56: Chapter 55 Cui Yuanyang 56: Chapter 55 Cui Yuanyang “Shua!” A red saber light flashed past, and the man in the martial arts hall, stepping like a dancing dragon, narrowly avoided the ferocious chop and counter-attacked, aiming the cut at the back of Zhao Changhe’s neck.
Zhao Changhe appeared to have used up his strength, but suddenly retracted his move, executing a very familiar about-face slash, parrying the opponent’s saber.
The opponent changed his steps again, and mysteriously appeared on the left, continuing to aim the long saber at Zhao Changhe’s waist.
Zhao Changhe’s Blood Evil Saber Technique already included its own set of movements, and after integrating the Flying Blood Traceless qinggong, the motions felt smoother.
Yet this challenge made him feel as if he were awkwardly standing still, while the opponent was slick and hard to manage.
Being both at the Mystical Gate Third Layer, and his opponent was not even trained internally and externally, this challenge was already tough.
Strictly speaking, if he were to lose this match, it could be considered a defeat by someone of a higher level.
People have their strengths and weaknesses.
Within the Blood God Sect, everyone trained the same things, so their strengths and weaknesses were similar.
Once one ventured out, they would see the grandeur of the world and always find something to learn.
He had realized this while practicing with Yue Hongling; the world was vast and each family had its strengths which cannot be seen from just the corner of Beimang.
Therefore, a saber must test the world!
Fortunately, although this gym’s leader was slippery in his movements, he was not as slippery as Yue Hongling.
After special training with Yue Hongling, Zhao Changhe had gotten the hang of handling opponents of this level.
The longer the fight, the clearer the opponent’s movements became, and he could even predict where the opponent would step next.
“Snap!” Just as the gym leader darted to the right, Zhao Changhe suddenly stretched out a foot and hooked it perfectly.
The gym leader fell to the ground in shock, his first thought being that he might have lost his head.
If Zhao Changhe had followed through with a chop, his head really would have been gone…
Given Zhao Changhe’s reputation as a ruthless killer who struck down anyone anywhere, he might really have done it…
The disciples at the martial arts hall shouted in unison, about to step forward, only to see Zhao Changhe grab the gym leader’s shoulder, step back, invert his saber handle and bow with a fist: “Thank you for your guidance, Leader.
The Youlong Trigram Steps are indeed excellent; today’s battle has been greatly beneficial to me, and I am grateful.”
The people in the gym watched dumbfounded as Zhao Changhe turned and left, disappearing into the rainy night in a short while.
People looked at each other, and the gym leader, rubbing his bruised ankle, muttered perplexedly, “Was that really Zhao Changhe?
How does that differ from the rumors?” Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel{f}ire.net
“I heard Zhao Changhe has a face full of whiskers, rugged and fierce in appearance.”
“I heard Zhao Changhe is eight feet tall and just as wide.”
“I heard Zhao Changhe can eat human flesh raw.”
In the midst of the chaos, someone weakly said, “But that’s exactly what he looks like in the wanted poster, haven’t you all seen it?
Why listen to rumors?”
It really was Zhao Changhe; were people’s perceptions wrong?
The gym leader sighed, “Let’s drop it, it obviously was Zhao Changhe, with such standard Blood Evil Skill and Blood Evil Saber Technique, and his Qi nearly overflowing when he exerted his skill, his eyes even turned bloody red.
What’s strange is, with such a ferocious Demon Skill, how could he control it so well…
and he, he was even very polite, if he had told me he was from the Cui or Wang Family, I would have believed him…”
“So, he really just came to challenge the saber technique to broaden his knowledge…
not to show off or rob?
How did such a man get such a reputation…”
The people in the martial arts hall felt as if they were in a dream, and so did Zhao Changhe on the other side.
He turned a street corner and immediately saw a young girl pitifully wrapped in a fluffy hooded sable fur, cowering in a corner shivering.
The heavy rain fell relentlessly, soaking her through, making the sable fur rather useless—one would feel even more miserable and colder wearing it.
Looking at the round face under the girl’s hat, Zhao Changhe pinched his forehead, “Miss Cui, what are you doing here?
Didn’t your brother have someone take you home?
Why are you sitting here begging instead of fixing yourself up?”
“I, I don’t want to go back.
I’m not begging; I was waiting here for you.”
