The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 185, page 200: The Princess Discusses Heroes, Wanwan is Surrounded Again!

"Princess Lianrou?"

Li Xiuning was slightly taken aback when she saw Lian Rou enter.

Lian Rou smiled brightly, sat down next to Li Xiuning, and affectionately took her arm:
"Princess Xiuning, would you mind if I hitched a ride?"

"Of course. But where is Princess Lianrou going?"

"Go with us to the Chang'an night market."

Lian Rou spoke with a smile, then looked at Lu Chen:

"Young Master Lu doesn't mind, does he?"

Lu Chen had a great time fighting Yun Shuai today, mutually benefiting from each other's efforts to fly for fifteen minutes, and even learned Yun Shuai's signature skills. Therefore, although he felt that Lian Rou wasn't very good at chatting and tended to go off-topic, he still politely nodded in agreement.
"Princess Lianrou, please proceed."

"Young Master Lu is highly skilled in martial arts, handsome, and excellent in every way, except for one thing..."

Hearing Lian Rou's words, Lu Chen remained expressionless, secretly thinking to himself:
Sure enough, this Persian girl just couldn't hold a conversation; she brought up random topics.

Dugu Feng frowned, and asked with a hint of dissatisfaction:
"May I ask, Princess Lianrou, what's wrong with Brother Lu?"

Lianrou covered her lips and smiled:
"Young Master Lu is too easygoing! He's so refined and scholarly, he doesn't have a bit of the fierce and domineering aura that a great hero should have."

Excuse me, but Mr. Lu has studied for more than twenty years in total across his two lifetimes. The time he spent studying is several times longer than the time he spent practicing martial arts. He really is a scholar.

Lu Chen thought to himself.

At the same time, I thought this Persian girl was terrible at conversation, so it was best to talk to her less.

He immediately began to study Yun Shuai's kung fu while the opportunity was still fresh in his mind.

Dugu Feng curled her lips, thinking to herself that you hadn't seen him charging into battle.

When they defeated Garuda's army and Li Mi's army, wasn't it always a scene of blood raining down, limbs scattered, and people crushed like flies?
His ferocious appearance, sweeping across armies and possessing the power of a demon god, would probably scare you, little Persian girl, to death on the spot.

Li Xiuning then said with a smile:

“Princess Lianrou, this is the difference between the cultures of the Central Plains and the grasslands. Ancient books from the Central Plains say: A person with strong blood will turn red when angry; a person with strong pulse will turn blue when angry; a person with strong bones will turn white when angry; a person with strong spirit will remain expressionless when angry.”

There is a saying in the Records of the Grand Historian: "He who has thunder in his heart but a calm face is worthy of being appointed a general." In the eyes of us people from the Central Plains, those who show anger on their faces are not brave.

"Young Master Lu is a brave and valiant man. He can charge into a formation of thousands of troops with just the strength of two people, and kill the king and break through the army. He can also take the lead and lead two thousand cavalry to launch a surprise attack on an army of forty thousand.

"The 40,000-strong army was led by a renowned general who had won every battle in recent years, and was an invincible force. Their only defeat was against Young Master Lu, and that was the only time they were defeated. They were crushed and their army collapsed."

She looked at Lian Rou with a smile, her tone gentle, yet her sharpness was hidden:

"Princess Lianrou, if the heroes of the grasslands are like wild wolves, like storms, who sing loudly and drink from large bowls when happy, and roar with fury when angry, even drawing their swords to cut off heads, who ride fierce horses and lead their brothers to seize treasures and beauties they desire, and who lead thousands of troops to take what they want, then..."

"The heroes of my Central Plains are like the sea before a tsunami, seemingly calm, but when the tide rises, it is vast and unstoppable. They are also like the steadfast mountains, no matter how fierce the storms rage from all directions, they remain unmoved, guarding the land and protecting all living beings."

“Princess Lianrou, this is how my great hero of the Central Plains is. Even if he appears gentle and refined, like a scholar, once he gets angry, it is like the wrath of the heavens, with winds rising and thunder roaring, causing panic among the masses and even ghosts and gods to flee.”

