The Life of a Necromancer as a Swashbuckler

Chapter 20: Lei Ming’s Warning

By the time Nameless came to his senses, he was already standing on the arena, facing Lei Ming. The referee beside them seemed to be explaining the rules—that the match was for friendly competition, both sides should stop at a light touch, and must not cause fatal injury, and so on. “When did I get up here?” That was Nameless’s first thought. It felt as if he’d blacked out for a moment; all he could remember was someone coming out and shouting loudly, followed by a surge of energy coursing through his body—and then a complete blank. “Looks like this is going to be a one-on-one duel. Am I done for?” Nameless knew his own martial arts capabilities well: he had the awareness but lacked the strength; his moves looked intimidating but couldn’t actually hurt anyone. If this was a one-on-one duel, wasn’t he definitely doomed? Some martial arts masters have been undefeated since leaving their valleys, never having suffered a single defeat. Nameless was the exact opposite. Ever since his soul was transferred here, he had never won a one-on-one duel—whether against bandits, the Poison Sovereign, the Divine Constable Zhui Feng, or even Shi Jingyu, Xiao Yan, and Yingyue, he couldn’t defeat any of them on his own. Every time he managed to win, it was mainly due to good luck and cunning tricks. In this one-on-one duel under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she likely couldn’t escape her fate. Nameless began to lose heart and sought help, glancing out of the corner of her eye toward Shi Jingyu. Shi Jingyu was standing beside the arena, looking extremely anxious, but she was too far away to offer any real assistance. Across from him, Lei Ming was still seething with rage, as if something had enraged him so deeply that he had to take it out on Nameless. The look in his eyes toward Nameless seemed bloodshot—it appeared this brutal battle was inevitable. What should he do? Standing on the stage, Nameless kept racking his brain for a way to respond. “Are you both ready, young heroes?” the referee asked once more. “We’ve been ready for a while,” Lei Ming said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, while Nameless, looking as if he’d just woken up, nodded dazedly. “All right, let the match begin.” With the referee’s command, Lei Ming charged forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, raising his left fist and slamming it down toward Nameless’s face. Although Nameless didn’t know martial arts, he had, after all, faced attacks from the Poison Sovereign and the Divine Constable Zhui Feng. Lei Ming was naturally no match for either of them, so Nameless didn’t panic as the punch came—he even thought the punch was a bit slow. Instead of dodging, he closed in, sticking to his all-or-nothing fighting style. He suddenly thrust out his right hand—precise and ruthless—and grabbed Lei Ming by the throat, roaring, “Don’t move!” ” Lei Ming was so startled he froze on the spot. In reality, if Lei Ming had been even slightly alert, he would have realized that although Nameless had grabbed him, there was absolutely no force behind the grip. Having trained in external martial arts for many years, Lei Ming could have broken free with the slightest effort; Nameless was completely incapable of harming him. If this had been a life-or-death struggle, he would have instinctively fought back and naturally reacted, but this was a martial arts contest. Lei Ming lacked the ferocity of a life-or-death battle, and secondly, Nameless’s reputation was simply too formidable—though he appeared to lack martial arts skills, that was merely Lei Ming’s assumption. When his vital point was seized by that one move, a cold sweat broke out on his brow. Terrified that Nameless might suddenly turn ruthless and strike to kill, he never even considered that this might be a feint—he was so frightened that he dared not move a muscle. The duel between Nameless and Lei Ming was decided in a single move, sending shockwaves through the entire arena. No one had ever seen such a fighting style before. No matter how poor Lei Ming’s martial arts might be, he was still the Second Senior Brother, and the Iron Palm Sect ranked among the top ten martial arts schools. Even Shi Jingyu, who was no match for Lei Ming, had been subdued by Nameless in a single move. Moreover, the ferocity of that strike was something even Shi Taifeng, the “Invincible Iron Palm,” could not have matched. Nameless’s martial arts seemed unfathomably profound, leaving the entire crowd in shock. Seeing that he’d achieved his goal, Nameless quickly withdrew his attack. He thought to himself, Thank goodness I didn’t give myself away, and continued to feign arrogance, bowing his hand haughtily with the air of a true hero: “You’ve been too kind.” The crowd erupted in thunderous applause! If there had been even a hint of skepticism when Nameless first arrived on the mountain, this moment filled everyone with profound respect for him. Truly, he lived up to his reputation as the Xiaoyao Hero, Nameless! Though his martial arts were formidable, he refrained from using lethal force—a sign of the magnanimity of a true hero, with a heart as vast as a ship’s hold. Shi Jingyu saw right through it all, chuckling to herself. “That actually worked? He actually managed to pull it off.” She was relieved he’d made it through unscathed—after all, deep down, she never wanted Nameless to be humiliated. Shi Taifeng was greatly surprised to see the outcome decided in a single move, which deepened