Chapter 98: Starting with the

Having her secrets laid bare by Mr. Lan in a single sentence, Aunt Liu felt unsettled and suspicious.

Even she had only just confirmed that Xiao Fengxian could indeed rapidly plagiarize the Nine Flowers Sword Intent; how could Mr. Lan—

—No, Mr. Lan shouldn't know Xiao Fengxian's true level. He is merely well-informed and must have heard from the Red Sleeve Pavilion that I might bring Xiao Fengxian to visit him.

There are people from "Never Return" in the Red Sleeve Pavilion!

This was Aunt Liu's first thought.

—Xiao Fengxian really is a big mouth!

This was Aunt Liu's second thought.

It was not strange for Never Return to plant or bribe people in the Red Sleeve Pavilion.

Because Never Return also belonged to the "Tianmen Society," and the two sides were too closely linked.

The Red Sleeve Pavilion was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites; according to the laws of the Shu Kingdom, they could not force good women into prostitution.

But there was more than one brothel in Qingshuiwan. The Red Sleeve Pavilion would not directly buy and sell daughters of good families, but they could purchase high-quality girls who had already fallen into the lowly register from other brothels.

If the Hui'er from Old Xu's family was truly worth twenty-five taels of silver, she would inevitably end up in the Red Sleeve Pavilion within half a month.

With such a close relationship between the two sides, planting or bribing one or two people to help gather information was too simple.

Xiao Yu's "big mouth" was the key.

Yesterday, Xiao Yu had publicly announced at the Pear Fragrance Garden: once Aunt Liu took her to visit the Wu Lin seniors who had mastered the "Nine Flowers Sword Intent," she would learn their Nine Flowers charm and then return to teach it to them.

"Mr. Lan, what are you worried about? Worried that my Xiao Fengxian will learn your Plum-Orchid charm?" Aunt Liu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and giggled.

Mr. Lan continued to look up to drink and look down to paint plum blossoms, his tone cold: "If such a low-level provocation worked on me, then I would be a pig."

Aunt Liu walked to the table and carefully admired the plum blossom painting under Mr. Lan's brush. She was amazed in her heart and praised aloud: "Sir is worthy of being the 'High Scholar of the Plum Forest.' This painting of spring plums actually has more charm than the real plum forest before our eyes.

Without the noble character and frost-defying pride of a plum blossom, one could never paint this."

Mr. Lan revealed a proud smile, his fair face showing a slight drunken flush, just like the plum blossom petals on the tree.

"Liu San, you have some discernment. But your abacus beads won't click here.

I'm not worried about anything; sword bones do not equal insight into the Dao of the sword.

Furthermore, her sword bones are shattered into slag, completely ruined, and the person is mostly ruined too.

As for some innate wisdom... Hmph, if you picked a beggar from Tianmen Town and placed them in the Northern Wilderness, they would also be set off as a wise man of innate wisdom by the beast-like barbarians.

I just don't want to be toyed with, even if your tricks are stupid enough to make people laugh."

The smile on Aunt Liu's face faded, and she said lightly: "If you simply find it troublesome and don't want to do this small favor, I won't say anything.

But you have repeatedly mocked me; what is the meaning of this?

Do you look down on me, or do you look down on the Red Sleeve Pavilion?

Even towards your Great Master, I would directly open my mouth to ask for his help; what need is there for me to play any tricks?"

"Little sister, don't be angry. Third brother didn't mean anything else; he's drunk and speaking drunken words, hahaha~~"

A tall, sturdy man like an iron tower strode over. While he was still at the gate of the Plum Garden, his hearty and loud laughter arrived first.

"Big Brother!" This time, Mr. Lan finally put down his brush, turned around, and bowed in salute.

In the past, Aunt Liu would have at least curtsied and offered a blessing.

