Chapter 144: Li Xunhuan, Afei, Yu Liancheng (Third Update)

Night.

A long, long night.

Another two days passed.

Li Xunhuan returned to Baoding City.

Carrying a body full of exhaustion and powerlessness.

Not long ago, he learned of Afei's whereabouts from Sun Xiaohong, so he went to find his good friend.

What disappointed him was that Afei had completely fallen into the trap woven by Lin Xian'er with love, muddled and confused, entirely lacking his original captivating demeanor.

Perhaps killing Lin Xian'er with one blade might not be a bad choice.

But if that were truly the case, Afei would be as good as breaking ties with him.

Now physically and mentally exhausted, Li Xunhuan only wanted to find a place to have a good rest.

And without realizing it, he had actually come to the outside of Xingyun Manor again.

Li Xunhuan frowned; since the death of Long Xiaoyun, Xingyun Manor had gradually become desolate.

But having not seen it for a few days, Xingyun Manor had suddenly become brightly lit, with human voices faintly emerging, not as lonely as before.

Before Li Xunhuan could think much, he saw a figure take advantage of the night to fly into Xingyun Manor.

This figure's light-body technique was actually not bad; they were clearly a person of the martial arts world.

Li Xunhuan shook his arms, his body like a flying swallow, and he was already chasing after that black shadow.

No matter what, inside Xingyun Manor was the woman who had haunted his dreams for half his life.

He absolutely would not allow Lin Shiyin to suffer even the slightest bit of harm again.

Of course, if he were willing, with a flick of the flying dagger in his hand, that black shadow would immediately fall.

But unless it was a necessary moment, Li Xunhuan was absolutely unwilling to use his flying dagger, nor was he willing to kill.

But before he could make a move, that black shadow flew back out.

It was even faster than when it entered the courtyard.

Only, previously this person had been using their movement technique to fly in.

And now, they were being thrown out by someone using a heavy-handed technique.

Li Xunhuan recognized this person's identity.

Ranked forty-fifth in the Weapon Manual, "Flying Clouds in Both Sleeves" Li Changong; his martial arts were not weak, and his reputation was quite substantial.

But now, he was merely a corpse.

The wound was at the throat.

A sword piercing the throat!

What a fast sword, what a sharp sword.

Since when did such an expert appear in Xingyun Manor?

The wind blew, whipping up red leaves that filled the sky.

Before he could think further, Sword Qi assaulted him, and the world suddenly became filled with a desolate and murderous intent.

Accompanied by the sound of a dragon's roar, the sword tip had already stabbed toward Li Xunhuan's throat.

The sword body was pitch black, showing no brilliance.

But as soon as the sword thrust out, the chilling Sword Qi was already pressing against his eyelashes.

The one wielding the sword was a man in black, tall and burly, with an overbearing pride.

Li Xunhuan's figure had already flown up like a breeze, and his originally haggard face was now glowing with a dazzling radiance.

His hand reached out, and a Little Li Flying Dagger was already in his palm.

A blade to seal the throat, the Little Li Flying Dagger that never misses.

The man in black swung his Iron Sword against the wind, turning it into a black, cold light that went straight for Li Xunhuan's throat.

Before the sword arrived, the chilling Sword Qi had already shattered the void.

The sword momentum was heavy, pressing down so that one could hardly breathe.

But Li Xunhuan was worthy of being Li Xunhuan; with a shake of his arms, he had already bypassed the rainbow of Sword Qi in a thousandth of an instant, drifting down along with the falling red leaves.

The man in black let out a long whistle, flipped backward in mid-air, and his sword suddenly slashed out countless light shadows, showering down toward the top of Li Xunhuan's head.

The three-zhang radius around Li Xunhuan was already shrouded under the heavy Sword Qi, and it seemed he could not dodge it.

Only a "ding" sound was heard, and sparks flew in all directions.

The flying dagger in Li Xunhuan's hand had actually met the sword edge squarely.

At this very moment, the sky-filling Sword Qi suddenly vanished without a trace, and the man in black's long sword had already been returned to its scabbard.

And Li Xunhuan's blade was still in his hand, but the blade body had been snapped into two sections.

The flying dagger was broken; victory and defeat were decided.

Could it be that the ever-victorious Little Li Flying Dagger had actually been defeated in Xingyun Manor again?

Li Xunhuan suddenly spoke: "The 'Songyang Iron Sword' Guo Songyang?"

Guo Songyang nodded; although there was no expression on his face, his eyes carried a sense of desolation, and he said gloomily: "I have lost."

Li Xunhuan said: "Who said you lost?"

"I said it." Guo Songyang sighed and said: "You originally had two chances to put me to death, but you did not strike."

"Perhaps it is because I did not have the certainty." Li Xunhuan smiled: "Furthermore, my blade is broken and my killing intent is exhausted; Brother Guo could have put me to death, but Brother Guo did not."

