Chapter 151 A Waste of Breath (1/2)
”Father, why have you come out?” After the salute, Cui Keli was worried.
Cui Shulin was old. These years, he didn't go out and had been living in seclusion because he didn't want to waste his vitality. For him, every use of the cultivation power meant the consumption of vitality and the reduction of the already few lifetimes. If not, the family affairs wouldn't be handed over to Cui Hucheng to handle.
Cui Shulin landed in front of the courtyard and took a glance at everyone. His gaze stopped at Li Ye for a second, and then he withdrew his eyes. This was a kindly old man of vicissitudes. He sighed and said, ”I know the cause and effect of today's matter. That's it. Leave now.”
”Father!” Cui Hucheng's expression changed.
”Well?” Cui Shulin looked at Cui Hucheng with majesty. ”What else do you think?”
”I dare not!” Making contact with Cui Shulin's eyes, Cui Hucheng trembled and immediately ducked his head. Although he was the second superior of the Cui family, he fell far behind Cui Shulin in cultivation. As long as Cui Shulin was still alive, he wouldn't dare to be presumptuous, but he wasn't resigned to ending today's matter like this. Gritting his teeth, he said, ”I ask father to make the decision. I'm going to compete with my second senior brother for the position of the home lord right now!”
Cui Shulin glanced at Cui Hucheng with displeasure. ”Now?”
Cui Hucheng felt dissatisfied, so he said under the pressure, ”Father, please make the decision!”
Cui Shulin looked at Cui Keli with a softer look. ”Xiao'er, what do you think?”
Cui Keli looked back at Li Ye and the others. He saw Li Ye nodding slightly, so he turned around and said, ”I'm willing to compete with him.”
Cui Shulin nodded, touching his beard, and said, ”In this case, then make preparations and call the relatives to testify together.”
”Yes!”
When Li Ye heard the name ”Xiao'er”, he found it interesting, so he couldn't help but smile. Cui Shulin looked at him immediately as soon as he smiled. Li Ye quickly pretended that nothing had happened.
Cui Shulin slightly frowned. He glanced at Li Ye deeply again, and then he withdrew his gaze slowly.
...
It wasn't necessary for all the relatives of the Cui family to come, so only a group of people with status needed to be informed. It took some time because the matter came too sudden.
Taking advantage of the time, Cui Keli, Li Ye and the others began to work out the arrangement for the competition, standing on the side of the courtyard.
Cui Keli said, ”There will be three competitions, one for literary competition and two for martial competition. I will take part in the literary competition. Leave this aside. My third junior brother will definitely take part in the martial competition in person and dispatch one powerful follower. ”I don't know how powerful the follower of my third junior brother is, but he won't be worse than Yang Zhongxiu. However, we should fear my third junior brother most because he is the second superior of the Cui family.”
Li Ye and Su Emei looked at each other, and then Li Ye asked, ”What realm has Cui Hucheng's cultivation reached?”
Cui Keli rubbed his hands in embarrassment. ”I have ignored the family affairs and devoted myself to farming and studying for more than twenty years, so I don't know my third junior brother's realm, however, he has achieved middle-level Qi-refining stage for many years, which isn't the most important. What's important is his knife.”
Cui Keli looked solemn as he said the last two words.
”His knife?” Wei Xiaozhuang repeated.
Cui Keli nodded. ”When my third junior brother has achieved middle-level Qi-refining stage, he concentrates on cultivating knife. Recently, I've heard that he has reached the threshold of Knife Awareness in cultivating knife!”
”Knife Awareness?” Everyone looked at each other.
Apart from techniques, same as cultivating knife, cultivating sword had three realms, Sword Qi, Sword Awareness and the Way of Sword.
The threshold of Sword Qi was the lowest and Sword Qi was also the entry level standard. General practitioners of Qi techniques could wield Sword Qi and the only difference was the purity of Sword Qi.
