Martialism

Chapter 22's

Yi Ping, Xiao Youxue and Lie Qing had fully recovered for three months before they decided to leave the Ice Cave.

The three of them lived a carefree life during those three months as they recovered from their injuries and exertion.

Their injuries and drained internal strength recovered at a much faster pace than they had expected. Perhaps because of the freshness and uniqueness of the ice fish they caught from the Ice Cave.

In just three months, Lie Qing had restored her bright gaze and Yi Ping was surprised that her true self would be so amazing.

While Xiao Youxue was mesmerizing, Lie Qing was mesmerizing.

Lie Qing asked Yi Ping, “Brother Yi Ping, who is the richest bachelor in the fraternity now?”

Yi Ping replied, “The honor belongs to Nangong Le, one of the four young masters of the martial fraternity.”

Lie Qing asked, “Who is the best young swordsman from the fraternity now?”

Yi Ping said, “Zuo Tianyi. He was only thirty years old and his swordsmanship exceeded that of many people who were twice his age. He is also one of the four young masters of the martial fraternity.”

Lie Qing could not help but smile, “Then do you think who better man? Zuo Tianyi or Nangong Le?”

Yi Ping smiled weakly. He really doesn't know what to answer.

When Lie Qing saw that Yi Ping did not answer him, he asked Xiao Youxue. “Youxue sisters, who do you think is the better man?”

Xiao Youxue smiled thinly, “It really depends whether you like heroes or rich people.”

Lie Qing turned to Yi Ping and asked, “Is there a hero who is also a rich person?”

Yi Ping managed to smile weakly, “I don't know ..”

Lie Qing asked again, “How about you? Are you famous in the fraternity?”

Yi Ping said, “I am not a rich man or a hero in the brotherhood. I'm just a poor traveler without a name ..”

Lie Qing laughed softly, “That's what you always say. Who knows if it's true?”

He looked at Xiao Youxue and asked, “Good sister, what do you think?”

Xiao Youxue smiled, “He is poor but not completely anonymous. He is one of the most hunted people in the entire fraternity now.”

Lie Qing revealed his surprise, “Yes geez! Good brother, you never told me!”

He started to look at Yi Ping from top to bottom as he exclaimed in horror, “Is he a depraved bandit or an evil villain?”

Xiao Youxue laughed softly, “He is just a famous fool who dares to offend most of the orthodox brotherhood.”

Lie Qing began to sigh, “Then it is better that I stay away from her or I will never find a good husband anytime soon.”

Xiao Youxue asked, “Why are you so eager to find a husband?”

Lie Qing smiled bitterly, “That's because I'm not young anymore.”

Xiao Youxue asked, “How old are you now?”

Lie Qing looked at Yi Ping and then looked at Xiao Youxue before replying, “This is my secret. I don't want to share with any of you!”

Xiao Youxue teases, “Even to your future husband?”

Lie Qing laughed softly, “Of course not for my future husband. Better he doesn't know.” either

Yi Ping rubbed his nose, “I wonder how old is Maiden Xiao?”

Xiao Youxue smiled alluringly as he said, “I also don't want to reveal it.”

Yi Ping sighed deeply.

Xiao Youxue asked him, “Why are you sighing? Why are you so eager to know our age?”

Yi Ping sighed even more deeply, “I just don't understand how you developed your internal strength at such a young age. It's really very hard to believe.”

Lie Qing laughed, “Good sister, I have lost all my internal strength. Can you give me some of your internal power?”

Xiao Youxue suddenly shut up and felt annoyed with Lie Qing. That was because the art of stealing and borrowing one's internal strength was an evil skill in the martial fraternity. It was an act that even most of the unorthodox clans condemned except the vile heretical sects.

Although Xiao Youxue was very careful in revealing his true internal strength to Yi Ping, sometimes he would forget and unintentionally show it.

Take for example in the first month they were in the forest when suddenly attacked by a large wild boar that suddenly attacked them.

If not for his sudden reflexes and the sudden kick from him that made the boar fly, Yi Ping and Lie Qing would have broken their legs by the boar's attack!

Yi Ping was astonished that his kick was powerful enough to kick the attacking wild boar that even a highly skilled exponent could barely do without breaking their legs first.

