Chapter Seventy-Four: A Feint to Test Your True Intentions

After bidding farewell to Fan Lanzhou, Fang Junmei remained beneath a tree in the courtyard, leafing through the Great Evolution Wind and Cloud Sword Manual.

The sword techniques themselves were fixed, but without a temperament as tranquil as wind and clouds, it would be impossible to execute the final moves. It was much like how one could not perform the ultimate strikes of the Yellow Springs Ghost Rain Sword Manual without a spirit touched by madness.

Fang Junmei’s character, though not as detached as Fan Lanzhou’s, could still be considered somewhat akin. Thus, after just a short while, he was thoroughly absorbed in the sword manual.

...

A single day was nowhere near enough for Fang Junmei to fully comprehend its profundity.

The following day brought another round of the Dust Group competition, in which both Linghu Jinjiu and Yang Xiaoman would participate. Initially, Fang Junmei intended to stay behind to watch over Motionless Peak and guard against anyone disturbing Fan Lanzhou, but Fan Lanzhou, who saw through his thoughts, insisted he go broaden his horizons instead.

“Fifth Brother, be sure to watch my Drunken Dragon Sword closely today!” Linghu Jinjiu shouted as they set off, wine jug in hand. “It’s a pity this technique is something I learned from the Sutra Repository and cannot teach you without permission. But you love wine so much—perhaps you could master it yourself, if only I could pass it on.”

Fang Junmei smiled and thanked him.

“Was there ever a Wine Sword Immortal in our Peach Blossom Sword Sect’s history? Was this sword technique his legacy?” Fang Junmei asked offhandedly.

“You guessed right,” Linghu Jinjiu replied with a laugh, nodding. His eyes shone with reverence as he continued, “This Wine Sword Immortal was an ancestor from four generations back. Rumor has it that there’s an even more profound wine sword technique left by him on the fourth floor of the Sutra Repository. So this time, I have but one simple aim—second place. If I can win it, I’ll gain entry and learn that divine art! Hahaha—”

By the end, he laughed heartily, as if realizing his words bordered on arrogance.

“Senior brother, you are certain to succeed,” Fang Junmei said earnestly.

“Junior brother, my sword technique today is the Ephemeral Blossom Sword. After you’ve seen it, tell me how many flaws you find,” Yang Xiaoman spoke up, evidently remembering this challenge. Her gaze toward Fang Junmei was sly and playful.

Fang Junmei shook his head and smiled, “Sister, let’s not speak of this again. I’ve come to understand: seeing flaws in an opponent’s sword technique means little. If their power far exceeds mine, they can simply overpower me.”

Upon hearing this, Linghu Jinjiu and Yang Xiaoman exchanged glances. Linghu Jinjiu smiled meaningfully, “Fifth Brother, are you planning to challenge someone above your level so soon?”

Fang Junmei smiled faintly, “You’re aiming for second place in the tournament, Third Brother. How could I fall too far behind?”

He did not deny it, his heart full of pride.

Linghu Jinjiu and Yang Xiaoman nodded with satisfaction.

...

“Young man, since you’re so bold, why don’t we have a little match right now?” came a disdainful male voice from the side.

The three turned to see four people flying toward the grand competition valley—not on clouds or swords, but striding through the air as if walking on empty space. Clearly, this was Xie Dongliu leading the delegation from Sky Ascendant Palace.

Xie Dongliu was a burly middle-aged man. Though he looked rough, his eyes were lively and cunning. At his side was Ouyang Ge, whose smile was enigmatic.

The speaker was a young man in black robes, late in the Dust Realm. His face was narrow, lips curled in a wicked grin, and his gaze at Fang Junmei was like a cat watching a mouse.

Even as he finished speaking, he strode across the void toward the trio.

“You are guests from afar. It would be inappropriate for us to spar here,” Linghu Jinjiu said at once, sensing trouble. After all, this was the Peach Blossom Sword Sect; what gave the Sky Ascendant Palace people the right to pick a fight?

“Just for fun—a brief exchange is all,” the young man laughed, not slowing in the least but accelerating instead. In a few breaths, he swung his arm like a blade, a flash of red light bursting from it.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three fiery birdlike phantoms flew from his arm, each several yards long and filled with formidable fire energy, waves of heat rolling forth.

