The Predecessor Is All Over The Martial Arts World Chapter 12
byWuming followed Hou Danxue the entire time in a daze, watching Hou Danxue arrange everything without a moment’s rest.
Just as they finally sat down, and Hou Danxue managed to take a sip of tea to relax, someone came to stir up trouble again.
“I heard that the Hou Family Head’s husband is Xi Ni of Wushuang Pavilion. I wonder if I, Huang, might have the honor of witnessing the great hero Xi’s demeanor?”
Wuming’s nerves immediately tightened. When they got married, they borrowed Xi Ni’s identity, and the Hou Manor announced to the outside world that she was Xi Ni. It was only natural that such a misunderstanding would arise.
But she hadn’t concealed her gender at all now; anyone could see she was a woman since she lacked an Adam’s apple. How should she explain pretending to be Xi Ni before?
She couldn’t possibly say she killed Xi Ni, took his Token, and impersonated him. Such a blatant admission would surely bring Wushuang Pavilion knocking on their door.
“Family Head Huang’s information is too outdated. I don’t have a husband, only a wife. It’s just that my wife’s martial arts are even stronger than that Xi Ni’s.”
“Wife…”
That person’s gaze shifted between Wuming and Hou Danxue, making Wuming very uncomfortable.
She wanted to twist the man’s neck, but she was a person of status now. She had to consider the Hou Manor and couldn’t act rashly and cause trouble for her wife-master.
“Does Family Head Huang have anything else?”
“Hearing the Hou Family Head’s words only intensifies my curiosity. I haven’t heard of the Hou Madam’s great name in the martial arts world. I wonder how outstanding the Hou Madam’s martial arts are to have captured the Hou Family Head’s heart.”
Wuming stood beside Hou Danxue, gripping her arm tighter and tighter, struggling to control herself from attacking the man.
What ‘nameless nobody’? It was only because she was too cautious; everyone who had seen her fight was dead! Naturally, no reputation could spread.
She wasn’t stupid; fame brought trouble. She used to be just a Wanderer without a fixed residence and couldn’t afford such complications.
Wuming had never cared about these things before, but being pointed out as a nameless nobody now unexpectedly hurt.
If only she had a status that could bring honor to Hou Danxue…
How could the wife of the Hou Family Head be a nameless nobody…
Hou Danxue had confirmed that the person in front of her was here to cause trouble. She narrowed her eyes and smiled at him.
Speaking of which, they were quite fated. If Wuming hadn’t appeared, she would have ended up in his Huang Family’s back courtyard.
She had been too busy to seek trouble with him, yet he was still coveting the Hou Manor’s wealth and came looking for her.
In that case… she would reward him with a lingering illness.
Hou Danxue stood up, pressing closer step by step. She was a master of poison, and this close distance was enough for her to achieve her goal.
She wouldn’t let him die too easily. She wanted him to watch his family perish, watch his descendants fight among themselves, be tormented by sickness, abandoned by his offspring, and die miserably.
“I wonder how Family Head Huang wishes for my wife to prove herself?”
“Ahem… Actually, there is another important figure attending this funeral. Has the Hou Family Head heard of the Seven Stars Alliance?”
“The current Martial Arts Alliance Leader comes from the Seven Stars Alliance.”
“Exactly! That Seven Stars Alliance! One of the Seven Stars has also come this time!”
Hou Danxue was confronting the man, struggling to control her expression, but the hands hanging beneath her robes couldn’t help but clench.
She knew that the Hou Manor’s immense wealth would attract covetous eyes, but she thought they could protect it…
Since a major figure from the Seven Stars Alliance had also arrived, the Family Head Huang in front of her was clearly just a minor pawn paving the way. There were far too many people wanting to carve up the Hou Manor.
“One of the Seven Stars? Which one, may I ask?”
Wuming’s gloom vanished upon hearing something interesting. She squeezed forward and actively questioned the person she had disliked so much moments ago.
“Haha, it’s the most senior one, the sworn elder brother of the current Martial Arts Alliance Leader—Tianshu!”
“Wow! That’s great! I actually have a chance to cross hands with Tianshu!”
Hou Danxue watched Wuming’s foolishly delighted expression and felt a pang in her heart. She pulled Wuming back behind her.
“It is truly the Hou Manor’s fortune that such a prominent figure can attend my father’s funeral.”
“Indeed, indeed. So, Family Head Hou, when do you plan to set up the arena? You wouldn’t want to disappoint Tianshu, would you?”
