The Decaying World-Chapter 65 - 60: Identity 4

"Xiaoli, what’s the situation over at Qingfeng Temple? Who’s still there running classes?" Mu Qiaozhi didn’t actually know the situation there either. She had spent all this time painstakingly switching her cultivation to the Black Dragon Claw Technique, changing her focus from speed-based Body Tempering to defense-based Hard Skills, which left little time for anything else.

Aside from reaching Third Grade Body Tempering right at the start, she had since progressed step by step like any other Black Dragon Sect disciple.

Even now, she had only reached Sixth Grade Body Tempering. But there was an advantage. If not for the speed advantage from Qingfeng Temple’s Body Tempering method, she would never have been able to secure her current third-place position.

Xiaoli was Xie Li, a former disciple who had left Qingfeng Temple with her to join the new sect.

Xie Li hadn’t even made it to Qingfeng Temple’s front courtyard back then, so when she came to the Black Dragon Sect, her status was no different from an ordinary disciple’s. She had no choice but to continue clinging to Mu Qiaozhi.

Hearing the question, she recalled the news she’d heard recently.

"The ones who stayed are Mingde’s daughter, Weiwei, and a newly promoted front-courtyard disciple, Lin Hui. As for Weiwei, she was probably in the top ten of the front courtyard when we left, but I don’t know her specific grade. Lin Hui... I’m not sure about him either, but he can’t be higher than Seventh Grade, based on a normal Body Tempering progression."

She didn’t actually know Lin Hui’s progress and was just making a rough estimate, factoring in his level when she and Mu Qiaozhi had left and the time that had passed.

"A useless struggle." Mu Qiaozhi gently slung her old longsword onto her back. "Let’s go. Since Master has spoken, we’ll go and crush their hopes. Even Baohe is dead, and the entire Ming Generation has fled. What’s the point of two people still holding on? It’s ridiculous."

She pushed the door open and walked out, her voice cold.

Behind her, Xie Li sighed, inwardly relieved that she had followed her Senior Sister and switched sects back then.

Otherwise...

Look at Weiwei and Lin Hui now. They couldn’t even give up the martial arts business to run a wellness class in peace.

’This is the price of one’s choices...’ Xie Li lamented inwardly. Although she felt a pang of pity for Lin Hui, once a choice was made, a person had to pay the price for their decision.

Just as it was then, just as it is now.

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「Inside Qingfeng Temple.」

Lin Hui stood alone in the front courtyard, listening to the continuous sounds of sword practice coming from behind as he looked up at the courtyard wall.

He was pondering how his master had so easily leaped onto the roof back then.

To be honest, after all his practice, his speed had increased, but he had never actually tried to jump that high.

After a moment’s thought, he accelerated forward, took three quick steps, and leaped into the air.

TAP.

His toes tapped the wall, and he used the momentum to shoot several meters higher.

The whistling wind roared past his ears. Lin Hui rotated his body gracefully in mid-air, savoring this new sensation.

It was a light, floating feeling, as if he were soaring through the air. It was marvelous.

A few seconds later, he landed softly. Then he sprinted again, kicked off the wall, and leaped.

With a soft TAP, he found his footing this time, landing easily on the corner of the Daoist Temple’s second-story roof.

He steadied himself, and once he adjusted, he sat down on the edge of the roof, more than six meters high, to take in the view he had never experienced before.

Looking out from here, a lush green mountain forest stretched out from beyond the Daoist Temple into the distance.

Between the sea of dark green trees, a winding, gray dirt path was faintly visible.

That was the only road leading to the town.

It was fine in good weather, but once it rained, it became a disgusting mess of splattering mud.

People coming and going from the Daoist Temple were always more or less covered in mud and dust.

To wash it off, they had to go to a small creek deep in the woods, which was very troublesome.

Lin Hui sat on the roof, gazing quietly at the distant scenery.

His Inner Strength churned and spun endlessly within him, now forming a distinct, powerful vortex.

