Chapter 273: She Raised Her Arm Gently
“So what of it?” The girl unconsciously moved her hand over the jasper-made bracelet on her wrist while she looked back at Gu Xiqiao warily.
For some unknown reason, a chill was starting to creep up her spine.
Jiang Tong stood behind the girl, staring at Gu Xiqiao with an unfriendly expression.
Cecily was still talking to Gu Xiqiao when these girls approached her. Noticing that Gu Xiqiao’s gaze was already directed someplace else, she couldn’t help but turn around. The first thing she saw was Jiang Tong. Immediately, the look in her eyes changed. She raised her chin and stared down at her rival condescendingly and with eyes full of undisguised disgust.
This was Cecily alright. She would never try to conceal her hatred for something or someone behind a smile. She liked the things she liked and hated the things she hated; that was all there was to it.
Gu Xiqiao shot a look at Cecily, which prompted her to rethink her decision. A second later, she retreated behind Gu Xiqiao’s back. As she did so, she directed an angry glare at Jiang Tong. Of course, this only served to p.i.s.s off the person on the receiving end of her glare even more. Out of rage and frustration, Jiang Tong was on the brink of strangling someone to death that night. Still, she reminded herself that this was Old Man Tang’s birthday ceremony; there were many pairs of eyes around. No matter what happened, she must endure!
“The person behind this girl is Jiang Tong. She’s a drama queen but still fairly powerful. However, I gotta say that she’s not that bad of a person.” Cecily’s lips remained still but Gu Xiqiao picked up her words loud and clear. “Of course, she won’t be able to defeat you. I suggest that you give her a beating that’ll make her start questioning her own existence!”
Gu Xiqiao nodded slightly before turning back to the girl. “Well it’s just a casual question. What are you doing here?”
With a paranoid look on her face, the girl slowly put down the piece of precious rock. This was a family treasure that she had to beg her mother countless times before she was allowed to wear it for this event. “Nothing really. I just wanted to see how Young Master Jiang’s girlfriend stands out from the rest.” She looked straight into Cecily’s eyes as she said this.
She was waiting for Cecily the ticking time bomb to explode.
Even Jiang Tong had s.h.i.+fted her gaze over to Cecily. Who would’ve thought that on her face would form a mocking smile.
Jiang Tong was taken aback, and so was her friend.
This… her reaction… it’s not in the script?!
“I’m just a weak little human. There’s nothing special about me.” Gu Xiqiao responded with a smirk.
Jiang Tong finally ran out of patience. She marched right up to Gu Xiqiao and scanned her from head-to-toe. “A normal human being? How could Young Master Jiang possibly fall for someone like you?”
Gu Xiqiao finally took a good look at Jiang Tong. Her facial expression, like stone, remained unchanging. Her bright eyes narrowed when she replied, “You’re blaming me for his poor taste in women? How am I even supposed to answer your question? Why don’t you direct this question at him in person?”
“Pfftt!” Cecily was busy stifling her laughter. Gu Xiqiao’s response could not be any better.
She understood perfectly well how cold Jiang Shuxuan could get towards another person. He would never spare even a second for a person he did not care about. Gu Xiqiao’s response must’ve felt like a slap to the face for Jiang Tong. How dare Jiang Tong make a comment about Jiang Shuxuan’s taste!
Cecily’s laughter was accompanied by a cheeky comment from Murong Feiye, the anarchist who just wanted to see the world burn. “Maybe Shuxuan is short-sighted?”
“No, I don’t think he is,” answered Wanqi Jue slowly.
Baili Bin was left out from the exchange but the way he looked at Jiang Tong was as hostile as ever.
Jiang Tong was so enraged that the area around her eyes turned pinkish-red. The looks she was getting from everyone around her was slowly chipping away her heart. Every fiber of her muscle was screaming for a fight but her rationality remained in control. She was the type of person to remain calm under pressure after all. She flashed an enthusiastic smile at Gu Xiqiao. “You’ve got to be joking. Whoever Young Master Jiang chooses must be an exceptional individual. You must be one of the descendants of the reclusive hermits. I’ve always been curious about you people. Perhaps we could spar in a ring to satisfy my curious mind?”
Jiang Tong knew well where she excelled at. She wasn’t afraid that she would be accused of being a bully. Such instances were rather common in the ancient martial arts world. After all, martial arts reigned supreme over everything else. There was a dueling ground right in front of the Trial Tower as proof of this.
Whenever there was a duel, there would always be an accompanying lottery system in which precious treasures would be awarded.