“Family Head Huang, rest assured, the arena will be set up very soon. By then, all of us Family Heads will have a feast for the eyes.”
“Hahaha—”
Hou Danxue watched the man laugh and walk away. Now, she no longer had the energy to think about how he would die.
There were too many people coveting her wealth, and too many people she needed to kill—it was endless.
“Do you have confidence?”
“I can try.”
When living in the martial arts world, fighting and killing inevitably leave behind old injuries.
Tianshu must be very old, with old bones. Wuming was confident she could defeat this old fellow.
However, the premise was that the opponent was a normal person.
If his skill level far exceeded her experience, she might genuinely suffer a setback.
Hou Danxue sighed, looking at Wuming’s confident expression. “Forget it, you wouldn’t understand. As a force comparable to the Five Essences Sect, the Seven Stars Alliance’s martial arts must have unique aspects.”
“Wife-master, bringing up the Five Essences Sect now, do you have some connection with them?”
“My mother came from the Five Essences Sect. I inherited the poison aspect of the Five Essences Sect’s top lineage, and my cousin inherited the Gu aspect. My poison can kill people invisibly, and my cousin’s Gu is even more formidable; she can achieve immortality through her Gu worms.”
Immortality…
Wuming was stunned. Was this the foundation of a major sect? Was eternal life something that could actually be achieved?
“Wife-master… I suddenly feel like I might not be up to it. Is this a normal martial arts match?”
“Of course not. They came with the intention of devouring the Hou Manor. Both of us are food in their eyes. So, you must win, and let them know who the real food is!”
Hou Danxue unclenched her fist again. “If you can’t do it, then let me go!”
“I can! I can!”
Wuming had tempered her body; she was tough and resistant to blows. Even if the opponent used sharp weapons, it would be difficult to kill her.
But Hou Danxue… with her fragile physique, Wuming didn’t think she could evade the opponent’s moves. She might perish before even getting a chance to use her poison. If that happened, the Hou Manor would truly be meat on the chopping block.
“You…”
Hou Danxue stared at Wuming for a long time, unable to find a place to apply poison to her.
She couldn’t possibly apply poison to Wuming’s body; she couldn’t bear to torment her wife like that.
“Wife-master, don’t worry! You spent so many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to cultivate the current me; I will surely satisfy you!”
Hou Danxue looked at Wuming and said very seriously, “Good, you had better win. If you can’t win, I will… poison everyone.”
That way, she could also prevent them from carving up the Hou Manor.
However, if she really did that, the Hou Manor’s reputation would be completely ruined, and how would she conduct business afterward?
Hou Danxue looked at the clear sky outside, feeling lost.
She was clearly excellent, so why did such a huge crisis arise the moment she took office?
The Hou Manor had been stable and peaceful after the previous Family Head fell into a coma.
Was she too aggressive in her actions?
She shouldn’t have killed the clansmen who fought her for power, nor should she have confined her grandmother. If she hadn’t done these things, the Hou Manor wouldn’t be so weak.
If she released her grandmother now, the old woman could swallow her pride and negotiate with these people, but Hou Danxue was unwilling.
She was unwilling to be trapped by these worldly rules. She simply wanted to pursue greater freedom.
This hateful world would not allow a woman to be a Family Head, nor would it allow women to marry women. She wanted to break these norms.
“Wife-master…”
Wuming embraced Hou Danxue. Hou Danxue turned her head to look at her, and their lips met.
“Thank goodness… I’m not alone…”
If she were alone, she truly would hesitate.
But with Wuming by her side, she could accept even the worst outcome.
As it turned out, Hou Danxue and Wuming’s tension was completely unwarranted.
The arena was set up, the poison was prepared, and Wuming defeated the famous Tianshu in less than three moves.
When the opponent attacked, she grabbed his sword with her bare hand.
Then, she simply took away his weapon.
It was utterly shameful for a martial artist to have their weapon taken away. Tianshu lost all face and left without even retrieving his sword.
Wuming had defeated the famous senior, feeling like she was floating on a cloud, yet she stared intently in the direction the man had left.
He was leaving. If he were to die here, would the people of the Seven Stars Alliance suspect her?
She didn’t care what kind of senior he was; coming with a group of people to plot against her wife-master was unacceptable. He was going straight onto Wuming’s blacklist.
Hou Danxue rushed over. Wuming put down the sword, revealing her bleeding palm.
Tianshu’s sword was naturally a famous blade, and she had to pay a small price.
Fortunately, her physical body was strong enough that the fine sword couldn’t pierce her flesh.
