The Life of a Necromancer as a Swashbuckler

Chapter 19: The Challenge at Tiezhang Peak

Shi Jingyu and Nameless were both surprised and looked toward the group. Leading them was a tall, burly young man, accompanied by a crowd of followers. “Senior Brother!” Shi Jingyu recognized the man; the young man at the head was none other than Shi Lu, the chief disciple of the Iron Palm Sect. In the blink of an eye, the group arrived before the two of them. Shi Lu dismounted and bowed his fist to Shi Jingyu: “Junior Sister, I’m so glad you’ve returned safely. Master was frantic with worry and ordered us to come and greet you.” “Senior Brother, how did you know when I was coming back?” Shi Jingyu was a little puzzled. She hadn’t told her father her return date, so how did someone come to meet her? “We’ve been waiting specifically for you these past few days,” Shi Lu explained. Then, spotting Nameless standing nearby, he hurriedly clasped his hands in a bow toward him. “I presume you must be the recently renowned Xiaoyao ‘Hero’ Nameless?” Nameless was a bit bewildered. What did “renowned far and wide” mean? “Xiaoyao Hero”? Only when he heard the name “Nameless” did he realize they were referring to him; he hurriedly clasped his hands in return, “This one is Nameless. I dare not accept the title of ‘Hero.’ ” “You’re too modest. Your exploits in Suiyang County—assisting the Divine Constable Zhui Feng and fighting a fierce battle against the Four Evils of the Jianghu—have long since spread throughout the Martial Arts World. You truly live up to the title of ‘Xiaoyao Hero.’ It is an honor for our sect that you’ve come to Iron Palm Mountain.” For reasons unknown, Shi Lu was lavishing praise on Nameless. Hearing this, Nameless felt even more uneasy. “Those are just rumors circulating in the martial arts world; they shouldn’t be taken too seriously,” Nameless said modestly. “Since the Iron Palm Sect has come to fetch Miss Shi, I’ve fulfilled my mission and must take my leave.” “No need to rush,” Shi Lu stopped Wuming. “My master sent us here for two reasons: first, to welcome our junior sister, and second, my master specifically instructed us to invite the Great Hero of Xiaoyao, Nameless, to visit our sect to thank you for escorting her all the way here.” “My old injuries have not yet healed, and I still need time to recuperate. I’ll come and trouble you another day,” said Nameless, afraid of giving himself away and eager to make a quick exit. “Our Master specifically instructed us to wait for you, Hero Xiaoyao. The entire Iron Palm Sect is eagerly awaiting your arrival. Surely you won’t disappoint the old Master’s kind intentions?” Shi Lu insisted. This puzzled both Shi Jingyu and Nameless. This group didn’t seem to be here just to pick up Shi Jingyu—it looked more as though they’d come for Nameless. Realizing he was in a bind and unable to refuse such a warm invitation, Nameless had no choice but to agree to go to Tiezhang Peak with Shi Lu. Normally, Nameless wouldn’t have been able to reach Mogan Peak—his lightness skills weren’t sufficient to climb it—but the host had thought of everything and specially prepared a large basket. Sitting inside the basket and being hauled up by people from above turned out to be a rather quick method. So, while Shi Jingyu, Shi Lu, and the others used their lightness skills to climb up, Nameless, putting on a brave face, sat alone in the large basket and was hauled up. Upon reaching Mogan Peak, Nameless saw a large crowd waiting for him. Leading the group was a burly man who appeared to be in his fifties, with jet-black hair and beard. It was immediately apparent that he was a master of external martial arts, his arms thick and powerful. Shi Jingyu stood to the man’s right—clearly, this was Shi Taifeng, the leader of the Iron Palm Sect, known as “Iron Palm Invincible.” “Welcome, nephew. This old man, Shi Taifeng, has been awaiting your arrival for quite some time.” Upon seeing Nameless arrive, Sect Leader Shi burst into hearty laughter and warmly ushered him into the main hall. Once inside the hall, Nameless and Sect Leader Shi took their seats, with Nameless as the guest and Shi as the host. At Sect Leader Shi’s