Chapter 14: This Girl Is Beyond Help

As soon as he finished speaking, Di Xin'er raised her sword and lunged.

"Wait!"

Xu Xiaoshou pushed his hand forward, stopping her momentum. "As the saying goes," he declared, "a gentleman uses words, not fists; and if a gentleman uses fists, he doesn't use a sword! How about this: I won't use a sword, and you won't either. We'll go bare-handed, a close-quarters brawl?" As Xu Xiaoshou spoke, he placed the wooden sword from his back onto the ground.

A brawl?

Di Xin'er frowned. Knowing he wasn't intentionally being difficult, she humored him. "I know you have a ninth-grade spiritual sword called 'Cangku'," she said.

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, then took 'Cangku' from his ring and placed it on the ground. He wasn't trying to cheat; he had been diligently practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard the day before, and a wooden sword was more suitable, so he had kept it on his back until now.

"I know Senior Brother Xu has a strong physique, but I only know swordsmanship. So, let's fight!" Di Xin'er declared, wasting no more words as she lunged with her sword.

Xu Xiaoshou almost cursed out loud. This girl tricked him into putting down his swords, then immediately attacked? Sure enough, women were untrustworthy, big liars!

He quickly got up and dodged. For some reason, he found Di Xin'er's sword incredibly slow, practically riddled with flaws. 'Her cultivation isn't precise enough,' he thought. 'And you're an eighth-level practitioner?' The moment he turned sideways, Xu Xiaoshou attempted a hand-chop towards Di Xin'er's waist, but an image of poking a hole from the day before suddenly flashed in his mind, so he immediately changed his open hand into a fist.

Di Xin'er reacted incredibly fast, pulling her sword back horizontally, then flipping it to aim the blade at his fist. If Xu Xiaoshou's fist had connected, it would surely have been split in two.

"Ah!"

The next second, Di Xin'er felt herself trip over something and fell directly to the ground.

Xu Xiaoshou quietly retracted his left foot, a look of suspicion flashing in his eyes. 'Could Di Xin'er's eighth-level cultivation be fake?' he wondered. 'How is every one of her sword moves exactly as I expect?' If Xu Xiaoshou had drawn his sword and held it horizontally at that moment, the battle would have been decided, but he couldn't possibly do that. He had finally gotten a fight, so of course, he needed to earn more passive points.

Di Xin'er seized the opportunity, and, disregarding her image, she did a clumsy roll, getting out of Xu Xiaoshou's attack range, and stood up, sword in hand.

'This Xu Xiaoshou is truly formidable!''That sudden kick was a stroke of genius!''I was careless!'

Watching Di Xin'er adjust her stance, Xu Xiaoshou spoke again. "Consider it," he said. "Everything I'm saying is true; I'd never lie to you. You don't know fist arts, and I actually don't either. It's very fair if we fight hand-to-hand!"

The audience was already buzzing with chatter after Xu Xiaoshou's kick, but hearing this, they became even more agitated.

"Shameless!"

"This Xu Xiaoshou is utterly shameless! Not only does he ambush, but he keeps wanting to fight Di Xin'er hand-to-hand?"

"Exactly!" someone else chimed in. "He doesn't even consider his own physique; how could Senior Sister Di withstand it?"

"If it were me, I definitely wouldn't agree!"

Some female disciples blushed upon hearing this, thinking, 'What kind of audience is this, spouting such vulgar remarks?'

Xu Xiaoshou clearly realized the issue and immediately added, "Alright then, my physique is strong, giving me an advantage, so I'll let you have one hand..." Seeing Di Xin'er lunge again, he loudly proclaimed, "Two hands, two hands! I'll fight you with my feet! We'll brawl!"

"Shut up!"

Although she knew Xu Xiaoshou was deliberately trying to provoke her, Di Xin'er truly couldn't hold back anymore. Such a vulgar and shameless person deserved to be run through with a sword.

Xu Xiaoshou didn't even know why she suddenly got so angry. 'But anger is one thing,' he thought, 'could you at least make your swordsmanship more skilled? Don't be so polite! There are so many openings, I don't even know which one to choose to attack.'

Xu Xiaoshou dodged again. This time, he didn't attack, but sincerely said, "Think about it, a brawl!"

Di Xin'er swept out several sword strikes, her face flushed with anger. She had even cheered for Xu Xiaoshou before, and now she found out he was this kind of person.

"Senior Brother Xu, be careful!"

After missing with over a dozen consecutive sword strikes, Di Xin'er finally realized that Xu Xiaoshou understood swordsmanship and movement techniques. She decided to use a spiritual skill!

A surge of spiritual energy pulsed, forcing Xu Xiaoshou back. After Di Xin'er calmed herself, her sword suddenly slowed down.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression grew even stranger. 'White Cloud Sword Art? This girl actually wants to use the White Cloud Sword Art against me? What a joke!'

Xu Xiaoshou rolled over, his hand touching 'Cangku'. 'Uh, can't hurt anyone...' he thought. He picked up his wooden sword. As Di Xin'er's 'Wandering White Cloud' move swept past, he performed a fish-leap in the air, passing through dozens of sword lights.

The audience erupted in an uproar.

"This Xu Xiaoshou has some skills! He can dodge even that; I thought he'd have to take it head-on!"

"The White Cloud Sword Art... It seems Xu Xiaoshou knows it too. I heard he practiced it for three years; maybe he knows the move's pattern well?"

"Three years? That guy only mastered one move, 'Wandering White Cloud,' in three years!"

"Why is he holding a wooden sword? Doesn't he have a ninth-grade spiritual sword?"