From time to time, strands of energy would split off from the vortex and flow into his legs, battering the meridians and blood vessels there.

Once he broke through, he would enter the First Layer.

And that step would likely be taken in the next day or two...

Just as he was quietly enjoying the scenery and taking a short rest, a white carriage slowly pulled to a stop at the Daoist Temple’s side gate. It was engraved with the brown floral pattern of the Mu Family.

The carriage door slid open, and a tall, strong figure leaped down, landing steadily.

The newcomer wore a loose black robe with a pale red leather vest over it. A longsword was strapped to her back. With pale blue eyes and shoulder-length black hair, she had an androgynous, heroic aura that made it difficult to tell her gender.

This was none other than Mu Qiaozhi, who had just rushed over from the Black Dragon Sect.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve been back here..." She looked up with some emotion at the wooden plaque hanging above the side gate. It was clear the plaque was often wiped clean, a sign that there were still people here.

"Senior Sister, should we announce our arrival or just smash the plaque?" Xie Li asked softly as she followed her out of the carriage.

She was dressed in blue and black formal clothing, with a pair of black claws fastened at her waist. Her skin was a bit darker than before, and the skin on her hands was noticeably rougher.

"No rush. Let’s go in and take a look first. Once we make a move, it has to be as fast as lightning. We’ll directly cripple the core instructors. That’s the only way to force Lin Hui and Weiwei to face me directly." Mu Qiaozhi knew full well that her master’s goal was to completely crush Qingfeng Temple and let her take over this newly developed market.

Therefore, she had to crush everyone in Qingfeng Temple in one go, from top to bottom, and ensure not a single person was left who could teach a class.

With her strength at the Seven-Section Quick Sword Body Tempering Limit, combined with her Sixth Grade Black Dragon Claw Body Tempering, this wouldn’t be difficult.

Hearing this, a trace of pity flashed in Xie Li’s eyes.

This was what it meant to be weak. Lin Hui, who had once been so much stronger than her, was now facing complete ruin, destined to fall to rock bottom, all because of one wrong choice.

If things went as expected, her Senior Sister probably wouldn’t show any mercy. She intended to cripple Weiwei and Lin Hui completely.

’What a pity... If Lin Hui hadn’t been so isolated back then and had made the same choice as her, perhaps now...’

"Let’s go." Mu Qiaozhi stepped forward and crossed the threshold.

The Daoist Temple’s side gate wasn’t closed, only ajar. The faint sound of wooden swords slicing through the air could be heard from inside.

The two of them walked a few steps inside and saw a long-haired woman with a hot, curvy figure in the rear courtyard’s training ground. She was holding a long tree branch and walking among a group of old men and women, constantly correcting their Sword Technique postures.

The woman had an excellent figure and a charming appearance, which occasionally prompted some of the less-than-respectable old men to steal glances at her.

On the other side, two half-grown boys were directing people to clean up and wash sweat towels.

Farther away, by the wall, several other old men who seemed to be visitors stood with their hands behind their backs, speaking to each other in low voices.

Seemingly noticing the two newcomers, Weiwei turned her head to look and immediately recognized Mu Qiaozhi.

After all, this former Senior Sister had always held the highest position in the hearts of many Qingfeng Temple disciples.

And yet...

"Mu Qiaozhi? What are you doing here? Didn’t you betray the temple and go to the Black Dragon Sect?"

She turned, walked through the crowd, and blocked the path of Mu Qiaozhi and her companion, her voice cold.

"You must be Weiwei, right? It looks like you’re doing pretty well here," Mu Qiaozhi said with a light chuckle, her hands behind her back. Her gaze casually swept over the surroundings.

"It’s none of your business! You’re not welcome here. Please leave!" Weiwei had no fondness for turncoats who betrayed their sect at the drop of a hat.

"Leaving is not an option. We came here for you," Mu Qiaozhi said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Weiwei unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword hilt, feeling that something was wrong.

