Why do I have so many masters?

Two hundred li may seem long, but on horseback or in a carriage, it's not much of a distance at all. The decent horses in Jianghu can cover eight hundred li in a day; those that qualify as fine steeds can even go a thousand li per day. So, how much faster would the famous horse be that Yuchi Jie had bought for a large sum of money?

Though it might seem extravagant to use a fine horse to pull a carriage, something others might find as wasteful as burning a zither to cook a crane, the speed was not a bit slow. Yuchi Jie found himself quite satisfied, feeling his silver hadn't been wasted. He paid no mind to the pitying glances from passersby.

All along the way, Wang Anfeng rode at the front, his wooden sword still strapped to his back; however, the Broad Sword he had obtained from the Qingfeng Edge was simply hanging on one side of the saddle. Its scabbard swayed slightly with the horse's gait, ready for unsheathing at a moment's notice in case of sudden danger.

The right hand hidden in his sleeve drew and traced ceaselessly, as he pondered in secret over the Sword Intent of the man in white he had faced. The alarming frost that had formed on his palm and wrist had long since faded away.

Even if it had been the loneliest of Sword Intents, it was just water without a source. Moreover, as Hong Luoyu had said, that stroke had been merely a greeting; though the Sword Intent was potent, it was devoid of lethal force. With Yuchi Jie's robust Yang Inner Strength, it took no more than the time it took an incense stick to burn to dissolve the Sword Intent completely.

Yuchi Jie, though, was utterly bored.

He had already guessed who the person who had attacked them was, yet he kept it to himself, just half-closing his eyes and considering the awe-inspiring Sword Qi that had spanned three hundred zhang, comparing it to the stories of martial arts seniors in his memory.

The more he compared, the more formidable that person seemed.

He also recalled the legends of swordsmen he had heard about in the past: slaying a flood dragon with a sword, resigning from officialdom with a hearty laugh, being gifted wine by the Former Emperor but leaving with just a wave of his sleeve, so carefree. As he thought about it now, these stories inspired envy.

Even Yuchi Jie, who had no interest in swordsmanship, couldn't help but feel admiration. How much more so would it be for the other swordsmen?

Taishu Jian had borne about ten or twenty percent of the force of that sword's attack, his blood boiling with fervor. Now seated in the carriage, gripping the reins, all he could think about was the overwhelming sword light that had pressed down on him, as if he were drunk or bewitched.

Swordsmanship from the Heavenly Mountain Sword.

Sword Qi clears the autumn chill.

The current number one swordsman in the world hailed from the Qingfeng Edge, but twenty or even thirty years ago, not to mention fifty years back, the title belonged to a hero from the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect.

From the age of seventeen or eighteen, with just a sword in hand, he descended the Heavenly Mountain and traveled southward. Wherever he found a mountain, he paid respect with his sword, gaining renown through the might he displayed with his blade.

After him, the hermit Kong Taoist Li Xuan, who used to sit idly by the riverside, entered the world wielding a wooden sword. With one step, he rose above the level of Grandmasters to become a Great Grandmaster, reaching enlightenment as if stepping into heaven in one bound.

Although this encapsulated the carefree and transcendent feeling of a Taoist Sect's ascension to heaven, it could not match the impression left by the sword prodigy from Heavenly Mountain, whose sword cry seemed to come from beyond the heavens.

Moreover, the martial artists from the Taoist Sect were always known for their reserved nature. The Kong Taoist was indeed too profound and enigmatic, recorded in Jianghu history for merely five or six exploits, yet he claimed a place among the top five in the world.

The prodigy from Heavenly Mountain, on the other hand, was entirely different: generous, a lover of wine and swords, and especially fond of beautiful women, he was known for easily making friends everywhere he went.

Lv Baiping stared blankly at the scenery passing on both sides of the carriage, with Sanshan Pavilion now left far behind, yet she couldn't forget that sword move, Qingfeng Clearing the Autumn Chill. Redirecting her gaze to Lin Qiaofu, she suddenly said in a low voice,

"Qiaofu, could the person who just made a move be related to the senior Sword Master of Heavenly Mountain?"

Master leads the way.

It's said that Heavenly Mountain has over eight hundred sword-carrying disciples, spanning several hundred years.

But the only person in the world who could be revered and addressed as the Sword Master, without using a surname, is that one individual, just as Murong Qingxue is referred to as the Great Elder and Li Xuan as the Kong Taoist.

This is the unrivaled fame in the world.

Lin Qiaofu fell silent for a moment, then said, "With such youth and able to use the sword move 'Qingfeng Clearing the Autumn Chill', it could only be a direct disciple trained by the senior Sword Master."

"But the senior Sword Master has never mentioned taking on any disciples."

Lv Baiping let out a small sigh of relief.

Yuchi Jie laughed and interjected,

"What if that senior Sword Master secretly went down the mountain without letting anyone in Jianghu know and covertly found a disciple? And then deceived everyone to teach martial arts back up the mountain."

Lv Baiping glared at him and said,

"Shut your mouth! The senior Sword Master would never do such a thing"

Her hand on the sword scabbard seemed almost ready to be raised again.

Yuchi Jie rolled his eyes but said nothing more, instead muttering to himself, "What would you know"

Lv Baiping clenched her teeth in anger.