“Based on normal human intelligence, having suffered in the mountain stronghold, learning an important life lesson, shouldn’t you realize your shortcomings, go home, and strive to cultivate diligently?
Instead, why run out to find a man—what kind of logic is that?”
“Are you cultivating?”
“Your departure from Beimang, is it because experiencing the Worldly Society enhances your cultivation more than solitary training in the mountains?”
“Why can’t following you be considered cultivation?
I remember all the martial arts at home, and I have stolen many elixirs.
What is the point of practicing hard at home compared to experiencing the Worldly Society with you?”
Zhao Changhe was left speechless, having tangled himself in his own words.
This guy’s thinking wasn’t foolish, strictly speaking from the perspective of cultivation, his logic was indisputable, wasn’t this exactly why I ventured into the Worldly Society!
But the problem is, why on earth do you trust me so much?
You should keep pestering your brother!
“Miss Cui,” Zhao Changhe said helplessly, hands on his hips.
“Do you know that in my dialect, your behavior is called ‘giving away for free’?”
Cui Yuanyang blinked her big eyes, not understanding.
“What is the most important thing to be cautious about in the Worldly Society?”
Without hesitation, Cui Yuanyang responded, “The malevolence of human hearts.
Seeing your journey made that clear.”
“Then why would you think that I’m not the malevolent one?” Zhao Changhe said, at a loss for words.
“Here you are, a pretty young lady, telling me you remember all of Cui Family’s martial arts, carrying resources and medicines, maybe even a lot of money.
Couldn’t I just rob your stuff, force you to reveal the secrets of the Cui Family, and even pose you in eighteen different ways for my daily amusement?”
Cui Yuanyang finally couldn’t bear such explicit language; her face blushed as she bowed her head.
you wouldn’t do that.
If you were going to, it would have happened already…”
“Miss, back then I wasn’t in the mood, and it wasn’t the right time… Once I am in the right environment, even I am not sure what I might do.
You trust me more than I trust myself?
I am a bandit, do you understand that!”
Cui Yuanyang lowered her head, playing with the corner of her dress in silence.
Zhao Changhe glanced around; the heavy rain continued and the streets were deserted.
Seeing the pitiful look on the young girl’s face, he couldn’t even bring himself to be angry.
He sighed, “Well, now I can’t even dare to send you home alone, afraid you’d disappear on the way…
Let’s do this, I had no fixed plans anyway, just wandering anywhere to challenge and practice my saber skills.
Now, I’ll just adjust my route and take you towards Qinghe.”
Cui Yuanyang sneakily glanced at his expression, thinking to herself he said he wasn’t a good person, but he is obviously a true gentleman.
Why does he have to pretend to be harsh and rude?
She didn’t voice the silly idea of not returning home and wandering the Worldly Society.
She knew that this was actually troubling Zhao Changhe.
He wasn’t like Cui Yuanyong; his own cultivation wasn’t even perfected yet, and with both righteous and demonic forces constantly on his heels, life was tough enough without a burden.
Annoying him might just lead to being thrown into any Government Office, who would happily send her back home.
Zhao Changhe probably hadn’t thought of that yet, escorting her on this journey home was actually quite nice of him.
Everyone thinks Yangyang is foolish, but most of the time she knows her limits!
“Come on, that right there is an inn.
You’re soaked to the skin, even Mystical Gate Third Layer’s not immune to illness.
Really thought you were something out of a fantasy.”
Cui Yuanyang followed him closely, listening to his inexplicable mumblings with a suddenly odd feeling in her heart.
It was only in this moment that she realized this really meant a man and a woman staying together in an inn.
Previously, her head was filled with the idea that wandering the Worldly Society with him would be fun, and she hadn’t even considered this…
But strangely, her heart felt calm.
Because he really was a gentleman.
“Shopkeeper, do you have rooms available?
Don’t tell me there’s only one left.”
There are several available, including a whole courtyard,” the shopkeeper, who had been napping at the counter, replied irritably.
“As long as you have money.”
Zhao Changhe snapped his fingers at Cui Yuanyang, signalling it was her time to perform.
With a red face, Cui Yuanyang took out a piece of silver from her bundle: “Book… book a private courtyard, and no disturbances.”
The crisp, pleasant sound revived the shopkeeper from his drowsiness.
After taking a swift look at the young girl, and then a very peculiar look at Zhao Changhe, he asked,
“Young man, how many years do you want to stay?”