Essence Chapter 002: The Captivating Mo Xuan (Part 2)

Qingcheng End Xuan (2) Word count: 4010\------------------------\ Qingcheng\ “Ling Xuan?” Xiao Qian's voice passed through the crowd into Ling Xuan's ears, calm and harmonious, as if the two were newly acquainted friends.\ “Mm.”\ The equally calm reply sounded, and Ling Xuan did not avoid Xiao Qian's gaze, meeting it steadily.\ Time seemed to wrap around the two of them; within this space, time flowed so slowly in Ling Xuan's eyes, while the world outside sped by.\ Such a strange feeling.\ “This is my place; outsiders are not allowed to set foot here.” A faint smile always lingered at the corner of Qian's mouth.\ Ling Xuan glanced at the tall rising buildings and, pointing at them, said to Xiao Qian, “We can try to communicate like I do with them.”\ The smile at the corner of Xiao Qian's mouth became even more evident: “I'd be delighted.”\ ……\ “Here she comes! Here she comes! Mo Xuan is here, look!” An exclamation suddenly rang out, like a burst of flames, instantly igniting the dry kindling around, and the flames grew fiercely in an astonishing manner.\ “Where? Where? Let me see. Don't push, don't push, I can't see!” a frail scholar shouted loudly, but his voice was immediately drowned out by the even noisier environment. Many people stretched on tiptoe, straining their necks like ducks to look toward the city gate.\ Ordinary people with no background or power could only squeeze along the sides of the street; whereas the wealthy sons, with extravagant gestures, occupied the eateries along Jasmine Street. Not for any particular reason—they just feared that the chaos would ruin their mood for “flower viewing.”\ Some powerful individuals directly used levitation techniques to rise above, not only enjoying peace but also a broad view—a perfect spot. But this was limited to the strong, so only a few dozen could actually levitate.\ Under the gazes of the crowd, filled with various emotions, Mo Xuan's carriage finally fully appeared in sight.\ The carriage was neither extravagantly luxurious nor decadently decorated; it held an elegant simplicity, subtle adornments that neither appeared plain nor overly fancy, giving a sense of comfort.\ As seeing the carriage was like seeing the person, the carriage, like Mo Xuan herself, brought a feeling of warmth and simplicity.The carriage slowly drove through the city gate, neither rushing nor slowing down. The soldiers guarding the city respectfully straightened up and saluted, watching as the carriage, the focus of thousands of eyes, headed toward Jasmine Street.

At this moment, the usually noisy Jasmine Street suddenly became calm, like an ordinary street. Onlookers instinctively stepped back a few paces, giving the people being helped a large open space. This was the minimum respect for Mo Xuan.

Finally, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the street. The curtain was pulled aside, and the maid stepped down first, waiting respectfully for her mistress.

"Even as a maid, she's an extraordinarily rare beauty. If it were me… Ow! Who hit me?!"

"You lecher! Haven't you seen enough of my unmatched beauty, and now you come here to feast your eyes? Fine, very well, see if I don't deal with you! Don't run! You scoundrel!"

"Mistress! Please listen to me! Listen to me! I'm innocent!…"

The shouting gradually faded, and everyone shook their heads with a smile. Yet many shamelessly glanced around, either opening a folding fan to hide their face, secretly moving toward areas with more men, or simply running toward home, glancing one last time at the maid before leaving. Unfortunately, even they didn't get to see Mo Xuan.

This happened every two months. Lucky married men might see her once or twice, unlucky ones might never see her at all...

At this moment, a slender hand gently pulled back the curtain, followed by a faint blue figure gliding out of the carriage and landing steadily in the center of the maids.

Even those who had already seen Mo Xuan couldn't help but mentally admire her. She was the kind of beauty that never grew tiresome. Even scholars with the highest literary talents didn't dare describe her face lightly in words, since their ornate phrasing could only diminish her unmatched beauty.

"Ladies, let's get to work." Her light, clear voice lingered in everyone's ears like an enchanting melody, leaving them mesmerized. This was no exaggeration, as some were already drooling, their eyes staring blankly, wandering aimlessly.

