Chapter 477: Cui Zhaoye

"... Forget it, it's nothing."

Changsun didn't answer and lowered her head to flip through the names. This small booklet was very detailed and didn't have information like the appearance or age of the swordsmen, but it recorded the origin sect, sword technique inheritance, chess-sword performance, and jianghu deeds of each name. Changsun flipped through it without blinking, her eyes bright, as if she had thrown herself into another world.

The apple of the eye of Taichang Minister Changsun Xuanlu, she had hidden various sword-hero novels under her pillow since she was a child, reading the thrilling stories and imagining the dashing and heroic characters inside. Unfortunately, before getting to know the friend beside her, she didn't have many opportunities to come into contact with that distant world.

"Eh, I've read the story of 'Bai Yuan Passing the Sword.' Is there really a sect called Bai Yuan Cave?"

"The last three of the thirty-three sword sects. Sometimes they can produce a unique swordsman, but that's about it."

"Then is the sword of this Zhang Chao really taught by an ape?"

"His master taught him."

"..."

Cui Zhaoye didn't look like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl at first glance. It wasn't that she looked mature, but that she seemed to have lost interest in too many things early on. The most striking thing about her clear and beautiful face was a pair of eyes, which looked like they had been carefully carved by the most exquisite craftsman out of black glass, but no matter how much effort was put into it, they would never be this miraculous and spirited.

While piercing through everything, the corners of her eyes drooped, giving her the appearance of a high-minded scholar in the mountains.

She was wearing a beautiful purple dress today, and she wasn't afraid of being too conspicuous at the Sword Academy.

After passing through a few streets, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Sword Academy.

Changsun followed Cui Zhaoye off the carriage. This Sword Academy was still as quiet and simple. She knew that there were only a hundred or so sword students inside, the gathering of sword talents from the entire Great Tang.

Cui Zhaoye seemed familiar with the road, knocked on the door, and handed in her name card. Soon someone came to welcome them, and the two of them, with only one maid, followed the guide into the dark-colored gate.

Once Changsun entered the Sword Academy, she became very low-key and quiet, walking half a step behind Cui Zhaoye, only looking around with a pair of bright eyes and pursed lips, as if worried about disturbing the swordsmen somewhere.

However, she didn't have much opportunity to observe this Sword Academy. Soon they crossed a gate, the field of vision widened, and they arrived at the sword field.

More than twenty sword students in ordinary clothes were already standing here, chatting with each other in groups of three or five. Their swords and the way they held them were different; some hung at their waists, some carried them in their hands, some hung them at their lower backs... and one person carried a full six swords on his back.

Those were indeed the outstanding sword talents of this year, and each of them seemed to have a story hidden within. Changsun was watching without blinking, but Cui Zhaoye pulled her, and the three of them didn't stay here, but climbed up to a small pavilion in the corner.

This was indeed a field of vision that was inconspicuous yet comfortable.

Changsun leaned on the window and looked down, eyes wide. "It's starting!"

Cui Zhaoye glanced at it, but first picked up the pot to pour tea.

"Who are these two sword students?" Changsun turned her head and asked.

Only to see the person on the left side of the field had a thin build, but long arms. The long sword was carried on his back, and he was looking at the ground with his eyebrows lowered, his body seemingly relaxed to the extreme.

The person on the right was wearing a Daoist bun and was still turning his head to talk and laugh with the people under the field, standing in a very loose posture.

"I have to wait until they use their swords; I don't recognize them."

As soon as the words fell, they had already performed the sword salute on the field. The next moment, two sword uniforms swept across like rainbows, and sword shadows bloomed sharp flowers on the field in an instant, countless petals passing away in a flash.

The agility of the long-armed person's build was obvious, and there seemed to be invisible pedals in the air, with every sword strike coming from above. This kind of sword technique that didn't touch the ground was indeed unique in the world, and it was by no means strange for the sake of being strange; it had a complete set of offense and defense, and calling it a "strange sword" was by no means an exaggeration. The person receiving the sword was often constrained everywhere.

But the person with the Daoist bun still had a leisurely meaning, much like a heavy rain falling while he held an umbrella. His body followed his steps, his sword followed his body, and the whole person was almost elusive.

More than ten exchanges passed in the blink of an eye. The next moment, it was as if the rain had suddenly pierced the umbrella. The Daoist bun person's steps suddenly converged, and he put away the sky full of sword shadows like closing an umbrella. The long-armed person landed at the same time, his steps twisted, and the first ground-stepping sword strike of the field was born at this moment, as if the collision and dismantling of more than ten moves in the air had condensed into this one sword strike, the blade charging straight at the standing opponent.

But the next moment, the Daoist bun person, who had intended to stand still, flashed again, leaning his body to sweep to the opponent's back in a circular arc on the ground.

However, the long-armed swordsman seemed to have eyes on his back, or perhaps this sword strike had been aimed at his back from the beginning. A stunning and miraculous sword light lit up on the field. He arched his back, his arms returned, and Changsun finally knew what the long arms were for. They cooperated with the flexibility of his posture to shape a strange and beautiful posture, and the sword stopped straight five inches in front of the Daoist bun swordsman's throat.

However, the next moment, he saw his expression droop slightly. When he moved his eyes to look, he was stunned to find that the sword in the Daoist bun person's hand had been placed on the side of his neck.

Cui Zhaoye drank tea and watched below. Changsun turned her head with bright eyes. "Does Sister Cui know now?"

When it came to sword matters, Cui Zhaoye rarely showed a serious expression. She put down the teacup and said, "The person on the left is Zhang Chao, who carries the inheritance of the 'Ape Duke Sword,' and is said to be the most gifted person in Bai Yuan Cave in thirty years. Just for the sword moves, the last sword strike is called 【Old Ape Looking Back】. People say 'Ape Duke's Three Kills, must have four lives,' and this move is one of the 'Three Kills.' Just in terms of sword moves, it is indeed a top-tier killing move in the world."

"Then is the other sword student even more powerful?"

"The one on the right is Wen Li of the Jingming Daoist Sect. Among Daoist swords, the three sects of Qingwei, Shenxiao, and Jingming all take cultivating the heart as the priority, often seeing through the truth of sword moves, and breaking moves is exactly what they are good at." Cui Zhaoye tapped the teacup lightly, paused, and sighed softly. "But if you ask me, they are actually swordsmen of the same level."

"... This Wen Li young master clearly won, right?"

"If you had read a few more collections, it would be easy to win against others in the Flying Flower Order; that's not a matter of literary talent." Cui Zhaoye handed her a cup of tea. "Zhang Chao is the only person from the three small sects this year, his foundation is still thin, and he should be ranked at the bottom among the sword students. And Wen Li's advantage in breaking moves and his high origin make it no surprise that he won."

Changsun pondered curiously: "Then what is the high and low of the 'sword'?"

Cui Zhaoye was silent for a moment, but she was somewhat lazy as she spread the scroll and picked up the pen. "This can't be said in one or two sentences. It's not the work of attainment, nor is it a matter of words... 'Searching for a swordsman for thirty years, how many times have fallen leaves sprouted branches again,' the true sword of the world is something that can be met but not sought."

"Is there none even in this Chang'an Sword Academy?"

"I would be satisfied if there could be one true one among a hundred fakes." Cui Zhaoye sighed softly. "Coming here every year is like scraping paper in a casino, hoping that there can be one among more than twenty... Annoying, you asked me until I felt bored. Clearly, this year is a particularly excellent session, and there are so many sword students waiting to be tested."

Changsun pursed her lips and glanced at her, not caring, and leaned over to watch with relish again. ===== CHAPTER 478 =====