04 - Forced Encounter
Any ordinary person who looked at that mansion would certainly be impressed and might even feel intimidated due to the grandeur it exuded through its size and elegance, being strongly guarded by several sentries patrolling around it.
However, as members of the Yue Family, both of them were far from ordinary people, and thus, they showed no reaction of surprise or anything like that, as Wang Wei had hoped, causing a small pang of disappointment in his heart, though he ultimately set it aside to focus on what truly mattered.
"Daughter, don't forget what we talked about earlier."
To anyone looking from the outside, seeing Yue Xi kneeling in front of her daughter with both hands on her shoulders and that concerned look in her eyes, it might easily be mistaken for a sweet or tender moment, but in reality, it was far from anything like that.
In the end, Yue Qing merely nodded in agreement, and then, releasing her shoulders and standing up, Yue Xi followed Wang Wei to the room where they would discuss matters related to the possible marriage between their children, while the young girl, in turn, had to follow Wang Ming toward the mansion's garden.
Flowers of all kinds surrounded the area, from the most vibrant roses to the brightest sunflowers, with bushes shaped like swords and martial artists scattered throughout the garden. At its center, following a path of white stones that began at the entrance, there was a small round wooden structure, painted in bluish white, where a table and two benches were present, offering a beautiful view of the lovely scenery around them.
Having little choice, Yue Qing followed Wang Ming and sat on one of the benches, being offered the tea that had been previously placed on the table, which she accepted since, after all, it wasn't as if anything would happen to her inside the sect.
Hmm? This tea is better than I expected.
With a gentle breeze blowing through the place and the sunlight no longer as harsh and scorching as it had been earlier, accompanied by the warm and pleasant tea, a good atmosphere was forming, and the young master knew this, so he decided to take the lead in starting a conversation before the moment was lost.
"Yue Qing, I heard you recently started showing interest in entering the world of martial arts, so—" He began to speak with a gentle smile on his face, only to be abruptly cut off by the girl.
"I'm not interested in entering that world, Young Master Ming." She replied curtly and rudely while drinking her tea without even looking directly into his eyes.
Tsk! This wretched girl!
The young lady obviously didn't want to give the young master any opportunity to try and win her over in any way, she was already well aware of the stories and rumors surrounding him and had confirmed most of them after witnessing Long Shen being beaten by him and his cronies, so it was pretty obvious that all this kindness and calmness was nothing more than a mask.
Still, Wang Ming didn't give up, and after coughing awkwardly and a bit embarrassed, he continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
Cough! Cough! "Well, in any case... I would still like to present you with a small martial arts show that I prepared especially for you. Even if you're not interested, it should at least entertain you, haha."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Before Yue Qing even had the chance to express her opinion on the matter, the young man began clapping his hands, and immediately from inside the mansion came two peculiar men who instantly caught her attention.
"You've probably sensed it since you have some internal energy, but these two aren't ordinary disciples of the sect, far from it. They're both in the top ten of the sect's strongest disciples, and they both serve me directly!" he explained with great pride and clarity.
The two men appeared to be in their early twenties, possessing a certain elegance in their appearances and auras. They were dressed in white uniforms with the image of a semi-transparent blue sword on their left chest, a uniform entirely different from the dark blue ones Yue Qing had seen other disciples wearing.
"We greet Young Master Wang Ming and Young Lady Yue Qing!" they said in unison as they knelt before the two.
"Watch closely, Yue Qing! The one with long black hair is Zhao Jian, and the one with short wavy blue hair is Qin Feng. Both are at the beginning of the Golden Balance Realm, and they will show you the true martial arts of our sect, the Empty Star Sword Art!"
Upon hearing the young master's words, unlike before, when despite sensing the strength of the men after they fully exposed their internal energies, she didn't show much reaction, having her suspicions confirmed, she couldn't help but be impressed, even if she didn't show it outwardly.
Within the Yushu Kingdom, there are a total of five realms to be achieved, with the Purified Physical Realm being the first and the Grand Martial Master Realm the last, and these men are exactly in the middle? Something that most people take decades to achieve, they accomplished in their twenties. Incredible! Even with the Star Sword Sect being in decline, it seems it's still one of the strongest sects in the northern region...
Following the young master's orders, both martial artists, determined not only to fulfill their orders but also to draw as much attention as possible from these two high-status individuals, prepared to give their all in the martial arts demonstration.
Yue Qing couldn't help but feel slightly anxious to see just how skilled two of the Star Sword Sect's greatest geniuses were, her eyes fixed on the sight before her, while the two awaited their master's signal in an area with far fewer flowers than the rest.
"Even though this is only a martial arts display, do not dare perform anything that would bore Yue Qing. But also, control your strength so as not to destroy the garden. Now, if both of you understand, you may begin!"
Boom!! Boom!!
The sound of two explosions echoed simultaneously the moment both men released their internal energies. Though their surroundings remained unharmed, the force was so great that, even from a considerable distance, the young girl's martial instincts screamed at her to flee immediately, sensing that these men were dangerous.
A quick stare-down began between the two, their swords still sheathed as they sized each other up. Their breathing became slightly labored, though neither had yet made a move, until, in the blink of an eye...
