Chapter 133: Sword and Spear

The young man in white clothing propped himself up with one hand, crouching low, and the blue stone slab beneath his palm cracked with a "crack," then split open.

His face instantly twisted with shock; he snapped his head up, staring toward the only open window on the second floor of the inn.

But he saw only the few people by the window ignoring him entirely, sipping their tea as if nothing had happened.

The young man in white altered his expression, and a flash of furious surprise surfaced in his eyes.

Yet he seemed to realize Li Musheng's group was not to be trifled with; finally gritting his teeth, he obediently turned and leapt onto the eaves of a shop behind him, silently crouching atop the ridge.

At this moment, inside the second-floor inn, the other guests seemed stunned by Wu Shang's act of throwing someone, and fell utterly silent.

Hu Rui, seated at the table, remained expressionlessly calm throughout the entire incident, saying not a single word more.

Though he preferred to avoid trouble, that did not mean he feared it; as a subordinate, he naturally followed the will of the Imperial Prince before him.

At this moment, Captain Wu Shang stepped back several paces and returned to his original position, standing at attention beside the table.

He subtly turned his gaze, glancing through the open window at the young man in white crouched on the opposite rooftop.

Soon, whispers from the guests drifted to his ears, breaking the stillness of the second floor—someone had recognized the identity of the young man in white.

They said he was the Young Master of the Bai Sha Gang, a clan whose fame stretched a hundred li in every direction and which was unquestionably the largest and most powerful gang in the region, feared by all.

These people had stirred up trouble with him—they were surely in for a world of pain now…

Wu Shang, having overheard, narrowed his eyes but paid it no mind, then turned his gaze away from the young man in white across the way.

Meanwhile, the young man in white crouched on the rooftop, waiting for the duelists to arrive on the street while carefully observing Li Musheng and his group.

He was seriously weighing their strength and origins, wondering whether he should retaliate and ask his father to send men to restore his honor.

As the eldest son of the Bai Sha Gang, he was no novice in the Jianghu; he always targeted the weak and avoided the strong—those who were formidable, he avoided; those who were soft, he squeezed.

But for now, he could not discern Li Musheng's background, so he shifted his attention back to the street below.

Not long after, crisp hoofbeats clattered from both ends of the blue stone street; two figures rode toward each other from opposite ends of the thoroughfare, stopping ten zhang apart at its center.

The young man in white crouched lower, fixing his gaze on the two riders atop their horses.

One was around thirty, his back bearing a broad saber, his face square-jawed, his body muscular and thickly corded, radiating immense physical power.

The other held a silver-tasseled long spear, his age similar to his opponent's; his back was straight as a pine, his face lean, and his tall frame exuded a sharp, piercing aura.

"Long have I heard of your reputation in the Jianghu—the 'Shatter-Kill Divine Spear'—famed as 'one spear launched can break all weapons under heaven.' Yet I've never had the chance to test it. Today, since our feud cannot be resolved, let us settle not only superiority, but life and death!"

The muscular youth sat motionless atop his horse, staring coldly at his opponent.

A chilling aura of death instantly filled the air, causing the great steed before him to snort loudly.

Hearing this, the tall youth sneered, his expression utterly indifferent.

"In the Jianghu, everyone accepts their own fate. Your junior brothers and sisters lost to me in combat—that was only natural. Yet you cling to this grudge like a dog with a bone."

"If so, I'll send you to join them underground—so you may all remember: don't provoke me in your next life."

As he spoke, the spear in his hand violently trembled, unleashing a shower of silver shards that spread before him.

Simultaneously, he leapt from his horse, becoming a dark afterimage that surged forward, riding the silver shards, making the surrounding air ring with sharp, metallic cracks.

Seeing this, the muscular youth's gaze darkened, his killing intent surging!

The heavy broad saber on his back had already appeared in his hand—five feet long, yet moving with agile grace.

In the next instant, his blade crashed down like a hungry tiger roaring through the forest, or a river surging forward, unleashing a torrent of vast, roaring saber qi that engulfed the space before him.

The tall youth did not retreat—he advanced. The silver shards vanished, then exploded into brilliant light; ten points of icy starlight darted from the spear tip, all aimed at the muscular youth's forehead.

His spear thrust surged like a dragon leaping, overwhelming and unstoppable, utterly disregarding the river-like torrent of saber qi.

But the muscular youth's broad saber remained utterly steady; as it descended, it seemed to forge an impregnable wall of steel.

It met the piercing silver points head-on, and instantly, metallic clangs erupted across the street, like a hundred bronze bells ringing together.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Both saber qi and silver light exploded simultaneously, their shockwaves scattering outward, overturning stalls that had not yet been packed away and ripping off entire rows of roof tiles from nearby shops.

In an instant, the surroundings were laid to ruin—even the young man in white crouched on the nearby ridge was struck by the residual force, cried out in alarm, and hastily retreated.

At the same time, the two youths both grunted, flying backward through the air, landing over ten zhang away before finally regaining their footing.

At this moment, by the window on the second floor of the inn, Hu Rui glanced down at the street below and said slowly:

"The Shatter-Kill Spear Sect is famed in the Jianghu for its 'Shatter-Kill Divine Spear Art'—a significant force within the Great Li Jianghu. Moreover, their sect possesses a sacred spear, the clan's treasured weapon; though it has not ranked among the top weapons of the realm, it remains a rare divine blade."

As he spoke, Hu Rui's gaze turned to Li Musheng beside the table—his words were clearly meant for Li Musheng's ears.

But he noticed the man seemed uninterested in the duel below, lost in thought about something else entirely.

Seeing this, Hu Rui frowned slightly and asked:

"Young Master doesn't seem interested in this duel?"

At this, Li Musheng snapped out of his contemplation of the Qinglong Cangming Jing, glanced down at the street, and raised an eyebrow:

"Two amateurs brawling—what's there to watch?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Murong Xiaoya seated across from him froze, as if offended, and whispered weakly:

"Then… why did you open the window?"

Li Musheng glanced at Lady Murong Xiaoya, who flushed the moment she spoke, and replied coolly:

"That's a poorly phrased question. I opened the window to let in air and ventilation."

(End of Chapter)