Chapter 88

Shenma's Selection (88)

The three people felt a bit doubtful, but since Dan Yaxian liked it, they thought it was enough.

Still, they didn't forget to say a word each.

"Don't mess around."

"Whatever you think, just leave it at that."

"......"

As the three turned away, Jia Duer's expression, which he had been managing, changed.

Dan Yaxian, who was marveling at the bead, rolled it around.

Jia Duer's eyes, watching him, began to flicker with an inexplicable fervor.

'There's no law that says I can only steal objects.'

The ultimate goal of theft is ultimately to steal people's hearts.

Jia Duer glanced at the three people as they moved away.

Even now, just meeting them made his legs tremble.

'But if it's that kid, it's worth taking the risk.'

Dan Yaxian possessed the qualities to become a perfect Shen Tou. And that's not all.

'Steal the disciple of those monsters?'

Jia Duer struggled to suppress a smile that was seeping out.

'It will be the greatest achievement of my life.'

Just thinking about it sent a thrilling sensation down his spine.

* * *

"Finally, Huashan."

Dan Yaxian exclaimed as he saw the towering peak in the distance.

One of the Five Great Mountains, Huashan, is a sacred mountain of Taoism, known as Xiyue.

Along with Wudang, it is one of the two major mountains of Daoism and is also the headquarters of the Huashan Sword School, the leading school of the Central Plains swordsmen.

"Plum Shadow Red Forest, Sword Conquest of the Central Plains."

Jia Duer murmured softly, taking in the misty, mysterious atmosphere of Huashan.

At his words, Chao Ailiang's eyes turned cold.

"What's this Sword Conquest of the Central Plains?"

Fan Jiewei added a comment.

"Arrogant as the number one in the world, aren't they?"

Jia Duer subtly backed away.

He had spoken his mind while lost in admiration, only to end up wearing the hat.

In fact, if he hadn't been dragged along, he wouldn't have come anywhere near this place. It's not like he was carrying a torch and jumping into a fire, or coming here to see something good.

The position of Huashan is that unique.

The character "Hua" (華) in Huaxia, another name for the Han people, refers to Huashan.

That's how high the pride of Huashan is, and its position as the source of Chinese martial arts also played a part.

Unlike Chao Ailiang and Fan Jiewei, Han Xuehua was looking at Huashan with a strange sense of excitement.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Jia Duer turned to Dan Yaxian to change the subject.

"Do you know that only Taoist temples exist on Huashan?"

"There are no temples on this vast mountain?"

Jia Duer nodded as if he had been waiting for the question.

"The famous Taoist, Zhen Dan, known as Master Xiyi, played a game of Go with Emperor Taizu of Song here. As a reward for winning the bet, Emperor Taizu agreed not to collect taxes from the Taoist temples on Huashan."

This led to many Taoists flocking to Huashan, which became the foundation for its current prosperity.

"Ultimately, it's all about money."

"Originally, they were just pretending to be noble, but their true nature is dark. How can their roots change?"

Chao Ailiang and Fan Jiewei still showed their discomfort, as if something was bothering them.

In contrast, Dan Yaxian had a somewhat lighter expression.

They had been heading here for half a month, practicing martial arts with Jia Duer.

The hardships they endured during this time were indescribable.

Once they stopped falling for his sand-throwing and iron flail tricks, Jia Duer began to use even more despicable and cunning methods.

Deliberately exposing weaknesses to lure attacks was just the beginning.

Kicking his shins or scratching his eyes was common.

When he felt cornered, he would use the technique of Na Li Da Gun (懶驢打滾) without hesitation, or distract him during the match.

But what troubled Dan Yaxian the most was something else.

It was his lightness of movement.

True to his title of Gui Ying Shen Tou, Jia Duer began to apply his strengths to torment Dan Yaxian more seriously.

He started setting traps everywhere to lure Dan Yaxian.

Sometimes, even though he stepped on the same spot, the ground would sink, and he would stumble.

Other times, he would slip on the mud where Jia Duer had passed.

Jia Duer never missed these moments.

When even these methods didn't work easily, Jia Duer refused to fight head-on. Instead, he began to throw weapons from a distance where Dan Yaxian couldn't reach him.

Stones, pieces of wood.

Even snakes and venomous insects...

Jia Duer threw whatever he could get his hands on. And whenever he sensed a moment of danger, he would use his lightness of movement to climb a tall tree.

In the end, Dan Yaxian had to suffer like a dog chasing a chicken, only to end up looking at the roof.

But now that they had finally arrived at Huashan, he could at least catch his breath for a while.

"I'll go get the Huashan Sect's welcome board."

As everyone's gaze turned to her, Han Xuehua continued.

"I have a connection with the sect leader here."

Dan Yaxian approached Han Xuehua with a smile.

"But it's my job. Let's go together."

Chao Ailiang and Fan Jiewei tried to dissuade him.

"Doctor Dan, you don't have to go together."

"Right. Trust Han's sister."

"I can handle it. Let's go eat something delicious around here."

Han Xuehua quietly looked at the two people.

