Chapter 166: A Case of Assault
ng Qi almost burst into laughter and suddenly felt Ruan Yushu a lot more amiable.
“Just now your ans were really unpredictable. You are terrific!” After he changed the way he viewed her, ng Qi did not feel so constrained as before and sincerely praised her.
However, Ruan Yushu totally lacked modesty, putting on a proud look on her face.
She swallowed the food in her mouth, took out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth, “Unfortunately, I haven’t seen your performance yet.”
“Why?” ng Qi asked with a hint of arrogance.
“We’re almost at the sa age, but your na is on the Ranking List of Young Masters though you’ve just reached the Four Apertures realm.” In return for ng Qi’s dinner, Ruan Yushu said a little more than before.
“Aye.” ng Qi felt very comfortable.
Cool as a cucumber, Ruan Yushu said,”I wonder what the deanor of the Thunder Blade Furious Monk or the Reckless Monk would look like in a battle.”
ng Qi doubled up with laughter and said, “You’re wrongly inford by Jianghu n. Do you think I resemble a furious monk? To be honest, I think I’m a gentleman.”
He had no choice but to blew his own trumpet with a red face.
Ruan Yushu picked up the remaining food with her chopsticks. With her eyes moving downwards, her head hanging a little low, and the corners of her mouth rising a bit, she said in a steady voice, “It’s said that there’re inaccurate nas but no imprecise sobriquets.”
“Will you listen to my explanation? This isn’t true!” ng Qi’s expression suddenly froze as he yelled in his heart.
When they returned to the room where they t, Lu Zhongqi was there waiting for them. He nodded to them and said, “Rumor ca that Gao Tong died of a sudden disease just now, but I don’t believe there’s such a coincidence. Brother ng and Lady Ruan, it’s very kind of you to help us remove the worries behind. Let show you General Lu now.”
Lu Guan was demoted here for many years. Even the sons of Family Lu, who had been accompanying him, were married and had kids. Although they arranged to hide there long ago, Gao Tong was Turf Lord in Yuexi, and it was possible for him to harass them. Hence, if he was not eliminated, Lu Zhongqi and others could not lightheartedly escort Lu Guan to the capital city.
Over their conversation, his eyes skimd across the Seven-string Zither in Ruan Yushu’s arms as if he had thought of sothing.
As one of Lu Guan’s constant subordinates for dozens of years, he beca a skilled observer. He did not think that Xiao ng, a silent swordsman, could so strangely slay Gao Tong. Actually, Jianghu n hardly saw a weapon like the Seven-string Zither. Lady Ruan was bound to have so special thods.
“It’s just a fluke,” ng Qi briefly answered while Ruan Yushu maintained her cool and otherworldly look. She slightly nodded and said nothing.
Lu Zhongqi did not talk much either, took the two to weave themselves in and out of the alleys, and finally entered a grocery store near a bustling street.
He directly went through the grocery store and into the backyard. The tavern keeper and the errand boys seed to pay no attention to him.
There were dozens of Jianghu persons in the yard wearing swords and blades. The n and won were divided into three or four heaps, leisurely talking with each other.
Seeing ng Qi and Ruan Yushu co in with Lu Zhongqi, they looked at them with a little surprise. Never did they think their new companions were so young. One was a 17-year-old boy and the other a 15-year-old girl. Could their strength be very powerful?
Lu Zhongqi nodded to them and led ng Qi and Ruan Yushu straight to the study.
“Though he had defeated West Invaders ti and again and helped the royal court to recover the lost territory, General Lu was frad and exiled here, making a lot of Jianghu n in admiration and resentnt. When the news of his going to the capital city spread, a number of his friends ca to escort him. As many n have many minds, it’s easy to let the news out. What’s more, so of these friends’ strength is just so-so. If they joined in us, they’d lose their lives in vain.” On the way to the study, Lu Zhongqi briefly introduced the current situation to them. “Therefore, to observe their strength, I’d set so tests for them and have politely refused most of the enthusiastic, leaving dozens of the pros who are trustworthy top-classed materialists staying here.
