Banquet (3)

Li Airu grinned, mockery twisting her indifferent face.

"So that's the extent of your excuse, aye? How pitiful." She tilted her head.

Jiang Shiqin forced down his growing irritation at the maddened ice beauty, even as he debated whether to change his tone.

"Sister Li, I am afraid I cannot spill the story of my entire life to you. What happened between the master of the Autumn Pavillion and I... I am unable to tell you the specifics, but our bond is true regardless of your belief. But if you insist on doubting me, what must I do to change your perception?"

"Oh?" Her lips curled. Gone was the sense of apathy; it had been replaced by distaste and formless loathing. Jiang Shiqin suspected that the root behind her resentment was some traumatic experiences with people from the capital.

Must he draw his sword against another human being so soon?

"There's still some time until the banquet starts. Let's settle this the Distant Lands' way - fight me," said Li Airu with a hint of expectancy. The surrounding people started murmuring; after all, the 4th placer of the tournament did not get her reputation by frostily staring at everyone. None had any intention to stop her, however, since the motto of cultivators had always been strength and strength alone.

Jiang Shiqin bowed to hide the exasperation within his eyes. "If that is what you wish for."

-0-0-0-

Sighing at the sight of Li Airu's thin blade glinting under sunlight, Jiang Shiqin thought about his objective once more. Victory would give him a certain amount of recognition, perhaps enough to earn the respect of cultivators in the younger generation and implement his plan more quickly, but simultaneously Blazing Hawthorn Sect would raise their guard against him as well. He had planned to observe for longer; this rushed challenge was far too crude for his taste.

Since she had already broken his initial calculations into pieces, Li Airu should repay him obediently.

Left, right, right, left... To observers' eyes, Li Airu's usage of the sword was a marvelous display of innate talent and brilliance. The swiftness of her sword and the constant shifting of her body ensured the wide variety of options available to her for both offence and defense. The rhythm flow was entirely in her hands even as she applied precise control over her every movement, akin to a full-bloomed flower skillfully closing layers upon layers of soft petals and trapping its prey inside a cage of velvet. Quite a few disciples, from both the inner court and the outer court, of the other four sects who had followed them outside in hopes of finding amusement were watching her, their eyes glowing with admiration at her graceful swordplay.

In contrast, Jiang Shiqin's style was more ordinary. His movements were simple and to the point, much unlike those usual flowery speeches of his. To observers, he could barely parry her blows, which, to be fair, was unsurprising considering the fact that he was at mid-Xiantian while Li Airu had already reached the late stage of the realm. Even though the difference in minor stages did not automatically grant a win, a person well-endowed with qi would certainly have the upper hand.

Among the youthful cultivators at late-Xiantian, only Yu Wentian of Blazing Hawthorn Sect surpassed her.

One minute. Li Airu suddenly thrust her sword at her opponent's stomach, only to be stopped when the tip of her blade was but five centimeters away.

Five minutes. None showed any sign of exhaustion as they carried on with their fight, one wearing a look of intense concentration while the other seemingly in a perilous situation all the time yet did not drop his faint smile.

Ten minutes, and Jiang Shiqin still held his ground. Li Airu's expression remained the same, but the increasing force behind her strikes revealed her impatience.

The crowd started getting restless. Notably, the Thousand Blooming Lotus disciples were filled with disbelief, and Su Wei's initial pity for the battling man had turned into a strange eagerness without his knowing. There were two individuals who did not share the sentiments of the rest of the spectators, however. One was Su Dai, who was aware of Jiang Shiqin's identity as a subordinate of a powerful lord from the faraway capital. Another was a disciple around twenty years of age, whose figure still possessed hints of youthfulness except for the sharp, secretly excited glint under his eyelashes. With fine features and pale skin, the disciple almost appeared feminine but for his unnerving aura, which spoke of vortexes beneath the deceptively flat surface of an ocean. His name was Fu Guanting, one of the disciples of Falling Stars Sect, and he also happened to be the one previously praising Jiang Shiqin's method of dealing with Young Master Lei.

Nicknamed the Snow Serpent, Fu Guanting represented a powerful existence. Along with his two adopted brothers, they were considered geniuses of their age and the indisputable future leaders of the sect. Aside from his position as a capable fighter, Fu Guanting had a special passion towards schemes and strategies and also excelled in the area, contributing significantly to the three brothers' rise in rank within the sect.

Coincidentally, his elder adopted brother was Fu Zhiheng, the champion of the Martial Arts Tournament. Fu Guanting himself acquired the 7th rank, a commendable achievement for one so young.

This information had been given to Jiang Shiqin by his lord's spy network prior to his mission. Even during the intense battle with Li Airu, he still sensed the somewhat eerie stare from the group of Falling Stars Sect disciples, as if he was a delicious prey standing right before a venomous snake. His jaws tightened - had this puppet master with his wealth of experiences pitting people against each other orchestrated today's event?

Jiang Shiqin suddenly bent his back, narrowly avoiding the blade slicing across his face. Upon seeing Li Airu's dangerous gaze with a feral hint, the corners of his lips rose slightly. If that was the case, he should give what the other man wanted.

He thrust his sword forward, which, for a moment, gleamed as brightly as the gold pin decorating Li Airu's magnificent attire. With lightning speed, the other person blocked the attack with a flick of her wrist. Nonetheless, Jiang Shiqin did not capitulate but went on an all-out offensive, his sword moving faster and faster until only a blurry shape could be seen.