Sword Shatters Stars

Chapter 22 I Met a Good Person

The woman coughed softly.

Lin Xiufei was startled and quickly jumped away and turned around.

When he looked at the woman, he resembled a panicked big boy caught doing something wrong.

When did you discover this place?

"Not long after, out of curiosity, it peeked into the snow and came in, but there was nothing there."

The woman pointed to the snow behind her and suggested:
"It looks like the Armadillo King statue has been here. Perhaps we should have the Heavenly Warriors take a look and come out together?"

"Okay." As Lin Xiufeng followed Zhao Youyue into the sealed cave, Zhao Youyue kicked his hind leg.

When Zhao Youyue emerged from the ice and snow, she was met with Lin Xiufeng's malicious smile.

Then, he kicked my shin.

The two of them kicked each other back and forth.

The woman watched, recalling memories of her youth, and couldn't help but laugh:
"It's time to go up."

Lin Xiufei kicked it, turned and ran, leaping out of the pit.

Zhao Youyue chased after him, but seeing that there were many people around, she could only glare at Lin Xiufei and stop kicking his shin.

"You kicked me first, so why are you glaring at me?"

Lin Xiufeng said to her in a low voice, sounding annoyed.

"Who told you to deliberately take advantage of me!"

"What else could we do at the time? Pretend we'd just gone in? We weren't covered in snow! We could only pretend we were a couple enjoying some time alone together, that would be more believable!"

Lin Xiufeng genuinely felt that Zhao Youyue was too emotional.

"Can't we just rest inside for a while?"

"Then she'll definitely ask all sorts of questions."

Stop making excuses! No one else could have imagined that kind of change! You're the one who's benefiting!

The two were arguing in hushed tones, but to onlookers it sounded like whispering.

Lin Xiufeng suddenly noticed four people, and when they realized he was watching them, they turned and walked away.

"Those four who were chasing us earlier, watch your step."

Zhao Youyue stopped arguing; she had also seen the four people—their triangular eyes were too distinctive.

The five Heavenly Warriors looked around the pit, then came out again, but still found no clues.

The gathered crowd searched the summit twice, but found no clues.

Some people knew that even five Heavenly Warriors couldn't catch up, so they dispersed, feeling they had lost the chase.

Lin Xiufeng and Zhao Youyue spotted four people in the crowd, including one with triangular eyes.

They were neither too close nor too far from them; they were clearly keeping an eye on them!
The group of four, including the one with the triangular eyes, had unknown strength.

There are only two people, Lin Xiufeng and Zhao Youyue.

While Zhao Youyue was thinking of a solution, she suddenly spotted the older sister who had previously warned her in the crowd.

"Lin Xiufeng, that older sister is really kind-hearted. If we stick with them, we won't be afraid of those guys with triangular eyes!"

"Is it reliable?" Lin Xiufeng observed for a while, but he didn't have the ability to read people's minds.

"Definitely no problem!" Zhao Youyue had a very good impression of the older sister.

That's a really good idea.

Lin Xiufeng let Zhao Youyue go over and talk to him alone, while he walked around on the summit, observing the terrain.

At the summit of the icy peak, one can survey all the surrounding mountains.

Lin Xiufeng only realized at this moment how many mountains the Azure Armadillo King had crossed in the direction it came from.

As far as the eye can see, there is no end to the mountain range.

It's truly remarkable that so many people have chased after this far for the chance to absorb the power of the Heavenly Martial Realm.

"How many people have been stuck on the Heavenly Martial Soul hurdle...? Were we just incredibly lucky? Or were we celebrating too soon?"

"Lin Xiufeng! Come here quickly—call her Sister Yin."

Zhao Youyue was very happy. Things went smoothly, and she now had a companion who could finally lend a hand in crucial moments.

"Hello, Sister Yin."

Lin Xiufeng sized up Sister Yin. She was about 1.7 meters tall and probably in her twenties, but he couldn't tell her any more details.

He appears refined and gentle, with a warm smile, but the smile in his eyes is restrained, suggesting he has strong self-control.

Sister Yin looked up, sized up Lin Xiufeng, and said approvingly:
"You're so tall! Young, handsome, and strong. You two are a perfect match, a match made in heaven... Oh, Xiaoyou is blushing."

"We're just partners! Really!"

Zhao Youyue quickly explained.

Sister Yin laughed and said, "In the other world of the Heavenly Martial Realm, don't people always end up together after working together for a while?"

Lin Xiufeng looked shy and embarrassed, unsure of how to respond.

Zhao Youyue was impressed by him; he was such a good actor, an absolute master of pretense!

Sister Yin introduced five other partners, three men and two women.

They all seemed to be in pairs.

After everyone introduced themselves, the man called Meng Ge said, "Don't be afraid. Since those four people have ill intentions, let's teach them a lesson!"

"That won't be necessary! How can we feel at ease if it causes our older brothers and sisters to get hurt, or if it wastes our Heavenly Martial Power!"

