Before they knew it, two quarters of an hour had passed.
In the pavilion on the water, the handsome man and the heroic princess sat in meditation facing each other. Apart from the rhythmic breathing and exhalation, there was not a sound.
"Ji..."
Niaoniao felt that it was redundant. It walked in a waddling gait, circling around the two of them. Then it lay down and rolled around on the ground. Finally, it simply jumped outside the pavilion on the water and looked down at the goldfish in the lake.
Ye Jingtang sat upright, seemingly expressionless. But if one looked carefully, one could still see a hint of surprise between his eyebrows. In words, it was probably:
So I need to sit in meditation. What on earth was I practicing before...
This place is really a treasured land. When I breathe in and out, I feel refreshed, almost like taking a deep breath between Sister Watermelon's...
Uh~ This surging inner energy...
Although he was a bit intoxicated by it, this was after all the empress's bedroom. Ye Jingtang was afraid that if he stayed too long, the empress might come back. After practicing for a while, he opened his eyes.
Dongfang Liren sat upright on the futon in front of him, motionless. Her innate noble air between her eyebrows, paired with her heroic attire, really made her look like a peerless master who hid her true strength.
As Ye Jingtang's breathing changed, Dongfang Liren also stopped her cultivation and calmed her qi:
"Why did you stop practicing?"
"This is His Majesty's bedroom. It's not appropriate to stay here for too long."
"You don't have to be so cautious. His Majesty is diligent in government affairs and won't return to the bedroom until the afternoon. If you want to practice in the future, just let me know."
Ye Jingtang already owed a great favor for being able to learn the Jade Bone Diagram and didn't expect to stay here. After considering it for a while, he reached into his sleeve, took out a box, and handed it to Dongfang Liren:
"Your Highness has treated me so generously that I don't know how to repay you. When I returned to the capital yesterday, I came across a nice shop and bought a few things. I don't have any other intentions. It's just the normal exchange of gifts. These are common things from the marketplace. I hope Your Highness won't dislike them."
Dongfang Liren was a bit surprised. She took it and slowly opened the jewelry box. Inside the small hairpin box, there lay a jade hairpin with a combination of blue and white colors.
The jade hairpin was a style suitable for both men and women. It had no carvings, just a flawless streamlined shape. Although it was simple, it was very much in line with her usual attire.
"You really have a heart... I don't lack jewelry. Don't be so extravagant in the future. Since it's an exchange of gifts..."
Dongfang Liren raised her hand and wanted to take off the jade pendant at her waist.
Ye Jingtang quickly raised his hand to stop her and said seriously:
"There's no need. If Your Highness really wants to return the gift, just give me an insignificant little item."
Dongfang Liren was taken aback, let go of the jade pendant, and asked:
"What do you want?"
Ye Jingtang blinked his eyes and leaned a little closer:
"Can Your Highness lend me that set of the treasured 'The Tears of the Chivalrous Woman'? I went to the bookstore today and couldn't buy it at all..."
?!
Dongfang Liren took a deep breath and stared at Ye Jingtang, unable to say a word. She just felt that the good image Ye Jingtang had established in her heart yesterday had been half-destroyed when he made the girl take the initiative last night, and now it was half-destroyed again because of borrowing "The Tears of the Chivalrous Woman".
Seeing that the Princess Jing was getting angry, Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly:
"If it's inconvenient, I won't force it. I've been reading it for many years. I consider myself a book friend of Wu Shengxie, but I haven't even read the complete version. It's just a small regret..."
Dongfang Liren was silent for a moment and said angrily:
"It's in my carriage. Go and get it yourself later."
Ye Jingtang cupped his hands: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your generosity. After I finish reading it, I will..."
"No need to return it!"
Ye Jingtang was taken aback: "Then what will Your Highness read?"
Dongfang Liren originally wanted to say, "I'll go and search for another set in the Imperial College," but then she thought it wasn't right. With a solemn expression, she said:
"I never read that kind of thing. If I didn't know you wanted it, I wouldn't have even kept it in the carriage!"
Ye Jingtang understood and cupped his hands again: "Your Highness is truly magnanimous."
Dongfang Liren didn't want to mention the book at all. She got up and went to the bookshelf beside the pavilion on the water. She took another book and handed it to Ye Jingtang:
"You have a natural talent for martial arts, which is a gift from heaven. You should read more books like this. How can you achieve great things by reading those unseemly things all day long?"
Ye Jingtang took the book and saw that it was clearly written with the words "The Dragon-Slaying Order". The characters were as sharp as iron strokes, exuding a sense of edge. It was estimated that it was still written by Xuanyuan Chao, the Blade Master, himself.
Ye Jingtang's expression became serious. Instead of opening it immediately, he looked at Dongfang Liren:
"Your Highness has already shown me the Minglong Diagram, which is already a great favor that's hard to repay. Now you're giving me the saber technique..."
Dongfang Liren said seriously: "I have already learned the Tianhe Saber technique. This is something I promised you. How could I go back on my word?"
Ye Jingtang was full of surprise: "Really?"
The look in his eyes probably meant - I didn't see it, Benben. You actually learned it. Is the sun rising from the west?
Dongfang Liren's eyes turned slightly cold, and she clenched her hands, looking as if she wanted to hit someone.