Yi Ping asked, “Is that your martial power or are you using martial techniques?”

She simply ignored him and walked away, leaving Yi Ping confused and interested in him as she sighed, “I didn't think I was nearly killed by a pig ..”

Even Lie Qing was stunned, “I did not expect the good sister to be so strong despite her gentle gaze.”

And now, they had left the Ice Cave.

Lie Qing asked, “Where are we going?”

Yi Ping said calmly, “I have some important things I will do first. We have to split up. I'm so glad you're almost recovered. Fraternity is dangerous for a girl. I'll take you to the nearest city.or city if you want, then we'll split.”

Xiao Youxue secretly stole a glance at Yi Ping. Is it time to separate for them? These three months were the happiest days of his life when he knew Yi Ping better.

Lie Qing asked curiously, “What important thing should you do?”

Yi Ping was silent for a while as he looked dazed before he said, “I have to find that Ding Yunzi. Even if she wasn't the one who killed my wife; surely she knew who the identity of her killer was.”

He paused for a moment before saying, “Also, Maiden Ji has stolen my secret manual. No matter what, I have to find it to get it back.” Actually he was more worried if the Honor Manor had acted against the Sacred Hex Sect than taking his secret manual from him but he said nothing about it.

Lie Qing asked, “Who is Maiden Ji?”

Yi Ping managed to smile weakly, “She is a very kind-hearted girl who is on the wrong side of the fraternity ..”

Xiao Youxue interjected, “ Stealing a secret manual is considered a more heinous crime than killing your wife. In this brotherhood, whose hands are not stained with blood? You'd rather avenge a stranger than avenge the theft of your secret manual? “

Yi Ping said, “Girl Ji is a friend ..”

Xiao Youxue waved his hand and threw away his face, “So, you are willing to forgive your friends for the heinous crimes they will commit against you?”

Yi Ping smiled weakly, “It really depends. Some heinous crimes are unforgivable. Some can.”

Xiao Youxue asked, “How did you know that your wife's killer had no legitimate reason to kill her?”

Yi Ping did not know what to answer as he looked into her alluring eyes. For some strange reason, from her eyes, she seemed to have known him a long time ago.

Lie Qing could feel the forbidden cold aura emanating from Xiao Youxue right now. He was a little afraid of Xiao Youxue now when he thought, “Luckily I have no interest in Yi Ping or I will die.”

Although he had recovered some of his internal strength and was confident in his own martial techniques, he was also an experienced exponent in the martial fraternity. He knew that Xiao Youxue might seem calm but his vigilance never went down. And moreover, he also knew that Xiao Youxue's martial level was actually higher than what he wanted to show. It was as if he was deliberating to suppress his true martial skills. Even with his experience, he could not tell the difference from which sect or clan Xiao Youxue came from.

Therefore he tries to be friendly to her and even calls her ‘Good Sister’ all the time. But no matter what he did in these three months, Xiao Youxue had always kept her distance.

Yi Ping and Xiao Youxue were the strangest people he had ever met. They did not ask about his martial background, where he obtained the precious sword ‘Eternal Darkness’ or question him further.

He thought, “Are they trying to make me off guard so they can get my martial secrets?”

And the weirdest thing was that Yi Ping and Xiao Youxue were also not seen as true friends even though they were traveling together. There were even certain days Yi Ping and Xiao Youxue did not even attempt to talk to each other. Instead they spend a lot of their time mediating and training their internal energy.

And this Yi Ping was truly a real man, handsome and there was a strong attraction to him…

Therefore, he was even more confused. “There must be a lot of girls who have fallen in love with him. Why is he in this remote place? Is he really hunted by the majority of the fraternity?”

She sighed in her heart, “I've never fallen in love with a man, didn't trust them. But now, I really don't know ..” He has met a lot of pretentious men. Just because they had given him some advantage, they thought that they could also regain some advantage.

To this day, he did not believe that Yi Ping could actually give him ‘Divine Dragon Pill’ to save his life. He is now in a dilemma because he actually lied to him about ‘Divine Catastrophe’.

“If he finds out I lied to him, wouldn't he get a very bad impression of me?” He could not believe that he really cared about his opinion of her!

What surprised him the most was that Yi Ping actually had over sixty years of martial power at his young age!