“This was what he really ant…” ng Qi thoughtfully nodded. If escorting General Lu to Beijing beca a farce, no matter how powerful he was, he would not be able to resist overwhelming numbers.
Through the path guarded by the sons of Family Lu, they arrived at the study. Lu Zhongqi reverently knocked at the door.
“Zhongqi, please co in,” Lu Guan said in a fatigue yet firm voice. Though he was not a master, he also had a good Kung Fu foundation.
Lu Zhongqi quietly pushed the door open and signaled that they had to wait outside for a mont. After he reported to Lu Guan, he invited them to enter.
“You have such lofty sense of justice that I wholeheartedly appreciate,” Lu Guan politely said.
He was seven feet tall with dark skin and five wisps of a long beard. The most outstanding feature on his face was his eyes, which were bright and determined. As a whole, he was a scholarly but doughty general.
ng Qi cupped one hand in the other before his chest, saying, “General Lu is a great hero in the world, devoted to both the country and the people. I won’t hesitate to lay down my life if need be.”
He simply made his attitude clear.
“Both for the country and the people, a great hero…” Lu Guan was a little inspired and repeated these words.
“Yes, General Lu is worthy of the title of a great hero both for the country and the people.” There were another two n there: One was a graceful old man in a silk robe and the other a fierce-looking Taoist with a sword on his back. It was the Taoist who said so.
Lu Zhongqi smiled and pointed to the Taoist, “This is ‘Taoist Hu’ Jin Yan, Predecessor Jin.”
Then he turned to the man in the silk robe and said, “And this is Tower Lord Jiao, Jiao Chong of the Watching-Water Tower.”
It was easy as pie for ng Qi to figure out that Taoist Hu and Jiao Chong were the top-classed master among these Jianghu n. Of course, the two also might gain the most considerable prestige here, so they nearly beca the chiefs of Jianghu n and closely protected Lu Guan as his bodyguards.
After greeting each other, the impassioned Taoist Hu praised, “Young as you are, you have reached such high martial realm. You’re really sothing. What makes most admire is that you know where your loyalty lies, and you’re so brave that you offer to help General Lu. What great young heroes!”
Jiao Chong also smiled and said, “It has been many years since I saw such outstanding youths. You are bound to have promising prospects.”
As senior masters, the two half-heartedly praised them while ng Qi and Ruan Yushu were cool and silent before strangers and simply expressed their thanks.
Lu Guan sighed, “As for the title of a great hero both for the country and the people, I don’t feel worthy of it. I do care about the incidents of the frontier and the national safety, but I’ve been banished in Yuexi–killing ti and making no contributions to our court.”
Taoist Hu loudly said, “General Lu, this ti you go to the capital city, you’ll realize your lifeti dream. You’ll drive West Invaders out and massacre traitor ministers on the court, making a peaceful world for our Emperor and ordinary people.”
Lu Guan beca determined and said, “Difficult as it is, I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my court.”
Then thanking the two youths for slaying Gao Tong, Lu Guan asked Lu Zhongqi to well arrange for their stay.
Lu Zhongqi had intended to let ng Qi and Ruan Yushu join with other Jianghu n to go on patrol, but considering that one was cool, the other silent, and both of them were not easy-going, he simply decided to have them accompany with himself.
A few days later, ng Qi and his team quietly left Yuexi to escort Lu Kuan to the capital city.
At night, ng Qi pulled out his “Evil Ordeal” and slowly practiced Five Tiger-like Bladesmanship and Blood Bladesmanship in the hotel.
These two kinds of bladesmanship were the foundation to which he was deeply imrsed. After reading the Primary Instruction of Heaven Blade, he perford them again and had a new feeling. It seed he had comprehended sothing new as if understanding nothing.
His action was very slow, sotis halted. While pondering, he was experiencing the combination of theory with practice. It seed his bladesmanship was clumsy as if he had just started to learn it.