"It means that from today on, you’re forbidden from running any more training classes," Mu Qiaozhi smiled. "Neither you nor Lin Hui could even reach the top five in the front courtyard back then. Teaching swordsmanship is just leading students astray. Aren’t you afraid you’ll teach them wrong?"

"You!?" Weiwei’s heart clenched, and a surge of anger flared up. "We’ve already withdrawn from the Martial Arts Hall Realm! What more do you want!?"

"It’s simple. To teach people, you need real skill and knowledge." Mu Qiaozhi glanced at the old men and women who were secretly watching the commotion and deliberately raised her voice.

"Your cultivation isn’t up to par. It’s useless to teach, and the results will be terrible. Rather than swindling people out of their money under false pretenses, I’ll be the one to correct you both, lest you ruin Qingfeng Temple’s reputation!"

"You’re a traitorous bastard who changed cultivation techniques! What right do you have to come here and criticize us!?" Weiwei’s temper finally snapped. With a roar, she drew her sword with a CLANG. A flash of Qingfeng Swordsmanship shot toward Mu Qiaozhi.

CLANG.

The sword tip was blocked by a black claw.

"A Body Tempering Sword Speed at about the Seventh or Eighth Grade level. Is that what gives you your confidence?"

A contemptuous smirk formed on Mu Qiaozhi’s lips. With a flick of her hand, she unleashed immense power, violently knocking the longsword away.

"I reached that limit three years ago..."

She suddenly shot forward, her figure leaving a trail of afterimages as her claw struck toward Weiwei’s chest.

Her explosive speed was more than just a level above Weiwei’s.

TING TING TING!!

In an instant, the two women clashed more than ten times like lightning. A line of yellow sparks flew between them as they rapidly retreated deeper into the Daoist Temple.

It was Mu Qiaozhi, pressing her attack on Weiwei.

BANG!

Finally, the two of them slammed into the surrounding wall, sending a pile of firewood stacked there scattering everywhere.

"Qingfeng Sword - Huiyun Yan!"

Weiwei’s furious roar erupted. A silvery sword light suddenly flared into an afterimage, like a crescent moon slashing at Mu Qiaozhi from the side.

This was one of the killing moves of the Qingfeng Swordsmanship.

But in response, Mu Qiaozhi actually managed to strike second yet land first, using the very same technique.

An opposing fan-shaped arc of black appeared out of thin air. It was her version of Huiyun Yan, executed with her claws instead of a sword.

The same Huiyun Yan, one silver and one black, clashed in an instant.

CLANG!!

The sword was sent flying from Weiwei’s grasp, viciously slicing into a nearby wooden pillar.

She was thrown back hard, skidding across the ground and scraping her back and shoulders. For a moment, she couldn’t even get up.

Mu Qiaozhi flexed her claws and walked toward Weiwei step by step.

"See? The Qingfeng Swordsmanship has fallen too far behind..."

She stood over Weiwei, looking down on her.

"Your speed can’t match mine, your strength can’t match mine, and your Hard Skills for defense are even worse... What do you have to fight me with?"

She exhaled softly, her expression calm.

"After I cripple you and then take care of that Lin Hui, you two won’t be able to stir up any more trouble."

She raised her claw, but suddenly, she seemed to sense something. She turned her head and saw a figure slowly emerging on the steps of the main hall behind her.

"Let her go."

Lin Hui glanced at Weiwei on the ground, then his gaze returned to Mu Qiaozhi.

"Heh?" A cruel smile twisted Mu Qiaozhi’s lips. Her right claw abruptly shot down, aiming for Weiwei’s right knee.

WHOOSH!

The claw stopped abruptly, hovering just over the fabric of her pants, motionless.

Mu Qiaozhi’s expression changed slightly. She turned her head just a little to look behind her.

"Who do you think is faster? You, or me?"

The tip of a sword was hovering, unnoticed until now, at the back of her head.

The blade was as bright and still as water, unmoved by the wind.

The one holding the sword was Lin Hui.