Chapter 260: Overcoming Hardness with Softness

Hearing Li Si's words, Wei Zhuang became even more excited. Although Wei Zhuang was not like Sheng Qi, constantly going around to issue challenges, as a top-tier swordsman, he always hoped to encounter an opponent worthy of drawing his sword. Among the opponents worthy of Wei Zhuang drawing his sword, Gai Nie was one, the deceased Yan Dan was another, and now there was one more added to the list: Sheng Qi.

"The last time Sheng Qi failed, it was when he was captured over a dozen years ago," Li Si continued.

"Who was the person that captured him?" Wei Zhuang asked, already harboring some guesses in his heart.

"This person, Master Wei Zhuang should be very familiar with..."

"You mean...?" Wei Zhuang grew increasingly certain of his conjecture.

"At that time, the Emperor's premier swordsman!"

Hearing this answer, Wei Zhuang did not feel surprised in his heart. Just as he had anticipated, he and Gai Nie were destined rivals by fate, but at the same time, they were fellow disciples. Regarding Gai Nie's strength, probably no one knew it better than he did.

...

In the dense forest, Thief Tuo's current appearance was somewhat wretched. His left arm was pinned beneath a tree, and he was covered in blood all over. He struggled desperately, attempting to pull his arm out from between the two trees; however, he was a speed-type martial artist, not a strength-type one. Furthermore, with his left arm wedged between two trees and likely broken, trying to move the tree relying solely on the strength of his right hand was nothing short of a fantasy.

Tucked inside Thief Tuo's bosom was a yellow-colored disk—precisely the Non-Returning Password Copper Disk—though half of the copper disk was protruding outside. Discovering this issue, Thief Tuo hurriedly pressed the copper disk deeper into his chest.

Sheng Qi, holding the Juque sword, walked over with a murderous expression, his entire body emanating a suffocating aura.

Leaves slowly drifted down in the air, appearing exceptionally beautiful under the bright moonlight, yet adding a few more shades of a murderous atmosphere.

"It's one thing for a girl to chase after me, but why are you, a grown man, meddling in this?" Although Thief Tuo was trapped and in imminent danger, he still couldn't change his free-spirited personality, mocking Sheng Qi with a teasing expression.

Hearing Thief Tuo's banter, Sheng Qi's expression remained unchanged. He raised the Juque, intending to execute Thief Tuo right here and now.

"Cough, cough." Just as Sheng Qi was about to finish off Thief Tuo, Thief Tuo covered his mouth, coughed twice, and said to Sheng Qi with a smile, "Hey, if you want my life, you'd better greet this friend of mine first."

Although previously, because Xiao Xie had stepped in to stop Lord Shaosiming, Thief Tuo had not actually fought Lord Shaosiming, but afterward, Thief Tuo had encountered Lord Shaosiming and engaged in a brief exchange, ultimately utilizing the Lightning Flash Divine Movement Step to make a strategic retreat.

"I'm serious, she's right behind you." Seeing that Sheng Qi did not turn around, Thief Tuo pointed at a branch behind Sheng Qi.

"Hmm?" Sheng Qi also sensed a faint aura, turned around to look, and saw a leaf slowly drifting down.

A head of ethereal purple hair fluttered in the wind under the bright moonlight. Dressed in a short purple dress, Lord Shaosiming stood as if on flat ground high upon the tree branches. The belt at her waist and the hem of her skirt danced in the wind, and set against the bright moon behind her, she resembled a fairy descending from the heavens. Her beautiful purple eyes quietly looked down upon Sheng Qi.

"Hehe, to think that at the very last moment, the one who came to save me would actually be you," Thief Tuo said with a touch of self-derision.

Shaosiming stood high above, looking down with an indifferent expression at the two people on the ground.

"Huh? The Black Swordsman of the Luowang Organization and Lord Shaosiming of the Yin-Yang School—they both serve the Empire, so why do they look like they're at odds?" Thief Tuo thought to himself, "No matter what, I must buy some time first. The longer the delay, the more advantageous it is for me."

"Still, I'm glad you could come at this moment. I hope the one on your mind is me," Thief Tuo pulled the copper disk out from his bosom, spun it in his hand, and said with his usual cheeky demeanor, "and not this."

Upon seeing the copper disk in Thief Tuo's hand, Shaosiming's beautiful eyes widened slightly.

"Looks like it is indeed this." Seeing Shaosiming's reaction, Thief Tuo put on a slightly disappointed expression, then continued with his cheeky tone, "You two had better work hard, because there's only one prize."

