Chapter Sixty-Six: A Feast Only for the Eyes

In fact, the main reason the martial artists of Qiuhua Prefecture feared Heaven’s Gate Stronghold was that Lin Ruhai had reached the Innate Realm, and he commanded a large number of underlings atop Heaven’s Gate Mountain. As for the other two chiefs of the stronghold, they were scarcely worth a thought. Though Peng Qinghua possessed some skill, he was only in the Acquired Realm, and Peng Qingcheng was dismissed outright. A man who relied on his looks, or rather his skills in bed, to serve others was beneath their notice—such a useless and shameless creature was not even worthy of their scorn.

Peng Qingcheng possessed no talent or perception for martial arts whatsoever; his skills were little more than showy but useless moves, though he did excel in pleasing Lin Ruhai, much to the latter’s delight. For example, although nearly all the underlings of Heaven’s Gate Mountain had gathered at the foot of the mountain, the second chief, Peng Qingcheng, was able to languish in bed and rest.

On the Heaven’s Gate side, their people watched in disbelief as their third chief was sent flying by a single lash from a mere child. Their faces turned an ugly mix of blue, red, black, and white. It was all the more humiliating because that child was a girl.

Lin Ruhai instantly exuded a chilling aura, his expression dark as storm clouds: even I wouldn’t dare treat a man with such force, yet you, you wretched girl, have struck him down before my very eyes!

Sensing the growing coldness in the air, the underling leader You Qi hurried to show his loyalty, stepping forward with a sharp rebuke: “Where did this wench come from? She knows nothing of Jianghu’s rules. Are you truly set on making an enemy of Heaven’s Gate Stronghold?”

Ma Xue’e, having lived for years atop Regretless Mountain, did not know that in such circumstances, one was not allowed to interfere—victory was to be decided one on one. Her impulsive intervention had broken the rules, tantamount to declaring war.

At these words, Ma Xue’e fiercely cracked her soft whip, raising a cloud of dust from the ground. Fuming, she retorted, “You’re the wench! What’s so great about Heaven’s Gate Stronghold? How dare you kidnap Aunt Su! You villains and mountain bandits deserve to die—I am simply ridding the people of evil!”

After instructing his men to look after Peng Qinghua, Lin Ruhai turned his cold gaze upon Ma Xue’e standing in the open, his eyes as sharp as arrows.

“I didn’t expect you, little girl, to be so skilled at such a young age. It seems I have underestimated you all. Yet your Luoyang Martial Hall has provoked us again and again, clearly not regarding Heaven’s Gate Stronghold as anything at all. Otherwise, you would not have resorted to such dishonorable tactics, winning by numbers!”

Xiang Ao’s face flushed red as he coughed lightly, knowing that his side was indeed at fault this time. If Liang Zhenyun had lost, he should have stepped down and sent another to fight. But Ma Xue’e, inexperienced in the ways of the world, had not known these rules and had intervened suddenly, sending Peng Qinghua flying with her whip as he faced Liang Zhenyun.

Thus, the duel had become an unfair contest of numbers, a victory without honor. Now trapped in a situation with no retreat, both sides were bound for a deadly clash.

Xiang Ao composed himself and announced loudly, “Chief Lin, forgive me, but now that enmity is set between us, this battle cannot be avoided. Let us settle it here and now—it will save us all the trouble.”

Normally, when two sides were to fight, the etiquette of Jianghu dictated that they would agree upon a time and place and issue a formal challenge. But now, negotiations were clearly impossible; both sides were past the point of discussion.

Lin Ruhai’s eyes grew even colder. “That is precisely my intention,” he replied icily.

With both sides in agreement, the melee began. The hundreds of underlings from Heaven’s Gate Stronghold had already assembled at the foot of the mountain when the signal was given, and the atmosphere became instantly tense and hostile.

Heaven’s Gate had several hundred men, while Luochangning’s side had only a pitiful few dozen.

“Kill them all, those who do not know their place!”
“Yes, kill them! Avenge the third chief!”
“We’ll fight too—avenge Master Su!”

Very quickly, the two sides clashed on the stony ground. However, Ma Qingyun did not move—these petty underlings were not worthy of his intervention.

Though Peng Qinghua had been sent flying by Ma Xue’e’s whip, his injuries were not severe. He was thick-skinned and robust, and both he and Ma Xue’e were in the Acquired Realm—the gap wasn’t insurmountable. Much of the reason he was so easily struck down was because her sudden attack caught him completely off guard.

After tending to his wounds, he was eager to join the fray, only to be stopped by Lin Ruhai’s “tenderness toward the fairer sex.”

“There’s no need for you to fight. I didn’t feed this whole bunch for nothing!”

“Fine, I’ll just enjoy the show, then…”

Seeing his elder brother’s resolute expression, Peng Qinghua could only suppress his fighting spirit.

Originally, this should have been a one-sided slaughter, but soon the ease faded from Lin Ruhai’s face, replaced by a sinister, ferocious look.

He watched as the underlings he had worked so hard to recruit were laid low at an alarming rate by the fighters from Luoyang Martial Hall. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, corpses already littered the ground.

Unable to endure it any longer, Lin Ruhai leapt forward to attack Xiang Ao, the leader.

Lin Ruhai had believed that, as an Innate Realm martial artist, he would be more than a match for Xiang Ao, who was only of the Acquired Realm, and that the latter would be easily subdued.

But he had not anticipated that among those embroiled in the melee, there was another Innate martial artist even stronger than himself—Ma Qingyun.