Chapter 93: Talk to the Sword

　　When Ban Qin had woken up from his shock he yelled, “I’m telling you this because I’m kind! If you’re not willing to listen to me, then so be it!”

　　“Oh, how kind you people are. Kind enough to ask me to give up and be taken advantage of, thinking that I should be proud that I’m being used by you guys. No thanks. There’s no need to be ‘kind’ when we both know that, in actuality, you all look down on me, my family background, and my master.”

　　Lu Mingshu snickered, “Why? Why should I give up or be taken advantage of? To become a puppet and let you control me just so you can achieve your own goals?”

　　At that moment,

　　a strong murderous aura could be felt.

　　Frightened, Ban Qin took a step back.

　　Even Kuai Xin, who was just minding his own business, felt the tension and stood in a ready position.

　　He could feel the strong aura and Lu Mingshu’s urge to kill.

　　Even the old lady felt the aura. She woke up, and her eyes shone with anticipation.

　　Lu Mingshu slowly walked toward the center of the platform, then held her sword up high.

　　“I, Lu Mingshu, declare a challenge to anyone who wants to pass the upper door! Today, if you don’t greet my sword, I won’t let you pass!”

　　Her urge to kill was so strong that even those watching through the phantom mirror could feel it.

　　Many people at the bottom of White Magnificent Peak held their breath.

　　What is she doing? Declaring war on everybody?

　　By herself, against everyone?

　　On the high stage, Fu Mingtang let out a shriek but quickly recomposed himself. Luckily for him, the stage was so chaotic that nobody realized what he did.

　　“Is she insane?!” Fu Mingxi shouted after she realized what happened.

　　“Who does she think she is? Senior Brother Ban is just kind enough to warn her. It’s okay if she doesn’t take his advice, but she still wants to challenge everyone?”

　　“Sis!” Fu Mingtang pulled her sleeves, indicating for her to calm down.

　　“Am I wrong? Challenging everyone? Even Senior Uncle Kuai wouldn’t do such things!”

　　She turned to Fu Shangqing, “Father, am I wrong?”

　　Fu Shangqing didn’t respond as he stared at the phantom mirror intensely.

　　Other elders and courtyard leaders remained silent even though the disciples were already making a fuss.

　　“Oh, how kind you people are. Kind enough to ask me to give up and be taken advantage of, thinking that I should be proud that I’m being used by you guys. No thanks. There’s no need to be ‘kind’ when we both know that, in actuality, you all look down on me, my family background, and my master.”

　　This sentence was directed not only at Ban Qin, but it was also directed to everybody.

　　But so what if she was heard? This naive child… since when was there such a thing as “justice” or “humane” in this world? If you were capable, then you would be taken advantage of. If not, you would simply be forgotten.

　　Trying to change the rules by herself? Even the Nine Jade Palace couldn’t be controlled by anyone who felt like it, what made her think that she could change the entire world?

　　When Ban Qin recovered from his shock, he looked at Lu Mingshu and snickered.

　　“You said you want to challenge everyone, right?”

　　“Yes. Why, do you have something to say about that?”

　　“Okay then, I’ll oblige you!” He drew his sword in anger.

　　A ray of sword-light could be seen, followed by more than a dozen sword-shadows aimed at Lu Mingshu. She immediately blocked the sword-light.

　　Ban Qin used his ultimate move right at the start since he wanted to take Lu Mingshu down a peg. Who does she think she is? So what if her master was the best among the fifteenth generation? He’s paralyzed now anyways. How good can his disciple be? So what if she entered the Harmonization Realm at the age of fifteen? She ended up being awed by the Zhou Family and didn’t dare to leave her valley for four years. She didn’t even participate in the second spring hunt. So what if she’s in the Harmonization Realm?! He was getting more and more irritated by Lu Mingshu the more he thought about her.

　　The sword-light shone again fiercely while the sword-shadows surrounded Lu Mingshu, forming an inescapable net around her,

　　If this can’t defeat her, it can at least force her to surrender. Ban Qin smirked. Who asked her to be so arrogant?