Everyone watched in astonishment as Xu Xiaoshou passed through the sword net unscathed, moving left and right under Di Xin'er's sword until he was in front of her. Xu Xiaoshou hesitated for a moment, then chose to gently pat her head with the wooden sword. His original intention, of course, was to signal her defeat—'If this were a spiritual sword, you'd be dead'—but the audience didn't see it that way!

"Beast!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, stop!"

"Ah, Di Xin'er is mine!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, you damned scoundrel! Fight properly! Why are you using a wooden sword?!"

Xu Xiaoshou raised his wooden sword, deciding to give her another chance. Since a brawl wasn't working, he would provoke her and make her scoff at him; this way, he could still earn passive points.

"Well fought!" Xu Xiaoshou held the wooden sword upside down. "But your sword net was too hasty," he commented. "All laid out in a single layer. Once it's blocked, there's no strength left for subsequent parries." He looked down at her with a disdainful gaze. "This 'Wandering White Cloud' move still needs improvement. Keep up the good work!"

In her most proficient area, he refuted her with the most ostentatious attitude. That condescending gaze, that air of superiority—he was definitely playing the perfect villain! Who could withstand that? Anyone would erupt in curses, strongly refuting and mocking him! Xu Xiaoshou was very satisfied with his tone, believing that no one could hold back after his performance.

To his surprise, Di Xin'er even forgot about the sword tapping her head and began to ponder to herself. 'What Xu Xiaoshou said makes so much sense,' she thought. 'Could it be that his strongest skill isn't brawling, but swordsmanship? I heard he also practiced the White Cloud Sword Art before?'

Xu Xiaoshou felt a bit awkward for a moment. He watched her staring blankly, and he also paused. 'Should I take this wooden sword away, or not?' he wondered. 'Girl,' he thought, 'this is a battle. What enlightenment are you seeking?'

Di Xin'er snapped back to reality. She looked up and pushed the wooden sword Xu Xiaoshou had patted on her head, immediately realizing something was wrong. 'Why am I making the same old mistake again? This is a battle; I can't be thinking!' Her cheeks flushed, and she pulled away, a strange look in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something but held back.

"Received gratitude, passive points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

'Is this girl that naive?' he wondered. 'Does she really think I'm giving her pointers?'

"Again!" Di Xin'er called out, ultimately unable to bring herself to say thank you. She came forward, twirling her sword, seemingly intent on pulling Xu Xiaoshou into a vortex of sword energy. "White Cloud Sword Art, Second Form: Clouds Unfurl and Roll Up!"

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes lit up. This was a sword move he hadn't learned in three years, yet now, it seemed to have a discernible pattern? He tentatively maneuvered his sword into Di Xin'er's vortex, mimicking her swordsmanship and twirling his own sword in flourishes, using her strength against her own to parry away all the piercing sword shadows.

Di Xin'er was stunned. She watched her own sword being guided by him to stab sideways, while Xu Xiaoshou's wooden sword rested on her shoulder, paused for a moment, then gently patted her slightly plump cheek.

*Smack!*

The sound wasn't loud, but everyone in the audience mentally amplified it, and one by one, they angrily stood up.

"You beast!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, stealing our Senior Sister Di, may you die a terrible death!"

"Get that sword away from her, or else I swear I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth!"

While there were protectors standing with Di Xin'er, there were also young girls captivated by Xu Xiaoshou's two sword moves.

"Ahhh, my heart is melting! Xu Xiaoshou, please pat me!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, fight properly! I won't allow you to be so gentle!"

"Xu Xiaoshou, are you crazy? Flirting with another woman in front of me?"

Xu Xiaoshou felt very awkward. He really wanted to have a grand battle, but the wooden sword's attack power clearly wouldn't allow it; he could only manage this much. Aside from patting and touching, what attack power did it have? And if he were to switch to 'Cangku', Di Xin'er clearly wouldn't be able to handle it! What if that sword intent from last time emerged again, and he pulverized a perfectly good, pretty girl?

Di Xin'er's face burned crimson, but this time, she didn't avert her gaze; instead, she looked at Xu Xiaoshou with gleaming eyes.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. 'What does this mean?' he wondered. 'Does she want me to explain?' He tentatively said, "This move should follow under your previous sword net. If the enemy is wounded by you, you can use the momentum of your sword to press down and secure victory in one fell swoop. And if the enemy breaks through the sword net, you should retract and entangle them, using this 'Clouds Unfurl and Roll Up' form to envelop the opponent's attack, connecting the previous to the next and preparing for your subsequent strike?"

Heaven knows, he just said it offhand, yet she actually showed an expression of sudden enlightenment.

"Received gratitude, passive points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou was speechless. He pondered whether he should continue earning passive points from this girl; to be honest, his conscience was indeed bothering him a little.

Di Xin'er pulled back again and let out a soft shout: "Third Form: Lost in the Clouds!"

Xu Xiaoshou quickly thrust his sword, using a bit more force this time. As Di Xin'er made her move, he struck her wrist, and the sword in her hand clattered to the ground. Di Xin'er stared blankly at Xu Xiaoshou, with a hint of grievance in her eyes.

"Ahem."

Xu Xiaoshou cleared his throat several times. 'This damn thing can't go on,' he thought. 'This girl's gaze is all wrong; if we keep fighting, I'm afraid sparks of love might fly.' He placed the wooden sword against Di Xin'er's throat, deciding to nip any budding feelings in the bud.

"You lost!" His tone was condescending, hoping to provoke Di Xin'er's aversion.

Di Xin'er seemed to realize something, turning her grievance into gratitude. She beamed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Xu. The breakout competition has a time limit, so I can only seek your further advice another time!"

"Received gratitude, passive points, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou: "..."

'This girl is hopeless!'