Chapter 149 - What on Earth does he Want?
Under the candlelight, Lu Mingshu went through the book that Xie Lianzhen gave her.
The book was thick, with detailed records about a wide collection of people. It was hard to believe that such a book on the participants existed.
There's a very high chance that this is one of the most important secrets of the Seventh Truth Platform. A normal Seventh Truth Platform disciple might not even have access to this information; only those with enough potential to do well would be able to see it.
Despite that, Xie Lianzhen gave it to her unconditionally.
This action sent Lu Mingshu thoughts spinning.
She remembered the piece of jade he gave her, and she remembered how Yan Wugui once said that whoever Xie Lianzhen had his eyes on, he would give him or her a piece of jade as an investment, and then when he or she grew up, he would start collecting interest. Is it the same in my case too?
She didn't know why, but the eye contact they made before she left replayed in her mind.
The starry night and the fresh flowers were complements to his looks. Especially when the lantern light shone on his face, which showed his charm even more. Under the pretty night sky, it turned his elegance into an enticing gloominess.
To have a fleeting glimpse… a magnificent style unmatched in his generation. Such a scene could only be seen by those who were fated.
She felt a weird feeling in her heart, as if she had a unique privilege to pry into some secret, and that she was the only one able to do so.
And what he said replayed in her mind as well.
"Do you want to reconsider it?"
When he initially suggested it a while ago, he was cool and easygoing about it, like he was merely suggesting collaboration. However, today, his tone was way different; he sounded warm and soft, as if he was… pleading with her? It made her waver.
An absurd thought popped into her mind. Does he actually have feelings for me?
No way. She shook her head and mocked herself. How many times had they even met? And like what Yan Wugui said, she was as stubborn as an ox and unfeminine, unlike other girls of her age - affectionate and soft. What's there for him to like? If he does like me, he must have weird tastes.
Nevermind. Even if he does, I can't afford to put my heart into a relationship, so stop thinking about it.
Lu Mingshu continued to flip through the book.
All the people she met earlier tonight were in the book. From the amount of information they had in the book, it was obvious that the Seventh Truth Platform had been keeping an eye on them for a long period of time.
She stopped when she got to the Nine Jade Palace page.
"Lu Mingshu: eldest daughter of Fu Shangqin. Family destroyed by the Nine Jade Palace's Zhou family. Entered Nine Jade Palace at seven, when her mother died, and had Liu Jizhen as her master. All her resources were cut off. Got into the Inner Breath Realm at eleven, Harmonization Realm at fifteen. After three months, she fought eighteen disciples during the Heavenly Door competition and became a genuine successor disciple.
"Expert in the sword. Skills passed down from Xiang Hongfei. Mastered Physical Manifestation of Sword Intent, and good accuracy. Character does not match her age - firm and cold, would do anything to win. Don't get cheated by her appearance."
After that, there was a long description of her ability: "She's good at finding flaws since she has been fighting for many years. She's much fiercer compared to other martial artists of her age."
The last sentence was, "Skilled at rune-carving, and can use it to freeze the opponent's mystic force."
They graded her as grade A, a grade just below the top fighter Kou Wei, and on par with Yue Lingyin and Bo Zhong.
She never expected herself to be valued so highly in the eyes of the Seventh Truth Platform. However, Lu Mingshu felt a tinge of worry; if she was thought of so highly in the eyes of an opponent, it would be harder for her to win since they would have their guards up. Let's just hope that the other sects don't have such information.
When she reached the last page, she was shocked.
The ink on the last page looked new, and the font looked different.
It was the name list for the challenger's fight. The name list was split into different rows. The first was for the best, or in other words, the ones trying to get on the New Generation Ranking. Second was for the people with ordinary abilities, but who still stood a chance of being on the New Generation Ranking. The third was for the weakest, or to put it simply, people that one doesn't need to worry about.
The name list was followed by a detailed strategy on when to start and how much to fight, information that shouldn't be made known to outsiders.
A weird feeling rushed up in her heart. Lu Mingshu bit her lips while trying to figure it out.
It wasn't as if nobody had ever treated her this way before. However, the way Liu Jizhen and Gao Xiang treated her felt different. Kou Wei, who she only met recently, treated her like a younger sibling that he needed to take care of. They weren't as patient and caring as Xie Lianzhen… as if he was trying to make her happy.