Sword Awareness was the realm above Sword Qi. It was very difficult to comprehend and very powerful. It had the ability to win beyond one's cultivation power, but the person had to understand the origin of the sword cultivation. Generally speaking, the cultivators in high-level Qi-refining had the qualification to comprehend Sword Awareness, however, it was very difficult to comprehend Sword Awareness, so there were very rare cultivators who could comprehend Sword Awareness, even in high-level Qi-refining.
Among the cultivators whom Li Ye had seen, only Nangong Diyi's ”Three Buyue swords” had the feeling of Sword Awareness.
”If Cui Hucheng has really comprehended Knife Awareness—even if he has only reached the threshold of Knife Awareness, it will be very difficult to deal with him,” Su Emei said solemnly. She knew a lot about the cultivation things, which benefited from her master's teachings.
”Knife Awareness!” Wei Xiaozhuang looked at Su Emei, his face full of awe. ”Senior sister, you have been cultivating sword since young. Have you ever comprehended Sword Awareness?”
Su Emei shook her head in earnest.
Cui Keli continued, ”If my third junior brother uses his knife, Yang Zhongxiu, the First Sword in Qing Prefecture, is no match for him. Now in Pinglu, my third junior brother has the reputation of the First Knife. Originally, he intended to look for Liu Dazheng, the former First Knife in the Central Plains to compete with him in the knife cultivation, which was delayed by the Convention of Immortals and Taoism.”
Li Ye smiled. Liu Dazheng, the First Knife in the Central Plains, was now working for the Black Office.
When Cui Keli was discussing, Cui Hucheng was also surrounded by a group of people.
”Your cultivation in knife has reached the threshold of Knife Awareness, so if you make a fight, the helpers of Cui Keli won't be able to resist.”
Yang Zhongxiu gritted his teeth. He was defeated by Li Ye and lost face, but now there was a possibility that Cui Hucheng would avenge him, so he immediately tried his best to come up with an idea. ”That black-robed young man has good cultivation, but you needn't worry about because he is no match for you! Just now, I was careless, so I was attacked by him, but if I fight with him face to face, the result will be uncertain!”
In the end, Yang Zhongxiu didn't forget to exculpate himself.
Cui Hucheng snorted contemptuously. ”I originally thought that Cui Keli would invite some Big Shots, but finally, he has invited two Taoists from the countryside and a nobody. If my son hadn't been hurt, I won't be willing to fight with them.”
”Of course. How many people can reach the threshold of Knife Awareness in the current world? If you fight, no one will be able to contend with you! In the entire Pinglu, only the Penglai Taoist sect is worthy of your attention.” Yang Zhongxiu immediately flattered him.
”Father, you have to kill that fellow and avenge me!” The childe in splendid clothes gnashed his teeth.
”Just wait and see,” Cui Hucheng said with confidence.
After quite a while, the people of the Cui family had almost come and the competition began.
Everyone circled a place outside the courtyard as the ring for the martial competition, while the literary competition would take place in Cui Keli's house.
Cui Hucheng was eager for revenge and showing his overwhelming power, so he stepped out first, therefore, the first competition was the martial competition.
Li Ye came forward in front of Cui Hucheng without hesitation.
Sitting in the courtyard, Cui Shulin closed his eyes to rest.
In the gaze of the onlookers of the Cui family, Cui Hucheng snorted, looking at Li Ye, spat, and said disdainfully, ”You, a nobody, aren't worthy of my knife. You start first!”
Li Ye looked at Cui Hucheng and smiled slightly. ”If I cannot defeat you in three strikes, then I am defeated.”
The people of the Cui family were shocked as they heard this speech. Then sneers and laughter rang out on all sides.
”Is this guy a fool? He thought he could win in three strikes?”
”He wants to win in three strikes, so I don't think he has any sense at all. If he knows the strength of the third master, he won't dare to talk wildly! The third master is the second superior of the Cui family!”
”Humph. In my opinion, this guy is trying to carry on three strikes, and then he can say that he doesn't win so that he can explain his defeat? It's ridiculous. If the third master uses his knife, he can split him into two halves by one strike!”