Hong Luoyu did not pay attention to the conversation inside the carriage. His eyes were half-closed as if deep in thought, breaking down, analyzing, and dispersing the Sword Qi that spanned three hundred zhang in his mind, leaving only a wisp of fine Sword Intent.

Hong Luoyu sighed internally.

Though a wisp ascends to the Heavenly Sect.

Fourth Rank to Third Rank, that is the Heavenly Sect.

Indeed, no world ever lacks monsters in its Jianghu.

The party had set out at dawn, stopped at an official hostel on the way to eat some food, and when the sun was about to set in the sky, they could vaguely make out the gates of Guan City in Danyang County in the distance. Upon entering Guan City, they would have officially reached Jiangnan Road.

Perhaps too bored in the carriage, Yuchi Jie borrowed Old Lu's horse to ride and would occasionally whip it forward a few hundred meters, then wait for the horse to catch up, leaving his bodyguards to accompany Taishu Jian, who drove the carriage.

Gong Yu had exchanged horses with Lv Baiping once, but as they approached Guan City, she swapped back. Riding alongside Wang Anfeng, who led at the front, they entered Guan City together.

Wang Anfeng's right hand was still lightly stabbing at the air, a contemplative look on his face, now furrowing his brows, now suddenly realizing something.

Gong Yu's gaze moved away from his fingers and she said indifferently,

"How is it?"

This question was exactly the same as the one before, word for word.

Although it was only two words, Wang Anfeng understood the different meaning behind it. He smiled, raised his right hand, his sleeve slid down, revealing his palm and sword finger, then gently traced it through the space between them.

A faint, sharp sound of cutting the air arose, carrying a chill that made one's heart slightly skip a beat.

Gong Yu's eyes showed understanding, and she nodded, saying,

"It seems you're quite good at learning..."

Wang Anfeng shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, and said,

"It's just imitation, and a very poor one at that."

"Drawing a dragon or a tiger is hard to do without knowing the bones. What I've stolen is merely some skin and hair; it's incomparable to that person's sword qi and sword intent. I'm just thinking, if one day I really face off against him, perhaps it can be of some benefit."

Gong Yu nodded, her tone steady and indifferent, as she replied,

"Knowing yourself and knowing your enemy is good."

Then there was silence.

After walking another hundred meters or so, Wang Anfeng released his Sword Finger and moved his hand slightly.

In these years, whenever he encountered an unbeatable foe in Copper Man Lane, he would do this. Over time, he learned many haphazard techniques, which often allowed him to anticipate his opponent's moves and indeed gave him quite an advantage.

But this time, his opponent was different.

The move he executed was simply a straightforward stab, a technique even a child with no martial arts training could somewhat imitate.

He could say that everyone in Jianghu could perform this stab.

But how many people could draw out three hundred zhang of sword qi with a single sword?

The Heavenly Mountain Sword Technique, conceived from the highest level of sword intent, allows true disciples, even with a twig in hand, to perform a stab or slash that counts among the upper echelon of Jianghu's swordsmanship.

Wang Anfeng muttered to himself these comments from the book in his heart, acknowledging their truth. Then he looked back at Gong Yu and asked with a smile,

"Miss Gong, what do you think of the martial arts of the one who made the move?

"Is he Fourth Rank, or perhaps even higher?"

Gong Yu shook her head, "I can't tell without having crossed hands with him."

Her voice paused for a moment, then she added,

"But at least Fourth Rank."

Wang Anfeng seemed to joke,

"Fourth Rank... At least a Fourth Rank swordsman from Heavenly Mountain, and so young too, is quite rare in Jianghu."

"Could it be the legendary vice-champion of the Sword List? I remember the Master from the Imperial Academy personally remarked about him, saying that his sword intent was extraordinary and peerless, with the grandeur of falling snow from Heavenly Mountain, asserting he'd reach grandmaster status in ten years, make it to the top ten of the Sword List, and sweep across the world in thirty years."

"If it were him, our group here would really be in high demand."

He thought of the famous sword masters who had surrounded him and his company, thought of Li Bo, his father whose face was increasingly unclear to him, thought of the peerless elegance his father was described with by the guardian of the ruins, his smile tinged with a mix of helplessness and self-mockery.

Despite being his son, he was the person who least understood his own father.

With a sense of melancholy in his heart, he still needed to continue speaking. Ever since leaving Jade Ruin Temple, he had suspected his father's identity and feared that he had many great enemies. Considering this, how could Gong Yu and the others, inhabiting the Qingfeng Edge, have made enemies? It seemed likely that the previous sword master was after him as well.

If this Heavenly Mountain disciple had acted for the same reason, then it would indeed be dangerous for Qingfeng Edge's group to continue traveling with him.

In that case, temporarily going separate ways at the upcoming Guan City might be the best choice.

Wang Anfeng appeared calm as he pondered how to begin the conversation.

Gong Yu gave him a look.

An exceptionally rare, faint smile flickered across her usually cold and jade-like face.

She lifted the slender sword that she carried and said softly,

"Let's wait for him to come."

PS: First update of the day is here…

There's no "first day," no, "second day," missing him... no comments, no interaction, writing is so boring... (Bewildered)