Ugly Hero - Chapter 11

In terms of internal force, aside from people like Lu Nanzhu who had gone through a miraculous encounter, the vast majority had to rely on years upon years of accumulation before they could achieve great mastery.

Xia Qinyi was still very young after all. After having so much of her internal force worn down by Lu Nanzhu, when they exchanged blows for the second time, she was already somewhat unable to bring out the Thirty-Six Heavenly Dipper Saber Techniques.

This was exactly what Lu Nanzhu wanted. However, Lu Nanzhu did not take advantage of her weakened state. She only responded to each move as it came and did not add internal force to her techniques to “bully” Xia Qinyi.

Like this, they went back and forth. In the blink of an eye, a hundred moves had passed, and the sound of saber and sword colliding rang without end.

Suddenly, Lu Nanzhu heard a crisp sound come from the Canglong Sword in her hand!

Lu Nanzhu’s heart jolted. Could it be that this rusted Canglong Sword was about to be cut apart by the Phoenix Blood Saber?

Unable to care about anything else, she used her internal force to push aside the Phoenix Blood Saber, then leaped back a step and jumped out of the battle circle.

She looked at the Canglong Sword in her hand with distress. Sure enough, a crack had split open in the rust.

Xia Qinyi looked at Lu Nanzhu but did not step forward. After their hundred-move duel, Xia Qinyi had sensed that he had not used his internal force to suppress her.

In Xia Qinyi’s imagination, this “lecherous thief” ought to be the sort who would kick someone when they were down. Had he not gone to such lengths to exhaust her internal force precisely for this result?

Why…?

Lu Nanzhu stroked the crack on the sword with heartache. Continuous cracking sounds came from the sword, and even the people watching below the arena could hear it.

It seemed this iron sword still could not escape the fate of being cut apart by the Phoenix Blood Saber in the end…

The Ugly Hero, having lost his weapon, would likely lose.

But at this moment, something happened that no one had expected!

With a “ka,” the rust on the Canglong Sword scattered and peeled away like a hollow eggshell that had been shattered, revealing a gentle blue light.

“Ah…” Everyone who saw this scene cried out in shock.

That included Xia Qinyi, Gongsun Qing, and everyone on the high platform.

“How could this be?!” Xia Qinyi looked at the sword in Lu Nanzhu’s hand and muttered to herself.

Lu Nanzhu also peeled away the rust on the hilt. At last, the Canglong Sword revealed its true appearance!

The hilt was deep blue and shaped like a dragon. Every scale on the dragon’s body had been carved clearly and distinctly. The dragon’s eyes were blue gemstones, emitting a warm and gentle light. The sword was two cun wide, its blade ice-blue, and it released waves of cold air.

Lu Nanzhu studied the Canglong Sword in her hand, her smile as pure as a child’s. She could not help remembering the Eccentric Hero’s letter. In the letter, it had said: I hope you will take this sword and meet the successor of the Phoenix Blood Saber. Perhaps there will be an unexpected surprise.

So this was what it had meant?

Gongsun Qing bit her lower lip and said in a low voice, “Act!”

Everyone was still immersed in the surprise brought by the Canglong Sword when Gongsun Qing flew onto the arena with Huanghuo and Xiuluo, charging straight at Xia Qinyi!

“What are you doing?!” Su Mubai was the first to notice that something was wrong and spoke to stop them, but it was already too late…

“How dare you!”

“Young Miss!”

The people on the high platform all flew toward the arena one after another, and Qingzhu, who had always followed Xia Qinyi, was the first to rush ahead.

But all of this happened too quickly. Gongsun Qing’s sword had already reached Xia Qinyi’s eyes!

Xia Qinyi’s eyes were sharp and her hands quick. She blocked Gongsun Qing’s attack. When Gongsun Qing’s strike failed, she borrowed the force from Xia Qinyi’s counterattack and flew backward.

At this moment, Huanghuo and Xiuluo behind Gongsun Qing arrived a step later. One with a fist, the other with a palm, they attacked Xia Qinyi’s left and right shoulders!

Xia Qinyi had not yet had time to withdraw her momentum. There was no way she could dodge this.

“Careful!”

Xia Qinyi felt herself being wrapped in a warm embrace, and her panicked heart settled down.

