Help, I’m Being Forced to Marry a Frail and Sickly Immortal Doctor! 10

Chapter 10: A Sword’s Startling Appearance

Arena competition.

The words Ning Ruoque had spoken earlier were now all returned to her by Yin Buran.

She frowned in frustration and fell silent.

She sulked by herself.

The view here was wide, and she could clearly see the young men and women who had come in admiration lining up, undergoing tests for their spiritual veins and root bones one by one.

Those who passed naturally cheered, some even weeping with joy, as if they could henceforth ascend to the path of immortality and be free from the sufferings of the mortal world.

In comparison, the line of those who did not pass was filled with gloom.

Ning Ruoque spotted Yan Lingge at a glance.

She was wearing a goose-yellow fine cloth dress, standing among the crowd of those who had passed, her arms wrapped around herself reservedly.

Like a small grain of sand mixed into boiling hot water.

After detecting spiritual veins, the crowd would then be assigned to different places according to their talent or wishes.

The crowd was in an uproar for a while, and a large portion of them walked towards the area specifically for selecting sword cultivators.

As expected, Yan Lingge was among them.

It was a large open space with an arena already set up. It seemed there would be a practical combat test.

Seeing the eager looks on the young people’s faces, Ning Ruoque also felt a little itch.

One could learn a lot from watching others compete with swords. Even if the opponent was a beginner full of flaws, one could still reflect on oneself and take it as a warning.

Yin Buran suddenly spoke faintly, “If someone else cried in front of you, would you also give them flowers to coax them?”

Ning Ruoque quickly reined in her heart, which was about to leap into the arena, and placed her hands flat on her knees, sitting up straight.

She glanced at Yin Buran and answered cautiously, “It depends on the situation.”

She used to carry candy and snacks with her. Her friends didn’t need coaxing, and most of these things ended up in her own stomach or were given to the children she saved.

As for giving flowers, she had never done it once.

The reason she gave flowers to Yin Buran was also because she felt that the branch of wintersweet plum blossoms suited her.

Yin Buran snorted coldly, as if very dissatisfied with this answer.

She asked directly, “Want to watch the sword competition?”

Seeing this, Ning Ruoque quickly shook her head. “I’ll stay here, in case—”

In case of an accident, she could still look after Yin Buran.

Who would have thought that the other person would lift her chin and sneer, “Go and watch. Lest you say I’m too domineering, not letting you leave for a single moment.”

Ning Ruoque hesitated for a moment, but still couldn’t resist the slight itch in her heart.

She slowly stood up and walked with light steps, afraid of disturbing Yin Buran, who was feigning sleep with her eyes closed.

However, the moment she lifted the curtain, she began to walk with brisk steps. Like a returning swallow, her black-clad figure disappeared into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

It had been too long since she had touched a sword. She could only gaze at the plums to quench her thirst, watching others compete with swords to satisfy her craving.

Perhaps seeing Ning Ruoque come down from the high platform, the people of Brightlight Pavilion did not stop her, so she naturally blended into the crowd.

However, there were too many people. Seeing that Yan Lingge was far on the other side, Ning Ruoque had to give up the idea of looking for her.

The competition had not yet begun, and a few young people couldn’t sit still, chattering away.

Someone asked, “What if I’ve never learned the sword?”

“Senior Sister said, it’s just a light touch. If you can dodge five of her moves, you pass.”

Another person was eager to show off. “I’ve learned a little at a martial arts hall. Five moves will be a piece of cake.”

Now, many people were not happy to hear this.

It was a time of youthful vigor, and several people immediately stood up.

“What’s a martial arts hall? I come from a martial arts family.”

“My family found me a teacher. I’ve been practicing the sword since I was a child, just to become a sword cultivator!”

In the end, a young man dressed in lavish clothes with a sword at his waist stood up and sneered with disdain, “I started learning the sword from a famous master at the age of three. At thirteen, I could slay a fierce tiger with my blade.”

The crowd let out soft gasps of admiration. Those who were a little closer to him could not hide the envy in their eyes.

After a round of such comparisons, people had gotten to know each other.

The rich young master who had “slain a tiger at thirteen” looked around and finally fixed his gaze on Ning Ruoque, who stood tall and silent.

He asked rudely, “What about you? What can you do?”

Ning Ruoque, who didn’t want to get involved at all: …

She couldn’t possibly say that she had killed people on the battlefield at the age of thirteen, so she could only answer honestly, “I can perform nineteen types of sword flourishes.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by a few bursts of laughter.

What’s the big deal about being able to perform sword flourishes? It’s probably not even as good as a martial artist’s punch.

The rich young master scoffed at this. “All flash and no substance. What’s the use of learning that? Learning the sword requires practicality. The faster the move, the better.”

Ning Ruoque’s face didn’t turn red, and her heart didn’t skip a beat. She explained slowly, “Not necessarily. There is no superiority between fast and slow swords. It’s just that the people who use them are different.”

Being contradicted by a girl, the rich young master was immediately a little displeased.

Moreover, her tone was so calm, as if she didn’t take him seriously at all. He didn’t know where she got her confidence from.

