I am a swordsman in a strange city

Chapter 85 Private Swordsmanship Instruction
Several items were laid out there. The female Taoist priest wearing a mask looked at the sword token that the cave master's corpse in the coffin was holding in his right hand.

It was a bronze artifact about the size of a palm.

After the female Taoist priest picked it up and examined it closely, she confirmed that it contained a talisman for suppressing ghosts, as well as thunder incantations, fire incantations, and a decree to kill.

It was only about the length of a palm and the width of two fingers, like a small sword.

This thing also has another name, called Sword Coin, or Sword-shaped Ghost-Slaying Coin, and of course, in the hands of a sorcerer it is called Thunderfire Ghost-Slaying Sword Token.

Its shape resembles a sword, or perhaps a token.

She took it in her hand, rubbed it a few times, as if she had thought of something, slowly put it down, and then picked up the silver silk again. It actually contained records of what she had made after communicating with the spirit world.

The inscription on the silver silk reads: "Huang Daoshi's Records of His Journey to the Underworld".

After reading for a while, the female Taoist priest slowly put it down.

As for the bead that emitted golden light under the lamp, she only glanced at it casually before putting it down, then touched the golden crown and carefully felt its texture.

No one could see her expression through the mask.

"Taoist Master, which one do you want?" Tian Xiaomei asked cautiously, afraid that the female Taoist would take them all without giving them anything.

"I want them all." The female Taoist's cold voice didn't sound like a joke at all, which made Tian Xiaomei's heart skip a beat.

One of her uncles and a cousin immediately changed his expression and said, "Taoist Master, you mustn't take advantage of her."

"If I were to take advantage of you in your time of need, you would all be dead." The female Taoist priest spoke calmly, but she was very serious.

Everyone, including Tian Xiaomei, dared not speak, looking at the female Taoist with trepidation. The female Taoist was tall and slender, and even after coming down into this cave tomb, she was still clean. If one saw her from another place, they would definitely think she was a high-level Taoist cultivator, and perhaps she was. Otherwise, why would she wear a mask?

“I can save them both. If you take them out like this, their souls will remain here and won’t be able to go back. They will eventually have to come back here, and by then, their souls will probably be corrupted by this darkness.”

Tian Xiaomei looked back at her uncle and cousin, and the three of them were at a loss for what to do.

“I don’t want it all. You can keep this gold bead, but give me the gold crown and sword token. Make a copy of the silver silk and take it with you. I’ll help you heal them. If you ever go into a tomb again, you can come find me.”

Tian Xiaomei looked at her uncle Tian Dacheng. Tian Dacheng thought for a moment and thought it was alright. He thought the gold bead was the best. Of course, the sword token looked very good, but they thought the gold bead was better.

The purpose of that golden crown, once it reaches their hands, is to be sold for money; they certainly wouldn't want to wear it themselves.

Like the silver and silk, he also sold it for money. Although the prints would fetch much less, it was still better than nothing.

Besides, she's now helping to save her two older brothers.

So Tian Dacheng agreed.

Then she witnessed a soul summoning ceremony that looked extremely professional, yet also extremely simple.

The soul-summoning ceremony looked simple yet professional. It was simple because no special tools were used, and professional because the patterns drawn on the ground made them feel mysterious.

In the end, after she recited a spell, the darkness deep within the tomb surged toward the two people lying on the ground, as if countless souls were about to pour into her body. However, the female Taoist reached out and grabbed into the darkness, then slapped the forehead of the person lying on the ground.

"Get out of the way!" the female Taoist priest shouted in a low voice, her voice as strong and powerful as metal, and the billowing black mist immediately dissipated.

The three of them were stunned by what they saw. Then they saw the two people lying on the ground slowly wake up. Tian Xiaomei immediately asked cautiously, "Sister Daoist, which Taoist temple do you cultivate in? May I go there to offer incense?"

"No need. I'll contact you if I need anything in the future. You can contact me if you need to go into the tomb again." After saying that, the female Taoist turned and walked out of the tomb.

……

Pei Ju went to the Lotus Theater again, and after returning, he told Chen Sheng that he didn't want to go there to play the flute anymore.

