Chapter 92: How Many Fiancées Do You Actually Have?
In the wind and snow, Qing Ji stood with his back to Luxianbei, sword drawn, his black hair and white clothing billowing like a bl**d-stained spear, exuding a chilling aura like a bloody long spear.
A flaw!
Luxianbei was convinced that Qing Ji was teaching her a new move, and as soon as she caught the slightest flaw, she charged forward with her sword without hesitation.
The broken sword lunged forward from her hand, and at that moment, as it cut through the air, flames unexpectedly ignited on the blade. In that instant when the broken sword was lit by the flames, the sword’s rust became extraordinarily sharp, and the rust burned away like brilliant starlight.
The air was sliced open with a piercing whistle.
Then…
Luxianbei was sent flying.
“Ah—!”
Hearing the scream behind her, Qing Ji, who had his back to Luxianbei, revealed a sly smile at the corners of his mouth.
Did the little rascal’s prediction fail?
Caught off guard, huh?
Once this spirit energy leaves the body and condenses into an imperceptible entity, the “External Self,” you can’t predict it! Qing Ji thought to himself, feeling quite pleased.
————
As her body was sent flying backward, Luxianbei looked at Qing Ji, who hadn’t moved at all, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Just now, she had approached Qing Ji almost stealthily, and it was only when she thrust her sword that a sound was unavoidable.
Yet, as she closed in on Qing Ji, the moment she swung her sword, there was no intense spirit energy fluctuation, no movement from Qing Ji, not even a flicker of predictability; she was simply sent flying, with everything happening without warning.
Is this the new move? An attack that can’t even be caught by a predictive thought…
While Luxianbei was in shock, Qing Ji suddenly moved.
The joints creaked, producing a low, thunder-like sound, and the muscles throughout his body stirred, causing his garments to flutter.
Luxianbei had seen this kind of control, where every bit of physical strength is maximized, and instinctively reacted as Qing Ji approached her, swinging her sword to block his path.
However, it was completely useless!
Qing Ji leaned back, and then his body mysteriously glided sideways as if pulled by an invisible rope, elegantly arcing out to the side.
The horizontally slashing broken sword grazed her nose, and as she steadied herself, Qing Ji suddenly stepped forward, arriving at Luxianbei’s side.
With a missed strike, Luxianbei was startled. She quickly retracted her sword to steady herself and turned to face the figure that had entered her peripheral vision, her predictive thoughts catching Qing Ji’s movement.
[He clenched his right hand and launched a punch]
A strong sense of crisis pierced her like a steel needle, jabbing into her body and stabbing her nerves.
In the next moment, Qing Ji’s fist roared toward her, silver light bursting forth.
Luxianbei caught the trajectory of Qing Ji’s movement, and with a forceful push off the ground, she intended to retreat, but at that moment, she felt a terrifying great force pulling her toward Qing Ji, as if a feather caught in the wind, uncontrollably crashing toward that chilling long sword.
However, just when she thought this lesson would end, the long sword hovered just in front of her chest.
The sword tip was less than a millimeter from her body.
“Impressive, right?” Qing Ji suddenly asked.
“Ah?” Luxianbei was momentarily stunned, snapping back to reality, and hurriedly nodded, “It’s impressive!”
The ancestor indeed had improved compared to before; it must be due to the resonance between the broken sword and the measuring rod, Luxianbei thought.
“Do you want to learn?” Qing Ji asked again.
“I do!” Luxianbei answered without a hint of hesitation.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she heard the sound of thunder.
“Boom—!”
The sword light pierced through her, accompanied by the cracking sound of shattered bones, and she exploded…
————
Amidst a deafening silence, Luxianbei felt as if she were caught in a whirlpool of darkness, sinking and rising…
After slightly adapting to the discomfort brought on by d*ath, she steadied herself and immediately entered the classic phase of post-battle reflection.
The sword moves used by the ancestor earlier were still from the “Taihe Gentleman Sword Illustration,” but they seemed more exquisite now.
The force that eventually caused her body to explode was simulated using spirit energy, the power of the Hundred-Armed Giant.
That new move should be what helped his body execute strange translations while dodging, along with the inexplicable pulling force she felt while slipping away.
That move actually couldn’t even be captured by a predictive thought; she would need to be extra cautious about that!
As Luxianbei contemplated, she unwittingly felt the bone-chilling cold wind again.
