His words made the smiling Firework’s expression turn cold, and she launched a kick. She was so fast that it produced a sonic boom.
The middle-aged lama had been admiring Firework when his eyes widened in shock. He wasn't a grandmaster for nothing, though. He formed a hand seal, and his presence suddenly felt heavy like a mountain.
A loud thud ensued as Firework’s leg whipped into the middle-aged lama.
The lama hurriedly defended himself with his arm, but he was still pushed fifteen steps back before he regained his balance.
“Red Sun Reverend, are you sure you’re up to par? You often brag about your hand seals, but you can’t even catch a lass’ kick?”
A man carrying a jade flute at his waist laughed. He had a young face, but his hair was all white. He looked dashing in a feminine way, but there was an unnerving glint in his eyes.
A flirtatious woman voiced her agreement. “Aiyo! Senior Brother, the Red Sun Reverend might just be going easy on the young miss. It’s called playing the long game!”
The Red Sun Reverend’s face turned bright red. He had proclaimed himself as Esoteric Buddhism’s number one expert ever since the Golden Wheel Reverend died in Xiangyang City, sometimes even expressing his disdain toward the Golden Wheel Reverend. He believed he was better than a failure who had died in enemy hands.
Yet he was pushed back so much by a lass whom the Golden Wheel Reverend had wanted to take as his disciple back then. If this became widely known, he would lose respect in the Mongols’ upper echelons.
His expression turned livid. Without any hesitation, he charged at Firework to continue the battle, determined to restore his honor before the Prince of Yan. The latter was likely to inherit the mantle of Khan in the future. Being underestimated by the prince would spell the end of his career.
Firework’s eyebrows shot up. “Interesting.”
While she hadn’t used her full strength for the earlier kick, she was still surprised that he had withstood it.
Zu An was perplexed. Red Sun Reverend? Why does that name sound so familiar? That’s a character that appeared in one of Huang Yi’s novels[1], right?
Why is he here? Was there such a person in the history of Esoteric Buddhism?
Zu An was baffled. How did the Deity of Death design this trial world?
The Red Sun Reverend was shocked. He dished out thirty moves in succession, but somehow, his opponent neutralized every single attack with ease.
His signature move, Death Seal, was known for its unpredictability. He could instantly switch between light and heavy blows, which made it difficult for his opponents to deal with his attacks. His opponents would swiftly exhaust themselves and eventually reveal an opening, which he could exploit and claim victory.
Yet this lass had perfectly neutralized his earlier barrage of attacks. It was as if she could see through his inner energy circulation and predict his move... but that was impossible!
With the Prince of Yan and his peers watching this battle, the Red Sun Reverend didn’t dare hold back. His hands began moving so fast that shadows appeared in their wake. This was his other signature skill, Nine Characters Mantra Hand Seal.
Unmoving Foundation Seal. Great Vajra Seal. Outer Tiger Seal. Inner Tiger Seal. Outer Bind Seal. Inner Bind Seal. Wisdom Seal. Sun Disc Seal. Treasure Vase Seal.
His hand seals moved so quickly that he felt that he was exerting 120% of his usual strength. Never had he utilized his Nine Characters Mantra Hand Seal to this extent.
Yet the lass easily unraveled his hand seals. She didn’t even use any profound moves, relying on simple punches, kicks, and pokes. Her moves weren't particularly fast either, but somehow, she still tore down his attacks.
Firework nodded in approval.
The person who created this cultivation skill must have realized that the body was a vessel for salvation, containing the world’s secrets. The body could commune with the world through hand seals and inner energy circulation pathways to borrow the world’s energy. It was half a step into the road of cultivation.
Unfortunately, the ki concentration in this world was abysmal. It was like climbing trees in search of fish—a lesson in futility.
Initially, the Mongol soldiers were still laughing at the Red Sun Reverend for embarrassing himself, but their expressions slowly turned grim. The first kick might have caught the Red Sun Reverend off guard, but he was going all out now, yet he was still unable to do anything about the lass.
She was only using common moves, but somehow, they neutralized the Red Sun Reverend’s profound martial arts. It looked almost as if an elder was guiding a junior along.
This should have been impossible!
They were from rival factions, but they knew how strong the Red Sun Reverend was. It wasn't overly arrogant of the Red Sun Reverend to put down the Golden Wheel Reverend. Many Mongol soldiers had met the Golden Wheel Reverend and knew the two were experts of the same caliber.
Yet such a powerful expert couldn’t even curb a young woman?
One of Prince Zhenjin’s aides leaned over and whispered something to him. Moments later, the prince smiled. “Ah, so you’re the daughter of the Golden Saber Prince Consort[2]. I can see where you inherited your valiance from. Given our old ties, there’s no need for us to resort to blows. Shall we have a temporary ceasefire?”
The Red Sun Reverend took this chance to retreat. “Since Your Highness has said so, I’ll temporarily cease the battle.”
Firework harrumphed. She was too proud to give chase.
The Red Sun Reverend secretly wiped off his cold sweat. I nearly humiliated myself today.
“I heard you are likely to become the next Khan. Do your words hold weight in Mongolia?” Firework asked Prince Zhenjin.
“You’re flattering me, Guo second miss. My father is the one who decides who becomes the next Khan.” Prince Zhenjin clasped his fist toward the north. “But my words do carry some weight in Mongolia. Guo second miss, feel free to speak your mind if you need anything. I might be able to offer you my assistance.”
Firework wasn’t so foolish as to tell Prince Zhenjin that she had come here in search of the Xuan Metal Sword to deal with Mongolia. “Get your soldiers out of Xiangyang, and you are not to invade Great Song in the future.”
Prince Zhenjin was initially taken aback before revealing a smile. “Pardon me, Guo second miss, but the invasion of Great Song is the collective will of several generations of Khans and Mongolia’s upper echelon. It’s not something I can change alone. Why don’t you advise your father to surrender to Mongolia instead, so we can avoid bloodshed?”
Thinking his words weren't convincing enough, he quickly added, “Most of my teachers are Han, and I have the highest appreciation for the Han culture and system of governance. I promise that I’ll treat your people with kindness after you surrender to us. Your people will live better lives under us than under the Song imperial court.”
Firework’s expression turned cold. “If you can’t call the shots, I’ll hold you hostage and see how much Hubilie[3] cares about his son!”
She charged forth as she said those words.
The Mongol soldiers were already prepared against that. They stepped forward to stop her. But Firework was a tiger in a flock of sheep; normal soldiers couldn’t hope to deter her.
Witnessing her valiance, Prince Zhenjin remarked, “To think there’s such an amazing woman in the world. If I can have her as my wife, my trip will have been worthwhile.”
1. The novel was adapted into a drama called ‘Lethal Weapons of Love and Passion’. The Red Sun Reverend is one of the top experts of Esoteric Buddhism, and he stood his ground against the other experts in the novel. ☜
2. Guo Jing once fought for the Mongols and was engaged to their princess, but he defected when he realized they were going to invade the Song dynasty ☜
3. Kublai Khan’s name ☜