King Pingyu was speechless and could only watch the red-clothed woman who slaughtered a horde of his guards walk away safely.
When they left the mansion, the Shadow Guards disappeared on their own. Lin Ting waited outside the door and finally heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that everyone had come out safely. Since these two were siblings, it could be seen that Lin Feilu's brother was also royalty. Queyin bowed to him with a pale face and Lin Feilu said to Xiaobai, "Send Miss Queyin back to the inn first."
She gave the order to him, but when she looked back, the woman in red was already leaving.
Lin Feilu hurriedly chased after her, "Heroine! Will the heroine please remain for a bit!"
She turned around with an expression of impatience, but asked very seriously, "What's the matter?"
Lin Feilu smiled, "Dare I ask this heroine's name?"
The woman in red said, "My name is Yan Xin."
Lin Feilu felt that the name sounded a bit familiar.
After thinking about it for a long time, Lin Feilu suddenly realised that this was the 10th-ranked name on the Jianghu Heroes List that Guan Xingran mentioned yesterday.
At that time, Guan Xingran also sighed,"Yan Xin is the youngest warrior on the Heroes List. Now, she is only seventeen years old, yet she has already surpassed the inheritors of various sects in a duel. She is particularly skilled in swordsmanship as she is the direct disciple of the Sect Master. I heard that she was an orphan adopted by the Master since her infancy."
Lin Feilu couldn't hide his excitement, "Yan Xin? Are you the junior heroine from the Thousand Blades Sect?"
Yan Xin wondered, "You know who I am? Have we met before?"
Lin Feilu said,"I have heard of you; your swordsmanship is very good!"
Yan Xin smiled.
When she smiled, her warrior-like aura gave way to a more youthful and beautiful look of a woman. A shallow dimple appeared on the left cheek, revealing a bit of her natural charm. It's just that the smile quickly dissipated between her cold brow, and she placed her fist against her palm in front of her, "Princess, you are overpraising me."
Wow, I can't believe I get to meet the characters in the Heroes List.
The small flames of her passion for martial arts in Lin Feilu's heart surged greatly. She pursed her lips and asked, "Lady Yan Xin, why did you attempt to assassinate King Pingyu?"
Yan Xin frowned, "This man kidnapped other people's daughters and committed many evil deeds. Since I know of it, I can't stand by and watch. I couldn't kill him today due to my lack of skills, but one day, I will definitely make sure I will kill him!"
Lin Feilu said, "He is from the Royal family. If you kill him, you will be forever wanted by the court."
Yan Xin sneered, "What am I afraid of?"
Lin Feilu was silent for a while before she took out her small notebook from her arms, "That being said, why bother troubling yourself for such a person— shouldn't we use the law to punish him?"
She couldn't help but grab Yan Xin's wrist, "Come with me."
Yan Xin was stunned for a moment, but she didn't try to shake off Lin Feilu to let go of her.
In fact, she rarely had any form of contact with people. Every time she descended the mountain, she went straight to competing with other martial artists to learn and experience new techniques.
The Thousand Blades Sect was located in the Qin Mountains. She grew up on the mountain when she was a child with a family of violent and playful siblings. She was also addicted to martial arts and swordsmanship as her temperament was actually straightforward. Her worldview also helped her determine the rights and wrongs of the world.
Although the girl in front of her was a Princess, she was obviously not in cahoots with King Pingyu. Instead, she even rescued a girl from his clutches.
She definitely is a good person!
Yan Xin let the good Lin Feilu pull her to a tea stall on the street and sit down. After asking the waiter for some tea, she also asked for a brush.
Lin Feilu wrote down King Pingyu's name on her Notebook of Death, followed by several of his crimes.
Yan Xin asked, "What is the significance of this?"
Lin Feilu said with a serious tone, "During my travels, whenever I see court officials who have committed many evil deeds, I will write down their names in this book. Then, when I return to the capital, I will present them to Father Emperor to have these scums convicted one by one."
Yan Xin couldn't help but say, "The princess' chivalrous benevolence is admirable."
