"Sunborne Blade: Excise!"
And with that declaration, he brought down the sword of pure light towards Xu Hui Cheh, and she herself who still had the Weapon Soul: Saber Mind of her on full offense, cannot hope to brute force through this attack.
Since the Yu Clan Sunborne Foundation is about three thousand Resonance active all at once, that's the same as being hit by a Corrosion, though Yu Shua Bi one might be on the weaker side, Xu Hui Cheh doesn't want to fuck around and find out.
In a pinch like this, Xu Hui Cheh heart flares into a blazing fury, to think that she would be cornered by two greenhorns when she herself had once faced one of the Profaned One, the Cruel Demon and survive.
Unacceptable, fucking impossible.
"You are all just a fucking…!"
Her eyes then glow golden, activating her sword, Jin-Xiwang ability once more.
'Kama rewrites All'
"Nuisance!!!!"
And Yu Shua Bi sword that was just about to crash with its pure force of energy, dissipates in an instant, gone, without a trace. As if it was never there to begin with, the ground shows no sign of being affected by it too.
And as Yu Shua Bi stands there, awkwardly in a pose of mid swinging the non-existent sword, looked around in shock. Only when Xu Hui Cheh scream did he pulled himself back up together.
"You fucking shit… Motherfucker…. All of you!"
She hurls insults upon insults, as her face eventually contorts into an ugly contempt and fury, and what she herself felt is something so annoying, that her entire body seems to be set aflame.
Before that flame converges into her back to form a sort of angry orange halo, a Dharmic Wheel of pure energy, a clear sign of a Xiantian.
"To make me use 'Kama' twice per-day…"
Yu Shua Bi was then stuck in place, his heart beats so hard and so frantically that it feels like it might burst out of his chest, his stomach seems to drop as bead of cold sweat falls endlessly.
What he felt was a true Killing Intent, one that is so extreme that it manifests itself as a physical force.
"…I'll make you pay for this, no more game! I kill you all!"
But before she could follow through with that intent, a figure stood in the periphery of the gate. Someone with a body so bloated one might think he's a gourd incarnated into a human.
He wears an elegant golden robe with meticulously intricate embroidery covering almost the entire thing in different textures, pattern and color. Creating a garb that could honestly be such a high quality enough that an Emperor could use it.
"Enough Blade Demon…."
Though his body is ridiculous, the charisma he exudes is no joke. Standing there as he was surrounded by a hundred guards who each blared their Aura, creating a sort of rainbow-like shield of flowing energy around him.
'…All of them are Peak Internal Realm'
Yu Shua Bi remarks, wondering just how One could be able to afford these many martial masters as mere guards around him.
"…What are you doing here?"
Xu Hua Chieh said, though bitter in its tone, something behind it suggest that she tries not to speak rudely to him.
His appearance also prompted her to turn off her Dharmic Wheel, the previously blazing orange soon dissipates as smoke.
"I was sleeping so very peacefully, and then I heard a large enough commotion to shake the building itself and scare off a rat the size of a cat straight to my own bed! Of course, I'll wake up at such… Tone deafening spectacle y'all are performing"
The gourd belly man speaks, and with each hurl of his spite-filled words, his belly shakes ever so slightly.
"Listen here Blade Demon, I help you get that nice blade of yours. So please, don't act like a child that just wants to swing their toy around!"
His tone demanding, and somehow Xu Hui Cheh felt ashamed and furious, Yu Shua Bi was surprised that she was able to hold herself back not to swing her sword immediately at him, given how she acts throughout the fight.
"And you… I don't know what brought the son of Yu Shiyi Hua Fei here, but I would at least welcome you as a guest still"
The man speak as he shifts his attention to Yu Shua Bi, he had forgotten that he announced his real name at the heat of the moment, in front of Nanming no less. But maybe it's fine, he is still unconscious.
"…"
Or not, Nanming body that was sprawled against the ground slowly rises, and as he did, he shift his attention to the gourd bellied man.
"…I assume you're the Golden Boar"
Nanming said, with deadpan delivery and almost insensitive tone given the current atmosphere of the place, though Yu Shua Bi had always seen him as this mysterious and aloof warrior of few words, it seems that he is quite literally unable to feel any expression.
'But wait, the Golden Boar? Holy shit he gains some weight! A lot of weight!'
Yu Shua Bi thought as he stole a glance on the gourd bellied man, still finding it quite surprising that he is the Golden Boar, sure the outfit he wore is extremely expensive, no it's clear that he is the Golden Boar with that kind of outfit, Yu Shua Bi is just stupid to not make the realization.
"I am, and I heard you both have some business to do with me. Come then, let us discus it inside"
The Golden Boar said as he ordered his guards to fetch and welcomed Nanming and Yu Shua Bi. His face then shifts to look at Xu Hui Cheh who already sheath her golden saber.
"You too…"
The Golden Boar voice was hoarse and deep when calling Xu Hui Cheh, she herself, complied silently, though Nanming can hear a subtle grumble coming from her.
As the group walked inside the manor complex, they were greeted with a screen wall, showing auspicious symbols such as the Vermillion and Phoenix among many others.