What the hell does he want? Asking me to meet him at such places, saying those kinds of words, and even arranging this book. Does he really…?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Lu Mingshu just shut the book and went to rest.
Who cares what he wants? I'm not going to change my decision!
In the palace of the king of Zhongzhou, the queen sat in front of the dressing table, brushing her hair and removing her makeup.
Ding Qingqing walked in. "Your Highness."
"It's late. What's wrong?" the queen asked impatiently.
Ding Qingqing glanced at the servants, and they left the room shortly.
When they all left, Ding Qingqing then started, "Young Master invited Miss Lu to the greenhouse."
The queen stopped in her tracks. She made eye contact with Ding Qingqing through the mirror.
"What did they say?"
"Young Master didn't let anyone get close."
The queen nodded. She knew her eldest son well. There was something strange about him; he may look gentle, but when he was upset, it was a different story. Even Ding Qingqing and Xiahou Shan dared not anger him.
"But," Ding Qingqing continued, "Miss Lu left the greenhouse first, and when Young Master left, he was smiling."
Ding Qingqing said that he was smiling, which was something hardly seen.
The queen shut her eyes and sighed. She threw the comb on the dressing table and sneered, "That kid only knows how to worry me."
"Your Highness…"
"As soon as he starts playing mind games, that means he really has his heart on this." The queen had a thin smile. "I don't want to force anyone, but I have no choice. I saw this! Does he want me to be an evil person?"
Ding Qingqing remained silent. She did not have any rights to comment at this point.
"Whatever." The queen picked up her comb again and started to comb her dark and long hair. "What can I do? He's my son. For her son, a mother can even cut her own flesh to feed him just so he doesn't starve."
Ding Qingqing lowered her head, listening to rants that nobody else would.
"Back then, I gave him whatever I felt was best for him, but he proved to me with his illness that he didn't value any of that. Since that's the case, just let him be. I'll give him whatever he wants, as long as it makes him happy."
"But, Miss Lu…"
The queen sneered. "Do you think he isn't aware? I know my son well. He knows for sure, he just wants what he wants."
Ding Qingqing kept quiet. She felt sorry for that girl. When Young Master didn't want something, her view was the most important, but when he wanted something, her views were absolutely nothing.
Chapter 150 - Unforeseen Circumstances
It was seven in the morning, but the tents were already filled.
Lin Zixin appeared on the rooftop. He looked at the crowd and started, "Ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to carry out the challenger's fight. The rules are as follows…"
All participants would submit his or her name along with the name of the opponent that they had selected to the clerk. If the prerequisites were met, the match would be set up. The prerequisites were as follows: firstly, the opponent should have rested more than an hour after his or her previous fight. Secondly, one can't challenge someone twice. Thirdly, opponents could reject a fight after competing twice in one day.
After reading out the rules, Lin Zixin announced, "If there's no objection, the competition will begin now."
One after another, a few disciples went up to submit names.
After a few moments, Lin Zixin announced the first two names; "Miao Yi from the Door of Refinement, challenging He Zhangfeng from the Cranes of Heaven Sect."
Both parties went up on stage. They started immediately after the opening etiquette.
Lu Mingshu observed in silence.
Looking at their abilities, it was obvious they were B-class. It was indeed just like what she heard from Kou Wei and company; the challenger's fight always started off with the disciples who knew that they didn't have a chance to get onto the New Generation Ranking, but they wanted to become famous. To these types, the earlier they fought, the better. As time passed, more participants would come up, and it would be harder and harder to remember everyone's names.
Both parties fighting had the same motive. They weren't trying to get a rapid victory, they were focused on displaying their abilities. Since they were evenly matched, the match was way more interesting than the preliminaries.
The spectators were all supportive as well. They cheered and clapped for them.
In the end, the challenger had a close win.
When both of them left the rooftop, warm applause was given to them.
Lu Mingshu suddenly realized that Tan Yubing was preparing paper and pen. "Senior Aunt Tan, are you going up for a match?"
Tan Yubing gave her a smile as she continued searching for a target on the name list. "I'm still looking for someone to try."
"But you will lose out if you start too early."
Tan Yubing found a target and wrote the name down on the paper. "Junior Niece Lu, I'm different from you."
Lu Mingshu stared at her blankly.
