Chapter 203 – A Battle of Puppets (1/2)

“Your martial arts will never surpass mine!” Ma Chaoqun moved his feet and raised his shoulder. His treasured blade struck out in a series of slashes. He launched thirteen attacks from thirteen different angles. Every single attack was as swift as wind, tearing through the air and kicking up a violent gale that whistled loudly.

Driven by hatred, his blade style was pushed to the limit. He moved as fiercely as the wind, filled with a terrifying bearing of trying to drag down the enemy with him. Even though the spectators despised his actions, they were unable to despise his martial arts.

On the other hand, Yu Shukuang no longer possessed the might of his proud sword anymore. His clothes were in tatters, and he responded clumsily. Whenever the flash of the blade pierced through his flurry of swords, a new wound would appear on his body, and he would retreat. Ma Chaoqun was like a knight at an enemy country’s border, leading constant raids and skirmishes in the enemy territory. However, he refused to deal a finishing blow, wanting to humiliate his opponent.

Yu Shukuang rebuked, “What do you have apart from martial arts?”

Ma Chaoqun paled. He had been hit where it hurt. He was ugly, and he was vulgar with his words. Apart from his martial arts, he really was not good at anything else, which was why Yu Shukuang managed to steal Zi’er’s heart from him, leaving him alone to wander through the jianghu. Aside from his martial arts, he had nothing.

He roared madly, “Die!”

He channeled true qi into his blade, and it lit up with blinding light, crushing down like a mountain.

Yu Shukuang tried to parry it with his sword, but it had already been heavily damaged, just like Yu Shukuang himself. It shattered as soon as they collided.

“Master!” “Brother Yu!” Numerous cries rang out, but they were not as fast as the blade. No one could stop the attack!

Yu Shukuang closed his eyes helplessly. “Zi’er, I’m coming to see you.”

On a luxurious carriage outside the manor, two young men in lovely, silken robes who were as proud as roosters sat beside each other. They sipped some tea leisurely, as if they had no idea what was happening in the Proud Sword manor.

Mao Chaoqun had entered Salt Mountain city on this carriage before getting off and entering the manor.

The young man to the left said, “Junior brother Ma sure is slow. Why can’t he deal with this faster?” He had the life-like tail feather of a male pheasant sewn to his chest. The embroidery was glorious. It was the symbol of the Pheasant’s Grace mountain. Only formal disciples of the third layer and above had the right to wear it. His cultivation was at an impressive fifth layer.

“Hmph! He has become so pitiful over a woman. With his talent, the second layer should be his limit!”

“The second layer is enough. Once we take back Salt Mountain city, he can remain here to gather talented children for the Pheasant’s Grace mountain. It’ll stop the people from the Green Vine mountain from always getting ahead of us.”

“Wise be senior brother!”

“Hmm?”

“Stop!” Yu Zijian called out.

Ma Chaoqun suddenly raised his head. A spark shot towards his face. He called out, twisted his blade, and slashed up.

With a boom, the spark exploded. Ma Chaoqun avoided being blown to pieces, but he was knocked away. His eyebrows were singed. He cried out, “A Scarlet Flame talisman!”

Yu Zijian had already helped Yu Shukuang to his feet. “Father, are you alright?”

Yu Shukuang saw how she was alone. “D- did he refuse to help?”

Yu Zijian shook her head and made Yu Shukuang eat the recovery pill Li Qingshan had given to her. She commanded the disciples of the Proud Sword sect before yelling at Ma Chaoqun, “I’ll be your opponent!”

“Girly, do you really think you’re my opponent just because you possess some talismans? Bug off. Let me kill your father, and then I’ll take you to get married!” Ma Chaoqun burst out into laughter as he spoke. He found this all to be extremely interesting. However, no one in the surroundings agreed with him. They all glared at him furiously.

Yu Zijian had originally been trembling in fear, but when she saw Yu Shukuang’s horrible shape, she became furious. “It’s no wonder my mum wouldn’t like a baddie like you!”

Baddie was language used by children. It would only make adults laugh. However, her words utterly infuriated Ma Chaoqun, who replied with, “How do you know that she doesn’t like me? She liked me the most. She constantly called me senior brother, senior brother when she was young…” As he spoke, he wanted to break into tears again!

With his unstable emotions, he truly was like a madman.

Yu Zijian held a talisman. She was extremely reluctant to use it as she thought of what uncle Niu had just said earlier. “Once you use this talisman, it’ll definitely be able to kill him in a single stroke. You cannot be softhearted!”

Ma Chaoqun raised his treasured blade and directly pointed it at Yu Zijian. “Fine. I’ll take you down first, and then I’ll kill your father!”

Looking at Ma Chaoqun as he howled and charged over, Yu Zijian raised her right hand and swept it forcefully from left to right. She produced a golden crescent of light.

Ma Chaoqun’s eyes narrowed. “The Metal Crescent Slash!” However, he had no intentions of retreating. The Metal Crescent Slash was an extremely powerful technique of the metal element. It was swift and fierce, but he was confident that he could block a Metal Crescent Slash from a low grade talisman with his blade. However, the slash was much brighter than he imagined it would be.

Before he could think any further, the golden crescent had vanished from his sight. Oh no, it’s a mid grade talisman! The thought crossed his head and blood splattered, followed by intense pain.

A mid grade talisman was equivalent to a technique used by a sixth layer Qi Practitioner. Although it lacked much of the finer control and adaptability, it was definitely powerful enough. It was not something that a measly second layer Qi Practitioner could block.