https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-396-Even-the-Honest-Monk-is-Here/12536626/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-398-The-Western-Devil-Cultists-are-All-Dead/12536628/
Chapter 397: Alighting in the World of Lu Xiaofeng, Afeng's Sword Makes an Appearance
Chapter 397: Alighting in the World of Lu Xiaofeng, Afeng's Sword Makes an Appearance
"Look, that's one of Lu Xiaofeng's friends!" Su Shaoying pointed at the fleeing monk and said with a smile.
Hua Manlou shook his head and laughed, "The honest monk was actually here to give us a warning."
Ou Yangqing pouted, "Monks love to be cryptic. If not for Su Shaoying exposing that woman's identity as Gong Jiu, I believe the honest monk still wouldn't have spoken plainly. Even so, he didn't reveal who she really is."
Xue Bing asked curiously, "Could she be a princess or something?"
"If a princess disguised herself as a prostitute, slept with men at will, and then killed them, I believe even the emperor's coffin would be unable to contain his rage." Su Shaoying shook his head.
"Do you think they'll come back?" Ou Yangqing asked.
Although Gong Jiu and Niurou Tang had left, it was obvious they hadn't fled the town in a panic. Naturally, Ou Yangqing was concerned about their return.
"Of course they will." Su Shaoying smiled. "Unless he doesn't care that I exposed his secret."
Did Gong Jiu really not care that his secret had been discovered?
As Su Shaoying was thinking about this, he saw someone—no, half a person—walk through the inn's front door.
He was missing an arm and a leg, leaning on an iron cane. His right leg was severed at the hip, and his right arm was chopped off at the shoulder. A scar ran from his right eye, which was now blind, slanting down to his nose, which had also been cut in half. His ear was missing as well.
No one knew what he had looked like before, but he was certainly bizarre and terrifying now.
The entire inn fell silent at the sight of this man. Many diners quickly left their seats, and even the innkeeper and his staff, who had just finished cleaning up Feixingzi's body, hid behind the counter to avoid potential harm.
Ou Yangqing and Xue Bing's faces turned pale. Even though they were both skilled and ruthless, seeing this man made their stomachs churn.
How had this man survived?
Su Shaoying was also amazed. With his missing limbs, this man, Mu Yiban, completed the set: Zhuge Gang with his broken leg, Jing Wuming with his severed arm, Xuanyuan Sanguang the blind, and Yan Shuangfei without his ears.
Su Shaoying had yet to encounter someone who had their nose sliced off like this man—he was the first.
Mu Yiban slowly walked into the inn and approached the table where the four were seated. In a flat tone, he said, "I am Mu Yiban, and I have met the renowned Su Xia."
"Nice to meet you." Su Shaoying nodded and smiled.
"My master sent me to test your sword skills." Mu Yiban spoke calmly.
Su Shaoying laughed and asked, "Is your master the crown prince of Taiping?"
Mu Yiban's eyes flickered, and he nodded, "Yes."
Su Shaoying looked up towards the second floor of the inn across the street and saw Gong Jiu and Niurou Tang standing by the window.
"So, after watching his swordplay, he wants to see mine?" Su Shaoying asked.
"Yes," Mu Yiban nodded again.
"What if I refuse to fight?" Su Shaoying asked.
"Then you die." Mu Yiban replied indifferently.
Su Shaoying couldn't help but laugh. "That's indeed your style."
In the original story, Mu Yiban brought three people to Wuming Island. At the same time, he gave them a chance to survive: if they could defeat one of the invisible people on the island, they would live.
Speaking of which, although they were mysterious and ruthless, they also valued promises and kept their word.
Otherwise, Lu Xiaofeng would have died long ago.
"But if I do fight, you will die." Su Shaoying stated.
He was neither Li Xunhuan nor Hua Manlou. If Mu Yiban dared to make a move against him, he would show no mercy.
A flicker of surprise crossed Hua Manlou's face, while Ou Yangqing and Xue Bing were startled and alarmed.
An expert's first move reveals their true skill, and with Mu Yiban's first strike, the two women could tell that his sword technique was both unorthodox and vicious. Although he specialized in unconventional moves, he had clearly mastered the essence of swordplay. The depth of his skill far surpassed theirs.
"What a remarkable sword technique! This is the Heavenly Deficient Thirteen Styles of the Hainan Sword Sect. Its unpredictable and swift strikes often attack from unimaginable angles, killing invisibly. The opponent only realizes the sword's position after being struck."
Su Shaoying spoke rapidly, and by the time he finished his long sentence, Mu Yiban had already struck more than twenty swords, none of which managed to hit Su Shaoying. Moreover, Su Shaoying hadn't even left his seat.
Su Shaoying's body seemed to sway, and the slightest movement was enough to alert the keen-eyed Mu Yiban, causing him to change his strike and aim for Su Shaoying's next anticipated position.
However, Su Shaoying did not follow through with a subsequent move but instead continued to change his stance, forcing Mu Yiban to adapt and change his strikes as well. That was why, despite the more than twenty swords Mu Yiban had unleashed, not a single one truly reached Su Shaoying's front.
Mu Yiban's expression changed; this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Su Shaoying couldn't help but smile. He finally understood the pleasant feeling Li Xunhuan had experienced when facing him in the original story.
"The Heavenly Deficient Thirteen Styles, a secret technique of the Hainan Sword Sect, has been lost for thirty years. It is said that the current sect leader has only mastered two of the styles. I never expected you to possess the complete inheritance. Indeed, you are one of the invisible people from Wuming Island."
Su Shaoying clicked his tongue in admiration. "The Likeable Orchid Hand, the Heavenly Deficient Thirteen Styles, and the Finger Knife—I am truly curious now. I wonder how many other lost and extraordinary martial arts techniques are hidden on this island?"
Mu Yiban's lone eye reddened as he channeled all his might. With a thrust of his cane, it carried the force of wind and thunder, chasing after Su Shaoying like a flying shuttle pursuing the moon or a lightning bolt tearing through the sky. It aimed straight for Su Shaoying's chest.
"Do you want to know? Then ask the King of Hell!"
"Even your final choice is exactly the same as mine," Su Shaoying shook his head and sighed.
"Open!" Mu Yiban roared, pouring all his internal energy into this strike, intending to pierce Su Shaoying through.
However, Mu Yiban only got halfway through his shout when he suddenly found it difficult to continue. He felt a slight breeze at his throat, and an involuntary "hiss" escaped his lips.
The next moment, the surging internal energy pushed the blood from his chest up to his throat, and a spray of blood shot out.
Mu Yiban looked down at Su Shaoying's hands and then noticed that his sword was still in its scabbard.
"This... This is impossible!" Mu Yiban said in a strangled voice.
"This is a sword-drawing technique used by a swordsman known as the 'Flying Swordsman.' In terms of speed alone, no one in the world can surpass this single strike, not Ye Gucheng, not Ximen Chuixue, and not even your master."
Su Shaoying looked at Mu Yiban and said, "So, dying to this sword is not unjust. You can die without regrets."
Mu Yiban stared at Su Shaoying, as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. He staggered back a couple of steps and then fell to the ground.
Su Shaoying waved at the innkeeper and pointed at Mu Yiban on the floor. He then tossed a silver ingot onto the counter.
Seeing the innkeeper and his staff skillfully drag away Mu Yiban's body, Su Shaoying finally looked up at Gong Jiu in the inn across the street and sent his voice over with his internal energy.
"There's only one way to deal with this sword. Don't let me get close when drawing your sword."
(End of Chapter)
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