It was hard to pinpoint, but for some reason, it seemed suspicious. When had they ever followed her so readily?

There must be some other purpose behind this.

Han Xuehua reached out and took Dan Yaxian's hand.

"Let's go together."

Fan Jiewei shouted.

"Hey! Witch! Are you going back on your word? You said you'd go alone."

Chao Ailiang also chimed in.

"Right, Han's sister. Leave Doctor Dan here..."

Han Xuehua's cold voice cut off Chao Ailiang's words.

"Planning to cause more trouble?"

Chao Ailiang and Fan Jiewei flinched at her words.

"Stay quiet and wait. Don't cause trouble like last time."

"That time..."

"Shut up."

Fan Jiewei closed his mouth at her words.

"Do nothing."

Han Xuehua continued with a chilly gaze, filled with sincerity.

"If you cause trouble one more time, I'll seal your pressure points and drag you around."

"......"

"......"

Under normal circumstances, they would have flared up immediately, but now, with a guilty conscience, they just tasted the bitterness.

Thus, Han Xuehua took Dan Yaxian and left.

The two people, who seemed strangely uncomfortable, sighed.

"Why did you bring it up for no reason?"

Chao Ailiang's reprimand made Fan Jiewei's eyebrows form a frown.

"What about you, Chao? You also chimed in."

"So what?"

"If Chao hadn't interfered, I could have persuaded Doctor Dan easily."

"You? How?"

"Nobody else, but I can make him listen. I'm the one he likes the most among us."

"Ha, funny. It's all because of you. If you hadn't suggested going to Shaolin, Han's sister wouldn't have acted like this."

"Did I destroy the Buddha statues? You caused the trouble, so why blame others?"

The two people, growling and glaring at each other, made Jia Duer, who was caught in the middle, feel like he was about to die.

He was truly on edge.

Given the situation, Jia Duer couldn't help but miss Dan Yaxian.

When Dan Yaxian was around, the atmosphere never became this hostile.

"Anyway..."

Chao Ailiang and Fan Jiewei's gazes turned to Jia Duer.

"Are you deliberately dragging a tail around?"

Chao Ailiang scanned the surroundings and chuckled.

"It's just that I didn't feel like shaking off the leeches."

Sizzle.

At the sound from nearby, Jia Duer turned his head.

Fan Jiewei, who had ignited a fire, burned his cactus-like beard and began to change his appearance, taking out a wig and a hero's cape from his bag.

"What are you doing? You."

Chao Ailiang asked, and Fan Jiewei replied nonchalantly.

"It feels dirty with the leeches always following."

"......?"

"We need to check who they are. Besides, we have nothing to do here anyway."

"Have you forgotten Han's sister's words?"

Fan Jiewei laughed.

"When did Chao start listening to the witch?"

"True."

Chao Ailiang, feeling awkward, nodded and put on a human skin mask.

"Do you plan to go to the village?"

"If they gathered here for the bait, we should give them a proper lure."

Though the words were incomprehensible, the decision wasn't Jia Duer's.

Despite Han Xuehua's warning weighing heavily on his mind, he had no choice but to reluctantly follow the two.

* * *

The training ground paved with blue stone.

A young man, holding a single sword, was practicing sword dance alone.

The Qinggang Sword, leaving a trail of blue afterimages as it sliced through the air, suddenly changed.

The faint purple aura at the tip of the sword seemed to intensify explosively, and a red shadow, like mist, filled the training ground.

Then, at some point,

A clear red light flashed through the purple mist.

At that moment, the plum blossoms, tinged with red, bloomed like an illusion, following the trembling sword.

The ultimate technique of Huashan, the Twenty-Four Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique (二十四手梅花劍法), was revealed.

The five red plum blossoms, as the name Wu Mei Zheng Su (五梅爭速) suggests, displayed a vivid purple sword flower along the sword path, gracefully.

It didn't stop there.

From Xue Mei Cang Ran (雪梅蒼然) to Mei Ren Xue Han (梅忍雪寒), and then to Mei Xiang Cheng Liu (梅香成流)...

As time passed, the red plum blossoms became more distinct, and by the time they reached Luo Mei Cheng Yu (落梅成雨), the ultimate technique, the training ground was filled with a formidable cloud of sword energy.

The sword, which had been continuously displaying the ultimate techniques of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, suddenly stopped in mid-air.

"Ha..."

A heavy sigh burst from the young man's lips.

Without wiping the sweat that was pouring down like rain or calming his rough breathing, the young man stood there blankly for a while.

How much time had passed?

"The tip of your sword is chaotic."

At the voice from somewhere, the young man, Ming Jian, turned his head.

"Disciple Ming Jian greets Master."

Feng Xian nodded and approached, smiling quietly.

Ming Jian sighed softly under his master's silent, penetrating gaze.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I showed a poor performance."

"What poor performance? It was an excellent Plum Blossom Sword Technique."

Feng Xian smiled and looked deeply into Ming Jian's eyes.

"Is it the sword that trembles, or the heart that holds it?"

"......!"

Feng Xian continued, looking at his startled disciple.