Lin Feilu put away the notebook and smiled, "So Miss Yanxin doesn't have to take the risk of killing him anymore."
Seeing that Yan Xin still wanted to protest, Lin Feilu immediately said, "Murdering someone can relieve anger, but there is no guarantee that there won't be another person who would try and commit the same crimes after his death. The wicked are like locusts— we can't kill them all, so we have to tackle the problem from the source. When I report back to Father Emperor to have them punished, others will know what to do and what not to do to avoid getting in trouble. At times, a strong deterrent is sometimes more useful than a simple murder."
Yan Xin mulled for a while, but she accepted this statement, "The Princess is right. Then, I will spare his life for the time being. If the deterrence is not enough in the future, it will not be too late to take his life."
The two talked very happily, and Lin Ting also came to knew everything that happened in the mansion from Xiaohei's report. Seeing him approaching, Lin Feilu warmly introduced, "Brother, this is Lady Yan Xin."
Since he was the elder brother of the Princess, he would naturally be a Prince.
Yan Xin looked up but saw that this Prince was not the same as the typical pompous, narcissistic, indulgent Prince she had imagined him to be.
He was tall and dressed in blue garments. His gestures were very gentle, but he couldn't hide his frailty. His entire being reminded her of a white jade— if one didn't take care of the jade properly, it would crack and break easily.
Yan Xin didn't understand how to greet a Royal with proper etiquette, so she just placed her fist against her palm in front of her, bowing slightly. This would count as her greeting towards the Prince.
Lin Ting also bowed back and said to Lin Feilu, "You caused some trouble with King Pingyu today, so he should be more restrained in the future. However, this person is still stubbornly absurd by character. To prevent him from trying to repeat what he did, I will write a letter to Father Emperor and declare his crimes as well. Then, we will let Father Emperor decide as to what to do with him."
Lin Feilu nodded again and again, "As expected, brother is so thoughtful!"
Yan Xin raised her head and drank the cup of tea. Then, she stood up with her broadsword hand, "Princess, Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
Lin Feilu quickly asked, "Where are you headed next?"
Yan Xin replied, "Jinling."
Lin Feilu was very happy, "We are going to Jinling too, so why don't we go together?"
Yan Xin was used to being alone, so she hesitated for a while.
Lin Ting saw her reluctance and smiled warmly, "Lady Yan Xin doesn't need to be overly cautious. My sister is interested in martial arts, and she admires your swordsmanship. If the lady is unwilling to, there is no need to force yourself."
Yan Xin glanced at Lin Feilu again.
The little girl in question pursed her lips and blinked her eyes, looking innocent and cute. Seeing that Yan Xin looked over, Lin Feilu clenched her hands into fists against her chin as she shouted softly yet sweetly, "Sister Yan Xin, please, please."
Since childhood, Yan Xin, was a daughter who grew up surrounded only by her senior male brothers and couldn't handle this onslaught of cuteness.
Since they were going to Jinling together, they naturally had to return to the inn to get their luggage.
Yan Xin had a very easy-going personality, totally void of the weird temper and hobbies that were said to exist when it came to martial arts Masters. Lin Feilu said they would have to return to the inn first, so she trailed along. When Lin Feilu said they would share a carriage together, Yan Xin also said it wasn't an issue for her.
At any rate, she was adorable as a conversation partner. When she was not involved in the world of fighting, she seemed like an honest and pure girl.
Throughout the journey, Lin Feilu didn't get to know much about the significant events in Jinling, so she asked, "Sister Yan Xin, what happened in Jinling? Why is everyone going there?"
Yan Xin explained, "This time, people from all over the world will gather in Jinling because of the Jimo Sword Manual kept for the Lu family. Not long ago, there was news that the Lu family's son used the Jimo sword technique while he was competing with others. In the past, they merely had the right to keep it, so the Lu family members stealthily learning the Jimo swordsmanship without authorization caused public anger in the martial arts realm. Currently, they will ask the Lu family to provide an explanation."
Lin Feilu wondered, "Doesn't the Lu family own that sword manual?"
