Jianghu Demolition Squad

Martial Arts Competition Under The Heavens (Part Seven)

Zelan put her hands on her hips and smiled sweetly, playfully asked “What’s this? Planning some mischief, are you?”

She directed her question at Mo Wen, who seemed oblivious and kept her head bowed. Qing Jiu stepped forward, smiling, “Rumors about us are spreading throughout jianghu. These disguises were a reluctant but necessary measure. How did you recognize us right away, Miss Zelan?”

At this point, Zelan proudly said, “My nose is very sensitive. Wooden Face has a unique medicinal scent on her, so I recognized her.”

Qing Jiu said, “I see. I wonder if Miss Zelan could keep this matter a secret for us. After all, we just came to join the World Martial Arts Competition and prefer to avoid unnecessary complications.”

Zelan hesitated for a moment and asked, “Can I tell my senior sister? She has often mentioned you since our last meeting. Seeing you would definitely make her happy.”

Qing Jiu glanced at Mo Wen, who seemed distracted, and then back to Zelan, smiling, “How about we visit after the World Martial Arts Competition? It’s really inconvenient at the moment.”

“That works too.” Zelan agreed, showing her straightforward nature. She didn’t suspect any ulterior motives and readily agreed before bidding everyone farewell and leaving.

After the encounter, the group continued towards Ningqing Garden, leaving the discussion of the grievances between Moonless Sect and the two manors behind.

Mingjian Manor was built on Huxiao Mountain, following the natural terrain. It was resplendent with gold and jade, like an imperial estate. The gardens and natural landscapes blended harmoniously. The group sighed with a laugh, “Mingjian Manor is indeed extravagant.”

Ningqing Garden, located in the most remote part of the manor on the north side, bordered a ginkgo forest that was turning a splendid gold in the deep autumn. Although secluded, Ningqing Garden was quiet and elegant, which everyone found to their liking.

As they settled in, they discovered that there were nine people but only seven bedrooms. Zhu Ji laughed, “Oh my, it seems there’s no place for this humble one to stay. Could it be the servants forgot? Is Yanyu Pavilion’s accommodation elsewhere?”

Hua Lian fiddled with his folding fan and said, “What’s the big deal? Just have Little Yu’er and Qing Jiu share a room. That Tiger Lady only sleeps on the roof beams anyway.”

Yu’er, caught off guard, blushed deeply and blurted out, “No!”

Hua Lian’s comment was casual, but Yu’er was preoccupied with other thoughts and rejected it impulsively, appearing somewhat resistant.

Qing Jiu looked at Yu’er, her eyes flickering thoughtfully. The room fell silent for a moment before she asked softly, “Why?”

Hua Lian, feigning shock, exclaimed, “Little Yu’er always loved being close to Qing Jiu. I thought you’d be extremely happy to share a room. What’s changed? Have your preferences changed now that you’re grown up?” He spoke with a face full of disappointment and regret, like an old father realizing his daughter’s nature had greatly changed.

Yu’er: “…”

When Yu’er looked up and saw Qing Jiu’s face, the heat flushed her cheeks so much that she couldn’t bear to meet anyone’s gaze. Thankfully, her mask covered her face. She twiddled a string of prayer beads with her left hand and said softly, “No, that’s not it. I… I often get up at night. It would disturb her.”

Qing Jiu smiled and said, “You never used to worry about that before…”

Yu’er: “…”

Hua Lian said, “Little Yu’er has a weak constitution. Brother Lian is only telling you to share a room with someone else. It’s not to make things difficult for you. If you’re worried about disturbing Qing Jiu, there’s no need; such things won’t bother her. Let’s settle it then; this is how it will be.”

Yu’er tried to protest, “I…”

Earlier, when the group had looked at the bedrooms, they noticed that each room had only one bed, which meant sharing a room implied sharing the bed. Yu’er found it difficult to just accept this, wanting to reject the idea, but found no excuse. More annoyingly, she felt a vague sense of anticipation, which made it even harder to refuse.

In the end, she could only silently agree.

In the evening, Mingjian Manor hosted a lavish banquet in the guest hall, serving fine wines and dishes to welcome the guests. Lights blazed inside and out, with music and dancing filling the air.

