Chapter 200: The Azure Sea Surges, A Hundred Boats Compete in Current!
"You’re not with them?" Lin Mu asked Song Wenrou, looking slightly confused.
Song Wenrou smoothed her hair, her tone ambiguous. "Ye Tong said she was in a bad mood and wanted to get some fresh air. I didn’t expect anyone else to be here."
Lin Mu nodded.
Song Wenrou glanced at Lin Mu, blinked, and asked, "You’re not mad, are you?"
Lin Mu gave a wry smile. "What would I be mad about?"
While Song Wenrou felt a wave of relief, she was also a little disappointed.
"How about we hang out together?" Song Wenrou stretched lazily, her graceful figure drawing the attention of many passersby. "I’ve lived here my whole life and have never once come here just for fun." She smiled lightly, indifferent to the strangers’ gazes, as she was clearly used to it.
"I..." Lin Mu wanted to say that he wasn’t here for fun but for a duel, but he couldn’t very well tell Song Wenrou that.
"I know you’re here to fight a duel," Song Wenrou said with a bright smile, seemingly reading his mind. "Don’t worry, I’ll keep my distance. I definitely won’t get in your way. Master Lin wouldn’t refuse me, would he?"
Only then did Lin Mu remember that Song Wenrou knew his identity.
"Alright. Since you put it that way, it would be heartless of me to refuse, wouldn’t it?" Lin Mu then added a warning, "But there seem to be a lot of people here today, including many martial artists who are probably here to spectate. Once the fight starts, I might not be able to protect you."
Song Wenrou giggled. "To hear the renowned Master Lin say something like that... I wouldn’t be afraid even if there was danger."
Lin Mu just shook his head and said no more. "Let’s go. We can walk around for a bit."
Yun Xu hadn’t arrived yet, so Lin Mu planned to walk around with Song Wenrou first, then find a safe place for her to wait.
"Okay." Song Wenrou’s smile widened.
"Wenrou!" A voice called out from behind them.
It was Ye Tong and the others, who had caught up.
Lin Mu’s brow furrowed. Song Wenrou’s expression also soured, and she could only offer Lin Mu an apologetic smile.
"Wenrou, why did you run off so fast?" Ye Tong grabbed Song Wenrou as soon as she reached them, eyeing Lin Mu warily. "It’s dangerous here. What if you run into a bad person?" Her words were clearly aimed at Lin Mu.
"Yeah, Wenrou, you should stick with us. If something happens, we can protect you," Qiao Zishan offered eagerly.
Just as Lin Mu was about to speak, a laugh came from nearby. "Are you all here to watch the fight, too?"
Everyone followed the sound and saw a small boat by the riverbank. On it stood an old man in traditional Chinese attire and a young woman in casual clothes. The woman was exceptionally beautiful, but her cool and distant temperament gave her the air of an ice queen. Though the old man had a full head of white hair and a weathered face, he was lean and vigorous, exuding vitality.
Lin Mu was slightly surprised. He could sense a formidable power from the old man, one that was even stronger than that of the Martial Alliance Hall Master, Lu Tong. The woman, on the other hand, was much weaker, likely a newcomer to the Martial Way. They’re both martial artists.
It seems this fight has drawn quite a crowd. Lin Mu’s eyes flickered.
The moment Qiao Zishan saw the cold beauty, his eyes lit up. Completely ignoring Song Wenrou, he stepped forward to greet the old man. "Sir, what did you mean just now about watching a fight?" Although he addressed the old man, his gaze remained fixed on the woman.
The woman shot him a look of utter disgust and pointedly turned her head away. A similar flash of revulsion crossed Song Wenrou’s eyes. This Young Master Qiao really is a lecher.
Ye Tong also looked slightly embarrassed.
"Yeah, old sir, what do you mean by ’watch the battle’? Is someone fighting here? No wonder there are so many people today," Jiang Xia asked, his curiosity piqued.
The old man in the traditional suit glanced at them and shook his head. "It seems you’re not from the Martial Arts World. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you."
"The Martial Arts World? A Martial Artist?" Jiang Xia’s heart stirred. He pointed at Lin Mu and said, "He’s a Martial Artist too. Could you tell us about it?"
Lin Mu frowned slightly.
The old man looked at Lin Mu in surprise. Even the young woman cast a curious glance his way, but when she sensed not a trace of qi from him, she immediately lost interest. They’re probably just making it up, she thought.
The old man clearly thought the same. "It’s complicated to explain," he said. "But if you’re brave enough, you can come and see for yourselves." He then smiled at Qiao Zishan. "Do you dare?" In his eyes, Qiao Zishan, dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, was clearly the leader of the group and held a much higher status than Lin Mu.
"What’s there to be afraid of!" Seeing the disdain in the woman’s eyes, Qiao Zishan promptly agreed and waved for everyone to get on the boat.
"What about you, young man? Aren’t you coming?" the old man asked with a chuckle, seeing only Lin Mu and Song Wenrou left on the shore. He assumed Lin Mu was too scared.
"He probably doesn’t dare," Li Ping sneered. "Let’s not worry about him, Elder."
Lin Mu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I’m going. Why wouldn’t I?" He had come specifically for this, after all. His hesitation was only because it was inconvenient to bring Song Wenrou. But since he didn’t want to reveal his identity yet, he simply took her hand and boarded the boat.
The old man shook his head slightly. He had noted Lin Mu’s hesitation but was old and shrewd enough not to comment on it.
"Hold on tight!" he yelled, then began rowing the boat directly toward the center of the river.
As they sat on the boat, watching the scenery recede, the others were filled with excitement and began chatting animatedly.
The vast blue river surged as a hundred boats vied for the lead!
Qiao Zishan was trying his best to get close to the woman. After he said something, she suddenly let out a snicker but quickly stifled it, her face becoming stern. "Elder," she then asked, "what’s actually going on? Why are there so many people today? It’s not a holiday."
While rowing the boat, the old man replied, "You all can stop calling me ’old man’. My surname is Jiang, so you can just call me Elder Jiang. This is my granddaughter, Jiang Mingyue."
"Haha, I didn’t think I’d run into family here," Jiang Xia laughed. "My name is Jiang Ming."
Elder Jiang just smiled faintly without offering an explanation.
As they drew closer to the center of the river, they noticed more and more boats gathering around them, making it feel like a bustling market fair. Many of the people on the boats had an extraordinary air about them, and a lot of them looked quite similar to Elder Jiang.
Jiang Xia couldn’t hold it in any longer. "What on earth is happening today? Why are there so many people?"
Staring toward the river’s center with a fiery glint in his eyes, Elder Jiang explained, "Today, on the Bolan River, two great masters of the Martial Way will fight to the death. This is a grand event, the likes of which is seen only once a decade. All these people have come to witness it."
"Masters of the Martial Way? A duel to the death?" Qiao Zishan scoffed. "Elder Jiang, you must have read too many novels. In a society governed by law, who has duels to the death?" This guy has a screw loose, Lin Mu thought.
"Are they like the martial arts masters in the movies? The duel on Mount Hua?" Ye Tong’s heart fluttered as she glanced at Lin Mu.
Elder Jiang nodded slightly. "Something like that."
Qiao Zishan laughed. "There are no real martial arts masters in this world. It’s all just rumors."
Sitting beside Lin Mu, Song Wenrou gently shook her head. They’re just a bunch of frogs in a well. The real deal is sitting right in front of them, but they have no idea. Soon enough, they’ll see what a true miracle looks like.
At that thought, Song Wenrou’s heart began to beat a little faster. Lin Mu, you have to win!