“This is a treasure I received three years ago when I climbed up to the 20th place during the ranking tournament.” With a wave of her hand, a colorful piece of rock appeared in Jiang Tong’s hand. “This Heaven-restoring Stone will raise one’s consciousness during battle. I’ll put it up as a wager, how about that?”
Everyone’s eyes lit up the moment she brought out the Heaven-restoring Stone. Their eyes were all fixated on Jiang Tong’s hand!
It was pretty much common knowledge that whatever one received during the ranking tournament were top-of-the-line resources that could not be found elsewhere. This was especially so for Jiang Tong’s Heaven-restoring stone. For the past three years, Jiang Tong’s growth was unrivaled and it was in part due to this stone.
This surprised many onlookers. Seems like Miss Jiang Tong’s putting up an awful lot on the line for this bet. After all, she had even voluntarily offered her Heaven-restoring Stone!
“Jiang Tong, you’re aware that Miss Gu is a regular person.” The lady standing next to Shu Chen frowned upon hearing Jiang Tong’s offer. She turned back to look at Shu Chen. “Hurry up and advise your daughter-in-law not to accept it. This Jiang Tong’s obviously trying to bully your poor girl!”
When she heard what the lady said, Jiang Tong put away the Heaven-restoring Stone with a bitter expression.
Nearly everyone felt disappointed when they saw what Jiang Tong did. Of course, they were desperately hoping for a final showdown.
Even Murong Feiye felt let down. He had never seen Gu Xiqiao unleash her true strength before and he was wondering how much she had grown in the past month.
Just when disappointment was at an all-time high, Gu Xiqiao did the unexpected.
“Sure.” She swirled her drink around as she flashed a smile at Jiang Tong. “However, this wager must be larger, I say.”
A huge pile of items materialized on the table next to her the moment she said that.
A terrifying aura filled the air in just a split second.
The crowd couldn’t help but gasp in surprise when they saw what these items were.
Jiang Tong, who had produced the Heaven-restoring Stone was shocked. Never would she expect Gu Xiqiao to be such a fearsome character!
She peered at the items which Gu Xiqiao had put on the line. These were ancient scriptures, ten of them at least. And every single one of them was giving off an incredibly ominous vibe.
“Why are there so many ancient scriptures? That Mountain-splitting Manual. I’ve seen it in our family records before! It contains a Divine-level practice!”
“No doubt, these are ancient scriptures that have disappeared from the ancient martial arts world eons ago. How on earth did they come under her possession?” One of the older guests who was interested in these scriptures scanned through the books on the table. He placed his hand over his chest as he struggled for air.
“Wait a moment, did you see what’s written on the side of that book?! The brown divine drug of the Tang family! It’s the one that could not be bought even with gold! There’s…there’s a pile of them!”
Everyone took a closer look at the “divine drug” the man was referring to. Using their mental strength, they observed the pills and sure enough, they picked up an unusual fluctuation going on around those drugs. In a blink of an eye, they felt both shock and envy. How could a person possibly possess so many treasures?!
Not counting these outsiders, even those who knew Gu Xiqiao personally, like Shu Chen and Baili Bin were thoroughly shocked to see this.
They had not a single clue that Gu Xiqiao was h.o.a.rding these precious treasures.
Baili Bin noticed the listless look on Gu Xiqiao’s face after he recovered from the initial shock. It was at that moment that he understood, she’s up to no good again. He moved over to Jiang Tong’s side and directed a question at her.
“Now that Qiao Qiao has put up her wager, I wonder if you’re going to accept her challenge?”
Jiang Tong’s breathing became heavy the moment she set her eyes on the items on the table. Those drugs, she heard that results were almost magical upon consuming them. However, the higher one’s level, the less benefits it provided. They were still extremely sought after nonetheless, especially after how news of its miraculous effects swept through the ancient martial arts world.
Apart from that, there were the ancient scriptures which made Jiang Tong ball up her fists tightly. What she needed most now were methods for success, which were contained within these pages. If she could get hold of even one of these books, no doubt, she’d definitely make headlines again in the upcoming ranking tournament. So much adrenaline was pumping through her veins right now that her fingers started shaking.
“I accept.” She stared straight into Gu Xiqiao’s eyes. Then, with a wave of her hand, an equally large pile of items appeared around her. “These are all items I have collected over the past couple of years. I’ll wager them all.”
