Chapter 270 - Duelling a Taoist Priest (2/2)
This incensed Big Sister who spat bitterly, saying, “Fool!” And Qinglan’s Edge materialized in her hand!
Chongxi ignored the brouhaha between us. Instead, he tugged at Xiao Yu’s hand, leading her with him as they scampered straight to the three peach trees. “Enough meddling!” hissed the Taoist priest. He drew himself back from the stance he was using against Big Sister and switched his attention to Chongxi and ran after him. But Big Sister, hardy willing to let him go, screamed, “Come back here!” She thrust her finger at the priest and the sword flew magically in the air, streaking straight at him as if he had a bull’s eye painted on his back! The Taoist priest sensed the threat behind him and jammed his foot to the ground, pivoting himself around with his one-meter-long sword coming right back in an arc. An invisible force hit the Qinglan’s Edge, deflecting it off-course.
Big Sister flicked her wrist suddenly, drawing a semi-circle in the air and five other copies of Qinglan’s Edge appeared above her! She pointed at the priest again, her fingers forming the Seal of the Sword, and all six of the swords immediately trained their tips at him like serpents poised to attack. Then the air howled. Like bullets, the swords charged at him!
The Taoist priest could not believe what he was seeing, even though he reacted quickly. His hands reached into his sleeves and he took something out and threw it at the six missiles of steel coming at him. A golden flash of light erupted and I saw what it was: a yellow talismanic strip! Large runic scripts appeared in thin air, mirroring the inscription on the paper talisman like a hologram in a deluge of golden rays and all six Qinglan’s Edges crumbled into nothing with a sickening crack that resounded like breaking ice!
The brief stalemate left Big Sister and the priest in awe. “What are you, demon?” He hissed quietly but Big Sister ignored the question, instead, she retorted with a question of her own, “And who are you?” They stood motionless, glaring down at each other from a short distance. Unbeknownst to them, I knew what that talismanic charm was: the signature talismanic charm of the Zhengyi Dao branch of Taoism, the Talisman of the Celestial Master! That was also why Big Sister stopped and glowered suspiciously at the priest. She was wondering if he was related to Celestial Master Zhang, the fabled founder of the Zhengyi Dao!
By then, Chongxi and Xiao Yu had reached the foot of the trees. He yelled to the trees, “Are you nuts? Why didn’t you run when he’s trying to hit you?!” The trees shuddered in unison and young lasses, each from every peach tree, appeared and collapsed to their knees at Chongxi’s ankles. “We wanted to, Master. But we can’t!”
The manifestation of the peach nymphs forced the priest to redirect his attention back to Chongxi. Enraged, he raised his sword and bolted towards him. “DEMONS, MEET YOUR END!” He roared as he lunged. Realizing how things were growing further and further out of hand, Big Sister and I controlled our swords via telekinesis. Our swords took into the air and stabbed into the ground right in front of him with two dangerous thuds, forcing him to stop. That seemed to just further infuriate the priest who turned back and snarled at us. Lin Feng scrambled to Chongxi’s side and pulled Xiao Yu aside to her safety, but not before lashing out his whip. The long thong of the whip coiled around Chongxi’s waist and Lin Feng pulled hard, pulling him away too. All three of them retreated back into the crowd, knocking down a few of the onlookers in the process,
The Taoist priest was surprised by Lin Feng’s mastery of martial arts. “Impressive skills,” he breathed.
Xiao Yu was left in a state of shock following her first true experience of actual battle and magic, and the sudden appearance of the three peach nymphs prostrating themselves humbly before Chongxi and addressing him as their lord did little to help.
I smiled at the priest. “Well, Master Priest. How about some explanations before we go on? This duel is meaningless. Some innocents might even get hurt for nothing.” The Taoist priest returned only a sneer. “What is there to discuss with people like you who fraternize with demons? Look at you, you carry a pure and divine aura yourself, yet you consort with the likes of theirs!” “Enough prattling with this old fool, Little Brother!” Big Sister interjected suddenly, her anger boiling at being called “demon”. “Act first, questions later!” With a swing of her sword, she lunged.
The Taoist priest saw Big Sister advancing and he charged ahead defiantly himself, eager to meet Big Sister in battle!
The air rang again with the clangs of steel gnashing on steel as Big Sister and the priest attacked each other viciously with their weapons. “Stop! Big Sister, you need to stop!” I cried from behind and Big Sister disengaged herself upon hearing me, leaping away from the fight. The priest stayed at where he was and scoffed, his voice venomous with contempt, “Humph! Siblings, both of you. I can’t believe this. What parents could have such abominations like you as children?! Enough talking. On this day let Heaven’s justice be inflicted upon you!”
Despite my best efforts to be patient to this irascible and stubborn Taoist priest, I could hold back no longer. With my anger now bursting like a volcano, I bellowed, “YOU MORON! HAVE YOU NO RESPECT!? YOU DON’T INSULT THE PARENTS OF OTHERS NO MATTER WHAT!? THAT’S THE BLOODY BOTTOMLINE! LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN USE SOME MANNERS YOURSELF!”
The priest was already charging at me and what I said made him raised his weapon, its tip thrust straight at me. But instead of using any magic or even simple techniques of swordsmanship, I ignored the sword still protruding from the ground like a needle on a pincushion and pounced at the priest, delivering a punch directly into his face!