V1: Chapter 73: Won the Match, Lost Freedom

"I knew it, we two would eventually have a showdown."

A whistle pierced the air.

Robin showed no mercy, no courtesy whatsoever; he drew his sword and thrust it directly at Liang Lin.

Such speed.

The duel between the two was incredibly intense. Robin moved swiftly, attacking and defending with fluid, seamless swordsmanship.

Liang Lin's swordsmanship flowed like water, without pause or flaw, even… one hand was behind her back. The blade drew arcs through the air, accompanied by whistling sounds, showcasing unparalleled power and skill.

Impressive.

Liang Lin became serious.

"Miss, you really underestimate me, using only one hand." Robin said softly as their swords clashed, producing a series of clanging sounds.

Tsk.

So he really saw through my disguise as a man?

That's right. She has a small frame and narrow shoulders, making her easily noticeable, especially at such close range.

The two swords crossed, sparks flying. Their swordplay countered and clashed, resulting in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

Five minutes had passed.

At this moment, Liang Lin pulled her hands from behind her back and slowly grasped the hilt of her sword.

"Fight with both hands, that is for a worthy opponent."

A glint of excitement flashed in Robin's eyes.

He knew he was about to lose.

"Miss, you look a lot like someone."

"A lot like the Marquis I admired most, but sadly… he's already dead on the battlefield."

Liang Lin froze, but her hands didn't stop moving.

Clearly, Robin was now at a disadvantage.

A sword pierced the air; Robin had no time to react, the blade already slicing through his skin. He staggered back, his longsword shattering instantly.

Liang Lin pressed her advantage, unleashing a barrage of attacks that left the audience breathless.

Robin raised his hands, Liang Lin's sword pressed directly against his throat.

"I lost."

Liang Lin sheathed her sword.

Thunderous applause erupted from the stands, but Liang Di couldn't smile. She gripped her lace folding fan tightly, her gaze fixed on Liang Lin.

That… it definitely was Liang Lin.

Why were you here?

And why did you have short hair?

And you were using someone else's identity to participate in this swordsmanship competition?

You had been hiding it from me all along?

There were too many people around, and Liang Di couldn't lash out. However, her poor folding fan snapped in two.

"Number 627! Winner!"

Only five remained in the arena.

Liang Lin, along with four other noble young masters, and the twins, had also successfully advanced.

 The twins standing beside Liang Lin were whispering.

The two brothers looked exactly alike, but the older brother was more than half a head taller than the younger.

"This year, the rules of the swordsmanship competition have been changed."

The host's booming voice echoed throughout the arena.

"The five contestants will draw lots to select one champion, who will defend their title. The remaining four will challenge; the successful challenger will become the champion and continue the battle."

Oh?

It seems this rule was changed specifically for me.

She drew the first number, all to make way for the high-ranking nobles; the last one would be one of those four nobles.

Sure enough, just as Liang Lin predicted, she drew "1." She was number one, the champion, and had to defeat all four nobles to win.

Will this be a war of attrition?

No, not at all.

This is her personal arena to showcase her skills.

Liang Lin was the champion, the twin brothers were first and second respectively, and the other two noble young masters were third and fourth.

“Brother, I’m a little scared…”

Before going on stage, the younger brother actually tugged at his older brother’s sleeve, acting coquettishly. Liang Lin got goosebumps watching, not understanding why a grown man would be so hesitant.

Hmm~

This younger brother’s shoulders…why do they look similar to my own? Could he also be…?

No, probably not.

Liang Lin remembered the two of them; they were quite famous in the noble academy, always addressing each other as brothers, and the family always referred to them as brothers to outsiders.

“Don’t be afraid. You’ve already done very well to get this far. Don’t be afraid to lose. Losing to a strong opponent is our honor. Besides, you might not necessarily lose.”

The older brother ruffled his younger brother’s hair. “Go on, Xiao Di.”

The younger brother ran to the opposite side of Liang Lin.

He had short, blond hair, and his left eye was covered by thick bangs, revealing only one blond eye.

"Please, please enlighten me."

Quite polite.

"You're not as good as that man with the scar on his face."

Before the fight even started, Liang Lin had already decided this would be a boring opponent.

However, the battle began, and it surprised her.

Although the younger brother was weak, his technique was excellent, and his agility was extremely high. He always managed to dodge her attacks, although several times he narrowly escaped unscathed. This still pleased Liang Lin.

