The Grand-Martial Madam’s Bet

In the courtyard.

The two exchanged only a single move when Lei Ling immediately sensed something was amiss.

‘This youth is far from ordinary!’

The courtyard echoed with the constant cracking of melon seeds, the ‘spit’ of discarded husks, and the grating ‘screech’ of small benches scraping across the ground.

The cacophony grated on Lei Ling’s nerves, filling him with an unbearable irritation.

Stealthily, he removed three small iron rings from his Nine-Ring Mad Blade.

The sharp-eyed Xiaoliu instantly noticed.

With an excited ‘Thump!’, he sprang to his feet. “Aha! I got it!”

Someone immediately chimed in. “Nonsense, utter nonsense! Master has only removed three rings; the outcome is still uncertain. He might have to remove even more later.”

“Are you implying you don’t trust Master?” “What good is trusting him? He won’t reimburse us for our expenses at Willow Lane tonight.”

Their nonsensical chatter reached his ears. Lei Ling’s chest tightened with frustration, utterly enraged by his unruly disciples.

With a furious roar, he tightened his grip on the great saber, which trembled slightly in his hand. “Take this, my ‘Nine Heavens Overlord Three-Ring Slash’!”

The Mad Blade was hoisted high above his head, glinting fiercely with the dazzling sunlight.

Then, it cleaved down directly, unleashing a torrent of wild, aggressive blade wind.

Ye Di kicked out with his calf, striking Lei Ling squarely in the abdomen.

Lei Ling was sent flying several yards back, like a cannonball.

With a resounding ‘Boom!’, Lei Ling slammed into the courtyard’s high wall.

A large crater instantly appeared behind him. Lei Ling’s limbs hung limply, his head lolling to the side.

He slowly slid down the wall, eventually slumping to a seated position on the ground.

“Hiss—A’si, Master was taken out right after removing three rings. Does that count as ‘three rings deciding the match’?”

“No, no! Master’s nine rings haven’t even made an appearance yet! How can we prematurely judge the victor? At the very least, we need to count from one to ten, and if Master still can’t get up, then we’ll decide…”

“Look, look! Master’s getting up again! He’s just like those unkillable cockroaches by our kitchen stove!”

“Holy cow, Master’s actually going to remove six more rings? Wouldn’t that be all nine? Has anyone placed a bet yet?”

“No one would dare bet, right? One successful sneak attack doesn’t mean he can dominate with a single trick. Master, with his nine-ring skill, is rumored to be ‘unbeatable throughout Quzhou’!”

In a corner nearby, Xu Niantang was still cheering for the ‘bad guy’.

The handsome and elegant Senior Brother Zhao’s expression had already turned quite grim.

He had initially thought that no matter how strong this person was, they could at most withstand four or five rings of Lei Ling’s power.

He himself could barely manage a draw against Lei Ling with six rings.

When the challenger made a fool of themselves, he would make a dashing entrance.

He envisioned a true master’s duel with his Master.

Capturing the heart of a naive young girl would then be effortlessly within his grasp.

Yet, this person had actually forced Lei Ling to use all nine rings at once. His face was as calm as still water, though, thankfully, his expression management was quite adept.

He subtly raised an eyebrow, then turned to Xu Niantang, who looked like an ardent fangirl beside him. “Miss, Hall Master Lei has unleashed his Nine-Ring Mad Blade. Do you understand what that signifies?”

Xu Niantang detested being interrupted when she was fully immersed in something.

She immediately shot him a sidelong glance, her tone icy. “What does it signify?”

Senior Brother Zhao coughed twice, then said gently, “Hall Master Lei, wielding his Nine-Ring Mad Blade, is known as the ‘Unbeatable throughout Quzhou’. Only Constable Tan, the ‘Golden Blade Constable’ from the yamen, can contend with him. You would do well to quickly persuade him to stop, lest he suffer an embarrassing defeat.”

Xu Niantang replied, “What does Hall Master Lei’s embarrassment have to do with me?”

Senior Brother Zhao froze, his face cycling between pale and green.

