Chapter 85

Contest (4)

Immediately after starting the peculiar bet with Qilong.

Zheng Yanxin, along with Nangong Huaxin, rode their fine horses in silence, trying to reach their destination as quickly as possible. They continued like this for a while.

Only the sound of hooves and the fierce wind against their faces echoed.

"Zheng Xiaoxian, you seem to have lost your appetite."

"Nangong Xiaoxian also seems that way."

Even when they took breaks to let the horses rest and tore into the dried meat, a sense of tension lingered. They always kept their senses heightened.

Every time they looked back, they could see Qilong smiling from a distance. Her beautiful smile was unsettling.

The qi of the blue-robed expert from Ruhuang City was sensitive. Both of them were the same.

However, they were not so relaxed as to treat the ultra-high-level expert lurking three hundred paces away lightly.

In the evening, they took turns keeping watch.

Under the silent night, Zheng Yanxin drew his Ruhuang Sword.

The stars above lay in the darkness, and the moon, covered by translucent gray clouds, seemed to sneer.

The moonlight faintly descended, and the clearing among the bushes was tranquil.

The boy recalled Qingming.

Swish.

With the moonlight spreading through the clouds, Zheng Yanxin's body momentarily swayed.

A gentle breeze stirred with his light footstep. In the next moment, a silent sprint began.

He ran soundlessly, like the night air seeping through.

'She's asleep.'

He found her immediately. Qilong, draped in a red pure-blooded cloak, was curled up on a thick branch, asleep.

Zheng Yanxin's eyes narrowed. Even if she were to clumsily imitate an assassin, he would immediately notice.

He stepped on the ground without hesitation. One step was enough.

The true qi exploded silently from the Yongquan point on the sole of his foot, causing a fierce wave.

At the end of his rising movement, a gale arose.

Whoosh!

It was an instant. He reached Qilong's eye level, and he could feel her long breath on his cheek.

At that moment, their eyes met. Her red eyes, slightly opened, were hidden by a small smile.

As expected. While striking with his right hand, he raised the true qi in his left arm.

The fourth palm technique, which had no name yet, was the simultaneous use of Malahongxue Gong and MieMaQingJiang Shu.

The difficult deployment of true qi gradually became familiar. If he could gain a small enlightenment, he might properly enter the realm.

Swish!

Qilong's foot flew. Even though she was lying sideways, it was astonishingly fast.

Her right foot, which seemed to crush the air, pushed him back from the sword.

The cold blade of the Ruhuang Sword, which was about to strike her neck, slipped out of Zheng Yanxin's embrace.

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, he extended his left hand. It was a palm technique loaded like a fireball, and he thrust it into Qilong's face, causing it to explode.

Boom!

The tree shattered. The backlash was so great that it made his shoulder blades tingle.

Zheng Yanxin's body was still in the air. At the moment of the palm technique's release, he was flung like a leaf in a typhoon. He then softly landed and returned the sword to its scabbard.

"Your techniques are becoming more refined every day. Impressive, our Tai Shi."

A drowsy voice came from above. It was Qilong's voice. She had avoided the palm technique.

Zheng Yanxin slowly parted his lips.

"From the Zhongfu point, the true qi rises like a storm and lingers at the Huozhong point."

He recited the fifth and sixth verses of Malahongxue Gong. It was something he had to say.

He then turned around.

The first watch was a tacit agreement between Zheng Yanxin and Qilong. They would each take a turn.

Nangong Huaxin, who had taken the first watch, was leaning against a tree.

They had just arrived at the campsite. The two horses, tied nearby, glanced at them with the campfire.

"Rest first."

"Alright."

They exchanged calm words.

Nangong Huaxin volunteered for the first watch. Zheng Yanxin lay down without refusal.

Using his travel bag as a pillow and his robe as a blanket, he closed his eyes.

"..."

The campfire crackled and burned. The smell of smoke rose with the crackling of the flames, likely due to the damp wood.

'I should have dried it with Sammae Jin Hwa.'

Zheng Yanxin regretted it slightly as he fell asleep.

The journey of the boy was like this.

Until they reached Wuchang, where the second relay station was located.

* * *

Zheng Yanxin and Nangong Huaxin stayed at the relay station in Wuchang for a day. The Ming Dynasty's relay stations also served as inns.

They could enjoy a decent bed while saving on security.

There were few cities with relay stations on their mission route.

Nangong Huaxin had anticipated the outrageous behavior of Nangong Mi, who was always unconventional, and Zheng Yanxin accepted his suggestion. They decided to rest for a day.

"What is that?"

Nangong Huaxin asked. Zheng Yanxin, lying diagonally on the opposite bed, lifted his head.