Finally, things were starting to get interesting. She had thought all the nobles in the capital were useless. Unfortunately, the boy before her was not someone she could fight with her both hands.

During the fight, Liang Lin noticed that the younger brother's smooth neck had no protrusions. Yes, he had no Adam's apple. Although some men's Adam's apples are not obvious, this was too smooth.

Liang Lin had a vague suspicion, but she didn't voice it.

The fight lasted five minutes, ending with the younger brother's sword being knocked over.

Seeing the blood on his palm, the younger brother threw himself into his older brother's arms, tears welling in his eyes.

"It hurts so much..."

"It's okay, there are too many people here. When we get back, go to my room, I'll take care of it for you." The older brother patted his younger brother's head. "I'll go and deal with her."

The fight began.

"Your sister's swordsmanship is very good, and she's very talented. Don't let her give up," Liang Lin said.

The older brother was taken aback.

"Thank you, but it's my brother."

Liang Lin didn't argue.

The older brother was strong, but his agility and skill were clearly inferior to his younger brother's, and he quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

"The battle is over." Liang Lin held her sword to the older brother's neck.

A sharp whistle blew, and the host announced a break.

Liang Lin sat down to rest in a corner.

"Elton, is that your name?"

Several people dressed as nobles surrounded Liang Lin.

Liang Lin nodded, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

 "Our Duke requests your presence to discuss swordsmanship?"

Discuss swordsmanship? Huh, that's probably not about swordsmanship... he's trying to bribe her.

"I'm not going."

Liang Lin didn't even flinch.

"Excuse me."

Several people actually tried to surround her and grab her up.

"Wait!"

A strong voice rang out behind them, and a portly nobleman appeared before Liang Lin.

Liang Lin recognized him—Stanley Teresa, the most influential nobleman in the capital.

"Young man, I admire your talent," Stanley laughed, like a fat pig eating. "However, you should also know that these sword-fighting competitions are all funded by us nobles. You commoners are the beneficiaries."

Bullshit.

As if they don't charge admission.

"Your Grace, you can just say why you summoned me here," Liang Lin asked, feigning ignorance.

"Very well, hahaha~"

The laughter was grating. The Duke said, "Then I'll get straight to the point. How many gold coins would it take for you to lose to Bruno Teresa, my nephew?"

"No need."

Liang Lin smiled coldly.

"Your Grace, you don't need to spend a single gold coin. Your nephew is the winner of this competition."

Duke Stanley thought the other party was particularly accommodating, wanting power and honor instead of gold coins. He smiled gleefully, his eyes narrowing into slits, looking utterly vulgar.

"Alright, alright, don't worry, kid, I'll guarantee you a spot in the Imperial Knights. Hahaha~ You've got good taste, kid. Not greedy for short-term gains, but once you're in the Knights, honor, gold coins, and beauties will flow into your pockets like water!"

"Hehe~"

Stanley pointed to a tall, handsome nobleman on the field, "See that? That's my nephew, he's the last one. He's the predetermined winner of this competition. You made the best choice. A smart guy like you has unlimited potential..."

"Yes, Your Grace," Liang Lin stood up from the shadows in the corner, sunlight shining on her face, which only revealed her eyes, "I understand, I'll 'take good care' of him."

Stanley grinned from ear to ear, patting Liang Lin's shoulder, "Then I'm relieved. Let's go, kid, I'll have the host start the match."

In the audience, no one had placed any bets anymore, because betting was no longer allowed.

Whether nobles, wealthy commoners, or merchants, everyone knew, and understood, that the final winner would be the last noble young master to enter the arena.

After Liang Lin defeated the penultimate noble young master, the last one appeared.

"Young Master, your uncle asked me to 'take good care' of you."

Liang Lin gave a respectful military salute.

The young master smiled triumphantly. "You made my victory easy, so I'll have my uncle give you an even greater reward."

"As you wish, then...."

"I'll use both hands to wield the sword and sever the shackles of sin."

Liang Lin no longer feigned composure, no longer kept one hand behind her back, but instead gripped the sword with both hands, took a half-step back with one leg, gathered her strength, and her eyes were sharp as knives.

The next second.

"Eeek..."

Blood dripped down the noble young master's cheek, his brown, tousled hair slowly falling to the ground. Liang Lin, standing behind him, had already sheathed her sword.

"If I had slashed your neck instead of your cheek, you'd be lying on the ground right now."