His original intention was to imply that the challenger would suffer a humiliating defeat at Hall Master Lei’s hands, losing face.

Unexpectedly, Xu Niantang hadn’t considered that at all; she simply assumed Lei Ling would be the one losing face.

For some reason, Senior Brother Zhao felt a pang of bitterness at Xu Niantang’s inexplicable trust.

He finally let out a cold snort, stating flatly, “In any case, I’ve said my piece. If Hall Master Lei gets carried away, he won’t show any mercy…”

Midway through his sentence, he realized he was speaking to thin air. He quickly turned his head to look.

Xu Niantang was already calling out, “Good Senior Brothers, good Senior Sisters, please make way! I’d like to place a bet too!”

She bounced over to A’si, who was holding a broken bowl.

She pulled a few taels of silver from her pouch, her small hand poised in mid-air, not yet dropping the coins.

She paused, then smiled. “I’m betting on nine rings. I wonder if that’s allowed?”

The surroundings fell silent. The group of burly men and women were stunned by her breathtaking beauty.

Her kind of beauty, meant to be admired from afar, was barely tolerable even at a distance. Up close, it was downright intoxicating.

If Ye Di was handsome enough to make one’s legs buckle, Xu Niantang was beautiful enough to make one’s back straighten in awe.

Seeing Xu Niantang’s small hand clutching the silver, A’si’s greedy nature took over, and he barely managed to collect himself.

He stammered, “Y-y-y-yes… but, M-m-miss, are you s-s-sure?”

Xu Niantang’s delicate face showed a hint of annoyance as she feigned anger. “What ‘auntie’? You’re making me sound old. When I say I’m placing a bet, I’m placing a bet. A lady’s word is her bond.”

She tossed all her remaining travel money into the bowl. The silver coins rattled for a moment, then fell silent.

As she strolled away, she suddenly turned back to remind them. “I’m betting on nine rings, and that he’ll defeat your Hall Master Lei. Don’t get it wrong.”

Xu Niantang, with her natural aura that seemed to suck all the air out of the room, departed.

Only then did the group of burly men, who usually only dared to flirt verbally and constantly loitered outside the Wild Hen Brothel, merely listening from the windows, finally let out a sigh of relief.

If A’si hadn’t kindly reminded them, “She’s gone, you can breathe now,” a few of them might have fainted from holding their breath.

Amidst a chorus of gasps that sounded like bellows,

someone else walked up to A’si and declared loudly, “I’ll join in too! Nine rings, ten coins!”

A’si thought to himself, ‘Why are there so many suckers eager to be fleeced?’ He noticed the man’s peripheral glance towards Xu Niantang and immediately understood.

‘Damn, this guy also wants to pick up girls; he’s investing now.’

Senior Brothers Long and Zhao had just tried to flirt without success; the girl had ignored them like an iceberg.

This now made the rest of the disciples itch with curiosity.

‘Could it be that this angelic-looking girl actually found ugliness beautiful, and beauty ugly, possessing a seriously flawed aesthetic?’

‘If so, wouldn’t someone like me, looking this ugly, have an even greater chance?’

The young girl was unfamiliar with the place and had placed a nine-ring bet all by herself.

She must be lonely, forlorn, and cold.

‘If I were to generously offer my support, act with righteous courage, and stand by the girl,’

‘Perhaps she’d be so moved that she’d actually blind her beautiful, sparkling eyes and throw herself into my arms?’

This brainstorm simultaneously occurred in the minds of all the disciples at Lei’s Martial Arts Hall.

Instantly, a never-before-seen spectacle unfolded.

A crowd of burly men and women surged forward, surrounding the scrawny A’si until he was completely enveloped.

They tossed copper coins into the bowl as if they were worthless, filling it to the brim. The overflowing coins bounced and clattered on the ground.

They clamored, “I’ll join in too! Nine rings, Master will surely lose! Fifty coins!”

“What rubbish is Master? How can he compare to Young Hero? Nine rings, twenty coins!”