Yan Xin shook her head, "No, that is the unique swordsmanship technique of the Jimo Hero. Back then, the Jimo Hero hatched a plot to escape to Jinling and was rescued by the Lu family. Before his death, the Jimo Sword Manual was handed over to the Lu family for safekeeping. In the future, whoever could eradicate the Thirteen Villages of Chixiao will inherit Jimo's last words in the form of a manual."
After Yan Xin's explanation, Lin Feilu finally understood the twists and turns of the incident.
Jimo Wu was a well-known solo swordsman in the arena back then as he had a humble, righteous, and possessed a morally upright character. The Thirteen Villages of Chixiao was a group of bandits who occupied the mountains as kings. At that time, Jimo Wu evoked grudges with the Thirteen Villages to save others. However, the bandits took advantage of his absence to kill his wife and child.
Since then, both sides have been at each other's throats endlessly. When Jimo Wu was alive, he slaughtered every member of the bandits that he came across and severely damaged the vitality of Thirteen Villages.
It was a pity that the Thirteen Villages' power was very strong as they specifically took in the wicked, who had nowhere else to go and had nothing to lose. Jimo Wu alone was unable to eradicate all of them.
So when he died of serious injuries, he left his last words.
Whoever could eliminate the Thirteen Villages would be the inheritor of the Jimo Sword Manual.
Over the years, martial artists all over the country encountered the Thirteen Villages quite often. However, the Thirteen Villages was a group of desperadoes who didn't mind losing their lives in a fight, whereas the other heroes and martial artists still had things to live for. Due to that, no one truly wanted to risk their lives for a fight, resulting in the failure of the group's eradication thus far.
The Lu family held the legacy and should have taken good care of the hero's relics with all their might. Unexpectedly, Lu Shaoyuan, the eldest son of the Lu family, had secretly learned the Jimo swordsmanship techniques. With a revelation such as that, it was apparent that the public wasn't going to put up with it.
Some of them went ahead to seek explanations from the Lu family while others wanted to take advantage of the situation to seize the manual for their own somehow. This was the reason as to why Jinling City was filled with both the good and bad, making the city rather lively.
Lin Feilu's blood boiled when she heard it. She felt that although the things that occurred in the martial arts world were not really the same as what was depicted in the movies, they were equally exciting!
She asked, "If so, Sister Yan Xin, what is your motive for going to Jinling City?"
Lin Feilu initially thought that a female heroine like her would definitely seek to enact justice due to the situation, but Yan Xin said, "This time, all the Masters of the younger generation have gathered in Jinling. It is a good opportunity to compete with them and see where I stand, so I will definitely not miss out on this chance."
Lin Feilu, "…"
She really is a martial arts fanatic, alright.
Back at the inn, Xiaobai had already prepared the carriage.
Guan Xingran had not left yet.
Since Lin Feilu left in the morning, he had been restless. He wanted to rescue her but felt it was in vain. Amidst his contemplation, he saw Queyin return.
Guan Xingran was stunned at the time as he hurried up to meet her. Before he could speak, Queyin, who had always been gentle and submissive to him, gave him a good eye roll dismissal.
No matter what he said, Queyin continued to ignore him. She went back to the room to wash up and had her maid directly prepare to leave.
Guan Xingran followed her all the way and finally asked her, "If you're back, what about Lady Huang? You have to tell me where Lady Huang is, can't you?"
Only then did Queyin reply to him.
She said, "With your might, do you think you're worthy of even mentioning Lady Huang's name? You can just have a pile of dog shit, you luxury-basking-Young Master!"
Guan Xingran was scolded to the point where he was dumbfounded.
It was merely one night, but what happened for things to become like this?!
One of the other reasons why Guan Xingran didn't leave was that he wanted to wait for Lin Feilu to return. He wanted her to shed light on the situation and clarify things. When he saw her, he immediately greeted her excitedly, "Lady Huang, you are back! I was really worried about you."
Lin Feilu glanced at him, "You rely on your mouth to worry about someone?"
