Chapter 294 - 156: Divine Sword, Layman, and Group (Part 2)

"...Stop spouting utter nonsense.

"Who’s the one committing evil deeds?"

"I’m talking about you!"

The man in black said coldly, "Not convinced? Then let’s fight again!"

"Fight, then! Do you think I’m afraid of you?"

At this, the old man was about to leap into the air, but the moment he moved, he frowned slightly and settled back down.

Seeing this, the corners of the man in black’s mouth curled into a mocking smile:

"You say you’ll fight, but then you don’t. Are you scared?

"Oh, wait!

"You’re more than ten years my senior. I’m afraid you’ve grown old and frail, unable to even circulate your energy anymore, right?

"If you won’t make a move, then watch me!"

As he spoke, he moved his palms, about to strike, but he too let out a muffled groan.

Seeing this, the old man burst into laughter:

"And you have the nerve to talk about me? I could tell long ago that for the past three days, you’ve been completely spent.

"If I forced you to keep fighting, I’m afraid this old man would have to bury a young one... The reason I didn’t make a move just now was precisely to spare your life and your dignity.

"A pity you aren’t grateful. Instead, you throw insults at me. You truly can’t recognize a kind heart when you see one."

"What kind of good person are you..."

Hearing this, the man in black grew even more furious.

Jiang Ran and the others sat to the side, eating and drinking while they watched the two bicker.

Then they heard Ruan Yuqing say:

"So it’s them..."

"Who are they?"

Jiang Ran asked hurriedly.

"...So ignorant."

Tang Huayi shot him a look.

"Who are you calling ignorant?"

Jiang Ran glared.

"’Gu Xizhi, the Celestial Dragon Divine Sword.’ Have you ever heard of him?"

Tang Huayi asked lightly.

"...No."

"See? And you still dare to say you’re not ignorant."

Tang Huayi smiled. "One of those two is Gu Xizhi, the Celestial Dragon Divine Sword. The other should be Scholar Jingtan of the Elegant Heart Lodge. His Celestial Profound Wishing Palm is extremely famous. I never would have thought he’d be able to fight the Celestial Dragon Divine Sword to a standstill like this...

"Speaking of which, Miss Ruan, do you know of any grudges between them? From the sound of it, they seem to have quite the ill-fated history."

"An ill-fated history?"

Ruan Yuqing shook her head.

"I don’t know much about the affairs of these martial world seniors.

"However, Senior Gu Xizhi made his name in the martial world almost fifty years ago. You could almost say the two of them aren’t even from the same generation.

"How could they be entangled in a grudge?"

"Who can really say for sure when it comes to the affairs of the martial world?"

Tang Huayi said with a smile, "Looking at them, I get the feeling they’re tangled up in matters of the heart. Maybe they became enemies over a woman."

"That... Is that possible?"

Ruan Yuqing was a little surprised. "But the age gap between them is huge. If it really was over a woman, how old would that woman be?"

The two of them looked like they were about to dive deep into gossiping about the matter.

Jiang Ran quickly cut them off:

"That’s enough, you two. They’re right there. Is it appropriate to be gossiping so loudly right in front of them?"

Ruan Yuqing and Tang Huayi snapped out of it as if waking from a dream. They looked up and, sure enough, found that both Gu Xizhi and Scholar Jingtan were looking right at them.

Scholar Jingtan was expressionless, his thoughts unreadable.

Gu Xizhi, up in the tree, was grinning cheerfully, looking like he wanted to join in on the gossip.

Ruan Yuqing’s face flushed red, and she quickly stood up.

"Ruan Yuqing of the Shuiyue Sword Sect. I greet you two seniors."

"The Shuiyue Sword Sect? Ah, so you’re the Gentle Water Sword."

Gu Xizhi laughed. "Speaking of which, I haven’t seen my old flame, Shui Xiyin, in a long time. How has she been lately?"

"Huh!?"

The moment Ruan Yuqing heard this, her mind went buzzing.

In an instant, a whole drama played out in her head, a saga of love and hate between her Eldest Martial Sister, the Celestial Dragon Divine Sword, and Scholar Jingtan.

’But on second thought, something doesn’t seem right.’

’If Shui Xiyin and Gu Xizhi really were old flames, why hasn’t he visited the Shuiyue Sword Sect in all these years?’

’If the two of them really did become enemies over Shui Xiyin,’

’...then they would surely have some constant involvement with the Shuiyue Sword Sect.’

At that, she realized she had been led astray by ’Li Tianxin’.

’He was just spouting nonsense, yet I actually took it as fact and let my imagination run wild based on it... The conclusions I drew were naturally baseless. How could any of it be true?’

Her brow furrowed immediately.

"Senior, please watch your words. It was this junior who was spouting nonsense just now, and that was truly inappropriate. I apologize to you here.

"But my Eldest Martial Sister is pure and virtuous. I must ask you to spare her with your words, Senior."

"Hahaha."

Gu Xizhi roared with laughter.

"Alright, alright. Life isn’t easy for you lot from the Shuiyue Sword Sect, always so strict and proper. I won’t tease you.

"But that roast chicken..."

Ruan Yuqing glanced at Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran smiled, picked up a chicken, tore it in half, and tossed one half up to Gu Xizhi.

Gu Xizhi reached out and caught it, instantly delighted.

"Excellent, excellent. We’ll just forget what you all were saying just now. It’s not like I’m a petty man, right?

"As for the thoughts of a certain someone who likes to wear black, go out in the middle of the night, and act all mysterious... well, I can’t interfere with that.

"After all, the man is petty and narrow-minded..."

"Cut the crap!"

Scholar Jingtan sneered.

"Why bother with the idle gossip of others?

"Still, you haven’t been active in the martial world for five years. Why are you out and about this time?"

"I’m here for the same reason you are."

Gu Xizhi said, taking a bite of roast chicken and clicking his tongue in admiration, "This is delicious."

"..."

Scholar Jingtan stared coldly at Gu Xizhi and let out a soft breath.

"I will handle this matter. You don’t need to concern yourself."

"I’m just afraid you’ll mess it up and make her sad again."

Gu Xizhi said lightly, "If you hadn’t interfered, would she have ended up in this state?"

"How dare you say that!?"

Scholar Jingtan was enraged.