Chapter 273: Lady Yun, the Righteous Sword Qi!

Inside, a stove was burning, and the firewood was crackling and popping, sending waves of warmth toward Li Yanchu. On the stove simmered a large pot of meat soup, filling the room with a rich, savory aroma.

Li Yanchu frowned slightly and glanced at the woman.

Qi Sight!

“Hmm?” Slightly taken aback, he gave a light sound of surprise.

In the vision of the Qi Sight, this woman displayed no trace of yin qi or demonic aura.

However, sometimes the Qi Sight could fail. Just like back in Longmen Village, the entire village’s inhabitants had seemed perfectly normal on the surface. And now, in the midst of escorting the high monk’s relic to Jinguang Temple, he could not afford to be careless.

Moreover, for a household to suddenly appear in the middle of a desolate mountain, it was hard to believe she was just an ordinary person.

“Daoist Master, I’ve made some meat soup. Let me serve you a bowl to drive away the cold.”

The woman bent down to fetch a porcelain bowl. The motion outlined her graceful curves, especially the firm, rounded fullness of her figure, enough to leave one breathless.

Li Yanchu’s brows drew together as a cold smile touched his lips. “Since you live alone, why make such a large pot of meat soup?”

The woman ladled up a steaming bowl of fragrant broth with practiced ease and handed it to him. At his words, she smiled faintly.

“Mountain folk aren’t so particular. I make more at once to save trouble. Daoist Master, please, have some.”

When she bent to pass him the bowl, her thin collar loosened inadvertently, revealing a stretch of pale skin. Her cheeks were rosy now, and her demeanor was tinged with a shy allure.

Li Yanchu accepted the bowl and said politely, “Thank you for your kindness, Madam. However, I’ve taken vows and do not eat meat.”

The woman froze for a moment, then smiled. “In that case, I’ll warm some dry rations for you. The mountain fare is humble, so I hope you won’t mind.”

“I have my own dry rations, no need to trouble yourself, Madam,” Li Yanchu replied.

His tone was light, but made it clear he had no interest in eating anything she served.

“My name is Lady Yun. How should I address you, Daoist Master?”

“I am Li Yanchu,” he said. Gazing at this beautiful woman called Lady Yun, he chuckled softly. “I merely wish to rest here for the night, Madam. Best not to trouble yourself further.”

Lady Yun’s bright eyes flickered with a trace of puzzlement, her face filled with surprise. Then, her small, rosy lips parted slightly. “Daoist Master, what do you mean by that?”

Li Yanchu’s brow rose.

Such an insensible demonic cultivator?!

If she kept trying to provoke him, she wouldn’t escape being struck down with a single stroke.

Originally, since he had detected no aura of bloodlust or resentment, he hadn’t planned to make an issue of it. But seeing that this Lady Yun was so insensible...

He paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter. “How dull. Madam, living alone here, you must be unbearably lonely. Why don’t I... give you some proper

care

...”

In one motion, he pulled Lady Yun into his arms, his large hands roaming freely over her body.

Lady Yun struggled in his embrace as her cheeks flushed crimson. “Daoist Master, please have some respect!”

She pushed herself free, glaring at Li Yanchu with tear-bright eyes while her body trembled.

At this time, Li Yanchu’s face carried an amused smile. Lady Yun’s eyes brimmed with tears; she stomped her foot in anger, then rushed into the inner room and locked the door behind her.

Still no reaction?

Li Yanchu frowned slightly with his gaze perfectly clear. There wasn’t the slightest trace of lust in them. Could it be... this really was just an ordinary woman?

Before he could think further, the thatched hut’s door was suddenly pushed open, and a group of people filed in.

At their head was a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth[1], carrying a sword at his waist. Beneath his robes, the faint outline of armor could be seen.

Several burly men flanked him, all broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and radiating a murderous aura. Their appearance was that of rough

jianghu

men.

“A Daoist?!” The young man’s brows drew together.

At once, several of the burly men’s eyes flashed with killing intent. One reacted swiftly, without waiting for an order.

Clang!

A sharp yanling saber[2] was drawn and brought down toward Li Yanchu’s neck in a vicious slash!

Li Yanchu’s brows knit slightly. His body slid half a chi to the left, just enough to avoid the strike.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several more fierce-looking, murderous men drew their sabers and slashed toward him.

