Chapter 51 Going Out

If he had a choice, Murong Xing would never want to spar with a fierce tigress late at night.

But he had no choice.

In the martial arts arena of the back courtyard of the Swallow Workshop, he saw Wang Yuyan strike out with a palm, accompanied by the faint roar of a dragon.

This strike appeared completely ordinary, serving as the opening move of the "Heroic Palm", entitled "Questioning the Realm"!

To question who is a hero beneath the heavens!

Therefore, the essence of this strike lay in the "question" rather than the "realm", reserving surplus strength in the execution. It shared the same ingenious subtlety as "Repentant Dragon", the very first form of the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms"!

Murong Xing knew that although the "Heroic Palm" bore an imposing name, its movements were broad and sweeping, devoid of overly complex tricks.

Having taken beatings from it for so long, he naturally understood the "Heroic Palm" inside out.

Thus, he gently hooked his fingers around Wang Yuyan's wrist, redirecting the momentum of her exertion, and with a swift downward press of his other hand, forced the strike back onto Wang Yuyan herself.

This was none other than the "Moving Stars Interchanging Dou", the art of deflecting force with force!

Having taken her own strike, Wang Yuyan immediately unleashed three consecutive blows, sealing off Murong Xing's head, throat, and heart.

This move was called "Discussing Heroes".

How does one discuss?

Receive three palms from me first, and we shall talk.

Faced with these three strikes, Murong Xing remained completely unruffled. With another execution of the "Moving Stars Interchanging Dou", he redirected the blows straight back at Wang Yuyan's chest.

The more familiar one was with the opponent's martial arts, the greater the power of the "Moving Stars Interchanging Dou".

In all under heaven, no one was more familiar with Wang Yuyan's "Heroic Palm" than he!

Duan Yu, watching the battle from the sidelines, saw Wang Yuyan and Murong Xing exchange blows, with every single impact landing squarely on Wang Yuyan herself. He couldn't help thinking to himself: "The fairy-like elder sister was so fierce during the day, how is she falling behind against Brother Xing tonight?"

"Could it be that the fairy-like elder sister was injured during the day?"

"No, I must step in shortly to stop Brother Xing!"

Seeing Wang Yuyan cough up blood from Murong Xing's counter, his heart clenched with anxiety. Just as he was about to call a halt, he saw Wang Yuyan suddenly unleash a terrifying divine might, sending Murong Xing flying backward with a single palm strike.

Murong Xing, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, knew that if this continued, he would simply end up battered to a pulp. He gasped, "Cousin, can we call a truce?"

Wang Yuyan let out a hearty laugh. "I've only just finished warming up, what are you talking about!"

Her unique martial art allowed her to draw upon even greater strength whenever she was injured; the heavier the injuries she sustained, the more terrifying her physical power would grow. It was a formidable technique that grew stronger with every battle!

"Bending the Waist!"

Wang Yuyan brought her palms together, carrying boundless might and the roar of a dragon, and drove them straight toward Murong Xing.

The rivers and mountains are so enchanting, countless heroes bow their heads in submission!

This palm strike was magnificent and bold, stirring up a gale under the influence of Wang Yuyan's divine strength.

Murong Xing had no choice but to dodge!

Fortunately, his evasion skills were quite decent! It was a footwork technique known as the "Traces-Hiding Steps", allowing one to rapidly shift and maneuver within the tightest of spaces.

The "Moving Stars Interchanging Dou" could deflect force with force, but it feared only one thing: that one's own internal force was insufficient, or that the opponent's force was too overwhelming.

A Wang Yuyan driven by divine strength was a target beyond the capacity of his "Moving Stars Interchanging Dou" to redirect.

Therefore, Shi Fei had once remarked that the "Moving Stars Interchanging Dou" was a technique meant to overcome the strong with the weak, a cruel art designed to crush an enemy's spirit.

It was hardly practical in actual, brute-force attrition.

Thus, Duan Yu watched as, in the blink of an eye, Wang Yuyan carried a howling wind and chased Murong Xing frantically all over the arena, with Murong Xing's miserable screams ringing out from time to time.

That robust and tyrannical palm force was fatal upon a direct hit and caused severe injury merely by brushing past.

Those who knew thought Wang Yuyan had coughed up blood; those who didn't would have thought she had taken some sort of berserker pill.

"Amitabha, who would have thought Miss Wang's palm force is so profound!" Kumarajiva appeared from out of nowhere, holding a large bowl of rice noodles as he spoke.