It turned out that, at the critical moment, Lu Nanzhu had arrived in time. She pulled Xia Qinyi into her arms, using the hand that held the sword to circle Xia Qinyi’s body, while her other hand struck out.

With a “peng,” she met Huanghuo’s fist.

But the danger had not been resolved. On the other side, Xiuluo chopped toward the crown of Xia Qinyi’s head.

Lu Nanzhu gritted her teeth and forcefully threw Xia Qinyi out of her arms.

With a “peng,” Xiuluo’s strike landed heavily on Lu Nanzhu’s shoulder!

Lu Nanzhu heard a crisp crack come from her shoulder. Sharp pain surged up, and the hand holding her sword trembled with it.

She gritted her teeth and held tightly onto the hilt of the Canglong Sword, only barely keeping the weapon from falling from her hand.

“Take him and retreat!” Gongsun Qing, who had already flown far away, shouted sharply. Hearing this, Huanghuo and Xiuluo each grabbed one of Lu Nanzhu’s arms and flew away.

“Little thief, where do you think you’re going?!”

Almost at the same time, several sect masters also landed on the arena. Qingzhu helped Xia Qinyi up. “Young Miss, are you injured?!”

Xia Qinyi shook her head, but her gaze fell on Lu Nanzhu’s figure as she was carried away.

The sect masters chased after them. At this moment, Gongsun Qing had already flown far away. They tacitly understood one another and attacked Lu Nanzhu’s group of three together, intending to keep them there.

“Seeking death!” Gongsun Qing flicked her hand, and several dozen silver needles refracting bluish-purple light flew toward the sect masters like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers.

“Benefactor Mei, be careful of hidden weapons!” Master Jueyuan knocked aside Sect Master Mei beside him and, in midair, used the move Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon. He shook out his red kasaya in a circle, and all the silver needles were wrapped into the monk’s robe.

The sect masters were unharmed, while Lu Nanzhu and the other two used this brief opening to successfully escape!

Gongsun Qing stood on the flagpole by the wall. Huanghuo and Xiuluo, one on the left and one on the right, supported Lu Nanzhu as they stood on the outer wall of the martial training ground.

Gongsun Qing removed her bamboo hat and swept her fox-like eyes across everyone present. Gathering qi in her dantian, her red lips parted slightly. “All of you, listen well. The heavenly might of the Holy Cult does not permit violation by the likes of you. Tianqiong Sword Sect, if you know what is good for you, have your entire sect submit to the Holy Cult. Otherwise, not even your chickens and dogs will be spared!”

Every word Gongsun Qing said entered the ears of everyone present clearly.

After saying this, she left with the other three.

“Impudent demoness!” The sect master of Qingxia Peak still wanted to chase, but the sect master of Tianqiong Sword Sect grabbed him. “Sect Master Mei, don’t chase. Be careful of an ambush.”

“Amitabha. That female benefactor is young, yet her internal force is so profound. The Thousand-Li Voice Transmission Art truly lives up to its reputation.”

A grand and vigorous Demon-Slaying Assembly had allowed Demon Cult fiends to successfully sneak in. Not only had they nearly taken away the Phoenix Blood Saber, they had even given the orthodox martial world a warning blow in the end.

The meeting of friends through martial arts also had no choice but to end hastily. The sect masters of the five great sects all came forward together to comfort the fellow martial artists in attendance.

The sect master of the Tianqiong Sword Sect even apologized to everyone for failing to supervise properly.

But the matter was not over. In the side rooms at the rear mountain of the Tianqiong Sword Sect, every room had a fierce, scarlet Ghost King Head command flag nailed in its most conspicuous place.

All the mountain-guarding disciples at the rear mountain had been killed. Every well and all the food in the Tianqiong Sword Sect had been poisoned.

It went without saying that all of this was the work of the Demon Cult.

To do such things right under the eyes of all the famous orthodox sects could be said to have utterly disgraced the five great sects.

Everyone stayed another night at the Tianqiong Sword Sect, then left hungry early the next morning.

Fortunately, under the joint advocacy of the five great sects, an agreement to resist the Demon Cult to the death was reached.

The other four sect masters also expressed one after another that they would send enough food and water to the Tianqiong Sword Sect as quickly as possible to help it overcome this crisis.