"Princess Lianrou will understand if she reads more historical books and ancient texts from the Central Plains."

These words impressed Dugu Feng, who thought to himself that Xiu Ning was indeed a heroine capable of commanding armies and conquering cities and territories. She was more learned than him and spoke much more shrewdly.

I just can't think of anything to say to refute that Persian girl.

Lian Rou was stunned for a moment, then blinked and said with a smile:

"Princess Xiuning is absolutely right, Lianrou has learned a lot!"

Li Xiuning smiled slightly:
"I wouldn't dare. It's just a cultural difference."

Lianrou covered her mouth and smiled again:
"However, I originally thought that women from the Central Plains were more reserved than women from the grasslands, but I did not expect Princess Xiuning to be so bold."

Li Xiuning was puzzled:
What does Princess Lianrou mean by this?

Lian Rou glanced at Lu Chen with her innocent yet wild brown eyes, then winked at Li Xiuning:

"When the princess praised Young Master Lu so highly just now, wasn't she boldly confessing her feelings to her beloved?"

Li Xiuning froze, her fair and jade-like face visibly flushing red. Her eyes darted around in a panic, and she glanced helplessly at Lu Chen. Seeing that he seemed lost in thought, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and then hurriedly explained:
“Princess Lianrou, this is another example of the difference between the cultures of the Central Plains and the grasslands. What I just said was, in short, normal words of respect and admiration, and had nothing to do with what the princess said about… that kind of thing.”

"Oh……"

Lian Rou opened her eyes wide and feigned realization, "It seems I misunderstood."

Li Xiuning nodded repeatedly:
"That's right, Princess Lianrou has misunderstood!"

As she spoke, she unconsciously glanced at Lu Chen again. Seeing that he was still lost in thought, she breathed a sigh of relief. But when she thought of Lian Rou's "bold confession," a strange and subtle emotion welled up inside her.

Lian Rou glanced at Lu Chen, and seeing that he was once again lost in thought, just like when he was talking to her in the hall, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in annoyance and wave her hand in front of Lu Chen's face:
"Young Master Lu, Young Master Lu?"

Lu Chen, who was still digesting the essence of Yun Shuai's martial arts, came back to his senses and gave Lian Rou a questioning look:

"What's the matter?"

"Is Young Master Lu listening to my conversation with Princess Xiuning?"

"I am listening."

"So what did we say?"

"..."

Wow, is this Persian girl really that serious?

Although Lu Chen was pondering the essence of Yun Shuai's martial arts and seemed to be lost in thought, he was already capable of multitasking.

He heard Li Xiuning and Lian Rou's conversation, and although he didn't consciously pay attention to it, his mind passively memorized it.

Thinking back now, I realized what they had said, and I suddenly felt a little embarrassed by Li Xiuning's excessive praise.

Although he had destroyed the Garuda army, a cannibalistic army that only knew how to destroy and not how to build, and thus had made some contribution to the people, he had not yet fought against the invading army of foreign races. In his opinion, Li Xiuning's praise was somewhat undeserved.

Besides, I may remember, but why should I repeat your conversation?
Am I not embarrassed?

Lu Chen looked at Lian Rou and said earnestly:

“Princess Lianrou, your father and I became friends through martial arts and hit it off immediately. We are equals, and according to the customs of our Central Plains, you should call me uncle. Do you think it's polite to speak to your uncle in this tone?”

"Hey?"

Lian Rou was stunned:
"Treat each other as equals? Is that so?"

“Your father once called Lu Chen ‘Brother Lu’.”

Dugu Feng said with a smile:

"According to the customs of the Central Plains, this is considered treating each other as equals."

Li Xiuning quickly chimed in:

“That’s right. Since the Imperial Preceptor has already called Brother Lu ‘brother,’ according to the customs of our Central Plains, Princess Lianrou should call Brother Lu ‘uncle.’”

"..."

Lian Rou was speechless for a moment.

"Father, really, why did he have to call me 'Brother Lu'? It made me feel like I'm a generation younger..." At this moment, Lu Chen suddenly frowned slightly and said to Li Xiuning and Lian Rou:
"Your Highnesses, Feng'er and I must take our leave now."

