Chapter 119: Meeting Afei Again

"Green Demon Hand" Yi Ku is dead.

This caused quite a stir in Xingyun Manor.

After all, the body was cleaned up by the servants of Xingyun Manor, and there are many martial arts practitioners in Xingyun Manor; plus, Yi Ku's appearance was truly too striking, so it would be very difficult not to recognize him.

Everyone was shaken, for Yi Ku was, after all, a top-tier expert in the top ten of the Weapon Manual, with unfathomable strength, by no means comparable to ordinary nobodies.

It is also because of this that Long Xiaoyun and the others feel both resentment and fear toward Yu Liancheng. Every time they meet, they wish they could tear him into ten thousand pieces to vent the hatred in their hearts. Yet they also wish they could kneel on the ground and kowtow to him, begging him to leave quickly.

But their secret plans have not changed in the slightest.

As long as Yu Liancheng does not die, they will never be able to eat or sleep in peace.

A few days later, while eating, Yu Liancheng discovered a short note under his bowl and plate.

On the note was a line of elegant, delicate handwriting, still carrying a faint, fragrant scent.

——I have long admired the great name of the Six Absolutes Immortal; tonight, Xian'er will wait for you at Lengxiang Xiaozhu, hoping you will not break your promise.

The signature at the bottom was naturally the number one beauty of the martial arts world, Lin Xian'er.

Yu Liancheng secretly found it amusing; he knew this note must have been forged by Long Xiaoyun, Zhao Zhengyi, and the others.

After being humiliated by Yu Liancheng and instigating Yi Ku to attack him, Lin Xian'er would not dare to meet him, let alone invite him.

"I would like to see what kind of methods you few can come up with; I only hope you won't disappoint me too much." Yu Liancheng sneered.

He had already given Long Xiaoyun and the others one chance; if they had fled early, he would not have bothered to pursue them.

But as it stands now, Long Xiaoyun and the others are determined to throw their lives away.

Since that is the case, Yu Liancheng does not mind sending them on their way at all.

I hope they can set things up more interestingly this time, and not disappoint me.

……

…………

Snow began to drift from the sky again.

After his meal, Yu Liancheng had arrived outside a dilapidated ancestral hall.

The plaque on this ancestral hall was covered in dust, half of it had fallen off, and it swayed unsteadily, yet one could still vaguely make out four large characters: Shen Jia Citang.

Then, he quickly spotted the handsome, cold, and stubborn-looking youth inside the hall.

——Afei.

"The swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families now fly into the homes of ordinary people. The Shen Family was long the number one clan of the Central Plains; over two hundred years, it has weathered seven great disasters, yet has been able to revive its fortunes seven times—truly a story worth singing and weeping over, a tale on everyone's lips."

Yu Liancheng stepped into the ancestral hall with his hands behind his back and spoke eloquently: "Shen Tianjun, the King of the Nine Provinces, was a man who stirred the winds and clouds; with a laugh, he could scatter ten thousand gold, yet in a moment of command, he could gather it all again. His martial arts were also unfathomable, and his unique skill, the 'First Finger of Heaven and Earth,' was an invincible divine art. His son, the famous hero Shen Lang, was even more outstanding, hailed as the 'Number One Famous Hero Under Heaven,' later retiring overseas to seek immortals and visit friends—how truly magnificent."

Hearing Yu Liancheng's words, an incomparably complex expression appeared on Afei's face.

It was like pride, yet also like inferiority.

It was like reverence, yet also like hatred.

There might be names with the surname 'A' in the world, but his surname was not 'A'.

His surname was Shen—the Shen of Shen Lang, the Shen of Shen Tianjun.

He was the son of Shen Lang and the "Ghost Fungong" Bai Feifei.

Bai Feifei had once admired the famous hero Shen Lang, and through a twist of fate, they had shared a fleeting romance.

But the one Shen Lang loved was Zhu Qiqi, and because Zhu Qiqi had once saved Bai Feifei's life, she could not compete with Zhu Qiqi for Shen Lang; heartbroken, she left alone.

Later, Bai Feifei gave birth to Afei, and mother and son relied on each other for survival, though unfortunately, Bai Feifei passed away when Afei was seven.

Also because Zhu Qiqi had once saved Bai Feifei, Bai Feifei told Afei never to accept favors from others.

To accept a favor is to owe someone. And what is owed to others will always be repaid one day; one day, a price will be paid.

It was precisely because of these layers of complex relationships that Afei's feelings toward the Shen Family and Shen Lang were so complicated.

"It's you!" A moment later, Afei rose to his full height, his face returning to its icy state.

"It is I," Yu Liancheng smiled.

Afei did not speak; the sword in his hand thrust out like lightning.

His technique was simple to the extreme.

It was just a simple, straightforward thrust.

There were no variations, nor were there any follow-up moves.

Yet, there are very few people in this world who can catch this sword.

Because this sword was truly too fast, like a flash of lightning.

What flashed was, of course, not lightning, but the light of the sword.

Yu Liancheng reached out, and then this sword light was caught between two fingers. He had seen Lu Xiaofeng's Lingxi Finger and had personally crossed swords with Lu Xiaofeng; this finger actually possessed three parts of the essence of the Lingxi Finger.

"I am not here to fight you today, and furthermore, you are no match for me." Yu Liancheng flicked his wrist, sending out a massive force.

Afei could not help but stagger backward, his face turning even paler.

He had been wandering the pugilistic world for some time now, and among the famous experts of the world, almost no one could withstand his fast sword, which moved like flight.

But his fast sword was simply not worth mentioning in front of this person.

"Catch." Yu Liancheng tossed a golden, gleaming object to Afei.

Afei reached out and grabbed it, only to be stunned—this was actually the Golden Silk Armor.

Yu Liancheng smiled: "As the saying goes: if you borrow and return, it is easy to borrow again. I borrowed the Golden Silk Armor from you back then, and now I am returning it to you."

Afei's expression shifted; he did not need charity from others and was about to return the Golden Silk Armor to Yu Liancheng, when unexpectedly, Yu Liancheng tossed another item over—it was a book, with four large characters on the cover: Lianhua Sword.

Yu Liancheng said: "This is the 'Lianhua Sword' left behind by Wang Lianhua. When he wrote this book, he was already preparing to go to sea with Shen Lang. If you want to find Shen Lang, there are naturally clues in this book."

Afei's heart stirred, but his expression immediately turned cold: "I do not owe anyone any favors, nor do I need anyone's charity." After finishing, he returned the 'Lianhua Sword' to Yu Liancheng.

"Wang Lianhua left behind the 'Lianhua Sword' originally hoping to find a successor with high talent and an upright mind. I am merely a traveler from beyond the heavens, coming and going without a trace. But since I have read his 'Lianhua Sword,' I have accepted a favor from him, and so I should find him a true successor. After thinking it over, among the people I know, only you are the most suitable."

Yu Liancheng placed the "Pity Flower Treasure Mirror" on the dilapidated wooden table to the side and turned to leave: "This is not a favor; I am merely doing what I wish to do. Now it is yours. Whether you tear it up or burn it is no concern of mine. But you must remember, apart from you and your future successors, this book must never be seen by anyone else."

Afei watched Yu Liancheng gradually disappear into the wind and snow, his expression blank.

Yet one of his hands gripped his sword tightly, while the other was clenched into a fist, his fingernails digging deep into his flesh, his knuckles turning white.

His state of mind was by no means as calm as he appeared on the surface.

He was pondering a question in his heart.

Was this truly not a favor?