The banquet was attended by nearly a thousand people, and even with tables filling the hall, there was still not enough room, so tables were also set up in the courtyard. Yu’er and the others were seated at a table in a secluded corner of the courtyard.

The Master of the Mingjian Manor came out to speak, standing on the steps in front of the guest hall, holding a wine cup and graciously toasting the heroes seated at the tables on either side.

Yu’er looked at him, dressed in a black mangfu robe, with a bit of beard on his chin. He had a handsome face and a composed appearance. Holding up his wine cup, he spoke in a clear voice, indeed possessing the bearing of a manor master.

Yan Beili’s words were nothing more than the usual pleasantries, such as ‘the presence of all you heroes and great men brings glory to our humble abode,’ with people from below echoing his sentiments. However, when he mentioned that he would invite the heroes to see the Fenghou Sword at the end of the World Martial Arts Competition, the crowd reacted with the intensity of a boiling pot, very enthusiastically.

“Does the Manor Master really have the Fenghou Sword?”

“The Manor Master is a man of his word. Why would he lie?”

“Where did the Master find the Fenghou Sword? Hasn’t it been lost for more than a decade?” someone asked.

Yan Beili smiled calmly and said, “There’s still plenty of food and drink. Everyone, please enjoy the banquet to your heart’s content.” With that, he turned around and returned to his seat.

Even after Yan Beili had left, the discussion about the Fenghou Sword among the guests did not diminish.

Midway through the banquet, some guests left their seats. These were people seated at a table in the center of the hall, dressed uniformly in spotless white robe with blue silk sashes. Apparently preferring quietude over the noisy festivity, they bid farewell to Yan Beili before exiting.

The group consisted of six individuals. The three in the back were remarkably young, around sixteen or seventeen years old, with an air of purity and brightness. In the front were three adults: an elderly man with a robust build and white whiskers, a beautiful young woman in her twenties, and a dignified man seated in a wheelchair.

As they came out of the hall and entered the courtyard, Yan Li abruptly stood up, causing her chair to scrape loudly.

The commotion did not attract the attention of others in the noisy banquet. Yan Li stared at the group in panic and was about to leave her seat to follow them when Qing Jiu grabbed her wrist.

Yan Li’s brows were deeply furrowed, her expression pained, her eyes filled with confusion and panic. “Qing Jiu, that’s my senior brother,” she said.

Qing Jiu remained silent for a moment, then shook her head at her and said, “I understand, but now is not the time.”

In the Wuwei Palace, there were Four Auspicious Beasts: the Azure Dragon Wei Ran, the Vermilion Phoenix Yan Li, the Azure Qilin Jiang Ying, and the White Sage Mo Chenggui.

These four individuals were highly praised in jianghu not only for their exceptional talents and unique strengths but also because they championed the weak and stood firm against the strong, becoming pillars of Wuwei Palace. People believed that in time, these four could match the legendary Daoist Yiye. Their presence was seen as a blessing not just for Wuwei Palace but for the entire wulin.

Yet, Wei Ran, the leader of the Four Auspicious Beasts, was now confined to a wheelchair, unable to walk…

Qing Jiu gestured subtly towards the hall’s entrance, prompting Yan Li to look in that direction. There, at a table near the door, sat a woman of stunning beauty and icy demeanor—none other than the City Lord of Jile City, Wu Yu.

Her narrow eyes were half-closed, and she was casting a sidelong glance at the departing group of Wei Ran.

“We’ll find another opportunity,” Qing Jiu said with a sigh. “It’s no secret in the jianghu that you’ve been missing for a long time. Revealing yourself to Wei Ran in such a public setting would only complicate matters.”

Yan Li understood Qing Jiu’s point. Her disappearance had been no secret, and speculation about her reasons varied widely. This was a matter internal to the Wuwei Palace, but if she were to approach Wei Ran now, it might provoke Wu Yu to intervene, potentially turning into a spectacle that would embarrass both her and her sect before the assembled wulin heroes.

Yan Li’s grip on her whisk tightened involuntarily as she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, “It was me; I was too impulsive…”

She slowly sat down, her gaze always following Wei Ran and the others until their figures disappeared into the distance.