In Gongsun Qing’s room, they found a hero invitation. Every hero invitation that had been sent out was marked with its origin.

As long as they followed the clue of Gongsun Qing’s hero invitation, they could trace the vine to the melon and uncover the sect colluding with the Demon Cult.

But after the five sect masters obtained this hero invitation, they shut the doors and discussed it for two shichen. In the end, they all unanimously remained silent.

This hero assembly left countless mysteries for the orthodox martial world.

Had the Tianqiong Sword Sect produced a traitor who allowed Demon Cult fiends up the mountain, or was that hero invitation genuine?

Who had given the Demon Cult a hero invitation? And why did all five sect masters fall silent together?

Some guessed that this hero invitation might have come from one of the five great sects. Perhaps a traitor had also appeared among the five great sects. Or perhaps this was a malicious scheme by the Demon Cult fiends to sow discord.

Who exactly was the Ugly Hero? Was he someone from the Demon Cult? And that sword—what sword was it?

On the third day after the “Demon-Slaying Assembly” ended, in every city across this jianghu, a new force appeared like bamboo shoots after rain.

In the largest restaurant of every city, a mysterious person appeared, wearing half a mask. They shared a common name: “Know-It-All.” For just one tael of gold, one could buy from their mouths the information one wished to know.

Before this, this jianghu had never had a profession known as “Know-It-All.”

Jiangnan, Pear Blossom Autumn Water Tower.

In the most inconspicuous corner of the hall, a man wearing half a mask sat leisurely behind a table. On the Eight Immortals table were a pot of tea, a plate of pastries, and a plate of dried fruit.

Behind the man, leaning against the wall, stood a bamboo pole. Hanging from it was a strip of white cloth, upon which three large characters were written: Know-It-All.

It was just after noon. The lingering summer heat had not yet dispersed, and there were no guests in the hall of Pear Blossom Autumn Water Tower.

With a “clang,” a gold ingot was thrown onto Know-It-All’s table. Judging from its size, it had to weigh at least a dozen taels.

Know-It-All picked up the ingot, weighed it in his hand, tucked it into his robe, and made a gesture of invitation.

The person who had come was a woman. She wore an apricot-yellow short martial outfit, had no attendants behind her, held no weapon in her hand, and wore no ornaments at her waist.

The yellow-clothed woman sat on the long bench opposite Know-It-All and asked, “Who are you?”

The masked man smiled. “Miss, every time I open my mouth, it costs gold. Is this your first question?”

“Yes. Answer me.”

“Know-It-All.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Selling information to make a living and support my family. As for the affairs of the world, I speak if I wish to speak.”

“Hmph. You phrase it so cleverly. How do I know your words are not false?”

Hearing this, Know-It-All slowly took a sip of tea. He set down the teacup and said, “Miss, those words are mistaken. I know your surname is Xia. With this, does Miss believe me now?”

The person who had come was precisely the Young Miss of Huaxia Manor, Xia Qinyi. Today, she had deliberately changed her outfit and come alone. She had not expected that the other party would still guess her identity.

Xia Qinyi looked at Know-It-All. That half mask was especially glaring.

Xia Qinyi pondered for a moment, then continued asking, “I ask you, what sword is the sword in the Ugly Hero’s hand?”

“The Canglong Sword.”

“Who is his master?”

“The Eccentric Hero, Jun Moxiao.”

“The Eccentric Hero disappeared from the world a hundred years ago. How could he have learned from him?”

“In the unseen workings of fate, all things have their own destiny.”

“Where is the Ugly Hero now?”

“North.”

“Sir, could you be a little more specific?” Huaxia Manor was located in Jiangnan. If he only said north, that range was far too large!

Know-It-All remained silent, clearly unwilling to answer Xia Qinyi’s question.

Xia Qinyi frowned, her face carrying a few traces of hesitation. “The Ugly Hero… is he someone from the Demon Cult?”

“Yes.”

Author’s Note:

Today’s update is here. If you have doubts, you can bookmark this and come back to read it later. It will feel different then.

According to the tradition of The Female General and the Eldest Princess, hidden plotlines absolutely exist~.

Mm~

Where did the Ugly Hero go? What did Gongsun Qing do to her? Please listen to the explanation in the next chapter.