"Because although the Songyang Iron Sword can lose, it cannot lose its honor."

Guo Songyang shook his head; for a swordsman as proud as him, losing consecutively to Yu Liancheng and Li Xunhuan was a huge blow to his confidence.

But if he could endure it, it would be like a sword forged a hundred times undergoing a thousand hammerings, and he would naturally ascend to a higher level.

If confidence is lost, the Songyang Iron Sword can only be reduced to an ordinary sword.

Li Xunhuan said, "Brother Guo is a true hero, but... I wonder how Brother Guo came to be at Xingyun Manor?"

"Xingyun Manor?" Guo Songyang said, "There is only Liujue Manor here, not the Xingyun Manor you speak of."

"Liujue Manor?" Li Xunhuan was startled.

Guo Songyang did not answer, but walked to the front of the mansion's gate and pointed upward.

Li Xunhuan followed behind Guo Songyang, looked up along his finger, and saw the three large, flourishing characters for "Liujue Manor."

"Liujue Manor?" Li Xunhuan's mind stirred: "Could it be that the current master here is the 'Six Absolute Mad Guest' Yu Liancheng?"

Guo Songyang nodded.

Li Xunhuan added, "Is Brother Guo a guest at Liujue Manor?"

"No, I am currently the gatekeeper of Liujue Manor," Guo Songyang said. "Let's go, he said that if Li Xunhuan wanted to come, he could see him at any time."

Li Xunhuan pondered for a moment and said, "Alright."

He did not care about this Xingyun Manor, but he wanted to know news about Lin Shiyin.

Along the way, Li Xunhuan discovered that there were many servants in "Liujue Manor," the lights were bright, and even the furniture and decorations had been newly purchased.

With this amount of renovation, one could only imagine how much silver it must have cost.

He asked Guo Songyang about it, and Guo Songyang answered truthfully.

It cost a total of over twenty thousand taels of silver, and this sum was entirely paid as compensation by Shangguan Jinhong.

Because Shangguan Jinhong had crushed a cup.

Li Xunhuan was left completely bewildered.

Soon, the two arrived outside a courtyard.

In the courtyard, a black figure was twisting and leaping, moving like lightning, practicing martial arts—who else could it be but Yu Liancheng?

"It is no wonder this person has such martial arts cultivation at such a young age; both talent and hard work are indispensable," Li Xunhuan sighed inwardly, but soon a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"The martial arts this person is using are all Shaolin Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts? But he has only stayed at Shaolin Temple for a little over half a year, how could he have obtained the true teachings?"

Under the illumination of the moonlight and the lamps.

Yu Liancheng's figure constantly shifted in the courtyard, almost turning into a blurred black afterimage, and it was filled with a mysterious Zen charm, giving people a feeling of peace of mind.

Suddenly, Yu Liancheng's figure froze, his index and middle fingers joined together, and he pointed casually, light and ethereal, without a trace of worldly smoke or fire. And on the wall not far away, two shallow pits had already appeared.

Then he held his palm like a blade, the blade wind breaking through the air, but this blade wind actually carried a scorching aura.

Once the blade technique was unleashed, the surrounding temperature actually began to rise.

And the leaves, which were already withered and yellow, were urged by the blade Qi, rustling as they fell from the tree, only to be cleaved by Yu Liancheng's hand-blade, bursting apart with a "Bang" sound and drifting down from the air as a ball of flame.

The "blade" turned into a palm, and with one palm strike, the airflow surged.

This palm technique appeared masculine, sharp, fierce, and overbearing, as if it were the most rigid, fierce, strong, and absolute palm technique in the world.

Yet within the palm technique, it seemed to leave room everywhere, as if containing compassion, wanting people to repent and turn over a new leaf.

Before long, Yu Liancheng had already used over a dozen types of Buddhist martial arts.

Soon, he withdrew his moves, calm and composed, yet his brows still carried a lingering, compassionate air of lowering his head and nodding.

"In just half a year, you have mastered at least a dozen types of Buddhist martial arts; you are truly a heaven-sent talent," Li Xunhuan could not help but praise.

"Unfortunately, it is still far from enough." Yu Liancheng had naturally noticed the two of them long ago; he let out a long sigh, filled with a sense of regret.

This was by no means a humble remark; he had indeed only learned the surface and had not yet mastered the full depth.

For example, he started by using the "Formless Tribulation Finger," which seemed astonishing, but the "Formless Tribulation Finger" emphasizes being colorless and formless, bringing down disasters from the invisible; once the mind moves, power is released from the fingertips, and the tribulation power is invisible, only then is it perfect.

But Yu Liancheng had to condense Qi and join his fingers, which was far from the state of being invisible and formless.