The noodles were in a clear, plain broth, seasoned with only a pinch of salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

He had just finished dealing with the affairs of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and was having a meal when he heard the sounds of combat coming from the rear.

Being a martial arts fanatic, he couldn't help but come over to take a look.

"It's you!" Duan Yu's guard went up the moment he saw Kumarajiva.

"The Prince need not be tense; we are not enemies!" Kumarajiva said upon seeing Duan Yu's wary posture. "This humble monk is currently also a guest of the Swallow Workshop."

"Having crossed paths with Miss Wang for just a single palm strike yesterday, I already sensed her extraordinary nature. Witnessing her divine might today, I now realize I greatly underestimated her!"

"Young Master Murong's 'Moving Stars Interchanging Dou' is even more exquisite; despite his youth, he is scarcely inferior to the old master of the Murong estate back in the day."

Kumarajiva could not help sighing in admiration. "Truly, the blue comes from the indigo and surpasses it! The Central Plains martial arts world is brimming with talent; it is truly admirable!"

Duan Yu nodded and said, "Indeed. Back in Dali, I thought the greatest martial artists under heaven were..."

He left the second half of the sentence unsaid, feeling slightly awkward.

He had once thought the supreme martial artists of the world were merely those uncles and elders of Tianlong Temple, only to see those very uncles and elders thoroughly crushed by Kumarajiva. And now, Kumarajiva had come to the Swallow Workshop, only to be awed by two youngsters.

By comparison, didn't that make the uncles and elders of Tianlong Temple look like total useless weaklings?

"Stop, stop, stop!" Murong Xing, chased to the point of having no road to heaven and no door to earth, suddenly caught sight of Kumarajiva eating his noodles. His eyes rolled, and a thought struck him as he shouted, "Cousin! That big bald donkey knows the Flaming Blade! It's a rare technique that projects internal energy outward!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Wang Yuyan halted in her tracks.

That's right, she had almost forgotten that Kumarajiva knew the Flaming Blade!

She was precisely in need of such an opponent to test her skills, so she called out, "Big monk, both of you come together! I alone can take on the two of you!"

Kumarajiva was in the middle of slurping his noodles when he suddenly heard Wang Yuyan declare she wanted to fight both of them.

As the esteemed Imperial Preceptor of Tibet, teaming up with a youth to fight a young woman—how could that ever look decent?

"Inappropriate!"

"This matter is not up to you!" Wang Yuyan snapped sharply, driving a palm wreathed in fierce gale-force winds straight toward the noodle-slurping Kumarajiva.

Today, Wang Yuyan was determined to fight two against one; only then would she feel the pressure she desired!

"Then... this monk will have to offend you!" Kumarajiva couldn't even eat in peace, and resentment flared in his heart.

Yet at the same time, having watched for quite a while, his own hands were itching for a fight!

Duan Yu stood dumbfounded, watching the chaotic three-way brawl in the arena. Wang Yuyan, initially unable to win and suffering injuries, would then tap into her divine strength once hurt, beating both Murong Xing and Kumarajiva to the point where they couldn't even lift their heads.

He couldn't help feeling that the fairy-like elder sister's overall demeanor was somehow a bit off.

A tiny seed of doubt planted itself firmly within Duan Yu's heart.

The next day, Murong Xing woke up with aching bones all over his waist and back, his face bruised and swollen, only to find that Azhu and Abhi had already prepared breakfast.

"Sister Azhu, is this meal made for me?" Murong Xing asked, deeply moved as he caught the fragrance of the food.

He knew this wasn't made for Murong Fu, because Murong Fu never woke up this early.

Azhu smiled and said, "This is made for everyone."

"Made for everyone? Could it be for Kumarajiva and the Prince? Or perhaps my cousin?" he asked, puzzled.

When it was time to eat, he finally understood who "everyone" referred to.

"Hah, the sun is rising from the west! My dear brother actually managed to get up for breakfast today!" Murong Xing remarked sarcastically upon seeing Murong Fu.

Shi Fei ignored him entirely and instructed Azhu, "When we go out, don't forget to bring the sunflower seeds I planted myself."

"What? You're going out?" Murong Xing had never, from childhood to adulthood, ever seen Shi Fei step outside.

"Of course! Otherwise, why do you think I'd bother shaving my beard and washing my hair?" Shi Fei replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.