Guan Xingran was a little embarrassed- and wanted to say something more, but Lin Feilu directly hugged Yan Xin's arm and said, "Elder sister, he is pestering me!"
Yan Xin glanced coldly at him, and Guan Xingran could clearly see the broadsword in her hand and the Thousand Blades Sect logo engraved on the weapon's handle.
The Thousand Blades Sect had only one female disciple, and that was the direct disciple of the Sect Master— the martial arts fanatic Yan Xin, who was now ranked 10th on the Heroes List.
Guan Xingran's expression changed, and he slipped away to hide from Yan Xin's expressionless glance.
After he was gone, Yan Xin turned her head and said seriously, "That person's footsteps are vain, and his internal strength is lacking. It can be seen that he is just a pretentious person with a useless brain. There are many people like this in the martial world , so you must not be deceived by them."
She was just a 16-year-old girl, yet she was already a decent preacher.
Lin Feilu smiled, hugged her arm, and rubbed her head against Yan Xin's shoulder, "I know."
Yan Xin lost her mature temperament and smiled a little bashfully.
She had never been so close to anyone before, but the girl who was rubbing her head on her coquettishly resembled the look of a little fluffy fox in the Qin Mountains.
When Yan Xin looked up, she happened to meet the gaze of Lin Ting next to her. He was just looking at his Little Fifth Princess's coquettish behaviour and thought it was both cute and funny. When his eyes suddenly met Yan Xin's, he nodded and smiled. His expression was like spring water as it was full of elegance.
Not only did Yan Xin never see a soft and cute girl like Lin Feilu, but she had also never seen a young man like Lin Ting who was so tender to the core. After noticing that he was smiling at her, she quickly averted her gaze as she felt the tips of her ears reddening.
In the past, Yan Xin used to travel alone with her weapon and a horse. However, with Lin Feilu owning a carriage, she entrusted her horse to Xiaohei and rode in the carriage with the girl.
The two sat in the carriage and waited for a while before Lin Ting came back, each hand carrying a paper bag held by a string.
Lin Feilu liked to eat snacks and sunflower seeds when she rode the carriage, so Lin Ting would buy them in advance every time. Now that there was one more girl, he bought one more. After getting in the carriage, he gave one to Lin Feilu and the other to Yan Xin.
Yan Xin seemed a little surprised, "Is this for me?"
Lin Ting laughed, "Yes, it is for you. Though, I'll let Lady Yan Xin determine if it suits your tastes. I will get different flavours next time if you don't like it."
Yan Xin looked at him before she lowered her head to untie the wrapping string.
Several packs of parchment paper wraps were filled with all kinds of snacks. There were preserved fruits, candied fruits and sunflower seeds— all of which were snacks and treats that young ladies enjoyed to eat.
Yan Xin had never eaten these. The men on the mountain were those who practised with blades and knives every day; how would they know what sort of delicious snacks to buy for a girl?
She hadn't eaten any of these before. Even when she ventured the land, she was merely obsessed with the art of training and competing, so she hadn't really gone to the markets for entertainment.
This was the first time someone had given these things to her.
AD
Yan Xin picked up a piece of preserved fruit and put it in her mouth. She finished it quietly and earnestly before tasting the others. After tasting all the snacks in the paper bag, she happily said to Lin Ting, "I like it."
His eyes were soft ,and his voice was warm, "As long as you like it, that's good."
Wow, his voice is really nice, much better than those of my senior brothers who yell at each other every day before dawn…
No!
Yan Xin quickly lowered her head and silently apologised to her senior brothers in her heart.
The carriage was moving at a steadily moderate pace, and when it crossed the Jinyin River and reached Jinling City, the sun had already set halfway.
Before entering the city, they saw a continuous stream of carriages coming and going around. Upon entering the city, it became even more noisy and lively. They arrived much later than most of the crowd, which was the reason why the inns were already packed. After searching around, it was getting dark, and the entourage had not yet found a room. One of the waiters even suggested that they go camping in the suburban woods for the night.
