Chapter 155: Travel by Night
On that deep dark night, as the mountain breeze blew, Meng Qi carried Hua Lun on his back using his Moves of Wind-god’s Legs, rushing along the nearest way back to the city of Mount Qin.
“Childe Meng’s Lightness Skill is so outstanding…” Hua Lun, born in Zhen Yi School could easily tell the levels of kung fu. Realizing the fierceness of Arresting Wind and Capturing Shadow, he could not help but secretly praise Meng Qi. But when he recalled his heroic demeanor in the broken temple, he was upset. After all, Childe Meng’s strength was between Four Apertures and Six Apertures while there was no shortage of masters at this level in Luo Denomination; being too careless and too arrogant would be fatal.
“Fortunately, his Lightness Skill is quite good.” Hua Lun thought. According to the current performance of Meng Qi’s Lightness Skill, at least they could run away in the event that they lost.
Passionate yet not negligent, Meng Qi completely activated the Four Apetures, with all ears and eyes on the alert to prevent a sneak-attack.
On the dark night, the woods and rocks looked like quiet lurking monsters with bared fangs, making people frightened.
From the woods, suddenly, out rushed two figures with long and strange weapons in their hands, attacking Meng Qi from both sides.
“Be careful!” Hua Lun was closely watching the surroundings.
Hardly had his voice faded away when he saw Meng Qi’s sword as if waved by a drunk, just giving a left prick and a right cut. With a ding-dong sound, the two figures respectively retreated to the diagonal front to block them.
One of the two was in black while the other in white. With dishevelled hair, they looked like ferocious ghosts each of whom was holding a special long stick with a hook at its end. After a little adjusting, they moved on to come at Meng Qi.
After a slight hesitation, Hua Lun told Meng Qi with the Secret Voice-sending, “They’re Zhoushan Double Ghosts, experts who have opened Four Apertures. Their special Lock Sticks are advantageous to seize others’ weapons.
He lost no time in helping Meng Qi understand his opponents, increasing their chances of winning.
Over his words, Meng Qi and Zhoushan Double Ghosts had grappled with each other.
No sooner had the Lock Stick hooked up Meng Qi’s sword than it energetically pressed the sword downwards.
“They like to team up with enemies and outperform some masters at the level of Six Apertures.”
Meng Qi’s sword did not escape but sent itself to the hook of the Lock Stick, and then rose up with it, pushing it flying away, just at the alternate moment of its old and new momentums, and hitting at the front tip of the other fallen one.
With the ding-dong sounds, the two Lock Sticks dashed away neck and neck, and Meng Qi stroke left and right, making Zhoushan Double Ghosts retreat to the woods in panic.
“It is said…” Hua Lun just said half of his sentence when he saw Zhoushan Double Ghosts defeated, so he abruptly stopped and praised, “Childe Meng, how wonderful your sword art is!”
“Thanks for your compliment.” Meng Qi smiled. He did not chase them but continued his way down the mountain path. Out of that forest was a dangerous path, on the right side of which were cliffs and on the left were precipices, with faintly visible miasma filling the air.
Just then at the entrance of the path turned up a man with his hands crossed in front of his chest to clamp his sword. He coldly looked at Meng Qi and Hua Lun, and slowly approached them instead of giving them a sneak-attack.
“He’s ‘Thunder-hearing Sword’ Mo Cheng, reaching the realm of the Six Apertures or Seven Apertures, a well-known lone swordsman from the Three Mountains and Four Waters. Proud and aloof, he disdains to perform a siege or sneak attack. Unexpectedly, he becomes a member of the Luo Denomination.” Owing to still some distance, Hua Lun unhurriedly talked about him with a serious tone.
“Childe Meng, you’re supposed to be careful about his ‘Thunder-hearing Seven Swords’, one of the rare sword arts belonging to ‘Three Mountains and Four Waters’. Plus, he himself is recognized as a top master by several big sects.” Hua Lun said as fast as he could.
Since Mo Cheng had pulled out his sword, it did not change much but was as fast as electro-optic with indistinct sounds of wind and thunder.
“Thunder-hearing Seven Swords, first-class fast sword moves…”
Facing Mo Cheng’s Thunder-hearing Sword, Meng Qi counterattacked with a move directly pointing at Mo Cheng’s wrist, a rear-ended one.
Mo Cheng’s face twisted slightly and he had to change his move to block Meng Qi’s, otherwise, his wrist would be cut and would hardly be able to hold his sword before he could hit his opponent.
He waved his sword like opening a fan while Meng Qi’s Ice Palace Sword suddenly rose upward, unexpectedly changing its direction and obliquely pointing at his throat.
It was impossible for Mo Cheng to change his move, so he had to walk two steps back to avoid the scope of Meng Qi’s sword.