Li Xiuning's heart tightened, and she quickly asked:

"Brother Lu, has Xiuning been negligent in some way?"

“It’s none of your business.” Lu Chen shook his head.

Lian Rou said, "Did I make you angry?"

"No."

Lu Chen shook his head:

"I have a few enemies in Chang'an. They should have shown their faces by now. I'm going to kill them."

With that, he stepped out of the carriage, grabbed the Spear of the Horse that was on the carriage frame, and flew off towards the West Market.

Dugu Feng naturally followed closely behind him and asked in a low voice:
"Did Wanwan find the Great Ming Venerable Sect?"

Lu Chen nodded:

"Wanwan's aura is fluctuating violently, she must have been fighting someone, most likely the Great Ming Venerable Sect."

He would periodically sense Wanwan's sword spirit mark.

Previously, Wanwan's aura, which I sensed through the mark, had been calm and still, but just now it suddenly fluctuated violently. The intensity of that fluctuation could only be due to a fierce battle with someone.

If it were someone from the Great Ming Sect, Wanwan alone probably wouldn't be able to handle them—the Great Ming Sect's Good Mother Shafang is said to be no less skilled in martial arts than Zhu Yuyan.

Of course, this is what Zhu Yuyan said when she talked to Wanwan about the Great Ming Sect. Considering that Zhu Yuyan had never fought against Shanmu Shafang, and the principle of "judging the enemy leniently", if Zhu Yuyan said that Shanmu Shafang's martial arts were probably no less than hers, then it was highly likely that she was not as good as her.

Even so, the Great Ming Sect still has a Grand Master, Xu Kaishan.

It is said that Xu Kaishan has mastered the sect's supreme martial art, "The Scripture of Wisdom that Controls All Laws," and his martial arts skills are even superior to those of Shanmu Shafang.

Based on this calculation, Xu Kaishan's martial arts skills are probably comparable to those of Empress Yin.

Furthermore, the Great Ming Sect also has experts such as the Five Ming Envoys and the Five Types of Demons. If Wanwan finds the den of thieves and is accidentally discovered, it will be quite troublesome.

Fortunately, Lu Chen was able to sense Wanwan's aura at any time within a thousand feet and accurately pinpoint her location.

With their lightness skills, Lu Chen and Dugu Feng could reach them quickly to provide support from this distance.

As Lu Chen and Dugu Feng exited the carriage and flew away, Lian Rou said to Li Xiuning:
"Lu Chen wants to kill someone? I want to see what he'll be like when he does, whether he'll remain calm and collected in anger as you say!"

He quickly jumped out of the carriage, calling out as he left:
"Princess Xiuning, come along too! Come and see your sweetheart show off his prowess!"

Don't talk nonsense, I just admire and respect him!

Li Xiuning thought to herself, but after only a slight hesitation, she still drew her sword, left the carriage, and flew after him.

……

"Ugh, what bad luck today, I just had to stir up a hornet's nest..."

On the banks of the Qingming Canal in Guangdefang, next to the West Market of Chang'an, Wanwan was running away at the fastest speed she had ever seen.

This wasn't the first time she'd been beaten and forced to run away.

Back when she was at the Duba Manor in Jingling, she was beaten and forced to flee by Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, Shang Xiuxun and others. However, she also made a name for herself in that battle. Under the siege of many masters, she killed many enemies and escaped successfully with only minor injuries.

Today, it seems a bit difficult to run.

Even though she's a professional at escaping, the enemies she faces today are of a much higher quality than those she faced at the Duba Manor.

boom!
Suddenly, the river surface beside her burst open, and dozens of jets of water shot towards her like sharp arrows.

Wanwan spun her longsword, drawing an arc that generated a powerful suction force that instantly absorbed all the true energy contained within the water arrow.

The water arrow, which was originally powerful enough to pierce gold and split rocks, lost its true force and instantly turned back into gentle water, splashing all over the ground.

Although she blocked the surprise attack that turned water into arrows, Wanwan's swift movement was inevitably slowed down.

