I Obtained Guan Yu's Martial Arts - Chapter 75
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Obtaining Guan Yu’s Martial Arts 075
Living by the Sword (7)
‘A dragon? No—the Crescent Blade.’
A faded golden dragon cradling a silver blade entered Tuo Xianwei’s field of vision.
An unusual Crescent Blade that emanated Spiritual Energy, as if Sorcery itself were embedded within it.
But what shocked Tuo Xianwei even more was the speed.
Even without deploying his full strength, he had ascended to the exalted rank of Peak Realm.
Yet he had just blocked the blade wielded by such a master using the technique of striking after the opponent strikes.
And it was a youth considerably younger than him who had done so.
“Who are you?”
Rather than rashly draw his blade again, Tuo Xianwei withdrew his sword for a moment.
The sect disciples were watching from behind him.
‘I cannot act recklessly.’
He could not afford to be seen failing again, not when his standing as an elder of the sect was at stake.
It would not be too late to move once he understood his opponent better.
“Guan Family Estate. Or more precisely, Guan Hui of the Guan Clan Family Estate.”
“Fierce Dragon Guan Hui!”
“To see the greatest spearmaster of Shanxi in this place!”
“Ha! He’s not just first in spearcraft—seems his face is first in Shanxi too.”
The disciples in the courtyard tittered amongst themselves.
Guan Hui’s name had become known even in Shaanxi, in Xi’an itself.
“Heh. I’m quite pleased.”
“Be quiet, Zhang Cheng.”
Tuo Xianwei’s eyes narrowed as he glanced back at Zhang Cheng and Huang Xiaoxiao whispering behind him.
‘Ah, so this is the one who led Chu Liang astray.’
As Tuo Xianwei’s gaze swept up and down Guan Hui, a faint fury kindled within him.
The Future Pillar of the Huazhong Sect had lost his life.
At the hands of his own sister, Chu Xue, no less—a gifted talent herself.
How thoroughly shaken he had been when word of it reached him.
He had poured vast sums into the Hao Sect to suppress the spreading rumors, and had hurried to meet officials of the Guan magistracy.
All of it to preserve the honor and prestige of the Huazhong Sect.
And now the very man who had caused all this trouble dared to appear in Xi’an on his own two feet.
‘A wretch without even a shred of fear.’
Looking upon the insolence of his face, murderous intent roiled within him.
He held himself back only for fear of besmirching the sect’s honor.
He wanted nothing more than to draw his blade right then and sever the man’s head from his shoulders.
‘But why does this one…’
The man who had sought to kill the Future Pillar with his own stained hands—yet he protected Chu Xue.
Was there some understanding between them, some exchange of glances?
‘Has he polluted her body with his touch?’
Base blood runs true, or so they say.
It was contemptible beyond measure.
“Very well. Guan. Might you put away that Crescent Blade?”
Tuo Xianwei raised his blade, setting aside the filth he had perceived.
He had told Chu Xue he would grant her a swift death, but in truth it was not so simple.
For the honor of the sect, she had to die.
She had become a Demonic Person of unprecedented depravity, having learned Demonic Cultivation and slain even her own brother—only by ensuring her death could the sect’s honor be preserved.
“Why do you seek to kill Miss Chu?”
“Our sect’s austere laws demand it. Does your clan harbor the guilty of Fratricide, then?”
Tuo Xianwei cast a contemptuous glance at Guan Hui, his lips curling in a sneer.
“Greatest of Shanxi, you say… I begin to understand the measure of Shanxi.”
“Chu Liang was one who deserved to die.”
Shhing—
The blade that had been aimed at the ground now turned toward Guan Hui’s throat in an instant.
Tuo Xianwei issued his warning, making no attempt to conceal his fury.
“Mind your tongue. The one once called the Future Pillar of the sect—he is not one whom the likes of you should ever dare speak of.”
“Chu Liang was one who deserved to die.”
“You dare—!”
Gurk-gurk-gurk—
A vicious killing intent erupted from Tuo Xianwei’s frame, wrapping itself around Guan Hui’s body like a vise.
A master of Peak Realm who had solidified Spiritual Energy into tangible form.
A crushing weight settled on his shoulders—a force so heavy that none but an equal could shake it off.
Whoosh—
Yet Guan Hui simply scattered the oppressive weight away with one light wave of his hand.
“……!”
Tuo Xianwei’s mouth fell open slightly at the sight.
It meant that Guan Hui was not falling behind even against himself, an elder of the Huazhong Sect.
“You know he’s dead, but it seems you don’t understand precisely what he did.”
Guan Hui clicked his tongue briefly, then poured power into his voice.
Looking at the confused expressions all around the Courtyard, it appeared no one here truly grasped what had happened.
It was utterly absurd.
They were trying to execute one of their own without even knowing the facts.
And worse still—they were planning to hang his severed head outside as a public warning.
‘There’s more to this than meets the eye.’
