345 Broken Bamboo in Snow Moon
"How's your sword practice recently?" Yin Luoxia asked while they were eating.
Luo Mingxuan gobbled up big mouthfuls of rice. "Goes without saying that I’ve been making huge achievements. Otherwise, just look at the Fine Jade List. Why would I be at the top of the list?"
"Huge achievements?" Yin Luoxia put down her chopsticks. "Since you didn’t make it on the Ultimate Experts List, that must mean you’re still missing something?"
"Shifu, would you like to test me?" Luo Mingxuan put down his empty bowl and asked complacently.
"Fine!" Yin Luoxia waved her hand, and a chopstick flew towards Luo Mingxuan. Luo Mingxuan gave a small smile, waved his hand and a short sword dropped into his hand. He waved it again and sliced the chopstick into two.
"Very clever." Yin Luoxia moved immediately, flashed in front of Luo Mingxuan and struck with her fist. Luo Mingxuan waved an arm and the short sword was replaced by a long sword. The sword pierced through Yin Luoxia's sleeve. Her long sleeves fluttered, and she retreated three steps, nodding her head. "Now we’re getting interesting."
"I think the legend is true. In the previous dynasty, every emperor had a brother who served as his shadow guard by his side, and the shadow guard was trained in consummate sword arts. Later, the country perished, but the shadow guard prince survived with his consummate sword arts. Finally, he wandered about as a commoner and hid the entire sword arts within these Liubo clay figurines." Luo Mingxuan chuckled. "This sword arts is really amazing."
Yin Luoxia smiled. "That's far more powerful than the martial arts I taught you."
"Not so. No matter how powerful this sword arts is, it won’t be ranked number one under Heaven. But, shifu’s gambling skills are definitely number one under Heaven." Luo Mingxuan put down his sword and gave a thumbs up. "That's the real deal. "
Yin Luoxia reached out her finger and poked Luo Mingxuan's forehead. "You sure know how to talk."
"Shifu." Luo Mingxuan sighed. "What do you say? Now that you’ve decided to let go of Song Yanhui, you can’t stay single your whole life, right? You’re not young anymore."
"Why?" Yin Luoxia shot him a glare. "Are you trying to arrange a marriage for shifu?"
"Shifu, what do you think of Citymaster Sikong?" Luo Mingxuan asked faintly.
"A man who lives with another woman in his heart. None of them are worth my notice." Yin Luoxia patted Luo Mingxuan's head with her hand. "In this life, Sikong Changfeng will only have that woman in his heart. And, your shifu says, am I only good enough for a widower?"
"Then shifu, what do you think of me?" Luo Mingxuan asked with a cheeky smile.
Yin Luoxia was taken aback for a moment, then her face froze over. "You dare make such a joke with me?"
Luo Mingxuan laughed awkwardly. "Shifu, I was wrong."
"Now that your sword arts has improved, you even dare to take liberties with your shifu?" Yin Luoxia's voice became increasingly cold.
"Shifu, I was wrong." Luo Mingxuan's voice started to tremble a little. Although his sword arts had seen great achievements, he was still a disciple who was scared of his master.
"Wrong?" Yin Luoxia raised her eyebrows. "What if shifu said, I think you’re not bad?"
"Ah!" Luo Mingxuan looked overjoyed. "Really?"
"Really." Yin Luoxia grabbed Luo Mingxuan's wrist and twisted it over.
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts, shifu, it hurts! Shifu! More gentle!" Luo Mingxuan cried out miserably.
At the bottom of the Tower of Ascension, Sikong Changfeng was listening to the screams coming from upstairs and he shook his head. "Now that Snow Moon City has lost those clowns, only that pair of master and disciple can still add some life."
Zhu, who was still on crutches, and Long Er were standing beside him. Long Er held the Golden Lists in her hands and sighed. "The Spear Immortal did not enter the top tier. Do you feel some regret."