"You're capable enough to stand a chance of getting onto the New Generation Ranking, so of course you'll wait. The New Generation Ranking might be a little farfetched for me, but I don't want to give up yet, so I'm going to test the waters first. Two or three matches a day, and if it's smooth, I'll continue. If it's not, then I'll stop."
Lu Mingshu never expected Tan Yubing to think that way. However, after much thought, she realized that Tan Yubing was right. In the book that Xie Lianzhen gave Lu Mingshu, Tan Yubing's name was placed in the second group, almost in the class but not quite. Yes, she could fight, but whether she could get onto the New Generation Ranking was another thing.
It was just that Lu Mingshu had always thought that Tan Yubing and Shao Zhengyang, who were also genuine successor disciples of Nine Jade Palace, would have the same goal as her.
Since this was Tan Yubing's goal, what about Shao Zhengyang's?
Feeling her stare, Shao Zhengyang knew what she was thinking and replied, "I'm not as good as Senior Aunt Tan, but I have a big heart. I won't feel content if I don't try my best."
Tan Yubing smiled. "Junior Nephew Shao is too humble. I only entered the Harmonization Realm a few years earlier than you, and my basics are only stronger than yours by a bit. If we were to fight, I might lose."
Cultivation was a big part of how capable one was, but it wasn't everything. Two people may be in the same realm, but if there was a difference in their basics, they would have different levels of strength. However, strong basics didn't necessarily mean that one would be better either. If that was the case, then Lu Mingshu would stand no chance of entering the New Generation Ranking. She only entered her current realm about a year ago. No matter how hard she trained, she was no match for those who have trained for seven or eight or even more years.
In the Seventh Truth Platform book, Shao Zhengyang was also listed in the second group, similar to Tan Yubing.
Tan Yubing sent her challenge up.
After a while, the clerk sent a message back to say that the match was set.
Li Zixin then announced Tan Yubing's name.
The opponent she chose was a female disciple who had a similar level of ability.
The match was interesting. Not only were they skilled, they looked aesthetically pleasing too.
The match ended with warm applause from the spectators.
Tan Yubing came back with a win, and people rushed to congratulate her.
Tan Yubing was feeling happy about her win. "That fight was close! I don't think I'm fated for the New Generation Ranking."
Lin Zixin announced the participants for the next match.
"Huo Jiang from the Sapphire Blood Sect, challenging Lu Mingshu from the Nine Jade Palace."
Hearing the announcement, not only was Lu Mingshu taken aback, Kou Wei and the rest were rooted to the ground.
During the preliminary, Lu Mingshu had already shown off her ability by dominating Xing Kun, who was B-class at the minimum. That should have been enough to put ordinary people off from challenging her.
This Huo Jiang, his match during the preliminary wasn't anything outstanding, so hardly anyone even remembered him. Is Huo Jiang mad? Can't he see the difference between their abilities?
Huo Jiang jumped onto the stage and looked over at the Nine Jade Palace's tent.
Since Lu Mingshu didn't have any reason to not fight, she got up and went on stage.
The Sapphire Blood Sect was an average sect. It was even weaker than Nine Jade Palace. Huo Jiang was also an average disciple even in his sect. Not only his ability, but his looks and manners as well. He was the type that no one would be able to recognize in a crowd.
And yet, such an average person was out here doing something that shocked everyone.
"Miss Lu, please advise me." Huo Jiang bowed.
Lu Mingshu bowed back. "I do not dare."
After the starting etiquette, she immediately fished out her sword.
The weapon that Huo Jiang was using was one that not many disciples would use. He was using a sort of giant two-pronged throwing star type weapon, which looked like two machetes joined together on either side of a circle.
Seeing Lu Mingshu's sword-light, Huo Jiang swung his weapon and went up against her.
Lu Mingshu didn't start slow. Huo Jiang's ability was just as she had calculated - average. In no time, the stage was filled with Lu Mingshu's sword-light, and he had no choice but to dodge.
"What's this?" Qi Sheng couldn't figure out what was happening. "Is he here to give away free points?"
Kou Wei tapped his fan as he furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on.
Suddenly, he screamed, "Oh no!"
"What?" Qi Sheng was shocked by Kou Wei's scream, then he heard the other tents gasping in surprise.
He looked over to the rooftop to see that both parties had stopped, and Lu Mingshu was grabbing her arm.