"I know the intention of your arrival," Yu Liancheng looked at Li Xunhuan and said faintly, "Lin Shiyin is still in her courtyard; I have not touched her. If you want to take her away, you may do so at any time."

Li Xunhuan let out a long sigh of relief, but if he were really asked to face Lin Shiyin directly, he would not dare.

Even if Long Xiaoyun was dead, Lin Shiyin was still his sister-in-law, and this point could not be changed no matter what.

"This guy..." Yu Liancheng shook his head, but he was too lazy to care about such matters, and said, "I heard you went to see Afei?"

Li Xunhuan nodded.

At the thought of Afei, the bitter smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.

Yu Liancheng said, "I also know Afei's situation. That woman Lin Xian'er is truly not simple. If she insists on entangling herself with a man, and that man is very infatuated, he can only accompany Lin Xian'er to hell."

Li Xunhuan's eyes brightened and he said, "I want to ask you for one thing."

Yu Liancheng said, "Oh?"

Li Xunhuan was silent for a long while, then said, "I do not wish for Afei to sink, but after thinking it over, there is only one way to save him."

Yu Liancheng's mind turned, and he said, "Oh, you want me to kill Lin Xian'er."

Li Xunhuan said dejectedly, "I only hope that Afei will never see her again, for once he sees her, Afei cannot extricate himself."

Guo Songyang suddenly said, "If you are truly his friend, you should be the one to persuade him."

Li Xunhuan smiled very miserably: "No matter how smart a person is, if they fall into love, they will become a fool. Others cannot persuade them, and the smarter the person, the deeper they may fall."

Yu Liancheng said, "If you go to kill Lin Xian'er, Afei will inevitably hate you for the rest of his life. Even if others have the ability to kill Lin Xian'er, there are very few men who can resist that woman's methods for dealing with men. So, you thought of me..."

"Correct," Li Xunhuan nodded: "As long as you can ensure Afei never sees Lin Xian'er again, I owe you one; even if you want the secret of the flying dagger, I will give it to you."

"You are wrong," Yu Liancheng said.

"I am wrong?"

"Afei has not seen much of the world. If Lin Xian'er dies, his feelings for her will become even deeper, and this will become his weakness. If he encounters a woman like Lin Xian'er again, he will fall into it just the same."

"Then what other way is there?" In reality, how could Li Xunhuan not understand this principle, but he truly could not think of any other way.

Yu Liancheng said, "If you truly want Afei to overcome this love tribulation, you only need to tear the truth open for him to see, bloody and raw. Only by letting him break free from the shackles of emotion himself is this the right path."

Li Xunhuan hesitated and said, "But this... but how difficult is this... Lin Xian'er is truly too cunning..."

Yu Liancheng revealed a smile of someone who had everything under control: "But I already have a way."

"Really?" Li Xunhuan said excitedly.

Yu Liancheng nodded, then looked at Li Xunhuan, his gaze seemingly holding a playful smile: "However, this is a transaction. Since you are asking me to help Afei, then you must also help me with one thing. Rest assured, this is by no means an immoral or wicked deed, though it is somewhat difficult."

"Fine, I agree," Li Xunhuan promised immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

"Follow me," Yu Liancheng said, striding out of the manor.

"Tonight?" Li Xunhuan was startled.

Yu Liancheng said: "Correct, it is tonight, it is right now."

The two left Liujue Manor, unfolded their lightness skills, and stepped upon the moonlight as they swept toward the outskirts of the city.

Their lightness skills were undoubtedly the most elite in the pugilistic world; before long, they had left the city and arrived in a maple forest.

Just at this moment, the fragrance of wine and food was carried over by the wind.

Li Xunhuan's nose was very sharp; he had already smelled braised pork, fried chicken, sweet and sour fish, and excellent aged yellow rice wine.

And very soon, they arrived before a small building.

The small building was brightly lit; not only was the fragrance of wine and food coming from it, but one could also vaguely hear the sound of laughter from men and women mixed together inside.

Li Xunhuan laughed: "The thing you want me to do wouldn't be to go up into this building as a guest, would it? Eating meat and drinking wine are things I have always been quite good at."

Yu Liancheng patted his shoulder and smiled: "Correct. I want you to enter the small building and stay inside for the duration of a quarter of an hour. Whether you eat meat and drink wine inside, or kill people and set fires, it does not matter. As long as you stay for a full quarter of an hour, I promise to help you save Afei."

"Oh, there is actually such a good thing? My stomach happens to be empty; even if that braised pork were poisoned, I would still eat two pieces," Li Xunhuan laughed.

Yu Liancheng's eyes held a playful smile as he patted his shoulder: "Good, go ahead. I hope that after you go in, you will still have such a good appetite."

Li Xunhuan walked toward the small building, filled with doubt.

And the moment he reached the doorway, he seemed to freeze.

……

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