Then Chen Sheng spent the whole afternoon trying to persuade him.

Normally, when he went there, no one would say anything, but now everyone's gaze was different, making him feel uncomfortable.

However, Wang Jing called him today and told him that he had helped him get a private coaching job, gave him the address, confirmed the time, and told him to just go there in the evening.

These days, only people from wealthy families can afford to hire a private trainer, but when he was about to go out, someone actually came to his door.

It was the police. They found Pei Ju and mainly asked him if he had been to the Suspended Mirror Research Institute. They asked him a bunch of questions, such as why he went there and what he saw.
Pei Ju had nothing to hide and answered truthfully. The two police officers took his statement, had him sign it, and then left.

However, before leaving, they reminded us: "There are some places that are best avoided because they are dangerous. If you encounter danger there and feel unwell afterward, you can go directly to the Cleansing Bureau."

Pei Ju knew they were afraid that those who went in would be parasitized.

It's getting late.

He took a taxi and arrived at the address Wang Jing had given him. On the way, Wang Jing called him and asked why he hadn't gone.

Pei Ju explained to him that he was delayed because the police came to his door to take a statement.

When he arrived at the address, he saw a villa complex. Wang Jing, as the president of the Kendo Association, had a great reputation. Moreover, his own Kendo skills were among the highest in Hai City. Therefore, people who wanted to learn swordsmanship, especially those who were influential, always liked to ask him for advice. He recommended Pei Ju to this family.

Someone brought him in.

He entered a small sports field behind the villa, and when he arrived, he found that he was not waiting for one person, two people, or even three people, but a group of them.

There were about ten people.

Everyone was holding a sword.

Those swords were clearly real swords, not wooden swords or practice swords, and each sword had a very beautiful blade.

They come in various colors, different styles, and are inlaid with different gemstones.

Of course, there are also swords that look simple, but even if they look simple, they are only simple in appearance. Simplicity is just the style of the sword, not the reason why the sword is cheap.

All eyes were on him.

These people were either sitting or standing, some even practicing with their swords. They were all quite young, but there was a subtle, almost overwhelming, presence surrounding two people: a young boy and girl.

He knew that he was there to teach two people, a boy and a girl.

Pei Ju couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If he had known there were so many people here, he wouldn't have come.

In the eyes of the young men and women, Pei Ju was dressed plainly. Apart from his black hair being tied up in a bun, which made him look somewhat unique, his eyes seemed to look at everyone as if they were mountains, rocks, grass, and trees.

"What's so great about it?" someone in the crowd said.

Pei Ju certainly wasn't trying to be arrogant, but that's just how he was.

The way to not care about other people's opinions is to imagine them as grass, trees, stones, or a group of cats and dogs.

"President Wang recommended you to my father, saying that although you don't have a professional certificate, your swordsmanship is exceptional. We didn't quite believe it."

A young man stood up, leaned on his sword, and shouted loudly.

This prompted other girls to echo the sentiment.

Pei Ju glanced at the other person and said, "Don't believe me? Then I'll leave?"

For Pei Ju, it wasn't that he absolutely had to come here; it was just that he knew he had emotional problems and needed to interact with more people to alleviate them.

One of the reasons he quit his job as a flute player in the drama troupe was that he found himself getting caught up in a media storm. He saw videos and photos of himself circulating online, and although most people loved him, the exaggerated expressions of admiration made him feel uneasy, so he quit his job as a flute player.

He thought teaching swordsmanship was a good idea, and it was something he believed he could do well.

However, since others have doubts, let's leave it at that and ask Wang Jing to recommend someone else.

His answer, however, left everyone present feeling somewhat puzzled.

Everyone had only one thought in their minds.

I was just expressing my doubts, and my purpose was to get you to demonstrate your swordsmanship. What, you're leaving already?
Is she really that individualistic? Who is she trying to sulk with?

Moreover, you were almost half an hour late!
"Hmm!" Many people joined in the commotion.

"No, buddy, you're really too arrogant. Who are you trying to impress? People who know you are just sword instructors, but others would think you're the Sword Master Mu Qing."

