With a sword drawn, he laughs proudly, his martial prowess dominating the heavens!

Chapter 21 Che'er, are you confused!

Along the forest path, Li Che led the way, while Yue Lingshan, carrying a bamboo basket, followed half a step behind.

A spring breeze brushed past, tickling a strand of the woman's hair against her cheek.

She silently gazed at the man beside her, but after a long while, he didn't turn around to look at her, and she pouted somewhat disappointedly.

She was thinking of Li Che, unaware that Li Che was also preoccupied with his own thoughts.

He wants to go down the mountain!

I want to see what this martial arts world is like!

But they were undecided about where to go.

The Huashan Sect is located in Shaanxi, which is too far from Fujian and Hengyang. A round trip would take at least two or three months. Even if they wanted to go, what excuse could they use?

Another important matter is how to deal with the traitor Laudenau.

This fellow was sent out by Lao Yue on an errand and hasn't shown his face for months. He hasn't learned much Huashan martial arts, nor has he gained any secrets within the sect. At his age, he spends all his time running around in the martial arts world. He can be called the best workaholic among the traitors.

So did Lao Yue know that he was a spy?

But if he knew, how could he allow his own daughter to go to Fuzhou with him?

Li Che was completely baffled and seriously suspected that Lao Yue recruited him into the sect just to find a steward to run errands for the Huashan Sect.

As he approached the mountain gate and saw the mottled walls again, Li Che suddenly remembered something—Mount Hua was too poor; he needed to make some money!

It was past mid-morning, and the disciples were practicing swordsmanship in the training ground.

"Dai Zi, the Heavenly Gentleman's Upside-Down Sword Technique should be executed with the sword flowing smoothly, like a waterfall suspended in mid-air. Your strength is three-tenths weak, and the sword's momentum is feeble. How can you break through the enemy's defense?!"

Genming, the Golden Goose Soaring Through the Sky's power lies in deflecting the enemy's sword, then leaping into the air with the momentum. The key is to harmonize swordplay and footwork; don't focus on one and neglect the other!

"Yes, Master's wife!"

Ning Zhongze stood in the pavilion, personally instructing his disciples in sword practice, observing every move with particular care.

Before long, Li Che and Yue Lingshan came out of the moon gate and approached.

The fellow disciples exchanged glances, but dared not stop their swordplay.

"Disciple greets Master's Wife!"

"daughter."

Ning Zhongze smiled and helped Li Che up, then turned and glared at her daughter, feigning anger, "You little devil, let's see what excuse you'll use to shirk your duties in the future."

Yue Lingshan pursed her lips and leaned closer, saying sweetly, "Mother~ Father said that my martial arts have improved greatly recently, why are you still criticizing me?"

Ning Zhongze gave her a doting look, then said to Li Che, "Your master is talking to your second senior brother in the Righteousness Hall. It's nothing important, so you can go now."

"Yes, disciple will take his leave now."

Upon arriving outside the Hall of Righteousness, one sees Yue Buqun sitting high at the head of the table, with a man standing a few feet away bowing.

This man was dressed in coarse gray clothes, his cloth shoes were covered in mud, and he had gray hair. He looked quite old, and he stood in front of Yue Buqun with great respect.

It was Lao Denuo, the second disciple of Mount Hua.

The master and apprentice did not fall silent, but talked about trivial matters of the martial world in a relaxed manner.

"Che'er is here."

"Disciple Li Che greets Master!"

Before his knees even touched the ground, his arms were already being lifted up. Yue Buqun smiled, his attitude quite different from when he was talking to Lao Denuo earlier. "There are no outsiders here, so let's skip the formalities if we can."

Li Che said yes, then turned to the side and bowed with his hands clasped, "Second Senior Brother."

The latter returned the greeting, looked him up and down, and said politely, "I just heard from Master that Junior Brother Li has made great progress in his seclusion. I just returned to the mountain and was planning to go to the Cliff of Contemplation to take a look. This time, I've come at just the right time."

"Deno, you've handled this matter very well. You may go and rest now."

Laudenau's expression froze for a moment, cursing the old man for changing his tune so quickly, before bowing and taking his leave.

He deliberately slowed his pace, and just as he turned the door, he heard Li Che raise his voice slightly, as if intentionally, say, "Master, the disciple of the Purple Cloud Divine Skill has..."

Laudenuo was shocked. Yue Buqun had already passed on the Zixia Divine Skill to this kid Li Che?!

Could it be that they already intend to appoint him as the next leader of the Huashan Sect?

