Chapter 102: Who's Playing Whom?
Chapter 102: Who’s Really Playing Whom?
After Li Hao finished his instructions, Sword Extinguish hoisted the Divine Demon World-Ending Sword onto his back and soared into the air.
From that moment on, within the realm within the realm appeared a red-robed, red-haired youth. Carrying a crimson giant sword about a third the size of an ordinary man’s, Sword Extinguish wandered around, boldly flaunting the Divine Demon World-Ending Sword on his back—a striking and peculiar sight.
Sword Extinguish’s appearance stirred the hearts of many young maidens. One girl, about eighteen or nineteen, was so distracted by his presence that she covered her enticing mouth with delicate hands and exclaimed:
“Wow! Look at that red-haired youth—so handsome, and his sword is so imposing. I really like him!”
A companion nearby, overhearing her, cast a glance at Sword Extinguish and teased her sister:
“Stop swooning. Among ten gentlemen like that, nine and a half are unreliable. Besides, he might not even fancy a straightforward girl like you.”
Laughter erupted.
The playful banter between the two girls sparked laughter all around. The first girl, displeased, retorted:
“What do you know? I’m proud of my flat chest—it saves fabric for others. Unlike you, big-chested but empty-headed, wasting the world’s resources in vain.”
“You little wild one, what are you saying?”
Sword Extinguish’s arrival had inadvertently sparked a youthful game of cat and mouse among the girls. One scratched the other, and the other returned double for double. Their chase added a unique charm to the realm within the realm, accompanied by bursts of enticing laughter.
Among the youths who saw Sword Extinguish, there was jealousy and envy, alongside countless ill intentions. They simply could not bear others to outshine them. To them, someone else being better was like having their beloved lady violated.
“Sigh! Rich heirs are just different—carrying their swords around so ostentatiously, as if afraid no one would know they have one.”
“That young man with the strange sword must possess a treasure. Let’s go check it out.”
“Let’s go.”
…
Wherever Sword Extinguish went, he maintained a carefree, irreverent demeanor. Spotting beautiful maidens, he brazenly approached and asked:
“Fair lady, might I trouble you to resolve a doubt for me?”
“Sir, what perplexes you?”
“Why is it that you look so?”
“What do you mean?”
“Slip of the tongue! Please forgive me, milady. Your beauty struck me from the first glance. Might I have a chance?”
“A chance for what?”
“To talk alone, perhaps?”
“You scoundrel, get lost!”
Laughter followed.
---
After Sword Extinguish departed amid laughter, the maiden blushed shyly. She glanced back quietly, but he was gone. Muttering to herself:
“Did I speak too harshly?”
“Sigh, what are you thinking? You thought he really liked you? He was just bored, teasing you. Don’t get your hopes up.”
Sword Extinguish flew another eight hundred miles before spotting a maiden in snowy white robes, her graceful back exquisite beyond compare.
His mischievous streak returned, and he trotted behind her, feigning a pitiful expression as he spoke politely:
“Greetings, fair lady. I have been gravely wounded—alas, I am near death. Please, save me. As the saying goes, saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda.”
He jabbered on without waiting for a response.
As the maiden turned, Sword Extinguish glimpsed an unsightly face: a mouth full of large yellow teeth, nostrils bristling with three-inch nose hairs—an utterly repulsive sight. His gaze fell to her chest—a broad, sturdy flat expanse capable of outrunning tens of thousands of beasts. Such delicate skin ruined by that face.
Hearing his plea, the maiden’s heart burned with warmth. With a voice rougher than any man’s, she said:
“Who dares to strike such a handsome young man? Tell me where he is, and I’ll teach him a lesson—he won’t be a man anymore.”
Witnessing this, Sword Extinguish’s grievous wounds instantly healed. Quick-witted, he sprang up, no longer feigning near death. The maiden stared in amazement, her rough voice continuing:
“Little brother, what’s wrong? Have you been mesmerized by my beauty? I know I possess an otherworldly, breathtaking, beloved-by-all face. Alas! It’s no fault of yours—who can resist such beauty? But I don’t mind if you steal a few more glances.”
Sword Extinguish was utterly impressed by her words, bowing mentally:
“Oh heavens, I was wrong. I swear never to tease a lady again. Truly, I promise. The silhouette behind is enough to captivate all worlds, but the visage in front could scare away all life.”
As he mused silently, the beautiful maiden noticed his dazed expression, as if his soul had been whisked away. With concern, she called out:
“Little brother! Hang on! Even if it costs me everything, I’m willing to save you.”
Called so by the maiden, Sword Extinguish showed no reaction. She raised her voice, rougher still, exerting great effort to pull his thoughts back from the clouds.
Startled, he snapped back and stammered:
“Th-that! Sister! You’re so petite and lovely—I can’t bear to drag you into this! Cough! Cough! I’d better fend for myself.”
With that, he turned and fled, unleashing his Phantom Shadow Step to the fullest, as if a moment’s delay would lead to being overwhelmed by the maiden.
He fled three thousand miles without looking back, breathless and shaken, until he finally stopped atop a towering peak piercing the clouds. Patting his chest, he muttered:
“How can such a peculiar maiden exist in this world? Terrifying! Thankfully, I narrowly escaped.”
“Little brother, take care of yourself. No one else can be relied upon; you must learn to care for yourself and be kind to yourself.”
Hearing the rough voice and picturing the yellow-toothed maiden, Sword Extinguish dared not look back or even think rationally. Summoning unknown strength, he unleashed the Phantom Shadow Step again, leaving only afterimages before the maiden’s eyes.
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