“Holy cow, Senior Sister Liu, why are you joining in? She’s a junior sister!”

“What, can’t I desire her body? Shameless! Nine rings, thirty coins!”

Suddenly, a loud roar startled all the disciples present.

They all turned their heads to look.

It turned out Lei Ling had overheard their conversation and was absolutely furious.

His face was crimson, his body taut. His pectoral muscles ripped through his tunic, and the fragments of cloth fluttered in the wind, landing at his feet.

Gritting his teeth for a long moment, he finally squeezed out a sentence. “Today, no one goes home until they’ve lifted five hundred stone weights!”

The disciples immediately wilted.

But then, someone suddenly, as if they had discovered the Sword Immortal Ye Di resurrected,

pointed with a trembling finger at the broken bowl and shouted, “Look! That girl’s silver coin is right next to the copper coin I just threw in! She has feelings for me!”

Someone with quick hands immediately reached in and stirred the money, mixing it all up.

The first man instantly flew into a rage, pouncing forward to engage in a brawl.

The scene immediately devolved into chaos once more.

Ye Di couldn’t hold back any longer. “Hall Master Lei, let’s just finish our fight quickly. It’s getting late.”

As the saying goes, a desperate army is bound to win. Lei Ling was already thoroughly enraged by his unfilial disciples.

He immediately said in a deep voice, “Brother, your skill is impressive, truly one of the rare masters I’ve encountered in my life. However, my Mad Blade, with its nine rings removed, has not seen action in the jianghu for many years. Once it re-enters, it must draw blood. Are you prepared?”

Ye Di narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lei Ling for a moment before speaking. “Your current blade realm should be the ‘Golden Blade Realm’, correct?”

Similar to swordsmen, the jianghu categorizes blade mastery into five distinct ranks.

These are the Broadsword, Spring Thunder Blade, Golden Blade, Drinking Spring Blade, and Wild Goose Gate Blade.

This classification exists because each realm corresponds to a specific legendary weapon.

Shangguan Zhu, wielder of the Broadsword, once roamed the northern deserts with his single blade.

His prowess was considered the pinnacle for an introductory-level blademaster.

Nan Xizhao, wielder of the Spring Thunder Blade, would unleash a rumbling sound when she brandished her blade, like the muffled roar of spring thunder.

She guarded this realm; to defeat her was tantamount to entering the grand hall of blademanship.

The Golden Blade was named after Tan Xianglong, the ‘Golden Blade Constable’ of Quzhou City.

His family heirloom blade, gleaming golden and etched with tiger stripes, was so sharp it could cut hair with a mere breath and slice through iron like mud.

As for the Drinking Spring Blade and the Wild Goose Gate Blade.

The former was said to be submerged within the Heavenly Lake of Mount Kunlun.

Legend had it that a century ago, a blademaster drew it forth, bringing it back into the light.

Wielding this legendary blade, which killed without drawing blood, he stirred up a storm of bloodshed in the jianghu.

His strength rivaled that of the Sword Immortal, and thus he guarded the fourth blade realm.

Yue Mu, wielder of the Wild Goose Gate Blade, once single-handedly defended Yanmen Pass against a million Yan warriors.

After more than ten days, the Yan army of a million retreated like a tide.

Only Yue Mu remained, sitting alone at the city gate, his Wild Goose Gate Blade thrust into the snow at an angle, drinking a pot of strong liquor under the light of the heavens.

Beneath his feet, amidst ten thousand feet of accumulated snow, lay the countless corpses of enemies and comrades alike.

He was considered the foremost blademaster in the jianghu of Daliang, from ancient times to the present.

Seeing that Ye Di had discerned his realm, Lei Ling’s expression grew even more solemn. “Brother, could it be that you…”

‘If this person could so easily see through his true strength, could this youth also be in the Golden Blade Realm?’

Lei Ling himself was considered late-stage Golden Blade. With all nine rings removed, he could barely fight Golden Blade peak Tan Xianglong to a draw.

Within Quzhou City, he was arguably second only to Tan Xianglong, above all others.

