Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 801 Feather Scales (Part 4)

Pei Ye took the paper. The list of 163 people on the Crane List contained 81 matches, which were densely written on it. One could imagine that the Immortal Terrace must have been brightly lit last night.

From top to bottom, several significant names come into view first:
Scene 1: [Wang Jiuqiao] vs. [Changsun Che]

Match 2: [Li Shenyi] vs. [He Miao]

Third Match: [Ming Qitian] vs. [Nie Shangheng]

Scene 4: [He Hongzhu] and [Zhao Wu'e]

……

The ranking system is no longer "the middle is divided, the top and bottom are matched," but rather it is roughly divided into tiers where each group competes independently, with the winners moving up and the weaker moving down. Those at the bottom compete against those at the top, and those in the top ten compete against those in the top ten, first determining the winners and losers based on their similar rankings.

Apart from Du Lilou of Tianyi, all of the top ten this year have gone to the capital. Pei Ye looked at the matchups and figured that this round was probably to determine whether the top five positions would be shaken, and then to confirm the rankings of the top five and the bottom five.

As the intermediary, Qi Ye will temporarily sit and wait in this round, and it is likely that the last of the top five and the first of the bottom five will be compared with her.

"【Xuya】Wang Jiuqiao. In the past decade, if we were to talk about the most brilliant and talented name in the sword world, it would be Ming Qitian; but if we were to talk about the most legendary figure in the entire martial arts world, it would be Wang Jiuqiao." Pei Ye's gaze lingered on this name for a moment, and then Shi Zanxue's voice rang out beside him, "Nine years ago, in the Feather Scale Trial, after Zhao Lingjun left, he took first place, and has since steadily dominated the entire martial arts world."

"Nine years ago, when he took the top spot, he used the famous Xuanjing 'Twenty-Four Secrets of Jade Lock and Golden Gate' and the Quanzhen 'Great Dream Spring and Autumn Sword', but in the two subsequent Feather Scale Trials, neither Li Shenyi nor Ming Qitian were able to force him to use these two signature skills again."

Pei Ye stared at it for a while: "I saw him on the Book of Cranes and Ducks when I was a child. Is this person really that powerful?"

Shi Zanxue nodded: "Wang Jiuqiao comes from Quanzhen. In his youth, he was praised by Yuhuang Mountain as 'the embodiment of the Daoist spirit of the world.' Now, I wonder what level his Quanzhen cultivation has reached. He is already proficient in both magic and swordsmanship, and is also a 'seed of immortals' in this generation of Daoism. He will probably go to Yuhuang Mountain after this Feather Scale Trial."

Pei Ye paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "We met Zhao Lingjun on the Wei River. Was he just like Wang Jiuqiao back then?"

Shi Zanxue thought for a moment: "Zhao Lingjun is a figure from the previous generation, so I don't know much about him. But in my impression, Zhao Lingjun should be carefree and unrestrained, quite different from Wang Jiuqiao. He came from the Zhengyi lineage and only topped the Crane List once."

Why did Zhao Lingjun betray his sect?

Shi Zanxue shook her head: "Taoists don't talk about this much, especially since it's been so long. From the simple information we got from Tianshan, Zhao Lingjun had no hope of becoming an immortal and went astray. Perhaps he thought that Huansi Tower could help him become an immortal."

Pei Ye exclaimed in surprise, "Become an immortal? Is he cultivating to become an immortal?"

Shi Zanxue smiled and said, "Taoists have always cultivated themselves to become immortals, so what's so strange about that?"

Pei Ye was slightly taken aback. He realized that this was indeed not a secret. In all the Taoist classics he had read—although most of them focused on swordsmanship—there were always two sentences about life, destiny, heaven and earth, and the transformation of the body.

Pei Ye didn't overlook it because he hadn't seen it before; rather, he overlooked it because he had seen it so many times. He thought that imperial edicts always started with a few words about the unicorn and the emperor. Now that he suddenly knew that Zhao Lingjun had betrayed his sect for this reason, he had a dazed feeling that "it was not an exaggeration after all."

He suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the girl beside him.

Jiang Yin'er paused for a moment: "Master didn't expect me to become an immortal. She said that there are different paths for immortals and mortals, and that it's enough to cultivate one's character and mind."

Shi Zanxue smiled and said, "Shenxiao was in decline before, and has only risen from the ground in recent decades. The atmosphere in the sect is naturally determined by Daoist Ying."

"Yin'er, is Senior Ying not participating in the Feather Scale Trial this time?"

“He’s here. Master was just busy, so he couldn’t make it in the past two days. He’s already on his way now,” Jiang Yin’er said. “He should arrive tomorrow… He also said in the letter that he would test my studies.”

"You've done your homework very well, there's no need to worry."

Jiang Yin'er nodded: "I will take you to see Master then. Please give me some time."

Pei Ye smiled and said, "I'll go with you whenever you call."

The great bell on the sword platform resounded, drowning out all the bustling chatter and laughter.

Immortal Terrace Feather Jianping said in a flat voice: "Today's first round, the first is Quanzhen, [Xuya] Wang Jiuqiao, the second is the tenth, [Yinjia Xue'e] Changsun Che."

