A Journey Through the Martial World After Transforming into a Loli

Nangong Ping was defeated. When everyone saw Yu Xiuying happily jump off the stage and hug another woman to celebrate her victory, they still couldn't believe that the rising star of Qingzhou Jianghu had been defeated by a woman. But no matter how much they refused to believe it, the result was still in front of them.

The referee also felt conflicted. As a local martial arts figure from Qingzhou, he felt somewhat saddened to see his best disciple defeated.

However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn't do anything, especially since there was a master just below the Grandmaster level sitting above him. If anyone could do something under his nose, it would probably only be the seemingly harmless little girl sitting next to him.

Despite their dissatisfaction, they could only accept it helplessly in the end. Fortunately, Qingzhou had more than one Nangong Ping; there were two others who were equally famous: Feng Xiaoyun, the Yan Yue Sword of the Dongling Sword Sect, and A Ling, the washerwoman of the Yunan Xiulou. At this moment, everyone placed all their hopes on these two.

At this moment, Feng Xiaoyun leaped onto the arena like a swallow. He knew this was a golden opportunity. Nangong Ping had been defeated by the disciple of the great hero Mondley, and another disciple of the great hero Mondley was going to fight Ah Ling.

His opponent was just an unknown nobody, a rogue from Yuanzhou. If he could defeat this rogue named Liu Xuan, wouldn't that prove that he was better than Nangong Ping?

Nangong Ping himself handed this opportunity to her, and at this moment, Feng Xiaoyun seemed to already see the praise she would receive from everyone after she turned the tide.

On the other side of the arena, Liu Xuan from Yuanzhou was slowly walking onto the stage, wearing a bamboo hat, giving him the air of a wandering swordsman.

"My name is Liu Xuan. I greet Senior Brother Feng."

This polite and respectful attitude earned Liu Xuan the favor of many. At least he hadn't been ruthless towards his defeated opponents along the way; instead, he would subtly offer them guidance, greatly benefiting them. Therefore, many Qingzhou disciples enjoyed exchanging ideas with him afterward.

"Haha, so it's Junior Brother Liu. I'm embarrassed to accept the victory today. Please don't blame me."

These words immediately made those around them feel very uncomfortable. Although everyone hoped to win, saying such things was going too far. If it were Yu Xiuying or Yu Xiulin, such people might not have felt anything.

However, to Liu Xuan, a wandering swordsman without any sect or affiliation, who didn't appear to come from a wealthy family, yet still selflessly helped others and exchanged skills with them, was inherently likable. Therefore, for a moment, the surrounding crowd felt dissatisfied with Yan Yuejian.

Feng Xiaoyun didn't think anything of it. He just wanted to give everyone the impression that he was confident and that as long as he won, everyone would think that his ability, his cultivation, and his vision were all excellent.

"Senior Brother Feng is too kind. I am here for victory as well, so I will give it my all."

After bowing to Feng Xiaoyun with his hands clasped together, he assumed a posture ready to attack at any moment. Upon seeing this, Feng Xiaoyun merely sneered and said in front of everyone, "A mayfly trying to shake a tree, overestimating its own strength."

Feng Xiaoyun originally wanted to project a strong and confident image, but the result was the opposite, which only provoked dissatisfaction from everyone.

Seemingly sensing the dissatisfaction of the crowd below towards Feng Xiaoyun, Liu Xuan spoke up, "Since that's the case, let's each give it our all and see who emerges victorious."

As she drew her longsword, Feng Xiaoyun burst into laughter, "That's exactly what I meant. Be careful."

Yan Yuejian's moves are all deadly. Although he was told to be careful, he was not careful at all. Instead, every move was fatal and every sword strike was soul-stealing.

What a sight to Liu Xuan! Facing this storm of attacks, with sword rain as numerous as stars and sword energy crisscrossing like a rainbow, he showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he calmly dodged the attacks.

Like a lone boat on a vast ocean, or like a cloud drifting in the wind, it is just as the saying goes: let him be strong, the gentle breeze caresses the mountain; let him be arrogant, the bright moon shines on the great river.

If the previous battle with Nangong Ping seemed to be evenly matched, then this battle gave the impression that Feng Xiaoyun completely suppressed Liu Xuan, leaving him powerless to fight back.

However, Lin Xueyi sighed again, which made Ye Qin'er, who was originally a little happy, feel a tightness in her heart. Thinking of what Lin Xueyi had said earlier, she turned her head to look at them and found that everyone was watching very calmly, without any abnormality.