The side alley wall suddenly burst open, and amidst the billowing dust and smoke, a tall, thin man with a long face, resembling a hanged ghost, and whose eyes occasionally rolled back to reveal the whites, rushed out. He swung a huge, thick iron staff, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, and slammed it fiercely towards Wanwan.

He was one of the "Five Types of Demons," whose status was only below that of the Great Venerable and the Good Mother, equivalent to an elder, and was named "Dense Fog" Jiulingzhi.

At the same time, a fair-skinned man with half-awake eyes, who looked somewhat refined, rushed up from behind, unleashing a sharp sword aura that slashed towards Wanwan's back.

This person is also one of the "Five Types of Demons," named "Evil Wind" Yang Mo.

Facing the combined attack of two elder-level experts, Wanwan first thrust her sword diagonally, piercing Jiu Lingzhi's steel staff. Her own Heavenly Demon Art true energy, along with the force of the water arrow she had previously absorbed, was all poured onto the steel staff.

Thus, the seemingly thin and light longsword, when it clashed with the heavy steel staff, was in no way inferior. With a deafening clang of metal striking metal, it knocked the heavy steel staff away, causing Jiu Lingzhi to stagger back several steps before regaining his footing.

Then, using the force of the recoil, Wanwan spun her longsword, and the sword light transformed into a light screen to meet Yang Mo's sword energy.

clang!
Another long, resonant sound rang out, and Wanwan used the force to float away, while Yang Mo took three steps back, his face turning slightly pale.

If it were Wanwan before she began cultivating true qi with Lu Chen, she would have been slightly injured after facing the combined attacks of three elder-level experts from the Great Ming Sect. But now, she was completely unfazed, calmly taking three deadly blows and still having the strength to continue her retreat.

However, at that moment, a tall figure dressed in black, wearing a black mask that only revealed his eyes, suddenly appeared in front of them and said calmly, "This road is blocked!"

With a raised palm, he pushed forward, and the air in front of him transformed into an invisible wall, rumbling and crushing towards Wanwan.

Wanwan touched the ground barefoot, gripped her sword with both hands, and became one with the sword. She spun rapidly, and the sword light was like a sharp drill bit, drilling hard into the wall of air.

Bang!
With a thunderous roar, the invisible wall of energy shattered, but Wanwan was also thrown backward by the shock, her pretty face turning slightly pale as she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Then Jiu Lingzhi and Yang Mo surrounded her again. From the nearby Qingming Canal, a woman dressed in tight-fitting water armor and holding a long sword leaped out and, together with the men in black in front, surrounded Wanwan from all sides.

The woman who emerged from the water was none other than Shui Cha Nu, one of the "Five Envoys of the Great Ming Sect," and also an elder-level expert.

And although there appeared to be only four people, Wanwan knew that there were far more than just these four chasing and attacking her.

In the darkness of the night, there were at least four more experts lurking.

"You are a disciple of the Queen of the Underworld, so I will not make things difficult for you. I only wish to invite you to stay at our sect's stronghold for a while. When the Queen of the Underworld comes to visit, I will return you to her."

The masked man in black stood with his hands behind his back and spoke calmly.

Wanwan smiled sweetly, "Does Your Majesty think you've got me cornered?"

The masked man in black was none other than "Grand Master" Xu Kaishan.

He looked at Wanwan and chuckled softly:
"Miss Wanwan's martial arts skills are indeed somewhat beyond my expectations, but..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wanwan's face lit up with joy:
"Their helpers have arrived!"

As they were speaking, a clap of thunder suddenly rang out in the sky.

Why is there thunder on a clear night?

Dry thunder?

Xu Kaishan looked up and his pupils suddenly dilated. He saw a long spear that was completely black and dull, spreading out milky white air waves, like a black dragon descending from the sky at an astonishing speed!

Before he could even warn her, a muffled thud was heard. Jiu Lingzhi, the "Dense Fog" to Wanwan's left, was shot through the back of the neck by a spear without any chance to react, and emerged from the abdomen, pinning him to the ground dead!
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(End of this chapter)