Guan Hui’s gaze shifted toward Tuo Xianwei.
In the eyes of this old elder, who bore the look of a treacherous court official, he sensed something being concealed.
‘I’ll make sure the entire Huazhong Sect sees the truth.’
Concentrating Internal Energy in his throat, Guan Hui released a voice that resonated through the chamber as he spoke.
“Chu Liang, the so-called Future Pillar, insulted my honor before the eyes of the Guan Clan’s own people. He cursed me as a false dragon and debased me as a worm.”
“You……!”
Alarmed, Tuo Xianwei surged forward again with killing intent, trying to silence him.
But solidified killing intent held little sway over Guan Hui.
“Moreover, through the Hao Sect, he spread vicious rumors calling me a fraud, and attempted to punish me before the E Family’s Head. Yet that patriarch sided with me. Naturally. He recognized me as a true dragon.”
“……!”
“The E Family Head’s recognition! Isn’t that worth more than the recognition of some Huazhong elder?”
“If the E Family Head acknowledges it, then it’s genuine. More genuine than anything.”
The Huazhong Sect disciples, struck by this revelation, began to stir.
At the same time, Tuo Xianwei’s expression grew increasingly distorted.
“Despite this, Chu Liang would not acknowledge me and demanded a martial contest. He deployed a Killing Technique with intent. My Family Head defeated him and won.”
“Chu—Chu the senior lost?”
“It can’t be. He’s counted among the rarest of equals even among Late-stage Masters!”
The disciples’ shock at Chu Liang’s defeat deepened their agitation.
“Silence! I command your silence!”
“Consumed by resentment over his loss, Chu Liang sought my death. So consumed, in fact, that he hired the Black Shadow Sect—a Killing Technique organization—to end me.”
“N-no, that’s impossible……!”
“How could our senior engage in such vile shadow work?”
“Unbelievable as it may be, every word I speak is truth. Chu Xue is my witness, and the ruins of the Black Shadow Sect’s Shanxi branch is the evidence.”
“Silence! I say silence!”
Bang!—
Tuo Xianwei stamped down hard, then swung his blade diagonally.
In that arc lay both Guan Hui’s ribs and Chu Xue’s throat.
A single strike meant to silence them both.
“You’re digging your own grave.”
Guan Hui simply watched the blade’s trajectory with calm indifference.
His arms hung limp at his sides, as though he intended no defense whatsoever.
‘Good. Just die like that.’
Tuo Xianwei was exulting inwardly when—
Clang!—
A Long Blade shot out from between Guan Hui’s ribs, intercepting the sword’s arc.
It was Zhang Cheng’s defense, flashing in like a beam of light.
“These fools……!”
Tuo Xianwei poured such force into the strike that his biceps bulged visibly beneath his robes.
The Long Blade, outmatched in strength and power, drove helplessly into the ground.
Another sword strike followed immediately.
Yet Guan Hui’s expression remained unmoved, his eyes coldly fixed on Tuo Xianwei.
‘Let’s see you keep that haughty gaze even with half your body carved away.’
Just as Tuo Xianwei’s distorted face drove his blade toward the blue robes—
Whistle-whistle-whistle!—
Arrows came screaming through the air, hammering against the blade’s flat.
“Urgh!”
In an instant, the blade’s trajectory shuddered wildly as five arrows struck its surface.
“How dare you!”
Zhang Cheng wrenched the Long Blade free from the ground and snapped the sword back with a sharp counter.
“……!”
Tuo Xianwei’s arms flew skyward, his blade strike shattered.
The shock of having his earnest strike blocked by two Late-stage Masters froze his face in disbelief.
‘These are no ordinary fighters.’
He’d been so focused on the Guan Clan’s Family Head that he’d overlooked the archer and the young swordsman—both skilled far beyond their years.
Comparable even to Chu Liang, the Sect’s Future Pillar.
“Truly, what arrogance you show.”
To come here with such strength and dare to confront him directly.
This was no mere provocation.
“Do you mean to start a full war?”
“I walk only the righteous path.”
“You insolent….”
Tuo Xianwei’s grip tightened around his blade.
He wanted nothing more than to unleash the Plum Blossom Sword technique and sever their heads where they stood.
But there were too many eyes watching.
The Guan Clan’s Family Head’s empty words had drawn a crowd of sect disciples.
If he killed the man now, yes, his temper would be satisfied—but the Sect’s honor would be tarnished.
So even if he struck him down later, for now he had to protect the Sect’s reputation.
“You speak as though this were fact, but it is merely your opinion. Why should I believe the words of one with a grudge against Chu Liang?”
With those words, Tuo Xianwei reduced the entire matter to a personal dispute and continued.
“Besides, this is an internal affair of our Sect. It falls under the Huazhong Sect’s internal codes. What right have you to meddle in our business?”
Tuo Xianwei tilted his head askew, glaring down at them.
