Chapter 258: The Overbearing Blade, The Peach Blossom Beauty Fan

Anle Town.

This is a small town.

But situated on a major thoroughfare, the passing merchants and travelers are endless, making it quite lively.

Ping'an Restaurant, this is the largest and most prosperous restaurant in the small town.

The waiter has worked at Ping'an Restaurant for twelve years and has seen all kinds of guests, among whom are many strange and eccentric characters.

But to see two guests as peculiar as these two in the last two days is still quite rare.

This is a man and a woman.

The man is handsome and dashing, elegant and refined, and treats others with warmth and courtesy; even the waiter feels he can joke with him. Moreover, his entire being is filled with an indescribable charm that makes one involuntarily admire and submit to him.

The woman is also stunningly beautiful, like a celestial being descended to earth. Even the most beautiful young lady in the city's Pleasure House is simply mud on the ground compared to white clouds in the sky when placed beside her. It is just that this woman carries a coldness like the ice and snow on Tianshan, and her speech is also icy.

From the two's conversation, the waiter learned the man is called Yu Liancheng. The woman seems to be from Dongying and is called Liusheng Piaoxu.

Whether it is food, clothing, or daily expenses, both of them choose the best and most expensive, clearly not people who lack money.

And besides their three meals, most of the time, the two would order a pot of wine and a pot of tea, book that table by the window on the second floor, and then stay for the whole day.

Yu Liancheng likes to hold a wine pot in one hand, with the other hand behind his back, standing tall by the window, his gaze looking out the window, watching for an entire day.

As for Liusheng Piaoxu, she drinks tea and closes her eyes to rest, occasionally using an icy voice to ask the waiter a question or two about the town, each time making the waiter feel flattered.

The waiter sometimes cannot help but be curious and secretly looks from the position where Yu Liancheng stands. But every time, he is very disappointed; there is no scenery outside the window that can attract anyone.

On the wide bluestone road, people come and go, but they are all very ordinary passersby, and directly opposite are, in order, a rouge shop, a fruit shop, a pawnshop...

They are all just normal shops.

The waiter is completely confused, unable to understand the reason.

But it must be said that the bearing and style of these two guests are one in a million, rarely seen by ordinary people. In the past few days, there have been many more customers in the shop, many of whom came just for them, wanting to catch a glimpse of their demeanor.

Plus, these two are generous and never run a tab. Therefore, every time the boss sees these two, his face blooms with smiles.

"It's been five days. You let me accompany you to find a master, but we have stayed here for five days doing nothing." Liusheng Piaoxu's pair of beautiful eyes are cold, her vermilion lips parted slightly.

Yu Liancheng turned his head to look at her and said with a chuckle, "Five days, I thought you could really hold back from asking."

Liusheng Piaoxu let out a delicate snort and said, "What exactly are you doing?"

Yu Liancheng held the wine pot, tilted his head and drank a few mouthfuls, then said, "Have you heard of 'Ba Dao'?"

"'Ba Dao'?" Liusheng Piaoxu's moth-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after pondering for a moment, she said, "Could it be that you are talking about the Ba Dao whose reputation was second only to the 'Invincible Playful Child' Gu Santong twenty years ago? Is the master you want to find him?"

Before she came to the Central Plains, she spent some effort to understand the masters of the Central Plains. And as a peerless swordsman, she naturally had heard of Ba Dao.

Yu Liancheng nodded: "Correct."

Liusheng Piaoxu frowned and said: "Ba Dao's blade technique is overbearing and ruthless, and that move 'Wuqing Slash' is even more renowned throughout the Central Plains Martial Arts World. But it is said that he was defeated by his disciple Guihai Yidao, who slashed his blade in two with one strike, and since then he has vanished, leaving no trace."

"You truly know quite a lot." Yu Liancheng nodded: "In reality, Ba Dao has indeed retired from the Edo and has become a fruit shop owner, but he no longer dares to touch a blade; even peeling a plum is done by his assistant."

"A fruit shop owner?" Liusheng Piaoxu's heart stirred, her gaze suddenly looking toward the window, and she happened to see the fruit shop owner opposite, who was smiling and greeting customers, and could not help but say: "Could he be Ba Dao!?"

Yu Liancheng said: "Correct, he is Ba Dao, the peerless blade master who once roamed the Edo invincible."

Having confirmed the identity of Ba Dao from Yu Liancheng's mouth, Liusheng Piaoxu could not help but carefully size up this "Ba Dao".

But to her disappointment, other than his physique being a bit more burly than an ordinary person, this Ba Dao is just a plain, ordinary middle-aged man.

Even if this person was once the Ba Dao who dominated the world, at this moment, the sharpness and aloofness belonging to a blade master have been worn away by life.

Liusheng Piaoxu withdrew her gaze in disappointment, shook her head and said: "This person has already been defeated by the hands of Guihai Yidao, and has not held a blade for several years. Even if he could still hold a blade, his state of mind has a flaw, so it would only be a broken blade, a defeated blade."

