Chapter 31

Zhuo Feiyang walked with a sullen face, the words of Chu Li echoing in his mind. Recalling Zhao Ying’s actions since their meeting, his expression grew increasingly grim, and he felt a growing sense of unease. Could he really lose Zhao Ying, his fellow disciple?

He couldn’t help but recall their first meeting. On the second day after entering the academy, he reported to the lecture hall to learn the rules. When he entered, he immediately spotted Zhao Ying among the twenty-odd people. His heart skipped a beat, and the world suddenly seemed beautiful.

At that moment, he knew she was the one for him!

In the lecture hall, Zhao Ying was quiet and rarely spoke. She was a gentle and kind woman, but as the only woman in the hall, everyone paid attention to her.

Thinking of this, he shook his head. Chu Li, that good-for-nothing, also liked Zhao Ying. It was like a toad lusting after a swan—ridiculous!

He found it laughable but didn’t let his guard down. Chu Li couldn’t practice martial arts, but he was smart. Zhao Ying was gentle, kind, and innocent. What if she was swayed by his sweet talk? So, whenever he had the chance, he tried to undermine Chu Li, and if he didn’t have a chance, he created one.

But reality was cruel. Every time he tried to undermine Chu Li, he ended up with a nose full of ashes. Not once did it go smoothly, and he only embarrassed himself.

He watched helplessly as Zhao Ying gradually got closer to Chu Li, the good-for-nothing, and he felt utterly powerless. This was a truly bitter feeling!

Could Chu Li really succeed and steal Zhao Ying’s heart?

He returned to his courtyard with a heavy heart, tossing and turning all night. The next morning, he arrived early at the martial arts training ground and saw Zhao Ying practicing her sword.

The morning sunlight was bright and pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold. Zhao Ying, dressed in a light green silk robe, was graceful and spirited. In the sunlight, she seemed to radiate a captivating aura, drawing many people around her.

Zhuo Feiyang glanced coldly at the surroundings and called out, “Fellow Disciple Zhao!”

Zhao Ying didn’t stop her sword movements and replied casually, “Senior Brother Zhuo, you’re here.”

Zhuo Feiyang drew his sword, “Fellow Disciple Zhao, let’s spar!”

Zhao Ying hesitated for a moment and sheathed her sword, “Spar?”

In the past, she would have agreed without hesitation, but now her sword skills were formidable, and Zhuo Feiyang might not be a match for her.

Zhuo Feiyang nodded, “I’ve made some progress with my Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique. Let’s see how it fares. Here I come!”

He lunged with his sword, and Zhao Ying, having no choice, drew her sword and deflected his attack with a small arc. They began to exchange blows.

At first, Zhuo Feiyang was half-skeptical and held back, afraid of hurting her. But as he saw her handle the situation with ease and her sword skills improve, he gradually increased his strength.

In the end, he used all his skills, pushing his Illusion-Breaking Sword Technique to its limits, but he still couldn’t defeat Zhao Ying. She seemed to be holding back, giving him face!

This made his expression involuntarily turn grim, and his sword movements became even more fierce.

Zhao Ying noticed the change but didn’t think much of it. Her Swallow Sword Technique was light and elegant, and she handled the situation with ease, finding it more comfortable than before.

They quickly exchanged over a hundred moves, and Zhuo Feiyang’s sword movements became increasingly fierce and angry.

He secretly activated a new secret technique he had learned, unleashing his potential. His face turned red as if he were drunk, his eyes filled with bloodshot, and his sword seemed to grow larger, emitting a chilling aura.

Although he hadn’t reached the innate realm and couldn’t release his internal energy, such a display of sword skills was rare in the training ground. People stopped their practice to watch.

Zhao Ying’s Swallow Sword Technique reached its peak. Facing the fierce attacks, she became even more graceful, immersing herself in the flow and smiling contentedly.

When she sparred with Chu Li, he often disarmed her within two moves, making it difficult for her to use the Swallow Sword Technique smoothly. When she faced the experts of the Fierce Tiger Gang, she was filled with killing intent and couldn’t be so relaxed.

The more relaxed and at ease she was, the more powerful the Swallow Sword Technique became. It was fluid and natural, and each move was astonishing.

“Clang...” Zhuo Feiyang froze, his sword flying out and clattering to the ground. He turned and walked away, his face dark as a thundercloud.

Zhao Ying realized something was wrong and called out, “Senior Brother Zhuo...”

Zhuo Feiyang ignored her and walked away, quickly boarding a small boat.

Bai Zhijie, waiting on the boat, heard his cold instructions and could only give Zhao Ying a helpless smile before rowing away.

Zhao Ying stood on the shore, watching Zhuo Feiyang’s retreating back with a sigh. Senior Brother Zhuo’s heart was too narrow. Losing to her made him angry and embarrassed. Could it be true, as Senior Brother Chu said, that he looked down on women and couldn’t tolerate them being stronger than him?

During their previous spars, he had deliberately let her win to make her happy and didn’t feel ashamed when he lost. Why couldn’t he handle it now?

She shook her head in frustration, turned back, and continued practicing her sword. The Swallow Sword Technique was truly exquisite, and she was far from mastering it.

In the following days, she practiced her internal skills in seclusion and occasionally came to the training ground to practice her sword and relax, which improved her mood and her internal skills.

Zhuo Feiyang didn’t appear, having entered seclusion.

On the tenth day, Zhao Ying broke through the thirty-sixth acupoint, reaching the peak of the acquired realm. She then went to find Chu Li, planning to visit the Fierce Tiger Gang together.

—

When she arrived at the East Garden and knocked on the jade chime, no one appeared. She returned dejectedly, thinking they must have gone to the city.

Senior Brother Chu had always stayed in the East Garden, rarely socializing. His classmates had also avoided him because everyone looked down on and mocked him.

Thinking of this, she felt a sense of pity for Chu Li. Senior Brother Chu had endured so much coldness and disdain, suffering greatly!

Chu Li and Li Yue were following a real estate agent through the city, eventually arriving at a large mansion near the river.

The river ran through the city, about ten zhang wide, with clear water. Rows of willows lined the riverbank, their graceful branches swaying in the wind like mist and smoke.

“Gentlemen, this is a five-courtyard mansion, originally owned by a wealthy merchant. Later, the owner met with a maritime disaster, and his family fell apart, so the mansion is for sale,” the middle-aged agent, with a kind face, sighed, “Life is unpredictable, like a dream or a dewdrop. It’s an inevitable matter, alas... Because the owner died a violent death, people believe the mansion has bad feng shui, so few are interested, and the price is low.”

In this world, martial arts were flourishing, and Buddhism was prevalent, overshadowing Daoism. Many people believed in Buddhism.

Chu Li nodded.

The mansion was large, and only the wealthy could afford it. These people were very particular about feng shui and destiny. No matter how much money they had, they couldn’t defy fate and were very respectful of it.

Mansions were related to feng shui and fortune, and people preferred to believe in their existence rather than doubt it. Besides, there were many mansions in the city, so there was no need to buy this one.

“Tell me, how much?” Li Yue asked.

“Hehe, ten thousand taels!” the agent replied.

“Huh, is that cheap?!”