At this moment, she was angry in her heart, so she kept a straight face and didn't move, only saying: "He is indeed drunk, but truth comes out after drinking. He previously kept his dissatisfaction with me bottled up in his stomach, but now he has said it directly; that is frank enough.

It's just that I don't understand when our Red Sleeve Pavilion offended your Never Return.

Is it that the number of guests recommended by the Red Sleeve Pavilion to gamble here has decreased, or is it that when the brothers of Never Return go to Qingshuiwan to drink flower wine, the Red Sleeve Pavilion has been lacking in hospitality?

Or is it simply that you don't like the look of me?"

"Hey, hey, hey, third sister, big brother spoke wrong; big brother apologizes to you."

The Great Master actually bowed to Aunt Liu.

Then he turned to Mr. Lan and persuaded him kindly: "It's just sparring a couple of moves with this little friend; what's the big deal?"

Mr. Lan frowned and was about to say something, but heard the Great Master continue to "kindly" advise: "Remember, swords have no eyes; make sure not to hurt this little friend."

Mr. Lan's heart stirred, and he nodded with a smile: "Since big brother has ordered, how could this younger brother dare not obey!"

Aunt Liu had initially thought the Great Master was truly acting as a peacemaker. Added to the fact that she had just been bowed to by the Great Master, the anger in her heart dissipated by more than half, and she even intended to say, "Great Master, please forgive me; this younger sister was rash just now."

But catching a glimpse of the ruthlessness that flashed in Mr. Lan's eyes, she suddenly understood: Mr. Lan was intending to deal a heavy hand to Xiao Fengxian!

—Do you know that Xiao Fengxian is a person of the Prince of Qinghe? The Prince of Qinghe placed her in the Red Sleeve Pavilion for... No, you know everything; you are targeting me! If anything happens to Xiao Fengxian, the first person the Prince of Qinghe will blame is me!

Aunt Liu's thoughts whirled, thinking of many things in an instant, and her expression changed repeatedly.

Xiao Yu stepped forward at this moment, walking out from behind her, facing the Great Master and Mr. Lan, curtsying, and saying crisply: "Fengxian pays respects to the two fathers."

She paused for a moment, waiting for them to react... Very good, they were looking over, and in their hearts, they didn't reject the title of "father"; "Great Father-Destroyer" activated.

"Because Xiao Fengxian caused a misunderstanding between the two fathers and Aunt Liu, Fengxian feels very uneasy in her heart. Now that Mr. Lan is willing to point out the "Nine Flowers Sword," Fengxian is deeply grateful and only asks that you do not hold back and do not begrudge your instruction.

If Fengxian can gain one or two points of insight into the Nine Flowers charm, it can be considered living up to Aunt's expectations and the hard work of the two fathers' teaching."

Aunt Liu's expression changed again, and she shouted: "Xiao Fengxian, put away your arrogance; this is not the Red Sleeve Pavilion—"

"Hey, why is third sister getting angry? Xiao Fengxian is just being honest; sparring skills, how can you call it arrogance? She is a sword Dao genius who has beheaded a Human Immortal! Third brother, you should be the one to be careful and cautious." The Great Master laughed heartily.

"Big brother is right." Lan Ruomei nodded, turned, and shouted to the small pavilion at the edge of the plum forest: "Tingyun, Liufeng."

"Hey, Young Master, the little maids are here!"

A crisp and pleasant female voice came from the small pavilion, and soon two beautiful figures, one blue and one red, ran out.

"Go back and bring my Purple Lightning Twin Swords."

The two beauties in their prime stopped and shouted: "Young Master, if you want to dance with the sword, how can there be no incense to purify the courtyard, and no bamboo and silk music to accompany it?"

"Very well, bring them all over."

Tingyun and Liufeng were very nimble; each held a precious sword, and behind them were four beautiful maids, some holding incense burners, some carrying zithers, some playing with jade flutes, and some holding a sandalwood table with both hands.

"Young Master, your swords." Tingyun and Liufeng curtsied and offered the swords.