It didn't matter to Lin Feilu as she really wanted to experience camping in ancient times, but she was worried about Lin Ting's body, so she had to knock on the door of the county government office.
After a while, the group moved into the mansion.
The Governor even brought his head wife and mistresses to greet them, and before leaving, he especially bragged, "His Royal Highness King Qi and the Fifth Princess, the Jinling City, which this lower official governs, is especially lively at night. Your Highnesses can go for a walk when you have time and take your pick should you fancy something!"
Lin Feilu enjoyed going to night markets the most, so she dragged Yan Xin and Lin Ting out after dinner.
The public agreed that the day to denounce the Lu family would be tomorrow, so any involved or interested parties should have arrived by now.
Vendors naturally wanted to seize business opportunities as today's Jinling City was more lively than it ever was. As most of the customers were from the martial world, they had huge temper flares and often drew their weapons once dissatisfied. Along the way, Lin Feilu had witnessed several fights and bouts.
However, things were quiet around them as everyone had the utmost patience when treating them.
Their weapons were the most conspicuous signs.
Generally, no one dared to bump into them as long as they were not physically blind.
(editor: I know it sounds weird, but it's a generic Chinese "common sense" proverb)
Lin Feilu ran in front of them the entire time, looking around and touching several items in fascination. Lin Ting and Yan Xin would just trail behind her.
Several people were promoting their products along the street, but one hawker yelled out, "Get your cotton candy! It's an ancestral craft! It's not overly sweet and not expensive either."
Lin Ting took a few steps forward and found that Yan Xin was no longer following them.
He turned around and saw that Yan Xin was looking at the big cotton candy stuck on the stick with an almost-serious expression of doubt.
Lin Ting walked over and asked, "Lady Yan Xin, what's wrong?"
Yan Xin looked back at him before she pursed her lower lip. Then, she raised her finger to point to the cotton candy and asked in confusion, "Can cotton be eaten too?"
Lin Ting burst out laughing.
Yan Xin's ears couldn't help but turn into a light hue of red. She whispered, "I've never eaten any before. How embarrassing of me."
When she spoke, Lin Ting had already walked toward the street vendor. The hawker asked enthusiastically, "Young Master, would you like some cotton candy?"
Lin Ting nodded as he paid the money. The hawker exclaimed, "Please choose one yourself!"
Lin Ting was tall and raised his hand slightly, easily selecting the largest cotton candy available in the stands. Then, he turned around and walked back to Yan Xin as he said warmly, "Cotton candy is not made of cotton but melted sugar cane through heating. The silk is spun and rolled into the shape of cotton. Here, have a taste."
Yan Xin glanced at him and slowly reached out to take it.
When she placed the large mass of cotton close to the tip of her nose, she could smell a strong sweet fragrance emanating from it. Then, as she lightly placed it on her lips, it seemed to melt into sugary water immediately.
Yan Xin licked her lower lip with the tip of her tongue— the taste was sweet.
Lin Ting asked with a smile, "Is it delicious?"
She nodded. Although her ears were red, her voice conveyed her sincerity, "Thank you."
People from all corners of the world in Jinling City looked at the martial arts fanatic Yan Xin, ranked 10th on the Hero List. On the one hand, she held onto her broadsword, which was never timid in the face of strength, and yet, on the other hand, she had a cotton candy that exuded an utterly opposite vibe. She took her time enjoying the incompatible cotton candy, carefree and expressionlessly, from the east ends of the city to the west.
Early the following day and full of energy, Lin Feilu went to the Lu family's house to watch the fun unfold.
Early the following day and full of energy, Lin Feilu went to the Lu family's house to watch the fun unfold.
The Lu family was also renowned as a family with a long-standing martial arts tradition. It stood in the martial world for many years and had a high reputation. Otherwise, Jimo Wu would not have entrusted the swordsmanship manual to them.
It's just that the head of the Lu family, to whom Jimo Wu had entrusted his last words, had passed away. People were unpredictable, so generation after generation, with a peerless and tempting swordsmanship manual in their hands, it was normal for the guardians to start having different motives.