He had watched him practice his martial skills and had measured the depth of his martial power. And his martial power was an extremely pure and unimpeded type!

He almost fainted because of this. That was because reaching sixty years of martial power was almost an impossible feat for most exponents. Most top fighters in the fraternity, including the old and experienced exponents had barely even a martial foundation for twenty years. And if Yi Ping took the Divine Dragon Pill, he would instantly become a super superior exponent! That was because sixty years was the limit and anything above that was almost an impossible feat with too many obstacles. The few exponents who had sixty years of martial power were all super exponents.

Although the difference between a super superior exponent and a super exponent is not great, any significant breakthrough is important for them to understand the various superior complexity skills that will actually prove decisive in combat.

Of course, Lie Qing did not know that Yi Ping had actually consumed the Gold Rejuvenation Pill, either, eating the Thousand Year Old Ice Fish and had also cleared his death and life meridian channels with a strange battle incident.

It was hard for him not to resist falling in love with such a promising young man …

Because of the Divine Dragon Pill, his life was completely saved and his internal strength even had hopes for recovery. And Yi Ping had never asked for anything in return and now he wanted to part with her …

Xiao Youxue looked at Yi Ping coldly and interrupted Lie Qing's mind with a sharp comment, “I really want to see you avenge the girl who killed your wife with your cold-blooded hands.”

Yi Ping was startled as he sighed, “Aduh. It's my own personal business. Ii'm sorry. Maybe I have said the wrong words and offended you. I know you're good and don't want to see unnecessary bloodshed ..”

Xiao Youxue interrupted coldly, “You don't need to apologize. I'm not good at all. I want to see how you will kill someone with a heart so cold with your own hands.”

Yi Ping said, “This is none of your business ..”

Xiao Youxue raised his precious white emerald sword as he said, “That's happening now. You have said that you will repay me for saving your life. This is what I ask of you now. Take me so I can watch you. cold heartless.”

Yi Ping said, “Youxue, why are you forcing me ...”

Xiao Youxue said coldly, “So you are a liar?”

Yi Ping let out a heavy sigh as he said, “My enemy is a very strong enemy. I may not be his opponent. Even today, I am afraid of his martial skills and strength. I'll put you in danger ..”

Xiao Youxue said, “This, you don't have to worry about me. I know how to take care of myself.”

Lie Qing called Yi Ping, “Yi Ping, what about me?”

Yi Ping was surprised when he asked, “How about you?”

Lie Qing smiled mysteriously at Xiao Youxue as she said, “I want to see how you will take revenge for your wife as well!”

Yi Ping was stunned, “You too? Do you also think of me as cold-hearted?”

Lie Qing smiled as he said, “I don't! Don't forget that my life was saved by Youxue and you. I also have to help until the end.”

Yi Ping sighed in relief as he said, “Dumb girl. I don't know how long this will last. If it takes me twenty years, don't tell me you'll follow me for twenty years?”

Lie Qing laughed softly, “Not to mention twenty years, forty years I am also willing to wait!”

Xiao Youxue interrupted coldly, “Even if it takes sixty years, I want to see your cold inattention at that.”

Yi Ping was stunned as he said, “You all ...”

Suddenly, a piercing calm voice interrupted Yi Ping. “Maybe you don't have to wait for sixty years.”

Everyone is surprised. With their martial level, who could walk so quietly without their detection?

They quickly turned towards the intruder and saw a modestly dressed girl standing not far away. It's Ding Yunzi!

Ding Yunzi smiled, “Youxue, has your martial development really deteriorated or have I improved? Let me analyze for you, maybe you have spent too much time running from us instead of training your martial skills?”

Lie Qing said coldly, “You have been here all along by chance. You can go back and try to sneak in our direction again.”

Ding Yunzi looked at Lie Qing carefully. This innocent-looking young girl was actually very sharp and intelligent. For him to react and recover his wits so quickly, he should also not be an ordinary exponent. And he got these weird red eyes…

Xiao Youxue was surprised when he appeared as he quickly thought, “How did he find us?”

Yi Ping turned his head to look at Xiao Youxue as he asked, “Youxue, you know him?”

