Chapter 410 - 195: Arrangements

The moment Jiang Ran finished asking his question, the sound of robes whistling through the air echoed from all around.

What’s more, even among those gathered for the assembly, many rose to their feet with menacing grins.

In the blink of an eye, countless figures from the heterodox sects had appeared.

A creaking sound drew everyone’s attention. They looked up to see a soft sedan chair, carried slowly forward by four dwarves.

Inside the sedan, a young nobleman was propping up his chin with one hand, looking up at Jiang Ran with a cold gaze.

And behind them, the four Evil Sects of Heterodox Manor made their grand entrance.

Bo Yan of the Divine Sect.

Qu Zhi of the Snake Sect.

Hai Dan of the Ghost Sect.

And Fu Mo of the Niu Sect!

An overwhelming aura that seemed to blot out the sky erupted from the group.

It was as if half the sky had darkened in their presence.

The air crackled with the feeling of a gathering storm.

Jiang Ran glanced at the sky. ’This bastard probably checked the weather forecast before he came,’ he mused. ’Otherwise, how could the weather turn the moment he showed up?’

’Or did he just decide to take on the Rain God’s persona last night?’

"Young Hero Jiang..."

While Jiang Ran’s thoughts were wandering, the Young Manor Lord began to speak.

"I can answer that question for him."

"The Jiaowei Zither rightfully belongs to Heterodox Manor."

"Oh?"

Jiang Ran smiled.

"Does the Young Manor Lord believe his martial arts are great enough to overwhelm all his contemporaries? Or do you fancy yourself an unrivaled master of music theory?"

"As for martial arts..."

The Young Manor Lord’s gaze swept indifferently over Yan Wushuang, Liu Zongming, Xuanyuan One Slash, and the others.

He shook his head gently.

"The one sect, two assemblies, five swords, seven sects, and thirteen gangs."

"Aside from the Dao Yi Sect and the Seven Sects, the rest are mostly rabble."

"If you ask me, the only powers worth mentioning in the Golden Cicada Martial World are the one Sect, the one Manor, and the one Pavilion."

"Even the so-called Seven Sects... it’s debatable whether they even qualify to be mentioned in the same breath."

"And that’s not to mention a group that might not even make it onto this very inflated ranking..."

As he spoke that last sentence, he was looking at Liu Zongming.

Liu Zongming gave a faint smile.

"You seem fond of joking, Young Manor Lord."

"I never joke."

The Young Manor Lord chuckled, then spoke coldly.

"The only ones my Heterodox Manor concerns itself with are the Imperial Court and the Dao Yi Sect."

"As for the rest... when have I ever deemed them worthy of my attention?"

At this, he glanced at Jiang Ran again.

"If you don’t believe me, Young Hero Jiang, would you dare let me... kill them all?"

"Why should the Young Manor Lord have to lift a finger?"

"Allow me to kill them for you."

A burly man stepped forward and roared.

"I am Fu Mo of the Niu Sect!"

"Which one of you dares to come up here and court death?"

The faces of everyone present darkened at his words.

’How did this turn into a one-on-one challenge in just a few sentences?’

But Fu Mo had thrown down the gauntlet. If, among so many martial arts masters gathered here, no one dared to fight him, they would become a massive laughingstock.

Ruan Yuqing let out a soft laugh and was about to step forward.

But then, a thunderous laugh rang out.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw that the one laughing was none other than Xuanyuan One Slash.

He took a step forward, Qianjun Saber in hand.

"I entered the martial world at thirteen. For twenty years, I was defeated time and again, but I always got back up to fight."

"It wasn’t until after I turned thirty-three that I finally had a breakthrough in my saber arts. Only then did my victories begin to outnumber my defeats."

"After that, I founded the Blood Saber Hall and claimed our spot among the Thirteen Gangs."

"I fought tooth and nail, with my own two hands, to earn the Blood Saber Hall its place among the Thirteen Gangs."

"But I never thought I’d see the day I’d be mocked by some wet-behind-the-ears whelp."

"Do all of you know... why we of the Blood Saber Hall always wear red?"

The crowd exchanged glances. Some looked grim, others were merely bewildered.

But Xuanyuan One Slash didn’t give them time to answer. He continued in a low voice:

"It’s because the disciples of the Blood Saber Hall excel at combat."

"And when we fight, someone inevitably gets hurt. If it’s not our enemies, it’s us."

"Washing clothes every day is a real pain. It’s better to just wear red. That way, even when you’re spattered with blood, it doesn’t show."

"And if you’re the one who’s injured, your opponent can’t easily tell how badly you’re hurt."

"And the reason for all this... is because the founding principle of the Blood Saber Hall can be summed up in four words: Don’t yield? Then fight!!"

"This young upstart looks down on us. Today, I will personally test the famed skills of Heterodox Manor!"

With that, he took another step, ready to strike.

But then, a voice reached his ears.

"Hold."

If it had been anyone else, Xuanyuan One Slash, with his flair for the dramatic even in old age, would never have listened.

But that voice made him pause.

He turned to look at Jiang Ran, gritted his teeth, and knelt on one knee.

"Honored Master, your disciple cannot, no matter what, let them insult my Blood Saber Hall today!!"

"Who said you had to let them insult you?"

Jiang Ran gave a helpless smile, then sighed.

"Forget it. It’s rare for a man your age to still have such a pure heart..."

"Honored Master, I’m not yet seventy. I am merely sixty-six."

"Don’t be a smartass."

Jiang Ran waved his hand. "Listen to me for a moment."

"Your disciple awaits your instruction."

Xuanyuan One Slash obediently lowered his head.

Then he heard Jiang Ran speak.

"You took me as your master because of some flippant words spoken in jest after our fight at Qiuci Posthouse."

"You kept your promise, becoming my disciple after you lost. You’ve followed through meticulously, without the slightest hint of defiance."

"And even though I know you have your own schemes, I’m not particularly bothered by them."

"So, our master-disciple relationship is well and truly established."

"Since that’s the case, allow me, your master, to be so bold as to teach you a few things. Are you going to listen or not?"