coobybook Chapter 10 The Clash of Swords
Chapter 10 The Clash of Swords
"Butcher...butcher?!"
Most of the young men and women present were hearing such a name for the first time. Just those two words made them feel uneasy and break out in a cold sweat. Just how bloodthirsty and cruel must a person be to be given such a "name"?
"'Swords that conquer the four seas, blades that slaughter the nine provinces' - have you ever heard of this saying? It refers to two of the top martial arts masters in the world today."
Tie Yi paused, glancing around at everyone present. His beautiful senior sister seemed lost in thought. Seeing her looking at him with curiosity, he didn't keep her in suspense and continued:
"The 'Sword Unrivaled Across the Four Seas' refers to Senior Bian Yuan, the master of Tianshan Mountain. Senior Bian's Tianshan swordsmanship is unparalleled in the martial arts world. The 'Sword Slaughtering the Nine Provinces' refers to Cui Chou, the commander of the Zhenfu Division whom we meet today. Cui Chou's martial arts origins are mysterious and unpredictable, with many different theories. One theory is that he was once a servant of the Taoyuan Sect, who stole the sect's martial arts. Later, Qiu Danbiao, the then leader of the Taoyuan Sect, discovered this and abolished his martial arts and expelled him from the sect. However, no one knows where he had a fortuitous encounter and learned an unparalleled and bloodthirsty swordsmanship. Another theory is that his master was a reclusive hermit, and he did not hesitate to disobey his master's kindness and cruelly killed him for his master's unparalleled martial arts."
"Ah! How could this person be like this? Why is no one standing up to uphold justice and eliminate this scoundrel of the martial world?"
Among the bystanders were many people with a strong sense of justice, who immediately interrupted indignantly after hearing the news.
Tie Yi remembered asking his father the same question, and then he understood why Cui Chou was still safe and sound:
"Who says there wasn't? Back then, the Peach Blossom Sect led a group of ten martial arts masters to hunt down Cui Chou. However, Cui Chou not only killed those ten masters, but also slaughtered their entire families and even their sects, leaving no one alive. Later, he even threw the heads of the ten masters in front of the Peach Blossom Sect, declaring, 'If the Peach Blossom Sect dares to attack me again, I will disregard past favors; today's ten will be tomorrow's Peach Blossom Sect.' This Cui Chou is vengeful and readily slaughters entire families; everyone fears that this demon will turn on their own families. After the Peach Blossom Sect withdrew, the matter was dropped."
The martial world is a place where strength reigns supreme. No matter how heinous someone is, as long as they are strong enough, no one can kill them. This was the principle that Tie Yi's father taught him. Although he was unwilling to agree with it, he had to admit that his father's words were true.
Hearing Bian Yuan's name from someone else, Fei Xi was momentarily lost in thought.
However, when she heard Tie Yi's account of Cui Chou's reputation in the martial world, everyone in the sect except for Junior Brother Ji, who was eager to try, looked as dejected as wilted eggplants, their faces showing fear. She sighed inwardly but didn't show it on her face, and continued the conversation:
"Young Master Tie is quite right, but this man's character may not be as certain as the rumors suggest. Lord Cui earned the title of 'Butcher' because during the Great War of Defending the Nation, he single-handedly slaughtered an entire tribe within the Northern Alliance, gaining widespread fame. Subsequently, thanks to the Emperor's favor and his illustrious military achievements, he rose to the rank of Third-Rank Commander. He also shoulders the responsibility of overseeing and upholding justice among us martial artists. If anyone in the martial world dares to indiscriminately kill innocent people and harm civilians to gain points for upholding justice, he has the right to execute them without prior approval, without needing anyone's permission."
"what!"
Upon hearing her senior sister's words, Mu Qingfeng immediately covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with fear. She had just called the other person neither male nor female; if they heard her, wouldn't they come and slaughter her that very night?
"Don't worry, Lord Cui's martial arts are unfathomable and he has almost no weaknesses, but those who know him know that he is fond of women. He is always very kind to women, especially beautiful women, and he won't hold a grudge against a casual remark from you, junior sister."
……
What she said made her even more worried!
but……
"Senior Sister, how do you know so much about this butcher? What exactly is his relationship with our Martial Uncle Jiucheng?"
"...I also heard my master mention him; he once saved my master's life."
In fact, Fei Xi didn't know Cui Chou at this time in her previous life. She had only heard his name from her master, but she had never heard her master mention that he had saved her.
Cui Chou told her this himself.
After her sect was destroyed, she was taken to Tianshan by Bian Yuan, where she met Cui Chou, who came to challenge Bian Yuan to a duel.
Since ancient times, the martial arts world has been rife with conflict between swords and sabers. The saber is considered the symbol of dominance, while the sword represents the gentleman's virtue, and neither side is willing to admit that they are inferior to the other. Especially since the martial arts tournament began, the two sides have frequently engaged in endless battles to determine who is the best in the world.
Cui Chou didn't belong to any sect, so the Safeguarding Order was useless to him, and he naturally wouldn't participate in the martial arts tournament. But would it be a matter of the Blade Madman taking a step back or the Sword Edge taking an inch?
