242 Strange Duel 2

"I believe that you have already exhausted the most powerful of your supporters, Young Master Du. And that includes yourself. I do not think that you would insult me, by saying something totally ridiculous? Something like how you as the host should step up to face my challenge now? That would seriously put me in a bad mood.

"You should know of my reputation, and that of my Snow Swallow Palace."

For a moment, even Lin Liushui was silent. None of them had thought that the Snow Swallow Palace would challenge, when they had already a three to zero victory, in a four-bout competition. Indeed, there was no point in her fighting at all.

So why was Xu Yanzhi bothering to step up now? Was it simply so that she could uphold the good name of her Sect, to show that they did put in their bit of effort? Or was it so that she could slap them all in the face? To show her disgust?

Li Changhai certainly had no idea. And could only look at his brothers anxiously, not bothering to hide the questions that were clearly written on his face.

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"I believe that you have forgotten about me. There were supposed to be four bouts, and we so happened to have four combatants ready. So I presume that we should be the ones to finish off this series of challenges?"

To everyone's surprise, Qin Feng was already striding towards the battered stage. Despite his still reddened eyes! And from the looks of surprise on all the antagonists' faces, including that of the Elder from the Snow Swallow Palace, no one had expected someone with such a low cultivation to step forth!

Indeed, even the Second Ducal Prince could not help but wonder what Qin Feng was trying to do. Didn't he know that it was suicide? The Snow Swallow Palace was not only the largest of the Sects and Schools that were challenging Du Yan that day, but it was the most powerful when it came to martial arts and such. And Qin Feng wanted to match himself against Xu Yanzhi? Against the Sword Fairy of the Snow Palace?

Was he mad?

That was clearly outside of the plans of the powerful, as could be seen by the looks of surprise that had crossed the faces of those who had just had their eyebrows shaved by these youngsters. But the thought of watching one of their group fall, under the Snow Swallow Palace's representative, was enough to help them quell some of their bitterness. Even the bloodied ones who had lost their bouts were showing their amusement! That is, except for the one from the Golden Shield School.

Xu Yanzhi, however, giggled into the back of her hand as if she was just another girl, another gentle family's daughter, that Qin Feng had just met on the streets of Ningfei Town. The sort of reaction that one might have, after they had exchanged a few polite greetings.

Her words, on the other hand, were nothing like what everyone else had been expecting to hear fall from her lips!

"Ah! It is Young Master Qin. How fortuitous it is to see you again! Perhaps this is fate, to give me a chance to test my White Jade Beauty's Hands against yours? How lucky!"

Qin Feng laughed back and clasped his hands to tender her a bow. After spending a little effort to fix a nonchalant smile on his lips, reminiscent of Lin Liushui. "If that is your wish, how can I not accommodate Miss Xu? Although I should state first that I only have a very shallow understanding of that particular martial art, and can barely meet the requirements to be a poor sparring partner for you."

"So says the one who had matched my Elder Cousin Qinghua? She was the one who was accompanying me, when we first met. In case you have forgotten. You held her for what? Five, six passes? You are just being humble here, Young Master Qin!"

"No, no. I wouldn't dare! And I shall have to correct you with regards to the details of that exchange. It was only for four passes. And it was rather clear that Miss Xu Qinghua was holding back, so that she could ... slap me around for a little longer."

He laughed and dipped into another bow, as he mentioned the last. But from the shocked expression on the Snow Swallow Palace's Elder's face, she had clearly not expected that response at all!

Similarly, the reactions of the rest of the people assembled on the other side of the dueling circle made it very clear that they were greatly surprised by that particular revelation. As well as by the fact that Qin Feng dared to bandy words with someone from the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace! Something that not even Lin Liushui had attempted to do! And he was the most famous dandy in the Second Ducal Prince's party!

Or, Li Changhai wondered to himself, it had something to do with the fact that this was the Sect that his beloved paramour was tied to at the moment? And he was afraid that if he gave in to his temptation, to toss out his usual off-color remarks and unrepentant teasing that word would get back to her ears? Was he worried that that would put him in bad light, in her eyes?

That seemed like a more reasonable answer, to the staid and serious manner that Lin Liushui had been wearing since this strange 'tournament' began. It would also explain why he had been eyeing the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace women with such caution.

Qin Feng, however, was simply throwing all of that caution to the winds! Did he even know how powerful an Inner Disciple of the Snow Swallow Palace was? And he was teasing her, as if she was just another gentleman's daughter, that he had met on one of Ningfei Town's busy shopping streets? Was he bleeding mad?

Then the Second Ducal Prince remembered something. Something from a good while back, while the two of them were still far to the South, near the border with the Barbarian Peoples. Didn't Qin Feng say that he had met with people from a very powerful Sect back then? From their exchange just now, could it be the Snow Swallow Palace? Did he really exchange blows with them?

Li Changhai had always wondered if that was just a tall tale, although he soon came to doubt that possibility, given how serious Qin Feng had been. But if that was true, did that mean that this Xu Yanzhi was one of those women that he had come across, back then?

Could that be the reason why he was behaving in such a relaxed, such a reckless manner?

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