Chapter One Hundred and Twenty One – Wager
In an empty patch of wilderness.
Wei Sheng and a white-clothed male were facing off.
“Who are you? Why are you entering Wu Kong Mountain? What do you want to do?” Wei Sheng said in a heavy voice, his Splitting Rainbow sword was ready to attack. This person of unknown origins had snuck into Wu Kong Mountain. He had accidentally discovered him. The other’s cultivation was slightly above him. He had just come out of the sword formation. After fighting for a long time and having just broken through into ningmai, his mentality was at the highest level. His perception was more sensitive than it ever had been. If this was before, he definitely wouldn’t have detected the other person. The other was so strong, he was in awe!
He had pursued the other for three hundred kilometers and had almost lost them a few times. What he had given him an even worse feeling was the other person seemed to have had not used his full power.
Wei Sheng’s personality was courageous. Even though he knew the other was strong, he didn’t have any thoughts to retreat. The desire for battle rose in his eyes.
“I heard that Young Master Wei had caused a natural apparition when entering zhuji, the sword energy reaching to the skies. Seeing you today, you really have lived up to your reputation. After entering the sword cave, Young Master seems to have learned a lot. Your sect’s [Void Sword] finally has been uncovered. It really is auspicious.” The white-clothed male’s voice was warm and gentle, like a clear spring. Paired with his extremely handsome appearance, he appeared to be a graceful and learned young man, someone that people would have a hard time finding dislike for.
Wei Sheng was even more wary. Other than the sect’s disciple, no one else knew that he had entered the sword cave. This person was so clear about the sword cave. If previously, he hadn’t been certain if the other had deliberately snuck into Wu Kong Mountain, he was now certain that this person had been secretly gathering information about the sect, and had malicious aims.
“If you are not willing to give your name, there is nothing to say,” His tiger-like eyes brightened, and he shouted. The air around him moved, yet there was no wind, and slowly started to circle around him. The Splitting Rainbow sword appeared his hand, pointed at the white-clad male.
The white-clad male found his surroundings darken as though he was situated in a void.
An empty and murderous nothingness.
An abnormal light flashed through the white-clothed male’s eyes as he praised, “Young Master Wei is as talented as expected. [Void Sword] will definitely be spectacular in Young Master’s hands!”
As he spoke, the figure of the white-clothed male that was standing still slowly faded. When he said the last word, his figure vanished at the same time, only leaving behind his voice.
Shock finally came into Wei Sheng’s eyes!
His consciousness repeatedly scanned the surroundings. There were no traces. The other had left. Under the lock of his sword essence, he had disappeared into thin air! He made a thoughtful sound, stepped on the Splitting Rainbow sword, turned into a red light and flew in the direction of Wu Kong Sword Sect.
When his figure disappeared on the horizon, on the spot the white-clothed male had disappeared, a figure slowly appeared.
“Is it him?” He gazed at the sky as he said to himself.
———
Sky Moon House was the best dwelling in Dong Fu. It was halfway up the mountain, constructed on top of a ling vein. There were forty seven suites in total, all with the necessary talismans. The ling energy inside the rooms was extremely thick. The xiuzhe that passed through enjoyed resting at this place, but its price was extremely high. Ten pieces of third-grade jingshi per day. Zuo Mo might have earned a fair bit each day, but if he had to live in Sky Moon House, he would barely manage to pay the rent for each day, much less any other service.
Sky Moon House, which was usually half-filled, was entirely filled today. The rent each day jumped from ten pieces of third-grade jingshi to fifty pieces of third-grade jingshi. Even so, there were no vacancies. All the experts that came from different parts of Sky Moon Jie were living here.
The alcohol of Sky Moon House was Old Wang Alcohol. The ling food came from Master Shao’s Food Pavilion.
The Star Pavilion, the gathering place of Sky Moon House, had numerous day stones and broken crystals embedded in the ceiling, creating a roof of stars. In the rooms inside the Star Pavilion, the Serene Blue Ivy climbed all over the place, the blue fluorescence adding hints of mystery.
“Brother Chao is really lucky!” Beside the stone table, a person couldn’t help stating.
The people seats were all attendees of the competition. Each person’s face was full of envy. Without a doubt, Chao An had been the luckiest in his draw of all of them.
Chao An was smug inside, but said, “I’m actually envious of everyone else. You can all have a good fight. For me, even if I won, I won’t be praised,” He came from Fort Chao, cultivated the extremely obscure Fiery Polaris Hammer, extremely strong and exquisite.
“Brother Chao is getting an advantage and playing humble,” One of the other people smiled and said, “Ask anyone else here, who doesn’t want to switch with Brother Chao? Reputation is intangible, but the prize is real.”
The people seated all agreed.
Chao An could only beg for forgiveness. In the end, only after he promised to pay for the meal did the others stop.
In the little pavilion covered with light gauze, the figures of two people could be barely made out from the outside. If the gauze was lifted, anyone would instantly see it was the pick to win the competition, Gu Rong Ping, and opposite, him was a silent person wearing a black gauze veil.
“I had wanted to find a quiet place. But I didn’t expect to see these kind of people,” Gu Rong Ping frowned, and said discontentedly. His eyes landed on the black gauze of the person sitting opposite him, his voice warm as he said, “I hadn’t thought I would encounter Shimei here. I had thought it would take another five years before seeing Shimei here.”
