Chapter Fourteen: The Beauty with the Wooden Sword

After eating and drinking his fill, Pei Min stepped out of the small tavern, his feet unconsciously carrying him toward the eastern side of the city. In his memory, Yuan Hao’s martial academy was located in that very direction.

Yuan Hao was known in the martial world by the nickname "Swift Sworded Ape," for he was gifted with extraordinarily long arms, comparable to Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms era. The three-foot sword in his grasp was wielded like a short spear, yet far more agile. His swordsmanship emphasized speed, relying on varied and flexible moves that, combined with his physical advantage, often forced his opponents into a purely defensive stance, unable to counterattack. His signature technique, "Mercy Beneath the Sword," was especially renowned—a single stroke dispatched four assailants, fully displaying his supremacy in speed, and earning him considerable fame throughout Ji City.

Yuan Hao was fond of sparring; when Pei Min studied in Ji City, he often witnessed Yuan Hao competing with others. Several moves in Pei Min’s eclectic sword style were inspired by Yuan Hao, which he memorized and later refined.

In Pei Min’s eyes, Yuan Hao was indeed a formidable swordsman, worthy of praise. Yet, even with his skill, he had been forced into a purely defensive state by a woman wielding only a wooden sword, leaving him no room to retaliate. That woman's swordsmanship must be extraordinary, profound beyond measure.

Pei Min loved, admired, understood, and studied the sword; anything related to swordplay captivated him. Upon hearing that such a master swordswoman had appeared in Youzhou, he could not resist the urge to see for himself.

Night fell and darkness blanketed the city.

Pei Min walked briskly and was nearing Yuan Hao’s academy when he suddenly heard aggressive voices ahead.

“You’ve already injured Brother Yuan, and now you come here again. What do you want, to drive us to ruin?” The voice was gruff and unyielding, brimming with raw, unreasonable anger.

“No, you misunderstand, sir. I’m not here to stir up trouble. I’ve come to apologize. I truly am sorry…”

From a distance, Pei Min saw a crowd gathered outside Yuan Hao’s academy, blocking the entrance and glaring at a young woman standing outside.

It was the woman who spoke. Her voice was gentle and soft, pleasing as a clear spring and as refreshing as a cool breeze in summer, soothing to body and soul.

Yet her apology did not appease them; it only further enraged her opponents.

The burly man laughed in anger, “A misunderstanding, is it? Injuring my brother’s arms is a misunderstanding? Mocking our Yan Yun martial world as weak is also a misunderstanding? Making trouble at noon and flaunting your skills at night—do you really think there’s no one in Yan Yun to oppose you? Matters of the martial world are settled on its own terms. Tonight, I, Wang Hu, will experience your exceptional swordsmanship for myself…”

As he finished, his body leapt into the air, his iron-backed saber slicing downward in a mighty arc.

Wang Hu’s blade was famed throughout Yan Yun. As the saber flashed coldly through the air, a chilling wind swept from its edge—a murderous aura seemed to radiate from the steel itself.

Pei Min had come near enough to see clearly. He was about to call out a warning when he saw the young woman merely press her toe lightly to the ground, drifting away from the saber’s path as if weightless.

Wang Hu’s blade was swift and forceful, but her movements were swifter, more ethereal.

She retreated a full ten feet and said, “Brother Wang, you misunderstand. I truly only came to offer my apologies.”

Wang Hu’s first strike missed; without pause, he launched a second. In the brief span of her words, he had already unleashed seven blows. The woman evaded each one with effortless grace, speaking as she moved, without so much as raising her arm in defense.

As Pei Min drew closer and took a steady look, he could not help but silently admire her: what a beautiful girl!

Everyone’s standards for beauty differ, and so do their preferences for a woman's appearance. Pei Min’s tastes were simple—his ideal beauty was not the voluptuous and seductive type, but rather possessed willow-like brows, almond-shaped eyes, and a petite cherry mouth, all set on a delicate, oval face. This, to him, was the image of a perfect goddess, and aligned with the aesthetics of the East.

The girl before him embodied all these traits: her willow brows were long and elegant, her almond eyes sparkled like stars, and her cherry lips curved delicately on that refined oval face. Every lovely feature seemed to converge upon her countenance.

Her manner was as graceful as rare orchids, refined and unworldly; paired with such exquisite beauty, she resembled a celestial maiden. Especially when she moved, her lithe and drifting figure was enchanting beyond compare.

Exquisite—truly exquisite!

Pei Min watched her movements, as graceful as a dance, and could not help but praise her once more.

Wang Hu’s every saber strike grew faster and more cunning. This renowned master of the blade was indeed deserving of his reputation.

Against such an opponent, relying solely on footwork to evade was a dangerous gamble.

The saber’s gleam had already encircled her slender figure; the woman had nearly no room left to retreat.

Pei Min was considering whether or not to intervene when, at that very moment, the young woman unfastened the wooden sword at her waist and sent it forward in a light, effortless thrust. Yet that seemingly casual thrust shattered the relentless momentum Wang Hu had been building.

“Brilliant!” Pei Min couldn’t help but exclaim. The woman’s sword, though it appeared simple, was a display of immense mastery. The wooden blade pointed directly at the flaw in Wang Hu’s technique; if he pressed his attack, it would be as if he were hurling himself onto her sword. What ought to have been a deadly offensive move became, in her hands, the most exquisite defense.

Excited, Pei Min unconsciously imitated her technique with two fingers as if holding a sword, perfectly mirroring her inspired maneuver.

Forced back by a single stroke, Wang Hu’s fury grew; face flushed, he attacked again with even greater ferocity.

The young woman still seemed unwilling to strike back, but Wang Hu left her no chance to speak, his saber flying with ruthless speed. Yet, each time she responded, regardless of how ferocious his attack, he found himself compelled to retreat.

In this exchange, her superiority was clear. Among the onlookers, many martial artists whispered to one another, “Who is this woman? At noon, she bested the Swift Sworded Ape without allowing him a single counter, and now she’s come to challenge and toy with Wang the Saber. Since when has such a formidable beauty appeared in Youzhou?”

“Nonsense! Don’t you know how arrogant this girl is? She mocks our Youzhou heroes, claims we’re no match for her. She can’t be one of us—who knows where she came from, crossing borders to pick a fight.”

“Outrageous! Is there no one who can put her in her place? If we let her run rampant, our Youzhou martial world will be the laughingstock of all.”

Pei Min listened to the indignant murmurs around him and saw the girl’s helpless expression. He thought to himself, if this continues, she’ll become the target of everyone’s anger. He called out in a clear voice, “Since they refuse to hear your explanation, miss, you’d best leave. Staying here will only make matters worse.”

The girl nodded to Pei Min, then forced Wang Hu back with a sword stroke. She was just about to withdraw when shouts arose from the crowd, “You’re not going anywhere!”

Wang Hu, convinced she was making a fool of him, could not bear the humiliation of being so mocked by a young woman. He lost all reason and lunged at her once more.

“So you have an accomplice! Don’t just stand there—let me, Jiang Fan, test your skills!”