Chapter 493: Wen Busheng, Chen Yu, Jin Sanlang, Murong Tonghuang

Before the start of winter, another fall of goose-feather snow draped a white fox-fur cloak over this graceful lady of Taian City.

Within this past half-ten-day period, the Capital has been in constant uproar, with various rewards and promotions following one after another, totaling more than all the rewards from the Imperial Court over the previous three years combined.

There was also the Beiliang Second Princess, who had the audacity to kill a student of the Imperial Academy and insult the Right Libationer, which also caused a sensation for a time.

It is said that after the incident on the Imperial Road, that Right Libationer named Jin Sanlang has not stepped out of his manor, and these days he has not even attended the morning court. If not for colleagues visiting his manor, people would have feared that this Right Libationer, unable to bear the insult, had hanged himself.

Then there was the sudden appearance of the Murong pair, who struck an inner palace expert to death with a single palm. They later chatted and laughed at the Mawei Slope post station, causing who knows how many young ladies to secretly lose their hearts to them.

Besides this, another grand event soon unfolded that stirred the Capital.

Chen Yu, known for the saying "the beauty is like jade, the sword is like a rainbow," engaged in a sword duel at An Ying Terrace against Wen Hua, a wandering swordsman from the countryside who had suffered three defeats in three battles.

At this moment, beneath An Ying Terrace, an unknown number of onlookers had gathered. There were high-ranking officials and nobles, martial arts practitioners, and even more common folk.

Just as the snow began to fall, Chen Yu, dressed in plain clothes with a wooden hairpin, arrived gracefully, her sleeves fluttering like an immortal walking on waves. In an instant, the entire An Ying Terrace fell silent, with only the sound of slightly hurried breathing remaining.

If one were to speak of the most sensational swordsman in the Capital over the past year, it is neither the pair of rivals Qi Jiajie and Bai Jiangshan, nor the recently emerged dark horse Wen Busheng, but this beautiful Sword Immortal before everyone's eyes, Chen Yu.

This woman has been in the Capital for no more than a year at most, and it is said she has intricate ties with the Imperial family and the Qintian Bureau; some have seen her enter the Imperial Palace alone, and others have seen her chatting and laughing with the Empress.

The reason this woman is so famous is naturally inseparable from that face that could topple cities and states; her ranking as third on the Rouge List, released some time ago, has only added to her luster.

Of course, as a female Sword Immortal, her sword technique naturally cannot be too poor.

Every time Wen Hua draws his sword, he uses two strikes; apart from Wen Busheng, some have given him the nickname "Wen Two-Strikes."

If not for the fame of "the beauty is like jade, the sword is like a rainbow" being so overwhelming, this Beauty Chen would likely have a nickname similar to "Chen Three-Strikes."

Since she entered the Capital, it seems she has only ever used three strikes from beginning to end, and it is rare to see her use any sword technique beyond those three.

Of course, it could also be called "Chen One-Strike," because she almost always decides the outcome in a single strike, only delivering the subsequent two strikes when encountering extremely difficult experts.

The power of those three strikes is truly superb, all of them being sword techniques refined to the peak.

It is said that when Qi Jiajie, the Capital First Swordsman, first crossed swords with her, he was caught off guard and nearly defeated by these three strikes.

The three strikes are named Flowing Light, Toppling City, and Jiemie.

Sword Immortal Chen is particularly adept at using "Flowing Light"; when the sword technique is unleashed, the thousand streams of light are like flying swans, hence the title "the beauty is like jade, the sword is like a rainbow."

At this moment, the beauty ranked third on the Rouge List stands on An Ying Terrace, holding her sword.

Her hair is like clouds, her eyes like water; she is beautiful without a trace of worldly aura, like an Exiled Immortal from the heavens. No matter who it is, once they stand before her, they are involuntarily awed by her elegant and spiritual aura, and soon feel ashamed of their own inferiority. It makes one want to draw close to her, yet fear drawing too close.

Following this, the slouching Wen Busheng made his entrance.

Knowing that today's duel was against the great beauty ranked third on the Rouge List, this fellow finally changed into a clean outfit that was not so slovenly.

Wen Busheng had previously been defeated by the sword attendant Cuihua of the Wu Family Sword Tomb, then by the Capital sword technique Grandmaster Qi Jiajie, and thirdly by Bai Jiangshan of the Dongyue Sword Pool; he had not won a single time, losing in a disheveled and disgraced state. Coupled with his unappealing appearance and demeanor, he did not receive the favor of women. Yet, he was unexpectedly popular among the common folk, and even many soldiers and guards held him in high regard.

