Chapter 0045 – Habit is Scary – Absolute Returns

The next night, Swordsman Ichika came again.

“As the saying goes, things don’t come in threes, so let’s compete one last time today.”

I don’t know if she insisted on competing with me because she couldn’t let go of her agreement with her father, or because she enjoyed the pleasure of being a chess opponent.

“Good.”

I agreed, with alacrity, to her third challenge.

“Yesterday, after competing with you, I went back and fell asleep, and I slept exceptionally well. Before, when I lost to you, I didn’t sleep for the whole night. But yesterday, I actually slept, like never before.”

“It seems that you, usually, must not have rested well.”

“Yeah, I’ve never once gotten a good night’s sleep. And you know what? I was, even thinking ……”

“What are you thinking?”

“I was wondering if I’d have to come and fight you every day to get a good night’s sleep.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and Sword Honored One Flower followed suit, drawing the long sword at his waist.

We fought again, then each sat on our knees, tuning up while exchanging ideas.

“Just now, during the twenty-third move, why did you dodge to the left? Wouldn’t it have been faster to the right?”

“Because, I want to limit your movement. If I dodge to the right, you will, next, have three options. But if I dodge left, you’ll only have two options.”

“You mean, my center of gravity?”

“Exactly.”

At a realm like ours, even if we exchanged hundreds of moves, we would be able to replay the entire battle, in our minds, like a game of chess.

For every question I asked, Swordsman Ichika would, without reservation, tell me what he thought.

I can feel that she is sincere. Although, my father has often warned me not to trust anyone so easily, I know that Sword Honored One Flower, is genuinely trying to instruct me. Just as I taught Li An, in the process of teaching martial arts, the one who benefits the most is often the one who teaches himself.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve, like this, had the pure pleasure of fighting. Perhaps, this is the first time.”

Given her status and position, it was not easy for her to say “first time”.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Come on, let’s get on with it!”

“Yes!”

This time, by default, we took to the air and engaged in a furious battle.

We were like, two, eagles with spreading wings, soaring freely in the air, wielding, to our hearts’ content, our swordsmanship.

We cooperated with each other, using our sword qi, to hold each other up in the air, not allowing each other to land. Of course, during this process, neither of us, took the opportunity to sneak attack each other.

Splendid sword light, illuminated the night sky, we soundly, fought, until, both sides exhausted their internal energy, before slowly, falling to the ground.

In the martial arts arena, only the two of us remain, the sound of heavy breathing. If it was on the first day of the competition, we would have, desperately, adjusted our breathing, wanting to overwhelm each other in terms of aura. But now, we both already, don’t care about that.

“Got any wine?”

One Flower Sword Honored One, actually took the initiative to ask me for a drink. You know, in the past, she didn’t touch alcohol.

“Yes, I’ll get it.”

I turned around and went back to my room and got two jars of wine out.

“Good wine!”

“And you know about wine?”

“Just because I don’t drink doesn’t mean I don’t know about alcohol. And, I’ve, before, had a drink.”

The two of us, sitting on the ground, drinking and chatting at the same time. With the One Flower Sword Venerable, there was something else about cutting sword skills and drinking at the same time. It seems that she hasn’t, for a long time, drank so painfully.

“Mr. Lee, can I ask you a question?”

“Elder please.”

“Why are you suddenly like this? Before, you weren’t like this. Although, I don’t know much about you, I can sense that you were, before, hiding yourself.”

“I didn’t, all of a sudden, become like this, I hid it for a long time.”

“You mean, you’ve been disguising yourself?”

“You could say that. I grew up in an environment of, deceit, and if, I didn’t disguise myself, I would have been killed by my brother a long time ago. I can only, endure humiliation and wait until, the day my wings are full to, show my face.”

“You’re a horrible person.”

We pushed cups and exchanged glasses, without realizing it, the two altars of wine, both bottomed out. One Flower Sword Venerable, put down the wine altar and said to me:

“Let’s do it one last time.”

Her tone, I was surprised to find, changed subtly.

She had, before, been treating me, with courtesy, and now, had begun, to speak to me, in this, friend-to-friend tone.

“Strangely enough, when I’m with you, I actually, kind of, feel like I’m with a friend.”

Perhaps, she saw in me, some shadows of my past life. In front of my father and Li An, I always, deliberately, hide myself, not let myself, remember those, dark, painful, unbearable past. But in front of her, I was, however, being myself, especially when it came to the sword sparring, I was more serious and devoted than ever.

We, can learn from the strong, and we can learn from the weak. But we tend to overlook the glimmers of those who are as strong as we are, because of the gap between us. We feel that being with them is a waste of time, “eating from the same bowl”.

But today, I finally realized that being with people of equal strength, can also, collide, with different sparks.

We, from the beginning, tried each other, to later, honestly treat each other, and now, sympathize with each other. The relationship between us has also, without realizing it, undergone a subtle change.

We put down the wine altar and, once again, drew our swords against each other. This time, neither of us, had, any reservations, and brought our, understanding of the Way of the Sword, into full play.

I can say without exaggeration:

The fight between us was graceful, it was noble, it was filled, with pure love for the way of the sword.

And, throughout the entire process, I didn’t even, mention, anything, about the Blood Sky Blade Demon. I even, forgot, to pull her, into, my camp.

We, in the end, ended, with a move, a stunning duel, this, a sound contest.

“To say an unauthorized word, with you, meeting friends with swords has benefited me greatly.”

The One Flower Sword Venerable, also expressed, the same sentiment.

“Although, I don’t know, what kind of relationship we will have in the future, I will never, ever forget, today, this competition between you.”

“So do I. I will always, remember this day and what you have, taught me.”

“Did I, really, teach you anything?”

Perhaps, in her opinion, she learned more, from me.

But I knew that I was the one who had gained the most. She had only, from me, learned a few, skins, while I, on the other hand, had, from her, all the essence of swordsmanship, at my fingertips.

These three days of competition have given me a deeper understanding of the Flying Sword Technique. I originally thought that I had already cultivated the Flying Sword Technique to its peak, but now I realize that I was wrong.

I know that I have, touched, a, whole new realm. My swordsmanship, is about to, go to the next level. My heart was filled with, anticipation and excitement.

We, didn’t, say goodbye.

The One Flower Sword Venerable, drew, the One Flower Sword, and handed it to, me, and I, too, drew, the Black Demon Sword, and met it.

Dang!

The two swords, clashing together, emitted, a crisp ringing sound.

Our contest, it’s over.

One Flower Sword Zun, after returning to his residence, was alone, drinking mulled wine.

The match with Jian Wuji made her, her mood, for a long time, unable to calm down.

These past three days, what had happened, was too surreal for her.