Cui Chou, whose boring life could be hacked to death at any moment and who had no other meaning in living except for Sleeping Beauty, took this matter to heart.
He took the initiative to challenge Bian Yuan, the number one swordsman in the martial arts world. The moment he fell to his opponent's sword, he trembled all over, like a child who had discovered a fun toy, overjoyed and excited beyond control.
After that, whenever he recovered from his injuries and had free time, he would go to Tianshan to challenge Bian Yuan to a duel.
As the two men fought, a sense of mutual respect developed between them. On the days when he lost, Cui Chou didn't even bother to leave the mountain and stayed at Shuohan Peak to recuperate.
Fei Xi, who also lived on Shuohan Peak, met this imperial henchman known as "The Butcher" by chance.
One day, when he learned that she came from the Qingcheng Sect and that her master was Wei Jiucheng, Cui Chou told her that without him, her sect would have been wiped out long ago, and it seemed that the destruction of the Qingcheng Sect was destined.
Your family is the one destined to be wiped out!
Even knowing that the other party had once saved her master, Fei Xi felt no desire to be grateful to them.
How come someone with such a foul mouth hasn't been beaten to death!
Everyone was listening to the rumors about Cui Chou circulating among the people of Thunderbolt Fortress. Other disciples of the Qingcheng Sect gradually returned, some bringing braziers, others cooking, and still others tidying up. Without Fei Xi needing to give any instructions, the junior brothers and sisters quickly prepared lunch, each doing their part.
Back then at the yamen, Tie Yi, the young master of Pili Fortress, cursed Dongfang Rui, and his words struck a chord with Mu Qingfeng.
She thought to herself, "This person isn't so bad after all."
When her senior sister invited her to stay for dinner, she pouted and stopped objecting.
"Hey, you still haven't told me how you know that Li Erniu killed his wife?"
"You're so rude! My senior sister doesn't call me 'hey'." Mu Qingfeng felt she had to take back her earlier thoughts; this person was just too annoying to her.
If he marries his sweetheart tomorrow, then by all accounts, her senior sister will also be his senior sister. Tie Yi immediately changes his mind without any pressure:
"Senior Sister, tell me quickly, how did you know from the beginning that Li Erniu killed his wife?"
Don't you dare steal my senior sister!
Mu Qingfeng sensed something was amiss, wanting to refute the other party but also genuinely curious.
Wanting to hear what her senior sister had to say, she remained silent, giving her a pitiful look as she gazed at her senior sister.
The eldest senior sister and senior brother both said they wanted to find that young woman. Could it be that they suspected from the beginning that the young woman wasn't missing but murdered?
“Generally, if someone goes missing, unless they leave voluntarily, it's highly likely that someone they know is responsible. A family that makes a living selling steamed buns wouldn't have much savings. You told me she was a child bride who was frequently beaten. In this world, a defenseless woman without money or family would find it very difficult to survive alone. Therefore, I rule out that she left voluntarily. I suspect she was either abducted or is likely already dead. Furthermore, Li Erniu kept demanding his wife back from you, yet he could comfortably lie at home sleeping. This suggests that he was responsible for her disappearance, or that he knew about it. Although the bloodstains on the yard have been washed away, the traces throughout the yard indicate that a one-sided beating occurred there…”
Fei Xi meticulously explained the details of the case to her junior colleagues. After finishing, she looked up at Tie Yi:
"Young Master Tie, do you think that we martial artists are so skilled that ordinary people would be afraid of us and wouldn't dare to lie to us? That the other party is so humble and weak, they would never scheme against us?"
The girl's eyes were deep and unfathomable, her calm and confident demeanor inspiring Tie Yi's admiration.
"Yes! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have imagined that someone as insignificant as an ant would dare to fool all of us. What I don't understand is, with such conclusive evidence, why does the other party still dare to insist that he is innocent?"
"Because in his eyes, his wife wasn't human, but a beast he could slaughter and bully at will. What's wrong with him killing his own beast? Young Master Tie, you said a man wouldn't lay a hand on a woman unless he was heartbroken to the extreme. Putting aside the right or wrong of the act itself, first of all, your statement assumes that this man is a human being, not a beast who sees his wife as an animal!"
A cold, clear voice echoed in the hall, sending chills down everyone's spines. What kind of hell had that young woman been in? If they had discovered it sooner, would she have survived?
After a moment of contemplation, the boy, who was being watched by Fei Xi, raised his head with a determined look in his eyes:
"...I will not! If I marry a wife, I will respect and love her, and I will not let her suffer the slightest grievance."
The boy's eyes were earnest and clear. The feelings that a young person is just beginning to understand are like a flame, determined to melt the frost in the eyes and heart of the one they love, and make the other person smile because of them.
Tie Yi was speaking to her, but his eyes were fixed on his junior sister. That familiar look... he had once loved someone in the same way.
But… Fei Xi sighed inwardly, lowered her eyelids slightly, and said softly:
"Young Master Tie, as long as you are human, you will have desires and your own thoughts. Those in power can despise everyone, but they cannot look down on everyone. Even a beggar who is bullied by everyone will dream of becoming an emperor. The best example is that the founding emperor of the previous dynasty rose from a beggar to become the ruler of the world."