The situation has changed; inform Master as soon as possible!

In the Hall of Righteousness, Yue Buqun withdrew his two fingers from taking his pulse. The purple glow gradually faded, and joy welled up within him. Li Che was afraid that if he continued to stroke it, his long beard would surely get tangled.

"Good! Che'er has made great progress in internal strength, I am very pleased." Then, his smile faded, and he became like a strict teacher, saying seriously, "But! You must not be arrogant or complacent! Your swordsmanship must not be neglected either, you still need to practice more!"

"Your disciple will respectfully follow your master's teachings."

Old Yue nodded and hummed in agreement, then turned around with his hands behind his back, trying to hide the barely suppressed smirk on his face.

Fang returned to his seat and saw his beloved disciple looking hesitant. He couldn't help but wonder if he had encountered difficulties in practicing his skills. Given the child's talent, could it be that he had gained new insights into the Zixia Divine Skill?

Could it be that my thirty years of exploration have been incomplete?

"Master, there's something I must say!" Li Che immediately bowed and said, "Master, do you still remember the three large characters 'Feng Qingyang' carved in the Cliff of Contemplation?"

"Of course, that was a senior from my Sword Sect."

"This disciple has met with Grandmaster Feng!"

"What?!"

Yue Buqun suddenly stood up, a few strands of gray beard falling from the tiger's mouth of his left hand, clearly indicating that he was quite startled.

Li Che had anticipated this; Old Yue was probably worried that the orthodoxy of the Qi Sect was in jeopardy.

"Master Feng has been living in seclusion on Mount Hua for decades. He appeared yesterday, and I thought he was someone who had ulterior motives towards Mount Hua, so I fought with him."

The loss was...very humiliating.

After a moment of contemplation, Yue Buqun sat back down in his chair and sighed, "It seems he meant no harm, otherwise you wouldn't be alive today."

"Ah~ If he had been here back then, this Righteous Qi Hall would probably have been renamed the Righteous Sword Hall. Did he ask you to pass on a message to your master?"

Although Yue Buqun's tone remained relatively calm, Li Che knew that he had lost his composure. Otherwise, given Yue Buqun's usual demeanor, even as a member of the Sword Sect, how could he be reluctant to address him as "Uncle-Master"?

In Yue Buqun's mind, Feng Qingyang must have overheard his discussion about sword energy in the Siguo Cliff cave a few days ago, which is why he attacked his disciple with resentment as a form of punishment.

Old Yue still feels lingering fear when he recalls Feng Qingyang's former glory.

"Disciple noticed that Grandmaster Feng expressed considerable regret when discussing the events of that year, and also acknowledged Master's ambition to revive Mount Hua."

"really?!"

"Yes, Master Feng originally intended to teach his disciple swordsmanship..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yue Buqun jumped up in surprise again, "Is it the Dugu Nine Swords? Have you learned it?"

"Yes, but as a disciple of the Qi Sect, how can I...?"

"Ouch!" With a loud bang, Old Yue's thick hand nearly broke the armrest of the chair. "Che'er, you! Do you know what kind of martial art the Dugu Nine Swords is?! How can you miss such an opportunity!"

With your talent, you can make rapid progress in your internal skills with diligent practice. If you can learn the Dugu Nine Swords, who in the world would dare to challenge your prowess?

I thought you were a clever person, how could you be so muddle-headed!

You're so stubborn and inflexible! You're going to drive your teacher crazy!

No, Che'er, do you know where Uncle Feng is? I will personally go and pay him a visit, and beg him to teach you swordsmanship!

Li Che: "Is this still the Yue Fei I know? Am I being disrespectful to my master?"

No, I didn't finish my sentence, how can that be considered disrespecting my teacher?!

Li Che silently considered his words, pondering the script below.

Seeing him kneeling on the ground with his head down, silent as a cicada in winter, Yue Buqun felt both gratified and helpless. He sighed, stepped forward, helped him up, and said gently, "Che'er, I was a bit harsh, but this matter is urgent. Let's go now."

"Master, but you previously mentioned that sword energy clashes could lead to infighting among fellow disciples..."

Yue Buqun paused, remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed to the chair in the center. "Victory, defeat, honor, and disgrace are all for that position. Che'er, you are still young, and there are some things you don't understand yet."

As a teacher of mediocre talent, it is already difficult to specialize in one subject, but...

Yue Buqun stared intently at Li Che, "There are indeed people in the world with exceptional talent. They can learn quickly and master it. Uncle Feng is such a person."

"Che'er, you might also be a good fit!"

......