He dared not be careless. With a shake of his Mad Blade, he took several quick steps, closing the distance.

The great saber was raised high above his head, then suddenly cleaved down, aimed directly at Ye Di’s left shoulder.

Ye Di’s brow furrowed slightly. “The blade’s momentum is too heavy, not fluid enough.”

He extended an arm, blocking Lei Ling’s wrist. Lei Ling’s eyes widened, his arm going numb. His grip loosened, and the great saber clanged to the ground.

Ye Di said, “Hall Master Lei, I imagine your diagonal swing rarely fares well against opponents of the same realm, does it?”

Lei Ling was still rooted to the spot. Ye Di’s words brought him back to his senses, and only then did he realize his weapon had been disarmed in a single move.

Such a feat could only be accomplished by an opponent who surpassed him by an entire major realm.

Lei Ling’s sweat poured like rain. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and his pupils instantly dilated.

‘Could it be that someone from “that family” has finally come to cause trouble?’

Seeing his prolonged silence, Ye Di reached out and patted his shoulder. “Master Lei?”

“Ah! What?”

Lei Ling was jolted back to reality by the pat, trembling slightly before realizing it was Ye Di speaking to him. “Brother, what did you say?”

‘The Hall Master seems distracted, as if there’s some hidden reason…’

Ye Di frowned. He wasn’t interested in others’ private matters; he simply continued discussing blademanship. “Master Lei, your previous blade stance was too heavy. While powerful, it appeared clumsy.”

Lei Ling had silently bent down to pick up his Mad Blade. He weighed it in his hand for a moment, his eyes vacant as he said, “Yes, Brother, you’re absolutely right. Old Lei, relying on my past reputation, opened this martial arts hall in Quzhou City, half-retired from the jianghu. I didn’t even realize my tiger’s teeth had long since dulled.”

“Only today, with your challenge, Brother, have I realized that Old Lei is no longer the man he once was. What kind of students am I even teaching? I’m simply misleading young talents!”

His eyes were bloodshot and red. He held the Mad Blade horizontally across his knees, about to exert force to snap it.

Ye Di reached out to stop him, his expression odd. “Master Lei, if you’ll forgive my bluntness, with your current skill, I doubt you can break this Mad Blade.”

Lei Ling felt another ten thousand points of critical damage to his heart. He looked at Ye Di with despair. “Brother, are you sent by the Black and White Impermanence today to claim Old Lei’s life?”

Ye Di waved his hands repeatedly. “How could that be? I was hoping to ask Master Lei to properly teach my younger sister some martial arts.”

Lei Ling: “Heh heh.”

Ye Di knew that asking Lei Ling to teach Xu Niantang martial arts now was akin to insulting him.

He thought for a moment, then said, “How about this, Master Lei? After watching your saber display just now, I’ve noted down some key points. I’ll point them out one by one. If you find them reasonable, you might consider implementing improvements. It could be greatly beneficial to your blade realm.”

Lei Ling had already secretly tried to snap the Nine-Ring Mad Blade, only to discover he truly couldn’t break the damn thing.

He silently thought, ‘Good thing I didn’t try to do it in public, or I would have made a huge fool of myself.’

Hearing Ye Di’s words, he immediately coughed several times, feigning a response. “Ah, Brother, if you have any insights, feel free to share. If Old Lei finds them reasonable, I’ll naturally adopt them.”

He answered absentmindedly.

‘I’ve been hiding in Quzhou City to retire. It’s normal for my skills to have grown rusty, and for me to be unable to defeat this young, brash lad.’

‘But how could he discern the key points and flaws in various martial arts simply by glancing a few times?’

‘Do you think you’re a founding patriarch, or the Sword Immortal Ye Di from back then?’

Ye Di, who was nearly two hundred years old and had just been dismissed by Lei Ling as a “young, brash lad,” nodded.

He said, “Master Lei, you could do such-and-such…”

The disciples in the courtyard couldn’t hear their voices clearly.

They could only see their Master and the challenger whispering to each other.

