A Pawn's Passage

The person with the long sword constantly drew circles in the air, one glowing ring overlapping another to create an impenetrable defense against the countless blows of the bamboo staff. It resembled a lone boat out at sea, rising and falling with the turbulent tide, seeming as if it could capsize at any moment.

“That’s the Infinite Sword Technique from the Shenxiao lineage of the Quanzhen Sect.” Long Wuji gasped. “It’s good for defense and long-lasting battles. The staff seems powerful and dominant, but it can’t last for long. If this battle continues—”

Qi Xuansu could also tell how impenetrable the defense of the Infinite Sword Technique was. Even if he used the Dayan Spirit Blade Technique to counter, it would be difficult to win against this. On second thought, he could just summon his Ghosthead Machete. Since the Ghosthead Machete could penetrate all inanimate objects, it would be a direct kill.

This was the biggest difference between fighting in a ring and fighting in real life. It was also the reason why many people were afraid to show off their unique skills on stage. That was because if others knew that one was capable of a certain technique, they would be prepared, and it would be difficult to catch them off guard.

Qi Xuansu sat on the left side of Long Wuji. At this moment, another young man took a seat on Long Wuji’s right.

Long Wuji seemed to be quite familiar with this young man. He did not greet the man and merely said bluntly, “Why are you late?”

“I got delayed on the way. Is Qingnu here yet?” The young man asked casually.

“Not yet. It’s only right for the Finest Courtesan to flaunt her status and show up fashionably late.” Long Wuji shook his head. “I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with her, especially when there are so many demure young ladies from prestigious families that you can pick from.”

The young man whispered, “Although she’s the Finest Courtesan, she’s still a virgin. She’s like a lotus root that remains clean in the mud. I bet she’s cleaner than some rich young ladies.”

“Ha!” Long Wuji laughed, not hiding his disdain. “So what if Li Qingnu is a virgin? That’s only because the Li family wants to sell her body to the highest bidder! It’s not up to her to give her body to whoever she likes anyway.”

The young man smiled bitterly and kept quiet.

Long Wuji said disapprovingly, “That day in the Imperial City, someone actually offered 200,000 Taiping coins to buy her out. But the Li family rejected it. They want to use Li Qingnu as bait to catch a bigger fish. I’m not looking down on you, but I ought to talk some sense into you. Even if you’ve made a name for yourself, the Li family will still not approve of you.”

Qi Xuansu overheard their conversation and could not help but sigh.

Wuxu Palace placed a bounty on Wan Xiuwu’s murderer for only 5,000 Taiping coins, but Li Qingnu’s offer was already 200,000 Taiping coins. The Li family did not even take the offer, which meant her “net worth” was higher than 200,000 Taiping coins. Not to mention, Li Qingnu had extraordinary power with the Li family as her backer. She also had many smitten suitors who would do anything for her.

But Li Qingnu still acted so aggrieved in front of Madam Qi, as if she were a weak woman who was completely helpless. It turned out that it was all an act, and he almost believed her!

It was true that Li Qingnu did not have complete freedom, but she was certainly not weak at all. Many people in this world also did not have freedom. Take Qi Xuansu as an example. He could not return to the Daoist Order even if he was alive and well after the flying ship crash. He wanted to leave the Qingping Society, but he could not because he relied on them for survival.

Looking at it from a broader perspective, the sixth-generation Grand Master was a puppet leader controlled by the three Deputy Grand Masters, so he also did not have freedom.

How many people in the world had full autonomy anyway?

At this moment, Liu Hu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly said, “Sir, with such a good character and appearance, how can you not be matched with a young lady from a prestigious family? Why are you hung up on this courtesan? Won’t it ruin your reputation and your future?”

Liu Hu’s advice sounded like it came from an old man, so both Long Wuji and the young man were stunned.

Long Wuji guffawed. “This boy is right!”

The young man did not get offended. He just shook his head and said, “Love can’t be explained.”

Liu Hu imitated a wise old man in a novel she read and sighed while shaking her head. “Young men ensnared by a woman’s charms often find it hard to extricate themselves.”

She liked to read novels and imitate the characters in the stories. The last time in Wannian County, she even lectured Shen Yugui. It was quite adorable.