When Wen Hua climbed onto An Ying Terrace carrying his wooden sword, someone among the watching crowd shouted in a full-voiced manner, "Wen Busheng is going to lose again this time, right?"

The down-and-out swordsman surnamed Wen cursed, "Go to your mother's!" Most of the women watching frowned in disgust, but the rough, burly men cheered boisterously.

Wen Busheng often had unrefined habits before a duel, but the woman ranked third on the Rouge List before him was so beautiful and cold that he forcibly restrained himself, scratched his head, and chuckled, "A good man doesn't fight with women; you strike first."

In the past, this down-and-out swordsman would have flirted with any woman he saw, and he would not have changed even if he were beaten black and blue.

But now that he had a woman he admired, and she was watching from beneath An Ying Terrace, he could not "stray" in front of her.

"If I strike, you will have no chance to strike," Chen Yu said in a cold tone, her sleeves fluttering, possessing the demeanor of a peerless swordsman.

"Hehe, then I won't be polite; watch out."

Wen Hua chuckled, with a hint of lewdness, and the wooden sword at his waist suddenly thrust toward Chen Yu.

Having already lost three matches, he had to win at least one; the nickname Wen Busheng was truly too shameful.

A wave of boos erupted from below.

They were clearly dissatisfied that Wen Busheng had taken the initiative to strike a woman.

He should have had some gentlemanly conduct and let this female Sword Immortal make the first two moves.

Wen Hua snorted coldly in his heart: a bunch of idiots, once you've entered the Edo, who cares about men or women?

Besides, what about women? Cuihua is also a woman, and she could beat him, Wen Hua, until his head was full of bumps with just a wooden sword.

Swish!

The wooden sword broke through the air, causing it to hum.

Although Wen Hua had only learned two strikes, he had practiced them to perfection.

As the wooden sword thrust out, it instantly drained the air within a radius of a zhang, pointing out as if the space were collapsing in layers.

Chen Yu felt a slight tightness in her chest and even experienced a sense of sluggishness.

She sighed inwardly; for this Wen Hua to achieve such a reputation with a wooden sword, he was indeed no small matter.

The female Sword Immortal raised her fair wrist and held her sword, scabbard and all, horizontally in the air, using a move similar to "Iron Cable Blocking the River," easily blocking the wooden sword.

Wen Hua let out a shout, his wrist turned, and his sword followed his heart; the Sword Qi transformed into strands of soft silk, resembling a drizzling rain, showering down and enveloping Chen Yu from all sides.

Chen Yu frowned slightly.

Unlike the previous strike, this strike was natural and flawless, as if it had descended from the nine heavens.

The number of people practicing martial arts in the world is like crucian carp crossing a river, but there are likely not many who could truly receive this strike.

Chen Yu could not find a flaw in this strike, but to defeat an opponent, one does not necessarily need to find a flaw.

With a "clang" like a dragon's roar, her long sword left its scabbard.

And the moment the long sword thrust out, it suddenly erupted with thousands of dazzling golden sword rays.

Although Wen Hua had heard of Chen Yu's three sword techniques and was mentally prepared, facing this scene, he still felt dizzy and dazzled.

Looking out, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but rainbow-like sword light.

Above and below, the sword light was everywhere.

He could not see where Chen Yu was at all.

Yet, within the dazzling sword light, there was an extremely minute "point," the size of a needle tip. Even under normal circumstances, it would be hard to capture, let alone amidst thousands of brilliant sword rays.

That tiny "point" was moving with lightning speed.

Wen Hua suddenly felt a pain on the back of his hand, as if pricked by a fine needle, and the wooden sword in his palm had already fallen to the ground.

Immediately following, a chill rose in his throat; the thousands of flowing lights suddenly dissipated. Chen Yu's sword tip had appeared before Wen Hua's throat before he knew it. With just a gentle push forward, this Wen Busheng would be dead beyond any doubt.

"I concede, I concede. Blades have no eyes, young lady, please be careful." Wen Hua raised both hands and hurriedly retreated two steps.

For Wen Busheng, losing was just losing; losing his life would not be worth it.

"Haha, Wen Busheng, you lost again!"

"At least you managed two swords the last two times, but this time you only managed one and a half. You're becoming more and more useless."

"You look like a man, but you're just a silver-plated pewter spearhead, hahaha."

"With soft hands and weak feet, you can't even hold a sword steady. Could it be that last night you were... hehe..."

Wen Busheng lived up to expectations after all, failing to win a single sword duel.

And compared to the previous three duels, this time he didn't even fully deliver a second sword. Below An Ying Terrace, the commoners watching the battle laughed in a group, jeering him to death.