his respect for Nameless. He hurried forward to smooth things over: “Thank you, Nameless Hero, for sparing my men. This old man will certainly return and discipline my subordinates properly. Please do not hold this against us.” After that single move, he had gone from addressing him as “Young Hero Wuming” to “Nameless Hero Wuming.” “You’re overthinking it, Senior. It’s just that I’m young and hot-headed—I climbed onto the stage in a moment of passion. I hope I didn’t hurt your brother. Later, Nameless will buy you a drink to make amends.” Nameless was very good at giving people a way out. “Haha, Nameless, you’re really a big-hearted guy. Come on, let’s keep drinking.” Shi Taifeng went with the flow, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued drinking and chatting with Nameless. So the group returned to the main hall to continue drinking and chatting, while Lei Ming had disappeared without a trace. After all the commotion, it was already getting late, and Nameless thought about getting up to take his leave. However, Shi Taifeng remained very hospitable, suggesting that since it was already late, Nameless should stay the night and leave the next day. In truth, Nameless really wanted to leave, but since he couldn’t make his way down Mogan Peak on his own, he had no choice but to stay. That evening, the Iron Palm Sect specially prepared a private suite for Nameless. The path leading to it wound through secluded gardens, and the surroundings were elegant and serene. It was said that Shangguan Feihong, the founding patriarch of the Iron Palm Sect, had once lived there, and the suite was generally reserved for distinguished guests only. Only after the last guests had left did Nameless finally find some peace. The day had been so eventful that he was utterly exhausted. Now that his mission was complete, he should find an opportunity to head back down the mountain. Strangely, Shi Taifeng hadn’t mentioned the arrangement to marry Shi Jingyu—which had been discussed before the banquet—since the tournament had ended, and Nameless felt awkward asking about it further. Although Shi Jingyu was a lovely woman, ever since arriving at Mogan Peak, Nameless had sensed that something was amiss. The members of the Iron Palm Sect were far too enthusiastic toward him—especially after he had subdued Lei Ming with a single move—and this feeling had only grown stronger. He couldn’t shake the impression that these people had ulterior motives, which was deeply perplexing. No matter how beautiful a woman might be, her charm was no match for one’s life; it would be best to head down the mountain as soon as possible. With his mind full of these thoughts, Nameless hurried back to Xiaoyao Valley. At least his master and senior brother wouldn’t harm him there. Besides, his martial arts were still far too weak—he needed to start training immediately. Thinking about martial arts, Nameless recalled that the head of the Li family in Suiyang County had given him a martial arts manual called “Spirit-Resonating Finger.” It was said to have been passed down through generations. Seizing this opportunity, he quickly dug it out to take a look. “Lingxi Yizhi” was said to have been the signature technique of a martial arts master from the past, but this art was not meant for offense—it was for defense. It was reputed to be able to neutralize any weapon with both hands, making it a unique defensive manual. Though “Spirit-Resonant Finger” is excellent, its requirements are extremely strict. There are two basic prerequisites: first, supreme lightness skills; second, superhuman reflexes. Additionally, there is an unspoken requirement—it can only be used in one-on-one combat; it becomes ineffective against multiple opponents because one cannot simultaneously parry all attacks. Due to these numerous restrictions, this martial art has all but disappeared from the Martial Arts World today. The Li family of Suiyang County are descendants of that predecessor, which is why they happened to preserve the manual. However, no one in the Li family is currently capable of practicing it. To prevent the manual from being lost to history and to express gratitude for Nameless’s rescue, they gave it to him. Upon receiving the manual, Nameless was overjoyed. He currently possessed no internal or external martial arts skills; his only advantage in a fight was his natural quick reflexes and swift strikes. With a bit of luck, he could intimidate his opponents, but he was completely incapable of inflicting serious injury. This martial art, however, was perfectly suited for him to cultivate. The only drawback was that Nameless lacked lightness skills; he could only use the “Pinch” technique—which was essentially a bluff—but it was still better than nothing. Nameless was diligently studying the “Spirit-Resonance Finger” when, before he knew it, it had grown late into the night. Just as he was gaining some insight, he suddenly heard what sounded like something falling in the courtyard, followed immediately by a knock at the door. Who could it be? Why do people always come knocking in the middle of the night? Nameless listened carefully; it sounded like Lei Ming from earlier that day standing outside the door. Could he be here to seek revenge? Nameless hesitated for a moment. Since he’d just mastered the “Spirit-Synchronized Finger,” why not test it out on him? While Nameless was still hesitating, he heard Lei Ming’s low voice calling from outside the door, “Is the Great Hero Wuming there? It’s Lei Ming. I have something important to tell you!”