Chapter 4

Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng were the two great swordsmen of the age, like two stars shining in the night sky; compared to them, other swordsmen were as dim as fireflies.

But since ancient times, there has been no first in literature and no second in martial arts; besides, as swordsmen, who among them didn't carry three parts of arrogance?

It was just that they lacked the courage to go to Wanmei Villa or Feixian Island to duel with the two swordsmen. Once they lost, they would lose their lives.

Lu Xiaofeng was famous throughout the Central Plains, possessed a pair of peerless fingers, and was a friend of Ximen Chuixue, so naturally, many swordsmen set their sights on him.

Things like today's incident had happened quite a few times already, and he was no longer surprised.

Lu Xiaofeng pondered for a moment and smiled bitterly: "Figures like you have all climbed to the peak of swordsmanship. Mindset, environment, weapons... any tiny error could be the key to victory or defeat, so how would I dare to make a rash conclusion."

Yu Liancheng shook his head and said: "Although that is the truth, it is also a waste of words."

Lu Xiaofeng said: "However, the only thing I am certain of is that you are not as devout to the sword as Ximen Chuixue. He never drinks, and even less does he do things that hinder the Dao of the sword. He views the sword as his life; he lives for the sword and dies for the sword."

Yu Liancheng shrugged and said: "That is true."

In reality, he was quite fond of things that hindered martial arts practice.

For example, gambling, drinking, beauties...

Especially after arriving in the Central Plains, this colorful world truly fascinated him.

Fortunately, he also had a great interest in martial arts.

Moreover, he also knew that martial arts were the foundation for standing in the Edo, so he was rarely negligent.

Now that he had seen the Lingxi Finger, Yu Liancheng had little interest in Lu Xiaofeng and was about to turn and leave. A sudden shattering sound rang out, the window broke, the main door swung open, and three more people arrived.

These three people were all quite famous, and both Lu Xiaofeng and Yu Liancheng recognized them.

One was the "Jade-Faced Gentleman" Liu Yuhen, one was the "Heartbroken Swordsman" Xiao Qiuyu, and another was called the "Lone Traveler of a Thousand Miles" Dugu Fang.

Even if these three weren't the most reclusive or eccentric people in the Edo, they were close to it, yet today they appeared simultaneously.

They glanced at Lu Xiaofeng, strange smiles appearing on their faces, and then each stood at positions like the door and the window, without saying a word.

Yu Liancheng smiled and said: "If I'm not mistaken, they are here for you."

Lu Xiaofeng nodded: "I can see that too."

Yu Liancheng said: "I presume you are in trouble."

Lu Xiaofeng said: "Oh?"

Yu Liancheng nodded: "The martial arts of these three are quite good, and they all have some fame. Yet they have joined forces to come to you, so naturally, there is something they want to entrust to you. And this matter must be very troublesome and very thorny."

"I hate trouble the most; no matter what they want me to do, I won't agree." Lu Xiaofeng shook his head.

"Hehe." Yu Liancheng chuckled.

He knew Lu Xiaofeng loved troublesome matters, and the more troublesome, the better. Even if trouble didn't come looking for him, he would go looking for trouble like a dog sniffing out excrement.

Yu Liancheng didn't want to deal with this matter for the time being and strode toward the door.

The main door of the private room had been shattered, and the "Jade-Faced Judge" Liu Yuhen was guarding the entrance.

Yu Liancheng bypassed him, and just as he was about to leave, Liu Yuhen suddenly spread his right hand, blocking Yu Liancheng, and a series of sounds like a knife scraping rust came from his throat: "Before the Princess arrives, no one is allowed to leave."

Yu Liancheng smiled and said: "What if I insist on leaving?"

The Jade-Faced Gentleman swept his gaze over Yu Liancheng's face, and suddenly a strange light flashed in his eyes: "I recognize you; you are the 'Jade-Faced Divine Sword' Yu Liancheng, who is currently riding high in the Edo?"

"If there are no other 'Jade-Faced Divine Swords,' then I am he." Yu Liancheng nodded and swept his gaze over the Jade-Faced Gentleman's entire body with interest: "It seems your nickname also contains the words 'Jade-Faced,' only now it doesn't seem very appropriate."

This Jade-Faced Gentleman's left cheek had been sliced away by someone, the wound shriveled and contracted, pulling his nose and eyes askew. His right eye was nothing but a deep, dark hole, his forehead had been carved with a large "ten" character by a blade, and both hands had been severed at the wrists. Now, his right wrist was fitted with a cold, gleaming iron hook, while his left wrist was fitted with an iron ball larger than a human head.

Even the "Tiemian Panguan," whose scar ran straight from his left ear to the corner of his right mouth and who was missing half a left ear, was more handsome and dashing than him, and more like a "Jade-Faced Gentleman."

"Affection is always followed by regret, and the past is like smoke, unbearable to mention. The 'Jade-Faced Gentleman' of today has long since died; only Liu Yuhen remains alive." The Jade-Faced Gentleman sighed; as he spoke, the sliced-off half of his face twitched incessantly, as if he were crying, and yet also as if he were laughing.

He suddenly raised his head, a ferocious, malicious expression appearing on his face: "Do you want to know how my face became like this?"

Yu Liancheng shook his head: "Not in the slightest."

Liu Yuhen, however, revealed a smile even more terrifying than a malicious ghost: "But you will know soon!"

As soon as the word "soon" was spoken, the iron hook on his right wrist had already hooked toward Yu Liancheng's face like lightning.

The silver hook of Gouhun Shou was already fast, but compared to Liu Yuhen's silver hook, it was like a snail crawling.

Liu Yuhen still wore a ferocious grin, a heart-palpitating light flickering in his single eye; he seemed to have already seen the scene of Yu Liancheng's face being hooked into a bloody mess.

Many people fall into a pit, and the first thing they consider isn't how to climb out, but how to pull others into the pit as well, as if only then would they feel better.

Suddenly, a palm pressed onto Liu Yuhen's chest.

With a burst of True Qi, his face turned deathly pale, he vomited blood and flew backward, his entire person falling directly from the second floor, drawing a chorus of gasps from below.

"I said I didn't want to know, why insist on forcing it? Sometimes being too stubborn is not very good." Amidst a sigh, Yu Liancheng flicked his sleeves and left without looking back.

Just at this moment, the originally expressionless "Heartbroken Swordsman" Xiao Qiuyu's gaze sharpened, sword light flickered, and the short sword in his palm suddenly stabbed toward Yu Liancheng's back.

The momentum was both urgent and fast, yet it made no sound at all, not even the sound of sleeves breaking the wind.

Xiao Qiuyu was originally friends with Liu Yuhen and had participated in this matter because of Liu Yuhen.

His strength was not much different from Liu Yuhen's, yet Yu Liancheng had defeated Liu Yuhen with a single palm.

Xiao Qiuyu originally had no chance for revenge, but Yu Liancheng had left directly, exposing his back completely undefended, leaving his vital points wide open.

Therefore, Xiao Qiuyu decisively stabbed out with his sword.

Yu Liancheng did not have eyes in the back of his head, and this sword also had almost no sound of wind.

This sword was not quite a sure thing, but it was close.

"Stop."

Just at this moment, a voice as crisp as an oriole came from the evening breeze.

This voice seemed to possess some kind of mysterious magic, instantly seizing Xiao Qiuyu, causing his figure to stop and his killing intent to vanish completely.

Fresh flowers drifted in from outside the window, and the entire room was filled with a rich floral fragrance that made one intoxicated.

A woman slowly stepped on the carpet paved with fresh flowers and slowly walked in from outside the door.