Due to the Retreating Star Tong Yao1 practicing sword techniques, she attracted the attention of a great portion of the Blooming Water Sword Sect's disciples. Entering the Overboard Peak was exceptionally smooth, and the two guards at the Blooming Water Hall that were as motionless as a mountain became the only difficult problem.
The two Star Cultivators' cultivations were not inferior to Su Xing's. If he was to mount a sneak attack, that would be too risky.
Su Xing was just thinking about whether or not he should use a diversionary tactic when he saw Shi Yuan gently and cautiously take out a wooden box. Opening the wooden box, several mosquitoes flew out. Seeing Su Xing's perplexed expression, the Flea on a Drum smiled evilly: "You just wait and see."
Shi Yuan softly exhaled. Those mosquitoes flew toward the Star Cultivators standing guard, and he saw the mosquitoes spin a few loops around the Star Cultivators' surroundings. One of the cultivators then yawned incessantly, leaned against the wall and fell asleep. "Hey, get up. Don't you be lazy." The other cultivator unhappily yelled. The mosquitoes flew some more loops. He suddenly felt his eyelids become heavy, and then he drunkenly entered a dream just like that.
"Ah?" Su Xing was stupefied. What sort of trick was this; was this not too extraordinary?
The Thief Star saw through Su Xing's thoughts, twitching her lips in disapproval: "These are only several of this Young Lady's specially raised 'Drowsy Bugs.'"2
"Is it that magical?" Toppling a couple of Nebula Stage Cultivators just like this, it was more ridiculous than an artifact.
Shi Yuan shook her head. The Drowsy Bugs actually were not as powerful as Su Xing believed. In the first place, the target had to feel extremely fatigued. Only when they were under a completely relaxed and danger free mental state could they be put to sleep by the Drowsy Bugs. As a professional, virtuous and trained thief, keeping this sort of gadget on her person was very reasonable.
Su Xing nevertheless felt goosebumps. The odd insects lurking in Liangshan Continent were many, as expected; he truly could not be careless. If, someday, someone were to loose Drowsy Bugs upon him, then he would indeed be trampled over.
"You don't need to be wary about this sort of matter, Su Xing. You're a Star Master, your Star Generals will help you dispose of it." The Thief Star smiled.
The two people walked out, and Shi Yuan made Su Xing keep watch as she alone entered the Blooming Water Scripture Depository Hall.3
The night wind gently blew. Su Xing stood on Overboard Peak's crest, and above him was the Star River in the sky. Hundreds of stars were like pearls hidden under the Milky Way, dazzling resplendently, twinkling and glimmering, a brilliant radiance. Regardless of where or when, raising your head to gaze at the hundreds of bright stars would intimidate anyone's heart in this way.
Lin Yingmei emerged from the Star Nest, standing guard to one side. The girl's eyes occasionally glanced at that bustling sword training courtyard at the bottom of the mountain.
After the scene of a giant beatdown at the sword training courtyard, the hundred Blooming Water Sword Sect disciples fell disorderly onto the ground where they stood. Their strength exhausted, the sole girl left standing on the platform still looked to be in great spirits.
"Enough. Yao'er, this should do it for today." Chen Zhonglin wiped his sweat. As a Star Master, supporting this much Star Energy also made him unbearably tired.
The Retreating Star, River Churning Clam Tong Meng4 recalled her Jade Water Turtle Dragon Trident5 and lightly jumped off the platform.
"It's a pity your Sword Sect cannot find a martial expert that can genuinely match up to the military might of the likes of Lin Chong." Tong Yao pursed her lips, bearing disappointment.
"It can't be helped. True sword cultivators are few enough to be counted on one hand." Chen Zhonglin just had no way out of this. Liangshan Continent's Star Cultivators were closely associated with combat artifacts. If their most feared enemy was too close, what good would high martial skills do. Unless it was a sword cultivator who reached that sort of great realm, otherwise they only had a pretty appearance with no substance. Even if a late stage sword cultivator had powerful abilities, they rarely used them. Mostly, they waited on sword arrays and sword arts6, training their martial arts. They might as well cultivate their Divine Intent, for that was even more worthwhile. This was Liangshan Continent's mainstream thinking.
Of course, Maiden Mountain's Star Generals naturally could not be mentioned on equal terms. These Fiend Stars possessing legendary Star Weapons took Sword Cleaving Technique as something to be easily grasped, like how the Star Energy realms of Star Cultivators also lacked importance in their eyes.
Walking to the Overboard Peak, Tong Yao abruptly lifted her head, staring at the mountaintop, her brow tightly wrinkled.
"Yao'er, what's the matter?" Chen Zhonglin asked.
