Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 418 - 261 Qiu Shui, Jue Ying_2

Chapter 418: Chapter 261 Qiu Shui, Jue Ying_2

Since she has appeared before him, every move, every frown, every smile, all represent the stance of the Royal Family.

But now, she has drawn her sword to challenge him in her own right.

"Such a swift sword!"

It’s the same exclamation again.

Only this time, the one expressing amazement is Jiang Feng.

With his right hand in a reverse grip, he sweeps the Qiushui Sword horizontally. A mere three-meter distance would take only a blink of an eye for them to close in, cutting diagonally past one another, the reverse grip Qiushui Sword switching to an orthodox grip in a horizontal slash across the river.

When iron wire clashes with the treasure sword, a crisp collision rings out, the control over the blade and tip by both is just right, every hit sounding like brittle ice shattering.

The two swords intertwine; the iron wire in Jiang Feng’s hand is harder in material, better suited for fierce attacks. It seems delicate yet in reality is far thicker and wider than the ordinary three-foot green peak. It seems light, but it is actually a Heavy Sword.

Clang!

The sound was not so resoundingly clear. The young girl engaged in the swordfight sensed a slight change in the handfeel, and sure enough, the next second was defined by the power of the Dragon Sweeping Sword, clearly overpowering in strength.

A fierce battle blazes in his eyes. Since a fight is called for, he will hold nothing back. He wouldn’t ease up just because his opponent has a lower Cultivation Realm, nor would he play up his strengths and avoid weaknesses, as this is the path chosen by Liang Yu.

To give it your all is the utmost respect for an enemy.

She flicks her sword aside, and even though the angle was a bit bent, the young girl simply kicked high towards his face. Having learned his lesson from being kicked in the face by Ying Ling last time, he didn’t make the same mistake. He lifts his left elbow to block, but the girl slides her foot down and directly kicks onto the iron wire.

A thudding collision is heard.

Iron wire is a strange entity, like a sword yet not a sword, like a knife yet not a knife. Its ability to surprise naturally has its downsides; the iron wire is only sharpened on one side, otherwise, the little princess would never dare kick it directly.

But the lifted elbow moved unintentionally, and upon closer inspection, it turns out his left hand had at some point formed a sword seal, aimed at the jungle behind him.

Whoosh!

Out of nowhere, there was a commotion behind him.

During the brief exchange earlier, many people might have overlooked the flying sword that Jiang Feng had thrown out, which incidentally was the trophy from defeating Wu Mingsheng.

Misleading the opponent and attacking from an unexpected direction is a classic tactic of Jiang Feng, planting a foreshadowing during the inconspicuous battle and then collecting it later. While Princess is blocking the sword aimed at her back with Su Qin’s maneuver, Jiang Feng swiftly raises his hand to adjust the sword tendon and chops down!

But the girl’s reaction is somehow peculiar, her left hand flips, completely ignoring the White Cloud Overhead Chop from Jiang Feng aimed at her head, and then she nonchalantly stabs forward.

Hiss—

A chill at his waist and abdomen.

What appeared in the girl’s left hand, holding confidently, was shockingly a short sword!

His motion is immediately withdrawn, retreating continually following the woman’s forward stabbing posture, his body twisting, yet the clothing at his waist is pierced and lifted, nearly leaving a gash on his body, clearly showing Liang Yu had not held back at all.

Clang—

Pulling out the short dagger to block, pushing forward, countering, the Sword Qi in his body bursts forth, the force striking directly at what’s in front, its momentum fierce and even carrying strands of thunder, lightning racing as if the Thunder Sword momentarily embodied itself, even shocking Liang Yu’s expression.

But surprised as she was, she likewise did not hesitate to drive her Sword Qi. Her right hand holds the watery color of the Qiushui Sword which is almost transparent, her left hand holds the black color of the Absolute Shadow Sword dazzling to the eyes.

The short dagger collides with the Absolute Shadow Sword. This was a competition of cultivation and Sword Qi between the two, pinpointing weaknesses, maximizing strengths, neither yielding to the other. The short sword almost possesses an Innate advantage in the activation of Spiritual Energy and explosive force; being short makes it quick.

Boom!

Sword Qi overflows, each strand sharp as a blade.

Around them within a near ten-meter radius, the bamboo forest is utterly torn apart, from top to bottom, even leaving dozens of deep ravines on the wooden poles, bamboo leaves flutter in the air everywhere.

The gazes of the two clashed for the third time, but this time, their eyes held nothing but fervor and competitiveness, a feeling that made one’s blood boil uncontrollably.

