Martial King's Retired Life

“He’s been off the grid for ages, and he starts a big scene as soon as he returns to the Central Plain… I wish I could stab him a few times,” remarked Lan Jiqiong, “but that attack…”

“Indeed, he has improved since the last time he was here,” finished He Kanyu, Huang Yuzao’s senior disciple.

He Kanyu discerned that Sonorous Roar had surpassed the restraints of a whip and fused swordsmanship into it to a degree that you could argue it was a sword technique. He was glad to see the elder he once fought had improved since their last clash.

Lan Jiqiong, in contrast, took offence to Bai Ju’s actions, deeming it an insult to the academy’s reputation. Were it not for He Kanyu’s presence and himself being inferior, he would’ve banned Bai Ju from participating in the idol competition. In his world, a man dressed slovenly was unbefitting to compete in a contest for idols!

When the aura of Sonorous Roar started emanating, it gave the impression that not even its caster could cancel it once it was executed. Although Bai Ju didn’t look overwhelming, the ball was in his court. He Kanyu had the elites of the academy spread out to protect the people in attendance, especially since not even Tang Ye and Bai Yumo were likely going to be able to protect themselves, let alone the audience, as well.

“Hero He.”

He Kanyu turned around upon hearing his name called. He recognised the concerned maiden, but he had never seen her look worried the few times they met in the past. “Ma’am Si, how can this one help?”

“I…” The usually smart maiden hadn’t finished putting together her thoughts, so she suddenly found herself unsure of what to say next.

He Kanyu put together her concerned expression and the fact that she kept glancing in Tang Ye’s direction. “Is there a concern about the match in the right?”

“Yes, Hero He. I wanted to ask… does the young man in the ring have any chance of winning?”

“… No.” He Kanyu shook his head. “Bai Ju is exceptionally skilled. While the young man is impressive, it is impossible for him to defeat Bai Ju.”

He Kanyu was a credible judge of the topic; it went double in his case since he had fought Bai Ju previously.

Si Fu felt as if her heart stopped beating.

“But… there is hope they will not lose.”

“What do you mean?” Si Fu whipped her head up.

“Bai Ju stated he would forfeit if they could survive the attack. He has always been a man of his word. Therefore, as long as they can survive the attack, they may not win, but they may not lose.”

Si Fu turned her attention back to the ring.

Bai Ju cracked a smile, taking away the intimidation factor of the whip, but the reality was that it had actually increased in output. After all, he had spent longer charging it up.

“The young man has problems with his internal energy,” informed He Kanyu. “He has scary internal energy; he would not be beneath Bai Ju if he could master it. It would be sufficient to block this attack. Unfortunately, it is currently unbridled. Unless he can systematically utilise it, he will lose all his progress today. All hope lies in Miss Bai.”

Si Fu shifted her line of sight to the young maiden who looked spaced out, somewhat flustered and totally unreliable.

“If she can buy enough time for the young man to refocus, there is hope for victory.”

***

“Hey! Hey! What’s the matter!” Bai Yumo called out to Tang Ye for the nth time.

Besides looking ghastly white, one side of Tang Ye was too scalding hot, while the other side was too ice cold to touch. He had a layer of qi enveloping him that knocked Bai Yumo’s hand away so hard that it hurt when she tried to touch him.

“Tang Ye! Tang Ye!” When she snapped out of it for the second time, Bai Yumo found Tang Ye in the bizarre state, and she couldn’t snap out of it. “Don’t ignore someone after you rescue them!”

Tang Ye’s five senses were shut off, so even his eyes were lifeless. The only proof he was still alive was the temperature of his body.

“Save your energy, Miss Bai.” Bai Ju yawned. “He can’t control his internal energy. He’s close to qi deviation.”

“Wh-what do you know?”

Bai Ju supinated his free hand. “He obtained an enormous amount of energy from somewhere, but he can’t control it, so he’s in a dilemma. Though I don’t know the details, I can tell there is one heat and one cold source, two seldom seen energy sources. His experience is a lesson to never take what’s not yours. How befitting of this competition to include an education component on top of entertainment. It’s not a completely bad thing, though.”

“What do you want to say now?” Bai Yumo finally looked back and glared, although she wasn’t imposing.

“Have you seen the process of porcelain work? How about water freezing? How about forging sariras with fire?”

“No!”

“Perhaps the combination of the two will refine something valuable or a valuable.” Bai Ju smirked. “Are you not benefitting by being close? Isn’t it a good thing?”

Upon seeing Bai Yumo scowl, Bai Ju wagged his hand. “I was just kidding. Don’t you have a sense of humour?“

As soon as Bai Yumo let it go, Bai Ju added, “If there was something to gain, I’d have kicked you out of the way for Gulu.”

Bai Yumo got to her feet.

“Worry about yourself first. I don’t have worthless sympathy. I’ve never spared a young individual just because they could be polished into something better. You’re only still in one piece because this takes a long time to charge.”

The imposing aura that seemingly disappeared burst from the whip glowing blue again, startling the audience.

“In positions!” thundered He Kanyu.

The elites under He Kanyu’s command immediately started using their internal energy to recite something to protect the meridians of the students. The winds around picked up as though the black sword could command the wind, yet Bai Ju’s clothing didn’t even flutter.

Bai Ju’s silence rubbed off on everyone else.

“Out of the goodness of my heart, your best option is to run away. Abandon him, and at least one of you will survive. I don’t want to kill you since I respect your uncle. Don’t overestimate yourself.”

Bai Yumo turned back to Tang Ye, wondering why he didn’t run. She couldn’t understand why he was stubborn and isolated. He could’ve escaped when Bai Ju performed Dragon Emerges from the Clouds, yet he took the brunt of the attack when he was at the rear. Had he retreated, she would’ve been the only one to take damage. He could’ve left the ring in the second attack, but he chose to save her. He wasn’t the type to put his life on the line for this sort of competition, not when he had a grudge to avenge. He could bear with Xun Feng’s provocations, so surely he had a lot of goals, or at least a big one, to chase.

“You stayed back to save me, didn’t you?”

Although she didn’t receive an answer, all her concern converted to courage. She slowly rose to her feet, then turned to the man spawning a catastrophe. “I’ll fight you alone.”

Bai Yumo’s life had always been simple. Her parents doted on her. Everyone back at Valley of Yearning liked her somewhat naïve, easygoing sense of personality topped with a strong sense of justice. Her only hobbies were training and eating. She had yet to personally experience complicated things in life or learn about them from her parents. She understood honour from the moment she was born and remembered the broadswordplay her uncle taught her.

Bai Yumo’s supposed unstoppable monster of a murderous broadsword-wielding uncle was just a doting elder in her eyes. When spring walked in at Valley of Yearning, he sat on a big boulder on the mountain, while she got to sit in his lap as a kid as they listened to the sound of nature and the waterfall.

A grudge must be repaid as must a favour. We do not let grudges go unpaid, and neither do we let favours go unpaid.

“If you want to kill him you’ll have to go through me first.” As everything eventually stood still, Bai Yumo declared, “Bai Clan members have never known what’s good for them.”

Bai Yumo advanced on Bai Ju speedily without showing any signs that she was rushing to stop Bai Ju before he could deliver the blow. Her steps were comparable to a clear breeze that wouldn’t provoke any hostility despite also being akin to an iron hammer hitting metal. She ramped up her intensity so fast that it had the audience holding their breath.

Bai Ju recognised what he was watching – heaven’s dao.

All the attention moved to her ordinary broadsword. The moments leading up to, and the moment, a young maiden abandoned all fear to slash into what resembled a natural disaster would be remembered vividly by all those there that day.