The aid distribution proceeded in an orderly manner. The people receiving assistance expressed constant thanks while collecting their supplies; in truth, they thoroughly enjoyed the moment. It wasn't that they were corrupt, but in such a situation, anyone would ‘succumb'.Furthermore, he went madly gambling in casinos. If he won, of course it would be the height of luck and everyone would be overjoyed; if he lost, he would be happy too, because that way he could get closer to Moxuan. Isn't that delightful?

……

“Brother, brother…”

“Uh, ah? Younger brother, are you calling me?”

“Sigh, what should I say… Seeing that you love Moxuan so deeply, why not boldly propose to her?”

“……”

“I think, since she is so easy to approach, as long as you honestly express your feelings to her, in my opinion, there's a chance it could work.”

“Younger brother… I… let's just drink.”

……

In the middle of Jasmine Street, Ling Xuan and Xiao Qian were still at a stalemate, neither making a rash move.

The people around were watching Ling Xuan with curious eyes; it had been a long time since anyone dared challenge Xiao Qian's authority.

Yet they all believed that Ling Xuan's actions were simply courting disaster.

Setting aside Xiao Qian's strength, just considering his background, no one in Qing City would dare provoke this local bully.

But why Xiao Qian chose to become a beggar was unknown. Therefore, Ling Xuan was basically seeking death. No one dared to speak up, as it could bring endless trouble to themselves.

“Ling Xuan, you better be careful!”

A sharp gleam flashed in Xiao Qian's eyes, like a pearl shining in the night. He lightly pressed his foot to the ground, and in an instant, his figure shot toward Ling Xuan at shocking speed.

This was the speed assassins were proudest of; for someone like Xiao Qian, this was satisfying!

Ling Xuan's pitch-black eyes fixed on Xiao Qian. He knew the opponent was tough, and his initial speed alone proved it.

“You too.”

Ling Xuan instead concentrated his strength into his fists, unleashing his advantage—superhuman strength!

Instantly, Xiao Qian gauged from Ling Xuan's movements what he intended, lightly tapped his feet again, and performed a front flip, gracefully passing over Ling Xuan. His downward kick suddenly gained tremendous force, striking fiercely at Ling Xuan's fists!

Using strength against strength? Fine, let's see whose power is greater!

Ling Xuan violently swung his fists, meeting Xiao Qian's attacking kick head-on without showing any weakness.

“Bang!”

A dull collision echoed. Xiao Qian let out a muffled groan, somersaulted several times in the air to dissipate the terrifying force, and only then did he land.On the other hand, Ling Xuan had only taken three steps back, but his breath had become unstable.

"Your strength is quite impressive," Xiao Qian said with a smile, without detecting any trace of anger.

Ling Xuan nodded and replied politely, "Your strength is far from mine, but I think my technique might not be as high as yours."

Ling Xuan did not exaggerate his abilities. From the brief clash just now, he could judge that Xiao Qian belonged to the type of assassin who relied on technique.

Xiao Qian did not expect Ling Xuan to openly state his own weaknesses. Was this disdain for her? No, of course not. This was admiration for his opponent.

Clearly, Ling Xuan felt gratified to encounter an opponent of the same level.

"Then, you need to be careful from now on," Xiao Qian said, immediately moving with agility, following Ling Xuan as if a phantom.

Ling Xuan did not worry about his own weaknesses and allowed Xiao Qian to enter his range; he wanted to gain a new challenge.

Here it comes!

Xiao Qian threw a straight punch at Ling Xuan, without any flashy movements. This type of attack is often the hardest to counter because skilled fighters can add countless variations to a simple punch, making it unpredictable.

But Ling Xuan had his own clever method. To counter such a move, as long as he responds with no specific move, the opponent has no move to contend with, making the punch ineffective.

Sure enough, seeing that Ling Xuan did not show any defensive action, Xiao Qian retracted her punch to the left and leaped to Ling Xuan's right.

Could it be that he knows how to counter my moves?