Mr. Lan casually drew a sword and threw it toward Xiao Yu, saying: "The Purple Lightning Twin Swords are divided into female and male; you are a woman, use the male sword, and I will use the female sword."

Saying this, he drew the other sword.

At this time, the other four maids had already set up the sandalwood table and lit the fragrant and pure dragon saliva incense.

Tingyun stood behind the table, her hands plucking the strings, and the zither music, soft as silk, poured out.

Liufeng held the jade flute, sobbing and wailing, complementing the zither music.

Xiao Yu flicked the blade with her finger, and the clear sword chime lingered for a long time.

"It really is a peerless precious sword! But since they are twin swords, it means you are accustomed to using twin swords; how could Fengxian dare to make you use the sword uncomfortably?"

Xiao Yu threw the male sword back.

Mr. Lan frowned and said: "Then I will find another precious sword for you."

The maid was just about to act, but Xiao Yu waved her hands repeatedly, saying: "It's just sparring; a wooden sword is enough, no need for a precious sword."

She walked a few steps into the forest and broke off a plum branch.

Mr. Lan's eyes instantly turned blood-red, "You—"

"This is a withered branch; it won't hurt your beloved plum blossoms, sir." Xiao Yu said repeatedly.

As she spoke, she raised her hand to let everyone see that it was a withered tree branch.

"Deceiving people too much!" Tingyun and Liufeng stopped playing the zither and flute, widened their beautiful eyes, and scolded Xiao Yu angrily, "Where did this ignorant wild girl come from, daring to humiliate our Young Master like this!"

The Great Master also couldn't maintain his hearty laughter; he straightened his face and stared coldly at Aunt Liu.

Aunt Liu's expression was conflicted.

She knew Xiao Yu was a smart person, and even more so that a smart person wouldn't do something stupid.

But she was a bit confused now: was this Xiao Fengxian full of confidence and completely looking down on Lan Ruomei, or was she playing dumb, using a wooden sword to force Lan Ruomei not to use a killing move, or did her brain suddenly get flooded with water?

"I respect Mr. Lan!" Xiao Yu cried out aggrievedly: "Is it not a great disrespect to point a sharp sword at someone you respect?"

The Great Master gave Mr. Lan a look: don't hold back, teach her a lesson.

"Tingyun, Liufeng, continue playing."

Mr. Lan was expressionless, his eyes cold, and he first thrust a sword slowly toward the empty space above Xiao Yu's head.

Xiao Yu dodged lightly, then used the tree branch as a sword and also thrust forward, toward the empty space beside Mr. Lan.

Mr. Lan dodged lightly.

Thus, the etiquette of the sword duel was basically over.

Mr. Lan's sword moves began to become as swift as the wind, and the ruthlessness was almost undisguised.

But despite his storm-like attacks, Xiao Yu never let a single leaf touch her body, and every time she dodged just right.

After another sword brushed past Xiao Yu's nose, Mr. Lan took two steps back and shouted repeatedly: "Good, good, good, very good, you can behead Kong Zan; it really wasn't entirely by luck."

Xiao Yu bowed and said: "It is you who held back, sir... please do not hold back."

"Good, good, good, very good!" Mr. Lan gritted his teeth, so angry his handsome face flushed red.

He truly no longer held back.

Although he held twin swords before, he had only used one sword, and the sword moves only had true qi reinforcement, without divine will.

Now, when he began to swing his sword, the anger on his face and in his eyes disappeared, replaced by tranquility and peace, and his temperament became leisurely and elegant, like a quiet orchid in a mountain hollow, like a proud plum blossom in the ice and snow.

And the biggest change was in the sword moves; every sword, every wisp of sword qi bursting from the blade, had its own life, like a living thing, not allowing the enemy to dodge, wanting to pull Xiao Yu into the orchid cluster in the mountain hollow, wanting to trap her in the plum forest, surrounded by plum blossoms, with every falling petal being a killing intent, transformed from sword blades and sword qi.