"Xueyi, I think Feng Xiaoyun has completely taken the initiative. Why are you sighing? Is it because of Liu Xuan?"

Lin Xueyi glanced at Mondley beside her, who was wearing a cold smile. She then looked at the others and realized that this man named Liu Xuan must be at the Innate Realm. Otherwise, how could so many people not see through his tricks?

"Sister Qin'er, don't be fooled by the fact that Liu Xuan seems to have no chance of fighting back. Look at his breathing, and then look at Feng Xiaoyun's breathing. You'll be able to see something."

After hearing Lin Xueyi's words, Ye Qin'er quickly observed Feng Xiaoyun's breathing and Liu Xuan's breathing carefully. She then discovered that "Liu Xuan was in complete control and his breathing was not disordered at all. However, Feng Xiaoyun was already feeling like she could not continue due to the continuous attacks, and her breathing had become disordered."

“That’s right. I think Liu Xuan has already discovered that Feng Xiaoyun has a strong sense of self-esteem but is not very smart, so he came up with this method to exhaust his true energy and force him to withdraw. That will do the trick.”

Upon hearing Lin Xueyi's words, Ye Qin'er couldn't help but glance at Liu Xuan in the arena. He was still covering his face with a bamboo hat, and apart from knowing that his name was Liu Xuan, she knew nothing else about him.

Just as Lin Xueyi and Ye Qin'er were talking, Feng Xiaoyun felt increasingly powerless. After thrusting her longsword out for the last time, her wrist went limp and she fell to the ground.

A crisp sound made many spectators breathe a sigh of relief. This martial arts competition was indeed a difficult choice for them. On one hand, there was a free spirit from Yuanzhou whom they admired and liked, and on the other hand, there was a disciple from their own Qingzhou. Although he was not popular, he was still a local.

However, this dilemma ended when Feng Xiaoyun was exhausted. As everyone hurriedly carried the unconscious Feng Xiaoyun off the stage, Liu Xuan also took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention and left the arena, disappearing again.

Main text: Chapter Ninety-Four: Rest

When the two matches ended, all the matches for the day came to a close. The remaining matches were the two matches for tomorrow: the match between Washerwoman A-Ling and Yu Xiulin, another disciple of the Northern Tiger, and the match between Grandmaster's chief disciple Zhao Yuxuan and He Beichang.

Speaking of Ah Ling and Yu Xiulin, their duel truly made the heroes of Qingzhou very nervous. Yu Xiuying's previous arrogance had already shown everyone that these two disciples of the Northern Tiger were not like their master, and they showed no mercy to their defeated opponents.

The entire Qingzhou was dragged down by their mockery, which really annoyed the audience. But what could they do? In martial arts competitions, being bad is the original sin. Even if the loser has a thousand reasons, no one will accept it.

"I'm telling you, is Ah Ling really up to the task? What if she really messes up? We really can't afford to lose." Putting everything else aside, if the top three spots in this competition are taken by people from other states, then Qingzhou will really lose face big time.

"What was Tingxuelou thinking? Why did they decide to have Qingzhou host this Young Heroes Gathering, without even limiting the participants to people from different states?"

The middle-aged man was really anxious as he gulped down the wine in the bowl; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to speak ill of Tingxuelou in such a public place.

The Listening Snow Pavilion is the most powerful force in the entire Qingzhou, but it usually keeps a very low profile and rarely gets involved in matters of the martial world. Unless someone actually asks them for help, they basically act like they don't exist, leaving no trace of their presence. Such a martial arts force is indeed both loved and hated.

I love him because he won't compete with me for any resources. As long as I don't provoke them, they won't cause me any trouble. I hate him for the same reason. Under the policy of laissez-faire, he failed to assume the responsibility of the strongest force, allowing many things that could have been suppressed to continue to expand.

It is precisely because of this that so many experts from other forces have appeared at this year's Youth Heroes Gathering in Qingzhou, which will probably make the entire Qingzhou martial arts world lose face.

On my own turf, the top three are all from other states. How can we even have a proper game? When other states hold their own tournaments, they always make it clear that there can't be any top players. You can get first place, but you absolutely can't have all the top three.

Well, not only is first place gone, but the top three are also gone. If Zhao Yuxuan and He Beichang weren't both from Qingzhou, the Qingzhou martial arts world would have lost all face this time.

However, the righteous path of Qingzhou is now losing face. This He Beichang's cultivation level was really underestimated. He didn't show anything in the first match, but later on, he fought his way through the rounds. Although it wasn't a quick victory, the strength he showed was not to be underestimated.

