Chapter 1001: Chapter 837: Quick, Block Him for Me

The man let out a muffled groan and quickly fled toward the old man.

The old man was using a Nine-section Whip to attack Ming Mo and Ming Yan. Ming Mo and Ming Yan immediately gripped their swords, forming a sword formation with their backs against each other.

If they got entangled by that Nine-section Whip, it would be difficult to escape.

The man was no match for Gu Chengyu and could only seek reinforcement from the old man. As he moved closer to the old man, he desperately defended against Gu Chengyu’s fierce attack.

Gu Chengyu saw his opponent seeking reinforcements but didn’t pay it any mind. For him, dealing with both of them together would be more efficient.

He originally intended to quickly take down the man and then deal with the old man. He feared Ming Mo and Ming Yan would not be able to hold off this person, and if he let him escape, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains.

Gu Chengyu flicked his sword, executing another tricky angle, making it nearly impossible for the man to defend.

The man’s wrist suddenly throbbed with pain, nearly causing him to lose grip on his saber. Already struggling to resist, now with a wound on his wrist from the Soft Sword, the cut was deep enough to show the bone.

This made his defense even more difficult. Gu Chengyu squinted his eyes, taking advantage of the opportunity to finish him off.

The man’s resistance was much weaker than before, gradually showing signs of defeat.

Gu Chengyu had already observed that the man’s left hand was injured by him, and his right hand tried to assist, but it was clear he usually used his left hand, making his right hand very uncoordinated.

The Soft Sword went from bottom to top, creating a flourish in front of the man’s chest. A flash of silver light passed by, striking towards the man’s right side.

Gu Chengyu feigned an attack, adding another wound to the man’s right chest.

The man realized that facing Gu Chengyu, he stood no chance and nearly lost his life to Gu Chengyu’s Soft Sword.

"Map Master, quickly block him for me." In his horror, he blurted out, forgetting the secret he had to keep.

Map Master, upon hearing Heba shout his name, silently cursed him as a fool.

He had repeatedly warned him not to shout his name. Even an idiot would remember after so many warnings, right?

Gu Chengyu, hearing the man’s accent, immediately sensed something was off. Hearing the name Map Master, he couldn’t help but form a connection in his mind.

But now was not the time for verification. This old man called Map Master was not easy to deal with. Ming Mo and Ming Yan were attacking him from both sides and weren’t gaining any advantage.

Gu Chengyu examined the old man’s moves, seeing how skillfully he executed them, suggesting he had practiced for many years.

Map Master swung the whip with a whoosh, his moves flexible and varied, sometimes enveloping like a silver dragon through clouds and mist, sometimes sweeping straight and hard like a spear.

Gu Chengyu rushed to Ming Mo and Ming Yan’s side without pausing. In this life-and-death battle, one must press on with full force; there was no room for a break.

The Soft Sword rose, the blade soft as silk, dodging the horizontally sweeping Nine-section Whip from Map Master, aiming for his wrist.

Sadly, since Map Master wielded a Nine-section Whip, also considered a flexible weapon, using softness to overcome hardness was not feasible here.

The swirling Nine-section Whip wrapped around Map Master’s body in a circle, just enough to block the Soft Sword’s attack.

Gu Chengyu frowned; the Nine-section Whip was indeed difficult to deal with. But they must resolve this quickly, as those few people in the teahouse should also be heading toward Jiangnan.

Once those people rested and resumed their journey, passing through here, would it not cause more trouble?

Gu Chengyu originally didn’t want anyone to discover he practiced martial arts. These people must have been sent by someone in the court. If they returned and reported to their master about his martial skills, how could he continue to play dumb while biding his time?

The people in the court would only become more wary of him due to his literary and martial prowess.

Gu Chengyu felt it best to take down this Map Master first, as the other man was no longer a concern.

With that in mind, Gu Chengyu retracted his move, then infused all his Inner Strength into the Soft Sword, shaking the blade.

The Soft Sword twisted like a serpent, arriving at Map Master’s chest. It suddenly transformed into a straight, hard longsword, piercing toward Map Master’s left chest.

Because Gu Chengyu had infused all his Inner Strength, combined with his Soft Sword being a treasure sword that could cut through iron like clay, the Nine-section Whip protecting Map Master’s chest was forcefully severed by Gu Chengyu’s blade, splitting into two.

The Soft Sword smoothly pierced into Map Master’s left chest, causing him to cry out in pain.

This strike was as swift as lightning, both fierce and elegant. Before Map Master could react, he already felt the stabbing pain in his chest.

Gu Chengyu succeeded with one strike and intended to stab even deeper, but unfortunately, the opponent’s reaction was quite nimble, not matching his age at all.

Map Master swung the remaining half of the Nine-section Whip in his left hand backhandedly, forcing Gu Chengyu’s sword out. Gu Chengyu silently lamented the lost opportunity, realizing it wouldn’t be easy to succeed as quickly again.

After all, that strike just now consumed no small amount of Inner Strength. He couldn’t recklessly unleash that sword again.

He needed to conserve some strength, who knows what surprises might come next.

Gu Chengyu concluded that Map Master’s Inner Strength was actually inferior to his, but what made Map Master difficult to deal with was his mastery of the Nine-section Whip.

Mastering the Nine-section Whip is not an easy task. And being a flexible weapon, coupled with Map Master’s ever-changing and agile techniques.

Moreover, what was remarkable was that when Map Master’s elbows transitioned, his lower body remained firm, somewhat restraining Ming Mo and Ming Yan’s three-foot sword blades.

Ming Mo and Ming Yan attacked from left to right, yet still couldn’t break through the opponent’s defense, leaving them at a stalemate.

Until Gu Chengyu intervened to break the deadlock, allowing Ming Mo and Ming Yan to breathe a sigh of relief.

Map Master glanced at the Nine-section Whip broken into two halves in his hand, feeling furious. He endured the pain in his chest, cursing Heba and Gu Chengyu countless times in his heart.

This Nine-section Whip had accompanied him for decades, given by his master when he became an apprentice. His master said he had great talent and always held high hopes for him.

After his master passed away, this became the only legacy his master left him.

The whip was made of Cold Essence Iron; it would be difficult to find another like it in this world!

Who would have thought that today, Gu Chengyu’s sword would actually break it? Was Gu Chengyu’s Soft Sword made of a material stronger than Cold Essence Iron?

But the Soft Sword’s blade was as thin as a cicada’s wings, soft like silk. Meanwhile, it was so resilient, making people envious.

Map Master stepped back a few steps, breathing heavily. Due to his injuries and the great consumption of Inner Strength, he was now struggling to hold on.

Gu Chengyu had long noticed Map Master’s diminishing stamina and presumably significant Inner Strength depletion.

Map Master didn’t have Inner Strength as profound as his; coupled with old age, and having taken a strike from him, he was not made of iron and would obviously struggle.

Gu Chengyu wouldn’t give them a chance to catch their breath. He shouted to Ming Mo and Ming Yan, "Let’s go together!"

Seeing Gu Chengyu and the others closing in, Map Master could only brace himself to fight back.