Whoosh!! Clang!!
Wow! I couldn't even see their movements!
In just a few seconds, moving so fast that even Yue Qing and Wei Ming's trained eyes couldn't follow, the swords of both men collided, not only creating a loud sound but also sending vibrations through the air that cut some of the nearby flowers.
Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!
A series of attacks, defenses, and counterattacks occurred in mere moments, their forms constantly shifting as they moved almost like a dance, each taking turns to attack, defend, and counter.
Their movements were incredibly smooth, despite the vast amounts of internal energy surrounding them, the flowers and grass they stepped on remained uncrushed once their feet lifted. This wasn't just a battle between two martial artists, no, this was something more, this was...
... Art! Perhaps it's because this is just a performance meant to entertain me, but to reach such a level of technique, making everything seem so graceful and fluid while still carrying such power, is truly an incredible feat...
Noticing how focused Yue Qing was on the duel, Wang Ming couldn't help but keep a discreet, arrogant smile, thinking that everything was going according to plan. For the first time, he had managed to surprise her and capture her attention.
Whoosh!!
After many clashes, the two men leaped back with acrobatic precision, quickly spreading their feet far apart. Stretching their back legs and bending their front knees, their hips lowered to just a few inches above the ground. With their swords beside their heads and their tips pointed at each other, a massive amount of energy began to gather around their blades.
Hmm? Is that—
"That's exactly what you're thinking, Yue Qing! This is one of the key moves of the Empty Star Sword Art, the Starform Slash!"
Simultaneously, the two men leaped high into the air, performing numerous cuts so fast that even the young girl couldn't follow. What appeared to be a large five-pointed star formed from bluish energy clashed in mid-air.
Boom!!!!!
The impact was massive, so large that a cloud of dust mixed with fragments of energy dispersed through the air like snowflakes. From within the cloud, both cultivators emerged, landing on their knees, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, their legs and arms trembling as they rose and sheathed their swords at their waists.
"So, what did you think of the quick presentation, Yue Qing? I hope it was to your liking."
For a moment, the young girl said nothing, still frozen in awe at the display she had just witnessed, until she suddenly regained her composure and answered Wang Ming, trying to keep her voice calm and steady, though her hand trembled slightly as she held her cup of tea.
"... I found it decent, Young Master Ming."
Hmph, still trying to act calm? I'm sure that, as someone who grew up among ordinary people, you've rarely seen anything as incredible as this martial art.
Thanking her for the "compliment," the young master dismissed the two men and turned to Yue Qing, hoping to take advantage of her still-dazed state to talk more easily with her. But, catching him off guard, she said...
"I wonder, how long do you think it would take Long Shen to master this martial art?"
The atmosphere Wang Ming had worked so hard to build was completely shattered in mere seconds, and Yue Qing knew it. She brought up the topic specifically to stop him from steering the conversation in his favor, and the young master reacted exactly as she had expected, trying to hide his anger, though he couldn't completely mask it.
"Hahaha... I think it would be quite difficult for him to manage, considering this is a high-level martial art, Yue Qing, hahahaha..." He explained, with forced and awkward laughter.
"Hm? You think so? Isn't he supposed to be the greatest genius in the sect or something?"
"..."
Wang Ming remained silent, internally cursing the young girl in every way possible as he tried to regain his composure before saying something he shouldn't.
"Speaking of which, despite what you said earlier, I think Long Shen should return soon. Though he's a bit naive, he's not foolish enough to expose himself to any dangerous situations, hahahaha! Don't you think?"
"Well... If you really believe that, how about we make a bet, Yue Qing?"
Too late. Wang Ming had never felt so disrespected in his entire life. All this time, he had always been the one in control of situations thanks to his status, but now, in front of someone he couldn't offend, he felt utterly powerless and barely held back his rage at her obvious challenge to his authority.
"A bet?"
"Yes, a bet... If Long Shen returns within a week, I'll personally end our engagement, and when I become the sect master, I'll support you anyway. But if he doesn't return, you'll have to marry me as soon as possible. So, what do you say?"
The young girl paused to think for a few seconds, while Wang Ming, feeling more clever than ever, laughed inwardly and let a victorious smile creep onto his face. But soon, a completely unexpected reality appeared before him.
"Well, I don't want to. Even if you try to break the engagement, in the end, our parents wouldn't allow it, so there's no reason to accept this bet."
The young man was filled with rage and was about to curse the girl when someone else entered the conversation, catching him off guard, Yue Xi, walking through the mansion's door.
"We've finished our meeting. We're leaving now, daughter."
"Alright, I'm coming, mother!"
Almost... I nearly put myself in a difficult situation. But damn it, why the hell didn't she accept something so beneficial for her? Wang Ming cursed internally.
Rising from her bench and thanking the young master for the show, Yue Qing left with a subtle smile on her face, feeling that, in the end, she had discovered something useful from such an unfortunate meeting.
Wang Ming would never make a bet he could lose due to his insecurities... So, apparently, I'll have to send someone to investigate Long Shen. It's good I found out sooner that something might have happened to him, perhaps the worst hasn't occurred yet.