Her clothes had been cut apart, and blood was dripping from a cut.
Nine Jade Palace's uniforms were white, so the blood was quite obvious.
"Why is she injured?" Qi Sheng asked.
"So that's it!" A light bulb popped into Kou Wei's head.
Qi Sheng had ants in his pants because he was still confused by the situation. "Senior Brother, what is it? Tell me, tell me!"
"Behave yourself!" Kou Wei hit Qi Sheng on the head with his fan. "Huo Jiang's ability might be average, but his weapon is special. There's a concealed weapon inside it. He once showed it, but I didn't realize."
"Concealed weapon?"
"Yes!" Kou Wei furrowed his eyebrows. "I guess somebody wants to take down Miss Lu so she doesn't take a spot on the New Generation Ranking."
Lu Mingshu had only become famous recently, but the invitations for the Qilin Festival had been sent out long ago. It took a lot of effort and resources for an average sect to train a disciple who had potential to get on the New Generation Ranking, so why would they let that all go down the drain just because of Lu Mingshu's sudden appearance? Of all the potential New Generation Ranking candidates, Lu Mingshu was obviously to easiest to deal with.
It wasn't important who Huo Jiang was, what was important was that he managed to injure Lu Mingshu when she let her guard down.
Chapter 151 - The Blind Know More
A cut appeared on Lu Mingshu's left arm, and it was dangerously close to her joint. If Lu Mingshu had not been alert, her left arm's mobility would have been badly affected right now.
She turned a blind eye to the cut. What's new?
She stared intensely at the weapon in Huo Jiang's hand and tried to replay that moment.
As soon as the match started, she planned to fight fast and end it fast in order to prevent wasting too much energy. She started out fiercely, and the match was going as she wanted; Huo Jiang was trapped under her sword-energy, unable to do much.
Strangely, she suddenly felt a great threat one second, and the next, she was cut.
She couldn't feel anything about where or how the concealed weapon was shot out.
This was unusual. All martial artists were very sharp, and she was always working on her senses. Even if she was fighting blindfolded, she would still be able to figure out what was going on and fight normally.
How did Huo Jiang do it without me noticing? Weapons that could injure a martial artist would have mystic light. How could mystic light go unnoticed?
After pausing for a while, Lu Mingshu attacked again, driving Huo Jiang into a corner.
Huo Jiang frantically raised his weapon up to block the attack, but it served no purpose since his defense was crushed by her sword-energy.
Swift and fierce sword-energy nearly materialized in the air. Mild gold mystic light hung mid-air distinctively, the murderous spirit filling the stage.
"She wants to finish it quickly," Kou Wei commented. "It's risky, but it may work."
Putting Lu Mingshu aside, even Kou Wei, a spectator, couldn't tell where the concealed weapon came from. He could only guess that it had to do with Huo Jiang's special weapon. Being trapped in such a scenario, the best method was to get it over with as quickly as possible before he seized another chance to use the concealed weapon against her.
"What on earth!?" As soon as Kou Wei finished speaking, he was taken aback by what he saw.
Lu Mingshu suddenly stopped her attacks.
This time, her waist was injured.
Bright red blood couldn't stop flowing out. Since she was wearing white, it was very obvious, and it stained a big part of her clothes.
The spectators all gasped in surprise.
"What happened? Where did that cut come from?"
"Concealed weapon! It must be a concealed weapon! It's weird that he managed to do it so stealthily. He must be extremely skillful. Looks like he might have a chance to be part of the New Generation Ranking."
"That's not right. If he's so capable, why would he be out to fight so early?"
"Tsk, this Huo Jiang, doesn't he have any protective feelings for girls? Look, she's just a young beauty. How can he bear to make her bleed some much? I would love her dearly, man!" someone commented carelessly.
But he was immediately spat at. "If he doesn't bear it, he would just be waiting to die. Look at that girl; could you live after ten attacks?"
On the seats of the Seventh Truth Platform, somebody was more than happy to see Lu Mingshu in this state. "Well, isn't she powerful, eh? It's only day one and she's already down!"
Yu Kuang nudged State Master Jia Yan softly. "Little Junior Sister, lower your volume. You're embarrassing me!"
State Master Jia Yan rolled her eyes. "I'm not even talking about you!"
"But I lost to her…."
"That doesn't count."