"Whether I'm a silver-plated pewter spearhead or not, call your wife over, and I guarantee I'll give you a big fat boy in a year."

Wen Hua picked up the wooden sword from the ground and hung it back on his waist with a flourish. Looking at his smug expression, it was as if he had hung the most precious Sword in the world on the waist of the World's Number One Swordsman.

The women below blushed with shame, while the men cursed in a chorus. Some picked up rotten eggs and rotten cabbage, ready to throw them at Wen Hua.

Seeing the crowd's excitement, Wen Busheng first bowed and scraped to appease their anger, then jumped and cursed once he ran far away, before slipping away without a trace, leaving behind a crowd of cursing onlookers.

Thus, this sensational sword duel came to a close with such a comical ending.

Given Chen Yu's temperament, seeing Wen Busheng fleeing in such a disheveled and pathetic state, she couldn't help but smile. That momentary charm was like a hundred flowers in full bloom, bright and indescribably beautiful.

Chen Yu looked toward the crowd again; she vaguely sensed an unusual gaze, one that seemed somewhat familiar.

Yet she saw that both men and women were staring at her infatuatedly, clearly immersed in her previous city-toppling smile. Perhaps she had sensed it wrong, the Sword Immortal thought to herself, then tapped her embroidered shoes and drifted away, truly as graceful as a startled swan.

"Only a year apart, and you already have the bearing of a Sword Immortal. That 'Flowing Light' move was performed quite well; it looks like you've put in some hard work."

In the crowd, a man in black smiled lightly.

He possessed a handsome face that could not be described by pen and ink, with an extraordinary bearing. Yet no one could notice him, only taking him for an ordinary person watching the fun.

"Tonghuang, is this the woman you taught three swords to before we went to watch the tide at Guangling River?" the woman in white beside him asked curiously.

"Mm, it's her." Murong Tonghuang nodded and smiled: "She hasn't slacked off at all; compared to someone who fishes for three days and dries nets for two, she is much more diligent."

Murong Wuzhu's pretty face flushed slightly, and she argued: "I haven't been idle either; I practiced whenever I was supposed to." But this sounded somewhat lacking in confidence.

At first, she had indeed practiced diligently, but upon realizing that the gap in cultivation between her and Yu Liancheng was growing ever wider and she could never catch up—and that there was no need to worry about becoming a burden—she reverted to her old ways and became a lazy "homebody."

Of course, she still spent quite a bit of time on cultivation every day.

Yu Liancheng chuckled, noncommittal.

The two followed the dispersing crowd and began to stroll through the streets.

As the capital of the Liyang Kingdom, Taian City was extraordinarily prosperous and bustling.

Even though the two had been wandering around Taian City for several days, they could still discover many fresh things.

Especially the snacks sold in the narrow alleys; the taste was no less inferior to those made by the master chefs of the restaurants.

Suddenly, Yu Liancheng paused his steps.

"Tonghuang, what's wrong?" Murong Wuzhu asked in confusion.

"There's a small problem with Chen Yu." Yu Liancheng lowered his head in thought: "Although I didn't let her call me master, I did teach her three swords, so in the end, she counts as half a disciple of mine. Now that there's some trouble, since I know about it, I naturally have to help her."

"I'm leaving first. Wuzhu, you go stroll slowly by yourself. If you're short on silver, go find Weixiong."

After speaking, his figure became blurred and finally disappeared.

"Stinking Tonghuang, dead Tonghuang, running so fast, clearly forgetting his sister for a woman!" Murong Wuzhu stomped her feet in anger, acting spoiled.

There was a mountain in the western suburbs of Taian City.

The mountain was full of emerald green bamboo, with white snow covering the green bamboo.

Chen Yu, in plain clothes and a wooden hairpin, climbed up the steps; green bamboo lined the path, and white snow was everywhere.

Her beautiful eyes turned, admiring the surrounding scenery. Even though she had lived on this mountain for half a year, she never tired of this swaying bamboo sea and the layered peaks.

It had just snowed, and the white snow set off the scene, creating another unique charm.

Halfway up the mountain, there was a small lake as clear as a mirror, quite stunning.

And on the LakeHeartIsland, where flowers bloomed in all four seasons, there was an exquisite small building.

By the lakeside was a delicate bamboo raft made of nanmu; green bamboo provided cover, and when the wind blew, the bamboo tubes sounded, resembling a fairyland on earth.

And the owner of this fairyland was naturally the famous Sword Immortal of the Capital, Chen Yu.

Chen Yu took the raft to the island, her brows slightly furrowed; there were clear traces of someone having entered the island.