An older boy stood up. He was about fifteen or sixteen years old and looked to be in high school. He was also tall, and his hand holding the sword looked strong and powerful.

As soon as this person spoke, someone else immediately chimed in: "Are you scared? Don't you have any real skills? You're only a few years older than us, and you don't even have a professional certificate. Chairman Wang has been praising you like a flower. I'm going to tell my dad later that Chairman Wang has put a connection in our family. Let's see what he'll say when he sees you."

Pei Ju was about to leave, but after hearing these words, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the girl. She had small braids and was wearing a white training uniform. She was sitting there, with several other girls sitting around her.

Surprisingly, she didn't sit in the middle of that group of people, but rather on the side.

This shows that she is not part of that group of people, but she does have a few sisters around her, indicating that she is not the kind of person who is aloof. Rather, she should make friends based on quality rather than quantity, or rather, she should only seek out those who are pleasing to her and whose personalities match hers.

Among those who had previously egged them on, their side was relatively quiet.

Her words were also intended to put Pei Ju in a difficult position. Pei Ju was introduced by Wang Jing, so of course she couldn't really ruin Wang Jing's reputation and make it difficult for him to meet people in the future.

So he stopped, turned around, and faced the crowd once again. The young men and women watched him silently, waiting to see what he would say.

“Swordsmanship is not a performance. I cannot demonstrate the subtlety of swordsmanship by myself. Why don’t you send someone up to demonstrate together? The people in the audience will then be able to tell whether it is good or not.”

Before Pei Ju could finish speaking, the short-haired boy who had spoken first said, "We are definitely no match for you. You could be a coach. You were recommended by Chairman Wang. We are just novices. How can we possibly compete with you in sword fighting?"

He glanced back at everyone, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Even if we're going to have a competition, it shouldn't be one to one, but rather one to many."

Pei Ju looked at him, then at the other restless youths. They were clearly waiting for his approval. He thought of how he had diligently practiced swordsmanship at home after learning it, and how he longed to find an opportunity to spar with some skilled opponents.

He just never had the chance back then, so he often ended up fighting.

He knew that they would be very happy as long as he nodded, and Pei Ju could also tell that these people had not only practiced for a month or two, but had probably practiced for several years.

"Since you want to, then bring more people. Come on up if you want." After Pei Ju finished speaking, he stretched out his hand without saying anything. Before the others knew what he meant, the girl with many small braids had already stood up and walked over quickly, placing her sword in Pei Ju's hand.

The sword is entirely white except for the hilt, which is wrapped with a red ribbon, and a ruby ​​is inlaid on the hilt.

Pei Ju drew his sword, feeling its weight; it wouldn't exceed one pound. He casually twirled the sword, feeling that the balance of the weight was excellent.

"Wow!"

As he twirled his sword, the boys and girls immediately exclaimed "Wow!" But from their tone, it was clear that it wasn't admiration, nor was it pure mockery.

Pei Ju swung his sword, and the blade trembled. This sword was not a hard sword, but one with excellent flexibility.

He had one hand behind his back and the other holding a sword, pointing it diagonally at the ground, without saying a word.

When charisma is questioned, others won't acknowledge it. Only when you truly conquer others with your abilities will even your casual pose be studied and considered handsome.

As soon as he stood still, five people stood up and drew their swords.

"Teacher, we're just beginners. Five of us together shouldn't be a problem, right?" the tall boy said.

“Okay.” Pei Ju did not refuse.

The tall young man opposite immediately said, "Let's all go together! This teacher is a top-tier private coach recommended by Chairman Wang. Don't be afraid of hurting him."

Beside the girl who gave Pei Ju the sword, someone whispered, "Gao Mingkai has been practicing swordsmanship at the Zhanfeng Sword Arena for several years. The formal disciples there have all learned swordsmanship since they were young. I heard that even if someone with high swordsmanship can easily win in a one-on-one fight, it is very difficult to win against multiple opponents."

"Moreover, they are teachers and cannot hurt people, which makes it even more difficult," someone added.

Just as they were talking, the tall young man named Gao Mingkai, while beckoning others to come forward, suddenly took a step forward and thrust his sword straight at Pei Ju's throat.

(End of this chapter)