She opened her eyes, looking around, and the moment she spotted Qing Ji, she charged forward with her sword, exuding an air of recklessness.
After all, in this hellish place, she couldn’t really d*e.
So, after clashing with Qing Ji for three moves, she finally got what she wanted and was killed again.
And this time, just before killing Luxianbei, he silently unleashed a forbidden spell formula, which amplified the pain experienced during the k*ll by more than tenfold!
This special forbidden spell, called Reverse Unholy Flower Curse, was something Qing Ji learned from the Miaojiang Guji one snowy night a hundred years ago. When applied, it could influence the target’s senses to some degree.
As for what sense the Miaojiang Guji affected him back then… let’s just say it pertains to a certain tactile sensation, and any more details would be off-limits.
————
Drifting in the darkness, Luxianbei opened her eyes, lost in thought, as she still seemed to feel the intense pain capable of shattering one’s spirit.
However, she didn’t shy away; instead, her fighting spirit grew even more intense.
Although she had just fought Qing Ji for only three moves before dying, which felt somewhat stifled, she had a vague feeling that she was starting to grasp something before consciousness slipped into darkness.
So close, just a bit more, if she could hold on for a little longer, she would be able to memorize the ancestor’s new move!
No big deal; just help me get back up, and I can contribute more!
Excitedly, Luxianbei thought as she opened her eyes again on the rooftop, eagerly charging toward Qing Ji and smoothly engaging him in seven moves, resulting in another d*ath.
This time, Qing Ji was considerate enough to add in a Reverse Unholy Flower Curse, which not only enhanced the pain but also interfered with Luxianbei’s perception of time.
Although this spell could not genuinely affect the flow of time, it could make the cursed feel as though time was slowed and stretched at certain moments.
In other words, Luxianbei’s suffering at the time of d*ath was prolonged from a sensory perspective.
Just as Miaojiang Guji had used this curse on Qing Ji to bring him to the brink of despair, he now returned the favor to Luxianbei, making her “wanting to live in a blissful stupor,” which felt quite reasonable!
In that instant, Luxianbei’s eyes widened, filled with bloodshot veins. Her mouth opened, and she let out a heart-wrenching, prolonged scream…
————
Seven moves, twelve moves…378 moves…
Luxianbei died again and again, moving forward again and again, exerting her utmost.
After each d*ath, the time spent fighting Qing Ji would increase, but with every defeat, she found herself just a little farther from grasping Qing Ji’s new move.
Just a bit, as if she could reach out and grab it, yet like a mirage, it remained forever out of reach.
Like a mirage in the desert, luring lost travelers to press forward until they d*e of thirst in the endless sands.
Although she had long since become accustomed to d*ath from practicing swordplay with Qing Ji in the past.
At first, she believed she could achieve her goal of learning new moves through repeated experiences of dying, much like Doctor Strange negotiating terms.
However, as the number of deaths increased and Luxianbei felt herself nearing “breakdown,” she gradually sensed that something was off. It seemed she had become akin to Dormammu!
Under the influence of the spell, the doubled pain and despair during d*ath, along with the feeling of futility from the new move remaining elusive, began to accumulate. The negative emotions fused to form an ocean, slowly sketching out a gray, silent world before her.
If it weren’t for the fact that she could physically recover to her best state after each rebirth, she probably would have shown some rather peculiar expressions by now.
Some say, “The end of life is merely a form of d*ath; the meaning of d*ath lies in rebirth or eternal sleep. d*ath is not the loss of life but a step outside of time.”
However, Luxianbei felt as if she were trapped in time, stuck at the precise moment just before she could glimpse Qing Ji’s new move, yet not dying became a form of torture.
That day, Luxianbei rediscovered the respect and fear d*ath should invoke.
“……”
What is this teaching?
It seems the ancestor has no intention of teaching me anything; he is merely tormenting me!
Awakening only to face immediate d*ath feels a lot like being maliciously camped by hostile players in an MMORPG game, making for a distinctly poor experience… Luxianbei thought.
And then…
She sensed her consciousness rising again, waking from the darkness.
————
On the crumbling rooftop.
Qing Ji, holding the long sword, gazed at the pool of bl**d on the ground, deep in thought.
Though he had known early on that Luxianbei had good talent, he couldn’t help but be surprised by her rapid improvement.
After regaining some of his memories from his later years, he found that his swordsmanship and movement techniques had improved slightly.
Although the degree of improvement wasn’t much, it was because his skills had already reached a peak in his youth, leaving little room for further advancement.