She pushed open the door of the small building and saw an uninvited guest sitting in the room.

The visitor carried an aura of imperial nobility, standing tall with his head held high, holding a teacup in his hand, as if tasting tea.

Beside this person followed two imperial guards with Qi as long and continuous as a river; their steps were steady, and they wore imperial-bestowed golden swords wrapped in yellow silk at their waists.

"So it is the First Imperial Prince." Chen Yu's brows furrowed; she clearly recognized the visitor and parted her red lips to say: "Why has the First Imperial Prince come to this little woman's place instead of preparing for the ceremony of investiture?"

The man before her was the current First Imperial Prince, Zhao Wu.

The First Imperial Prince was once the legitimate eldest son of the current Emperor and a popular candidate for Crown Prince, so the Imperial Court had gathered a large group of the Crown Prince's party in the early years.

But Empress Zhao Zhi favored her younger son Zhao Zhuan, and the Emperor did not hesitate to violate the ancestral instruction of establishing the eldest son rather than the youngest. Thus, the position of Crown Prince brushed past the First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu and fell to the Fourth Imperial Prince Zhao Zhuan.

However, Empress Zhao Zhi taught her sons well; instead of having a rift, the two brothers were very close.

Known for his heroic spirit and the bearing of the late Emperor, the First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu said calmly: "I am here to take you into the palace this time!"

Chen Yu's brows furrowed slightly: "Take me into the palace?"

"Correct." The First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu nodded, his tone carrying a hint of coldness: "The Celestial Master Mansion and the Qintian Bureau have calculated that you have the destiny of Moon Laurel Enters Temple. Sending people to bring you to the Capital back then was also to prepare for entering the palace. Now that you have been given nearly a year of freedom, you should be content."

"So you intend to have me marry the Fourth Imperial Prince?" Chen Yu's pretty face was a sheet of indifference.

The First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu looked Chen Yu up and down, rubbed his chin, and said with a chuckle, "In reality, you were a compensation given to me by the Empress, but I want to give you to my fourth brother. Of course, if you are determined to marry me, I wouldn't mind. Come to think of it, I will be a Feudatory King ruling over a region in the future, and given my relationship with my fourth brother, I can be considered 'below one person, above ten thousand.' Marrying me won't be a loss for you."

Chen Yu lowered her beautiful eyes, and a hint of chill emerged in her cold voice: "What if I do not agree?"

Zhao Wu's expression suddenly turned stern, and he rose to his full height.

He was tall and powerfully built, carrying an air of royal majesty that was highly oppressive, and he said coldly, "Chen Yu, do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."

The female Sword Immortal, famous throughout the Capital, said calmly, "I have my own face; I do not need you to give me face."

Zhao Wu's expression darkened, and he waved his hand, saying, "Take her!"

The First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu did not hold this canary in any regard.

A mere woman, how much of an effect could she have on the great trends of the world?

But since she already possessed the destiny of 'Moon Laurel Enters Temple,' even if he did not marry her himself, she could only marry into the Zhao Family; this was what they called meat rotting inside the pot.

Two golden-blade attendants received the order, stepped forward several paces, and headed straight for Chen Yu.

Swish! The long blades at their waists were unsheathed.

These two men both possessed the strength of nearly a Second-Rank Small Grandmaster; attacking from left and right in coordination, the strength they exerted was by no means as simple as one plus one.

Hum!

A dazzling, eye-catching sword light soared into the sky. The long sword in Chen Yu's palm left its sheath, her grace like an immortal, resembling a Heavenly Maiden descending to the mortal world. The wisps of sunlight spilling onto her body could not take away even a fraction of her luster; instead, they served to set her off as even more holy and flawless.

The sword light swept out.

A look of obsession appeared in the eyes of the two golden-blade attendants; they seemed to see themselves being promoted to high office and holding beauties in their arms within the sword light, sinking into it for a moment, unable to extricate themselves.

Three sword stances—Alluring the City.

And at this very instant, the sword light flashed repeatedly, piercing the wrists of the two golden-blade attendants respectively.

Amidst the clanging sounds, the golden blades had already fallen to the ground. The two golden-blade attendants turned deathly pale, retreated repeatedly, and clutched their bleeding wrists, looking at Chen Yu in astonishment.

Chen Yu returned her sword to its sheath and looked coldly at the First Imperial Prince: "From this moment on, I have no further connection with your Liyang Zhao Family."

Having said this, she turned and walked away.

"Chen Yu, do you really think you can get away?" Zhao Wu placed his teacup on the table, his tone unhurried.

Hum, hum, hum!

A trembling sound suddenly rang out throughout the entire room.

