Chapter 760 Return to the Sea and Subdue the Dragon (I)

"Although I am not a big name in the martial arts world, over the years... no one has dared to speak rudely to me, let alone threaten me with death." Lu Tingxiang smiled instead of getting angry, looking at Qin Ku with contempt, "Master Qin is a veteran in the martial arts world after all, and has been struggling in the bloody storm for many years, but why don't you even know this little rule?"

Qin Ku gently placed the blade against his face, with a hint of intoxication between his brows, as if what was touching his skin was not a precious sword that could cut iron like mud, but a beauty as gentle as jade. He replied nonchalantly: "Either leave Liu Xunyi or leave your life, this is my rule. As for Mr. Lu's rule...it may be a golden rule in Jiangnan, but in Hexi...it is worthless."

"Qin Ku, be careful of the wind blowing your tongue off!" Sikong Zhu could not tolerate Qin Ku's sarcasm towards Lu Tingxiang, so his face darkened and he said angrily, "Now you are not only breaking the rules of the Jiangnan Lu Mansion, but also the morality of the Central Plains martial arts world! Liu Xunyi betrayed his master and ancestors, and was ungrateful. The righteous men in the martial arts world wanted to skin him alive, and you actually came out to protect him?"

Facing Sikong Zhu's threats, Qin Ku sneered: "You don't need to bring up the Central Plains martial arts world to scare me, and you don't need to rush to accuse me of a crime. I only said to capture him alive, but I never said to protect him."

"Master Qin, you are not only playing with fire, but also dragging the entire Qin family into the fire pit." Lu Tingxiang swept his meaningful eyes slowly over Qin Da, Qin Er, and Qin San, and teased, "You don't have to quibble with us. Everyone already knows what you are thinking. Why bother to cover up your own faults and make people laugh at you? But there is one thing I don't understand. What deep hatred do you have with your own family? You are so eager to destroy the ancestral business that the Qin family has worked hard to build for generations, and you must drag the Hexi Qin family into the endless abyss."

Lu Tingxiang's words seemed to be a question to Qin Ku, but in fact they were directed at the Qin family's disciples, with the implicit intention of inciting and misleading them.

Sure enough, under Lu Tingxiang's instigation, even though Qin Da was afraid, he had to speak out for the future of the family. He said righteously: "Master, there are some things... I will say them even if you kill me. At present, Liu Xunyi is undoubtedly the biggest scourge of the Central Plains martial arts world. No matter who gets involved with him, there will be no good end. I dare to ask the master to consider the feelings of the Qin family's ancestors... temporarily avoid personal feelings, and put the overall situation first..."

"Qin Da!" Qin Ku suddenly stopped him, "As long as I am the head of the family, you have no right to interrupt here! Don't be so stubborn, and don't let others take advantage of you."

"But……"

"How is it?" Qin Ku did not give Qin Da a chance to speak. He pointed his long-sky sword at the cold-faced Lu Tingxiang and challenged him, "Mr. Lu, do you have the courage to compete with me? A fight between you and me will determine the winner and whether Liu Xunyi belongs to you or me."

"Qin Ku, do you think this is a martial arts competition?" Ding Ao questioned, "In terms of top-notch experts, you are the only one in the Qin family right now, and Mr. Lu has not only Master Zhu behind him, but also us!"

After saying that, Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer stepped forward together and stood in a row with Lu Tingxiang. The meaning was self-evident.

"Scare me?" Qin Ku was not afraid at all, but laughed out loud. "Have you forgotten whose territory this is? You dared to speak wildly to the head of the Qin family in Hexi. Do you not intend to return alive?"

Seeing Qin Ku's arrogant attitude, Ding Ao's heart was secretly beating fast. Although the Qin family did not have many masters, the Qin family's ancestors had been operating in the Hexi area for many years, and the strong foundation and huge power they had accumulated should not be underestimated.

As the saying goes, "It is easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark." If the Qin family dealt with them recklessly, using any despicable tricks, it would be a fatal threat that Lu Tingxiang and his group, who were unfamiliar with the place, could not defend themselves against.