Lin Xiufeng wasn't feeling sorry for the four people, including the one with the triangular eyes; he just didn't want to be in an unreliable environment with Zhao Youyue.

Zhao Youyue was somewhat surprised, but quickly understood.

In the end, Sister Yin and these people have only just met. You can't judge a book by its cover; who knows what's good or evil?

Going back with the main group is the safest option.

Sister Yin gently shared her experience:
“You are young and kind, so it’s normal that you don’t want conflict.”

"But in the Heavenly Martial Realm, there are no laws, only the rules of survival."

"The first rule is not to antagonize the Heavenly Martial Clan; the second rule is not to antagonize the three major organizations: Anti-Heaven, Heaven-Turning, and Heaven-Defying."

"The third rule is never to let a fight go when you can win; the fourth rule is never to fight when you can't win."

"Consider today your learning of the third law of survival."

"Don't worry about implicating anyone. When you're with your partners, you help each other. There's no such thing as implicating anyone. That's just a thought that only comes with temporary cooperation."

"To ensure the success of the operation, we won't talk much. You can kill time as you please, and find a conspicuous spot to stay when there are fewer people around."

"Simply put, we're bait. Once those four make a move, we'll come out and defeat them together."

After Sister Yin finished speaking, she looked at them and asked:
"Do you all understand? If you do, begin to act according to the plan."

"Understood!"

Zhao Youyue agreed, and Lin Xiufei nodded, looking a little confused, nervous, and worried.

The two of them wandered around the summit area for a while.

The five Heavenly Warriors still hadn't found anything, so two more Heavenly Warriors withdrew, and some Heavenly Martial Souls also lost patience and followed suit.

The remaining three Heavenly Warriors searched for a while longer before gradually withdrawing.

The Heavenly Martial Souls had no reason to continue their fight. Without Heavenly Martial Warriors, even if they discovered the Armadillo King, they couldn't defeat it.

Lin Xiufeng whispered to Zhao Youyue:

"I suggest leaving with the crowd now; that's the least risky option."

"I think I can trust Sister Yin."

Zhao Youyue insisted, and then added:

“I’m not acting rashly! Even if we follow the crowd, if Sister Yin is as unreliable as Triangle Eyes, they’ll still be watching us on the way back. Can we hide in the village forever?”

“Staying or going back each has its own risks and troubles. The important thing is that as partners, we must respect each other and work together at this time. So I am just offering advice.”

Lin Xiufeng couldn't say for sure whether Sister Yin was reliable.

If it's reliable, having partners to fight alongside you is the only way to go in the long run.

Where should we act as bait?

"That protruding spot on the edge of the cliff."

"...Isn't this too risky? What if the transformation fails and I fall to my death?"

Zhao Youyue thought it was too high; just thinking about it was terrifying.

"I only thought about sliding down, or even rolling down, if it was dangerous. I never thought about jumping. You really dare to think that way!"

As they spoke, the two walked to a spot on the edge of the cliff that jutted out slightly, and stood side by side talking and admiring the scenery, seemingly in no hurry to leave.

Lin Xiufeng even took a shovel from a multi-tool and shoveled a patch of snow to make a snowman for Zhao Youyue.

During this time, the four people, including the one with the triangular eyes, were not seen, but the Tianwu Po in the peak area had all left.

"...I've practiced swordsmanship since I was a child, and I'm proficient in most types of swords, both Chinese and foreign. Fighting is definitely not a burden for me!"

Zhao Youyue was very confident, which made Lin Xiufeng look at her with new respect.

"Maybe I'm the one who's holding everyone back. I only learned Taekwondo to black belt in fourth grade, but then I gave it up. Black belt is just the beginning, and I've been neglecting it for many years, so it's not worth mentioning."

Lin Xiufeng was too embarrassed to talk about the many things he had practiced for a short time with his friends, such as martial arts, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, swordsmanship, and shooting.

Because I was just messing around, my interest shifted before I even got started.

Because at those times, I never thought I would need it in the future.

"You do have combat experience, and your long arms and legs are an advantage. From now on, I'll teach you how to use a sword, and you'll teach me how to use fists and feet?"

Zhao Youyue felt much more at ease; she didn't feel any distance from people who had no practical experience.

Although Taekwondo is not very effective in actual combat, sparring practice at least trains one's sense of distance and provides a real understanding of combat.

Her only concern was how much of a threat the best civilian-grade topological nano-Del Stone weapon on Tianlan Star could pose to Tianwu Po.

The two chatted idly while Lin Xiufeng shoveled snow and ice.

There was no snow in Linhai City, and the two young people had a great time playing.

Until the last group of people left, they had gone quite a distance.

The four people, including the one with the triangular eyes, finally arrived.

………………

Bonus chapter! Thanks to Silver Alliance Leader "Sad?" for the fourth chapter. There will be another bonus chapter tonight.

(End of this chapter)