Below Myriad Swords Mountain, before Sutra Loft.
Just as Wang Anfeng finished pondering and was about to speak, a burst of loud laughter and admiration suddenly filled the air. An elderly man with white hair strode forth, his clothes tattered and worn. Yet, his complexion was ruddy, and not a single wrinkle marred the corners of his eyes or brows.
His white hair was disheveled, and in one hand, he carried a large gourd almost the size of a child's head. With a casual gesture of his right hand, the small dead animal at Wang Anfeng's feet soared into the air, landing in the grasp of the old man's five fingers.
He weighed it for a moment and then, with narrowed eyes and a look of delight, said,
"This bright-eyed marten makes for a fine taste. If fried with enough oil, it's perfect as a drink accompaniment."
"Hehe, if the two young friends don't mind, then please allow this old man to take it?"
Before the two could respond, he had already casually placed it into a snakeskin bag at his waist. Wang Anfeng said, "Senior is welcome to it."
Then, recalling the intense reaction caused by the Mixed Yuan Skill, he paused briefly before reminding,
"This creature is quite poisonous, so senior should be careful."
The old man chuckled and replied, "Child's words."
"This old man has eaten who-knows-how-many bright-eyed martens. Why would I fear such a small amount of poison?"
He had already seen the bite mark on Wang Anfeng's left hand from the sidelines. Even though it was just a young cub, the bright-eyed marten's poison was approaching the fierceness of the Eighth Rank. Seeing that Wang Anfeng could still deliver the fatal blow with a single sword strike after being poisoned, without changing his countenance, had already piqued his curiosity.
Furthermore, the words spoken by the youth resonated with his own temperament, thus kindling a good impression, prompting him to come forth and meet him.
The more the youth spoke, the more pleasing to the eye the old man found him to be.
The woman also came to her senses and, cupping her fists in a salute, said,
"Gong Yu from Qingfeng Edge, Lv Baiping, pays her respects to the senior."
The old man nodded then turned his gaze back to Wang Anfeng, looking him over from head to toe before grinning and asking,
"Boy, what's your name?"
The youth cupped his fists and replied, "Junior, Wang Anfeng from Fufeng Academy, pays his respects to the senior."
A look of understanding appeared on the elder's face as he stroked his beard and said, "No wonder, no wonder."
"Besides the Heavenly Mountain Sect who has a longstanding friendly relation, only your Fufeng Academy could have brought juniors to this Qingfeng Edge."
Then, frowning slightly with a trace of puzzlement, he added,
"If you are here, it must be because Ren Changge, that old coot, said something."
"But with so many opportunities on Myriad Swords Mountain, those hundred-odd swords are but one thing. Inside the Sword Pavilion, there are many secret manuals and collections. Why would you only delve into this godforsaken Sutra Loft?"
Wang Anfeng was momentarily stunned, then it dawned on him that 'Ren Changge' must refer to the Master Ren presiding over Wind Character Tower in Fufeng Academy.
Yet it was surprising that the stern and meticulous Master Ren actually had such a dashing name.
Regarding what Old Master Yu saw as second-rate opportunities with disdain, Lv Baiping felt indignant in her heart, yet considering the elder in front of her was of quite a frighteningly high status, she dared not speak her mind. Having roamed the Jianghu for decades, the old man could deduce much from the expression on her face. He laughed heartily and teased,
"What's wrong, you feel slighted when others speak of your shortcomings?"
"If one were to obtain one of those hundred-odd swords, it naturally paves a smooth path ahead, easily allowing you to break into the Middle Third Rank realm, proudly standing above others as a skilled martial artist. Even progressing through the Middle Third Rank of cultivation becomes quite easy. Within twenty years, you would definitely be able to break into the Fourth Rank of Martial Arts."
Lv Baiping, slightly defiant, responded,
"Isn't that very good then?"
The old man laughed aloud and, unceremoniously, gave Lv Baiping a knuckle-rap on the head as he chuckled,
"Good? What good is that?!"
"That's just following others' coattails, picking up their leftover wisdom!"
"Walking the paths set by those before you may be smooth, but it also confines you within those paths, making it difficult to step onto stronger ground. It offers no benefit whatsoever to the Martial Arts of this world. After death, when your sword is sent back to Myriad Swords Mountain, let me ask you this—"
"Is it the person wielding the sword, or the sword wielding the person?"
"Is it a swordsman, or a sword servant?"
He posed two questions in succession, striking and resonant, leaving Lv Baiping at a loss for words. She had believed that penetrating one or two schools of swordsmanship would enable her to become a Jianghu expert. However, now she was unable to refute the elder's words and felt as if her previously held convictions were shattering.
