Chapter Seventy-Six: Yue the Peerless Blade

Three figures hurried through the darkness, one of them particularly conspicuous—a bald head shining bright beneath the moonlight. Below that bald head was a monk’s robe adorned with a riot of colors, making him stand out in the night like a firefly in pitch blackness.

As Qin Xuanxuan walked down the street, her eyes were instantly drawn to that bald head. She frowned and muttered under her breath, “Xiao Yan? What is he up to?” Without hesitation, she followed after them. The skilled bodyguard trailing behind her noticed and quietly kept pace.

Ahead, the trio vaulted over a wall and came to a stop before the Lin family’s granary.

“Could they be here to steal grain? Impossible… Even the great hero Li Bai would need dozens of first-rate experts to attempt such a thing…” Qin Xuanxuan whispered her doubts, hurrying after them.

The little monk in his colorful robes approached a carriage, a faint smile curling at his lips as he held a wooden ladle. “Yuanfang, you joined us a little late, so tonight I’ll teach you a secret technique from our Dung Diggers Brotherhood!” Xiao Yan announced with great solemnity, gripping the ladle as if it were a legendary weapon.

“Alright!” Chen Buqun replied earnestly, his eyes shining with excitement. Chen Shuwan, watching all this, looked on with anticipation as well. After all, back at the brothel, Xiao Yan had managed to defeat a master in black with nothing but his sharp tongue, a testament to his profound martial prowess.

“This move is called ‘Dancing Winds Ascend to the Heavens!’ Watch and follow my lead—left hand, right hand, nice and slow.” Xiao Yan raised the ladle, scooped a hefty portion from the wooden bucket, and traced a half circle in the air. Chen Buqun looked utterly bewildered but imitated the movements nonetheless.

In the next instant, the ladle in Xiao Yan’s hand seemed to burst into flames…

“Now, this is the moment you must be most careful—otherwise, the contents of your ladle might end up on someone else! When your senior brother Lin Dong learned this move, he had to wash his clothes for days after…” Xiao Yan said, then swung the ladle with force.

With a loud whoosh, the contents soared like a fiery phoenix toward the granary…

“Master… you still got it all over me…” Chen Buqun complained.

“Oh, that was intentional. I must be fair as your teacher,” Xiao Yan replied, unperturbed.

“…”

…

“You rascals! What are you doing?” At that moment, Qin Xuanxuan finally stepped forward, covering her nose and cursing them.

“Damn… Miss, you’re relentless…” Xiao Yan muttered under his breath. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he awkwardly pulled something from his robe and handed it to her. “Uh… here’s your thing back… Sorry, I grabbed a few too many by accident…”

A small, pink undergarment fluttered in Xiao Yan’s hand, catching the wind. All eyes turned toward them.

“What is this…” Qin Xuanxuan frowned, then instinctively reached out for it—only to hesitate as the surrounding glances grew hotter by the second. The scene grew unbearably awkward. Her hand hovered mid-air, uncertain whether to accept or refuse.

Chen Buqun, eyes wide, silently gave Xiao Yan a thumbs-up.

“You scoundrel—!” Qin Xuanxuan finally snatched back her pink undergarment, stuffed it hurriedly into her chest, and only then snapped, “What are you doing? That’s grain for people to eat! Why would you do this?” She pointed furiously at Chen Shuwan and Chen Buqun. “And you two go along with him? Have you both lost your minds?”

“Haha… It is for people to eat… but with my little adjustment, only certain people get to eat it! At least, not the ones from the great clans…” Xiao Yan grinned.

“You… You’re impossible! Hero Li Bai has already set out. They have their own way. There’s no need for you to waste food like this!” Qin Xuanxuan strode closer, scolding them angrily.

“Oh… Li Bai… We just saw him,” Xiao Yan frowned, then continued, “He seemed to be fighting some braggart… looked pretty impressive…”

“Look!” Qin Xuanxuan pointed just as the clash of weapons rang out from not far away. Sure enough, a white-robed hero leapt into the air, gliding from roof to roof. Opposite him was a towering man wielding a blade as tall as a person, parrying strike after strike.

The swordplay grew ever more ferocious, and the man with the blade—Yue the Blade Tyrant—was forced into a constant defense, though he laughed heartily. “Ha! The world’s greatest swordsman truly lives up to his name. Is this the Azure Lotus Sword Song? Very good!”

Li Bai remained silent. He knew he had to end the fight quickly, or Chen Bufan’s side would not hold for long.

“You have the makings of a lion, truly… But alas, you’ve chosen the wrong opponent!” Yue the Blade Tyrant sneered, suddenly tossing aside his massive blade, which crashed through a roof with a thunderous bang.

Then, from his robes, he drew a small, silver-gray knife—only a foot and two inches long, shaped like a miniature sword. His movements became much swifter now that he was unburdened. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Li Bai.

With a chilling hiss, the small blade traced a deep gash down Li Bai’s back, and blood burst forth like fireworks—painting the night sky crimson.

“Haha… Everyone thinks I, Yue, only fight with a broadsword. In truth, the night is my true domain. My family was never meant for the limelight; we only truly come alive hunting from the shadows… The great blade is but a guise…”

Yue the Blade Tyrant’s form became eerily elusive, as if freed from the shackles of his gigantic blade.

…