Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

As they spoke, the air rang with the SWISH SWISH SWISH of objects flying by.

Someone was clearly shooting arrows.

When Jiang Ran led Tang Huayi and the others out, he saw Dao Wuming and Gu Shengyan with their heads bowed and faces covered, looking too ashamed to be seen.

Li Tianyu, however, wore a solemn expression, loosing an arrow from time to time.

Only Ning Jiuyuan stood with her hands on her hips, letting loose a torrent of curses with hearty abandon, and she was still going strong.

Poor Xuanyuan One Slash. As the Hall Master of the Blood Saber Hall, his status was anything but ordinary.

And yet, he was being thoroughly out-cursed by this Ning Jiuyuan.

He wanted to rush in and kill someone, but the Thousand Bells and Ten Thousand Cliffs Array barred his entry.

For the moment, he could only fume in impotent rage, grinding his teeth in frustration with no way to vent it.

Jiang Ran found this amusing and let out a soft chuckle.

”The great Hall Master of the Blood Saber Hall, having a public shouting match with a young lady. If word of this gets out, it’ll become quite the amusing anecdote in the martial world.”

Xuanyuan One Slash and Ning Jiuyuan had been trading insults for a good while with no one interrupting.

Now, some reckless fool had suddenly barged in. Without even bothering to see who it was, Xuanyuan One Slash glared coldly and snapped,

”And who’s this now, another one with a death wish? If you’ve got any real skill, stop flapping your gums and come out here! Fight me for three hundred rounds!”

Before he could finish, another arrow went SWISH.

Xuanyuan One Slash’s expression darkened. ”How long are you going to keep shooting at me?”

With a flick of his Qianjun Saber, there was a loud CRACK, and the feathered arrow was instantly shattered to pieces.

Li Tianyu was undeterred.

”Until one of them kills you.”

”...”

Xuanyuan One Slash was about at the end of his rope. Gritting his teeth, he nodded.

”Outrageous! This is truly outrageous!

”My Blood Saber Hall has dominated the martial world for years, and this is the first time I’ve ever met a bunch of fools with a death wish like you.

”Do you really think the Thousand Bells and Ten Thousand Cliffs Array can protect you?

”Now that I am here, breaking this array will be but a moment’s work!

”All of you... you’d best kneel and beg for mercy right now. Offer up your necks for the slaughter. Otherwise, in a little while, I can’t guarantee I’ll leave you with intact corpses!

”And another thing, tell that Jiang Ran to get out here!

”Hiding like a coward... He dared to kill my disciple, so does he not dare to face me?”

”Hall Master Xuanyuan, you are mistaken.”

Jiang Ran smiled. ”I’ve been out here for some time.”

”’I’...”

Xuanyuan One Slash paused, took a closer look at Jiang Ran, and then burst out laughing.

”You’re Jiang Ran?”

He was laughing, but there was no trace of mirth in his eyes.

Jiang Ran nodded.

”I am.”

”Impossible!”

Xuanyuan One Slash waved a dismissive hand. ”You don’t have an ounce of muscle on you, how could you possibly be Jiang Ran? If he could kill Chen Zixuan, his martial arts must be exceptional. He’d at least be sturdily built, not a skinny whelp like you.

”Could it be that this Jiang Ran is a coward who’s too afraid to show his face, so he sent a scapegoat out to die in his place?”

”Sigh...”

Hearing this, Scholar Jingtan sighed.

”All these years, and he still hasn’t grown a brain.”

Jiang Ran asked, puzzled,

”He’s always been like this?”

”His ability to stay true to himself and remain so consistent is a rare thing indeed.”

Scholar Jingtan nodded.

While Jiang Ran and Scholar Jingtan were exchanging a few words, Xuanyuan One Slash finally noticed his old acquaintance.

He stared for a moment, then mused,

”You’re... that sour-faced scholar, Jingtan?”

”Xuanyuan. Long time no see.”

Scholar Jingtan gave a slight fist-and-palm salute.

”The last time we met was more than ten years ago, I believe.”

”Thirteen years ago, at Biyuan Lake... you were fighting Gu Xizhi on the water. You two fought for three days and three nights, and I watched for three days and three nights.

”I was going to tell you two to stop and call it a draw, but I never expected that the moment I stepped in, you’d both gang up on me! Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.”

Xuanyuan One Slash snorted.

”You two ganged up on me and beat me so bad I was stuck in bed for a full seven days... I haven’t forgotten that debt.

”Come on, come on, sour-faced scholar! Stick your neck out, and I’ll show you something real good!”

”Enough of your nonsense.”

Scholar Jingtan flicked his sleeve. ”It’s been years, and your Blood Saber Hall has only grown more arrogant. You let your disciple try to seize the Jiaowei zither by force, and he was killed because his skills were inferior. And now you have the gall to show up seeking revenge?

”What, did you spend so long in the martial world that you lost all sense of shame?”

”What are you blathering about?”

Xuanyuan One Slash frowned.

”The Jiaowei zither? What would I want that for?

”I don’t even know how to play the zither!

”I came here today for one reason only: to avenge my disciple’s murder...”

As he said this, his voice grew quieter, and he glanced at Jiang Ran again.

”Are you saying that Chen Zixuan tried to rob you, failed, and you killed him?”

”Precisely.”

Jiang Ran nodded, then immediately shot Xuanyuan One Slash a strange look.

”Don’t tell me... Hall Master Xuanyuan didn’t know about this?”

”How the hell should I know?”

Xuanyuan One Slash’s brow furrowed deeply.

”You’re not just making this up to deceive me, are you?”

Jiang Ran glanced at Scholar Jingtan and smiled.

”It’s understandable that Hall Master Xuanyuan would have his doubts, since you don’t know us.

”But I wonder, do you believe the words of Scholar Jingtan?”

”That sour-faced scholar may be as dense as a wooden club when it comes to women, but in other matters, he’s trustworthy.”

At this, Xuanyuan One Slash suddenly flew into a rage.

”So, Chen Zixuan really did try to take it by force?”

”That is correct.”

Scholar Jingtan nodded. ”And what’s more, he kept insisting that I and... that other scoundrel had no respect for your Blood Saber Hall. According to him, your Blood Saber Hall is peerless, unequaled on heaven or earth.”

”Well, that part’s true.”

Xuanyuan One Slash nodded emphatically. ”My Blood Saber Hall is indeed invincible!”

”...He really is shameless,”

Scholar Jingtan muttered under his breath. ”In any case, Gu Xizhi and I can both vouch for Young Hero Jiang. That night, your disciple led his men here to kill, intending to seize the Jiaowei by force. When Young Hero Jiang refused, he planned to murder him and take his prize.