"Wrong, the current Ba Dao is just sheathing his blade, with all his sharpness hidden away."

Yu Liancheng shook his head, his eyes flashing with divine light as he said: "If one day his blade can be unsheathed again, then his blade will not just be described as overbearing and ruthless, but as the mutual transformation of yin and yang, with hardness and softness coexisting. That would be a world-shocking blade, an invincible blade; perhaps he will even become the greatest blade technique master in history."

"Hmph, I don't believe it." A look of doubt appeared on Liusheng Piaoxu's face, and she let out a delicate snort, clearly not understanding Yu Liancheng's words.

Yu Liancheng did not offer much explanation, just lifted the wine pot, tilted his head and poured a mouthful into his mouth, his gaze once again looking at the 'Ba Dao' who was settling the bill for a customer.

Before leaving Taohua Shanzhuang, Yu Liancheng had discussed Ba Dao with Wuchen Gongzi.

In the past, Ba Dao's blade technique was ruthless and devoid of righteousness, dominating the world; since he debuted, he had fought over five hundred battles, large and small, without a single defeat.

Even Wuchen Gongzi did not have much confidence that he could defeat Ba Dao.

And Guihai Yidao had only stayed at the Wuqing Manor for seven years and had not truly practiced the Wuqing Slash for a single day before defeating this world's number one blade; then that Ba Dao would be too undeserving of his reputation.

In Wuchen Gongzi's view, this Ba Dao was not just a brainless brute, and this was precisely where his cleverness lay.

When Ba Dao was roaming the Edo, his strikes were ruthless and merciless, with few survivors under his blade, and he had countless enemies.

Even if he washed his hands of the business, his enemies would never let it go.

But by exiting the Edo in such a pathetic manner, the number of people seeking revenge became very few.

The current 'Ba Dao' is a joke.

A joke defeated by his own disciple.

Compared to a dead Ba Dao, this living fruit peddler can make his enemies feel more satisfied, which is one of the reasons why Ba Dao can live in peace.

However, few people understand that although the current Ba Dao has sheathed his blade, he is actually tempering himself in another way.

Once this blade is unsheathed again, the sharpness it releases will certainly attract the attention of the whole world.

"To turn a blade of killing that is overbearing and ruthless into a blade of kindness that is gentle and benevolent, without losing the intent to kill, is truly not a simple matter."

Yu Liancheng looked at Ba Dao and muttered to himself: "If he can really achieve this step, one slash down, and both ghosts and gods will be terrified; I wonder if the Diamond Indestructible Divine Skill can withstand it?"

After five days of observation, he had already seen through the mystery of Ba Dao.

Ba Dao's previous blade technique was wildly overbearing, ruthless and devoid of righteousness, and it was indeed a blade technique unparalleled in the world.

But it went to the extreme, with no room for maneuver.

And this kind of overbearing blade technique is also prone to hitting a bottleneck; if he could not make changes, he would likely be trapped to death in this bottleneck.

Therefore, he used the hands of Guihai Yidao to free himself.

He put down his blade, put down his glory, and put down his wealth... becoming a small merchant, while also gaining a family and gaining emotions.

If one day he could completely transform this blade of slaughter, this blade of tyranny, into a blade of benevolence and a blade of affection, while keeping his murderous intent hidden, then the great task would be accomplished.

Unfortunately, this is not a simple matter.

It would take at least ten more years of effort for the Tyrant Blade to possibly reach that realm.

Moreover, whether his murderous intent would be extinguished at that time, thereby leading him to another extreme, is also a question worth deep reflection.

"Perhaps I can personally temper this Tyrant Blade and make him serve me."

A sharp light flickered in Yu Liancheng's eyes as he muttered to himself.

At Ping'an Restaurant, a middle-aged man with a goatee settled his bill and walked down from the second floor.

The goatee passed through several alleys and arrived in front of a residence, knocking on the door three times lightly, three times heavily, and six times with moderate force, before speaking a code phrase.

With a "creak," the gate opened.

The person who opened the door was an extremely handsome young man in black clothes, though his brow carried a look of melancholy; he asked, "Haitang, how was it today?"

"Big Brother, let's go inside to talk."

"Alright."

The two walked inside, where a young man with a cold expression, holding a long blade like a stone statue, was already waiting for them.

When the blade-wielding youth saw the goatee return, he seemed to heave a sigh of relief, and the icy expression on his face showed signs of melting, but it froze over again in the blink of an eye.

The goatee wiped his face, calmly removing his disguise to reveal an extremely handsome face, possessing a graceful bearing like a gentleman of the world: "Just as usual, Yu Liancheng ordered a pot of wine again today, stood by the window and gazed into the distance, looking for the whole day."

These three were none other than the Heaven, Earth, and Profound secret agents of the Dragon Protection Villa.