“Your hand…”
Hou Danxue grabbed Wuming’s hand. Her eyes were initially full of tears from distress, but suddenly her eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up.
Hmm… her hand was injured and couldn’t touch water. Her wife was truly pitiful.
“You handle things here; I’m going to kill that guy! Dare to harbor such malicious intent, and be prepared to lose your life!”
Hou Danxue was still stunned, but Wuming had already vanished into the crowd. She could only explain to the surrounding people, “She went to bandage her wound.”
Next, it was time for the things she excelled at.
With a wife who could defeat Tianshu of the Seven Stars Alliance, she could completely rely on her wife to show off her power.
Hehe, the other side must not have anticipated this outcome when they invited Tianshu.
Wuming went back to change her clothes and chased after him. She tried her best to disguise herself, but Tianshu recognized her the moment he saw her.
He would remember this figure even in death; she had made him lose all face! Defeated by a nameless nobody, he couldn’t hold his head up in the martial arts world!
“You’ve already won, what more do you want? Young person, you had better know when to stop!”
Wuming didn’t want to waste a single word. Talking while killing was a major taboo. Killing the opponent while no one was watching was the priority.
The old man had old bones, but his internal energy was profound. Wuming couldn’t snap his neck in one go.
“You! You can’t kill me!”
Wuming ignored his struggle. If once wasn’t enough, she would try a few more times. She had plenty of strength; she didn’t believe she couldn’t kill him.
“I am your father’s—”
Wuming let go. Unfortunately, the man spoke too late. He was already dead, and Wuming couldn’t probe further.
She could only murmur to the corpse, “You recognized my relationship with that person at a glance, so we must look very similar. If he truly wanted to find me, why would I still be an orphan now?”
Wuming kicked the corpse in frustration. “Scum! Plotting against other people’s family property makes you scum, and anyone who associated closely with you is probably scum too.”
Tianshu was very famous, and people would likely come looking soon. It was not advisable for her to linger.
Wuming returned home and stayed silently in her room.
Being an orphan for so many years, she was naturally curious about her origins. She had also wondered what kind of people her parents were.
Her father was scum, so what about her mother? What kind of person was her mother?
Being able to associate with Tianshu meant his status wouldn’t be low. They wouldn’t have been so destitute as to abandon her, so why was she abandoned?
Hou Danxue’s mother, even while having a love-hate relationship with the Hou Family Head, didn’t forget to pass on the skills for survival to Hou Danxue.
So, did her mother never think of her?
Wuming took a deep breath. Never mind. In any case, that man’s crime was undeniable. She could follow the Tianshu lead and kill her way up the chain.
She wouldn’t feel any psychological burden killing scum.
Hou Danxue entered the room cheerfully, only to be met with Wuming’s expressionless face. She was startled and lit the candles in the room.
“What’s wrong? Did you fail to kill him? Don’t worry, keep working hard, and you’ll become the strongest in the world! Who would you need to fear then?”
“Wife-master…”
Wuming looked at Hou Danxue and suddenly felt like crying. At this moment, she suddenly understood the meaning of the marriage contract—she had a home; she wasn’t alone.
The family she was born into abandoned her, but she found her own small family. Between heaven and earth, she had a place of belonging.
Unfortunately, Hou Danxue was currently in high spirits and couldn’t perceive Wuming’s subtle emotions. She sat down on Wuming’s lap and kissed her.
An injured wife was truly pitiful; she could only lie beneath. Hou Danxue wasn’t afraid at all.
“Wife-master…”
Wuming’s thoughts were slow. It took her a while to react and fight Hou Danxue for dominance.
“Let me tell you, those people, to show their sincerity, sent their daughters to me as hostages! Did they think I would crush these girls? No! I will nurture them well! I… I want to build a Peach Blossom Spring!”
“Peach Blossom Spring?”
“I know you also hate the way people looked at us today, because we are anomalies in this world. In the Peach Blossom Spring, anomalies will become the orthodox way…”
“Wife-master, doing all this requires more than just money.”
Wuming recovered and quickly tried to dissuade Hou Danxue.
She couldn’t understand. They had just gone through a crisis, yet Hou Danxue’s actions were becoming even more radical.
If she did something so unconventional, it wouldn’t just attract people coveting the Hou Manor’s assets.
“Of course, I know I can’t do these things alone, but don’t I have you?”
“Me?”
“The Peach Blossom Spring will not be tolerated by the world and might attract the attention of the imperial court, destroying it before it can grow. Therefore, you must become the strongest in the world to protect me and the Peach Blossom Spring.”