novelraw Chapter 76 – She was even more skilled before
Chapter 76 – She was even more skilled before
Under the cold moon and snow, Wen Chaoshen stood in front of the archway of Wind Willow Pavilion, holding the slender sword as he waited according to Madam Lü's instructions.
The snow-laden wind swept in, quickly chilling his exposed hands.
Wen Chaoshen looked down, experimentally flexing his fingers, realizing that the days of chopping wood had not been in vain; at least his body was now more resistant to the cold than before.
He waited in place for about a quarter of an hour, shaking off the accumulating snow, until he finally saw a shadowy figure in the distance on the street.
This was Wen Chaoshen's second meeting with the old man.
The elder had his hands clasped behind his back, like an ordinary old man taking a stroll by the roadside. Upon seeing Wen Chaoshen with the sword, he was initially surprised, then his gaze shifted to the long sword in Wen Chaoshen's hands.
"Is Wu Jiu dead?" the old man asked with a smile.
Wen Chaoshen replied in surprise, "You know Wu Jiu too?"
The old man nodded. "Yes, I know him. We are in the same line of work."
"I told him not to come tonight, but he didn't listen... well, he's dead now."
Faced with the old man's candor, Wen Chaoshen felt an indescribable sense of absurdity.
"Are you... also from Wangchuan?"
The old man nodded with a smile. "Yes."
"My name is Ma Huan. Young man, you're not from the Martial World, so you probably don't know me."
Wen Chaoshen recalled the events of a few nights ago and asked, "Since Senior Ma is from Wangchuan, why did you... that night..."
Ma Huan waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, that night, let's not mention it. Pretend it never happened."
"Chaoshen, you're here tonight because Madam Lü sent you?"
Wen Chaoshen lowered his head, a glint in his eyes. Because of Madam Lü, even knowing that the old man in front of him was from Wangchuan, he still held a high level of trust in him.
"Yes."
"I'm supposed to meet Chun Qiong. Madam asked me to wait for you under the archway."
Ma Huan was very enthusiastic. "It's not easy to walk at night. I just happened to be out for a stroll, so I'll accompany you for a bit."
Wen Chaoshen, of course, didn't believe his excuse. Who would take a stroll in the middle of the night? But he didn't question it, and the two of them, one old and one young, walked together along the snow-covered road to the other end of the street.
On the way, Ma Huan glanced at the long sword in Wen Chaoshen's arms, breaking the silence between them.
"The sword in your hand is called 'Fine Snow,' forged by the renowned swordsmith Murong Qing of the Chen Kingdom. It has changed hands seven or eight times over the past thirty years and was once in the possession of the swordmaster 'Ye Zanghua' eleven years ago, ranking in the top five of the Tianji Tower's famous sword list."
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Listening to Ma Huan's account, Wen Chaoshen curiously asked, "Senior Ma, does the Tianji Tower's famous sword list relate to the sword bearers?"
Ma Huan replied, "Though it's called a sword list, it actually ranks the people who wield the swords."
"And the Tianji Tower's statistics aren't entirely accurate; they can only serve as a rough reference. After all, there are hidden masters in this world who rarely show themselves."
Wen Chaoshen pondered over this.
"Then why did Fine Snow end up in Wu Jiu's hands?"
Ma Huan sighed. "Ye Zanghua, though a swordmaster, often acted chivalrously, but he was also a notorious philanderer and ultimately died at the hands of a woman."
Ma Huan told Wen Chaoshen that Ye Zanghua had offended many people due to his chivalrous deeds, making his head quite valuable in Wangchuan. Coincidentally, Ye Zanghua fell in love with a female assassin sent by Wangchuan to kill him, even willingly handing over his life to her, which elevated her status in Wangchuan.
However, this self-sacrificing story of Ye Zanghua did not end well.
After killing Ye Zanghua, the female assassin, overly confident in her allure, took on another assignment in Wangchuan, attempting to use seduction once more. In the end, her body was found in a farmer's pigsty, having suffered unspeakable torment before death, unrecognizable.
"In this Martial World, everyone has a story."
Wen Chaoshen sighed, as the cold wind blew, he noticed Ma Huan's right sleeve was empty, swaying in the wind, a rather desolate sight.
"Senior Ma, your arm..."
For a one-armed person, this was a somewhat intrusive question, but Ma Huan was unfazed, casually replying, "Lost it a few months ago."
Wen Chaoshen was taken aback. "Because of a martial dispute?"
Ma Huan didn't respond directly, jokingly saying, "Old and disrespectful, got my hand chopped off."
A flicker of curiosity flashed in Wen Chaoshen's eyes. He was certain Ma Huan was a master, and a very formidable one at that.
Not because Ma Huan had saved him that night, but because of Madam Lü's trust.
Someone whom Madam Lü trusted couldn't be of low skill.
So whoever could injure Ma Huan must also be an extraordinary master.
"Oh, by the way... you know that person."
Ma Huan suddenly smiled at Wen Chaoshen, causing the latter to pause and chuckle, "I know?"
Ma Huan nodded. "Yes, it's the woman you carried that night."
"A few months ago, I had a brief encounter with her in Wind City."
"It was then that I lost this right arm."
Wen Chaoshen's breath caught, his gaze involuntarily flicking to Ma Huan.
Although his tone was calm, it didn't seem like he was lying, which made Wen Chaoshen even more surprised and puzzled as to why Ma Huan would save someone who had once cut off his arm.
"Is she very skilled?"
Ma Huan didn't offer any explanation for this question, instead turning to look at Wen Chaoshen, as if chatting with an old friend.
Wen Chaoshen nodded, not sparing his praise. "She is indeed very skilled."
Ma Huan smiled, speaking slowly with a hint of nostalgia, "She was even more skilled before."
"The battle in Wind City should have made her famous, but unfortunately..."
Mentioning Wind City, Wen Chaoshen's ears perked up. He had always been curious about A Shui's past, but this question would touch on A Shui's inner pain, plunging her into inescapable sorrow. Therefore, after that drunken night, Wen Chaoshen had never asked again.
Ma Huan seemed to deliberately avoid the topic of Wind City. When Wen Chaoshen inquired, he didn't elaborate, only advising Wen Chaoshen that the fire that had ignited in the city was not yet extinguished, cautioning him to curb his curiosity, lest he bring trouble upon himself in the future.
Seeing Ma Huan unwilling to say more, Wen Chaoshen asked another question related to A Shui.
"Is she a soldier?"
Ma Huan didn't respond, nor did he deny it.
He didn't realize that his subtle attitude had already provided Wen Chaoshen with a lot of information.