The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 2: Chapter 13

The next day at noon, they gave the black-clad man a little water to drink. Fuying initially didn’t want to give him water, and now they didn’t have much water left on them. However, Zhu Que said they still couldn’t clearly figure out the situation on the other side, so they should leave some room for themselves.

Sure enough, by evening, a group of people riding camels dressed in black appeared under the setting sun. They came from the west with the sun at their backs, casting a halo over their figures, making it difficult to see their faces.

These people arrived near Zhu Que and others, not speaking nor dismounting from their camels, just watching them.

Fuying broke the silence, “Are you here to find someone? I happen to have a big living person here, but I can’t just hand them over to you so easily.”

A figure in black said, “Is this what it takes to release the person?”

The voice was clear and crisp, like that of a woman.

Fuying asked, “First, tell us who you are and why you must lead us to our deaths?”

The woman in black said, “Our identities are a secret that cannot be revealed to outsiders. As for why we have to kill you, I can tell you that. The place you are heading to is the sacred place guarded by our people. The chief is worried that your journey will disrupt the sanctity of the place, so they sent someone to kill you.”

Zhu Que said, “Since you are unwilling to reveal your identities, I won’t force you. As for your sacred place, now that we are here, we can’t just turn back, especially since this place has already been exposed. Those who come after you will also pose a threat. It’s better for us to cooperate. Provide us with enough water, and take us to your sacred place. I guarantee no one will disrupt it. I also have a way to ensure that your sacred place won’t be invaded again in the future.”

The woman in black said, “Why should I believe you?”

Zhu Que said lightly, “Not to mention that you have important people in my hands, you also killed our comrades. If we were to act now, the camels you are riding on would be enough for us as food to reach there ourselves.”

The other people in black immediately drew their weapons, and the woman in black shouted, “Are you threatening us? Who knows who will win between you and us.”

Zhu Que remained silent, suddenly displaying his skill in cloud-soaring technique, swiftly swooping towards the woman in black like a hunting eagle.

The woman in black extended her sword to stab, but it struck empty air. The camel beneath her was also startled by the sudden charge of Zhu Que, taking a few steps back. Zhu Que dodged her sword, reaching out to touch her head. The woman in black changed her sword technique, slashing towards Zhu Que’s waist. Zhu Que flipped backward, landing back in place steadily as if it had not moved at all. The woman in black’s sword technique once again missed its mark.

The woman in black pointed her sword at Zhu Que and said, “What’s this? You’re just fast at running……”

Zhu Que opened his hand, holding her hairpin. The woman in black’s expression changed, knowing that Zhu Que had shown mercy by only taking the hairpin just now. Otherwise, he could have aimed for her vital points instead of the hairpin, which would have cost her life.

The woman in black stubbornly said, “I have the worst martial arts skills. Even if you can defeat me, it doesn’t prove anything.”

Fuying snorted coldly, casually pulling out the sword from the black-clad man he had caught. With a swift motion, he snapped the sword made of fine steel in half. Then, he threw the two broken sword pieces into the sand, making them disappear instantly. Although the sand was soft, the ease with which he handled it left the people in black speechless.

Zhu Que broke the tense atmosphere and said, “Even if you don’t reveal your identity, you can at least tell us your name.”

The woman in black looked at the black-clad man who had been captured, and Zhu Que unlocked his mute point. The black-clad man angrily said, “Who allowed you to come and save me?”

The woman in black explained, “Young Master if we don’t rescue you after you’ve been captured, you will also be executed by Second Madam when you return.”

The black-clad man nodded, fell silent for a moment, then turned to Zhu Que and said, “You used deceit to ambush and injure me in secret. I refuse to accept this defeat. Let’s have another round. If you win, I will tell you everything, but only you can know. If you lose, we will provide you with water and food, and you must leave and never return to disturb us again.”

Fuying pointed at him and said, “Hey, captive, do you still have the qualification to compete with others? If you lose, you lose. If you’re not convinced, don’t look for him. I can handle you myself.”

The black-clad man ignored Fuying and only gazed at Zhu Que.

Zhu Que also knew that he was the most skilled martial artist among this group of people. If he didn’t compete with him, he might lose the chance to understand the truth of the matter.

He said to Fuying, “I think if he doesn’t lose again, he won’t accept it, so let’s give him this opportunity.”

After speaking, he unlocked the black-clad man’s acupoint. The black-clad man’s sword was broken by Fuying, and Zhu Que then had Mu Qingshan handed his sword to him.

The two of them walked onto a slightly flatter sandy area together.

The black-clad man said, “My name is Baying. You need to know the name of your opponent.”

Zhu Que said, “My name is Zhu Que. You killed my companions, didn’t you?”

Bayin nodded, “You win my sword, I will naturally tell you why I killed them.”

After speaking, he used a sword technique with his right hand, and the person followed the sword, charging forward together. Zhu Que had seen him fight with Yin Chang before and knew that his sword technique differed from that of the various schools in the Central Plains. Therefore, he stepped back first, using his sword to block Baying’s attack. Unexpectedly, the power of Baying’s sword was immense. It turned out that Baying had infused all the forward momentum of his body into the sword, greatly increasing its power.