"It's the Jingang Sutra."

He showed the sutra bound in a book. He had brought it for cultivation.

Nangong Huaxin nodded, understanding.

'Zhuangyan Jingtu Fen.'

Zheng Yanxin turned his gaze back to the sutra.

The effectiveness of MieMaQingJiang Shu, which he had created after listening to the sermons of the Shaolin monks, was remarkable.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to learn the magical power, he was trying to find a way to integrate it with a new cultivation technique, along with the Yue Ling Zha He Jue of the Ruhuang City Lord.

If successful, the palm technique he was currently cultivating would also advance.

He could significantly reduce the execution speed of the palm technique.

Just like the constant flow of true qi in Zhengjia Donggong, if the magical power-infused true qi could be used continuously, it would be enough to activate one blood point.

It was a matter of advancing the level of martial arts itself.

─Ying Wu Su Zhu Er Sheng Qi Xin.

While scanning the text, Zheng Yanxin suddenly lifted his head. Nangong Huaxin, who was on the opposite side, did the same.

They sensed the commotion outside. The voices were loud.

Xianshimen, fight, Nangong, Nangong Family...

"She's here. Let's go."

Nangong Huaxin said. Both he and Zheng Yanxin were already wearing gray robes.

They had put away their Ruhuang City martial robes, which would attract attention wherever they went, in their travel bags. They had anticipated such an event.

The two of them went outside.

A voice imbued with true qi was echoing through the market.

"Here, Lady Nangong Mi of the Nangong Family has beheaded the leader of the Xianshimen! A branch of the Nangong Family will be established where Xianshimen once stood, so you should all rest assured and continue your livelihoods!"

Then, Zheng Yanxin downplayed his role, attributing the credit to the servants, and they quickly returned to the relay station.

While discussing how to act for the next two days, they heard another piece of news.

Lady Nangong Mi's response was bold.

She had already crippled the servants of Xianshimen, destroying their dantians and damaging their acupoints, rendering them mute.

She then ascended the platform again.

"Blackness and whiteness are inseparable. They were all practicing the sinister martial arts of Xianshimen."

The servant of the relay station, who had received ten copper coins, detailed the events.

He was a very bright-looking boy.

Lady Nangong Mi, with a face like a celestial maiden, shed tears pitifully, and no one ignored her words.

"They were servants of those who pretended to be the city's masters. They were indistinguishable from disciples. They were not ordinary citizens like you, but members of the evil sect who shared the scraps of Xianshimen. However, they were also your children, friends, and fathers. I punished them with a heavy heart. Even if you point fingers at my mercilessness, I will gladly accept it."

However, since Xianshimen was an extremely vicious evil sect, no one blamed her.

Her sweet and persuasive words had a significant impact.

Instead, the relatives of the servants were seen rejoicing.

The government, including the branch official, did not intervene.

Even though the labor force in the administrative area was reduced, the influence of the Nangong clan extended beyond the martial world.

Rumors spread that the reputation of the female hero, Nangong Mi, was growing.

Nangong Huaxin's expression turned serious.

"Even if we win the duel, this will be a problem."

"If we take their heads in a life-or-death battle, Ruhuang City will surely incur resentment in this area."

Zheng Yanxin replied.

Nangong Mi began to act as both a celestial maiden and a queen in Wuchang.

Her reputation in the surrounding area soared endlessly in a short time. Her confident smile was still vivid in his mind.

'Ruhuang City must always win the hearts of the people.'

Even with a righteous cause, they had exterminated the Huangbo Family, a prestigious sect.

Next, they intended to behead the leaders of the Nangong Family. It was a course of action that would leave them speechless even if the righteous martial world united.

The Grand Supervisor said that the leaders of Ruhuang City were concerned about the Wulin Alliance.

To avoid giving the vast alliance of the martial world a reason to attack Ruhuang City, they had to suppress all missions with a clear and righteous cause.

"There's no reason to rashly respond to the contest of righteousness. The new sword leader, the elder council leader, and the Ruhuang Ma Family leader... It's something the elders will handle. We will be recognized for our contributions by doing what we can."

"Zheng Xiaoxian...?"

"Isn't it common to say that in any conflict, one must act according to the situation?"

Zheng Yanxin rummaged through his travel bag. The feeling of the item he found was frighteningly soft.

It was the touch of the extremely rare Tianzhan silk. Slowly, he pulled out the blood-red robe.

It was the pure-blooded robe of a Blood Flame Sect envoy.

"We just need to find a mask. A demon mask would be good."

"Surely not?"

"Nangong Xiaoxian, please tell me. Can we afford to show mercy in our actions?"