Chapter 8: The Underlying Current Turns Out to Be a Romance Show (5)
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Mu Zhi was thoroughly pleased with the bustling discussions in the tea house. He believed it wouldn’t be long before the news of the bl**d Cloak Building being defeated by the Demon Sect’s Demoness would spread through the small town and eventually over the entire Martial World.
But just when everything seemed to be going his way, a sharp “bang!” rang out from a corner of the tea house.
Everyone turned to see a female swordswoman, her face veiled in white cloth, suddenly slam her hand on the table, seemingly oblivious to the faces of the martial artists around her.
“That Demoness is merely a leftover from a third-rate Demon Sect; in terms of genuine martial arts skills, she probably doesn’t even qualify as average. I really don’t understand what this esteemed brother achieves by exaggerating her prowess!”
Mu Zhi’s face turned red with fury upon hearing this. How dare this woman publicly refute him in front of so many people? Clearly, she had no respect for the rules of the Jianghu! Even if she dismissed him, didn’t the reputation of the Qingcheng Sect hold any weight?
“Dear heroine, if you say I’m fabricating stories, then do you have any evidence to back that up? I won’t even mention the reliability of my sources. Where were you last night when the bl**d Cloak Building battled that Demoness? What gives you the right to accuse me of alarmist nonsense?”
Lin Nan sneered, “That Demoness was my defeated foe—how could I not know her true capabilities?”
Mu Zhi burst into laughter, “Oh, heroine! If you’re trying to brag, this isn’t the way to go about it. You just claimed this right out of thin air! There’s no one else here; who’s going to verify your story? Furthermore, it’s well known that the bl**d Cloak Building lost two elite killers in the mountain stronghold, and I, Mu, did not speak a single lie. On the contrary, who are you? What sect do you belong to, that you dare to flatter yourself with such reckless statements?”
Throughout history and in every era, it seems that teasing beautiful women and relishing their blunders are common male pastimes. Seeing Mu Zhi deliver such a strong rebuttal and rub his opponent’s face in it only made the crowd feel a sense of pleasure rising from their depths. They couldn’t help but burst into raucous laughter.
In truth, Lin Nan had already devised her countermeasure. Since she claimed to have defeated the Demoness, if she could manage to subdue the most skilled martial artist in the tea house, it would prove that the Demon Sect’s Demoness was no big deal—a far cry from the legends.
Hence, the crowd would slowly start to shift their interest toward her fictional identity and forget all about that one from the mountain stronghold. All in all, her plan seemed foolproof; it all depended on how her opponent cooperated.
Glancing at her dwindling Luck Value now at a mere 10 points, Lin Nan finally felt a sense of assurance.
She took a deep breath, drew her sword with a “cling,” pointed it directly at Mu Zhi, and coldly stated, “If you don’t believe me, let’s have a duel. If I can’t even defeat you, then I’ll admit that all my previous words were false!”
Facing such an open provocation—especially a challenge from a woman—if Mu Zhi refused, he would surely never be able to lift his head in the Jianghu again.
“Fine! But if we’re dueling, we ought to have some stakes. If I lose, I’ll publicly confess that I was talking nonsense and that the Demoness is nothing to be afraid of. What about you, if you lose?”
Lin Nan coldly replied, “If I lose, you can deal with me however you wish.”
Mu Zhi burst out laughing, “I suspect you’ve taken a liking to me, which is why you resorted to such a roundabout way to challenge me.”
The tea house erupted in laughter.
The members of the Giant Wave Gang shared knowing glances, and some even sighed, “Mu Zhi is hardly better than a name-dropper from the Qingcheng Sect. It’s no wonder he attracts women—this Giant Wave Gang sounds so uncool that they must pay for their problems. No girl would ever look their way!”
Among the crowd, only Little Shiyuan ignored the laughter and looked toward Lin Nan with a hint of curiosity.
Lin Nan added, “If you lose, I’ll also add another hundred taels of silver to the bet.”
Mu Zhi didn’t even think before agreeing. This bet was a no-brainer for him. Losing was out of the question.
If he won, even if this girl was hiding half her face, her figure was just about perfect—bringing her home would surely be delightful.
“May I ask which sect you hail from?”
Regaining his composure, Mu Zhi formally clasped his hands in respect, as per martial tradition.
Lin Nan coolly replied, “I have no sect but do go by the name ‘Treading the Red Dust.’”
“Treading the Red Dust? Am I that ignorant?”
“Have you heard of it?”
“Nope, sounds like the first time.”
The crowd looked puzzled.
Mu Zhi laughed, “What a great name, Treading the Red Dust! Come, let me, the Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn, have a match with you, Treading the Red Dust!”
In the tea house, tables and chairs were hastily rearranged, making room amidst the crowd.
The two quickly stepped into the open area in front of the tea house, each holding a sword, drawing a massive audience of spectators.
People spontaneously formed a circle, giving space for the two to maneuver.
Recently, there had been plenty of brawls in town, but it was rare for the duel to be between a man and a woman. Moreover, one of them was a well-known rising star of the Qingcheng Sect, Mu Zhi, known as the Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn, while the other was a veiled, graceful figure in red. Although she was not known, just their presence on the street made for a spectacular sight.
The Giant Wave Gang had initially come to the tea house just to fill their bellies, but now that they encountered such a lively scene, they couldn’t bear to leave.
As the duel was about to begin, the two gang members overseeing Little Shiyuan focused intently on the action.
If it had been anyone else, they might have seized the chance to slip seamlessly into the raucous crowd.
But Shiyuan showed no sign of leaving, standing on tiptoe to watch the distinguished figures dueling in the inner circle.
One meddler jumped into the inner circle and clasped his hands, saying, “If I may, I’d like to volunteer to be the judge. In a duel, let’s keep it friendly; no need to hurt each other’s feelings!”
Mu Zhi glanced at him and recognized this guy as just another clout chaser.
But having a judge was beneficial; in case his opponent threw a tantrum, there would be someone to bear witness.
Lin Nan, silent, didn’t mind.
Thus, a judge was officially appointed.
“Everyone, be quiet! Let me introduce the names of our duelists,” the judge announced loudly.
“This is the outstanding young man from the Qingcheng Sect, known as ‘Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn,’ Mu Zhi!”
Immediately, Mu Zhi puffed up his chest, looking all suave and dashing.
The crowd couldn’t help but cast envious glances, even some girls squealed, which made Mu Zhi feel even more validated about partaking in this duel. Once he triumphantly defeated his opponent, his fame would soar, making this long trip worthwhile.
“And this young heroine is…”
The judge scanned the crowd, indicating that the woman wasn’t particularly famous. Still, for her to spar with the “Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn,” she wasn’t your average Joe.
“That’s Treading the Red Dust! Her name is Treading the Red Dust!” someone shouted from the crowd.
“Oh, so it’s the lovely Treading the Red Dust!”
The judge declared, “Facing off against the Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn, Mu Zhi, is the enchanting Treading the Red Dust!”
Everyone held their breath, and the tense atmosphere thickened throughout the room.