Neither side gained any advantage from the burst of Sword Qi just now.

There was a gap in their realms and in the level of their Spiritual Energy, but in terms of Sword Qi and Sword Intent, they were quite evenly matched. This became evident when neither could control their Sword Qi, which flew around chaotically upon contact.

Logically speaking, if all other factors were equal, Jiang Feng should emerge victorious, since he was ahead in his Cultivation Realm and the Spiritual Energy he unleashed was stronger. However, there was a problem.

A "crack" made the man’s palm feel numb, shaking slightly.

He immediately twisted his body to the side, because a stinging thrust was aimed directly at his left chest; in theory, given their synchronized movements, Jiang Feng’s longer arms and masculine advantage should mean he would be the one to counter-stab Liang Yu.

But he quickly retreated two steps backward. The girl took a step forward and fiercely brought down a heavy chop, which was blocked by the man with his iron wire; the following pursuit with the Absolute Shadow Sword was deflected by his short dagger. But the next second—

Snap!

A harsh metallic sound was somewhat unexpected yet anticipated. He had a number of Magic Treasures in his possession, but only a few weapons were of high quality, such as the Meteor Iron-crafted iron wire in his hand and the flying sword obtained from Wu Mingsheng that was also quite good.

How could ordinary fine weapons possibly clash head-on with the Absolute Shadow Sword? Especially when both fighters had summoned nearly all their Spiritual Energy into the collision—the outcome was inevitable.

This was also why Jiang Feng chose to pull back.

However, this move was intended as only a brief delay, for the flying sword upon which he pinched the sword seal was already coming towards him. Grabbing it with his hand, he relied on its length to strike down at the girl like a dragonfly skimming the water.

The left hand wielding the Absolute Shadow Sword immediately switched from a yang grip to a yin grip, blocking with the back of the hand. But that sword was not like the rigid iron wire in Jiang Feng’s hand, and since he deliberately offset the sword’s balance, the blade actually bent slightly under the thrust.

Shocked, she had never considered that Jiang Feng would use a Soft Sword. You’re a grown man, and you’ve actually learned to use a Soft Sword?

Her head quickly ducked, but the flexible flying sword still had enough spring to knock off her headpiece and even touch her nape!

Unfortunately, the flying sword was not a pure Soft Sword, and after bending to its limit, it could not go any further; after just breaking the skin, it promptly snapped back. Seizing the opportunity, she sent a kick his way, which Jiang Feng blocked with a kick of his own.

Taking advantage of the momentum to pull away, the second round of their fierce clash began—with neither holding back, but this time Jiang Feng no longer underestimated his opponent and went all out, finally gaining a slight upper hand.

He had never anticipated that Soft Sword techniques would come in handy at such a critical moment.

When he had gone to collect protection money as a youngster, a retired elder Steward had given him a fine sword and soft armor, which he later learned were crafted for the man’s granddaughter. Now that she had outgrown them, they were passed on to him as a reciprocal gift.

Jiang Feng had no use for them, so he gave them to his little martial sister. The size was just right, and it was indeed a good choice for a girl to practice Soft Sword. From then on, he would often see his martial sisters training in the courtyard.

Subconsciously, he had used those techniques at this critical juncture.

Neither had any hesitation, and after a brief pause for breath, they clashed again. In terms of physique, both were like medicine jars; in terms of talent, Liang Yu had the edge; in terms of cultivation, Jiang Feng was superior.

In terms of skill, they were quite matched. Although Jiang Feng had only learned for three years, and Liang Yu had practiced hard for ten, one self-taught and actively seeking to improve through challenges at the Sword Sect, the other benefiting from a famous lineage and rigorous training behind a Sword Immortal.

Once again, they tangled together, each seeing the fighting spirit in the other’s eyes...

Bang!

The intense fluctuation of Sword Qi did not change the expressions of the two women more than ten li away; their eyelids didn’t even flicker as they just looked at each other, equally unyielding.

"Cousin, that girl is the one I told you about, quite formidable."

"Brother Jiang is also fighting over there. Do you need me to go and help Brother Jiang take care of the trouble before coming over to assist? It looks like you two are, well, like..."

The voice stammered.

Although lacking in emotional intelligence, it didn’t mean he was low in intellect. He could sense a strange, highly dangerous signal from the calm looks and atmosphere of these two women.

He had never seen his cousin with such an expression before.

"It’s domestic matter Jiang Lang is dealing with. It would be better for you two to stand back."