Zhu Que was caught off guard and was pushed back another step. In this back-and-forth exchange, Baying continuously pressed forward, always closing in on the body. This kind of fighting style was almost shameless, although using a sword, it carried the flavor of knife techniques.

Zhu Que knew there were major flaws in his swordsmanship. With this aggressive style that combines man and sword as one, defense naturally couldn’t cover all angles. Even though you knew where his weaknesses lie, it was still difficult not to retaliate despite the damage his attacks may cause.

After dozens of moves, Zhu Que was forced to retreat continuously by him. Coupled with Baying’s internal strength, it carried a cold Yin force, and Zhu Que was like a giant tree swaying in the cold wind, in danger of being broken at any moment.

In the distance, Fuying was initially confident in Zhu Que, but seeing Zhu Que being beaten almost without the power to fight back, he couldn’t help but feel anxious and surprised, muttering unclearly, “This is not a sword fight at all, it’s more like a brawl between shrews!”

Seeing the urgency, Fuying also became restless, ready to join the battle, but was stopped by Mu Qingshan, who said, “If you go to help in the battle, you will only make things worse. I think Zhu Que wants to see his moves first and then counterattack. With Zhu Que’s skills, this guy is definitely not a match.”

Fuying muttered to himself, “I don’t think so. He is a gentleman and wouldn’t resort to despicable tactics. He attacks the opponent’s strengths with their shortcomings.”

Having said that, he ultimately did not go over.

In front of him, Zhu Que was attacked by Baying for more than thirty moves. Zhu Que retreated more than thirty steps, but he also saw that Baying was far behind him in both internal strength and body skills. The first few moves were a bit embarrassing, entirely because Baying caught him off guard.

Although Baying’s strength was still strong, Zhu Que stood firm like a tree in the wind. No matter how hard he tried to chop it down, it remained standing unshaken.

Everyone could see that Zhu Que was only temporarily unable to win but not defeated, so they all relaxed.

Zhu Que blocked a few more moves, already calculating in his heart. He didn’t attack first but instead said, “Within three moves, I can make you let go of your sword, and then we won’t need to continue, right?”

Baying was currently in the upper hand and disdainfully said, “No need to talk big. In a martial arts competition, fairness is key. If you can make me drop my sword within three hundred moves, then I will admit defeat.”

With that said, he launched another attack of both the man and the sword together.

Zhu Que said, “Watch closely. This is the first move.” After speaking, he swiftly advanced with a move, just like Baying, combining man and sword as one, and charged towards Baying.

Using the same moves it was a test of stamina. Baying’s move was launched first, with internal energy already at its peak and the technique perfected. Meanwhile, Zhu Que’s move had just begun. Baying seized the advantage of the initiative, preparing to attack Zhu Que while he was still unprepared, striking where he was vulnerable. Baying had calculated well in his heart that even if the opponent’s internal energy were more profound than his own, it would be difficult to withstand his full-force blow. Moreover, when the two swords clashed, it was hard to say whether the sword would break or not.

Little did Baying know, watching Zhu Que going all out, seemingly exerting all his strength. When their swords clashed, Baying suddenly felt no strength in Zhu Que’s sword. His strength surged as if rushing onto a paper, effortlessly deflecting Zhu Que’s sword. He felt something was wrong, but it was too late to change course.

Seeing Baying about to rush into Zhu Que’s arms, but in just an instant, Zhu Que turned around to his side.

Baying missed with a sword strike, lunging forward while his sword traced a half circle to the side, aiming a horizontal slash toward Zhu Que, attempting to turn the tide of the battle. He watched as Zhu Que raised his sword to block in front of him and heard him say, “Second move.”

Actually, this couldn’t be considered a move, just raising the sword to block, but Zhu Que didn’t want to take advantage of him, so he also made a move.

Watching  Zhu Que blocking his sword this time, Baying could seize the opportunity to grab the stake and counterattack. However, to his surprise, when their swords clashed again, there was still no strength in Zhu Que’s sword.

Baying made two mistakes in judgment, rushing forward swiftly while the sword swung back urgently. The force of the man and the sword all went in the opposite direction. The right hand exerted the wrong force, feeling like the sword was about to slip away. When a sense of unease arose again in the heart, Zhu Que’s voice was heard in the ear, “Here comes the third move.”

Baying only felt the opponent’s sword lightly flick at his sword handle, and his sword slipped out of his hand. He continued to charge forward for two or three steps before stopping, his face turning red, panting heavily.

In the distance, the crowd saw a sudden and drastic change in the battle situation, and for a moment, they were all stunned. Only Fuying shouted loudly, and the cheering in this desolate desert sounded very harsh.

The sword which had been picked up in mid-air fell down. Zhu Que reached out, took it, and handed it to Baying, saying, “Do you still want to compete?”

The three moves of Zhu Que may seem effortless, but in reality, he had already demonstrated his martial arts skills to the fullest. Without his proficiency in lightness skill, he would not be able to evade Baying’s swift attacks. His rapid internal energy release and retrieval twice require a certain level of internal energy and smooth energy conversion to prevent deviation in the circulation of internal energy, which could lead to demonic possession if not controlled properly.

Baying was true to his words, saying, “If I lose, I lose.” He didn’t reach for the sword.

Zhu Que returned the sword to Mu Qingshan.