“Does an outsider truly think they can involve themselves in our affairs without consequence? You know your place poorly. Is the Guan Clan really such a place of rudeness and discourtesy?”
“I follow righteousness.”
“To respect and not violate our Sect’s internal codes is also righteousness. Are you saying you scorn the Huazhong Sect?”
The murmurs among the courtyard disciples began anew.
Unlike before, most now criticized Guan Hui, the outsider, for inserting himself into the Sect’s affairs.
“And another thing—fratricide is a grave violation of the laws set by the Imperial throne. Even the government does not permit execution or the killing of family members.”
“…….”
“Let us end this. This is your final warning. Should you involve yourselves further in the Huazhong Sect’s affairs, the Sect will not stand idle.”
Having delivered this deadly warning, Tuo Xianwei turned his blade back toward Chu Xue.
Already the situation had spiraled beyond his plan.
He had to take her head before rumors could spread among the disciples.
“Chu Xue. You are ready, are you not?”
“……Yes. Elder.”
The brief flicker of hope within her extinguished, and she lowered her head heavily.
“Good. Now pay the price for your sins.”
Tuo Xianwei gave a curt nod and swiftly drew his blade.
The sword carved through sunlight, drawing a perfect vertical line.
A stroke worthy of his epithet—the Falling Sun Sword—sharp and merciless.
‘Now it ends.’
Tuo Xianwei’s face relaxed into relief.
And in that very instant.
Clang!—
A silver-blue dragon deflected the blade once more.
Guan Yu had swung his Crescent Blade to block.
“Must blood flow before you come to your senses?”
“I have a Debt of Gratitude with Miss Chu.”
“She saved my life and that of my Guan family. Now it is my turn to repay that kindness.”
Guan Yu planted himself between Chu Xue and Tuo Xianwei.
“If you would cut her down, you must go through me first.”
“You rude wretch……!”
Tuo Xianwei hesitated, biting his lip.
To fight him would risk escalating this far beyond his control.
The Sect Master in secluded cultivation and the other elder, Xu Wuke, along with Zong Li Han, still knew nothing of the Chu Liang matter.
If those rigid men learned the truth, there was no telling how they would react.
Resolving it before then was the wiser course.
‘……!’
A thought struck Tuo Xianwei as he weighed his options.
It occurred to him that the Prefect of Xi’an was still in the Reception Hall, drinking tea.
“You. Go and fetch the Prefect for me.”
At Tuo Xianwei’s command, a disciple returned moments later with a stout-framed official in tow.
The Prefect—a man said to be able to bring down even flying birds—approached with a benevolent smile, patting Tuo Xianwei on the shoulder.
“Heh heh. What brings this about? I was just enjoying some Plum Blossom Tea.”
“Ah, my apologies, Your Excellency. Some ruffian has seen fit to meddle in our sect’s internal affairs.”
“Hmm? This young man?”
The Prefect’s gaze swept over Guan Hui with an air of disdain.
In the eyes of a bureaucrat wielding the authority of an entire province, there was no trace of fear.
He knew well that no matter how formidable a martial artist’s strength might be, it paled before the weight of authority.
“So, if I understand correctly, you’re invoking a Debt of Gratitude to obstruct the sect’s punishment of a disciple according to our internal codes?”
The Prefect’s face darkened as he absorbed the full explanation.
“Insolent wretch! Do you dare defy the Great Ming Law? What gives you the audacity to thrust yourself into another sect’s affairs?”
The Prefect jabbed a thick, fleshy finger in accusation.
“Begone! If you do not remove yourself at once, I shall have you thrown into prison!”
“…….”
A wave of dismay crossed Guan Hui’s face.
The Prefect’s sudden appearance.
Not merely a shock, but a genuine predicament.
Not a magistrate or a county official, but the Prefect himself.
The man wielding the strongest authority in an entire city.
His power was too vast to simply ignore.
‘Damn it.’
Some fools who wore swords at their hips dismissed the Guan Clan as weak, but the truth was otherwise.
The Guan Clan was an instrument of the Imperial Throne, and the Throne could command the military might of the Five Great Families of Tianzhao as it wished.
With that power, the Guan Clan Family Estate could be wiped from existence in less than an hour.
He needed another way to defy the Prefect’s will and protect Chu Xue.
‘……I have no connections capable of matching him.’
Guan Hui exhaled heavily as he searched for allies powerful enough to stand against the Prefect.
A clan that had barely escaped annihilation could hardly possess such ties.
‘……I’ll have to take her and flee.’
He could not stand by and watch someone die before his eyes.
Guan Hui drew upon his Internal Energy, preparing to deploy his Lightness Skill, and hot energy gathered in the Yongquan point.
“My apologies, Your Excellency the Prefect…….”
“Hmm? Family Head Guan? What are you doing here?”
Just as he reached for Chu Xue’s collar, a welcome figure emerged.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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