Some were half-dead with anxiety but dared not disturb them.

One whispered, “What do you say, A’si? Does this count as nine rings?”

A’si had never seen such a scene either.

Master’s weapon had been disarmed in a single move.

Logically, that meant Master had lost.

However, now they were acting like good brothers, arms around each other’s shoulders, exchanging private words.

It was just like them eavesdropping outside the Wild Hen Brothel every night.

Someone declared, “Master must have been merciful, afraid of accidentally killing Young Hero with a single strike, so he released his grip at the last moment. That’s why the blade came loose. This is what you call ‘dropping the butcher’s knife and immediately attaining Buddhahood’.”

Someone else said, “Nonsense, utter nonsense! Master was clearly intimidated by Young Hero’s aura, scared out of his wits, and thus surrendered his weapon. You agree, right, Miss…”

Immediately, someone behind him launched a kick, sending him sprawling against the wall with an “Ouch!” The kicker fumed, “You’re that handsome and still dare to flirt? Don’t you know our angelic Miss prefers those of us who look like shrews and rats, with shifty eyes?”

Xu Niantang had already returned.

She was squatting in a row with Senior Brother Zhao.

Senior Brother Zhao had been secretly gloating in his heart, thinking, ‘What a bunch of clueless fools, still trying to flirt with my junior sister.’

‘See? After placing her bet, didn’t she still run back to me?’

To gauge a girl’s true feelings,

one shouldn’t listen to what she says, but observe what she does.

Senior Brother Zhao was very pleased with Xu Niantang, who was “sharp-tongued but honest in her actions,” and felt it was time to reel her in.

“Miss, it seems Master and this gentleman have become acquainted through their fight, and their relationship is quite good. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to him later? It would be good to build a rapport with my future brother-in-law in advance…”

The dashing Senior Brother Zhao assumed that the man was probably her brother or something similar.

In that case, her earlier fervent admiration for him was understandable.

Supporting one’s own brother is not shameful!

He had previously wondered how any girl could resist his charm.

Now, looking back,

she was probably feigning admiration for her brother,

to conceal her affection for him.

It was perfectly normal for a young girl to be shy.

Now that half the battle was won, he absolutely had to get on good terms with his future brother-in-law!

With this thought in mind,

Senior Brother Zhao couldn’t help but feel a surge of high spirits.

He straightened his collar again, adjusted his expression, and reverted to his “gentlemanly as jade” demeanor.

Just then,

the two men conversing in the center of the courtyard—

Lei Ling suddenly dropped to his knees before Ye Di with a ‘Thump!’

Then, with his hands braced on the ground, he prostrated himself, bowing three times with resounding thuds. Only after his forehead turned red did he look up, tears streaming down his face, and stammer, “Master, please accept this disciple’s bow!”

Senior Brother Zhao: ?

The male and female disciples nearby, who were still arguing over “who the junior sister belonged to,” also froze.

They all cast incredulous glances at their Master.

‘Holy cow, did that fight knock Master’s brains out?’

The young hero quickly reached out to help him up, repeatedly saying, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. Master Lei already has a strong foundation; my suggestions are merely icing on the cake.”

Lei Ling’s tears flowed profusely, like two waterfalls. “Young Hero Master, your guidance today—Old Lei will not only break through to the Drinking Spring Blade realm but will also reach the peak of Golden Blade, no longer fearing Old Tan! A teacher for a day is a father for life; Young Hero Master, you are worthy of this bow!”

Ye Di felt somewhat awkward.

He hadn’t expected Lei Ling to be so utterly without airs; he truly was a straightforward person.

But why did he have to kneel before him in front of all the disciples in the courtyard?

He could only say, “Master Lei is too humble. I only hope that if Master Lei remembers even a tiny bit of my advice, he could spare some effort to teach my unruly younger sister.”

Lei Ling immediately stopped speaking.

The two streams of tears on his face retracted instantly, like slurping noodles.

“Young Hero Master, if you speak such distant words again, you’ll be damn well making an enemy of Old Lei!”

