The Eternal Way-Chapter 95: Minor Techniques

However, the owner of the broken sword was not pleased.

She was a woman dressed in martial attire, tall and muscular with a face that wasn't particularly attractive. Her body was much stronger than an ordinary woman's, making her appear less feminine.

She looked to be in her early thirties, exuding a strong aura. Though not beautiful, she had a distinct presence, clearly not just a pretty face.

She glanced at her broken sword, then at Li Qi, her eyes filled with defiance. "You only rely on your weapon's advantage. Your saber must be a Ninth Rank treasure. Without it, you'd already be dead."

Li Qi ignored her, turning to Shen Shuibei instead. "Miss Shen, are you okay? What happened? Why did these people come to bother us?"

"I... I was just watching her practice and muttered a few words..." Shen Shuibei said, sounding wronged.

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She hadn't meant for anyone else to hear, and besides, what she said wasn't incorrect.

Hearing this, the woman whose sword Li Qi had broken frowned and looked up. "Muttered a few words? You have no cultivation, yet you dare criticize my sword technique. Just teaching you a lesson, don't speak about things you don't understand."

"But... I do understand," Shen Shuibei whispered, shrinking behind Li Qi.

"Alright, sister," Li Qi interrupted, raising his hand. "Let's end this here. I—"

Before he could finish, the sturdy woman interrupted him. "End it here? I've practiced swordsmanship for twenty-five years, reaching Ninth Rank through the Way of the Sword. My technique is refined to perfection. She insulted my life's work, calling it trivial. She must apologize."

At this point, Li Qi understood the situation.

It seemed this woman was practicing when Shen Shuibei saw her.

Who was Shen Shuibei? Before discarding her cultivation, she was one of the Ten Great Cavern Heavens' spirit beasts, the Jade Rabbit of the Moon Essence from Luofu Mountain, a Fifth Rank orthodox Daoist cultivator!

A true celestial being would naturally find Ninth Rank sword techniques mediocre.

But her murmurs were overheard by this woman.

Having practiced swordsmanship all her life, hearing someone call her skills trivial was infuriating, especially since the speaker had no cultivation. Naturally, she wanted an apology.

This... both sides were somewhat right, it was just a misunderstanding.

Moreover, the other party was a Ninth Rank martial practitioner, a woman. Could she be Jing Yan, the Martial Hall Executive?

Understanding this, Li Qi awkwardly smiled and bowed. "Then let me apologize on behalf of my younger sister. We misspoke. Can we put this behind us?"

However, after hearing Li Qi's words, Shen Shuibei lowered her head, pressing her face against Li Qi's back, mumbling, "I was just trying to help her realize she was on the wrong path..."

These words reached the woman again.

Her eyes widened with anger. "You still dare say that!"

Without another word, she reached out towards Shen Shuibei.

Li Qi's expression darkened, immediately blocking her.

This time, they didn't use weapons. As soon as they made contact, Li Qi felt a soft force, seemingly weak but persistent like a leech or flowing water, pushing him away.

Fortunately, Li Qi excelled in handling water currents.

His daily practice of Carp Flow Intent came into play, allowing him to maneuver like a carp swimming upstream, carefully parting the current and moving smoothly within it. He easily defused the soft force, even using the progress bar to observe her breathing cycle, seizing the opportunity to push her hand aside, exposing her defenses.

Li Qi gathered his inner energy once more, unleashing Carp Flow Intent, his fist accelerating suddenly!

Carp Flow Intent focused on circling around the opponent before suddenly bursting forward like a carp leaping through the dragon gate.

Caught off guard, the woman was hit directly.

But Li Qi knew his limits, transforming his punch into a palm strike, pressing it against her face, converting force into a push.

With over ten thousand pounds of explosive force, though the woman immediately tried to stabilize herself with a horse stance, she was still pushed back several steps, leaving footprints on the stone floor.

"Good skill, who are you? Your blade skills aren't great, but your unarmed combat techniques are decent, and your timing is excellent," the woman acknowledged, impressed rather than angry.

With the progress bar, Li Qi excelled at seizing opportunities. Others relied on instinct, but he could see the opponent's move progress, understanding when old strength waned and new strength hadn't yet arisen.

Li Qi observed her. She wasn't petty; she genuinely valued her lifelong swordsmanship, which was why she was so upset.

"I am Li Qi, hired by Manager Jing to protect the caravan. Are you perhaps Jing Yan?" Li Qi bowed in response.

"I am Jing Yan, but flattery won't help. Your sister spoke too harshly. Ask her what she said! I started practicing swordsmanship at seven, finally entering the ranks after twenty years of practice. Now thirty-two, I've been practicing for twenty-five years, older than her. How dare she critique my swordsmanship?" Jing Yan was still upset with Shen Shuibei, though polite to Li Qi, she remained displeased with Shen Shuibei, insisting on an apology.

But Shen Shuibei refused to apologize, proud of her comments, hiding behind Li Qi.

Looking timid.

Yet, in the most cowardly tone, she delivered the harshest words: "What Dao? Swordsmanship is just a minor technique, merely a weapon. How dare you call it a Dao? Ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth..."

This statement enraged Jing Yan, her eyes blazing with fury. Despite having no sword, she stepped forward, ready to attack.

Seeing this, Li Qi shielded Shen Shuibei, stepping forward and bowing. "Please calm down, Sister Jing. My sister may look frail, but she follows a path unsuitable for combat. She meant well by pointing out your flaws. As a martial practitioner, can't you accept criticism?"

"Pointing out my flaws? By her?" Jing Yan raised her head, disbelieving, but unable to act with Li Qi blocking her.

"By her. If you don't believe me, how about a bet?" Li Qi's eyes lit up, seeing a way to resolve the misunderstanding and build rapport.