Everyone exchanged glances, unable to make heads or tails of what Chen Ye was up to.
They were supposed to be comparing knife skills, so what did that have to do with a young woman?
"Heh, I reckon this kid is a Guizhou donkey that's run out of tricks, putting on a mysterious act!"
"Exactly. He dares to split his attention while matching knife skills with Fast Knife Yang? Does he think he isn't losing fast enough?"
Several people in the crowd jeered openly, and the smug look on Yang Ze's face grew even stronger.
The women from the Cai Character Gate, however, thought differently. They had already taken a liking to the handsome young man, and now that he had spoken to them of his own accord, every one of them perked up.
"Young master, pick me! Pick me!"
"Young master, how would you like big sister to help you?"
Amid the chorus of sweet voices, the boldest of the young women squeezed through the crowd and jumped onto the platform.
She was about fifteen or sixteen. Her face was not a beauty that could topple kingdoms, but her eyes were exceptionally lively, and above all, her skin was as white as a peeled egg, delicate and lovely.
"I'll help you!" the young woman said, standing before Chen Ye with easy confidence.
Chen Ye smiled and cupped his hands. "Thank you, miss. But it might be a little dangerous in a moment. Are you brave?"
Far from being afraid, she puffed out her chest and said with a grin, "Don't worry, young master. I, Little Bell, have always been brave. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. I'm yours now, and I'll listen to everything you say!"
Her words had the wildness and guileless charm of a jianghu woman, blunt yet enticing.
Chen Ye was a little embarrassed and could only give an awkward laugh.
At the sight, a burst of laughter rose from below the platform.
Fang Tao also chuckled and shook his head. This kid...
Why did he have to go and stir up these women from the Cai Character Gate? Every one of them was a mischievous little sprite. Even a veteran of jianghu like Fang Tao sometimes had to keep his distance. How could they be so easy to deal with?
By then, Chen Ye had collected himself. He turned to Little Bell and said seriously, "Then sorry for the trouble. Please roll up your sleeve, miss."
Little Bell did as she was told, obediently rolling up her sleeve to reveal a stretch of fair wrist.
Her wrist was slender and well-proportioned, her skin like creamy white jade, outshining frost and snow. Quite a few men stared, transfixed.
Chen Ye asked someone for a sheet of the most ordinary coarse paper, soaked it in a basin of water, then carefully spread it flat over Little Bell's arm.
The soaked paper clung tightly to her skin, outlining its perfect curve.
Once he had finished, Chen Ye took out his thin-bladed knife. Its edge gleamed with a cold, sinister light.
He gave Little Bell one last look. "Miss, if you're afraid, there's still time to change your mind."
Little Bell was not afraid. Instead, she gave a little grin and simply closed her eyes, her long lashes trembling slightly, looking as though she were ready to be plucked at his pleasure.
"Come on. I'm not afraid."
The smile vanished from Chen Ye's face. His bearing abruptly changed, and his gaze became focused and sharp.
The next moment, he lunged forward and flicked his wrist!
A flash of cold light streaked past!
Many people instinctively closed their eyes, unable to bear watching the blood splatter.
But the gasps and screams they expected never came.
Little Bell's arm remained suspended in the air, completely unharmed, without a trace of blood on her fair skin.
The wet paper clinging tightly to her arm, however, had been cut cleanly through the middle, split into two halves!
After a brief, deathly silence came thunderous applause!
"Excellent knife work!"
"Impressive!"
The uninitiated watched for the spectacle; the experts watched for the technique. Everyone from the Rong Character Gate was shaken to the core by the sight. They knew better than anyone how difficult that cut had been.
The pig's bladder was thin, but it was an inanimate object.
This young woman was alive, and with her arm half suspended in the air, her muscles would tremble ever so slightly from tension.
Moreover, the wet paper clung tightly to her skin and curved with it. Under such conditions, cutting it in two without harming her flesh demanded an almost inconceivable degree of control over one's strength!
Yet Chen Ye had pulled it off. It was truly impressive.
Little Bell opened her eyes. She looked at her arm, then up at Chen Ye, an unusual light appearing in her eyes, clear as autumn water.
Meanwhile, Yang Ze's face had turned ashen.
He had never imagined that the skill he was so proud of would be overcome by a greenhorn in such an incredible manner!
Yet he still felt somewhat unconvinced. As stunning as that feat was, it seemed a little short of surpassing him.
It could not be considered an overwhelming victory.
As his thoughts raced, searching for a way to regain face, he saw Chen Ye say something else in a low voice to the young woman.
Then, under everyone's puzzled gazes, Little Bell raised her arm once more.
Again?
Just then, Chen Ye moved.
This time, he turned his wrist, and instead of chopping down, he shaved sideways with the knife!
Swish!
The blade scraped past the girl's tender skin.
He shaved the remaining half of the wet paper off her arm in one piece. Like stubble shaved off by a razor, it fluttered to the ground.
Little Bell's arm remained smooth as jade. Let alone a wound, scarcely a hair had been harmed.
The whole place fell silent.
Everyone was stunned by that stroke.
Yang Ze's face was ashen.
For he knew he had lost, utterly and completely, without a shred of dignity left.
"Excellent! Excellent knife work!"
Amid the deathly silence, Commander Zhao of the Arrest Bureau, who had been sitting steadily in his seat all along, sprang to his feet, clapping and cheering.
Seeing him express his approval, how could the elders of the other gates dare be slow? They all rose and joined in.
For a time, praise rang out without end.
Unmoved by honor or disgrace, Chen Ye first cupped his hands in thanks to Commander Zhao and the elders, then turned to Little Bell. "Thank you, miss."
Little Bell smiled slyly and suddenly leaned close. Rising on tiptoe, she whispered in Chen Ye's ear, "My real name is Wu Xiaorui. You'd better remember it."
With that, Wu Xiaorui turned and left before Chen Ye could react.
As soon as she returned to the Cai Character Gate's side, teasing laughter erupted among them.
With that, the display of skills came to an end.
Because of Chen Ye's sudden emergence, the balance within the Brushing Walls branch of the Rong Character Gate remained unchanged, and most of the other gates likewise retained the positions they had held the previous year.
For Commander Zhao, this was undoubtedly the best outcome. A stable situation meant far less trouble, after all.
Once the display was over, a grand banquet began at the restaurant beside the warehouse, in accordance with jianghu custom.
It was both a celebration and a chance for the various gates and factions to strengthen their ties. After all, people from every walk of life made their living in the same city. They were bound to run into one another, so they had to maintain appearances.
The guest of honor was naturally Commander Zhao of the Arrest Bureau. He was seated in the place of honor at the main table, surrounded by the elders and young masters of the various gates like stars clustered around the moon, their words full of flattery.
And thanks to his stunning debut that day, Chen Ye was also granted a seat as an exception, right beside Fang Tao.