Chapter 963

Shangguan Haitang was so shocked by Zhou Zhiruo's strength that her jaw nearly dropped.

She had expected Zhou Zhiruo to be no weakling, but never imagined she would be this terrifying!

Hearing Cao Zhengchun's question just now, she finally came to her senses and said at once,

"At present, this is Miss Zhou Zhiruo. As for where she studied under her master, I'm afraid it's not convenient to tell you!"

It turned out that behind Monk Liaofan, Shangguan Haitang had already spotted the figure of Master Yeyu of the Emei Sect.

Only it was rather strange—Master Yeyu and Zhou Zhiruo were face to face, yet neither looked at the other.

Just like two complete strangers.

Didn't Zhou Zhiruo say she studied under Emei?

Though doubts lingered in her heart, Shangguan Haitang suddenly did not wish to reveal Zhou Zhiruo's identity as a disciple of Emei.

"So it is Miss Zhou herself."

Cao Zhengchun gave a slight nod, pondered for a moment, yet still could not find any related records.

Casting a sidelong glance, he looked toward the two young eunuchs beside him.

Those two young eunuchs had long been flipping through the registers in their hands; seeing the Eunuch-in-Chief look their way now, they immediately shook their heads with bitter expressions.

Only then did Cao Zhengchun realize that this Zhou Zhiruo was not among the jianghu records the Eastern Depot had collected.

That was indeed a strange matter.

"But Miss Zhou is not a person of the Shanzhuang, so why must she make an enemy of the court, and of the righteous paths of the Wu Lin?"

Zhou Zhiruo, however, held her head high and said,

"I merely accepted Miss Shangguan's request, that's all."

"So that is how it is."

Only then did Cao Zhengchun understand. He suddenly looked downward.

Receiving his cue, Liaofan immediately coughed once.

Master Yeyu of Emei, who had been following behind Liaofan, noticed it at once.

She slowly walked forward with her sword raised, came before Zhou Zhiruo, and cupped her hands in a salute,

"Master Yeyu of the Emei Sect, here to ask Miss Zhou for some pointers."

"Emei?"

Zhou Zhiruo could not help feeling a little startled.

She had not expected to come up against a person of the Emei Sect so soon.

Only, what difference was there between this Emei Sect here and the Emei Sect of the Great Ming of the Nine Provinces?

"What? Does Miss have some connection with Emei?"

Master Yeyu, who had been about to draw her sword, paused slightly upon hearing Zhou Zhiruo's surprise.

"No."

This time Zhou Zhiruo did not use her claws, but reversed her hand and channeled her strength to draw something in.

Swoosh!

The long sword planted in the ground stirred of its own accord without any wind, and swiftly flew into Zhou Zhiruo's palm.

"What a fine skill."

Master Yeyu praised once, then also drew her sword, stared at Zhou Zhiruo, and said,

"Miss Zhou, this Shangguan Haitang is sheltering a public enemy of the Wu Lin—she is no good sort.

You yourself possess peerless skills, upright and honorable, so why insist on keeping her company?"

In truth, the first reason was indeed that Zhou Zhiruo wished to obtain news of the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom from Shangguan Haitang.

The second was that she had seen so many local experts present, and wished to exchange a few blows.

To test her own abilities, and to see the strength of the jianghu of this realm.

The last, and most important reason, was that Zhou Zhiruo herself had once been isolated and without aid, and had not hesitated to flee for her life by plunging into the river.

How similar that was to Shangguan Haitang's situation today, being sought out by so many experts.

Moved by a feeling of sympathy, she stepped forward to help her.

In any case, her own Wu Gong was not weak—she could advance or retreat as needed.

If the matter could be done, lending Shangguan Haitang a hand would be no harm.

If things went awry, what harm was there in taking her sword and leaving?

"Say no more. Let me experience the fine techniques of the Emei Sect!"

Zhou Zhiruo said nothing further, assumed an opening stance, and said coldly.

"Eh?"

Master Yeyu, seeing her so stubborn, had been about to advance with her sword.

Suddenly catching sight of Zhou Zhiruo's opening stance, she could not help but give a soft exclamation of surprise.

It was because, after Zhou Zhiruo had joined the Emei Sect, the sword art she had mastered most thoroughly was naturally the Emei Sword Art.

That opening stance happened to be precisely the opening stance of the Emei Sword Art—"Jade Maiden's Pure Heart, Wonderfully Entering the Spirit!"

Although the Emei Sect of this realm was not the same Men Sect as the Emei Sect of the Great Ming of the Nine Provinces,

this opening stance, by some uncanny fate, was exactly the same.

How could Master Yeyu not be startled upon seeing this.

"Please, make your move!"

Zhou Zhiruo saw Master Yeyu wavering in doubt, gave the matter a brief thought in her heart, and realized that Master Yeyu might have seen this technique of hers before.

She could not help but urge her on at once.

"Miss, have you studied Mount Emei swordsmanship?"

Master Yeyu, on the contrary, was in no rush to attack and began asking questions instead.

"Mm! I have."

Zhou Zhiruo could not be bothered to hide it.

I did study Mount Emei swordsmanship, but it's not the swordsmanship of your Emei Sect!

"Who exactly is your master?"

Originally, having seen Zhou Zhiruo's claw technique far surpassing Tiezhua Feiying's, Master Yeyu had assumed she was an outstanding disciple trained by some reclusive master of the martial world.

Now, seeing this opening stance of Mount Emei swordsmanship and hearing Zhou Zhiruo admit she had studied Mount Emei swordsmanship,

Master Yeyu was both startled and delighted, and thought to ask Zhou Zhiruo about her lineage.

"You talk too much—here's my move!"

Zhou Zhiruo could hardly reveal her lineage, so she stopped waiting and instead thrust out with a sword.

This thrust of hers was the very essence of Emei Sect swordsmanship.

It looked wavering and elusive, but in truth a single thrust could divide or converge, strike forward or back.

756 Is she feeding him moves?

The Emei Sect of the Great Ming's Nine Provinces traces its origin to Guo Xiang.

Her Wu Gong blended the martial arts of the Mi Sect, Jin Gang Sect, Taohuadao, Gai Gang, and many others.

She also learned the Supreme Yoga Tantra from the Mi Sect.

A woman's body is already supple as water, and after learning this Supreme Yoga Tantra, it became even softer than water by another three parts.

Added to that were the many supreme skills of Taohuadao, famed for illusion, complexity, and ever-changing forms.

Therefore, when Guo Xiang created Mount Emei swordsmanship, she pushed complexity and splendor to the extreme.

Whenever she wielded it, it was like the rosy clouds above the Golden Summit of Mount Emei.

To onlookers, it only seemed a beauty in a painting, wielding her sword as if in a dance.

But behind the sword strokes, once the splendor passed, lay endless killing intent.

As for swordsmanship itself, Mount Emei swordsmanship was truly a remarkable art.

The sword art Zhou Zhiruo first learned was precisely this blossom-like Mount Emei swordsmanship.

Later, Mie Jue felt this disciple learned swordsmanship far too quickly—almost as soon as she was taught, after a while she would be thoroughly proficient.

As if she had practiced hard for years on end.

Thus Mie Jue passed down to Zhou Zhiruo both of her self-created supreme arts—the Extinction Sword and the Absolute Sword.

She never expected Zhou Zhiruo's innate gift to be so extraordinary that she actually fused these two sword arts into her own swordsmanship.