Since the news leaked, the Lu family knew that the situation was dire. The Young Master was not innocent, and he had revealed it to the world— a world of martial artists keeping their eye on the Lu family due to their safekeeping of the manual. It was only because of the restraint of all parties that nobody dared to attempt to fight over it openly. However, now that something like this had occurred, the Lu Family would not be able to continue to be the safe keeper of the manual.
For some time now, the Lu family has been seeking a reasonable solution to the matter.
Early in the morning, the martial arts field outside the Lu family's home was full of people.
Lin Feilu came early and had already occupied a good position that enabled her a wide field of vision. She took out her stash of sunflower seeds and gave Yan Xin half of them as she asked, "What do you think the Lu family should do this time to quell the public anger?"
Yan Xin replied, "The sword manual would probably have to be handed over."
Lin Feilu asked again, "Who should they give it to?"
Yan Xin glanced at the dense crowd around her, "That would be the purpose of everyone being here today."
How many people would genuinely be angry at the Lu family who had violated the hero's last words, Jimo?
All they wanted to do was take that peerless sword manual as their own.
Lin Feilu couldn't help but sigh when she recalled the chivalrous hero Jimo that Yan Xin had described in a few words yesterday. Yan Xin was still holding her handful of sunflower seeds, so she asked, "Sister Yan Xin, don't you like eating sunflower seeds?"
Yan Xin said, "I like it, but…"
She's not embarrassed to eat in public. After all, she didn't bore any psychological burden when she ate cotton candy in the streets last night. It's just that the sound of her nibbling onto the sunflower seeds was too loud, and everyone present were martial arts practitioners with excellent hearing. Just now, Lin Feilu's unapologetic crunches have already attracted several angry gazes.
On such a solemn occasion, how could it be appropriate for her to snack on sunflower seeds with such peace of mind?!
It's just that Lin Feilu was not a person of the Jianghu. Even as Yan Xin was listed on the Hero list, she still needed to restrain herself.
Lin Feilu nodded clearly and understood her burden, "Then I'll take it. If you were to fight someone later, you can't use these sunflower seeds as a hidden weapon."
Yan Xin was amused by her and was about to return it to her when Lin Ting stretched out his hand and said warmly, "Give them to me."
Yan Xin thought Lin Ting would have some as snacks, too, so without thinking much, she put all the seeds in her hand into his palm without thinking much.
Yan Xin's fingers are very long and fair. At first glance, they did not look like hands that danced with knives and guns. But his palm was bigger than hers, so when she placed the sunflower seeds she held in her hand in his, it looked like there were only a small bunch.
Lin Feilu was very curious about this arena, so Yan Xin pointed out the Masters that she recognised.
Lin Feilu was very curious about this arena, so Yan Xin pointed out the Masters that she recognised.
After a while, something suddenly tugged Yan Xin's cuff off her sleeve slightly.
She turned her head and saw Lin Ting wrap the peeled sunflower seeds in a clean blue handkerchief and hand them over.
The plump and crispy sunflower seeds lay on the handkerchief in his palm as the four corners of the handkerchief hung down and fluttered slightly in the wind.
He said warmly, "Eat it like this."
The spring sun had just emerged from the clouds, but a thousand miles of the clear sky seemed to be reflected in his eyes— clearly and warmly.
Yan Xin began to feel her ears heat up again as she silently took them. She looked at his fingers and said, "Thank you."
Lin Ting smiled, "You're welcome."
The sun gradually shrouded this crowded training ground. After standing for a long time, many people felt restless in their hearts, and everyone started fidgeting out of discomfort and impatience.
Just when Lin Feilu thought a fight was about to start, the closed door of the Lu family suddenly opened.
A middle-aged man with a domineering aura walked out.
Yan Xin tilted her head and spoke in a slow, calm voice, "This is the current head of the Lu family."
AD
As soon as the Patriarch of the Lu family appeared, the surrounding people immediately became visibly angry. Soon, they all scolded and cussed the Lu family for treachery and despicableness.
