Chapter 428: The Charm of This Sword

"Good lad, you really want to be the death of this old man."

The cross-eyed old man did not want his true identity exposed the moment he appeared, feeling as though he would lose face; at the same time, he wanted to see what kind of ability this young man, who could unleash a Sword Qi Long River, truly possessed. Thus, he stomped his foot, causing the boat to tremble slightly, and then the lake surface suddenly exploded, waves churning.

"Let this old man weigh how much you are worth, kid." The old man in the sheepskin coat took a step, neither fast nor slow, stretched out a withered finger, and flicked it.

Snap!

A single water droplet was struck.

It shot out like an arrow.

One drop, two drops, ten drops, thousands of drops...

Under the dumbstruck gaze of Prince Xu Fengnian, the water droplets connected into a line, converging into a water sword. It spat out a sharp, chilling aura, pierced through space, brought forth a sharp whistle, and crashed toward Yu Liancheng.

Xu Fengnian felt his whole body go cold, feeling that this casually gathered water sword was even more soul-stirring than the Xiudong and Chunlei of White Fox Face. He had not expected this unassuming old man in the sheepskin coat to be such a formidable figure. Fortunately, this sword was not aimed at him; he would get to watch a good show today.

Yu Liancheng remained composed and likewise flicked his finger. Thousands of water droplets connected, stretched and lengthened, transforming into a crystal-clear sharp sword that whistled as it thrust out.

Bang!

The two water swords collided without any fancy tricks.

After a moment of stalemate, the powerful Sword Qi contained within them detonated simultaneously. The sky-filling force dissipated, surging in all directions like a flood, stirring up a round of monstrous waves that left the two small boats rocking unsteadily on the lake.

"A truly stunning junior."

The old man in the sheepskin coat's eyes lit up, and then he stepped onto the still-churning river surface. A shocking Sword Intent suddenly radiated from his entire body; he pressed two fingers together, using his fingers as a sword.

This time, it was even more infinitely filled with Sword Intent than the Qinglong water sword formed by the string of droplets. The boiling lake water was swept up by this sword, forming a massive water tornado in front of the old man.

A trace of nostalgia flashed in the eyes of the old man who used his fingers as a sword.

Nostalgia for that martial arts world where he could act as he pleased in his youth.

He whispered a line.

"One Sword Immortal Kneels."

As his finger-sword swung, the water tornado acted as a sword and crashed toward Yu Liancheng.

In reality, "smashed" would be more appropriate.

The sword momentum was vast and mighty, carrying a boundless, incomparable power; even a God from the heavens would have no strength to counter this sword.

Yu Liancheng kept his left hand behind his back, reached out toward the lake surface with his right, and then suddenly lifted it upward, executing "Stand Wave As Pillar" from the "Seven Whirls Slash".

Splash!!

The next instant, the lake surface surged upward, transforming into a wall of water several zhang high, which crashed backward toward the old man in the sheepskin coat, colliding violently with his water tornado.

Rumble!!

Amidst a thunderous roar, the water wall and the water tornado dissipated one after another, and countless water droplets shot in all directions, causing an unknown number of red carp to suffer.

"A technical feat, truly superb."

As the lake surface churned, the two small boats rocked even more violently.

Xu Fengnian gripped the side of the boat, his heart also churning with monstrous waves, while he could not help but feel secretly fortunate.

It was indeed correct that he practiced the saber first and not the sword.

If he had learned the sword early on and then witnessed two such masters of Sword Dao, he would surely have developed a psychological shadow, and his courage to ever lift a sword again would have been much weaker.

Amidst the splashing water, a figure landed from the air onto the small boat; it was the old man wearing the sheepskin coat.

Xu Fengnian was considering whether to jump directly into the lake; after all, these two were fighting from a distance and still had such power. If they fought on this small boat, it would likely implicate him, this small fish.

Just like the red carp floating belly-up on the lake surface right now.

Fortunately, this old man was not here to fight. He tightened his sheepskin coat and said ungraciously, "Hey, Murong kid, you look like you're only at the Vajra Realm, how do you have so many tricks?"

Yu Liancheng chuckled, "I am just a little bit better than you, Senior."

"You brat..." The old man in the sheepskin coat was so angry his teeth itched. Suddenly, he sniffed, sat down, and patted the table: "Such fragrant wine. Aren't you going to treat this old man to a drink? Why don't you pour it full yet?"

Xu Fengnian said with a shameless grin, "Give me a cup too, one cup is enough."

Yu Liancheng poured a cup for the old man in the sheepskin coat, hesitated for a moment, and poured half a cup for Xu Fengnian, causing the Prince to roll his eyes wildly.

"This wine is named 'Peach Blossom'. 'Last year on this day within this gate, the human face and peach blossoms reflected each other in red. The human face knows not where it has gone, the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.'" Yu Liancheng also poured himself a cup: "The wine is not strong, but one drink and you are drunk. Xu kid, I originally didn't want to pour any for you, but since you want to drink, it doesn't matter if you have a taste."