“The Primary Instruction of Heaven Blade did really contain the bladesmanship theory that Song Que summarized all his life. Thus, it’s difficult for him to understand it.” At this mont, ng Qi admired Kou Zhong very much, a hero in Twin of Brothers, who could fight with Heaven Blade Song Que face-to-face and motivated by the blade montum with his instruction, making him grasp the gist of bladesmanship within a short ti. However, he himself had to carefully read the script and practice it day and night.
In comparison, he made great progress in the “Thunder scream” he cultivated at a fast speed perhaps owing to the marks of Thunder God on his body and the impartation of part of the Nine Annihilation at Heavenly Nights.
“Xiao ng, have you just learned the blademanship?” asked Taoist Hu. Jiao Chong and he closely guarded Lu Guan in turns. When he ca out to have a short break, he saw ng Qi practicing his blade and thought it was a waste of his blade of excellent quality.
“No, I’m trying to figure out its gist,” ng Qi politely answered.
Taoist Hu noncommittally smiled and continued to ask him, “Xiao ng, you seem to have been cultivating both sword and blade. Why have I not seen you practice your sword?”
ng Qi slightly raised his head and said, “That’s because my sword is bound to be soaked with blood when it cos out of its scabbard.”
The arrogance of a swordsman was completely revealed.
Taoist Hu’s face convulsed, and he walked away.
The other Jianghu n and the sons of the Lu Family nearby all smirked.
ng Qi did not care about it. No matter what they thought, at least in their eyes, they would think more highly of his sword art and definitely believed his sword art was better than his bladesmanship which he had just learned. And this was the very image he would like to establish.
Ruan Yushu quietly strolled out and saw ng Qi practicing his bladesmanship at a very slow speed.
She thoughtfully watched for a while and said with the Secret Voice-sending, “Has your bladesmanship hit a block?”
“Ah.” ng Qi nodded his head. Ruan Yushu had a good family education, so it was easy for her to tell his present blade strength.
“If you break through the bottleneck, your bladesmanship would be nearly perfect. What’s more, you’ve already learned ‘Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship’.” Ruan Yushu no longer had any doubts about the strength of ng Qi’s bladesmanship and still said to ng Qi in Secret Voice-sending, “No wonder your na is on the Ranking List of Young Masters.”
When it ca to his having a place on the Ranking List of Young Masters, ng Qi felt proud with a happy smile.
“It’s said that only a handful of senior monks of Shaolin Temple has grasped this bladesmanship and its Gist of Trueness throughout history, isn’t it?” Ruan Yushu a little curiously asked.
“You’re right.” ng Qi softly nodded.
He felt much prouder of himself.
Ruan Yushu slightly wrinkled her beautiful eyebrows and said, “It seems that most of them had broken away from the Buddhism first, but at last, they turned monks again and really beca the senior ones. What about you?”
ng Qi’s face turned dark instantly.
Ruan Yushu carried her Seven-string Zither on her back with her hands holding it and slowly paced out of the room.
At this ti, the son of the Lu family who went out to buy food and wine returned. Her steps suddenly slowed down.
As a precautionary asure, after they conventionally tested the poisons, they also made a black dog taste the foods one by one.
After a while, the black dogs were still all right. Only then did so of them separately take away their portion of food and wine, leaving the remaining for the guards on patrol.
ng Qi was about to approach when he saw Ruan Yushu pausing there.
“As a foodie, it was surprising to see her pause there, which was strange.” ng Qi put his “Evil Ordeal” into the scabbard and asked, “Lady Ruan, why not have dinner?”
Ruan Yushu lightly frowned and said with distrust, “It doesn’t seem appetizing but a bit strange.”
Hardly had her voice faded away when several n covered their throats, made so “hee-hee” sounds, and fell to the ground with their faces blackening.
However, the black dog was still frisky.
“Poison? This poisoning ability…” ng Qi’s pupil slightly contracted.
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