"Yao'er seemed to have sensed a sister just now." Tong Yao said eagerly.
Chen Zhonglin smiled: "No way. That Star General is so stupid as to dare run to the Blooming Water Sword Sect to seek death."
"Hmph."
Tong Yao's sternness made Chen Zhonglin's smile slowly fade. He had also heard before some things about Star Generals mutually attracting towards each other, "Could it be they're here to steal the True Thunder True Technique.7 But that's still useless without a Divine Thunder."
"Worry about that after we go up and take a look."
"Alright, Zhonglin just happens to have a few Blooming Water Arts that aren't practiced."
Outside the Blooming Water Hall, Su Xing still stood guard at the Overboard Peak. Lin Yingmei thought for a long time, then asked him: "Young Master, the Knowledge Star didn't come along. Does Master have something arranged to prevent unexpected events?"
Su Xing glanced at the Shi Yuan currently inside the hall breaking the array, "Being a bit careful has never been a bad thing."
Lin Yingmei thought that this was natural, but there was one thing she did not understand. "Why does Master believe in the Thief Star so much? Xinjie's conjecture is very reasonable. As your servant sees it, if it was anyone else, they would have definitely already been convinced by the Knowledge Star." The Panther Head had quite the new level of respect for Su Xing on this point. Put any way, the Knowledge Star, the Resourceful Star Wu Yong, was a wise general. Her analyses and hypotheses would surely compel others to believe her, especially since a few months ago, the Knowledge Star already produced a similar situation, but Su Xing nevertheless had his own thoughts, not at all entangled in the past.
"Yingmei, you didn't stop me either, though?" Su Xing smiled.
"Your servant was only believing in Master." Lin Yingmei calmly replied.
"Even being able to forecast the worst outcome, would you still say that you're afraid?" Su Xing asked back.
"Is it like this?"
Lin Yingmei nodded.
"The Retreating Star is headed towards here." Lin Yingmei put away her relaxed manner, staring coldly down the mountain.
Su Xing blanked out, "Just the Retreating Star?"
"Yes."
Lin Yingmei's Divine Intent already caught onto Tong Yao the moment it mobilized. The Panther Head's inquiring gaze was directed at Su Xing, awaiting his decision. Presently, the Retreating Star suddenly rushed towards this place. Whether this was a trap or a coincidence was all under Su Xing's judgment. If it was a trap, taking advantage of the Sword Sect Great Array having not been activated and leaving beforehand was the most logical choice. Certainly, this premise necessitated abandoning Shi Qian.
If he felt that this was a coincidence, then he had to obstruct the Retreating Star before Shi Yuan came out.
Looking at their attitudes, it was evident that they were rushing towards the Blooming Water Hall.
"It shouldn't be a trap. It's a coincidence." Su Xing mind turned. If it was a trap, then he could only say that this trap was too silly; they could not even do the simplest ambush. "Stop her!!"
Su Xing ordered without the slightest hesitation.
The excited brilliance within the eyes of the Tong Yao currently rushing up the mountain grew increasingly extreme. Just now, she already felt a thread of Divine Intent sweep past her, and she secretly relayed a message to Chen Zhonglin.
"Master, look out!!"
Tong Yao suddenly shouted. The Jade Water Turtle Dragon Trident was like a scared dragon, a roll of jade light sprinkling about.
Two silhouettes dropped down in front of them.
Under the moonlight, there appeared a man and a woman, immediately shaking up Tong Yao and Chen Zhonglin. The man's soldierly appearance was out of the ordinary, and the girl's heroic beauty was biting cold.
"You brazen, sinful thief. Unexpectedly rushing the Blooming Water Sword Sect, you're courting death!" Chen Zhonglin shouted.
"Star Master, calm down a bit. If it's going to be like this, only a one-on-one Star Duel has any meaning." Su Xing slightly smiled, a Heavenly River Water Sword in hand. Lin Yingmei scowled coldly at them. With spear in hand, they were like a pair of evil calamities.
"A Star Master??"
Chen Zhonglin went blank.
"Panther Head Lin Chong!!!"
The Retreating Star, River Churning Clam Tong Yao's pupils shrunk!!!8
Author’s Note:
I'm very sorry. I frequently have a few things on the weekends. There will be a second update later.
- 地退星童瑤 ↩
- 瞌睡蟲 ↩
- 癸水藏經殿 ↩
- 地退星翻江蜃童猛 ↩
- 碧水鰲龍叉, 叉 is a fork, but since this is based on the Water Margin, I think trident is the appropriate interpretation here. ↩
- 劍陣劍訣 ↩
- Yes, this is was in the raws. ↩
- You're about to get fucked, baby! – A wise man from Black Lagoon. ↩