"Young master Yu, I implore you to precede me"
The Golden Boar said, as he regards Yu Shua Bi with crafted sincerity, though he cleverly hides the fakeness by closing his eyes.
"…Master Golden Boar is far too kind, though honored I am, the master of the house should bear the honor"
Yu Shua Bi responded.
The usual easygoing-ness of Jing-U was nowhere to be found, in its place, the honorable and respected young master of the Yu Clan takes its place.
"To think that a lowly merchant like I were to receive praise from the master of the Orthodoxy, but please, this humble self ask you to lead the way"
The Golden Boar responded once more, from behind Nanming, Xu Hui Cheh clicked her tongue.
"Fucking Confucianist bastard, taking too long on propriety for the sake of playing with words"
She grumbles, in a low voice that could honestly be treated as a passing wind.
"I'm afraid that I must pass on the honor, prestigious blood run through my vein indeed, but it needs no reverence from you Master Golden Boar"
And at that, the Golden Boar nods, relenting it seems. He took the lead and guided the group inside.
Once they rounded the screen wall, the inner courtyard came into view. Flanked by stone garden on each corner, a neatly pruned plum blossom tree alongside some patches of bamboo groves provides some shade.
Though the plum blossoms have yet to bloom, Nanming could easily imagine the beautiful scene of a pink flower decorating the white marble used as a floor.
And just beyond the inner courtyard, a towering building connected to its annex on each side of colored red, intricately carved gold and silver tablet lined the support beam meant for the roof, while the statue of Hu Ye guard the pathway up the building, its clear that it was the main house.
And what Nanming was surprised about, was the fact that the Golden Boar lead them towards the main house rather than the guest house on the left of them, separated from the rest.
And watching Yu Shua Bi subtle twitch means that he was also taken by surprise, and as they reach the edge leading inside the main house, the Golden Boar attendant, a beautiful woman wearing a white dress comes out.
In her hand was a tray, exactly 3 cups made of clay, with subtle gold crack resembling a vein running through it, and a pitcher of the same construction was in the same tray, the subtle movement of steam suggested a sort of tea was inside.
And as the attendant poured steaming hot tea inside each of the cups, filling about 70% of it, she set the tray down to the nearest low-table and presented a cup to Yu Shua Bi first who accepted and drinks it in one movement.
Nanming was next, he could see the attendant stealing a glance towards him, flustered cheek caused her warm skin to be decorated with rosy undertone. And as Nanming accepted the cup, he could feel a slight, yet intentional brush of fingers from the swift-handed attendant, taking its chance to feel Nanming own cold skin.
He copies Yu Shua Bi action and drinks hot tea in one go, what he expected to be a scalding liquid turns into a pleasantly warm drink of a tea mixed in with honey, its obvious just how much care the Golden Boar were putting in greeting Yu Shua Bi.
He couldn't take a glance on what Xu Hui Cheh responded with, but he can hear the gulping noise of her coming from behind, she might have some experience doing this kind of stuff.
"I sincerely apologize for receiving the young master entourage with such a lowly service and receptance"
The Golden Boar said as he stands aside, allowing Nanming to see the full architecture of the house.
"I understand the peculiarness of my visitation, thus it will be inappropriate for me to look down at what worst, could be infer to as a kind gesture"
Yu Shua Bi said as he smiles, but at the Golden Boar next action, his smile twitched, trying it's hardest not to contort into something unpleasant.
And the reason for this is the Golden Boar, for he had presented the Seat of the Guest of Honor to Yu Shua Bi, and he had no excuse but to accept sitting there, with the Golden Boar taking the seat left of him and Nanming directly across from the Golden Boar.
Xu Hui Cheh took the seat beside Nanming, and she seems to be smart enough not to smoke, given how her hand lingers restlessly besides where she stores the smoking pipe.
"It will be inappropriate of me to leave a guest in their torturous state of an empty stomach"
The Golden Boar said, and just like before, Yu Shua Bi retorts.
"Please Master Golden Boar, my visitation would then become that of me, shamelessly eating my fill from your goodwill"
"Haha! It will be an honor of me, a sign that my attendant has made a meal worthy enough to let the young master wanting more!"
The Golden Boar then signals for the same attendant that pours tea to come, and as she beckons towards the Golden Boar in a long, yet elegant and somewhat shy strides, she leans in to hear the Golden Boar whispers.
And as she nods, she quickly leaves the main chamber, clever enough not to ogle Nanming in the presence of her master.
"Now… With propriety out of the way, I wanted to make myself clear that I do not like intruder in the slightest"
The Golden Boar face slowly contorts into that of vicious contempt, but he still maintains a sliver of those smile, albeit faintly.
"Though I am in good term with the Yu Clan, thus I am willing not to blow this whole charade out of proportion"
The Golden Boar said, and in response, Yu Shua Bi cast his gaze downward before his brow sharpened. His finger silently and restlessly tapping on the handrest of his chair.
"But I need something done, I want an item personally brought to me"
"Heh, so much talk as the best merchant, couldn't procure a single item when your 'trash' house were filled treasure?"