With that, Thief Tuo tucked the copper disk back into his bosom.

Shaosiming extended her jade finger, dragging a trail of blue light at her fingertip. As her jade finger slowly traced through the air, green leaves followed the movement of her fingertip. Gradually, the green leaves formed a Bagua pattern, beginning to revolve around Shaosiming's finger.

"Hey, you better be careful. This big black brute is nothing like me; he has completely no concept of cherishing jade and pitying flowers," Thief Tuo called out as a reminder when he saw this scene.

Shaosiming ignored Thief Tuo's words. With a wave of her right hand, the leaves in her palm instantly transformed into three clusters, shooting toward Sheng Qi like three green venomous snakes.

Facing the three incoming clusters of leaves imbued with inner energy—capable of slicing through metal and jade—Sheng Qi wielded his giant sword and slashed out three sword qi, chopping two of the leaf clusters into fragments.

Shaosiming's expression remained unchanged. With a light wave of her jade finger, the third cluster of leaves seemed to gain a life of its own, dodging Sheng Qi's sword qi and hurtling toward him from an even trickier angle.

"Humph!" Sheng Qi let out a cold snort. Wielding the Juque, he executed a whirlwind slash, exploding the attacking green-leaf snake into pieces.

However, for Shaosiming, who was proficient in the Myriad Leaves Flying Flower technique, the forest was her home turf. Crossing her hands in front of her chest, countless leaves began to gather before her, forming a green leaf sphere.

"Alright! Give this big black brute a good lesson!" Seeing this, Thief Tuo shouted as if eager to watch a good show.

The green sphere before her instantly burst open, leaving two green rings revolving around Shaosiming's hands. Tapping lightly with her toes, Shaosiming flew forward toward Sheng Qi, the green rings on her hands instantly transforming into two long whips that coiled like venomous snakes around the Juque in Sheng Qi's grip.

Shaosiming flicked her wrists slightly, utilizing the momentum to fly forward. Tapping the tip of her toes against the point of the Juque, she performed a forward flip, attempting to snatch the Juque from Sheng Qi's grasp with the leaf whips in her hands. However, Shaosiming somewhat underestimated Sheng Qi's strength; she failed to take the Juque away and was instead heavily swung aside by Sheng Qi wielding the giant sword, sending her and the green leaf whip flying out together.

Seizing the opportunity, Sheng Qi slashed and shattered the green whip with a single sword strike. Shaosiming smoothly landed upon a tree branch, rapidly forming hand seals. Under her manipulation, countless green leaves transformed into sharp green arrows, fiercely raining down upon Sheng Qi.

Seeing this, Sheng Qi hurriedly spun the Juque in his hand into an impenetrable barrier, shattering these green arrows one by one, and then unleashed a slash of sword qi in Shaosiming's direction, tearing through the air toward her.

Shaosiming slightly tilted her body backward, grazing past the blade of sword qi as it fluttered the edge of her thin veil.

"What! You can actually bring yourself to strike such a fair and delicate young lady!" Seeing this scene, Thief Tuo cursed loudly at Sheng Qi.

Sheng Qi did not let up while holding the advantage. Raising the Juque, he leaped high into the air and unleashed several two-meter-long arcs of sword qi toward Shaosiming.

After gracefully dodging the sword qi, Shaosiming seemed to begin taking things seriously. Her slender jade feet landed lightly upon the leaves, bearing no more weight than a feather, while her hands moved gracefully like a dancer. Threads of Yin-Yang inner energy gathered between her palms, and by the time Sheng Qi noticed, his limbs had already been tightly bound by vines abruptly bursting forth from the ground.

"Hehe, wonderful! Today, all the people I care about have gathered," Thief Tuo couldn't help but chuckle self-deprecatingly upon seeing Gao Jianli and Gai Nie arrive. Although Duanmu Rong was not severely injured as she was in the animation, in Thief Tuo's eyes, Gai Nie remained his primary romantic rival.

Hundreds and thousands of leaves converged from all directions like a pilgrimage, rapidly gathering alongside the dazzling flash of light upon Shaosiming's left hand. The rapidly converging leaves transformed into a sphere within Shaosiming's palm, only to burst apart explosively in the very next instant. The fragile leaves, wrapped in vast Yin-Yang inner energy, turned into countless high-speed lethal arrows, shooting fiercely toward the immobilized Sheng Qi.