　　However, Ban Qin never expected that after his attack, his control over his sword would disappear like a clay ox in the ocean. He was taken aback. When he tried to attack again, no sword-light could be seen, he couldn’t even perform a sword posture, and the sword-shadows were all missing!

　　What happened? What went wrong? He turned pale with fright.

　　Ban Qin was always confident and proud of everything he did. Among the members in the line of Dawn, he had always been on top. He overtook all his seniors, and there weren’t any juniors who could overtake him. Having been praised since he was young,

　　he had developed such a big ego that he thought he could even compete with Fu Mingtang for the label of “best.” To him, entering the Inner Breath Realm two years earlier or later wasn’t an important factor. Skills were the most important factor for him.

　　In this Heavenly Door competition, there’s no doubt I will get a genuine successor disciple spot because my skills are legitimate!

　　He defeated Shao Zhengyang at the lower door, had a tie against Yuan Ziyang at the middle door, and now Lu Mingshu at the upper door was someone who hadn’t even shown herself for four years? So what if she’s in the Harmonization Realm now?

　　But why… why do I feel so restless while battling her? My skills, my posture…

　　Ban Qin tried to attack again, but only a speck of light could be seen, which promptly disappeared into thin air. Suddenly, he felt a sense of danger.

　　Ban Qin immediately waved his sword, creating some mystic force to defend himself.

　　Ping——-

　　Ban Qin could feel a strong force coming toward him and, in no time at all, his mystic force broke apart and went flying.

　　He landed on the ground with a thud. He was dizzy and couldn’t remember how to counterattack. When he finally remembered, Lu Mingshu’s sword was already at his throat.

　　“You’ve lost,” Lu Mingshu stated.

　　Ban Qin was still in denial, but his reflection on her sword proved what happened.

　　Lost? I’ve lost? But we only just started…? How did I even lose?

　　Lu Mingshu took back her sword while Ban Qin remained confused.

　　She walked back to the centre of the stage, placed her sword perpendicular to the floor, and shouted, “Who’s next!?”

　　Only now did Ban Qin realize that more people had arrived while they were fighting.

　　Shao Zhengyang, Yuan Ziyang, Tan Yubing.

　　I was defeated in front of their eyes? Ban Qin felt ashamed and embarrassed.

　　However, the trio didn’t even care whether Ban Qi won or lost.

　　They all came at about the same time to see Lu Mingshu fighting Ban Qin.

　　The scene caught Shao Zhengyang and Yuan Ziyang off guard. They saw with their own eyes that Lu Mingshu was badly injured and lying motionless on the roadside, struggling to survive, but now, she arrived earlier than them in perfect condition?

　　And what did she mean by “I, Lu Mingshu, declare a challenge to anyone who wants to pass the upper door! Today, if you don’t greet my sword, I won’t let you pass!”?

　　In no time, a crowd started to form at the upper door.

　　Everyone was staring at Lu Mingshu, who was situated in the middle of the platform with her sword staring back at them

　　What’s this all about?

　　Shao Zhengyang and the rest looked over at Kuai Xin.

　　From the moment Lu Mingshu pulled out her sword, Kuai Xin had been like a panther, alert and ready to fight at all times.

　　But Kuai Xin didn’t take up the challenge. No matter what, he was still a senior. He was already about to break through to the Spirit Realm! Going up to take on a junior’s challenge was an embarrassment to him.

　　Looking back at Shao Zhengyang, he mouthed, “Junior Niece said that, if anyone wants to pass, they have to fight her first.”

　　The disciples who had just arrived held their breath.

　　Does she mean that she wants to fight everyone alone? She must be mad.

　　Shao Zhengyang and Yuan Ziyang looked troubled.

　　This situation was totally out of their expectations. Yes, it was a good thing that Lu Mingshu had recovered since that meant they could go on as originally planned. But fighting everyone? What does she really want? To stop everyone by herself? Who does she think she is?