Pei Ye glanced over and saw two figures walk onto the sword platform.

This was the first time Pei Ye had met Wang Jiuqiao.

His personality was as unassuming and quiet as his name. Under the Heavenly Tower, he was the number one martial arts master for ten years, yet he neither showed his face nor was he mentioned much, as if he had sunk into the background.

Now, as he steps onto the stage, he looks like a thirty-year-old man. His face should be handsome, but he lacks vigor and sharpness, and his features are somewhat roughened by the elements, with a beard that hasn't been trimmed in a while.

He wore a slightly faded blue Taoist robe and a pair of worn-out cloth shoes. His coarse hair was held in place by a wooden hairpin made from a small twig, which had been worn smooth from use. He hadn't chosen some tattered clothes to make himself look slovenly; rather, his attire, despite his careful care, was already worn out. He tried his best to wash and dress properly before stepping onto the platform today.

Pei Ye gazed at him, gradually feeling a sensation as clear as water, or as if he were feeling the night breeze of Zhongnan Mountain... It wasn't until those peaceful eyes looked in his direction that he snapped back to reality, unsure if the other was looking at him, and offered an apologetic fist salute.

Wang Jiuqiao nodded, indicating that it was alright.

Changsun Che was indeed clad in silver armor and snow-white bridle.

He wasn't wearing armor, but he had a breastplate, a light-colored robe, and carried a long sword and a large bow. He was extremely handsome, with a sculpted face and a sturdy back. The two men were probably around the same age, but Changsun Che looked much younger.

The Immortal Terrace did not disclose his sect because he came from the Tang Dynasty army. Pei Ye knew nothing about this person, but he was very efficient in his words and actions, and indeed had a military style.

But Pei Ye suddenly felt that his face was somewhat familiar...

"Here you are, here you are. There were so many people today, I almost couldn't find my way in." Cui Zhaoye led Changsun Jue by the hand. "Yin'er, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Changsun Jue wiped his sweat: "I told Sister Cui that we should set off early, but Sister Cui didn't take it seriously."

The man was both angry and amused, but his good upbringing and scholarly education made the young woman very restrained in expressing her dissatisfaction. Therefore, Cui Zhaoye ignored her and led her to sit down: "Isn't this perfect? ​​You can have a drink of water while you watch."

Changsun Jue sat down and glanced at the person leaning over: "Hello, Pei Tongxue, long time no see. How did the imperial examination go?"

"Hello, Changsun." Pei Ye nodded and smiled. "It's not that things aren't going well yet, Changsun. You have too little confidence in me."

Changsun Jue smiled, opened the small bundle on his back, and took out a drawing board: "No. Actually, yesterday Sister Cui and I watched Pei Tongxue's competition upstairs, but it got late, so we left early... because my brother also returned to the capital... Anyway, I painted a picture of Pei Tongxue from yesterday, and I will give it to him in a while. I hope he won't find it offensive."

Pei Ye laughed in surprise: "What kind?"

Changsun Jue held it up for him to see. It was a large freehand painting depicting him and Zhao Jianfei facing each other with swords in hand, viewed from a tall building in the southeast.

"...It's really beautiful, Changsun, you have a wonderful writing style."

Changsun Jue smiled, put the brush back on his lap, and picked up the fine brush: "Young Master Pei's face is still not painted. I'll take a look today and then finish it... It will be done in a quarter of an hour at most."

The girl was engrossed in her painting when Pei Ye looked up and saw Shang Lang approaching with a riding whip.

He was surprised: "Why are you here too?" Shang Lang casually pointed: "I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time, so I sent the two of them over first. I went to set up the carriages and horses—oh, just in time, the fighting has started."

“So you two know each other,” Pei Ye said.

Shang Lang looked up and said, "What are you saying? We've been friends for generations. My elder brother Changsun learned martial arts from my father since he was a child, and he first joined the Longwu Army. Now that he's back in the capital for his first imperial examination, how could I not come to see him?"

Pei Ye was stunned: "Huh?"

……

Break it open.

As Changsun Che drew his knife, Pei Ye momentarily felt as if all the air around him had been taken away.

Before the confrontation even began, Pei Ye had already realized the gap between those at the top of the Crane List and those who had been in Zhu Ge Guan Yi's clothes the day before.

The profound energy placed on the Winter Sword Platform was insufficient to supply his needs.

"I will draw my sword and shoot an arrow. Please correct me, Master Wang," Changsun Che said respectfully, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Wang Jiuqiao nodded: "Please go ahead."

He held no sword, only a wooden branch.

But Changsun Che remained vigilant, and countless eyes were quietly watching him. As the only Tang general on the Crane List, his blade was something worth pondering.

The profound energy gathered towards Changsun Che's longsword, and its blade gradually brightened like frost and snow, then became like a cold sun, becoming the most dazzling white on the entire Winter Sword Platform.