command, the Iron Palm Sect—which had evidently been prepared in advance—served a lavish banquet in Nameless’s honor. Nameless was a bit confused. What was going on here? “Young Hero Nameless,” just as Nameless was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Sect Master Shi call his name. He quickly gathered his composure. “Senior, I feel deeply unworthy of such a grand reception.” Nameless wanted to probe the situation. “Don’t say that,” Shi Taifeng said with a smile, patting Nameless on the shoulder. “Young man, you escorted my daughter all the way here—this is merely a token of hospitality from the host. Besides, I’ve heard that you defeated the ‘Four Evils of the Martial Arts World’ in Suiyang County, a hundred li away, and solved the case of the ‘Flower Thief,’ bringing honor to us in the Martial Arts World. We certainly ought to celebrate.” Shi Taifeng spoke with genuine sincerity. Seeing that he couldn’t pry any further, Nameless exchanged pleasantries for a while before the banquet began. After three rounds of wine, Nameless was slightly tipsy and found it hard to keep his composure. Glancing at Shi Jingyu sitting beside him, he found her even more beautiful and captivating than before, and couldn’t help but cast a few extra glances her way. Just then, Shi Jingyu caught his gaze; her face flushed instantly, as adorable as a rosy apple. Shi Taifeng happened to catch the expressions on both their faces and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. So that’s how it was. “I wonder, young hero, are you already betrothed?” Shi Taifeng suddenly blurted out. What? Upon hearing this, Nameless sobered up instantly, feeling a rush of blood to his head. What did that mean? Was he suggesting that Shi Jingyu be betrothed to him? “This junior is still young and has not yet taken a wife,” Nameless replied, his heart pounding so hard it felt as if it might leap out of his chest. “I see,” Shi Taifeng smiled. “My daughter is also unmarried. I wonder what you think of her, young hero?” How was he supposed to answer that? Nameless blushed and was at a loss for words. Before he could respond, a sharp shout suddenly rang out: “I don’t agree!” Following the sound, a young man ran in from outside. Dressed in blue, he was agile and lithe, his eyes sparkling with vitality. In the blink of an eye, he stood in the center of the hall, and his roar swept away all traces of the festive atmosphere. The young man seemed oblivious to the tension in the air. Ignoring everyone’s astonishment, he strode straight to the banquet table where Shi Taifeng and Nameless were seated and fixed his gaze on Nameless. “I refuse to let my junior sister marry this scoundrel!” “Lei’er, don’t be rude!” Shi Taifeng hurriedly rebuked the intruder. “Second Senior Brother!” Shi Jingyu, standing nearby, also hurriedly called out to him. It turned out this man was Lei Ming, known as “Thunder Striking the Ground,” the second senior brother of the Iron Palm Sect. Nameless also shuddered in fright. “Master, I refuse to let you marry our junior sister off to Nameless! What a load of crap about the ‘Xiaoyao Hero’—he clearly can’t even fight! He’s nothing but a fraud who’s deceiving the world!” Lei Ming was inexplicably agitated. “Lei’er! Don’t be rude! Get out of here!” Shi Taifeng snapped sternly. Shi Lu, the eldest disciple standing nearby, hurried over to grab Lei Ming. “Junior Brother, you must be drunk,” he said, trying to pull Lei Ming away. Lei Ming, however, completely ignored Shi Lu’s tugging and continued to rail against Nameless: “You Nameless scum! If you really knew martial arts, you wouldn’t have come up here in a basket. You’re nothing but a fraud—and you dare come to the Iron Palm Sect to scrounge for food and drink! Get out of here!” A barrage of insults followed, and neither side could intervene in time. At first, Nameless remained silent, but as he listened, he suddenly spoke up coldly, “In that case, how about we settle this with a duel?” Shi Jingyu was quite puzzled. Nameless clearly didn’t know martial arts, so why would he propose a duel? Glancing over, he noticed that Nameless seemed like a completely different person, exuding an ominous aura.