But Xiao Youxue did not answer his question and instead threw the white phoenix emerald precious sword at him as he said hurriedly, “Yi Ping and Lie Qing, be careful. He is a very dangerous exponent! Even if the three of us were to fight him at the same time, we might not be able to defeat him!”

Yi Ping nodded as he personally witnessed his sword skills. He quickly said to Lie Qing, “Qing’Er, you should back off. He is a very scary opponent!”

When Lie Qing saw the horrifying expressions of Xiao Youxue and Yi Ping, he immediately knew that they were not joking with him. And he raised his sword with a defensive stance.

Lie Qing looked at Ding Yunzi carefully. Of all appearances, he didn't seem like a threat and there were three of them…

Ding Yunzi raised her thin eyebrows slightly elegantly as she said softly, “I'm so flattered to hear it.”

Xiao Youxue said coldly, “How did you find me?”

Ding Yunzi said coldly, “We have seen you enter the Honor Manor but you are not there. It is clear that you have lured us there for an unknown purpose. Therefore, I have concluded that you must still be around here. Give up waiting, you know.”

Yi Ping interrupts, “Good. I'll look for you. It saved me from a futile search for sixty years.”

Ding Yunzi smiled politely and sighed, “I didn't know you had fallen in love with me and looked for me.”

Yi Ping was caught off guard by what he had just said and he stammered, “I .. we ... i.”

Xiao Youxue warned Yi Ping, “Yi Ping, do not fall into his guile and ruse.”

Ding Yunzi could not help but smile as she asked, “Why are you so eagerly looking for me? Actually I should have been looking for you.”

Yi Ping asked, “What do you mean?”

While Ding Yunzi was talking to them, he was actually observing their standing position and analyzing their every small movement. How they would attack, what was the distance between them and how they could react, he silently calculated; his winning chance of taking it at the same time was fifty percent. Of the three, Xiao Youxue was the most dangerous.

But of course, victory was already theirs. It was because his second oldest protege Brother Xiao Yuanjia was also here!

Yi Ping asked, “Why are you looking for me?”

Ding Yunzi stared intently at the white emerald precious sword that Yi Ping was holding as he asked, “Is this precious sword from the Eternal Ice Palace?”

Yi Ping humming coldly, “That's right!”

Ding Yunzi said, “That's the reason why you should die.”

Yi Ping was stunned, “I have to die just because of this one sword?”

Ding Yunzi replied calmly, “That's right.”

Yi Ping said, “So this is the so-called military justice of the Virtue Palace!”

When mentioning Virtuous Palace, Lie Qing slightly shuddered.

Ding Yunzi said, “That's because I got an order from my protege teacher Xiao Shuai to exterminate all the male learners of the Eternal Ice Palace and every male related to the Eternal Ice Palace. This is not a personal matter.”

Xiao Youxue was secretly angry as well. It was because his mother had begged Xiao Shuai to remove the Eternal Ice Palace and he had refused in the past. And now, he had attacked the Eternal Ice Palace of his own accord.

Yi Ping was furious as he shouted furiously, “The Virtuous Palace is so reckless with life.” He immediately took out a white emerald precious sword as he attacked Ding Yunzi.

Ding Yunzi was surprised that Yi Ping was so easily provoked and he noticed his quick impulsive nature. But he quickly sighed, “After today, he will die. What's the point of paying attention to his character?”

Suddenly, Yi Ping was beside him as he attacked him with Horizon Swordplay!

Ding Yunzi was astonished at how fast his swordplay was, as the mirror image of his blade appeared to and fro in successive waves swiftly!

But he was not slow to react; he had unsheathed his beautiful and swirling long sword, fending off and blocking Yi Ping's attack with his scabbard and long sword at the same time!

As he turned around and used ambidextroly, he suddenly gave a silent kick and exploded with a tremendous impact on Yi Ping as he flew backwards!

Xiao Youxue and Lie Qing were stunned as they flew towards Yi Ping in an instant!

Less than five seconds after Yi Ping attacked Ding Yunzi, the fight ended so quickly when he was struck by his ‘Kick Penetrating’ skill!

Yi Ping was stunned as he could distribute his martial power evenly across both his hands and feet as he fell to the ground!

When Ding Yunzi saw Xiao Youxue and Lie Qing speeding towards him, she threw her scabbard towards Lie Qing! It was because he knew that his projectile attack would never succeed against Xiao Youxue, so he decided to eliminate the weaker one first!