He circled around her and deliberately said in a loud voice, “You talk a good game, but where’s your sword? Don’t tell me you don’t even have a sword.”

Ning Ruoque was indeed targeted.

It had been so long since her rebirth, and she hadn’t even heard a whisper of her life-bound sword. She always felt that something was missing.

However, perhaps she could ask Yin Buran about it?

She lowered her eyelids and did not answer.

This silence was taken as a tacit admission and submission by the young master.

The already arrogant person now looked even more like a victorious rooster, wishing he could show off to everyone.

“I think you’re just thinking about looking glamorous. It’s better not to learn the sword. Being a sword cultivator is not as easy as you think.”

Ning Ruoque rarely gave him a second glance.

This was a very novel experience. After all, since she became the Sword Venerable, no one had dared to point fingers at her.

But she quickly turned her head away again, focusing on the arena.

The competition had begun.

As someone had said before, Brightlight Pavilion had sent out a few inner sect disciples. No matter what method was used, as long as one could last five moves under them, they would pass.

Of course, it would be best if one could do so without looking too pathetic, or even fight back and forth.

The young people drew lots and went up to the arena one by one.

Most of the time, it was a one-sided beating. After all, the newcomers were not as experienced as the inner sect disciples.

To be able to roll a few times and pass the test was already something to be thankful for.

Occasionally, one or two would fight back, and a huge cheer would erupt from the crowd.

That young master was one of them.

He took seven moves with his own sword and earned a “passable” from his opponent.

Even though the inner sect disciple he fought against used a wooden sword and didn’t use any spiritual energy, this was still a good result.

After watching, Ning Ruoque turned her attention to the side.

At this moment, the goose-yellow figure standing on the arena was Yan Lingge.

And the Brightlight Pavilion cultivator in front of her was also familiar to Ning Ruoque. It was the young woman who had been suspicious of her last night, named Tang Jin.

Ning Ruoque said “excuse me, pardon me” several times in a row and finally managed to squeeze through a little.

Yan Lingge didn’t notice her at all.

She clutched the wooden sword tightly, her breathing ragged, her calves trembling slightly.

First move, Tang Jin’s sword went straight for her face.

She subconsciously went to block. The wooden swords collided with a “thud.”

However, Tang Jin slid her blade down, and in a panic, Yan Lingge’s wooden sword slipped from her hand.

The web of her thumb ached from the impact, and she almost lost her footing.

Ning Ruoque frowned slightly. The gap between the two was too large. If this continued, defeat was inevitable.

As she had expected, Yan Lingge couldn’t take the next three moves. She was even forced to fall to the ground, about to fall off the arena.

The outcome was decided. No one cared about this match anymore and had shifted their gazes elsewhere.

Looking at the teary-eyed and disheveled Yan Lingge, Tang Jin casually sent out a sword strike, aimed straight at the girl’s brow.

She could only dodge backwards, but if she dodged, she would lose.

She still looked back with a timid and frightened gaze, no different from before.

But when the tip of the sword arrived, she stretched out her hand and, with a strength that came from nowhere, slammed into it.

Ning Ruoque was a little surprised.

Tang Jin never expected the other party to suddenly pounce on her. She was so frightened that she quickly withdrew her hand, her movements in disarray.

But the change happened in an instant. She could only make the sword deviate a little, and then she herself was pushed to the ground.

Although the wooden sword was blunt, it still pierced into the girl’s palm.

Bright red blood gushed out, slid down the blade, and splattered onto her clothes, a shocking sight.

Yan Lingge’s tears fell incessantly from the pain, but she still pressed down on Tang Jin and said with a trembling voice:

“D-did I pass?”

Tang Jin just thought she was crazy and pushed her away forcefully. “Are you insane? Who deliberately runs into a sword?!”

Yan Lingge clutched her injured hand, pressed her lips together, and then looked up to ask her again, “Did I pass?”

“You passed, you passed, alright?” Tang Jin answered several times in a row, picking up the blood-stained hem of her clothes with a look of disgust.

Finally, she let out an annoyed “tsk” and squatted down to check Yan Lingge’s injury.

The wound was already a bloody mess and very gruesome, but fortunately, it hadn’t pierced through.

Having gotten the result she wanted, Yan Lingge said in a small voice, “Thank you.”

“You—” Tang Jin’s movements suddenly froze.

She clutched her chest and began to gasp for breath, her back tensing up, like a beast panting heavily.

Yan Lingge was startled. Just as she was about to approach and ask, Tang Jin grabbed her wrist forcefully.

The grip was extremely strong, even leaving a red mark.

But Tang Jin’s face was filled with the same terror as Yan Lingge’s. “I think… I think I can’t control myself!”

After saying that, she lowered her head and bit fiercely at Yan Lingge’s neck.

But the bloody and terrifying scene she imagined did not happen.

Ning Ruoque flew onto the arena and kicked Tang Jin’s shoulder.

The latter cried out in pain and let go of her hand, her body falling straight backwards. Taking this opportunity, Ning Ruoque quickly pulled up the stunned Yan Lingge and protected her behind her.