After arguing with State Master Jia Yan for a while, Yu Kuang started focusing on the match. He could see Xie Lianzhen from the corner of his eye. Xie Lianzhen's eyes were glued to the match, and he looked gloomy. I wonder what's on his mind?
"Senior Brother, what should she do?" Qi Sheng was on pins and needles. "Miss Lu's injuries are serious!"
"No, they're minor injuries." Kou Wei pushed Qi Sheng's forehead. "They're just flesh wounds. It only looks gory. As long as she does something to the wounds after this match, it won't affect things much."
"But she can't continue on like this! What if she loses too much blood?"
Yes. She can't continue on like this. To any apex martial artist, even a minor problem could be affect the outcome. The injury may be minor, but it would still more or less affect the result of the match.
Kou Wei knocked on Qi Sheng's forehead. "Two ways. One, try to defeat him as soon as possible while accumulating even more injuries. Secondly, find a way to destroy the concealed weapon."
"What kind of stupid ideas are those?" Qi Sheng rolled his eyes. "The first one is like digging your own freaking grave. And why would someone make a concealed weapon that is easy to destroy? You idiot Senior Brother!" The longer she takes, the more injured she'll become, and that's exactly what the opponent wants!
Kou Wei stared at him coldly, unlike anything Qi Sheng had experienced before. "There's no free lunch in this world, my dear Junior Brother."
On the stage, Lu Mingshu moved. She stabbed her sword into the ground and fished out a handkerchief from her sleeve.
Everybody thought that she was going to use it to stop her bleeding. However, she blindfolded herself.
"What the hell?" There was an uproar in the tents.
"She's in such a state and she's blindfolding herself? She can't wait to die, eh?"
"Senior Brother!" Panicking, Qi Sheng screamed into Kou Wei's ear.
Kou Wei was taken aback by her actions at first, but after realizing what was going on, he turned and smiled at Qi Sheng. "As expected. She's Lu Mingshu indeed."
She's choosing the second way. It's not a smart one… if she doesn't succeed, she will be digging her own grave.
But that's what Kou Wei admired about her. For example, before the Qilin festival, she went to compete at every arena in Tianyun City without fail just to get closer to her goal.
The handkerchief blocked all light, and without her sight, her other senses became much more powerful. She had already planned out the exact scenario in her mind without leaving a single detail out.
Lu Mingshu started to attack again. This time around, her sword-light shone even brighter, and the mystic light almost turned solid.
Huo Jiang was still being pushed into the corner, with no way to counterattack.
However, new injuries kept appearing, on her thighs, back, hands, and more.
"Just give up!" someone shouted. "What's the use of fighting on? Yes, you have powerful skills, but just admit defeat if you are going to lose anyway!"
"What do you know? She's doing all this because she knows that she's going to lose!"
"You're right…."
Qi Sheng looked at the match anxiously. He nudged Kou Wei softly. "Senior Brother…"
"Shut the hell up!" Kou Wei was trying to focus on the match and Qi Sheng kept interrupting him. He smacked his fan on Qi Sheng's head hard. "Can't you just keep your mouth shut-"
A Ding! cut him off, and they both looked at the stage. The mystic light of Lu Mingshu's sword was still shining brightly and swirling around the sword like a dragon.
The sword-light flickered and burst into sparks, which fell to the ground like snow. She removed the handkerchief and pointed to the tip of the sword. "This is it, huh?"
What is it?
Kou Wei squinted his eyes to get a clearer look. An item was stuck to the tip of her sword. It was as thin as a cicada wing, and it was so transparent that one could hardly see it. Kou Wei wouldn't have seen it if Lu Mingshu hadn't grabbed it and flicked it, which caused it to make some noise.
That's the concealed weapon?
"And here I thought it was something powerful. Who knew it was just because of its material." Lu Mingshu cleaned it up before putting it in her pocket. She started attacking again before Huo Jiang could react.
The mystic light shone brighter, pushing Huo Jiang down. This time around, Huo Jiang didn't even get to stand up. All the spectators could see was the sword manifesting into a dragon, swimming toward Huo Jiang.
Ding~~~~! Another concealed weapon was stuck on the tip of the sword.
Huo Jiang's main weapon flew away as well.
Lin Zixin then announced, "Nine Jade Palace, Lu Mingshu wins!