Banquet (4)

Li Airu widened her eyes when she realized that his speed had broken through the mid-tier of Xiantian, reaching the late stage, perhaps even half-step, and giving her a difficult time defending herself. Her only source of consolation was that each blow had little power within it and could be deflected easily.

They crossed swords repeatedly, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. Jiang Shiqin noted the girl's efforts to restore her previous rhythm and gain back dominance, but her flustered blade portrayed her inner state of mind. Had Li Airu not let her emotions seep into her fighting stance, and had she not possess that sliver of conceit from the beginning, she would have definitely performed better.

Another thirty seconds passed before Li Airu accepted the fact that she was on the losing end. The change in rhythm was too abrupt - her sword style, which relied heavily on control and positioning, was restricted to merely blocking her opponent's blade and was unable to create any advantage for herself. With her uneven breathing and emotional turmoil, her full power could not be displayed.

Eventually, she watched in disbelief as she fell sideways onto the grass and her beloved blade fly off to the distance. As Jiang Shiqin approached her, an overwhelming sense of fear washed over her as she stared at the looming figure. A trick of light it might be, but at that exact moment, she witnessed black tendrils of smoke crawling out of Jiang Shiqin's body and reaching for her menacingly. The faint smile that had seemed so gentle now looked more like a reaper's cruel grin as he looked down on mortals on the brink of death.

Her lips parted, yet no sound came out from her throat.

"Sister!" Li Feifei ran towards her with a worried look, pulling her out of her frozen state. Li Airu blinked, only to see the vast greenery with Jiang Shiqin standing right in front of her, his blade sheathed and his hand stretched out, holding her sword and carefully offering it to her. Even though the man was a loathsome citizen from the cursed capital, she had to admit that his presence was as comfortable as a spring breeze sharing its warmth.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Li Feifei's concerned tone finally calmed her down as she accepted the sword, their fingers lightly touching for a brief second.

"I won't question your existence anymore," she said quietly.

Jiang Shiqin nodded in recognition. "My utmost thanks."

As if nothing had happened, neither aggression nor killing intent, they walked back to where the other disciples were gathering. Su Wei's eyes shone with a newfound respect as he immediately started a conversation with Jiang Shiqin.

"Brother Qin, that was so cool! Are you truly at mid-Xiantian?"

The other person replied with amusement. "Unfortunately, my spiritual power has not reached that level yet."

The boy disbelievingly continued, "No way! Your speed at the end was definitely not mid-Xiantian. Is such a speed even possible without qi enhancement?"

Yes, as a matter of fact, Jiang Shiqin wanted to reply. Try killing your way out a wolf's den with your qi chained, and you'll definitely learn to overcome human boundaries. Instead, he gave a mysterious smile, which reinforced the surrounding people's impression of him as a young enigmatic expert. Meanwhile, the twin sisters whispered to each other in rushed tone, disregarding the curious stares from the crowd.

Jiang Shiqin answered the young teenager's enquiries patiently as he scanned the expressions of disciples from other sects. Most of them were in awe and talking to each other excitedly, occasionally giving glances of respect mixed with intrigue towards him. Fu Guanting was standing next to his brother, Fu Zhiheng, whom he recognized from the final round of the tournament. This was the reason why Jiang Shiqin had immediately determined the Snow Serpent's identity once the sense of discomfort arose.

The stream of spectators into the hall gave rise to quite a few perplexed glances from late comers and those who had chosen not to watch the match. Challenging fellow cultivators was a norm; a foreign youth defeating a local champion was not. Thankfully, the citizens all shared an attitude of worshiping strength here, and xenophobic people like Li Airu were the minority. The atmosphere mostly leaned towards curiosity as the incoming disciples resumed seating.

Jiang Shiqin glanced at Su Dai, only to be met with an absolutely unconcerned look. Her lips were slightly twitching, however, which meant she was not entirely unaffected by the situation.

In a sense, letting the circumstances escalate to the point whereby a physical brawl occurred was unbecoming of an interim leader, he thought. Nonetheless, he should take into account cultural disparate - conventional rules from the aristocratic capital might not apply.

He still had many things to learn.

When it was time, an elder, most likely the Sect Master, of the organizing sect Falling Stars stood up. With a long white beard and eyes as keen as a hawk, he projected a sage-like figure rather than one of the most powerful martial artists in the land.

"Fellow brothers and sisters, today marks the celebration for a wonderful 8th Distant Lands Martial Arts Tournament. As the saying goes, sons will surpass their fathers and disciples will surpass their masters, the young cultivators of this land have shown strength, courage and the potential to reach the pinnacle of cultivation. It is known that... "

These words were followed by a lengthy speech detailing how bright the future would be with such geniuses and how harmony and peace would strengthen the sects - truthfully, the nobles' speeches at the capital made use of more skillful and pleasant-sounding language, contemplated Jiang Shiqin. A respectful silence filled the hall, along with a plethora of glazed eyes looking down on untouched dishes radiating difficult-to-withstand aromas.

"...May the immortals bless us and let us commence the banquet!"

A cacophony of enthusiastic applause reverberated through the hall, though judging from the myriad of eyes fixated on the food, the true intention behind the widespread fervour was as clear as the gemstones attached to the wall paintings.