Chapter 19: Grabbing a Weapon? Not a Chance! Sister’s Coming!

Xu Mu climbed to the upper floor and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that this lad was a novice to the martial world and suffered from a severe case of teenage delusions. Had he been a seasoned veteran, he wouldn't have wasted breath bickering for so long; he would have simply slit Xu Mu's throat the moment he arrived.

Fetch a weapon? What nonsense!

He was a Minor Grandmaster, and Xu Mu was merely at the Body Refining stage. Ten of him wouldn't be enough to stand against one of that boy. Since the lad wanted to enter the world of martial arts, Xu Mu would teach him his first lesson: he would learn just how sinister human nature could be.

"Someone has actually come to kill me. Go down and deal with him."

Xu Shuangyi, hearing this, did not move an inch. She had heard every sound from downstairs. For the past few days, Xu Mu had been putting on a cold face and treating her like a mere maid. Now that he had encountered a problem he couldn't handle, he dared to order her around? Forget the assassin downstairs; even Xu Shuangyi wanted to give Xu Mu a beating.

"I am only responsible for assisting you in managing the Liangzhou industries," Xu Shuangyi said coldly.

As aloof as she was, she had repeatedly been forced to lower her head before Xu Mu. Now, she wanted to reverse their roles. She needed to teach Xu Mu the meaning of respect.

Xu Mu had spent the last few days focused solely on posturing in front of Xu Shuangyi, failing to realize that a woman's heart is as unfathomable as the deep sea.

"Help me deal with the man downstairs, and I promise to treat you with courtesy from now on," Xu Mu said. In his previous life, he had suffered because of his own temperament; in this life, he had to be smarter. When it was time to bow one's head, one had to do it.

Xu Shuangyi still did not move.

"Sister, please, do me a favor."

"I will handle him for you, but you must agree to three conditions."

"Agreed."

Xu Mu had asserted his dominance over the past few days and had given Xu Shuangyi plenty of "sticks." If he wanted to utilize her in the long run, it was time to offer a "carrot."

Xu Mu and Xu Shuangyi walked out from the second floor. Xu Shuangyi descended to the first, while Xu Mu stood by the railing on the second floor, refusing to go down.

"Xu Mu, the sword has been retrieved. Fight me to the death!" Ye Shiyi raised his short sword, pointing it at Xu Mu.

"She is my sword. Defeat her first, and then we shall see," Xu Mu said, gesturing toward Xu Shuangyi.

Ye Shiyi looked at Xu Shuangyi, then back at Xu Mu.

"I told you to fetch a sword, not to call for help. Xu Mu, this is a matter between men. You let a woman intervene—what kind of man are you?"

*Are you an idiot?*

*I could fetch a hundred swords and still not be a match for you; of course I have to call for help.*

Xu Mu stood with his hands behind his back, feigning profoundness. "Ye Shiyi, only after you defeat her will you have the qualifications to cross blades with me."

Ye Shiyi was truly hoodwinked by Xu Mu. Without further thought, he brandished his sword and charged at Xu Shuangyi.

Xu Shuangyi felt a jolt of surprise, but her reactions were incredibly swift. Drawing a soft sword from her waist, she parried Ye Shiyi's strike.

"A Serpent Sword?" Ye Shiyi glanced at the fine blade in Xu Shuangyi’s hand, clearly covetous. Then, he looked at her face. "You are actually a Minor Grandmaster as well."

Xu Shuangyi had sensed that the youth downstairs was formidable, but she hadn't expected someone of fifteen or sixteen to be a master at the Minor Grandmaster stage. She had reached that level at eighteen, a feat that already made her a figure beyond the reach of most martial artists, yet this young man’s talent was even higher than her own.

Xu Shuangyi did not care for empty chatter. She stood at the foot of the stairs, holding her sword at a slant, her green robes lending her a graceful and extraordinary air. She stared quietly at the youth, channeling her internal energy until her hair began to drift without a breeze.

Suddenly, her hair swept backward. A figure, fast as a leopard, dashed toward her, growing larger in her vision. A short sword thrust directly at her heart.

Xu Shuangyi flicked her wrist, and her soft sword let out a piercing, metallic ring. Before the sound faded, the sharp clashing of steel against steel rang out repeatedly.

Xu Shuangyi moved with agility and grace, her soft sword flickering like a venomous snake. Facing the youth, whose moves were simple and brutal but every strike lethal, she responded with ease. The boy was repeatedly pushed back by Xu Shuangyi, only to charge at her again and again. However, lacking any real combat experience, his moves—while powerful—left massive openings.

Xu Shuangyi’s mastery of the soft sword, paired with the rigid and fierce Dawn-Breaking Sword Technique of the Xu family, was a perfect blend of hardness and softness, offense and defense. Although the youth shared her cultivation level, he was simply no match for her.

Within ten moves, Xu Shuangyi had cut seven or eight gashes into him, blood staining his entire body. Yet the boy was exceptionally fierce, his eyes sharp as a tiger cub just entering the wild. Despite his injuries and his inability to land a blow on Xu Shuangyi, he ignored it all. Each move was faster and more ruthless than the last. This was his debut, his first battle in the world of martial arts.

He was destined to become the greatest assassin in the world; he would make the name "Ye Shiyi" legendary. He could not lose this fight.

Xu Mu could clearly follow every move the two made, and seeing the current state of the fight, he finally relaxed. The boy would surely fall within ten more moves. Yet, he was stunned by the youth's ferocity. He wasn't just cruel to his enemies; he was cruel to himself. Someone like this, once grown, would undoubtedly be a terrifying weapon.

Xu Shuangyi did not disappoint. With a single thrust, she pierced Ye Shiyi’s shoulder. The youth rolled onto the ground, and his short sword flew from his hand. Xu Shuangyi flicked her long blade, and her flowing hair settled gently onto her shoulders. A truly heroic and spirited woman.

The youth saw his short sword lying nearby and suddenly felt a profound sense of humiliation. They were of the same cultivation level, and his offensive power was arguably stronger—how could he not defeat this woman? His right shoulder was pierced, his body covered in over a dozen sword wounds, and even his internal energy was beginning to scramble.

Yet, despite his pain, he reached out and gripped the short sword on the ground.

Xu Shuangyi was not a soft-hearted person. Seeing that the boy was bent on death, she prepared to land a final blow to end the matter.

At that moment, Xu Mu stepped down.

"Stop."

The boy and Xu Shuangyi looked at Xu Mu simultaneously.

"My sword has been found. Now, I shall fight you to the death. A real man must keep his word," Xu Mu said coldly.

Hearing this, even the cold and aloof Xu Shuangyi almost tripped over her own breath. She had thought Xu Mu was just a man who begged to be punched, but she hadn't realized he was also strangely humorous—though, mostly, he was just shameless.

Xu Shuangyi had already beaten the boy to the point of severe injury, and now Xu Mu stepped in, speaking brazenly about a "fight to the death"? It was more like he was there to steal the kill. He truly had no shame left.

However, the delusional youth was clearly manipulated by Xu Mu. He gripped his sword tremblingly, struggled to his feet, and pointed it at Xu Mu.

"Fine. Now, this is a duel between men."