Chapter 706

The reason Xiang Liren appeared here was because of his fourth daughter, Xiang Qingyun; among his five daughters, only this fourth had the fiercest temperament, disliking poetry and needlework, and from childhood loved wielding swords and spears. Xiang Liren could not dissuade her, so he let her study martial arts, having Xiang Qingyun become a disciple of Jian Gong sect leader Qiu Xian'guang. Xiang Qingyun is one of Qiu Xian'guang's seven personally transmitted disciples, and also his only female disciple. Xiang Qingyun and Qiu Mubai studied together under the same master, and over time they developed feelings; both sets of parents saw this and quietly approved, lacking only a formal betrothal.

Although Xue Shengjing held the title of Prince Yan, upon seeing Xiang Liren, the current Grand Tutor, he had to lower his posture, smiling and greeting: "What wind blows the Grand Tutor here?"

Xiang Liren laughed: "In this world, it's not only the Prince who enjoys bustle."

The two laughed together, but Xue Shengjing knew that Xiang Liren was a steadfast supporter of the Seventh Prince, Xue Daoming; behind this duel before them lay excessive complexity, and Xue Shengjing did not wish to involve himself, as his two nephews were openly and secretly contending, not merely to defeat each other and ascend to the position of Crown Prince.

Hu Xiaotian had never met this Da Yong Grand Tutor; hearing that he had come to support Qiu Mubai, he approached with a grin and said to Xue Shengjing, "Brother, is this the Grand Tutor Xiang?"

Xue Shengjing's scalp tightened; the matter of his sworn brotherhood with Hu Xiaotian had already stirred the whole city, becoming gossip in the court. Hu Xiaotian now deliberately clarified their relationship, evidently to show Xiang Liren that he too had backing.

Xiang Liren smiled: "Are you the Marriage Envoy Sir Hu of Dakang?"

Hu Xiaotian clasped his hands and bowed: "I pay my respects, Grand Tutor Xiang!"

Xiang Liren laughed: "Good day, Sir Hu; you didn't come on this mission for goodwill, so how could you have provoked this duel?"

Hu Xiaotian thought, "This guy is also an old fox, twisting black and white with his mouth; the duel wasn't started by me." He said, "To meet through martial arts, friendship comes first, competition second."

Xiang Liren said, "Swords have no eyes; anything can happen in a sparring match. Sir Hu, as an envoy of Da Yong, if something went wrong, wouldn't that be trouble?"

Qiu Mubai said, "Grand Tutor, if Sir Hu wishes to concede and not fight, that would be fine too."

Hu Xiaotian replied, "Why should I concede? Facing a strong opponent, conceding would be understandable; but facing a coward, to concede would be to invite ridicule."

Qiu Mubai snapped, "What did you say?"

At this moment, Li Shen Zhou also walked over and said softly, "If you two are determined to compete, it wouldn't hurt to draw up a written agreement; although it may not come to a fight to the death, as the Grand Tutor said, anything can happen in a sparring match. It's better to clarify everything beforehand to avoid harming harmony."

Hu Xiaotian eyed this group coldly; evidently they were all helping Qiu Mubai find a retreat. Qiu Mubai wasn't here to spar with me; he wanted to take this opportunity to kill me. What grudge do I have against you that you'd make such a decision? Hu Xiaotian secretly wondered, just who is the mastermind behind Qiu Mubai?

Qiu Mubai gave a glance; his senior fellow disciple Xu Jianchun stepped forward. He produced a pre-drafted life-and-death contract and handed it to Hu Xiaotian for review. Hu Xiaotian glanced over it; such a contract is basically standard, nothing unfair to me, merely stating that swords have no eyes. If any injury or death occurs in the sparring, each bears their own responsibility.

Hu Xiaotian deliberately showed some hesitation, while Qiu Mubai snatched it without hesitation, signed his name first and affixed his seal. When it came to Hu Xiaotian, he bit his lip, his voice dry, saying, "A sparring match isn't really a life-and-death duel; why make such a fuss..."

Qiu Mubai noticed Hu Xiaotian's face had turned pale, his eyes showing panic, and inwardly sneered, "You're afraid now—it's too late."

Xiang Liren said, "Sir Hu, if you don't wish to sign, you need not."

Not signing would mean conceding; Qiu Mubai would win without fighting. In such an era, victory or defeat sometimes matters more than life and death; what matters is not the win or loss itself, but the dignity and honor they represent.

Hu Xiaotian nodded, his voice trembling: "I... sign." He picked up the pen and wrote his name, the nib visibly shaking. Onlookers saw this and inwardly sighed, the duel already lacking any suspense; Hu Xiaotian had been frightened into this state by the life-and-death contract, and if they actually fought he'd likely be scared silly.

Huo Shengnan saw it differently; she had personally witnessed Hu Xiaotian's astonishing sword strike the previous night, the power he displayed in that move astonishing everyone. Moreover, even when facing a siege by black-bearded masters, Hu Xiaotian showed no fear, so facing Qiu Mubai he certainly wouldn't be afraid; perhaps there was only one explanation: he was feigning weakness, wanting to give Qiu Mubai a false impression and make him underestimate him.

A true master treats every opponent seriously, especially in a life-and-death showdown. Qiu Mubai did not become complacent because of Hu Xiaotian's apparent timidity; he and Hu Xiaotian came to the center of the arena, clasped fists, and said, "Please!" His former arrogance and coldness vanished in an instant; he settled completely, calm and steady, which only made him more fearsome.