When he retreated, Meng Qi seemed to have anticipated what would happen, following his rhythm forward and exactly keeping the same distance as if measured with him.
Seeing such a fight, Hua Lun stopped describing the features of the “Thunder-hearing Seven Swords”.
Since he realized it difficult to escape the sword pointing at his throat, Mo Cheng tried his best to stab Meng Qi at the throat too. He hoped that he would win by becoming the last man standing.
As long as the opponent was unwilling to lose at both sides or even doomed to the same fate, he might have a narrow escape.
Meng Qi’s sword suddenly changed its direction and unconventionally hit Mo Cheng on the left shoulder with its body. Its force was so powerful that Mo Cheng lost his balance and made a side-way stagger out of control, leaving his sword out of its expected course and not to strike Meng Qi.
On Mo Cheng’s right side was a cliff, so after staggering a few steps back, he directly fell into the cloud with his heartrending cries, startling a lot of birds to flutter away.
This fight was really of rapid action, for only within dozens of seconds, Mo Cheng got his Waterloo, which did not give Hua Lun enough time to describe the Thunder-hearing Seven Swords in details.
He became silent because he did not know what to say.
Meng Qi did not delay setting foot on the mountain path.
The mountain path was so narrow that they could only walk through it sideways, yet it was no problem for those who had the outstanding Lightness Skills, such as Meng Qi.
Halfway through, Meng Qi and Hua Lun, with their Eye Apertures opened, both saw a figure rushing towards them. It was obvious that Mo Cheng’s heartrending cries had drawn his companion’s attention and he intended to intercept them on their way.
Hua Lun said in a very serious tone, “It’s the Emissary Vacation of Luo Sect. He has opened at least Seven Apertures, and is the one who wounded me before. His Black God Paw is superb and his strength is superior to Mo Cheng’s.”
Since he was a little afraid of this Emissary Vacation, he reminded Meng Qi once more and was about to describe to him the distinctive aspects of their opponent’s kung fu.
Meng Qi rushed towards him with his swords in the hand and caught up with him less than 10 seconds later. His sword moves seemed at random and crooked, like the ones performed by laymen who did not learn kung fu.
“His Body Movements are so secretive that he loves to lure the enemy by deliberately showing his flaws on his right side.”
Facing Meng Qi’s sword art, violating regulations, this Emissary Vacation naturally hesitated for a moment, then crossed his palms and was about to slap to the body of Meng Qi’s sword.
Meng Qi abruptly turned his sword in the horizontal direction and beat Emissary Vacation’s palm, making him fly up by the force. Then his sword light flashed again, clear and pure.
“His right hand Black God Paw can make double …” Hardly had Hua Lun finished his words when he saw Meng Qi flying over Emissary Vacation’s head like a great hawk spread its wings and landing behind him.
He hurriedly turned his head and saw Emissary Vacation falling down on his side and then into the cliffs too, with a indistinct blood stained on his mid-brows, his eyes wide open and his expression concretionary.
“That’s way too fast…” Hua Lun thought, at a loss.
This move where Meng Qi integrated “Yama’s Invitation” into Nine Strategies Beyond the Swords was not complete, but when his opponents’ visible flaws became apparent, was enough to kill Emissary Vacation.
Upon landing on the ground, Meng Qi contiued to hurry off with his sword. He even did not turn back to glance at Emissary Vacation for he was sure of the effect of his deadly sword move.
Though the mountain path was steep and long, Meng Qi soon arrived at the foot of the mountain with his full speed. He was about to turn to the path leading to the city of Mount Qin when he saw a fat monk standing in front of him with a thick and heavy monk spade in his hand.
Hua Lun opened his mouth but finally chose to shut up, saying nothing.
The fat monk brandished his monk spade, making heavy sounds of wind.
Meng Qi’s sword randomly hit some part of the spade, and it was suddenly out of the control as if skillfully deflected and immediately changed its direction, pulling the fat monk to step forward.
When he brushed past the fat monk, he quickly pushed out his sword, drew it back in no time and continued to streak forward, leaving his water-polished spade to fall onto the ground. The monk clutched his chest and slowly fell down.
Because the official road of the “Three Mountains and Four Waters” was fairly flat, and Meng Qi had completely activated his Moves of Wind-god’s Legs, it was not long before they could vaguely see the city of Mount Qin. Hua Lun, on his back, kept silent all the way and looked a little dull.
“Childe Hua, why not described the features of the fat monk’s kung fu to let me targeted at him.” Meng Qi suddenly smiled.
Hua Lun muffled, “I think it’s no use talking about him and there’s no time for me to do it too…”
Suddenly the scene in the worn temple deeply impressed on him appeared in his mind again–Heroic and confident. Childe Meng was talking aloud about his sword art,
“Just wait till they get a taste of my sword art.”