The nobleman suddenly realized what had happened, a sharp pain shooting through his face. Thinking of that murderous sword strike, his nerves felt severed; his legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and he went limp.

Thump!

He knelt on the ground.

The arena was silent; you could hear a pin drop. Then, a commotion erupted as everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unable to believe their eyes.

This was the first time in a century that a commoner had defeated a nobleman.

Before anyone could recover from the shock, Liang Lin, on the field, ripped off her wig and threw it onto the muddy ground.

"I! Am a girl! An ordinary girl who loves swordsmanship!"

Having shouted these words, Liang Lin felt a sense of liberation.

However, she couldn't linger here too long.

Before everyone could recover from the shock, she had to escape this dangerous place immediately. Otherwise, if the Royal Knights arrived, her escape would be difficult.

Liang Di suddenly stood up.

So stupid, so stupid, so stupid!

What a rash act! What a madwoman who's good for nothing but fighting!

Liang Di bit her nails, her face gradually contorting, veins bulging on her cheeks.

Did Liang Lin not consider her own safety at all?

Watching Liang Lin, her long black hair tied up, turned gracefully, leaped over the railing, and jumped into the crowd, Liang Di's heart finally eased slightly.

However, Liang Lin was still too naive. Knights were already on the scene, protecting the nobles. Now, Liang Lin had caused such a commotion. Others hadn't reacted yet, but as knights, they reacted quickly, grabbing their longswords and chasing after Liang Lin in the direction she had fled.

Damn it!

Liang Di wanted to follow, but after taking only one step, she pulled her foot back. She cautiously glanced around, noticing several gazes fixed on her.

She couldn't act impulsively. If she went after Liang Lin now, she would definitely arouse suspicion. Liang Di sat back down, unable to move.

Although there were many people with black hair, especially commoners, where was the girl with such outstanding swordsmanship and long black hair? Within the noble circles, the first girl that came to mind was probably Liang Lin.

How stupid!

Why would you fight against the Empire in this way?! 

There were clearly better ways, there was simply the need for patience, there was simply the need to wait a few more days…

Most importantly, why wouldn't they tell me?!

Liang Di was furious, even losing control of her tentacles. The color of her pupils changed repeatedly, sometimes blue, sometimes green, a very eerie scene.

As expected.

You still didn't trust me enough, didn't you?

"Haa~"

Liang Lin.

Liang Lin pushed through the crowd and ran away.

"This way!"

Robin grabbed Liang Lin.

"Why are you running around alone? Little girl, my daughter isn't as stupid as you, acting impulsively without even checking the area first. Don't run around, come with me."

Liang Lin didn't hesitate and followed behind Robin. The two passed through a narrow passage. Liang Lin could feel that Robin genuinely cared for her.

On the stands, the tavern owner, Prescott, had vanished. His disappearance was so sudden that no one noticed.

"Do you have anywhere to hide?" Robin asked as they ran.

Liang Lin was bewildered and shook her head.

“No.”

Robin covered his face, speechless.

“If I were alone at home, I would let you hide at my place. But my daughter is still at home, and I don’t want to put her in any danger.”

“No need, I’ll just find a place in the civilian district and stay there until evening.”

Liang Lin had already decided. She could hide in those garbage dumps; although disgusting, it was safe.

Behind her, the knights were in hot pursuit, but Liang Lin had already put some distance between them.

“Miss, come here.”

Prescott appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed Liang Lin’s wrist and dragged her into a dark, damp basement.

“You are…?”

Robin stood on the ground, warily looking Prescott up and down.

The man appeared suddenly without a sound. As a swordsman, Robin was confident in his extremely sharp hearing; he hadn’t even noticed when Prescott had suddenly appeared.

Prescott waved to him, "Come in too. Running now might be too late; don't reveal our location."

Liang Lin recognized the newcomer and said to Robin, "Come in, I know this person."

Robin jumped down, kicking up a cloud of dust that made Liang Lin cough.

The basement was dark. Prescott lit his lantern and led the way. Only then did the two behind him realize that this wasn't just a simple basement, but a passageway leading somewhere unknown.

"Won't we be discovered? I remember there's an iron plate above this basement, right? Even if the Knights pass by without noticing, they'll find out later," Robin said, pointing upwards.

Prescott replied firmly, "We won't be found out. Don't worry."

The three walked for a while in the passageway until a door appeared at the end.