He didn’t disguise the heart. No one would have guessed the person wearing the black hat, mysterious and strong xiuzhe called Su was actually female.
Her glowing wrist reached out and picked up the ling tea in front of her. Gently lifting the corner of the black guaze, the moist and red lips touched the white and glowing porcelain cup. Gu Rong Ping’s eyes instantly turned as hot as fire.
“Shimei will even refuse to let me see your visage?” Gu Rong Ping gazed at Su, and said sedately. But the excitement in his tone naturally spilled out.
“Shixiong’s heart has become disordered,” Su said gently, the black gauze not rippling at all, “If the heart is disordered, where is the Heart Lake Sword?”
Gu Rong Ping’s eyes flashed angrily. He didn’t continue, and suddenly closed his eyes. A while later, he opened them, his eyes clear, “Shimei is correct. After the Sword Test Conference ends, where is Shimei planning to go?”
“Forge a sword.”
“Oh,” Surprise came onto Gu Rong Ping’s eyes, “Shimei found some cold magnets?”
Su’s peaceful voice finally showed some emotion, “En, it’s already been cut. Four pieces.”
“Congratulations Shimei!” Gu Rong Ping’s heart was even more fretful. If Shimei went to forge a sword, she probably won’t come out in five years. His heart suddenly moved, “If this brother hasn’t remembered it wrong, if the cold magnet is made into a sword, it has to first be made into a sword billet. But this processing… …”
“I’ve already found someone,” Su’s voice returned to its usual faintness, “No need for Shixiong to worry.”
At this time, Chao An’s table erupted in laughter again.
“Ah, need to prepare for the match soon!”
“Yes, only Brother Chao can slack off.”
“A zhuji guy. If Brother Chao uses more than three moves, this one will disdain you.”
“Why don’t we make a wager? Wager on how many moves it will take Brother Chao to finish.”
“This is good. I bet three moves!”
“I wager one!”
“Okay okay. Be generous and stop mocking me,” Chao An bowed, “I just said it. Look, even if I win, I won’t get any benefits.”
The people jeered again.
Gu Rong Ping had just hit a soft nail with Shimei and was angry. Hearing the crow chat, he was even more furious. A cold light flashed through his eyes. He was young, of extraordinary cultivation, and famed. He was usually favored in the sect. No one usually dared to be so outrageous in front of him. His face was instantly dark.
He had just thought of standing up to teach this crowd a lesson when his eyes blurred. At some unknown time, Shimei had stood up.
What did she want to do?
“I bet ten moves,” Behind the light gauze, Su said faintly as she faced Chao An and the others. Her voice was not loud, but easily passed through the light gauze. This light gauze had isolation formations but they were not effective right now.
The table instantly became silent. Chao An’s face was frighteningly dark.
“Who, sir, are you? Please give a name,” Chao An smiled insincerely as he raised his hands in a greeting. Being slapped in front of his friends, could Chao An tolerate it? Because there were isolation formations on the light gauze, they could only see that there were two people inside. However, they could not see or hear their appearance or the content of their words.
“You do not have to know who I am. Bet, or no bet?” Su said, unaffected.
Gu Rong Ping was slightly surprised. Shimei was cold and indifferent. No one could be more clear about that than he was. She should not be interested in this kind of matter! But she was now wagering for someone else, this… …
What relationship did Shimei have with that person? Light rose in Gu Rong Ping’s eyes, his expression was slightly interested.
In front of so many people, if he didn’t accept this bet, then Chao An’s reputation would really sweep the floor. Couldn’t defeat a zhuji with ten moves? The other was clearly trying to humiliate him!
Chao An was extremely angry, but his voice was steady as he said, “Since Sire has said it, then this one will accept it. What to bet?”
“Anything,” A faint voice came out of the light gauze pavilion.
Chao An became even more certain the other was mocking him. A cold smile came out of his face. He took out a jade bottle and opened the stopper. Ling energy and a fragrant medicinal smell instantly spread in the air.
The people in the surroundings felt their minds jump. Some that understood lingdan became restless.
“Third-grade Intense Fire Dan. There are thirty six of them,” Intense Fire Dan was a lingdan that was a specialty of Fort Chao. The fire it contained was extremely domineering. It was a famous fire-type lingdan in Sky Moon Jie.
An item flew out of the pavilion. Chao An’s eyes focused and caught it.
“Dying Flowing Moon, third-grade.”
The people seated couldn’t keep still, and stood up, each one stretching their necks to look at the crystal bottle in Chao An’s hands. The crystal bottle was clear and flawless. The bottle itself was not cheap. Inside the crystal bottle, there was a fingernail sized ball of faint misty fluid.
Dying Flowing Moon. Supposedly, every ten years, there would be an extremely bright mid-autumn moon. Dying Flowing Moon was made from the moon light of that night. It was extremely valuable and rare!
Just this little bottle of Dying Flowing Moon, its value far surpassed Chao An’s Intense Fire Dan.
Chao An’s face was black.
Translator Ramblings: I had the hardest time translating Dying Flowing Moon (the Chinese is 月华流殇). There’s a lot in this chapter. There is a mysterious person that Wei Sheng confronts. We get to see Zuo Mo’s first opponent, Chao An, and one of Zuo Mo’s former customers, Su. She’s shown up twice before. Gu Rong Ping likes her~~~