"Can’t help it. The last few years, they handed all the affairs of Snow Moon City to me while one of them brewed his wine and the other trained her sword. I haven’t had any breakthroughs with my spear arts. The last few months, I had to put in a hasty effort to make up for lost time, and obviously couldn’t compare to Luo Qingyang’s training where ten years is like a day to him. The outcome is not a surprise."
"What if the Solitary Sword Immortal heads to Heavenly Revelations, what will Citymaster do?" Zhu asked.
"I’ll stand there, one man with a spear, and say you may not pass." Sikong Changfeng laughed. "Standing in the way is something I started doing many years ago."
"What if you can't stop him?" Zhu asked.
"Then I’ll die," Sikong Changfeng said solemnly.
Zhu nodded. "Back then, the Hallmaster had a high opinion of Citymaster Sikong. Having spent time together during this period, I’m convinced he was right."
"Can't stop him, then I’ll die." Sikong Changfeng glanced at Zhu thoughtfully. "Regarding this point, hasn’t this little friend already practiced it before me?"
Zhu smiled bitterly. "Citymaster Sikong, there’s something I have to ask. How much time do I have left."
Sikong Changfeng thought for a while, and sighed. "Any day now."
"I understand." Zhu nodded.
Next to them, Long Er had read their lips and her face turned pale with shock. "What are you talking about!"
Zhu didn't answer, hanging his head to hide his expression. "Citymaster Sikong, can you let us have some time alone?"
Sikong Changfeng nodded. "Of course." With that, he leaped out and flew up the Tower of Ascension. "Fairy, we’re still counting on your disciple to give new life to Snow Moon City. Please don’t kill him yet."
Zhu looked at Long Er and smiled. "Let's go for a walk on Cangshan."
Long Er followed Zhu as they made their way up Cangshan, but the expression on her face remained very serious. She firmly believed she had not read wrongly and Zhu was asking Sikong Changfeng how much time he had left, and Sikong Changfeng’s answer was any day now. But, Zhu didn't talk about it, so she didn't ask further. The two of them continued like this in silence, while one person led the other to walk forward.
"It feels as if it’s always been like this. You guide me, I follow you, neither of us talking. We always seem to walk in silence. Although it’s boring, I feel at ease." Zhu chuckled. "In fact, I was actually talking many times, but you didn’t see."
"This time," Long Er spoke slowly and clearly, "I saw it."
Zhu stopped, and the two stood opposite each other at the foot of Cangshan. Zhu exhaled a sigh. "It’s been hard on you all these years. I’m blind and you’re deaf, and I don’t know what Hallmaster was thinking when he paired us together. I can’t see anything, I don’t know if you can see me when I’m talking. So many times, I’ve had to trouble you."
"Why are you saying such things?" Because it was always difficult for her to speak, Long Er’s words were always clear and concise every time.
"That day, I was actually seriously injured, so serious that there was no chance of being healed." Zhu sighed again. "I asked Citymaster Sikong not to tell the rest of you, but both he and I knew that I won’t pass this hurdle.
"The day that he will rule all under Heaven… I won’t be able to see it, after all." Zhu raised his head and looked into the distance. "Am I looking in the direction of Heavenly Revelations City?"
Long Er was already in tears and she nodded. "Yes."
"I’ve heard the news coming in and it seems like he’s creating a storm in the city again. That’s how he’s supposed to be. Do you remember the first time we met him? We all wanted to beat him up. He was obviously just a little brat who’s younger than us, but why was he so arrogant." Zhu laughed. "But later, I realised that’s just how he is."
Long Er shook her head and said, "Don’t say anymore. I’ll go look for Hallmaster. He’ll find a way."
"I still have one last word to say to you," Zhu continued, ignoring Long Er's words.
"Over the past few years, the days we spent together. They were quiet, but also very gentle," Zhu said softly.
The two stood silently, facing the direction of Heavenly Revelations City. Until a pigeon flew over from a distance and landed on Long Er's shoulder.
Zhu heard the sound and turned his head as Long Er retrieved the note from the pigeon’s foot, a slight frown on her face.
"Who is it?"
"Hallmaster."
"Which Hallmaster?"
"Ji Ruofeng."