They are all old hands, and there are some things that don't need to be made clear, as the pros and cons involved are enough to make them nervous.

"Of course, if Mr. Lu is timid and dares not fight with Qin alone, you can also order all the disciples to charge. In short, no matter it is a one-on-one fight or a melee, the Qin family will accompany you to the end." Qin Ku's contempt for Lu Tingxiang not only made Lu Tingxiang lose face, but also made all the disciples of the Lu family angry.

Lu Tingxiang tried his best to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor and not argue with Qin Ku, so he asked in a deep voice: "Master Qin, are you trying to deceive me by saying that I dare not fight you?"

"Mr. Lu is fair and tender, unlike me who is thick-skinned and rough." Qin Ku looked at Lu Tingxiang with a playful look and said seriously, "Once we fight, I'm afraid that others will say that I am bullying the weak, a big and strong butcher bullying a scholar who is good at writing..."

"Bah!"

Seeing Lu Tingxiang being humiliated and provoked again and again by Qin Ku, Lu Yao finally couldn't hold back his anger and shouted, "Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken? Why do you need me to personally deal with a reckless man like you? Why don't you let me experience the power of the Qin Family Swordsmanship first..."

"Go away!"

Before Lu Yao could rush forward aggressively, Qin Ku swung his blade fiercely, releasing a sharp energy force that immediately lifted the furious Lu Yao high into the air. His body flipped uncontrollably in the air for several times, and finally fell with a "bang" into the mess of tables and chairs.

"Who do you think you are?" Qin Ku spat, "What qualifications do you have to represent Lu Tingxiang?"

"Lu Yao is not qualified, what about me?"

Before Qin Ku finished speaking, Si Kongzhu suddenly stepped out, his pair of old eyes gleaming with a chill that pierced people's hearts. "You are indeed old enough, but..." Qin Ku pretended to be embarrassed and said suspiciously, "Can you represent the Jiangnan Lu Mansion? Can you influence Lu Tingxiang's decision? If you can, I will accompany you for a few moves. If not, please stand aside and don't waste everyone's time. Seeing your gray hair, you seem to be quite old. Why don't you just go home and hug your grandchildren and enjoy your life? Why bother to learn from young people to show off? What's more, I don't want people to stab me in the back and say that I only target the old, weak, sick and disabled..."

Whether in the Lu Mansion in Jiangnan or in the Central Plains martial arts world, Sikong Zhu is a well-known figure. How could he have been ridiculed and mocked like this?

Qin Ku's shameless words made Sikong Zhu furious. Veins popped out on his red forehead, showing how furious he was inside.
"Even if Qin Gang were alive, he wouldn't dare to be so rude to me! How dare you, a fledgling youngster, speak so arrogantly? If I don't teach you a lesson today, you will never know what it means that there are always people better than you and there are always higher things better than you."

After saying this, Sikong Zhu breathed in and out and practiced his internal energy. An endless stream of strong internal energy quickly surged from his Dantian Qi Sea to his palm.

"Master Zhu!"

Suddenly, Lu Tingxiang put his right hand on Sikong Zhu's shoulder, interrupting his practice and calming his furious mood.

"Since the person challenged by Palace Master Qin is me, I should refuse with disrespect." Lu Tingxiang said with a half-smile, "What's more, you are the elder. If I fight him, it will be dishonorable regardless of the victory or defeat."

"But……"

"No problem!" Lu Tingxiang cast a mysterious look at the hesitant Sikong Zhu, and shook his head vaguely, "I also know a little about the rumors about 'Red Fire Volume 1' and 'Mysterious Water Volume 2'. I've heard that the Qin Mansion Master has combined the two into one and successfully broke through the shackles of the 'Qin Family Sword Skills'. His martial arts attainments are even better than Qin Ming's back then. This makes me curious and itchy. Today is a rare God-given opportunity, how can I miss it in vain?"

The fundamental reason why Lu Tingxiang decided to take action was not because he was itching to show off his skills, but because he did not want to lose face in front of the Lu family disciples.

