Yuan Canghai was by no means a match for Xuan Xiao. Whether it was his overconfidence or his failure to grasp the vast difference between them, he was utterly defeated.
He did not get the explanation he wanted and, to make matters worse, lost face for the Diancang Sect.
Yuan Canghai’s complexion flickered between green and white as his unstable emotions betrayed him.
Xuan Xiao held the foolishness of such an incomprehensible brute in utter contempt. What standards did the Diancang Sect use to select disciples? How could they possibly accept such trash into their ranks?
Although Yuan Canghai had lost, no one present dared to mock him. After all, he was the eldest disciple of the Diancang Sect. It would be far too costly to incur their wrath over such a minor matter.
“Cousin!”
It was Yuan Canghai’s cousin from his uncle’s side. Their relationship was not that close, given Yuan Canghai had joined the Diancang Sect before he was five and left its gates at fifteen. It was only upon his return home then that he had met this cousin for the first time. In all the years since, he only visited home once during the Spring Festival. By his best estimation, he had spent no more than a few dozen days with this cousin.
However, the arrogance and high-handedness of the Wan Ku Lou were simply too much to bear. Arriving late, they demanded the superior accommodations. What was the difference between that and outright thuggery? Yuan Canghai wasn’t seeking fame; he simply couldn’t stand their behavior. He hadn't anticipated that the man before him would be so formidable. He had always considered his own martial arts talent to be exceptional. Now, just past thirty, he had already entered the top tier. Even his master had said that within a decade or two, he would surely hold a significant position in the martial world.
Yet, today, he had lost.
Yuan Canghai turned to glance at his cousin, seeing the paleness and apprehension on his face. He placed a hand on his cousin’s shoulder and then addressed Xuan Xiao, “I lost today. My skills are inferior, and I have no argument. However, this match does not signify that the Diancang Sect is less capable than the Wan Ku Lou, but rather that I am inferior to you, sir.”
Xuan Xiao clicked his tongue but offered no further insult.
“However, I stand by my words. To snatch another’s room is not the act of a gentleman. Once I have made further progress, I ask that you not withhold your guidance.”
“Scram!”
Xuan Xiao pointed to the doorway, still as arrogant as before.
“You…”
Yuan Canghai’s cousin was furious. Yuan Canghai, however, grabbed his sleeve, cupped his fists towards Xuan Xiao, then bowed to everyone present, and turned to leave.
As he brushed past Nan Shiying, Yuan Canghai’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before quickly moving away.
Although Yuan Canghai had lost, his bearing and magnanimity did not tarnish the reputation of the Diancang Sect. Nan Shiying had heard of Yuan Canghai; he was a gentleman who hated evil. Lü Yiyi, on the other hand, thought of him as nothing more than a martial arts-obsessed blockhead.
The Lingyun Sect and the Diancang Sect were neighbors. Lü Yiyi’s senior sister had been fond of Yuan Canghai, but he had been completely oblivious until the very end, leaving her heartbroken for a long time.
Nan Shiying and Lü Yiyi entered the inn and saw the Yunyi Hall members sitting in a corner, drinking tea. Dai Zhiqie waved to Nan Shiying, holding up the pastries she had bought in the street that day.
Lü Yiyi ran ahead and plopped down next to Dai Zhiqie.
Huang Yuyao glared at her, her eyes nearly bulging out. Lü Yiyi, while stuffing pastries into her mouth, made a face at Huang Yuyao.
Since that day, Lü Yiyi and Huang Yuyao still found each other disagreeable. However, out of consideration for Nan Shiying and Dai Zhiqie, they only dared to engage in petty annoyances. Neither Nan Shiying nor Dai Zhiqie paid any mind to their childish behavior.
Nan Shiying walked to an empty seat and sat down. Her position directly faced Xuan Xiao. Xuan Xiao raised his tea as if it were wine and offered Nan Shiying a toast from afar.
“Sister, do you know him?”
Wasn’t Xuan Xiao, the Deputy Master of Wan Ku Lou, rumored to be a mad and arrogant man? How come he didn’t seem as detestable as the rumors suggested?
“No!”
Nan Shiying denied it.
She paid no attention to Xuan Xiao, instead lowering her gaze and tasting the Fuyou tea that Dai Zhiqie had brought from Yunyi Hall.
The Yunyi Hall had only come to this martial arts convention to watch the spectacle. Although the Lingyun Sect had gained considerable renown in recent years, they were not contenders. Currently, the favorites for the martial arts alliance leader were the Sect Master of the Diancang Sect and the leader of the Jiangyu Alliance. Now, looking at Xuan Xiao of Wan Ku Lou, it seemed he might also be a contender.
Lü Yiyi recounted these matters as if reciting a family inventory, finally asking Nan Shiying, “Sister, who do you favor more, the Sect Master of the Diancang Sect or the leader of the Jiangyu Alliance?”
Nan Shiying recalled seeing Lin Junyi today. His footsteps were heavy, yet his breathing was long and steady. There was a peculiar strain in his ankles and wrists, as if he were secretly wearing weights. The Lin family placed great importance on this martial arts convention, so Lin Junyi’s strength should not be underestimated. He might even be a contender. Given his strength was currently unknown, he might be hiding his abilities and emerge to defeat the favorites later. However, when Lü Yiyi asked who she favored, the answer was obvious. Nan Shiying put down her teacup, her red lips parting slightly, “Me!”
Her voice was soft, devoid of any emotion, as calm as if she were discussing the weather. Yet, it was precisely this composure and serenity that lent her an ineffable aura of dominance at that moment.
Lü Yiyi dramatically clutched her heart, transforming into an adoring fan—Crazy for sister, wild for sister, smashing walls for sister!!
Dai Zhiqie blinked her eyes. Since her birth, she had never encountered a woman like Nan Shiying. Arrogant yet humble, cruel yet sincere, domineering yet gentle. She was as complex as a book, a weighty and profound ancient text, where every facet of her was still her, and yet every facet was more than just her.
When Dai Zhiqie was young, her family was very poor. Her parents, in their desire for a son, had given birth to six children. She was the fifth. A female infant almost thrown into the river, she was saved by her eldest sister, who secretly hid her in a pile of straw at home, thus allowing her to escape death. Later, when her parents discovered her, her eldest sister married an over-half-century-old widower who had buried two wives, just so her parents would keep Dai Zhiqie.
Later, when she was twelve, her parents intended to sell her, just as they had their four older daughters.
She escaped when her parents weren't paying attention. She went to find her sister, only to see that damned bastard whipping her and insulting her with every dirty word she had ever heard.
Dai Zhiqie didn't know where the courage and ferocity came from at that time. She hid outside until the man fell asleep, then sneaked into the kitchen and took a knife. But she had never killed anyone, and years of hunger had left her with little strength. The man woke up in pain from his sleep.
Later, her vision was filled with blood. Her sister died under the man’s knife while protecting her. And she, using all her strength, slit the man’s throat.
Her sister was dead.
Never before had Dai Zhiqie hated herself and her parents so much.
She ran home and set it on fire.
She heard the screams of her so-called parents, awakened from their sleep by the searing flames, and her heart had never felt such exhilaration.
She later rescued her brother.
Then she abandoned him.
Dai Zhiqie remembered her darkest memories because, in Nan Shiying, she saw ambition and desire. It turned out that women could also possess ambition, could also have desires, and could also climb the highest peaks in the world.
We are not ditches.