Ye Jingtang coughed lightly and put on a serious look. He opened "The Dragon-Slaying Order" and looked at it carefully. On the first page, it was clearly written - On Breaking the Eight-Step Crazy Saber.
Dongfang Liren seized the opportunity to show off her knowledge in front of Ye Jingtang. Like a knowledgeable master, she explained:
"The Dragon-Slaying Order is used to slay the 'Ring-Headed Chi Dragon'. The moves of the 'Eight-Step Crazy Saber' are fixed, and there is no such thing as false and real moves. However, it was able to dominate the saber world for decades at the end of the previous dynasty because the Eight-Step Crazy Saber achieved 'Great Skill Without Artifice, Only Speed is Invincible'. You can see it but can't block it, and you can predict it but can't avoid it.
"During the years when the Kuangyazi Saber School dominated, countless saber practitioners in the martial arts world racked their brains to find ways to counter its moves. In the end, they reached the consensus that 'no one at the same level can break its moves'. Even if one's strength is stronger than that of Kuangyazi, it's very difficult to fight back after being hit. One can only deal with it by using circuitous maneuvers and avoiding its sharp edge.
"Later, Xuanyuan Chao emerged out of nowhere and broke this situation. He changed to using a broad-backed heavy saber and used the method of 'taking a step back, bending the back, and flicking the saber' to make the Eight-Step Crazy Saber fail right from the starting move, not giving it a chance to connect the moves. Since then, the Eight-Step Crazy Saber has disappeared from the martial arts world."
When Dongfang Liren said this, she went to the weapon stand nearby, picked up two unsharpened practice sabers, one was an ordinary straight saber, and the other was a broad-backed heavy saber.
The heavy saber was three and a half feet long, with a handle one foot long. It was heavier at the head and lighter at the tail. The widest part of the saber head was four inches, and the part protecting the hand was one and a half inches wide.
After Dongfang Liren came to the center of the pavilion on the water, she stuck the saber into the ground:
"Come and have a try?"
Ye Jingtang stood up when he saw this. He hung the unsharpened straight saber on his waist and watched Dongfang Liren's movements.
Dongfang Liren took a shoulder strap and hung it on her body. Then she hung the saber on it. Because the saber was too heavy, the leather shoulder strap hung diagonally on her chest, just pressing between her... (a euphemistic reference), dividing it into two semi-circles.
Ye Jingtang was fully focused on the saber technique and didn't pay attention to these things. He stepped back three zhang (a unit of length) away.
It became quiet around the pavilion on the water.
When Dongfang Liren was ready, Ye Jingtang's left hand moved slightly:
Chua——
A flash of saber light appeared in the pavilion on the water.
Ye Jingtang held the long saber in his left hand in a reverse grip and directly slashed towards Dongfang Liren's middle.
At the same time, Dongfang Liren's whole body shook violently, and even her... (a euphemistic reference) was shaking vigorously. Her left foot moved back, her back arched, and she flicked the heavy saber up. She held the handle of the saber that protruded from her right shoulder with both hands:
"Ha——"
With a娇斥 (coquettish shout).
Dongfang Liren held the hundred-jin heavy saber and started with the move of 'taking a step back, bending the back, and flicking the saber'. This put a great test on her physical explosive power, and her face instantly turned red.
Dang——
Ye Jingtang didn't use his full strength. He just made a surprise horizontal slash according to the move. When he rushed forward, Dongfang Liren's powerful slash with great explosive power had already come down on his head, just hitting the saber.
Clang——
The crisp sound of metal clashing was accompanied by a string of sparks.
Ye Jingtang held the straight saber in his left hand in a reverse grip. When it collided with the heavy saber, his single hand couldn't withstand the slash of the heavy saber at all. The straight saber was immediately chopped and hit his forearm. It was actually forced to slide out by this slash.
Whoosh——
Ye Jingtang slid two zhang on the smooth ground until he hit the bookshelf and then stabilized his figure.
And after Dongfang Liren's slash landed, she directly touched the tip of the saber to the ground, dragged the saber, and ran forward. She bent over like a tiger and in an instant, she was already in front of him.
If the two were of similar levels, Ye Jingtang's first saber strike would definitely have been sent flying. If Dongfang Liren followed up with another slash, he would have been dismembered on the spot.
However, Dongfang Liren didn't have that much explosive power. After rushing a few steps, she stopped. She stuck the heavy saber into the ground and breathed heavily:
"Huff... Huff... How is it?"
Although she only made one slash, the great consumption was obvious to the naked eye. Dongfang Liren's face turned pinkish-red, and her chest heaved violently.
Ye Jingtang looked at the straight saber in his left hand - it had been deformed by one slash, and his entire left arm was numb. If it weren't for Benben's relatively weak foundation, this slash might have disabled his left arm.
"This saber technique was completely created to counter the Eight-Step Crazy Saber."
Dongfang Liren panted for a while and put the heavy saber back on the weapon rack:
"The Eight-Step Crazy Saber used to be the most powerful. When Xuanyuan Chao wanted to become the Blade Master, he naturally studied the moves of the Eight-Step Crazy Saber to find ways to counter it. If you want to become the Blade Master, you also need to study the Dragon-Slaying Order and come up with something new. If you just learn the saber techniques of the older generation, even if you can defeat Xuanyuan Chao, you will win because of your youth, not because of your saber technique attainments."
Ye Jingtang nodded thoughtfully...