As for his praise of Qin Ku's martial arts, it was to pave a way out for himself in advance. If he was not as skilled as others and unfortunately lost to Qin Ku, he could find an excuse to excuse himself in the future. After all, it was not too shameful to be defeated by a master that even Qin Ming could not defeat.

On the contrary, if Lu Tingxiang defeats Qin Ku, he can take the opportunity to elevate himself and add luster to himself invisibly.

If he wins, he will be famous, and if he loses, he will be forgiven. It must be said that Lu Tingxiang racked his brains and took great pains to maintain his reputation and status.

“Could it be that Qin Ku really has mastered the long-lost ‘Guihai Sword Technique’?” Ding Ao’s eyes sparkled as he secretly guessed, “The ‘Guihai Sword Technique’ once made the Guihai Sword Sect unrivalled in the martial arts world and held an extraordinary status. If it were to reappear in the world today, it would surely cause another bloody storm in the martial arts world.”

Thinking of this, Ding Ao couldn't help but roll his eyes, and no longer insisted on living and dying with Lu Tingxiang, but took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire: "In fact, in terms of fame and status in the martial arts world, the Lu family's "Dragon Subduing Sword Manual" is even more famous than the "Return to the Sea Sword Method". Back then, the head of the Chongyang family relied on the Dragon Subduing Sword to dominate the martial arts world, and became sworn brothers with the "Tiger Subduing Sword" Mo Cen. They traveled through the mountains and rivers, and did whatever they wanted as if they were in an empty land. The past is unforgettable, and decades have passed in the blink of an eye, but I still admire it and feel a lot of emotion when I recall it. If I could see the "Dragon Subduing Sword" and the "Return to the Sea Sword" compete with each other today, it would be a great blessing, and I would die without regrets!"

"That's right! At the martial arts conference, Lord Qin defeated Qin Tianjiu. That battle opened the eyes of all the heroes in the world, especially the few moves that killed Qin Tianjiu at the end, which made everyone applaud. Thinking about it carefully, those moves should be from the "Return to the Sea Sword Technique." Dong Xiaoer understood Ding Ao's thoughts, so she went with the flow and took the opportunity to speak, "We didn't get enough of what we saw at Huashan. If Lord Qin can show his skills again here, wouldn't it be a feast for our eyes?"

Ding Ao and Dong Xiaoer sang the same tune, and although they intended to exaggerate and flatter, and to fan the flames, they inevitably aroused the great curiosity of Liu Xunyi, Su He, Wu Chan and others.

As a martial artist, they all want to see more outstanding masters and more mysterious martial arts. Therefore, even Liu Xunyi, who was on the verge of life and death, couldn't help but feel excited and excited at this moment.

The Manual of the Sword of the Dragon Slaying and the Manual of the Sword of the Returning Sea. The former made the Jiangnan Lu family prosperous to this day, but in terms of its exquisiteness and power, it can only be regarded as remarkable among the top martial arts, and it is not satisfactory. It cannot be said to be a once-in-a-century event, let alone shocking the world. The latter made the former Guihai Sword Sect look down on the world, with unparalleled exquisiteness and infinite power, but it was like a meteor flashing, a flash in the pan, and has disappeared for many years.

In terms of reaching the pinnacle, the Return to the Sea Swordsmanship is undoubtedly the best, but it is a pity that one cannot practice it without a natural talent. Even though Qin Ku was blessed by heaven and had Red Fire and Mysterious Water in his hands, he has only learned the basics and is far from perfect.

In terms of inheritance and continuation, the Manual of the Dragon-Subduing Sword is even better. After continuous evolution and improvement by generations of the Lu family, its power today is far greater than it was back then. More importantly, Lu Tingxiang had already thoroughly comprehended the Manual of the Dragon-Subduing Sword when Lu Chongyang was still alive. After many years, he has now mastered the use of the Dragon-Subduing Sword to perfection.

Therefore, no one present dared to predict in advance who would be the winner of the contest between Qin Ku and Lu Tingxiang.

All we can do is wait and see, and let Qin and Lu fight it out with the swords in their hands.

……

(End of this chapter)