Xiao Youxue immediately shouted, “Lie Qing, be careful!”

But it was too late because the sheath flew like lightning past it and there was an incredible impact!

Ding Yunzi's attack speed was too fast and so silent that some opponents in the fraternity could match his martial skills! But to his surprise, the plain-looking young girl suddenly stumbled onto the ground as her scabbard almost hit her!

Ding Yunzi could not believe the incredible luck of that innocent-looking girl. But before he could analyze any further, Xiao Youxue had raised his hand to strike him down.

He immediately retaliated with his sword as Xiao Youxue cancelled his attack and dodged it.

Ding Yunzi smiled politely, “Surely you didn't think to fight me empty-handed? That will benefit me.”

Xiao Youxue hummed coldly as he spun around and dodged Ding Yunzi's sword blow as he brandished the folding sword hidden on his waist!

Ding Yunzi also did the same with the long sword in his right hand and unfolded the hidden sword fold from his waist to his left hand!

Xiao Youxue and Ding Yunzi started exchanging sword attacks!

Ding Yunzi exclaimed, “You seem to have improved but do not forget that in the past when we fought, I have won more than you. And my ambidextrous skills have improved tremendously since the last time we met.”

Xiao Youxue hummed coldly, “As if I cared.” Suddenly, his collapsible sword was filled with his martial power as it exploded against Ding Yunzi getting louder with each punch!

Ding Yunzi was shocked as he exclaimed, “You can actually transfer your Penetrating Hand into your sword technique!?”

He could not believe the sudden increase in Xiao Youxue's martial power as he retreated a few steps!

Just as Xiao Youxue was about to follow up with more consecutive attacks, the sound of a spinning flying sword burst into the air and dropped him ten steps back as he fended off in time!

The flying sword bounced back into the hands of the new intruder in his forties, Xiao Yuanjia!

Xiao Youxue said coldly, “So this is you ..”

Xiao Yuanjia said coldly, “How are you, sister.”

Xiao Youxue said, “Of course I'm not good. It's because you came to take my life.”

Xiao Yuanjia replied coldly, “We have orders. You are a traitor to the Palace of Virtue. Surrender yourself and the Golden Rejuvenation Pill. Then you might have a chance to live. For the sake of our kinship, I will beg for you at the very least.”

“Youxue, you are from Virtuous Palace?” It was Yi Ping. He had recovered from the sudden kick and he was beside Xiao Youxue.

But Xiao Youxue did not listen as he looked at Xiao Yuanjia and Ding Yunzi intently. A little distraction and he'll die!

Ding Yunzi looked at Yi Ping with relief and could not believe that he could actually withstand the Kick of Penetrating him as he thought, “He is not dead?” He estimated that he might have broken some ribs and suppressed his pain.

He thought, “You should pretend to give up on your wounds and not get up. You're a complete idiot.”

But why was he relieved that Yi Ping was not seriously injured?

Yi Ping rubbed his chest and exclaimed to himself, “I have been careless.” The kick left him stunned for a moment; yet it did not inflict any permanent damage to him.

“Sorry. I tripped. Did I miss something?” It's Lie Qing!

He sighed, “Now I truly believe that you are being hunted, Brother Yi Ping. We should have split up earlier. But now it's too late.”

Yi Ping smiled bitterly. He doesn't know what to answer.

Xiao Youxue was surprised and pleased that Lie Qing somehow survived the flying scabbard. He did not turn his head and he did not know what happened during that intense moment.

Ding Yunzi reassessed their strength and estimated that with Xiao Yuanjia in the fight, their chances of victory were still one hundred percent.

Xiao Youxue shivered at the appearance of Xiao Yuanjia! It was because he knew how powerful he really was. While the other proteges of Virtuous Palace excelled in surprise attacks and tactics, only Xiao Yuanjia fought with all of her true martial power. Of course his martial development was fast.

If there's anyone he doesn't want to see, it's him!

The flying sword that Xiao Yuanjia threw was actually a collapsible sword. And the large sheath he was holding right now actually contained another five folding swords! In Virtuous Palace, he was also known as the Swordsman of the Thirteen Swordsmen. But where are the other seven hidden swords?