Xiao Qian's face remained calm, but many thoughts flickered through her mind.

"Why isn't he attacking?" Gao Shi looked at Xiao Qian in surprise. The boss had just thrown a punch, and before it even reached, he had withdrawn it. He couldn't understand anything.

Gao cast him a glance and said, "Don't make noise, just watch quietly."

Ling Xuan initiated the second round of attack. He continued to use his straightforward signature move, a sweeping hall kick. Xiao Qian reacted surprisingly fast, performing a forward flip and smashing her right foot down on Ling Xuan's head.

Ling Xuan made a rolling move to evade Xiao Qian's kick.

Great opportunity!

At the very moment Xiao Qian landed, Ling Xuan planted one hand on the ground and launched a scissor kick toward her.Xiao Qian's legs suddenly stiffened for an instant, and then a faint green light enveloped his lower body, easily deflecting Ling Xuan's attack.

"Protective energy? Have you reached the Foundation Establishment stage?"

Ling Xuan stood up and brushed the dust off his body.

Xiao Qian smiled and said, "That's right. I just broke through the Qi Refining stage and entered the early Foundation Establishment stage. I guess you must be in the late Qi Refining stage."

Ling Xuan nodded and said, "It seems there is still a gap between us. I underestimated you."

"Don't worry, I won't let you lose too badly. If you hadn't stepped into my domain, we could have been very good friends. But... I am a person with principles, so we cannot be friends." Xiao Qian dispersed the green protective energy, and his aura returned to a calm state.

Ling Xuan laughed and said, "I don't want you to hold back for me, because I will strive to surpass you. Also, I want to test my maximum strength at the moment."

"Then come!" Xiao Qian's expression stiffened, and he made a gesture into the void. Instantly, a green cross shattered the void and landed steadily in his hand.

"A treasure?!"

Those nearby who had been observing Xiao Qian gasped in disbelief.

How could ordinary cultivators like them easily obtain a treasure? Treasures like this were only possessed by families with considerable wealth and even then depended on rank and aptitude.

The treasure in Xiao Qian's hand appeared to be the lowest grade, a low-grade Yellow-tier treasure. This was partly due to his strength, just enough for Xiao Qian to wield a low-grade Yellow-tier treasure.

Few in Qingcheng could wield such luxuries.

"This is 'Sacred Protection.' It not only provides protective effects based on strength but also continuously heals the user," Xiao Qian explained, not hiding the information about his treasure from Ling Xuan, partly to disturb his mindset.

With this treasure's help, Xiao Qian's chances of winning had already greatly surpassed Ling Xuan.

"As expected, 'Zongheng' really dotes on his grandson. As soon as he acted, he handed out a treasure. What a big spender... hmph," a sarcastic voice came from a nearby tavern. The voice wasn't loud, but everyone around heard it.“Big brother, keep your voice down, they might be watching from the shadows. Now is not the time to provoke them…”

A very low voice of warning sounded. The previously mocking voice only hummed and then fell silent. Apparently, it was wary of that 'Zongheng.'

Ling Xuan did not show surprise like the others and said calmly, “Come on, I think this farce should end.”

Xiao Qian's eyes shone; he was increasingly appreciating the kid in front of him.

“Be careful!”

Xiao Qian silently recited a spell. The sacred protection emanated a faint cyan defensive aura that enveloped him, while he gathered all his strength for a final strike.

“Hah!”

A punch was thrown, the blurry cyan aura enveloping his fist, slamming toward Ling Xuan with lightning speed.

At this moment, his speed reached its peak, his figure turning into a blur as he rushed at Ling Xuan.

As he got closer…

The closer Xiao Qian got, the calmer he became. Time seemed to slow down, giving him more moments to think.

“Break!”

“Bang!”

To everyone's disbelief, Xiao Qian staggered back dozens of steps, unable to withstand that terrible power, and finally fell flat on the ground.

“How is this possible?!”

“Big boss Xiao Qian was supposed to win!”

“What just happened?”

…

“You've lost.” Ling Xuan looked at the aura <