“Young Hero Master’s guidance today is like a second chance at life. Rest assured, from now on, I will wholeheartedly look after Junior Martial Aunt! If I neglect her in the slightest, I’ll chop off my own head with this Nine-Ring Mad Blade and let you two elders kick it around like a ball!”

He roared, pounding his chest like a drum. He scanned the disciples in the courtyard and bellowed, “Did you all hear that? From now on, this Young Hero is your Grandmaster! As for this young lady, call her, call her…”

Ye Di chuckled. “Just call her whatever you like; she doesn’t mind such things.”

“How can that be!”

Lei Ling’s tiger eyes widened at once, and he decisively declared, “Call her Grand-Martial Madam!”

The circle of disciples in the courtyard were utterly bewildered.

Just a moment ago, they had been eagerly anticipating a charming and adorable junior sister.

Yet, in the space of a cup of tea,

how had the junior sister become their damn Grand-Martial Madam?

Xu Niantang, however, was quite pleased.

Because ‘Grand-Martial Madam’ sounded a bit like the Grandmaster’s wife.

Her heart felt sweet.

She pursed her lips, secretly smiling, two shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks.

Senior Brother Zhao couldn’t maintain his composure either.

Not only had his future brother-in-law become a Grandmaster,

how was he supposed to flirt now? Flirting with Grand-Martial Madam under the moon and flowers? Lei Ling would break his legs!

Still, thankfully, seniority and ethics were secondary.

A good man of their generation should break free from the shackles of propriety and pursue freedom.

Seeing Grand-Martial Madam smiling so happily,

‘Even though she’s not looking at me at all, she has feelings for me in her heart!’

The Grandmaster was already leaving,

and the Grand-Martial Madam hurriedly followed.

The disciples of Lei’s Martial Arts Hall sighed internally.

‘Such a lovely girl,’

‘Grandmaster should surely cherish her, afraid she might fall if held, or melt if kept in his mouth.’

Senior Brother Zhao also felt it was time for a tender farewell with Grand-Martial Madam.

He closed his eyes, switching to a deeply affectionate expression.

But when he opened them, he saw the Grandmaster push away the clinging Grand-Martial Madam. “Don’t stand so close to me. Haven’t you heard that men and women shouldn’t touch?”

Grand-Martial Madam: “You!”

Grandmaster: “‘You’ what? I haven’t even settled the score about you kicking off your blanket last night. I got up several times in the middle of the night to cover you.”

Grand-Martial Madam: “I didn’t do it on purpose…”

Grandmaster: “Good thing you weren’t intentional. If you were, I’d drag you right off the bed. Do you even deserve to sleep on a bed?”

Grand-Martial Madam: “…But you still helped me cover up, which means you still care about me, hehe, don’t be shy.”

Grandmaster: “? Xu Niantang, how many steamed buns did you eat this morning? Are they still digesting in your stomach? How can you say such things with insufficient blood supply to your brain?”

Grand-Martial Madam (her chest heaving with anger): “You bad person, I really don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

Grandmaster: “Perfect, then quickly go back to your hometown of Yicheng. I’d love to have some peace and quiet.”

Grand-Martial Madam: “Hey, wait for me, don’t walk so fast! I was just kidding, please don’t ignore me…”

A crow flew over the courtyard wall, leaving six small black dots in its wake.

The martial arts disciples, their worldviews shattered, stood frozen for a long moment.

Suddenly, someone quick-witted shouted, “Look, what’s wrong with Senior Brother Zhao!”

“His limbs are twitching, his eyeballs are rolling back, and he’s foaming at the mouth. Oh no, these are the symptoms of the ‘Three-Day Soul-Snatching Pill’!”

“Xiaqi, quickly give him artificial respiration!”

“I have bad breath, I’ll do it!”

“My pee is yellow, I’ll sprinkle it on him to wake him up!”

“Senior Brother Zhao, don’t leave, boohoohoo, if you leave, who will keep Senior Brother Long in check when he’s showing off…”