Mu Nianhua’s expression was serious, without a trace of a smile. “Why did you come out? The things I promised you, I will naturally accomplish.”
“Your name is Mu Nianhua, and you are the seventh son in your family?” Su Baiyi suddenly asked.
Mu Nianhua was taken aback. “Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“My name is Su Baiyi, my place in the family hierarchy is unknown, for I have no family left,” Su Baiyi moved to stand beside Mu Nianhua, shoulder to shoulder. “From this moment on, we are true friends.”
“Really.” Mu Nianhua lowered his head and smiled.
“If it’s a business deal, then we can only talk about promises. But if we’re friends, then we should talk about loyalty.” Su Baiyi raised the sword in his hand. “How can I let my friend face danger alone?”
“In business, there’s always room to back out, but once you’re friends, it’s a bond of life and death,” Mu Nianhua said with a laugh. “You, the scholar, are quite the scoundrel.”
Elder Long looked at the sword in Su Baiyi’s hand and narrowed his eyes. “Jun Yu.”
“It seems everyone recognizes this sword, but I wonder, do you still recognize its technique?” Su Baiyi smiled.
“You’ve mastered it?” Mu Nianhua frowned slightly.
“Of course.” Su Baiyi raised an eyebrow.
“Have you said enough?” The Crouching Tiger stood with his hands resting on his large cleaver, his right fingers tapping lightly on the hilt. “Will you come at me together, or one by one? Choose as you please. I’ve been waiting on this ship far too long. That half-baked trick you just pulled barely piqued my interest. Don’t disappoint me, lads.”
Elder Long, with his hands tucked in his sleeves, continued to fiddle with the small knives, his head slightly bowed in contemplation of the situation before him. The presence of the vice-chair of Clear Sky Courtyard should have sealed the fate of this encounter, but the arrival of the young man in white wielding the Jun Yu sword changed the equation. Elder Long instantly understood why Crouching Tiger would risk offending the entire Mu family to capture this individual—it wasn’t merely Crouching Tiger’s personal vendetta, but rather Shanglin Heavenly Palace’s determination to obtain this young man. If the young man in white truly possessed the authentic teachings of Xie Kanhua and could execute the ‘Flower in the Mist’ sword technique, then perhaps there was a sliver of hope to break the deadlock. And the purple-clad woman who had spoken just one sentence seemed more and more familiar…
She resembles two people.
So that’s how it is!
Elder Long suddenly raised his head and waved his sleeves violently. Six flying knives shot straight at Crouching Tiger.
Crouching Tiger grasped the hilt of his cleaver with both hands and gave it a gentle twist, flipping the entire plank over and deflecting the six flying knives back. Elder Long leaped into the air, twisted his wrist, and brandished a short blade in his hand, swinging it around to gather the six flying knives back to his side.
“With martial skills akin to juggling, they still lack the grace to be showcased,” Crouching Tiger snorted coldly.
“Vice-Chair, this matter is no trifling affair,” the moustachioed swordsman stepped forward, blocking Crouching Tiger’s path. “Leave Elder Long to me.”
Elder Long frowned slightly. “You dare to make a move against me, Dan Zhu?”
“There will always come such a day, won’t there? That’s how you’ve always taught me,” the moustachioed swordsman said calmly.
The remaining disciples of Clear Sky Courtyard who were originally kneeling on the ground also stood up and drew the long swords from their waists. The Thousand-Faced Wealth God sighed softly, “Young Master, my martial arts are not good enough to stop this Crouching Tiger, but I promise you that as long as I am still standing, these people will never be able to get close to you.” He leaped to Crouching Tiger’s side and blocked the disciples of Clear Sky Courtyard.
Crouching Tiger didn’t seem to care about any of this. He still stood there holding his cleaver, looking at the three people in front of him. “Those two old fellows indeed fail to arouse my interest. I hope you can give me some surprises.”
Su Baiyi pressed one hand on the hilt of his sword, “You want a surprise, then I will give you a surprise. Young Master Mu, please take the lead.”
Mu Nianhua nodded, having observed Su Baiyi’s swordsmanship several times over the past few days and gaining a slight understanding of it. Nangong Xi’er remained silent, secretly gathering her energy, likely harboring her own lethal move. As the vice-chair of Clear Sky Courtyard, Crouching Tiger was naturally not easy to deal with. It seemed that they would have to rely on the two of them to catch him off guard. So the task of finding the flaws in Crouching Tiger’s swordsmanship could only be left to him.
“Mu Nianhua of the Mu family, I invite Crouching Tiger to test my sword,” said Mu Nianhua as he stepped forward, his long sword flashing out of its sheath in an instant.
“In the heavenly Jade Capital, among the twelve towers and five cities, it is said that Gong Yuluo once dreamt of wandering the immortal city, touring the Tower of Heaven for three full days and nights. Upon awakening, he spent another three days and nights creating the Shengjing Sword Technique. This technique is rumored to be ethereal and carefree, with the aura of immortals,” Crouching Tiger swung his cleaver, sending Mu Nianhua flying with a single strike. “But in my view, this technique is too delicate, like a piece of white jade, far too fragile.”
Mu Nianhua spun around and steadied himself with his left hand on the mast, his feet hanging above. Despite the numbing pain in his right hand, which was holding the sword, as if it was about to split open, his expression remained calm. “This is just a human lie, you believe it too? Some people think that the so-called Jade Capital is the dwelling place of immortals, but in my master’s swordsmanship, it has another meaning.”
“What do you mean?” Crouching Tiger asked.
“The Jade Capital is the moon,” Mu Nianhua said, his figure flickering as he vanished from atop the mast.
“The moon,” Crouching Tiger smiled.
“Yes,” Mu Nianhua leaped towards the Crouching Tiger, his long sword tracing a stroke, outlining a breathtaking silhouette.
“But it is a beautiful crescent moon,” Crouching Tiger raised his cleaver and slashed. “Alas, you have encountered me—my sword technique is named, ‘Shattering the Moon.’”
“Shattering the Moon?” Elder Long, who was fighting Dan Zhu on the side, was stunned when he heard this name, “Hasn’t it been lost to time?”
“Be careful, Elder Long,” Dan Zhu warned as his blade sliced through Elder Long’s garment. “Didn’t two pages of the Shattering the Moon manual still exist?”
“Can two pages of remnants truly be used to recreate a sword technique?” Elder Long exclaimed.
“Why was I able to become the vice-chair of Clear Sky Courtyard at thirty? It is because I can do what others cannot,” roared Crouching Tiger, his blade cleaving through Mu Nianhua’s moonlight, shattering it to pieces.
“The battle is not over yet!” Mu Nianhua gathered his energy with a fierce breath, and as his sword qi surged anew, he swung his long sword in a sweeping arc, creating an even more complete and flawless curve.
It’s not a crescent, but a full moon—a perfect circle!
With his cleaver touching the full moon, the Crouching Tiger uttered softly, “Break.”
“Su Baiyi!” Mu Nianhua shouted. “If you don’t make a move now, I’ll really die!”
“Here I come.” Su Baiyi, sword in hand, leaped in front of Crouching Tiger. His hand remained firmly on the hilt.
In Twilight City, he faced Nangong Xier, but in the end, he did not draw his sword.
In the village of Apricot Blossoms, he stood before Helian Xiyue, and yet, he did not unsheathe his sword.
Within the halls of the academy, he still did not draw his sword.
And this time, finally.
“Draw the sword!”
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