Then he got closer and he got a better grasp of the quarrel that was taking place. What was going on? Why were Lin Liushui and Qin Feng arguing?
Xu Qinghua gasped, and he turned to her, thinking that she might have a better grasp of the situation. Only to see her looking aghast, as she urged him to go faster. "We must hurry! They are fighting over Xuan Mei!"
"What?!"
But Xu Qinghua had already starting dashing towards the garden, leaving him far behind when she activated the full power of her Lightness-of-Body movement. Not that Li Changhai was concentrating on that. Instead, the Second Ducal Prince couldn't believe his ears. His friends were fighting over Xuan Mei? Why would they be fighting over Xuan Mei? Did Lin Liushui even know ...
Then it dawned on him.
"No! It can't be! They are both after the same woman?" he blurted, even as he took off after Xu Qinghua. How could things be that preposterous?
But the woman from the Snow Swallow Palace must be much more powerful than he was. Or at least a whole lot quicker. He could barely see a trace of her garments, as he fought to keep her in sight. Which was a bit of a relief.
She seemed to have forgotten that he didn't know how to get to the Southern Gardens!
When he finally caught up with her, Li Changhai found Xu Qinghua staring at a fight that had already broken out in the garden. "What is happening?" he panted, as he landed next to her.
Then his attention was caught by the duel that was taking place as well.
"What is this? How can this be? How did they end up fighting?"
"I don't know. But this is bad. This is very bad!"
Nor were they the only ones who were watching the messy fight between the two men. Xu Yanzhi was standing at the side, accompanied by a woman that Li Changhai did not recognize. And the two of them were clutching at each other's hands and staring at the duelists with wide eyes.
Then he noticed the two old fellows to the side, and scowled at how one of them seemed to have his eyes on the women, rather than the fight. And that one was grinning in a most disgusting way.
"What is he doing here?"
The Second Ducal Prince turned to the young woman at his side, and saw that she had her eye on the same individual that he had. With a distinct crease on her brow. "Who is he?" Li Changhai asked, without thinking too much about it.
"That is Chang Chenzhang. The old lecher who is attempting to get us to marry Xuan Mei to him. He actually dares to come here? When they are clearly fighting over her?"
Fighting over her? Li Changhai almost groaned aloud, as he forced his eyes back on the pair who were charging at each other further away in the distance. Or, it should be Qin Feng who was charging at Lin Liushui. The latter looked almost as bewildered as the Second Ducal Prince felt. How had things deteriorated so quickly?
"Lin Liushui! You dare to steal my woman? Damn your stupid poetry! Die!"
Stupid Poetry? What had poetry to do with this?
But Qin Feng was already hurling his first punch! And there was a huge flucuation in the qi that surrounded the man's hand, which made Li Changhai cry out immediately. "How did he do that? That is clearly in the Profound Realm! I thought he was only at the Discerning Stage!"
Strangely, Lin Liushui sent his palm at the younger man's fist, meeting it straight on rather than attempting to deflect it. And the waves of qi emanating from the handsome fellow's strike was similarly in the Profound Realm!
Fuck! When had the two of them pushed themselves so far beyond his capabilities? Li Changhai certainly had no chance of stopping them, if they had already advanced to such a stage!
And a quick look at the woman at his side told him that she was similar distressed. "Their Cultivation seems to be above even mine," she whispered softly, although he was uncertain if Xu Qinghua was speaking to herself, or had meant her words for him.
"That is impossible! How did he get so powerful so quickly?"
Then the two hands made contact, and the air surrounding the pair of them exploded out in a manner that stung everyone who was in the vicinity! Li Changhai felt as if his skin had been slapped, despite the distance. And there was a look of utter shock on the face of the lecherous Chang Chenzhang a short distance away.
"Qin Feng! Xuan Mei is my woman! She always has been! She threw the betrothal back in your face, didn't she? Doesn't that tell you she is mine? Challenge me and die!"
This time, it was Lin Liushui who was making the attack, when it was clear that Qin Feng's zhenqi was just a shade weaker than his. The resulting blow threw the younger man back a good distance, while the blast for the clash washed over Li Changhai all the same.
"This isn't good. If we don't stop them, the whole garden may be ruined," said Xu Qinghua with a curious smile on her face.
That was when Li Changhai realised that her voice was louder than usual, and she seemed to be directing her words towards the frightened old men at the side. That lecher Chang Chenzhang seemed to look unnaturally pale at the moment, while he stared at the dueling pair.
"Curse you, Lin Liushui! You dare?"
"Of course I dare! I will tear you apart from daring to set your lecherous eyes on my Xuan Mei! She is mine and will forever be mine! I will rip apart any fool who dares to lay claim to her!"
Huh? The Second Ducal Prince was confused now. He had never heard the pair declare their love for the woman that way. Qin Feng was not the sort who would lose his temper like that. And Lin Liushui would probably come up with something more flowery and delicate to insult his opponent. He would never be so blatant as to ...
Then he sneaked a look at Xu Qinghua, and she jerked her chin at the ones watching the pair's performance. Xu Yanzhi looked rapt, and had her mouth open as she stared at the two men. While Xuan Mei was blushing as her besotted eyes never left Lin Liushui.
"I think we may wish to get them to stop now. Chang Chenzhang has already left. And I doubt he will be coming back any time soon."
That was when the Second Ducal Prince noticed that the one they called the Old Lecher was already gone. Taking his companion along with him. Beside him, Xu QInghua's bright beaming smile only added to his confusion. Even as more booms of Profound Qi echoed in the gardens around him, as Lin Liushui and Qin Feng continued to exchange blows.
What had just happened here?
* * *