After obtaining intelligence on Yu Liancheng, it took them several days to travel from the capital to this small town, arriving only yesterday.

However, the three did not act rashly.

They wanted to investigate why Yu Liancheng had come to such a small town and what his intentions were.

According to information previously obtained by scouts, Yu Liancheng had been standing by the window on the second floor of the Ping'an Restaurant for four days, gazing out of the window every day, making it impossible for anyone to fathom his thoughts.

Shangguan Haitang was a disciple of Wuchen Gongzi and was proficient in the art of disguise, so it was fitting for her to go and probe for information today.

"What exactly this person wants to do is truly impossible to fathom." Duan Tianya frowned: "Why not have someone investigate the shops opposite thoroughly and completely? Perhaps there will be some harvest."

"No need, Big Brother. Today, from the conversation between those two, I have already learned some very useful information."

Shangguan Haitang's beautiful eyes flashed: "Yu Liancheng came for that fruit vendor opposite. If you saw that boss, Yidao, you would definitely recognize who he is... No, he has changed too much. Although I have seen his portrait, I didn't recognize him at all."

Guihai Yidao said coldly: "Who is it?"

Shangguan Haitang said slowly: "That person is—the Tyrant Blade."

"It's actually him." A trace of emotion finally appeared on Guihai Yidao's icy face.

A thoughtful look appeared on Shangguan Haitang's brow as she said: "According to their conversation, I suspect that the Demon Sect has undergone over ten years of internal strife and was also purged by Yu Liancheng, leaving the current 'Heaven Beyond Heaven' lacking experts to hold the fort, which is why he sought out the Tyrant Blade."

"Heh." Guihai Yidao suddenly laughed. Because he rarely laughed, this smile seemed to carry an indescribable sense of mockery.

Duan Tianya couldn't help but ask curiously: "Yidao, what are you laughing at?"

Guihai Yidao's face had already returned to its icy state, and he said coldly: "The Tyrant Blade has already died by my hand; the one living is nothing more than a fruit vendor who doesn't even dare to touch a blade. And even if the Tyrant Blade were to pick up his blade again, I have the confidence to slay him with one strike."

His words were very cold, yet they seemed full of confidence.

To avenge his father, Guihai Yidao had sought out the Iron-Gall Divine Marquis and was subsequently sent by the Divine Marquis to Jueqing Shanzhuang.

In Jueqing Shanzhuang, he killed seven close friends over seven years and comprehended the Heart-Severing Blade technique.

Severing Heaven, severing Earth, severing God, severing Demon.

Between Heaven and Earth, only my blade remains.

Afterwards, he defeated the Tyrant Blade again, broke his blade, and made him never dare to use a blade for the rest of his life.

Now, several more years had passed, and Guihai Yidao's blade technique had become even more refined; he no longer took the Tyrant Blade to heart.

"If the Tyrant Blade truly picked up his blade, let alone one Guihai Yidao, even ten Guihai Yidaos would not be his match." Suddenly, a clear and resonant voice rang out.

The three were suddenly startled, and as their gazes shifted, they saw a man in black who had appeared in the hall at some unknown time; he was holding a wine pot in one hand and looking at the three of them with a smile.

"I was wondering why there were a few more tag-alongs these past few days; so it's you people from the Dragon Protection Villa."

Yu Liancheng tilted his head and took a sip of wine, his posture carefree: "But you can rest assured, I have no murderous intent toward you yet. Especially Haitang, I am friends with Wuchen Gongzi, so counting it up, I am your senior. Come, call me Uncle Yu and let me hear it."

The three secret agents of Heaven, Earth, and Profound all became serious and solemn.

Guihai Yidao and Duan Tianya even placed their hands on their respective weapons.

They had originally been skeptical of the words of "Flying Dragon Divine Crutch" Sikong Wuji, but at this moment, they all understood that this person's martial arts had indeed reached an extraordinary level; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to enter the hall so easily without them noticing.

Just as the atmosphere was extremely tense, Shangguan Haitang stepped forward, her white jade-like cheeks revealing a smile that felt like a spring breeze: "May I ask if Yu... Heavenly Venerable is truly a friend of my master?"

"Of course. Before leaving, he even gave me an item; you will know once you see it."

Yu Liancheng smiled and took a fan from his bosom, opening it with a "snap." On the white jade-like surface of the fan, a cluster of fresh, dripping Peach Blossoms was painted, with a few petals drifting along with the spring breeze.

Within the Peach Blossoms, the face of a beautiful woman seemed to be outlined, smiling and full of charm. The ink was used so lightly and so exquisitely that it seemed as if this beauty would be blown away by the spring breeze at any moment.

A line of poetry was inscribed on the side: The human face knows not where it has gone, the Peach Blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.

"This is Master's 'Peach Blossom Beauty Fan'." Shangguan Haitang cried out softly and hurriedly bowed: "Disciple Shangguan Haitang, greets Senior Yu."