Patriarch Lu didn't retort, and he let the crowd continue their criticisms. His eyes swept over the people present, and when their voices gradually faded, he bellowed, "Everyone, Lu Mou knows what you are talking about today, and this is indeed a Lu family's affair. A certain child of the Lu's failed to live up to the gallant hero Jimo's trust, and as I am deeply ashamed, I have already punished the sinner. However, you should also know that the child has only learned the first style of the Jimo Sword Manual and will never use this trick again in his life. Today, Lu Mou will hand over the Jimo Sword Manual in front of everyone."
There was a commotion stirring beneath.
The Lu family was admitting to it that easily, making it a waste of the speeches that everyone had prepared beforehand had he relented.
But since the Lu family said they would hand it over, those who were bound to win the Jimo Sword Manual immediately stood up.
All of them were well-known and decent people with great names amidst the martial world, as everyone felt they were the best candidates to be the 'custodian' of the Jimo Sword Manual. There were long-winded discussions and those who desired a martial competition to be held, causing chaos to unfold at the scene.
Lin Feilu looked at the commotion and didn't find it all that interesting.
What's the difference between this and the brawl for the throne?
They were all greedy for profit, fighting left and right without mercy for the one thing everyone wanted.
She turned to look at Lin Ting, wondering if it was because of the sunlight that made him a little pale. His thick eyelashes were drawn down, and he seemed to look around absent-mindedly.
Yan Xin stood between them and saw Lin Feilu's worried eyes, so she also turned to look at Lin Ting.
He seemed distracted, and his gentle eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, his past smile gone with the wind.
Yan Xin suddenly wanted to reach out and help him smoothen out his brows.
She pinched his fingers, leaned over, and asked concernedly, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Yan Xin pinched his fingers, leaned over, and asked concernedly, "Are you feeling unwell?"
It took a while for Lin Ting to realize that Yan Xin was talking to him. He bent his lips and smiled, "It's okay. I just feel that it's a bit noisy."
His face and lips were pale. Ultimately, he didn't look very good.
Yan Xin frowned.
She turned around and reached behind her with her right hand. She pulled out the broadsword that she was carrying behind her back and threw it forward with no expression on her face.
Across such a long distance, the broadsword pierced through the wind like a sharp arrow and embedded itself into the door behind Patriarch Lu.
The scene suddenly became quiet, and the two Masters who were arguing and debating also looked over in surprise.
No one was unaware of the Thousand Blade's Broadsword, and no one knew of Yan Xin, the martial arts fanatic.
The audience focused their attention, and Lin Feilu, who was eating her sunflower seeds, silently put down her hand.
What are you doing, heroine?! You don't have to be so blatant, even if you wanted to have the sword manual!
Someone couldn't help but ask, "Lady Yan Xin, what is the meaning of this?"
Yan Xin said, "You are all too noisy."
She looked at Patriarch Lu, and with her voice which carried a girlish tone, calmly exclaimed, "Patriarch Lu has already made a decision, so there is no reason to watch the seniors battle it out. Why don't we just hear what the decision is?"
After hearing what she said, all eyes on the scene shifted to Patriarch Lu again.
As soon as they heard that Jimo Sword Art was going to change hands, they couldn't wait to fight for it, but they didn't realize the hidden meaning of Patriarch Lu's words for a while. At this moment, they were enlightened and looked at the head of the Lu family anxiously.
Instead, they saw Patriarch Lu smile, clenching his fists as he saw Yan Xin from afar.
Then he thundered, "The Lu family has been entrusted with the legacy of the hero Jimo for many years, and today, under the witness of the entire martial world, we will hand over the Jimo Sword Manual to Ji Liang. From now on, the Lu family and the Jimo Sword Manual will have nothing to do with each other."
When the patriarch announced this statement, everyone was shocked.
Ji Liang?!
Wasn't he dead? Nor was he hiding in seclusion?
Lin Feilu was so shocked by this plot twist that all the seeds in her hands fell.