Xiao Yu was no longer as calm as before.

Her figure was a bit disheveled, and she had to swing the withered tree branch in her hand from time to time to block the incoming orchid-plum sword qi.

But her slight dishevelment only made the Great Master on the side show a solemn expression.

Aunt Liu also no longer had her previous worry and conflict; there was relief and amazement on her face.

The Qingyun Liufeng was still playing, but the sounds of the zither and the flute had gone out of tune.

"How is it possible that she truly used only a tree branch to block the Young Master's continuous sword intent?" All four maids understood Wu Gong; at the very least, they understood the significance and power of the divine intent of the sword.

Even if Xiao Yu had used sword intent at this moment, using her sword intent to clash head-on with Mr. Lan's Orchid-Plum sword momentum, they would not have been this shocked; but Xiao Yu did not use a sword.

She held a withered tree branch, and the tip of the branch had only a faint sword Qi, with no divine intent.

"Hey, Mr. Lan, please wait a moment!"

Xiao Yu kicked off the ground with both legs, her body rapidly sliding backward more than ten meters, completely exiting the battlefield.

"The sword match isn't over yet, you come back here!" Mr. Lan roared with blood-red eyes.

"Sir, do not be anxious. Fengxian is not fleeing out of cowardice; it is just that a tree branch is ultimately not a sword, and it doesn't feel very comfortable to hold," Xiao Yu called out.

"Go get a sword for her!" Mr. Lan roared at the maid.

"No, no, no!" Xiao Yu waved her hands repeatedly. "The tree branch is fine; it's my hand that is too clumsy, and it doesn't cooperate well with it. Please wait a moment, Sir, let me persuade it."

Then, amidst the gazes of a crowd looking at a madwoman, Xiao Yu stuck the tree branch into the mud in front of her, first pinched her left thumb with her right hand, and bent it with force—"Crack!"

Accompanied by a crisp and loud sound of bone breaking, the nail of her right thumb almost touched the back of her hand.

The crowd was shocked by her madness, and upon seeing that twisted thumb, they also felt a bit of toothache.

They themselves did not even realize that a trace of fear was gradually sprouting in the depths of their hearts.

It was the natural fear of normal people toward a mentally ill person they could not understand.

Xiao Yu seemed to have no sense of pain, only shouting sternly at her own left hand with a severe expression: "You saw it, this is the consequence of not listening."

After speaking, she stretched out her intact left hand to pick up the tree branch stuck in the ground.

Her left hand waved the tree branch flexibly a few times; her expression was ugly, and she stuck the tree branch back in, brought her left hand in front of her face, and scolded: "You actually still refuse to be honest. Do you think that without a right hand, no matter how unruly you are, I can only use this left hand of yours?"

"Hmph!" She gave a loud shout, grabbed her left thumb with the four fingers of her right hand, and twisted it with force—"Crack!"

"She, she is a lunatic!" The maid's teeth were chattering.

The Chief swallowed a mouthful of saliva and looked at Aunt Liu with a suspicious gaze.

Aunt Liu said sheepishly: "This Western Sha Man, perhaps she really is a bit of a lunatic."

"Hahaha, you underestimate me too much! Without those hands of yours, I still have a pair of feet!"

Xiao Yu stepped on her heels with her left and right feet, took off her embroidered shoes and cloth socks, jumped lightly, clamped the tree branch between her feet, and flipped her body 180 degrees in mid-air, becoming feet-up and head-down.

She supported the ground with one hand, clamped the tree branch with both feet, and shouted: "Mr. Lan, it's okay now, let's begin."

"You brat, how dare you look down on me like this, deliberately breaking your thumb to compare swords with me using your feet... I will kill you!"

Young Master Yun was burning with rage, his internal organs scorched; a mouthful of true qi flowed backward, and fresh blood surged to his throat only to be swallowed back down by force.