The group seemed to have trained in some kind of coordinated combat technique, and they were well-drilled and methodical. They surrounded Li Yanchu with their sabers gleaming coldly, and their every strike aimed to kill.

Li Yanchu found this somewhat baffling. Judging from their manner, these men looked very much like battle-hardened veterans, but who exactly was this young man leading them? And why would they, upon hearing the word “Daoist,” immediately attempt to kill without hesitation?

Li Yanchu did not strike to kill, nor did he believe these men had committed a crime deserving death. Purely in terms of saber work, these burly fighters were indeed ruthless and efficient.

Unfortunately for them, they had not run into a run-of-the-mill talisman-drawing Daoist, but Li Yanchu, a man with the strength of a grandmaster of martial arts.

Divine Astral Hands!

Great Grappling Technique!

With his fingers slightly curled, he used exquisitely precise technique to disarm several of the burly fighters in quick succession, knocking their sharp long sabers away.

Now holding one of the long sabers himself, Li Yanchu saw the burly fighters freeze for an instant, then respond by throwing punch after punch. Their blows were powerful, heavy, simple, and direct, carrying the unmistakable feel of battlefield martial arts.

Li Yanchu’s eyes narrowed.

Divine Astral Hands! Bone Dislocating Hand!

Crack! Crack!

One by one, he dislocated the arms of the burly fighters, sending them into agony.

“Demonic Daoist! You even know the Bone Dislocating Hand!” the young man barked in a cold voice.

Clang!

Just then, a crisp, dragon-like hum rang out. A streak of sword-light, swift as thunder, shot straight toward Li Yanchu. Li Yanchu’s gaze sharpened, and he let out a quiet, surprised

huh?

as his body floated lightly to the side to evade.

The young man’s wrist twisted, and half a chi of bluish sword qi danced along the saber, flickering unpredictably. The sharp, fierce sword-qi aimed straight for the spot between Li Yanchu’s brows.

Li Yanchu shifted his body and reached out like a claw at lightning-fast speed to seize the young man’s wrist.

Shing

!

From the young man’s sword burst forth a sudden surge of profound and refined righteous sword qi. At a speed invisible to the naked eye, it followed a mysterious and subtle path, stabbing straight toward Li Yanchu’s chest.

The fact that this young man’s swordsmanship was so fierce truly surprised Li Yanchu.

Without hesitation, he directly activated his Primordial Chaos Technique, and Qi Shield surged over his body.

Clang!

Sparks flew in all directions.

The young man’s gaze turned cold, and he shouted angrily, “Demonic Daoist, prepare to die!”

The righteous[3] sword qi on his longsword blazed brilliantly, illuminating the entire farmhouse and driving away all malevolent aura. The sword tip stabbed directly into Li Yanchu’s Qi Shield, aiming for the vital spot at his chest. Immediately, it came within two cun of his heart.

Li Yanchu was startled. With a tap of his toes, his body floated lightly backward, and he retreated. As he passed through the farmhouse, his movements carried an ethereal grace, like that of a wandering immortal.

The young man had called him a “demonic Daoist,” yet his swordsmanship was upright and noble, so Li Yanchu did not wish to kill him.

“Freeze!”

He extended a finger, lightly touching the young man. Daoist Art, Immobilization Spell!

The young man’s longsword immediately froze in midair. No matter how hard he tried, he could not advance it even a cun. Just as Li Yanchu was about to question him, the young man’s sword blazed again with brilliant light, breaking through his Immobilization Spell!

“Eh!?” Li Yanchu exclaimed in surprise.

“Demonic Daoist, you are bold indeed!”

The young man’s eyes blazed with fury, and his longsword surged like lightning unleashed!

1. “Chún hóng chǐ bái” (唇红齿白) is a Chinese idiom. Its pinyin is chún hóng chǐ bái, and it literally means “red lips and white teeth,” describing someone with strikingly attractive features. The phrase originates from Qióngjū Jì · Sāng Xià Xì Qī (《琼琚记·桑下戏妻》). ☜

2. The yanling saber or yanmaodao is a type of saber used as a standard military weapon during the Ming dynasty and middle Qing dynasty. The blade is straight until the curve begins around the center of percussion along the last 1/4 or so of the blade approaching the tip. Here is a reference

image

. ☜

3. “Hàorán zhī qì” (浩然之气) refers to a spirit of righteousness, an upright, noble, and unyielding moral force. ☜