With a shriek, all three firebirds sped toward the trio.

“What is your purpose here?” Linghu Jinjiu shouted, leaping ahead. His sword flashed like lightning; the tip coiled, forming a dragon of sword light that roared forward.

The young man merely smiled, forming a seal with his hand.

Two of the firebirds broke off, wheeling to attack Fang Junmei and Yang Xiaoman instead. Clearly, his mastery of fire techniques was exceptional.

“Junior brother, stand back—I’ve got this!” Yang Xiaoman did not advance but drew her sword beside Fang Junmei. A dazzling array of sword light, like a rain of petals, swirled into a great vortex and rushed to meet the two firebirds.

Fang Junmei, meanwhile, remained still. His gaze swept to Xie Dongliu, and in that instant, he sensed something and suppressed the urge to draw his sword. If he acted, he might unwittingly reveal his mastery of the sword path—otherwise, how could he fend off an attack from a late Dust Realm cultivator?

Boom!

A deafening explosion sounded—the firebird aimed at Linghu Jinjiu detonated just before colliding with the dragon of sword light, sending a shockwave that hurled Linghu Jinjiu away.

Boom! Boom!

The other two firebirds exploded as well, sweeping Yang Xiaoman and Fang Junmei off their feet with the blast and flinging them through the air.

Linghu Jinjiu and Yang Xiaoman, with their powerful cultivation, were mostly unharmed. Fang Junmei, however, was knocked off his cloud and sent hurtling toward the mountain wilderness below.

...

“Haishan, what are you doing? Such recklessness! Get back here at once!” A belated reprimand finally rang out—none other than old Xie Dongliu.

Having shouted, he stepped into the air with lightning speed, rushing to Fang Junmei’s side. Grabbing his shoulder, he hoisted him upward.

...

“My young friend, apologies—are you hurt?” he asked kindly as he lifted Fang Junmei. “I have some small skill in healing. Allow me to tend to your injuries.”

Before Fang Junmei could reply, Xie Dongliu sent a thread of spiritual power into his body, letting it roam within.

A sharp gleam flashed in Fang Junmei’s eyes as he instantly realized what was happening.

Clearly, Xie Dongliu was using this opportunity to probe for anomalies within him, trying to discover what miraculous pill Chunyu Qian might have devised. The young man’s reckless provocation was nothing but a pretext for Xie Dongliu’s intervention.

“Thank goodness I took the Sun-Swapping Pill...” Fang Junmei thought with relief, though he was also resentful of how cunning these so-called orthodox sects could be.

Xie Dongliu, unable to find anything unusual, soon looked perplexed.

“Thank you for your concern, Senior. I am unhurt and you may let me go now,” Fang Junmei said coolly, summoning his cloud beneath his feet once more.

“Very well, very well,” Xie Dongliu replied awkwardly, releasing Fang Junmei. Then, with a stern face, he barked at the young man, “Haishan, how have I taught you? Apologize at once!”

“You were out of line, junior brother,” Ouyang Ge also flew to the young man’s side, grabbing his arm as if to stop him from causing more trouble, his expression righteous.

“My apologies to my fellow Daoists. I was impulsive today—seeing your sect’s grand competition lately has left my hands itching for a fight,” the young man said, his face shifting before he finally offered a distant bow.

...

Linghu Jinjiu and Yang Xiaoman had already rushed to Fang Junmei’s side. Seeing he was unharmed, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Dongliu gave a sheepish apology, feigning regret at his disciple’s unruliness.

As the saying goes, one cannot strike a smiling face. Though the trio had been attacked for no reason, since they were uninjured and the others had apologized, they could only let the matter drop.

With cold faces and terse responses, they set off again toward the valley.

Ouyang Ge and the others gathered around Xie Dongliu.

“Uncle, what did you find?” Ouyang Ge asked via spiritual transmission.

Xie Dongliu shook his head. “Strange—there’s nothing unusual in that boy’s body. Could I have been mistaken? Just what are those old foxes Tianhe and Chunyu Qian up to?”