"The Xuanjing (Mysterious Classic) includes the Long Saber. The Halberd is listed as number twenty-three in the Lingxuan Dadian (Great Canon of Mystery), and the Long Saber as number twenty-two. Both are weapons wielded by the Tang army," Shi Zanxue said. "Along with the Sharp Spear, Feathered Bow, and Heavy Spear, they are collectively known as the 'Five Weapons,' all ranking within the top thirty. The Lingxuan Dadian contains only a little over a hundred Xuanjing, and these can all be considered first-rate. It is said that each one is profound and extensive, and those who can master all five are called champions. Currently, there are probably only four or five such people in the Tang Dynasty."

"So strong," Pei Ye murmured.

That was indeed a style completely different from the martial arts world, simple and straightforward, but obviously this simple and straightforward slash had been refined over several years. Changsun Che slashed down, the blade was extremely sharp, and Pei Ye felt a chill in his heart as if the entire Winter Sword Platform was about to be cut in two.

Along the line drawn by the blade, flowers and leaves fluttered, ripples spread across the pond, and a child's sugar figurine suddenly split open with a neat slit... Filtered by the laws of the world, this incomparably sharp blade burst forth in a harmless manner.

On the battlefield, this strike would surely be enough to sever the enemy's long line of troops!

Wang Jiuqiao narrowed his eyes, as if stung by the sharpness, and raised a branch to block it.

The branch was indeed just a branch, and it split open before the blade flashed. But what was amazing was that the blade seemed to simply pass right past him, as if cutting off the branch was enough for it, and it had forgotten that there was a person behind it.

Countless people on the field were surprised, but Changsun Che remained calm.

Perhaps he already knew that the person in front of him was unfathomable, or perhaps he had long been accustomed to calmly facing all changes in the northwest frontier.

The man sheathed his sword and somersaulted in mid-air—even at this level, his solid and beautiful martial arts skills were still evident—he hovered several feet in the air, drawing an arrow and nocking it as he flew away at high speed, creating a graceful arc.

“The Feathered Bow.” Shi Zanxue exclaimed in surprise, “He has mastered two military arts.”

Shang Lang jumped up and exclaimed, "It's [Shooting Tiger]!"

The dissipated Xuan Qi after the first strike regrouped on the drawn bow in an incomprehensiblely rapid blink. The Xuan Qi of the weapon did not have many miraculous effects. As long as it was powerful, accurate, and flawless, in the midst of a military formation, if you needed to break through the formation with one strike or kill the enemy leader with one arrow, you could not use two strikes or two arrows.

In the practical application and control of Xuan Qi, even the most seasoned martial arts masters are not as adept as military grandmasters. They do not practice swordsmanship, learn new methods, or delve into profound principles; day after day, they only pursue the ultimate struggle for Xuan Qi and prepare for the next attack more quickly.

Wherever the eye can see, an arrow will surely kill the enemy leader.

Changsun Che swiftly released the bowstring, and the arrowhead struck Wang Jiuqiao's forehead.

Then it passed through him, as if passing through a phantom.

At dawn I searched for the white feather, but it was lost among the stone edges.

Wang Jiuqiao said, "The sword and the arrow are finished."

Changsun Che landed, took a deep breath, clasped his hands and bowed: "Your Taoist magic is profound, I am completely convinced."

Wang Jiuqiao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "You flatter me."

Throughout the entire process, the person neither made a move nor moved an inch.

"What kind of competition is this?" Pei Ye crossed his legs. "You should at least offer a move."

Shi Zanxue smiled: "To see what Wang Jiuqiao will do, you have to stand opposite someone like Hongzhu."

As preparations for the next round began, Pei Ye glanced down at the name but didn't rush to ask, because the man who had just amazed everyone with his sword and bow skills was already walking towards them carrying both weapons.

He walked up to the group of people from the Sword Cultivation Academy. His tall stature and handsome face were like a straight spear.

Shang Lang stood up and laughed, "Brother Changsun, he's not taking your challenge."

Changsun Che smiled and said, "If Master Wang takes my first move, I won't have a chance to make a second one. Today, I'll visit your residence to pay my respects to my teacher."

"Great! I couldn't be happier!"

The man lowered his head and looked at the smiling girl in front of him: "Xiao Jue, why didn't you sleep a little longer? Why did you get up so early to come here?"

“I came with Sister Cui. I usually get up this early too,” Changsun Jue replied, then lowered his head to continue carefully drawing.

Changsun Che looked at her, a rare tenderness appearing on his face, and smiled, "I told you last night that I was going to lose this match, but I'll try to win the next one, so you won't come for nothing—oh, is this a painting for me? I remember you loved to draw when you were little..."

“No, my brother just finished his match and lost in just two moves. How could he have time to draw it?” Changsun Jue said, bowing his head. “This is for Pei Tongxue. He won several matches yesterday.”

"...Who is Pei Tongxue?"

Changsun Jue smiled and pointed with his paintbrush: "This is him. He is so skilled and beautiful with a sword. He is truly 'graceful as a startled swan and lithe as a swimming dragon.' Brother, when you fight, you just slash and hack. I don't really like painting. You can learn from Pei how to use weapons in a more beautiful way."

Pei Ye turned his head blankly, while Changsun Che looked at him quietly with his head tilted to the side.

“Oh,” he said.

(End of this chapter)