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Chapter 304: Ye Gucheng Prepares to Challenge Ximen Chuixue
Chapter 304: Ye Gucheng Prepares to Challenge Ximen Chuixue
The food and wine were ready, and to cheer up Lu Xiaofeng, Jin Jiuling had prepared fine liquor for him.
Lu Xiaofeng gulped down a large bowl in one go, eliciting a startled murmur from Ye Gucheng, who had only been drinking plain water. "You drink quite a lot of wine?"
Lu Xiaofeng nodded. "And I drink it fast, too!"
Ye Gucheng frowned. "Alcohol can be detrimental to your health and impair your judgment, yet your physical and mental faculties remain at their peak."
Lu Xiaofeng smiled. "I don't always indulge like this. I only drink heavily when I'm feeling particularly heartbroken."
"Are you feeling heartbroken now?" Ye Gucheng inquired.
Lu Xiaofeng nodded. "One can't help but feel hurt when betrayed by a friend."
Hua Manlou and Jin Jiuling laughed, while Su Shaoying nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Someone asked me to wait for them, but they ended up gallivanting around Yangcheng with that person, leaving me behind."
Lu Xiaofeng was speechless. "I couldn't exactly fly back to Jiangnan to find you, and besides, aren't you here now?"
"Also," Lu Xiaofeng continued, his face stern as he glared at Jin Jiuling and Hua Manlou, "you two knew I was coming, and that an unparalleled sword was waiting for me here. Yet, you chose to hide and watch the spectacle instead of helping me."
True to his reputation, Jin Jiuling knew just how to appease Lu Xiaofeng. With a few flattering words, he successfully diverted Lu Xiaofeng's attention.
"Before you arrived, we had already come to a conclusion," Jin Jiuling said. "If even Lu Xiaofeng can't get in, then no one in this world possibly could."
"But isn't the Embroidery Bandit a person as well?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.
The group delved into a discussion about the case, but Ye Gucheng, the prince's mentor from Pingnan Kingdom, seemed uninterested. He directed a question at Lu Xiaofeng, "Is Ximen Chuixue your friend?"
Having already noticed the striking resemblance between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue, Lu Xiaofeng chose to evade the question. Instead, he asked the group, "There's someone else waiting for my message outside. Any guesses who it might be?"
Intrigued, Su Shaoying asked, "Is it Ximen Chuixue?"
Lu Xiaofeng fell silent, his gaze as sharp as a dagger, as if he wanted to slice Su Shaoying with his eyes.
"Don't forget, Ximen Chuixue is currently with Sun Xiqing," Lu Xiaofeng said through gritted teeth.
"I understand," Su Shaoying nodded, then turned to Ye Gucheng and explained, "What Lu Xiaofeng means is that Ximen Chuixue is currently indulging in the pleasures of the flesh and has probably lost his edge with the sword. He's implying that you should be able to defeat Ximen Chuixue now."
Lu Xiaofeng remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Ye Gucheng glanced at Su Shaoying. "Your swordsmanship can't surpass that of Dugong Yihe."
"It's enough," Su Shaoying replied matter-of-factly. "After all, there are hundreds of Taoist priests on Mount Emei."
Ye Gucheng had no response to those without ambition. He turned back to Lu Xiaofeng and asked again, "Have you ever crossed swords with Ximen Chuixue?"
Knowing he couldn't avoid the question any longer, Lu Xiaofeng reluctantly answered, "No."
"How would you describe his swordsmanship?"
"Not bad."
"I've heard he's similar to me," Ye Gucheng said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"A bit," Lu Xiaofeng conceded reluctantly.
In truth, it wasn't just a bit; the resemblance was uncanny. Even during this first meeting with Ye Gucheng, Lu Xiaofeng felt as though he were facing Ximen Chuixue.
A spark of excitement flashed in Ye Gucheng's eyes. "To test my skills against his would truly be one of life's greatest pleasures!"
Lu Xiaofeng immediately reached for his wine, and Jin Jiuling accompanied him to the wine cellar. Ye Gucheng, meanwhile, sipped another cup of plain water.
Yet, Ye Gucheng's pride was not feigned. He was not the type of peerless swordsman who stood above the clouds, looking down upon the mortal realm, nor could he wield the otherworldly power of an immortal.
"So, why is Ye Gucheng participating in the rebellion...?"
"What are you thinking about?" Ye Gucheng suddenly lifted his head, his senses keenly attuned.
"I'm wondering if you're planning to seek out Ximen Chuixue for a duel," Su Shaoying asked.
"You don't want me to face him?" Ye Gucheng inquired.
"He just got together with my junior sister," Su Shaoying said with a wink. "Why don't you wait until she's carrying his child and can inherit the Wan Mei Manor before you make your move?"
Shi Xiuxue gritted her teeth, her gaze at Su Shaoying filled with frustration at his apparent lack of conviction.
Hua Manlou patted Shi Xiuxue's arm reassuringly. "Su is trying to dampen Ye's fighting spirit."
"I know," Ye Gucheng acknowledged. "But he won't succeed."
Hua Manlou sighed. "Indeed, he won't."
"My duel with Ximen Chuixue is inevitable," Ye Gucheng stated firmly.
Hua Manlou fell silent, while Su Shaoying said, "Make sure to notify me when it happens. I want to witness it."
Without replying, Ye Gucheng drank another cup of water and then stood up to leave.
Shi Xiuxue turned to Su Shaoying, her eyes filled with concern. "Do you think Ximen Chuixue can defeat Ye Gucheng?"
"I don't know," Su Shaoying replied. "I haven't seen Ximen Chuixue in months. How would I know which path he has chosen or how far he has progressed?"
Shi Xiuxue's voice carried a hint of worry as she asked, "What if he's made a mistake?"
Su Shaoying's response was nonchalant. "Then he's doomed."
Shi Xiuxue looked at Hua Manlou, but he remained silent, implicitly agreeing with Su Shaoying's assessment.
With a furrowed brow, Shi Xiuxue asked, "Can't we stop this duel from happening?"
"It's impossible," Hua Manlou shook his head. "No one in the world can stop Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue from facing each other."
"Anyone who tries to stand in their way should be prepared to die," Su Shaoying added.
"But..." Shi Xiuxue began, her voice trailing off.
"Don't worry too much," Su Shaoying said to Shi Xiuxue. "What will be, will be. As they say, 'When it's time for the sky to rain, it will, and when it's time for your mother to remarry, she will.' Let them be."
"But she's my second senior sister!" Shi Xiuxue argued.
"Then you should have even more faith in her and the man she chose," Su Shaoying smiled. "The fight hasn't even started, and you're already scared. That's not very valiant of you."
"I'm just worried!" Shi Xiuxue exclaimed.
Just then, Lu Xiaofeng and Jin Jiuling returned, carrying wine jars. Lu Xiaofeng's earlier expression, as if he had seen a ghost, was now replaced with happiness. "This time, we must celebrate properly!"
Hua Manlou asked, "What are we celebrating? Did you find a treasure in the wine cellar?"
Lu Xiaofeng nodded vigorously. "Absolutely!"
"What is it?"
"It's a thread!" Lu Xiaofeng exclaimed. "If we follow this thread, we'll eventually find that fox's tail!"
(End of Chapter)
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