Chapter 168 - 161: Xisha’s Rules

Chapter 168: Chapter 161: Xisha’s Rules

’Gu Qingwu wants to spar with me, and she claims it’ll just be a friendly match?!’

Ever since seeing Bai Shasha and Qian Yun’s "friendly match" on the Flying Boat, Li Heng’s scalp would tingle whenever he heard a girl say those words.

Never mind that every move was lethal; the attacks only got faster and faster.

It wasn’t so much a friendly match as it was a fight to the death.

Besides, Li Heng didn’t know Gu Qingwu at all. After hesitating for a second, he voiced his polite refusal.

"Senior Sister Gu, you must be joking! My skills are meager; I’m certainly no match for you. I’d rather not embarrass myself."

Hearing Li Heng’s refusal, Gu Qingwu didn’t drop the subject. "A freshman who has grasped Sword Intent and is also a Soul Warrior... You’re probably the strongest new student this year."

"But I wouldn’t dare call myself strong in front of you, Senior Sister. Should we perhaps go see those two seniors?"

First, there was the brawl between that flat-chested girl and Qian Yun. Then, he’d seen a courtyard full of knife-covered training posts. Add to that his complete unfamiliarity with Gu Qingwu, and Li Heng truly had no desire to cross hands with her.

’It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing. The main issue was the uncertainty. Besides, it was completely unnecessary. A spar would be pointless.’

Seeing that Li Heng had no intention of sparring, Gu Qingwu had no choice but to drop it. She then asked if he needed to rest or prepare, saying they could go find those two "seniors" whenever he was ready.

Li Heng replied that he didn’t need any more preparation and was ready to go immediately.

And so, Gu Qingwu led Li Heng to another alley in the Xisha Area.

As they approached the alley, he saw a "small stream" flowing past its entrance. The moment he stepped into the alleyway, Li Heng heard the sound of mallets beating against cloth.

White and blue robes were piled high in two large wooden basins. Two "seniors," also dressed in white robes, stood one behind the other, ceaselessly pounding the clothes with laundry mallets.

The expressions on their faces were of pure, soul-crushing despair.

’This is horrible! I absolutely do not want this kind of college experience!’

Watching from a distance, Li Heng couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for them. ’Washing those two giant basins of clothes... it’ll probably be dark by the time they’re done!’

’And those laundry mallets... No matter how he looked at them, they looked like logs!’

Resisting the idea with every fiber of his being and internally snarking at the scene, he followed Gu Qingwu, slowly approaching the two seniors.

"Hello, Senior Sister Gu! And this is..." The two voices spoke in unison.

As Li Heng and Gu Qingwu drew near, they naturally caught the attention of the two students pounding laundry. Once they saw who it was, they both called out greetings to Gu Qingwu.

After greeting her, their attention shifted quite naturally to Li Heng.

Gu Qingwu nodded. Her reply served as an introduction.

"This is Li Heng, the new student who just joined the Xisha Area. And these are the students who inherited the Xisha tradition last year."

"Li Heng, hello there!" they both exclaimed.

Their tone was completely different from when they’d greeted Gu Qingwu. That greeting had been natural, out of simple politeness. But now, as they greeted him, Li Heng could have sworn he detected a hint of glee.

One of the seniors even extended his hand toward Li Heng, offering a handshake.

"We’ve been waiting for you, Li Heng! It’s been a long time coming!"

"It’s great to meet you too, senior!"

The handshake went smoothly, with no one trying any subtle power plays. But Li Heng could see it clearly: the moment they saw him, the seniors’ entire demeanor changed. Their earlier despondence vanished, replaced by the look of men who had just received joyous news.

After a moment of thought, Li Heng understood why the two seniors were so happy.

’If I had been stuck washing clothes for a whole year and someone suddenly showed up to take my place, the smile on my face would probably be even bigger.’

"You must know about our Xisha tradition by now, right?"

After their "formal meeting," the two seniors didn’t beat around the bush. They got straight to the point, even setting down the logs they held in their hands.

Their tones were now exceedingly friendly.

"I have. Senior Sister Gu just told me," Li Heng replied, also getting straight to the point. "You’ve both been working hard. So... which one of you will I be sparring with?"

Which one of them would he be sparring with?

Hearing Li Heng’s question, the two laundry-washing seniors exchanged a look of perfect understanding. The taller one stepped forward and addressed Li Heng.

"Normally, you would only have to spar with one of us. However, as second-year students, our course load is quite heavy, so we were hoping to discuss something with you."

"Discuss... something? Discuss what?" Li Heng was suddenly on high alert and pressed for details.

The tall senior continued, "You’re a freshman, so your coursework is relatively light and you have more free time. Plus, during the first year, the Comprehensive Department will likely send more outstanding students to the Xisha Area."

"So?"

"How about you try sparring with both of us at the same time?"

???

’Have they no shame? All this just to get out of washing clothes?’

At this, Li Heng glanced at the two of them. He saw their eyes fixed on him, filled with hope and a faint, desperate urgency.

Li Heng actually understood where these two seniors were coming from. But understanding was one thing; he had no desire to wash clothes in the first place. He only needed to spar with one of them; there was no reason to fight two.