If he defeats Zhao Yuxuan, then the righteous sects of Qingzhou will have nothing to do with the entire Young Heroes Gathering. At that time, they will probably be ridiculed by the evil sects for the rest of their lives.

For now, all they can do is hope that Zhao Yuxuan can live up to his master's reputation and defeat Hebei Chang. As for whether he can take first place, they have no hope at all.

After these few matches, they had a clear understanding of each person's approximate strength. Although Zhao Yuxuan always won with a single strike, it was a full-force attack. If he lost with that one strike, his momentum would wane, and eventually, he would be exhausted. At that point, there would be no other way but defeat.

He wasn't the only one to win with a single blow; the Yu Xiulin and Yu Xiuying sisters also contributed. And that wandering swordsman was no pushover either; his previous effortless defense made him a force to be reckoned with.

“I’m saying you guys are being too pessimistic. There’s still Ah Ling, right? She might not be any worse than that Yu Xiulin.”

Seeing the pessimism of those around him, and even the desire to place their bets on Zhao Yuxuan, Sun Liang, the man who had mocked Zhao Yuxuan at the foot of Huating Mountain, stepped forward and offered his own perspective.

Zhao Yuxuan shone brightly at the Young Heroes Gathering, which was very unpleasant for him. If he really turned the tide here, wouldn't his sister really have to marry this man?

That won't do. His sister is such a good girl. How can she be married off so easily? Absolutely not, absolutely not.

So when he saw that everyone's attention was on Zhao Yuxuan, he became even more dissatisfied. He was determined to make sure that no one had any hope for him. Besides, he had seen Ah Ling's strength before, and she was no less capable than Yu Xiulin. It was still uncertain who would win.

However, Sun Liang did have other options, such as using underhanded tactics. But he wouldn't resort to that. After all, this was a fair and square fight, and using dirty tricks would only make him lose face. Therefore, he would divert everyone's attention before the fight, but he would never use any other dirty methods to achieve his goals.

The others, influenced by Sun Liang's words, also felt that their previous pessimism might have been premature. The competition hadn't even started tomorrow, and it was still uncertain who would emerge victorious. Who knew if Ah Ling would really lose to Yu Xiuying, or what if she won?

If Lin Xueyi knew what these people were thinking, she would probably say that these people definitely don't know what the three great illusions of life are: "He likes me, someone calls me, I can fight back."

She had also witnessed Ah Ling's strength; she estimated that it would be nothing more than a single palm strike from her own disciple. If someone like that could be regarded as hope, then that hope was far too cheap.

"Master, it's time to eat fruit. When I came back from outside, I saw someone selling these pears. These pears taste really good, juicy and sweet, a very nice fruit."

While everyone was preoccupied with the Young Heroes Tournament, Zhao Yuxuan, one of the contestants, was completely unburdened and showed no sign of nervousness. Instead, he carried a large bag of pears into Lin Xueyi's room.

It's not that Zhao Yuxuan is heartless, but this result has exceeded his expectations. He has made it into the top four, something he never dared to dream of before.

As for his opponent tomorrow, that guy He Beichang, he already considers him a dead man. He had spoken rudely before, and if he doesn't give him a good beating in the ring, he'll be letting himself down.

Seeing his master happily eating the pears he had bought for her, Zhao Yuxuan was also very happy and full of gratitude for her teaching.

Main text: Chapter Ninety-Five: Ah Ling and Yu Xiulin

Yesterday was a very sad day for everyone in Qingzhou Jianghu. Two of the top four teams were already decided to be contestants from other states, which made them feel extremely conflicted about the competition the following day.

If Ah Ling can win, then at least one person from Qingzhou will be in the top three. If Ah Ling also loses, then the Jianghu of Qingzhou will truly be finished. They will not believe that He Beichang is stronger than Nangong Ping and others.

As for Zhao Yuxuan, although he has been advancing strongly all along, his opponents are not actually very strong, not as strong as Nangong Ping and others. Everyone knows that he has only recently entered the Acquired Realm. As for his true strength, it is probably because the martial arts of the Grandmaster are very powerful, which allows him to keep up. However, compared with these masters who have been tempered and refined over thousands of years, the time is still too short.

This was the result of a comprehensive analysis conducted by these people after they calmed down. They concluded that even if He Beichang and Zhao Yuxuan made it to the semifinals, they would only be at the bottom and would not be competitive at all.

As for the claim that Zhao Yuxuan had confronted Yu Xiuying and Yu Xiulin before, it was ultimately ignored by them, or rather, it was directly attributed to Lin Xueyi later on.