Naturally, as someone who ranked in the top three in the ancient martial arts world, Jiang Tong had lots of high-value possessions. It was especially after she had partic.i.p.ated in the ranking tournament that she gained such items that were on par with her Heaven-restoring Stone.
Gu Xiqiao took a look at these items and proceeded to rub her chin. She pointed at the girl standing next to Jiang Tong. “Although your stuff is good, it’s hard to compare to what I have put up on offer. How about this, we throw in her precious stone as well.”
The tone in which Gu Xiqiao spoke ticked off Jiang Tong so much that her face had started to turn green. Of course she knew that her items paled in comparison to Gu Xiqiao’s. Thus, she whispered some words of a.s.surance to her friend.
“Relax, you just put your bracelet here and you’ll have it back in no time.”
The girl glanced at Gu Xiqiao before taking off all of her accessories. She placed it in Jiang Tong’s pile of treasures. She had more faith in Jiang Tong over Gu Xiqiao as the former was the only person in the ancient martial arts world who was one place below Jiang Shuxuan in the Trial Tower.
Not once did she doubt what Jiang Tong said. In fact, she had even flashed a confident smile at Gu Xiqiao!
“Happy, aren’t you?” Gu Xiqiao smiled back at these two. “Well then, Grandpa Tang, I’ll leave these items here under your care alright?”
Tang Wenbo walked out from the crowd and tucked away these two piles of treasures, all while fighting the urge to flip through the ancient scriptures. “I shall be the judge for today.”
Neither Gu Xiqiao nor Jiang Tong objected to this.
The Tang family manor had a dueling ring, which was used exclusively by the juniors.
Baili Bin knew just how powerful both Gu Xiqiao and Jiang Tong could get and so he erected a protective barrier around the ring.
Madness!
This was pure madness!
This was what most of them thought when they saw what Gu Xiqiao had wagered for this battle. She really took up Jiang Tong’s offer huh?
“Miaoxue, who do you think is stronger?” asked the young man standing among the crowd of spectators. “I think victory rests securely in Jiang Tong’s hands. I may hate her but her power mustn’t be underestimated.”
Murong Miaoxue kept her eyes glued onto the ring when she responded, “Just wait and see.”
Apart from a handful of people who knew Gu Xiqiao, most of the spectators shared the same opinion as the young man.
“Gu Xiqiao, I really have to thank you for such generous gifts before the ranking tournament takes place.” Jiang Tong smiled at Gu Xiqiao before entering the ring.
This was the first time Jiang Tong had shown such a peaceful expression since the first time they came to know each other.
Gu Xiqiao responded with a smile.
‘I sure hope you don’t come crying at my feet later on!’ she thought.
The two of them stood in their respective corners. Jiang Tong had already produced her own magic weapon. It was a thin soft sword that she wore on her waist. As she rested her right hand on the hilt of her blade, she posed one final question with great confidence. “Miss Gu, our ancient martial arts world isn’t the place for you outsiders to screw around in. Are you absolutely positive that you want to proceed?”
The moment she ended her question was the moment a fearsome aura burst forth from her body.
“Of course.” Gu Xiqiao’s face was as stoic as ever.
“Are you not going to use a weapon?” With just the flick of her wrist, the blade of Jiang Tong’s sword lit up with a cold glow.
Gu Xiqiao raised her hand gently. “There is no need for me to use one against you.”
‘You’re not Dog Feed after all!’
Her c.o.c.ky response fanned the flames that were burning in Jiang Tong’s heart. She scoffed. “Let’s see if you’re so tough when the battle starts.”
Glowing hot chi erupted from her body, which merged with her blade that was sent slicing towards Gu Xiqiao like an unstoppable whirlwind. Jiang Tong instantly turned into a phantom as she moved around so quickly that all once could see was her afterimage. This was Jiang Tong’s strongest trick and her soft blade should theoretically be able to take her life in under a fraction of a second.
Jiang Tong’s insane speed was her physical prowess. However, from Gu Xiqiao’s perspective and how insanely powerful her mental strength was, it was no different from watching a person walk across the room. All she did was wait for the blade to come her way.
From the perspective of the spectators however, it seemed as if Gu Xiqiao had been stunned by Jiang Tong’s speed, so much so that she froze up.
There was no suspense to this fight at all, which made the spectators sigh in disappointment.
Suddenly, Gu Xiqiao made her first move. Well it wasn’t exactly what you would call a move. She merely raised her arm gently and outstretched two of her delicate fingers. Gently, she… pinched the sides of Jiang Tong’s blade.