Heaven-relying Sword And Dragon-slaying Sabre

*Shitai is a term of address used for senior nuns or priestesses. E.g. In Smiling Proud Wanderer the three senior Hengshan leaders are Shitai (senior Buddhist nuns), in Return of the Condor Heroes Priestess Shenying is also a Shitai (senior Taoist priestess).

Ji Xiaofu answered, "Yes." Standing up, she strode up to the Golden Flower Granny, and said in a clear voice, "Golden Flower Granny, my master is here. Your fierce and overbearing manner should be ended." The Golden Flower Granny coughed, stared fixedly at Miejue Shitai, nodded, and said, "En, you are the Emei headmaster, I hit your disciple, what will you do?" Miejue Shitai replied icily, "Well hit! If you like to hit her, hit her again, even if you kill her it is none of my business." Ji Xiaofu felt as if a knife had pierced her heart, and called out, "Master!" Two streams of warm tears flowed. She knew her master was always extremely protective of her disciples. When her disciples had crossed anyone, even if it went against her principles she would argue vehemently to protect them. Now that she said these words she clearly did not regard her as a disciple any longer. The Golden Flower Granny said, "I do not have any enmity with Emei, having hit her once, it is enough. Ah Li, let us leave!" Saying that she slowly turned away.

Ding Minjun did not know the Golden Flower Granny's background, only that she looked senile and sickly but dared to be so insolent towards her master. She became angry, stepped up quickly and obstructed her, exclaiming, "You did not apologise to my master and are thinking of leaving?" Saying that her right hand drew her sword, half-unsheathed, to intimidate the granny.

The Golden Flower Granny suddenly extended two fingers and gently pinched on her sword sheath, then released it quickly, laughing, "Scrap metal, can also be used to scare people?" Ding Minjun became even angrier and wanted to unsheathe her sword. Unexpectedly her single pull was not able to pull out the sword. Ah Li laughed, "Scrap metal, it has become rusty!"

Ding Minjun tried again with all her might, but was still unable to pull it out. Only then did she know that the Golden Flower Granny's seemingly causal pinch on her sword sheath before, had secretly utilised her internal energy to make an indent into the sword sheath, making it grip the blade of the sword firmly. Ding Minjun could not unsheathe it even if she wanted to but she was unwilling to leave it at that. Her face reddened and her expression was wretched.

Miejue Shitai walked up slowly, held the sword hilt with three fingers and shook gently. The sword sheath immediately cracked into two, freeing the sword blade. She said, "This sword is not any sharp or precious blade, but neither is it scrap metal. Golden Flower Granny, why do you not enjoy life on Lingshe Island, but come to the central plains to make trouble?"

The Golden Flower Granny saw the way that she used her three fingers to shake the sword and break the sheath. She felt a pang of fear, and said to herself, "This bothersome nun is renowned, she truly possesses some real skill." All smiles, she said, "My husband passed away, I was alone on the island and felt bored. So I left and wandered around, to see if I could find any suitable monk or priest to be my companion." She emphasised "monk or priest" to ridicule the other as being a nun, yet was also wandering about. Miejue Shitai's pair of drooped eyebrows hung even lower, she raised the sword and said in a bleak voice, "Show your weapon!" Since coming under her tutelage, Ding Minjun, Ji Xiaofu and the others had never seen their master fight with anyone. Ji Xiaofu was especially concerned as she knew that the Golden Flower Granny's martial arts were extraordinary and inscrutable. Zhang Wuji's shoulder was still being held by Ah Li and his upper body was becoming increasingly numb, he shouted, "Let go of me quickly! Why are you grabbing on to me?" Ah Li saw Ji Xiaofu at the side with the intention to step in. If she did not let him go, Ji Xiaofu would definitely come to intervene and by then she would have to release him anyway. Hence she exerted her strength and flung him away, releasing his shoulder, and said coldly, "Let us see whether you can escape?" The Golden Flower Granny gave a slight smile, and said, "Years ago Emei Sect's Guo Xiang Heroine Guo's sword skill was renowned throughout the land. It must have been extremely high, but I wonder how much of it has been passed down to the descendants?" Miejue Shitai replied strongly, "Even if only a fraction remains it is enough to annihilate the evil and unorthodox." The Golden Flower Granny stared fixedly on the tip of her opponent's sword unblinkingly. All of a sudden, she raised her walking staff and thrust it fiercely towards the sword. Miejue Shitai's sword quivered and stabbed towards her shoulder. Amidst her coughing, the Golden Flower Granny swept her staff across. Miejue Shitai followed her sword, moving behind her opponent in a flash. Before her steps ended her sword move had arrived. However the Golden Flower Granny did not turn around but instead twirled her walking staff and sent a backhand smash towards the sword blade. The two of them had exchanged three to four moves and were already praising each other's ability silently. An abrupt 'dang' sound was heard as the sword Miejue Shitai was wielding broke into two. When the sword and staff met the sword was broken by the impact of the walking staff. The onlookers were all shocked except for Ah Li. The Golden Flower Granny's walking staff was dark, yellowish and dirty. It appeared very ordinary and seemed to be neither gold nor iron. Yet it could shatter a sharp sword, so it must be the force of her profound and abundant internal energy. However, when the Golden Flower Granny clashed weapons with Miejue Shitai she knew that the sword broke because of the sharpness of her weapon and not because her own internal energy had improved. Her walking staff was actually a special product of the seabed near Lingshe Island. It was called 'Gold Coral' and was made from a blend of various kinds of quality gold combined with coral, formed by undergoing thousands of years deep in the sea. It could shear metal like cutting tofu and strike rocks like hitting cotton. Any kind of sharp weapon would break immediately upon contact. Nevertheless the Golden Flower Granny did not press her attack. She only propped her staff against the ground and pat her chest, coughing. The three Emei disciples Ji Xiaofu, Ding Minjun and Bei Jinyi feared that their master was injured. In unison they rushed to Miejue Shitai's side to guard her.

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Ah Li turned her palm and grabbed Zhang Wuji's wrist. Laughing, she said: "I said you won't be able to escape. Isn't that true?" This was totally unexpected. Before Zhang Wuji could break free, his meridians were obstructed and lost the strength in his body. This was the second time she had beaten him. Feeling both embarrassed and indignant, both angry and anxious, he kicked out at her waist with his right foot. Ah Li's fingers held firm and Zhang Wuji's foot had traveled no more than half a chi (about a foot) when it lost the strength to continue. He yelled angrily: "Are you going to let me go?" Ah Li laughed: "If I don't let you go, what can you do?" Zhang Wuji suddenly bent down and bit hard into her arm. Ah Li felt the pain and screamed: "Ai yo!" She loosened her right hand's grip while her left hand clawed at Zhang Wuji's face. Zhang Wuji jumped back quickly but he was too slow. AH Li's fingers had scratched the right side of his face causing it to bleed. Ah Li's bitten right arm was bleeding even more. The pain was so great that she wanted to cry.