However, time is fair to everyone. When the sun rose again and everyone returned to the ring, Yu Xiulin and A Ling were already standing on the ring.

"Hmm, that's Ah Ling, the washerwoman. She's quite pretty." She leaned lazily against Ye Qin'er, putting a piece of dried sweet potato into her mouth.

Watching this kind of competition is either about getting some serious insights or just having some popcorn. It seems like there's no popcorn here, but there's still plenty of serious information.

The organizers noticed that Lin Xueyi always liked to eat dried goods, so they simply filled the table in front of her with all kinds of dried fruits, dried meat and other snacks that they could find.

Yu Xiulin and Lin Xueyi's group had already met, and her opponent was naturally A Ling, so Ye Qin'er didn't need to give her any special guidance. She only needed to tell Lin Xueyi some information she knew.

"The title of 'washing girl' is just a rank in the brothel, but Ah Ling is one of the best among them."

"Huh? So it's a position. I thought it was a title given to her in the martial arts world."

After hearing Ye Qin'er's words, Lin Xueyi realized that she had been wrong from the beginning. She thought that this washerwoman was like the previous one with the name "Gun" or "Sword," a nickname in the martial arts world. It turned out that it was just a name used in that brothel.

"However, the requirements to become a washerwoman are very high. First, one must have talent; second, one's cultivation must reach a certain level; and third, which is the most mysterious, is something that even our Hundred Phoenix Pavilion has not been able to investigate."

In fact, Lin Xueyi really wanted to tell Ye Qin'er that there might not be a third one; it was just that the Xiulou Pavilion was put up to attract attention.

However, seeing her somewhat embarrassed expression, Lin Xueyi still didn't say anything. The inability to find out might be a problem with the intelligence personnel. If they were fooled by false information, it would be a problem with the intelligence of the entire Baifeng Pavilion. She still had no intention of causing trouble for Baifeng Pavilion.

"If you can't figure it out, then don't bother. We don't need to have any conflict with Xiulou's side. We might not even recognize each other when we meet in the future, so knowing so much is useless. Let's watch the game, let's watch the game."

The back-and-forth action on the stage was intense, but Yu Xiulin's unstoppable momentum seemed to have met its match. The washerwoman's fluid defense constantly slowed down Yu Xiulin's attacks until her strength was completely depleted.

"The fist technique flows smoothly and continuously, it's just a pity."

He popped the jerky into his mouth before speaking, “Using fists to fight water, you can’t stop the flow, but the water must at least be a river. Yu Xiulin’s style of boxing is all about skillful technique. She can defend herself in the early stages, but once she runs out of steam, defeat becomes inevitable.”

"This is for the same reason as the previous Nangong Ping."

Hearing Lin Xueyi's words, Ye Qin'er thought of Nangong Ping from before, but Lin Xueyi had extremely contempt for that Nangong Ping.

"Not even close. Nangong Ping is a fool, arrogant and self-important. He abandoned his best skills and tried to play some roundabout game with others. Is that something he can do? In the end, he brought it on himself. But this A-Ling is different. Her martial arts are just like this. Even if she loses, it's because her cultivation is not good enough. It's not a big deal."

Lin Xueyi was not stingy with her praise for Ah Ling. Putting aside everything else, the fact that she could persist for so long despite her insufficient cultivation level was already quite remarkable.

Unfortunately, when the final tiger's roar reached everyone's ears, Ah Ling's defense collapsed. After retreating several steps, she barely managed to stop at the edge of the ring.

"Senior Sister Yu on the stage, please hold your hand. We admit defeat."

At this moment, a delicate voice came from below the stage. A woman dressed similarly to Ah Ling had come up to the stage and stopped Ah Ling, who was about to continue the competition.

"Senior sister, Master said this is a friendly spar, not a fight to the death. If you can't win, just admit defeat."

Stopped by someone, Ah Ling looked again at Yu Xiulin, who had also stopped fighting, and finally could only angrily stop in her tracks. "It's because my skills are not good enough. After I go back, I will continue to cultivate. Senior Sister Yu, I hope I will have the opportunity to spar with you again next time."

Hearing Ah Ling's words, Yu Xiulin smiled broadly. She had a very good impression of this woman who had been able to stick with her for so long.

"I'll be waiting for you in Yuanzhou. Come find me then, and I'll take care of all your needs, from food and clothing to lodging and transportation."

"Then we'll meet again."

Supported by her junior sister, Yu Xiulin stepped off the stage. She glanced at Lin Xueyi on the stage, nodded to her master, and then turned and walked off.