Xu Hui Cheh viciousness returns, and this time, she had already inhaled the smoke from within her pipe, before the wafting aroma of the drug infused plume of fog emanates from her mouth and nose.
"…This applies to you Blade Demon, or would you pay me 100 Gold for that Blade instead?"
"Tch, once a merchant always a merchant, should I sell a baby for that as well?"
Nanming was at awe with her insult, she is at least on par with Yi Ling in term of crafting mockery.
And for the baby part, he remembers a famous tale of a merchant selling their baby for some silvers, but then he regrets doing so and is now willing to pay for any baby resembling their own blood, thus the saying; 'though greedy are the fiend, they would not do so far as to sell their own kin, less they be lower than merchant'.
And the Golden Boar expression to her mockery is ugly to say the least.
"Watch your mouth Xu Hui Cheh, those words were unbecoming of you, given that your own baby—"
"I. Will. Cut. That. Fucking tongue of yours if you continue!"
"Go ahead then, say goodbye to your baby in the meantime"
"…"
Their back and forth plunge the room into a tension so palpably thick that it could suffocate both Nanming and Yu Shua Bi, the temperature of the room that was once pleasantly warm, becomes stinging cold.
As Xu Hui Cheh face contorts in such a way that the muscle constraints led to her eyes bleeding out, and once she noticed, she immediately shift her state of mind and wipe the blood off with her bare hand.
The smoking pipe lay on the floor, the drug inside spilt forth into the wooden tiles. No one had realized that Xu Hui Cheh dropped it, they only noticed the fact when Xu Hui Cheh leans forward to grab it.
"…We're getting off tracked here, young master Yu and his… friend I presume"
The Golden Boar then regards Nanming, he hardly reacts when looking at his face and would instead shift his focus fully back to Yu Shua Bi.
"Regarding about finding an item for me"
The Golden Boar put his hand inside the sleeve of his robe, before he procures a scroll deep within and reveals its inscription to the table where both Yu Shua Bi and Nanming could see.
"I search for a spice known as the Marble Salt, it can only be found near the Great Desert, so I want you both to go West and procure the Marble Salt"
The Golden Boar said, leaving no room for refusal, his charisma and social skill even prevent Yu Shua Bi from trying to speak out by always cutting him off when he did try to speak.
"No need to worry about where it might be, I have my associates in Hang-Bei that will lead you to the location, all you're required to do is to get the Marble Salt and head straight to me"
The Golden Boar states, and not even a beat later Xu Hui Cheh words barks out like a dog in the night with how sudden and sour sounding it is.
"So, the Golden Boar decided to hire two greenhorns despite his 'girthy' and 'mirthful' influence I see"
She said while smiling, and from a corner of her mouth she inhales the smoke once more, the Golden Boar face turned sour at her barks, and he decided to bite back.
"Damn it will you relent? I've done my end of the bargain twice! All you needed to do is found out where those Camelot hounds are hiding!"
They soon develop back into a bickering contest where Yu Shua Bi desperately wanted to step away from, hearing such foul words filled with ill intent really sting his heart even when he isn't the one being insulted, nor does he belong to their back and forth of venom laced words.
But Nanming mind himself reels back into that of thinking, for the word 'Camelot' struck his mind. An unknown words, or a name of a faction considering the Golden Boar said hounds in plural.
And the fact that the Golden Boar see it fits that a Killing Star is needed for that task is already a proof to just how dangerous or at least bothersome the faction had become.
But before he could draw any conclusion, the feast had arrived. No more than eight servant enters the chamber, all of them were male. In each of their hands was a bronze tray, intricately designed to show off its expensive manufacturing process.
And in those trays were meals and drinks, far larger than a group of four people could possibly digest, as they set the food down, the aroma of spices and pleasant smoke of meat filled the air once filled with spit and smoke.
"The food had arrived, please forgive me for such a simple offering"
The Golden Boar said, what was once a foul mouth showering hurls of insults and harsh words now return to a proprietary filled Host of a banquet.
"Surely you jest Master Golden Boar, such feast is worthy of a king"
Yu Shua Bi respond, his constructed smile returns in response to the sudden politeness and conformity of the Golden Boar.
"slurp… Now this is worth taking a job from that gourd bellied beast!"
Xu Hui Cheh even salivates her mouth and store her smoke back in favor for stuffing herself full of the meal, she had entirely forgotten that she and the Golden Boar had been locked in duel of vicious mockery.
After all the food has been set down, all eight of the servant bows, and in their place four women arrived, two carrying a jug of wine while the other distributes a cup to everyone in the table.
"I hope none of you are ascetic, or would you prefer tea instead—"
"Wine is fine!"
Xu Hui Cheh responds, already bringing forth her own cup towards one of the women who held a jug and the women happily pours her cup full of the clear white wine.
The Golden Boar face contorts slightly at her gesture but made no attempt to reprimand her as his own cup were filled with wine as well, so does Yu Shua Bi and Nanming cup respectively.
"Now we shall feast, indulge ourselves in the bounty of Hazhui!"
And the feast began.