power that seemed capable of cleaving a mountain in two.

Chen Yi used the force of hurling the scabbard to spin around, driving power through both feet. Like a wild dragon bursting from the sea, he turned his back on Huang Liuqing and tore through the curtain of night, vanishing from the alley within a single breath.

With a bang, the severed scabbard fell to the ground. Huang Liuqing stared blankly at the empty alley.

The final move...

Run!

My computer broke. This is unbearable. What an unlucky year.