At that moment, Wang Anfeng suddenly spoke up, saying,
"But not everyone can become an Upper Third Rank, who can guarantee direct entry beneath the level of Grandmaster. To be called a Fourth Rank Martial Artist, hailed as a top-tier Jianghu expert who roams freely across the world, isn't that also a matter of fate?"
"Coming from a Grandmaster like yourself, your state of mind and your perspective are different, inevitably leading to a skewed view," Anfeng replied.
"Moreover, martial arts are merely a means, not life itself."
"Even if one struggles with martial arts their whole life, what can be done about it?"
The elder turned and gazed at Wang Anfeng, then suddenly shook his head and said,
"Paths differ, and we do not scheme together."
"If you're not a martial artist, why should I even discuss this with you? Alas, it's just a pity..."
"The ancestor of Qingfeng Edge, in order to preserve those exquisite sword techniques and prevent them from being lost to the world, established Myriad Swords Peak. And while these sword techniques have been preserved, how many equally splendid sword arts have been lost to Jianghu because of it?"
"Indeed, it is lamentable..."
Speaking of this, the elder suddenly sighed, and Wang Anfeng understood his implication: if those disciples had not gone to comprehend the sword techniques inscribed on the Sword Steles, and instead roamed Jianghu, they would surely have been able to create their own swordsmanship, which might not be inferior to that recorded on the steles, and could even be more spectacular.
It was difficult to distinctly discern whether it was a blessing or a curse, a chance or a root of trouble.
The Master had sent them here, probably because he was worried about them being secretly harmed by a Jianghu Organization like White Tiger Hall, hence hoping they would grow into Jianghu experts capable of self-protection.
Reaching a Grandmaster of Upper Third Rank is difficult, and even becoming a Fourth Rank Martial Artist is quite an achievement.
At this thought, Anfeng suddenly felt a startling alarm, thinking of Xue Qinshuang who had gone to study the inscriptions. He became somewhat frantic, as in his eyes, she was surely capable of reaching the Upper Third Rank. If so, this chance would actually be a root of trouble for her.
The elder then collected his emotions and laughed, saying,
"Speaking of which, you have yet to answer this old man, what are you seeking by staying here yourself?"
Suddenly, a piercing sound of a sword's cry arose not far away. In a Sword Pavilion, a serene longsword, as if possessed by a spirit, began to resonate on its own, spinning in a circle before shooting off into the distance, clearly activated by some qi mechanism.
Wang Anfeng's expression changed dramatically.
The elder paused mid-sentence, glanced in that direction, then turned back to Wang Anfeng and asked,
"Do you recognize it?"
"The Spirit Sword has moved; it's already too late."
His voice was full of regret, yet he made no move to intervene.
Having roamed Jianghu for a long time, he gradually understood the principle that one should not force their fate and chance. With this mindset, one could wander the world freely, avoiding falling into mire. Besides, as Wang Anfeng had said, whether it's fortune or misfortune, only the individual can tell. To become a Fourth Rank Martial Artist was also considered fate.
Just then, the sound of sword cries suddenly intensified. One after another, longswords resonated non-stop, shooting up into the sky. The elder was taken aback, almost yanking out his own beard.
His eyes widened as he watched the longswords fly out, from one to ten, then to a hundred. The chorus of the longswords came together like thunder. Seeing this, the elder naturally knew that the person activating them had exceptional talent, a true prodigy with potential for Upper Third Rank, a future pillar of martial arts.
He immediately cast aside his own restrictions, and with a sudden loud shout, he exclaimed,
"Stop for this old man, you cannot go!"
With a strange cry, he leaped into the sky, but Wang Anfeng grasped his right arm, turning to see the youth's worried face. Not annoyed, the elder bellowed and soared into the sky, reaching hundreds of meters above the ground in an instant, hovering in the air.
Looking down, he saw a waterfall below, a girl in white with disheveled black hair kneeling in the water. He saw the bright red on her lips, radiant and incomparably beautiful, and the overwhelming surge of sword light erupting from below.
He saw her proud refusal.
The elder was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, full of joy. Dancing in mid-air, he repeatedly exclaimed,
"Excellent, excellent, excellent!"
"My kind of people, my kind of people!"
Meanwhile, Wang Anfeng saw Xue Qinshuang's pale face and the blood at the corner of her mouth, feeling a rush of urgency. He released the hand grasping the elder's arm, and while mid-air, he leaped down. Just then, the longswords below, as if drawn by the qi mechanism, whistled as they shot toward the youth.