However, these words coming out of the mouth of a child came across as rude. Qi Xuansu had no choice but to smooth things over. “He’s just a child and likes to talk nonsense. Please forgive us.”

While they were talking, the two people in the fighting ring finally stopped. Just as Long Wuji predicted, the person using the bamboo staff could not last long in the fight even though each strike was powerful. In the end, the person wielding the long sword won with the Infinite Sword Technique.

The person wielding the sword took a step back, pointing the long sword diagonally at the ground. The bamboo staff in the other person’s hand was still intact, so it should be a spiritual object. However, that person was pale and out of breath, having exhausted his innate qi and physical strength. He no longer had the strength to fight anymore, so he turned around and left the ring.

The man with the long sword had a smug expression on his face as he relished in the applause.

The woman in colorful clothes rang the bell once again.

This time, the young man beside Long Wuji stood up slowly. With a gentle tap, he had already leaped onto the ring.

Immediately afterward, Huang Ning also stood up and leaped gracefully to the man’s side.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Brother Long, if Miss Huang is ranked 20th on the Ruyi Leaderboard, what is your friend’s chance of winning?”

“They’re about the same level.” Long Wuji continued, “My friend’s name is Su Chou. He’s ranked 19th on the Ruyi Leaderboard.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “I see.”

Long Wuji suddenly asked, “Brother Wei, are you a member of the Daoist Order?”

Qi Xuansu did not answer his question. Instead, he asked back, “Why do you say so?”

Long Wuji tittered. “Just my guess, of course.”

In fact, Long Wuji had been observing Qi Xuansu, who showed his disapproval of gang leaders and the like earlier. Qi Xuansu also did not look impressed by the two people who were ranked 19th and 20th on the Ruyi Leaderboard.

Thus, there were only two possibilities. The first possibility was that Qi Xuansu had a high level of cultivation, on par with the two of them or even above them. The second possibility was that Qi Xuansu came from a good background or the Daoist Order.

The natural sense of superiority that Daoist disciples had could not be faked because it was ingrained in them over time. That was why a Daoist disciple in the Yuxu stage would dare to look down on a Guizhen-stage master in Jianghu. The reason was that they had the backing of the Daoist Order.

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Brother Long, you guessed wrong. I’m from the Imperial Court, the Commandery Prince’s Mansion to be exact.”

“I see.” Long Wuji nodded and did not pry further.

While the two were talking, Su Chou and Huang Ning had already started fighting with their bare hands. Huang Ning turned her fingers into a clawing posture and aimed for Su Chou’s face. In the blink of an eye, her finger had grazed Su Chou’s cheek.

At this time, Su Chou had no time to dodge, so he raised his left leg to kick Huang Ning’s chest. Unexpectedly, Huang Ning grabbed his ankle and elbowed his bum.

If Su Chou retracted his legs, Huang Ning’s left hand would have dug out his eyes. So he immediately raised his hand to grab Huang Ning’s left wrist. At the same time, his legs went numb and limp as Huang Ning elbowed his bum, falling to his knees.

Su Chou was about to twist Huang Ning’s wrist when he felt how soft her skin was, so he felt bad for her and threw her out instead. As a result, Huang Ning hit him in the chest with a backhand, his face turning slightly pale from the strike.

Qi Xuansu saw this clearly and shook his head. “How can he be merciful just because the opponent is a woman? That’s how you get yourself killed.”

Long Wuji snorted. “That lovesick fool!”

However, to Qi Xuansu’s surprise, Huang Ning also did not pursue the victory and chose to show Su Chou mercy.

Qi Xuansu was a little confused. “Is Miss Huang interested in Brother Su?”

Long Wuji twitched his lips. “Who knows what’s happening between those youngsters?”

......

There was a three-story pavilion not far from the field. The uppermost terrace was decorated like a garden, with various rare flowers, exotic plants, and rattan hanging chairs. Next to the hanging chairs was a table filled with tea-making equipment, special insect-repellent incense, iced plum juice, and a full spread of delicate finger foods.

A woman was sitting with her knees bent on the hanging chair. Her feet were bare, and her fair arms were covered with light gauze.

Li Qingnu was using a monocular to observe the fight on the field and scan the crowd. As a result, she swept across the audience a few times before spotting Qi Xuansu’s familiar face.

Seeing him, Li Qingnu was slightly surprised. “This guy is fast.”