The Reticent Blade-Chapter 148 - Sword That Rules Heaven and Earth (Part Ten)

Hearing this, Baili Gucheng’s anger surged again. His forehead veins throbbed as he thrust his sheathed sword upward at Ah San’s foot, retorting, "And who gave you the courage to say such things to me!"

The tip of the sheath shimmered with an intense sword qi that was condensed to its limit. But Ah San, as if he didn't notice, stepped directly onto it. The moment his shoe touched the sheath, Baili Gucheng saw the sword qi wink out like a tiny flame extinguished underfoot.

Baili Gucheng was stunned. Ah San stepped on the sheath tip with one foot, then lashed out with the other, kicking Baili Gucheng’s face with immense force and sending him flying.

Ah San glanced sideways at Baili Gucheng, who had fallen not far away. "That was payback for that strike you gave me outside the capital," he said as he landed gracefully with the umbrella over his shoulder.

Baili Gucheng picked up his fallen sword and silently stood up. "A grudge, huh? What a coincidence. I intend to repay one too."

"Hm?" Ah San raised an eyebrow, then noticed Baili Gucheng staring intently at him. "Hmph, empty words." He closed the black umbrella, ran a few steps, and leapt, aiming to smash it down on Baili Gucheng’s head!

Baili Gucheng remained motionless, the sword qi drifting aimlessly around him. As Ah San entered within three zhang of him, the sword qi fell apart instantly, like a block of butter under a hot knife.

Just before the umbrella could strike, Baili Gucheng raised his sword, sheath and all, and struck it heavily against the black umbrella, deflecting it to the side and opening up Ah San who was in front of him.

Ah San’s attack was neutralized, but he remained calm. He stepped forward, aiming a kick at Baili Gucheng’s forehead. Baili Gucheng quickly reached out with his left hand, grabbing Ah San’s ankle and attempting to slam him to the ground.

With no leverage in mid-air, Ah San was about to hit the ground when he pushed off his left hand, twisted his body, and kicked Baili Gucheng hard in the chest with his other foot, forcing Baili Gucheng back several steps as he broke free.

Ah San steadied himself, brushed the dust from his pants, and looked toward Baili Gucheng, who was rubbing his chest.

"Heh, no more sword qi? What makes you think you have a chance like this?"

"We'll find out after we fight," Baili Gucheng pointed his sword at Ah San. "Come on!"

"Arrogant fool." Ah San sneered, showing his sharp white teeth. "You must want to die."

The two moved simultaneously, charging toward each other. One wielded a sheathed sword, the other carried an umbrella, and they collided in an instant!

Bang!

The sword sheath and black umbrella clashed heavily, then quickly separated. The air filled with a series of heavy thudding sounds as they exchanged blows in rapid succession.

The sword sheath and umbrella bounced off each other repeatedly. Baili Gucheng’s sword technique was precise and varied, while Ah San’s use of the black umbrella, although appeared more clumsy, retained surprising agility. For a moment, they seemed evenly matched.

While the two fought intensely, a shout suddenly came from behind Baili Gucheng!

"Haiya!"

As soon as the voice sounded, Baili Gucheng felt a chill behind him. Instinctively, he tried to shift to the side, but pain soon radiated from his right side. Looking down, he saw a thin, flexible sword emerging from under his arm, leaving a long gash along his right side.

"Despicable!" Baili Gucheng cursed, swinging his sword behind him.

Seeing the sword coming, Yi Anzhi quickly pulled back his blade and leapt away, showing no intention of staying in the fight.

Ah San frowned slightly but said nothing, keeping his movements fluid. Taking advantage of Baili Gucheng turning around, he slammed the black umbrella heavy onto the man's back.

After being struck from behind twice in quick succession, Baili Gucheng was sent flying. He rolled a few times on the ground before stabilizing himself and putting some distance between the two attackers.

"Despicable?" Yi Anzhi sneered from a distance, looking at Baili Gucheng. "Impending Sword, do you think this is some kind of honorable duel?"

Ah San’s expression grew somewhat sullen, but he remained silent, watching Baili Gucheng from afar.

Baili Gucheng, now half-kneeling with his sword, slowly held it horizontally in front of him, one hand on the hilt and the other on the sheath. In a low voice, he said, "My master once said that the greatest swordsmanship is the type that can defeat the enemy... but you have twisted it."