After speaking, he drained his own in one gulp.

Xu Fengnian also hesitated for a moment, finally drank the half-cup of wine, and then became immersed in the "Peach Blossom" of last year. As the drunkenness surged, he stumbled twice, fell into the lake with a "plop," and was fished out by a servant. Although he was a bit more sober, he was still tipsy.

This pot of "Peach Blossom" wine had been brewed over many days, and the seven emotions and divine thoughts within it were far more intense than before; how could the current Xu Fengnian withstand it?

Li Chungang smelled the fragrance of the wine and vaguely guessed the taste of this cup. After seeing Xu Fengnian's drunken state, he was even more certain in his heart.

He looked at the slightly greenish wine, his dim eyes flickered, and he tilted his head to drain the wine in the cup, letting that strange taste spread, yet he did not get drunk.

"Another cup." The Old Sword God tapped the table.

Yu Liancheng followed his wishes and poured Li Chungang another cup of wine.

Li Chungang was also very straightforward, tilting his head to drink it.

Just like that, Yu Liancheng poured a cup, and Li Chungang drank a cup. The speed was fast, and the fragrance of the wine spread through the boat; ordinary people would likely be drunk after just one sniff.

But Li Chungang still felt it wasn't satisfying enough. He snatched the wine pot, turned around, and gulped it straight down, eventually finishing the whole pot.

The old senior tossed the wine cup into the lake, once again knocking out a patch of fish and shrimp.

He stood facing the wind, his white hair fluttering, his expression desolate.

Yu Liancheng glanced at him. It had to be said that when he wasn't picking his feet or digging his nose, especially in this moment of standing still and concentrating, he truly had a bit of the demeanor of a Sword God. Even if his sword was broken and his arm severed, he was still the Sword Immortal who had once stood above all others.

The old man's eyes held three parts drunkenness, as if he were muttering to himself: "When I was young, I was single-mindedly determined to become Lv Zu. At sixteen I was in the Vajra Realm, at nineteen I entered the Finger Profound Realm, and at twenty-four I reached the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm, hailed as a genius of the Sword Dao seen once in five hundred years. Since entering the martial arts world, I had never met an opponent, and at thirty-six, I boasted that I was invincible under heaven."

"However, later I lost to Wang Xianzhi; he was indeed a very spirited young junior. It was also at that time that she left Fengdu and found me, deliberately letting me pierce her chest with my sword."

"My first half of life was romantic and unrestrained, but only then did I know the pain of the heart. Others said, 'If heaven did not give birth to Li Chungang, the Sword Dao would be like a long night for eternity,' but without her, without that green robe, how boring is this martial arts world? One sword, two swords, a hundred swords, ten million swords—what does it matter?"

A pot of Peach Blossom Brew, evoking thousands of sorrows.

The Old Sword God's eyes were unfocused, as if he saw a brilliant, smiling face.

He reached out to grab it, but grabbed nothing but air.

It is unknown how much more time passed, but the Old Sword God suddenly perked up; though his murky eyes still held a drunken haze, they now possessed a soul-piercing sharpness.

"She liked that spirited Sword God; I have truly been too decadent these past years. If she were to see me, I fear she would scrape my face and mock me. Heroines in the Edo are exposed to the wind and sun; unless their martial arts have reached an extremely high realm, or they spend a great price on maintenance, their skin is usually very dry. But her face was so tender; a single scrape would leave a red mark. I really, truly want to scrape it one more time."

"Kid Murong, do you have a sword?"

Yu Liancheng flicked his sleeve, and suddenly a sword appeared on the table.

The Old Sword God snatched the long sword into his hand and drew it out, immediately making an assessment in his heart. The blade was three feet and six inches long, with a net weight of seven jin and nine liang.

"It barely suffices." Li Chungang flicked the sword body with his finger, the humming vibration ringing out endlessly, the sword light rippling like a breeze ruffling a pond of spring water: "Kid Murong, I know you want to use this old man to help you achieve the Finger Profound realm. To have such a brilliant junior in this world, it is not in vain that I have stepped back into the Edo."

"Today, I shall fulfill your wish."

Yu Liancheng smiled, cupped his hands, and said: "Then many thanks, Senior."

"Heh, don't thank me yet; I also want to properly stretch my muscles."

A divine light burst forth from the old man's eyes; at this moment, he was no longer the wretched old man in a sheepskin coat, but the world-renowned Sword God, Li Chungang.

"And I will not be able to hold back; if you die, do not blame me."

The old man stepped forward and thrust his sword out.

The sword hummed like a dragon's roar, and the sword light soared as if it had a spirit of its own.

This sword strike seemed to make the heavens and earth lose their color, and the sun and moon grow dim.

If one could say a sword has charm, then how could this sword be anything but infinitely charming.

---Author's Note---

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