Martial Hero Rebirth

Chapter 16: Yu Hai pledges his allegiance

Outside of the courtyards for new disciples, a group of new disciples had gathered into a circle. Their eyes were wide open and they would scream from time to time.

Inside the circle, two silhouettes could be seen as well as their swords that kept flashing around.

They kept fought and tangled to each other.

One of them had a tall yet thin body. He looked like around someone around twelve or thirteen years old.

Holding his sword, that youth's eyes were filled with resolution.

Facing attacks from his opponent, he was neither panic nor in a hurry. He was calmly facing his opponent.

The sword in his hand kept displayed various kind of defence posture. Sometimes he could even attack while defending which caused the onlookers' eyes to shone brightly.

This youth was none other than Jiang Xiaoyu.

Jiang Xiaoyu didn't have his usual lively and smart look during battle. Instead, he seemed to be slow and steady, just like a seasoned martial artist.

His sword techniques' foundations were solid. He was also skillful in movement techniques. When he was dodging, he didn't shift his body by a lot, thus saving a lot of energy and achieving his goal with minimum effort.

However, his opponent kept using flashy moves and attacked like raging waves, trying to show off his ability.

He was like a swallow who flew up and down, revolving around Jiang Xiaoyu.

He seemed to have the upper hand with his raging waves-like attack.

However as time went on, due to great consumption of energy, be it the speed of wielding his sword or his movement speed had slowed down significantly.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. However, he didn't rashly counter-attacked.

Instead, he became even calmer. He attacked and defended smoothly.

The balance of victory started to lean towards him with the passage of time.

Finally, the opponent didn't have more energy to attack. Even his defence had showed many openings.

Jiang Xiaoyu's eyes lit up once again, just like a shining star. He regained his smart look.

He executed his movement technique and dashed forward.

He launched his attacks accompanied by shua shua sounds.

White Clouds Emerge!

Abundant Wealth!

His opponent wasn't able to defend against those two consecutive moves. As such, Jiang Xiaoyu managed to break through his defence and landed his sword on his opponent's shoulder.

"I've lost. The eightieth courtyard belongs to you now!"

His opponent looked at the sword on his shoulder dejectedly. He even had goosebumps due to the chill he felt from the sword. Then he cupped his hands and let out the eightieth courtyard.

"Wow!"

The onlookers were adrenalized. They pointed at Jiang Xiaoyu excitedly and discussed about him.

"Rank eighty. To think that Jiang Xiaoyu is at rank eighty now!"

"Jiang Xiaoyu's strength has increased by leaps and bounds in just a few days. Not only that he has entered the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, he is even placed at the eightieth rank. This is just too exaggerated!"

"Though this Jiang Xiaoyu can't be compared to Senior Brother Lin Yi who defeated twenty seats in a day, but that Senior Brother Lin Yi is too sick that he can't be compared. However, the progress of Jiang Xiaoyu is surprising indeed!"

"Yeah, he has indeed progressed by a lot. From what I remember, this brat's martial arts is just so-so that he can't even defeat me. I've been wondering what miraculous medicine had he eaten? To be able to progress by this much? Not only his sword techniques' progress, somehow his fightning stance seems to have seasoned as well? I remember clearly that he was a fledgling who has never practised martial arts, right?"

"Hehe, you don't know about this, right? Jiang Xiaoyu had been frequenting the first courtyard and receiving an expert's guidance!"

"First courtyard Isn't that Senior Brother Lin Yi who defeated the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, even Han Bai?"

"That's right. It's that Senior Brother Lin Yi. This Jiang Xiaoyu and Senior Brother Lin Yi had lived together in the thatched hut for a month and developed deep friendship. I know Senior Brother Lin Yi's personality. He is gentle by nature, moreover he liked to give out guidance. It was said that each time he defeats an opponent, he'd point out the flaws of his opponent. Jiang Xiaoyu whom has been frequenting the first courtyard these days is being guided by Senior Brother Lin Yi!"

"So that's why. Then it's no wonder that Jiang Xiaoyu could progress at rapid pace. With the capability of Senior Brother Lin Yi and his sword techniques' comprehension, it would be weird if Jiang Xiaoyu didn't improve at all! If I could receive Senior Brother Lin Yi's guidance, I can also enter the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples!"

"Yeah, I also hoped to get Senior Brother's guidance. Even if he didn't guide me personally, just a few advice would do!"

"Ai, unfortunately we don't have any relationship with Senior Brother Lin Yi. What a pity!"

Those new disciples looked at Jiang Xiaoyu then glanced at the first courtyard. All of their eyes seemed to be lit up in fire.

Amidst the crowd, Yu Hai heard the discussions around him then he looked at Jiang Xiaoyu who moved into the eightieth courtyard triumphantly. A trace of envy flashed past his eyes.

As someone at the hundredth rank, after being defeated by Lin Yi, though Lin Yi didn't take away his courtyard, as Lin Yi won the first seat, all the other seats were shifted backwards.

Hence, he naturally lost his status in the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples. Even his courtyard was taken over by the previous ninety-ninth seat.

The current him was driven out from the courtyards and re-admitted into thatched hut just like the others. His situation was quite tragic indeed.

Viewing from another perspective, Jiang Xiaoyu was merely a brother of Senior Brother Lin Yi. Yet, due to his relationship with Senior Brother Lin Yi, he actually managed to enter the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples, at the eightieth rank at that!