Yu’er looked at Yan Li with concern, then at Qing Jiu. She felt that since arriving at Huxiao Mountain, everyone had changed. Mo Wen was like this, and so was Yan Li. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of inexplicable worry and melancholy. Was it really a good idea to participate in the World Martial Arts Competition?

After the banquet ended, the bright moon was already high in the sky. Everyone returned to their respective places to rest. Yan Li didn’t know where Wuwei Palace was staying and ultimately didn’t find an opportunity to meet them.

Yu’er and Qing Jiu returned to their room to rest. Yu’er had already taken off her mask. She stood in front of the bed for a long time, her heart filled with an indescribable complexity. She wrapped her prayer beads around her wrist a few times, biting her lip as moonlight streamed in, illuminating her reflective eyes.

Qing Jiu came back after closing the door and started taking off her robe and long sword. She asked Yu’er, “Why are you still standing?”

Hearing the rustling sound of Qing Jiu undressing behind her, Yu’er’s heartbeat quickened. She pressed her hand against her chest, hating that the sound wouldn’t calm down.

Qing Jiu hung her outer garment beside the bed and asked, “Outside or inside?”

Yu’er responded vaguely, “Hmm?” Her eyes were misty as if her thoughts were elsewhere, giving her a soft, confused look. Qing Jiu’s gaze softened as she gently said, “Do you want to sleep on the outside or the inside?”

Yu’er felt as though Qing Jiu’s words had transformed into thousands of silk threads, intertwining with her bones and gripping her heart. Her body shivered involuntarily, her cheeks flushing slightly, thankful that the moonlight was too faint to reveal her blush.

The bed’s inner side was against the wall. Yu’er quickly took off her shoes and climbed over to the inside, saying, “I’ll sleep on the inside.”

Facing the wall, Yu’er lay with her eyes wide open, staring into emptiness. She felt a slight dip in the bed behind her as the quilt was lifted at one corner, bringing a breeze that carried a faint scent of peach blossoms.

Inhaling the scent, Yu’er felt her body and heart soften. She desperately wanted to lean back, to be close to her. Although she resisted the urge, her limbs and bones couldn’t find peace.

Qing Jiu lay beside Yu’er, her tone soft and filled with a smile, “Aren’t you going to undress?”

Yu’er’s cheeks glowed a rosy red, and her eyes shimmered with moisture. Her bashful beauty was unmatched in the world, yet Qing Jiu was oblivious to it.

Qing Jiu asked, “Are you uncomfortable sharing a bed?”

Yu’er didn’t answer. In the quiet room, only Qing Jiu’s voice could be heard, gently saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll go to Yan Li’s room…”

“No need!” Yu’er’s voice was louder than intended in the silent night. She clasped her hands in front of her, gripping her prayer beads tightly, biting her lip and saying, “It’s fine, you can stay here…”

Qing Jiu didn’t respond. Yu’er could feel her turning to face her. Yu’er held her breath involuntarily, sweat breaking out on her palms and feet. She quietly moved closer to the wall until she was pressed against it, her heart still pounding loudly.

It seemed that she wouldn’t be able to sleep well tonight.

The next day, when the sun was up, Yu’er woke up still feeling a bit tired. Qing Jiu had already gotten up. Seeing that Yu’er was awake, she went out and brought back some food, placing it on the table.

Yu’er stretched her stiff body and looked outside. The sun was already high in the sky. She was startled, “Qing Jiu, what time is it now?”

Qing Jiu replied, “It’s noon; the World Martial Arts Competition has already started several matches.”

Yu’er asked, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Qing Jiu sat on a chair, resting her cheek on her hand, smiling and looking at Yu’er without saying a word. Yu’er shifted her gaze outside, watching the dried leaves of the wutong tree sway in the wind. When she turned her head back, Qing Jiu was still looking at her. Yu’er’s face flushed as she caught Qing Jiu’s warm and teasing smile, quickly averting her eyes. She spoke slowly, “Hua Lian and the others haven’t woken up either, there’s no rush.”

Yu’er: “…”

This person, really…