Chapter 427: The Sheepskin-Clad Old Man

Taking a close look at the old man and sensing no circulation of Qi, Xu Fengnian, in a playful mood, tiptoed over.

He patted the other man on the shoulder and chuckled, "Old brother, are you here to steal books too? Let me tell you, don't bother reading; just take as many as you can."

The old man ignored him entirely, flipping through the book at a glance, ten lines at a time; in the silent pavilion, only the rustling sound of his page-turning could be heard.

"Taking them and leaving is the right path," Xu Fengnian whispered. "Have you heard of Murong Tonghuang? The 'One Sword Brightens the Heavens' Murong Tonghuang, who can break three thousand armored cavalry with a flick of his finger; his martial arts are as high as a three-story building. He stays right here in the Tingchao Pavilion. Oh, and he has a younger sister; she's quite beautiful, but unfortunately, her temper isn't very good. You might survive if you provoke Murong Tonghuang, but if you provoke Murong Wuzhu, tsk tsk tsk, just prepare to be hung up and beaten, whipped to the Afterlife..."

The old man finally looked up, squinted his cross-eyed gaze at the Prince, and pointed a withered finger behind Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian was just about to speak when a chill suddenly rose from his spine, shooting straight to the top of his head. He turned his head and saw Murong Wuzhu in white, looking like a sprite.

Xu Fengnian's mouth twitched, but having traveled six thousand miles, his skin had grown thick enough: "Oh, sister Wuzhu, when did you appear? You gave me a fright. I have an urgent matter to tell brother Tonghuang, so I'll be going first..."

Having said that, he prepared to bolt.

Murong Wuzhu did not stop him, but as Xu Fengnian passed by her, she kicked him with her embroidered shoe.

The Prince immediately felt malice rise in his heart and anger surge from his gall.

——He ran even faster.

If it were any other beautiful woman, this greatest playboy of Beiliang would have long since beaten her bottom to a pulp, letting her know why flowers are so red.

But he truly did not dare to do so to the one before him.

Having a great backer was one thing, but this woman also had high martial arts; even the White-Haired Old Demon said she was a Third Grade expert with Second Grade combat power, not something he, a fledgling who had just started learning martial arts, could handle.

Murong Wuzhu bowed to the sheepskin-clad old man and said respectfully, "Old Master Li, our Tonghuang invites you to go boating and drink wine."

"Murong Tonghuang? The kid who displayed a Sword Qi Vast Ocean on the lake a while ago?" The sheepskin-clad old man squinted and scratched his ear.

Murong Wuzhu nodded.

"I am also quite curious about him. Lead the way."

……

The water on the lake surged, and a small boat drifted on the river.

Yu Liancheng sat cross-legged in the boat; a furnace fire rose inside the cabin, wine was boiling on the stove, and a mellow, rich aroma of wine permeated the entire cabin.

Xu Fengnian had already arrived on the boat; he sniffed, having never smelled such fragrant wine. He felt a sense of floating, and a strange sensation spread from the bottom of his heart—indescribable and unclear.

Just as he was about to ask Yu Liancheng for a cup of wine, Yu Liancheng said, "This wine is not for a kid like you to drink. What do you want with me? Speak."

"Stingy," Xu Fengnian muttered with a laugh, then added, "The Imperial Court shows signs of moving against Huishan. The mastermind this time seems to be an Imperial Prince who is not highly regarded, named Zhao Kai, accompanied by Han Diaosi and Yang Taisui."

When mentioning the names "Han Diaosi" and "Yang Taisui," Xu Fengnian's tone seemed to contain a bone-deep hatred that could not be washed away even by the waters of all the rivers and lakes.

"Finally making a move." Yu Liancheng stretched: "That's fine. I've read most of the books in the Tingchao Pavilion; it's about time to leave."

He was not at all surprised by the Imperial Court's actions.

First, on the Guangling River, he killed the Guangling King and his son, a blatant challenge to the dignity of the Liyang Dynasty. Second, he had appeared in Beiliang and was frequenting the Beiliang Prince Mansion. The Imperial Court did not want Beiliang to be on its deathbed, but neither did it want it to be too powerful.

Xu Fengnian said, "Didn't you say you wouldn't leave the Prince Mansion until you entered the Zhixuan realm?"

Yu Liancheng looked up to see a small boat approaching from afar, and said calmly, "I enter the Zhixuan realm today."

Another boat pushed aside the waves, and in the blink of an eye, it was close to the small boat where Yu Liancheng was. There were four people on the small boat; besides the man rowing, there were Murong Wuzhu and the sheepskin-clad old man.

Yu Liancheng's gaze fell on the nose-picking sheepskin-clad old man; he cupped his hands and smiled slightly: "Junior Murong Tonghuang, greetings, Senior."

Xu Fengnian looked in surprise at the unremarkable sheepskin-clad old man. This Murong kid seemed approachable, but in reality, he was prouder than anyone else.

Who was this old man? To have such a grand air.

The sheepskin-clad old man also looked Yu Liancheng up and down, then nodded: "Not bad, you have the dashing style I had when I was young."

Xu Fengnian chuckled.

What a biting remark.

This sheepskin-clad old man had a severed arm, a short stature, was skin and bones, cross-eyed, and liked to dig his nose and ears; he looked wretched and had no air of an expert at all. He probably wasn't much better when he was young.

The sheepskin-clad old man seemed to see through Xu Fengnian's thoughts, and his hoarse voice sounded: "Kid, the style I had when I was young is not something a youngster like you can imagine. Countless heroines waited for me in vain their whole lives, and there wasn't a single expert in the world who didn't consider it an honor to receive a pointer or two from me."

Xu Fengnian nodded in deep agreement: "You are right; it was my shallowness." The words were polite, but they sounded somewhat sarcastic.

"How did the Human Butcher Xu Xiao give birth to a son like you?"

The old man rolled his eyes, then looked at Yu Liancheng, stroked his chin, and made a tsking sound twice.

"Tsk tsk, the young man has a high fighting spirit. When I was roaming the Edo, I often met people like you; my hands would itch whenever I saw an expert. Hmm, I was about the same back then, but later, I had compared notes with too many experts and defeated too many experts, so that feeling faded."

Seeing the sheepskin-clad old man's arrogant look, Yu Liancheng chuckled and said, "And then you lost to Wang Xianzhi."

The old man was instantly speechless, then flew into a rage from embarrassment: "What do you know? I was just fulfilling a junior."

Yu Liancheng said, "And then you debated the Dao with Qi Xuanzheng, your state of mind was thrown into chaos, and your realm fell."

The sheepskin-clad old man was even angrier, pulling out two of his own beard hairs: "That was Qi Xuanzheng's sophistry; he said something about how those who defeat others have strength, but those who defeat themselves attain the Dao—he was bragging to the heavens. My martial arts are all in my sword; I couldn't be bothered to argue with him."

Yu Liancheng said, "Finally, you exchanged an arm with an old man who eats swords; you neither lost nor won, and from then on, your realm fell by a thousand miles."

The sheepskin-clad old man was poked in his sore spots repeatedly, and he gritted his teeth: "Fine, I see it now; you are provoking me today. You are here to force me to draw my sword. I will fulfill your wish."

Yu Liancheng smiled: "Although I do want to spar with the old senior, I would still like to invite the old senior to have a drink first." Having said that, he pointed to the wine on the stove.

"Wait until I vent this foul breath."

"I'm afraid this foul breath won't be vented, and you might end up holding it in even more painfully."