Zhan Zhao Adventures - Chapter Three (Part II)

Chapter Three: Eternal Longing (Part II)

Only, she seemed not to mind at all.

 

Her smile was still very gentle.

 

As if no matter what the opponent would say or do, she would not feel resentment or sorrow. As if beneath heaven, there was no longer any woman more beautiful, more understanding of others, more delicate, weak, and considerate than she.

 

"Is the young master still unwilling to inform me of your honorable surname and great name?"

 

The black-clothed youth slowly released the boy's hand.

 

"My name, in the eyes of the Cold Water Palace, is afraid not important."

 

"If you truly wish to know, this humble one is Zhan Rifei."

 

He looked again at that green-clothed man who possessed a pair of dead-man-like eyes.

 

"Will the young lady's companion not go up together?"

 

The words of the man in green clothing, like his eyes, were also devoid of any human emotion.

 

"Those under the gate of the Cold Water Palace, without the order of the Matriarch, have always fought single-handedly. Are you still afraid that the Moon-Wielder cannot finish you off?"

 

Zhan Rifei did not answer.

 

He smiled.

 

He drew his sword.

 

──He finally drew his sword.

 

The sword was already out of its scabbard.

 

A streak of cold light leaped out from his side. The sword energy surged to the skies, its brilliance dazzling, so that even the dense gloomy clouds in the sky seemed to be lit up by its reflection.

 

The eyes of the man in green clothing grew hot.

 

The smile of the Moon-Wielding Envoy froze. Even her breath froze.

 

"Good sword! Is the young master's name really Zhan Rifei?"

 

Zhan Rifei smiled, "Why does the young lady have such a question?"

 

The eyes of the Moon-Wielding Envoy drifted, "This sword is a peerless divine weapon, which has always been possessed by the capable; how could it be held in the hand of an unknown nobody in the martial world?"

 

Zhan Rifei said, "The Envoy praises me excessively."

 

The smile of the Moon-Wielding Envoy floated up again, "With such a divine weapon, can the young master allow this little maiden to step closer and take a look?"

 

Zhan Rifei only saw her left hand give a wave; she actually moved her hand the moment she said it.

 

A streak of an indistinct shadow, silent and soundless, yet as swift and graceful as a heavenly dragon, vaguely leaned toward the long sword in his hand.

 

Zhan Rifei's heart sank, and his body had already retreated rapidly.

 

Although he held a sharp blade, how could a sharp blade deal with an attack that was shadowless and formless?

 

"Eternal Longing" was made from ice silkworm silk casting the profound iron from the bottom of the Cold Water Palace; even if he held a peerless divine weapon in his hand, he could not slice or cut it apart.

 

The Moon-Wielding Envoy launched the move with her left hand.

 

Her move had already been launched, but he could not see this weapon of hers clearly, nor could he hear the sound of the wind from this weapon of hers!

 

──If one cannot see her weapon clearly, how can one see her move's posture clearly?

 

──If one cannot hear the wind of her movement clearly, how can one distinguish the path of her attack?

 

The sky grew even darker.

 

By his ear suddenly echoed her voice from just now, which was still soft and beautiful.

 

Eternal longing, eternal longing, "longing leaves no trace yet enters the bone."

 

What a "longing leaves no trace yet enters the bone"!

 

In an instant, the Moon-Wielding Envoy had already seized the upper hand!

 

Zhan Rifei's thoughts turned like lightning.

 

In a flash, instead of retreating, he advanced; his wrist flipped, a cold light flashed, and he stabbed rapidly toward the Moon-Wielding Envoy.

 

The cold sword energy arrived at her brow in an instant; the icy feeling had already seeped into her skin.

 

──Even if she seized his sword, she would surely be injured under his matchless sword energy.

 

The Moon-Wielding Envoy retreated rapidly.

 

Her right hand unleashed "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers" (Rao Zhi Rou), and the index finger of her left hand hooked; that faint shadow made a turn in the air, and with a soft "chi" sound, it still leaned toward the long sword in his hand.

 

As long as it leaned onto it, no one in the world could ever break free from its entanglement.

 

──It was named "Eternal Longing"; did it really have to "last until the time of return, only then to stop"?

 

Zhan Rifei kept his original move unchanged, his wrist sank, and he still stabbed forward.

 

Unexpectedly, that indistinct shadow seemed to have come alive, and also sank along with it, still leaning toward his long sword.

 

Like lightning striking a flint, the shadow had already reflected onto the cold long sword; "Eternal Longing" had already leaned onto the sword body!

 

Following that, the internal energy seemed like a thunderbolt and sudden lightning, penetrating straight through, and was about to forcefully take the sword away. It was precisely the "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers" of the Cold Water Palace!