Zhou Mo and Zong Tang simultaneously frowned, both noticing the change in Qiu Mubai. Hu Xiaotian's timidity and fear were his disguise; could Qiu Mubai's impulsive arrogance also be a tactic to confuse his opponent?

Qiu Mubai's eyes were deep as an ocean, unfathomable; he slowly drew the long sword at his waist. The blade was three chi six cun long, slender, its widest point only one cun. A icy gleam flashed; as soon as the sword left the sheath, a biting chill spread in all directions. Qiu Mubai's gaze fell on Hu Xiaotian's shoulder, but Hu Xiaotian still showed no intention to draw his sword.

"Please draw your sword!" Qiu Mubai said calmly, his breathing slow and prolonged, with only Hu Xiaotian left as his opponent before him.

Hu Xiaotian, however, grinned mischievously and said, "How about we compare fist and foot techniques first?" Even as the battle began, he was still playing around.

Qiu Mubai said, "Draw your sword!"

Hu Xiaotian replied, "That depends on whether you have the skill to force me to draw my sword!" He then made an unexpected move, staggering a step backward.

Qiu Mubai evidently hadn't expected Hu Xiaotian to flee right away; he shook his slender sword, a soft "whoosh!"—like a venomous snake flicking its tongue—straight for Hu Xiaotian's throat. The Pursuing Wind Sword Technique: pursue wind and chase lightning; under heaven, no martial art can withstand speed.

Huo Shengnan watched the scene and inwardly sighed, "Hu Xiaotian, Hu Xiaotian, everyone has warned you that Qiu Mubai excels at fast swords; to deal with him you must strike first, yet you missed the best moment to draw your sword."

Qiu Mubai's sword flashed like lightning, yet Hu Xiaotian's body technique was even faster; by the time Qiu Mubai struck, he had already increased the distance between them to two zhang, a range at which Qiu Mubai, not yet able to project sword qi, was already safe.

Hu Xiaotian had a clear understanding of himself: even if he cultivated the most profound sword art under heaven, he could not surpass Qiu Mubai's twenty-plus years of hard training in a single day; matching sword against sword would be using his weakness to oppose the opponent's strength. His forte lay in internal energy; the ten years of internal energy transmitted by Quan De'an formed the foundation, and after Li Yuncong taught him the Formless Divine Skill, he successfully converted external internal energy into his own. After taking the Crimson Yang Scorching Yin Pill, Sumeru Heaven utilized his achievement of a Myriad Poison Spiritual Body, and he also gained some advantages; his internal energy increased substantially without his noticing, and after inadvertently consuming the Wind and Cloud Fruit, his internal energy continued to grow. Hu Xiaotian was confident he could outmatch Qiu Mubai considerably in internal energy, so his strategy was to first exhaust Qiu Mubai's stamina.

Starting with flight may not look good, but it works; his Dog-Dodging Eighteen Steps, tested in many real battles, has proven this footwork extraordinarily marvelous—even the abilities of Sumeru Heaven and the Feather Demon Li Chang'an would struggle to seize him easily, let alone Qiu Mubai. Moreover, Hu Xiaotian's perception has increased manifold compared to before; Qiu Mubai's Pursuing Wind Thirty-Six Swords are swift as lightning, one blade following another, the sky filled with afterimages of slender swords, appearing from afar like millions of blossoming flowers, their petals all icy, sharp sword shadows.

Hu Xiaotian's footwork shifted illusorily as he ran across the field; no matter how fast Qiu Mubai's sword speed or how tricky the angle, he could calmly evade before the attack arrived. The scene became one of pursuit and evasion.

Onlookers began to shout, "Go on, fight! Don't run!" Many who had hoped for an earth-shattering clash were disappointed; these two were simply not on the same level.

Sword Palace disciples shouted especially loudly, "Coward, kneel and admit defeat—you're no match for my senior brother!" In the crowd, a handsome youth clenched his fists, visibly excited; she was Xiang Liren's daughter, Xiang Qingyun. Seeing the scene, Xiang Qingyun no longer worried; her beloved was sure to win.

Laypeople watch the excitement, experts watch the subtleties; Li Shen Zhou's eyes showed appreciation—Hu Xiaotian was indeed clever, knowing how to temporarily avoid the sharp edge, using his marvelous footwork to deliberately drain Qiu Mubai's stamina. Still, the spectacle was rather unsightly.

Zhou Mo and Zong Tang exchanged a glance, both showing a hint of helpless smile; from the scene, if Hu Xiaotian merely wanted to escape, Qiu Mubai should be unable to endanger his life. Hu Xiaotian kept saying he fought for dignity—if he were to lose or give up like this, what difference would it make?

Huo Shengnan had already understood Hu Xiaotian's intention; while draining Qiu Mubai's stamina, she was also sapping his vigor and patience, and once Qiu Mubai's momentum was affected, that would be Hu Xiaotian's moment to counterattack.

Qiu Mubai halted his steps, realizing his footwork couldn't keep up with Hu Xiaotian's rhythm; although he had retained the initiative, he gained no real advantage, and he coldly said, "Sir Hu, if you continue like this, we might as well not fight—you're not worthy to be my opponent."

Those Sword Palace disciples all began to clamor.

Hu Xiaotian, however, turned around at this moment, smiling, "You were the one who proposed the duel, you were the one who wanted to quit, yet now I'm taking charge!" He slowly drew his great sword, Hidden Edge Sword, from behind him. (To be continued~^~)