Chapter 173 - The Slayer Grounds 4

" Get ready to be thrown out of the stage…"

Those words might have amused him if he was in the audience as he was the type who would rejoice on seeing the misfortune of others, but at the moment he was having the exact opposite effect of the word amusement as those mocking words are directed towards him. The heaving of his chest was clearly visible to Xia Lian making her sneer at him, which made the man pause his breath for a second before snarling out in anger.

" Kid, pray that you should never end up in my hands. For, I, Huji swear in the name of all gods that I would torture you to death."

The expected rage or fear was not found on Xia Lian's face. There was only a humorous look as if she was watching a clown dancing before her. She chortled as her obsidian black eyes narrowed at him " Let's see who ends up at who's mercy…"

Feeling that she had enough pep talk with the man who seemed to be a worthy opponent, her languid mien was now replaced with a focused expression. She unsheathed her dagger and entered her attacking from leaning forward, with a gaze predatory like a panther.

There was a shock on the man's face which was followed by a sneer as he noticed the tiny and inconspicuous dagger in her hands. It was like an insignificant toy before his magnificent sword.

" Kid, I advise you to use a decent weapon, a weapon befitting to go against my sword."

" No weapon in this world can compare to my dagger, it was forged only to be bathed in blood." Xia Lian spoke while playing with the dagger in her hands. It was as if the damned weapon was merged with her body, as her movements were very flexible and agile when she was wielding it. It was her first weapon after all and it made sense if one thinks in that way.

" Don't blame me later if you lose, as your chances of winning are narrowed to zero the moment you took out that little dagger of yours." he spat out those words with great difficulty as if his skin was burned with something very very hot.

" Enough of this small talk and it's not your forte to mull over my weapon. Let's get into some serious business now." she snapped at him rather impatiently before moving to her right side in that attacking position of hers.

Two pairs of eyes were locked upon each other as each one started to discern the other's movements.

Huji eyed the kid who had yet to reach puberty wielding a dagger against him. He sneered at the mere sight of the bland dagger. After a quick deliberation, he decided that the kid will not be of any imposing danger or threat given that petite body and slender arms. With this presumption, the placid look on his face was replaced by a haughty attitude. The corners of his lips curved up in a provoking manner as he stared at Xia Lian.

Xia Lian was not a fool and almost immediately she understood that the other party was clearly underestimating her. A foolish move on his part which is now an asset in her hands.

Never underestimate your enemy...

The stern and ramrod soldier might be the most gullible one, the seemingly soft and weak woman might turn out to be the most treacherous snake and a tiny harmless kid like herself, in reality, was the vulpine predator, which he will come to realize a bit too late.

Huji, she remembered the man address himself as such, he was not her opponent the moment he let her stature cloud his sense of judgement. There was no need for her to take up the aggressive stance against such person. Unhurriedly she straightened up her spine, as she waited for him to make the first move.

Unfortunately, her actions seemed cowardly and spineless in the eyes of the spectators as they jeered at her. Their insults and taunts failed to escape her ears, but there was not even a single crack in that calm demeanour of hers.

Xia Lian saw Huji unsheathe his sword, an opulent one decorated with many luxurious gems and stones whose names she knew naught. She then saw him raise his sword and charge towards her…

The crowd down the stage watched with bated breaths and some closed their eyes unable to witness the scene as the sword was now at a threateningly close distance to the kid who was standing still as if his feet were pinned to the ground.

Xia Lian stood on the spot like an immobile rock as Huji charged towards her. His face flaunted a victorious smile as he mistook her nonchalance for trepidation.

Just as the sword was about a few centimetres away from her neck, Xia Lian angled her body sidewards and twirled so that she was now standing behind him. She then raised her foot and kicked his knees sending him crashing to the ground.

Crash!

There was a decent-sized crater on the floor of the stage where the sword came into contact. Huji's muffled cries of pain went totally unnoticed as the deafening sound of the collision consumed his cries of pain.

The crowd who were intently observing the fight were left in a daze as all that what followed after the sword neared Xia Lian's throat was a total blur. The only thing they saw was the fluttering of the black robes followed by the cry of pain from a man with the stature of a mountain.

Bewildered... That word was not even close to describing the emotion which Huji was experiencing at the moment. There was this acute numbness in his knees and he found his legs immobile no matter how hard he tried to get up.

The situation where he thought that he had an upper hand ended up in a way he dreaded.