Just as the closer one gets to a perfect score, the harder it is to improve.
Nevertheless, even so, during their repeated encounters, Luxianbei had gradually kept pace with his attack rhythm at an astonishing speed.
Just moments ago, he had come very close to letting Luxianbei penetrate the mysteries of the [Reverse Unholy Flower Curse] and [External Self]!
Yes, after sensing Luxianbei’s intentions, Qing Ji deliberately maintained a state where she felt that with just a bit more effort, she could learn something, while in reality, she learned nothing.
Like a mule that could never reach the carrot dangling in front of it.
The feeling of frustration from being “just a bit short” brought a torment that was far more intense than a crushing defeat!
“Perhaps… it’s about time to ease up?” Qing Ji muttered softly. “She has received her due punishment, and it’s time to have a serious talk with her.”
As he was speaking to himself, Luxianbei’s figure appeared on the nearby open ground.
Seeing this, Qing Ji was about to charge forward when Luxianbei suddenly slid into a kneel, rushing over to hug his leg, looking up at him with teary, misty eyes, blinking rapidly.
“Stop hitting, stop hitting, if you hit me again, the child will be driven to madness, Ancestor, I know I was wrong!”
Although Luxianbei did not yet understand why Qing Ji was so harsh, it didn’t hurt to admit fault first.
She truly couldn’t take it anymore; she was about to be played to d*ath…
Seeing Luxianbei’s disheveled appearance, Qing Ji’s heart softened. He opened his mouth, ready to say something, but his expression suddenly darkened.
“Ancestor, please spare me this once for the sake of my husband, Luxianbei! I promise I will behave from now on! I can do anything aside from carrying on the family line!”
“……” Qing Ji twitched at the corner of his mouth and said coldly, “Little rascal, how dare you mention that?”
Luxianbei, “……”
Got it, I was being overly sentimental. The ancestor was indeed just torturing me…
But… which part did I mention? Carrying on the family line?
That, I really can’t manage!
Just as Luxianbei was feeling conflicted, Qing Ji lowered his brows and glanced at her coldly, saying, “Someone told me my great-grandson, Luxianbei, is still alive…”
Here’s another chance for you; confess, and you will be lenient!
“……” Luxianbei was momentarily taken aback and hurriedly said, “Who’s spreading nonsense? No, ancestor, you shouldn’t trust outsiders’ slander! Aren’t my words more credible than outsiders’?”
Still being stubborn! Qing Ji frowned and snorted coldly, “Hmph, it’s not some outsider who told me; the person who delivered this message is actually Luxianbei’s fiancée!”
Luxianbei, “???”
What the heck? What’s going on? Is Gu Qiqi playing tricks behind the scenes?
How did she get in touch with the ancestor?
d*mn! How many times has this happened already?
At that moment, Luxianbei’s fleeting guilt for bearing Gu Qiqi’s name entirely disappeared, even making her want to push back harder.
After a brief pause, she looked up at Qing Ji, determined to make one final struggle. “Ancestor, it must be Gu Qiqi who told you, right? Her words are not credible!”
“Although she had a betrothal with my husband, she ultimately didn’t become his proper wife, so she holds a grudge and has done mischief before…”
Upon hearing Luxianbei’s words, confusion instantly filled Qing Ji.
Hiss—! How did Gu Qiqi come into the picture again?
Isn’t your fiancée Huasang?
How many fiancées do you actually have?
Qing Ji thought while casting a cold glance at Luxianbei, saying languidly, “Did I say it was Gu Qiqi who told me? Is this a case of self-incrimination?”
Luxianbei, “……”
You haven’t even attacked yet? You’re already close to going off the deep end…
But if it’s not Gu Qiqi, then who else could it be?
How come I didn’t know I had other fiancées?
Luxianbei wondered, summoning up her courage to weakly ask Qing Ji, “Ancestor, may I ask who told you?”
“Miss Huasang…” Qing Ji replied indifferently.
“d*mn!” Luxianbei blurted out.
Now this was a completely unexpected betrayal!
This time it was a total disaster…
Luxianbei thought as she knelt before Qing Ji, silently bowing three times.
“It was my momentary folly, my own doing. I know that any further defense is futile. It’s understandable for you to be angry, so… please go ahead!”
“You said it!”
“No, won’t you at least consider it? Wait… uh ah—!”
The purest physical torment descended, and Luxianbei perished.