 

The Moon-Wielding Envoy used the "Eternal Longing" of her left hand to seize other people's weapons, hitting the mark every single time without ever failing, which was a famous unique skill of the Cold Water Palace. Seeing the opponent was tricky at this moment, her "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers" internal skill had already been exerted to the absolute limit.

 

Who could have known that just as "Eternal Longing" leaned onto the opponent's sword body, when she exerted force to pull it back, she only then discovered that not half a bit of internal energy was attached to the opponent's long sword.

 

──Could it be that the enemy's internal energy had vanished without a trace in an instant?

 

With "Eternal Longing" leaning and seizing, the long sword actually left his hand, flying straight toward her!

 

The Moon-Wielding Envoy's thoughts turned like lightning, and her response to the change was truly swift. "Eternal Longing" followed with a turn of its head, directing it as easily as an arm directs a finger, wrapping the long sword to stab obliquely toward Zhan Rifei.

 

Who could have known that though she was fast, the opponent was even faster. Borrowing the momentum, his body slanted to the side; his right hand guided with a sword formula, and he had already sandwiched the long sword along with the momentum, while his left hand took advantage of the momentum to flick lightly, precisely at the space when "Eternal Longing" turned its head, the old force just spent and the new force not yet born.

 

With a "zheng" sound, the "Eternal Longing" in the Moon-Wielding Envoy's left hand was as if struck by lightning, almost flying out of her hand.

 

He did not turn his head; the long sword held backward in his right hand had simultaneously parried the "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers" palm force of the Moon-Wielding Envoy's right hand.

 

To an onlooker, it looked just as if the Moon-Wielding Envoy had first seized his long sword, yet immediately delivered it back to him herself.

 

This technique of "Eternal Longing" driven by "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers," since the creation of the move a hundred years ago, had actually returned without success for the first time.

 

The charming smile of the Moon-Wielding Envoy had disappeared.

 

For a moment, she did not believe her own eyes.

 

The speed of the opponent's response to changes was truly beyond her expectations.

 

Zhan Rifei was also somewhat surprised.

 

That flick of his had actually not caused "Eternal Longing" to leave her hand. The Moon-Wielding Envoy of the Cold Water Palace indeed lived up to her reputation.

 

This "Eternal Longing" was truly too ghostly and strange. Its shadowless and formless nature forced his moves to be one step slower than the opponent's, making it difficult to snatch the upper hand for a time.

 

He had previously deliberately allowed the long sword to leave his hand to be controlled by "Eternal Longing," precisely because he anticipated that the Moon-Wielding Envoy would surely use "Eternal Longing" to drive the long sword, so he could borrow this to discern the styles of "Eternal Longing" and strive to strike first to gain control. It was only that he did not expect the Moon-Wielding Envoy's internal energy to be extraordinary; under this flick, he actually failed to make her sharp weapon leave her hand.

 

In her daze, the Moon-Wielding Envoy struck with "Eternal Longing" once again. Her right hand reached forward, and "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers" suddenly entangled his long sword.

 

"Eternal Longing" turned rapidly in mid-course, becoming formless just like a demon; the tip of the whip reached out, directly clawing toward the boy behind him, its momentum as rapid as a flash of lightning.

 

Zhan Rifei saw the long sword entangled by the Moon-Wielding Envoy's "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers," unable to be rescued in time, and "Eternal Longing" had already grazed past his side. But precisely by borrowing this instant of passing his body, he had already been able to distinguish the coming path by listening to the sound.

 

He did not turn his head; his right foot tapped, a stone flew out rapidly backward, and with a "pa" sound, it struck the tip of the whip. "Eternal Longing" instantly lost its accuracy.

 

It was only that the Moon-Wielding Envoy's "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers" skill had already reached perfection; although "Eternal Longing" lost its accuracy, its momentum did not decrease, and somehow, making a half-curve, it suddenly reared up again, clawing rapidly from the side.

 

This strand of "Eternal Longing," under the driving of "Softness Wrapping Around Fingers," had already become like a ghost, making it impossible to guard against.

 

Zhan Rifei's body, however, suddenly slowed down!

 

"Eternal Longing," like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, stabbed silently into his back in the blink of an eye.

 

Everything that happened next, in the eyes of the Moon-Wielding Envoy, was just like lightning striking a flint, while the subsequent result was something she truly could not foresee or accept!

 

After being struck, Zhan Rifei did not stop his feet; borrowing the momentum, he rushed forward, his long sword slashing rapidly, and the momentum of "Eternal Longing" stabbing into his body was obstructed, actually allowing his body to break free from its grasp!

 

Blood splattered.

 

When "Eternal Longing" flew out from his back, the tip of the whip had already been soaked red with fresh blood.

 

His fresh blood.

 

In the darkened sky, only a spot of red trace could be seen flying, like a blood-colored butterfly.

 

Zhan Rifei took a deep breath.

He──fi──nal──ly──saw──it!