Yi Anzhi’s face immediately darkened. He straightened his flexible sword with a snap and rushed toward Baili Gucheng, shouting, "You don’t get to teach me how to use a sword!"

Baili Gucheng didn’t lift his head, ignoring the rapidly approaching Yi Anzhi, as he continued, "A sword is noble, imbued with pure and righteous force."

As he finished speaking, an awe-inspiring aura suddenly erupted from Baili Gucheng.

Clang!

The sword in Baili Gucheng’s hand flashed from its sheath!

The aura shook Ah San’s composure, and his face changed. He immediately shouted at Yi Anzhi, "Get back!"

He didn’t need the reminder; as soon as he sensed Baili Gucheng's aura change, Yi Anzhi’s confidence wavered. He hurriedly stopped and retreated.

Ah San remained in a battle-ready stance, but that powerful aura vanished within moments, as if it had all been an illusion.

"Hm?" Ah San was taken aback and examined Baili Gucheng. He was staring blankly at his drawn sword, standing motionless. Even the turbulent tempest of sword qi surrounding him seemed to have weakened until it was barely as strong as a breeze.

Yi Anzhi’s face flushed with anger and shame. "Impending Sword! Are you messing with me?!" he cursed and charged forward with his sword again. He moved faster in his fury, with a momentum as if he would never retreat again.

Ah San felt a twinge of doubt, unsure what Impending Sword Baili Gucheng was up to, but he followed closely behind Yi Anzhi.

A look of confusion filled Baili Gucheng’s eyes as he glanced up to see the two rapidly approaching. A hint of panic appeared on his face, and he looked like a novice holding his sword; he seemed unsure of how to wield it and was struggling to defend himself.

Seeing Baili Gucheng falter, Yi Anzhi felt reassured and mocked him once more, "Impending Sword, did you learn to wield sword qi just to tickle me? It feels quite pleasant on my skin! Look closely, and I will teach you how to wield a sword!"

Baili Gucheng was momentarily stunned by Yi Anzhi’s taunt, but then the look of confusion faded from his eyes, and his mind cleared.

He quickly realized what had gone wrong. When he drew his sword earlier, he intended to make a desperate attempt, following the techniques in Concealed Sword Art to use the move,

Seeking Immortality.

However, something went wrong, and the sword’s momentum vanished as soon as it appeared. With Yi Anzhi’s remark, things suddenly made sense. The problem lay in the sword qi itself.

The Concealed Sword Art nurtures the sword through qi, allowing the sword to develop its own qi over the years. He couldn’t expect to use the Seeking Immortality technique with just any random sword, especially one that lacked years of cultivation. It would be nothing more than an ordinary sword technique without the accumulated qi.

This revelation left a bitter taste in Baili Gucheng’s heart. He realized he was caught in a hopeless situation... If he wanted to use Seeking Immortality to turn the tide, he would need to draw his own sword that he had tirelessly cultivated over years. The problem was... he couldn’t draw it. If he could draw it, he would not be in this predicament in the first place!

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In Baili Gucheng’s moment of distraction, Yi Anzhi seized the opening. His flexible sword lashed out like a whip, wrapping around Baili Gucheng’s sword. Yi Anzhi’s eyes gleamed as he pulled back forcefully!

Crack!

The ordinary sword shattered, breaking into countless glittering fragments that scattered in the air.

Seeing that Baili Gucheng was weaponless, Ah San seized the moment and swept his black umbrella at Baili Gucheng’s waist.

Realizing the danger, Baili Gucheng quickly discarded the broken hilt, reached back with his right hand, and pulled out his sheathed sword just in time to block Ah San’s powerful strike.

"Your reflexes aren’t bad! How about you show us your sword?" Yi Anzhi continued to provoke Baili Gucheng, which only added to the snow-white haired man's frustrations.

Clang!

As soon as Yi Anzhi finished speaking, a loud metallic clash suddenly echoed from the other side of the square. Only Baili Gucheng, facing that direction, could see it.

He glanced over, and his expression shifted from surprise to puzzlement, then to disbelief, before finally settling on exhilaration.

Ah San, noticing Baili Gucheng’s rapidly changing expression, wondered what he had seen. Baili Gucheng's shout reverberated across the plaza!

"Stormqueller! Lend me your blade!"