One must know that based on talent alone, Yu Hai was much stronger than Jiang Xiaoyu!

However, even Jiang Xiaoyu could enter the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples!

As the former hundredth seat, Yu Hai was unwilling to accept this.

"If only Senior Brother Lin Yi could guide me as well, I'd surely be able to do better than Jiang Xiaoyu!"

Yu Hai was yelling out in his heart. After he was defeated by Lin Yi and obtained a few advice from him, his sword techiques had improved by a lot. In addition, he had also personally seen Lin Yi's unmatched bearing when he defeated the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples and won the first courtyard.

Deep in his heart, he had long regarded Lin Yi as a celestial being.

He took a deep look at the first courtyard and made a decision.

A determined look flashed past his eyes then he clawed through the crowd and steadily walked in the direction of the first courtyard.

His strange action was found out by a lot of people, where some of them cried out in alarm.

"Isn't that the former hundredth seat, Yu Hai? What is he going to do?"

"He is walking in the direction of the first courtyard. Could it be that he is unwilling to lose the position of hundredth seat and want to ask for Senior Brother Lin Yi's guidance?"

"Will he be successful? It is said that Senior Brother Lin Yi is doing closed-door practice everyday, preparing to duke it out with the old disciples for the positions in the ranks of one hundred strongest lower courtyard disciples!"

"I think it will be difficult. Where do Senior Brother Lin Yi find so much time to guide him?"

"Let's bet on whether he can enter the first courtyard!"

"That's my thought as well. I will bet one hundred silver taels on he can't even make it past the door!"

"I will bet five hundred taels on he will be shutted out!"

"."

Though he could hear numerous ridicule and unfavourable voices, Yu Hai didn't show any expression on his face, seemingly unaffected at all.

He became even more determined!

Without a doubt, he was feeling extremely nervous in his heart. He didn't even know whether he could meet Senior Brother Lin Yi.

However, after days of living the thatched hut which was incomparable worse than the courtyards and watching Jiang Xiaoyu who entered the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples after obtaining guidance from Senior Brother Lin Yi, the desire to obtain guidance from Senior Brother Lin Yi became more intense!

In this regard, he was willing to pay any price.

Even if it meant his freedom and even dignity!

"Bang bang bang"

Yu Hai was knocking on the first courtyard's gate.

Si

The gate opened, revealing a head with puzzled look. This was a servant in the first courtyard. He looked at Yu Hai with puzzled look, "This young master, is there any matter?"

All the servants were commoners who never practised martial arts. Facing someone of Huashan's disciples like Yu Hai, even if it was a lower courtyard disciple, he didn't dare to offend.

"Go and report to Senior Brother Lin Yi. Just say that I, Yu Hai, have something important to discuss!" Yu Hai let out a smile. Even if he was a servant, he was after all a servant of Senior Brother Lin Yi in the first courtyard so he didn't dare to let out any haughty attitude.

"Then, this young master, please wait for a moment. This servant shall go and report to our young master!"

The servant nodded and closed the gate, then left hurriedly.

Yu Hai was waiting at the gate anxiously. His heart was unable to calm down.

The other people who was paying attention to this widened their eyes, waiting for the results.

Quickly after, the gate opened once again. It didn't open like the previous width where only a head could fit in. Instead, it was fully opened. The first courtyard's servant, with a smile face, talked to Yu Hai, "Young master Yu, our young master invites. Please come in!"

"Ye!"

Hearing this, Yu Hai clenched his fists and yelled out in his heart, feeling relieved. However, not long after, he recollected himself, pulled the hem of his outfit and walked into the first courtyard.

Leaving the stunned crowd who was gaping and looking at each other.

"He went in, he actually went in!"

"Who is this Yu Hai exactly? How did he managed to get in?"

"What method did he exactly used?"

"I wonder whether he can obtain Senior Brother's guidance?"

"I think I saw another strong figure who will enter the ranks of one hundred strongest new disciples again"

.

After walking into the first courtyard, Yu Hai's eyes looked at his nose, his nose observed his heart[1]. He didn't dare to go beyond the servant and just walked behind him who was heading towards the main hall. The thought of seeing Senior Brother Lin Yi made him so nervous that he didn't even look around.

The servant made a please' gesture.

"En!"

Yu Hai nodded his head. He eased down the tension in his heart and calmed himself down before walking into the main hall.

He just stepped into the main hall, saw the figure who was sitting on the main seat, and his heart started to beat furiously again.

"Yu Hai greets Senior Brother Lin Yi!"

Seeing Lin Yi who was looking at him with a smile face, Yu Hai stepped forward and shouted while cupping his hands.

Lin Yi nodded slightly with a amiable look, "I remember you. You are Yu Hai. You are the first person that I challenged!"

Senior Brother Lin Yi actually remembered me!

Yu Hai's heart jumped, feeling extremely excited.

"Yu Hai, you said that you have something important to discuss. The matter you meant is ?" Lin Yi's mild voice resounded.

Yu Hai clenched his fists, a trace of determination flashed past his eyes. He made up his mind and exclaimed, "Senior Brother Lin Yi, I know that your ambition is not limited to upper courtyard. You are surely interested in being a core disciple. Yu Hai came today to give Senior a helping hand!"

So he was here to pledge his allegiance!

Lin Yi raised his eyebrows and muttered in his heart.

[1] , meaning to focus and remove any distracting thoughts