"Come in and rest for a bit," Prescott said, pushing open the door.

A soft, warm yellow light seeped in.

"This used to be my daughter's room. She doesn't live here anymore, only comes back occasionally. Please make do here."

Liang Lin didn't stand still and sat down directly on the soft little bed.

Robin followed closely behind.

"You're too reckless," Robin said. "I thought you had some plan, but you're telling me you have nothing, you don't even know the terrain, you're just relying on your enthusiasm."

Liang Lin finally didn't need to lower her voice anymore.

“Well, I was just confident I could escape.”

“But you still needed help, didn’t you? Without me and this gentleman, your journey would have been incredibly difficult; I can’t even imagine.”

Robin tried to pat Liang Lin’s head, but Liang Lin blocked him, displeased.

“Don’t think that just because I showed respect for your swordsmanship, you can speak to me so intimately. Put your hand down.”

Prescott sat on a small chair nearby, placed his lantern on the table, and sighed.

“Miss, I was startled when you pulled off your wig. You… you were indeed too impulsive.”

Liang Lin was annoyed.

She thought her actions were quite cool, so why were so many people complaining?

“However, what you said back then was really awesome.” Prescott gave Liang Lin a thumbs up.

This was what Liang Lin wanted to hear.

However, one thing was quite puzzling.

"Boss, why were you ahead of us?"

Prescott smiled, his glasses reflecting the light, obscuring his narrow eyes. "Hmm, probably because... I'm more familiar with the terrain."

So Prescott had quite a few secrets, too.

The three chatted casually, time ticking by. Liang Lin glanced at her pocket watch; it was already five in the afternoon.

"I should go back, otherwise... my family will be worried sick." Liang Lin jumped off the bed.

After Liang Lin had walked away...

"Goodbye, Miss Liang Lin."

Prescott smiled and waved to her.

"Liang Lin?!"

Robin was shocked.

That infamous heiress?

"She... she's Liang Lin?"

"Shh~" Prescott made a shushing gesture, his smile wide. "Mr. Robin, your swordsmanship is impressive. Please come with me."

"Miss Liang Lin, Miss Liang Di wants to see you."

As soon as she returned home, Bellica respectfully gestured for her to come over.

Liang Lin was confused.

Lately, Liang Di had been too docile, so docile that Liang Lin had almost forgotten the woman's true nature. She assumed she could communicate amicably and lowered her guard.

"What do you want?"

Liang Lin pushed open the door.

But as soon as she opened the door, Liang Lin felt a sharp pain throughout her body.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

Liang Lin was thrown into the air, looking at the tentacles tightly wrapped around her body. She realized that she and Liang Di could never communicate properly.

"Hey! What's wrong with you now?!"

Liang Lin struggled in the air.

The room was dark, with no lights on, except for Liang Di's bright green pupils, which stood out starkly against the darkness.

"Sister Liang Lin, why didn't you tell me? Don't you trust me?"

Tell her?

"What... what are you talking about?"

"You participated in the sword competition using someone else's identity, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me? What if you got caught? What if someone recognized you? Liang Lin, you're from the Langwendi family! Why do you always do such foolish things?"

The sticky tentacles writhed against Liang Lin's body, caressing her skin.

Liang Lin truly didn't understand why Liang Di was so angry.

“Even if I'm discovered, I won't implicate you or the Langwendi family. I'm not of the Langwendi bloodline. If I'm caught, I'll reveal my identity directly and won't drag the Langwendi family down with me!”

Liang Lin also became agitated.

“I thought you'd changed! That you were going to become a normal human being, but it turns out you're still planning to humiliate me whenever you're unhappy?”

“You think I'd humiliate you whenever I'm unhappy?” Liang Di's eyes were frighteningly large, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. Whirlpools appeared in her eyes, slowly rotating.

"Then what do you mean by this? You're afraid I'll implicate the Langwendi family, right?"

Liang Lin ultimately misunderstood her meaning. She shouted at the tentacle-wielding woman, "I never intended to stay here long! I have my own mission! Now that things have come to this, I'm already prepared to return to the border! Liang Di, I will absolutely not implicate you in the slightest!"

The tentacles on Liang Lin's body suddenly tightened, digging into her snow-white flesh.

"You... you've been planning to leave me all along?"

These past few days, Liang Di had been trying hard to control her desires, but it seemed she was about to reach her breaking point.