The door behind Patriarch Lu slowly opened, and a tall, thin and lonely figure walked out.
When he reached the door, he pulled out the broadsword stuck in the door effortlessly before throwing it again.
The broadsword returned to Yan Xin's hand again.
Yan Xin saluted him with a fist, "Thank you, Senior Ji."
As soon as Ji Liang appeared, the prominent families and sects still vying for the Sword Manual all withered.
The number one swordsman in the world was not a false name, as countless world-renowned martial artists lost to him. Ji Liang's reputation as the number one swordsman in the world was not granted to him by the martial world, but it was a title that was bestowed upon him after he brandished his sword towards his opponents, taking them down one by one.
In front of everyone, Patriarch Lu took out the sword manual from his arms and respectfully handed it to Ji Liang.
Ji Liang took the manual and tucked it into his clothes.
Ji Liang took the manual and tucked it into his clothes.
No one dared to grab anything from Ji Liang's hands, but this sword manual was too tempting. Several seniors from big families gave each other a look as someone stood up and said, "This one has always admired warrior Ji's style, but Hero Jimo entrusted this sword manual on his deathbed, and even the Lu family has no right to transfer it at will. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate to leave it to warrior Ji like this?"
The surroundings instantly erupted into an uproar.
However, a part of the crowd who actually cared about the hero's legacy agreed very much, "Senior Ji's swordsmanship is superb, and he has his martial style. Since his martial arts has reached a state of perfection, he is the most unlikely person in the world to practise Hero Jimo's swordsmanship techniques— it is indeed a good strategy."
The two factions had their own opinions and inputs, so the scene became chaotic once more as arguments broke out again.
The commotion continued until Ji Liang made a nonchalant move, throwing out a few blood-stained tokens.
Everyone looked closely and found that those were the token of the Masters of the Thirteen Villages of Chixiao.
Only then did Patriarch Lu open his mouth excitedly, "Master Jimo's last words were that the sword manual would belong to whomever capable of destroying the Thirteen Villages of Chixiao. A few days ago, warrior Ji took the life of the leader of five villages with his own strength, which is practically almost half of the force! Now that the sword manual has to be given to another, who else possessed more qualifications to keep it besides warrior Ji?!"
Various famous sects have encircled and suppressed the men of the Thirteen Villages several times over the years. However, all they managed to target were small fries, not even managing to scrape a strand of hair of the Masters.
Now that Ji Liang had killed the five major Village Masters single-handedly, what qualifications did they have to compete with him?
Those who came hoping to obtain the sword manual looked at these tokens. After taking another look at Ji Liang's icy cold stare, they knew that the matter was settled, and it would be hopeless for them to try and insist.
And those who harbour malicious ideas didn't dare to snatch anything from Ji Liang, so they stopped thinking about it altogether.
The problem that was expected to require a few days and conflicts to settle was perfectly resolved in less than a morning. Many who were present felt that they were in a fog of confusion due to the efficiency.
However, Ji Liang's appearance confirmed that the previous rumours were false.
Not only was he alive and well, but he had also made significant progress in martial arts. He was able to take the lives of the five great Village Masters single-handedly. Even though he possessed strong abilities, it probably wasn't easy to become an enemy of the Thirteen Villages. An excellent example was what happened to the hero, Jimo Wu.
However, Ji Liang had no wife or children. Hence, he had always been alone. Even if the Thirteen Villages ended up having a grudge against him, he seemed to have nothing to fear.
A lot of discussions broke out in the martial world for a while.
Lin Feilu had been stunned since Ji Liang appeared on the stage.
Ji Liang was actually Little Pretty Boy's Uncle Ji!
She was a little excited, but she also harboured some inexplicable emotions. Lin Feilu wanted to say hello, but warrior Ji would probably ignore her on second thought.
As soon as the matter was resolved, Ji Liang disappeared. Even though Lin Feilu wanted to find him, she didn't know where to start. She couldn't explain to Lin Ting how she knew the number one swordsman in the world. All she could do was hold back the surging emotions in her heart as she left and returned to the government's office.