Golden runes appeared all around the room, emitting a brilliant golden glow; it was sacred and solemn, and carried a profoundness that ordinary people could not understand.

Under the shroud of the golden glow, Chen Yu felt an invisible pressure descend from the sky, pressing down upon her like Mount Tai.

Her slender frame immediately began to creak, her knees bent slightly, and she hurriedly used her sword as a support while circulating all her True Qi to keep from kneeling on the ground.

"Since I, Zhao Wu, have come, how could I return empty-handed?"

The First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu chuckled and produced a circular plate, upon which were carved the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and countless runes: "This is a treasure I begged from the Monitoring Supervisor; even against a top-tier First Grade expert, it can exert a great effect, let alone a woman who is at most Second Grade."

Chen Yu gasped for air, drenched in fragrant sweat, her delicate body trembling slightly, her bones emitting sounds like popping beans from time to time, as if she might kneel on the ground at any moment.

"I have always been very careless in my work, and the Empress has lectured me several times for it, so this time I am well-prepared. Even if this formation plate cannot deal with you, you will absolutely not be able to walk out of LakeHeartIsland."

The First Imperial Prince Zhao Wu walked toward Chen Yu step by step, looking down at her from above, a cruel smile curling the corners of his mouth: "Attendant Yao, I want to cripple all of her martial arts; is there a way?"

"Naturally, there is."

A limping old man stepped out from the shadows. His aura was extremely obscure; he had clearly been in this room the whole time, yet even Chen Yu, who had practiced the *Compassionate Navigation Sword Canon* and possessed a clear sword heart, had not sensed him in the slightest.

"But does the First Imperial Prince really want to do this? This female Sword Immortal has extraordinary talent. If she continues to practice as usual, it is not impossible for her to enter the Heavenly Phenomenon realm or even become a Land Immortal in the future. To cripple her just like this is truly a pity."

The limping old man held his hands behind his back, slightly hunched, with the appearance of someone in their twilight years.

But this limping old man was the First Imperial Prince's trump card this time.

This person was an attendant hidden within the Ministry of Justice, and like Liu Haoshi, he was mainly there to guard the gate for Taian City. It was just that as a hidden expert, not many people in the world knew of his existence.

"Of course I want to cripple her," the First Imperial Prince said with a chuckle. "Neither I nor the fourth brother have achieved much in martial arts. And this woman looks like a wild horse, not easy to tame. If she harbors murderous intent, the fourth brother and I would not be able to handle it. Besides, all we value is the destiny of 'Moon Laurel Enters Temple'; as long as she is alive, it is enough."

"Understood." The limping old man nodded and said in a flat tone: "Shall I cripple her cultivation now?"

"Yes, cripple it now. Later, I will take her back to the Imperial Palace and ask the fourth brother if he wants this woman. The fourth brother is currently thick as thieves with his wife; if he doesn't want her, then I will have to reluctantly accept her. However, this woman's beauty is indeed extraordinary; tsk tsk, it is truly heart-stirring to look at."

Zhao Wu licked his lips. The current Chen Yu, drenched in fragrant sweat and panting slightly, lacked a bit of her holy, ethereal quality and possessed an extra, different kind of temptation.

The First Imperial Prince's heart stirred, and he was about to reach out to hook her chin to take some liberties first.

Chen Yu suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes seemingly covered in frost, and she said coldly: "Zhao Wu, do you know who this cultivation of mine comes from?"

Swept by those cold, beautiful eyes, Zhao Wu felt a chill throughout his body and could not help but take a step back.

The 'Alluring the City' Sword Intent could make people sink into great joy and great mystery; when one practiced 'Alluring the City' to extreme proficiency, reversing the sword intent could reflect the deepest fear and darkness in a person's heart.

At the critical moment, Chen Yu had actually realized this layer of sword intent, forcing the First Imperial Prince back with just a glance.

Zhao Wu was very angry in his heart, having been scared back by a woman's gaze, and immediately sneered: "Good, then tell me who your backer is!? In these Central Plains, is there any backer that can compare to my Zhao Family?"

Having said this, he was about to reach out again to molest her.

Chen Yu coldly spat out four words: "Murong Tonghuang!"

"What Murong... you mean that scoundrel Murong Tonghuang! How bold! You actually dare to collude with Murong Tonghuang, that wanted criminal of the Imperial Court!"

The First Imperial Prince's hand froze, as he remembered Murong Tonghuang's identity.

That was the peerless expert who was first on both the Martial Evaluation and the Rouge List, and who had repeatedly set himself against the Imperial Court. Not long ago, he had slapped a group of Imperial Palace experts to death in full view of everyone, causing the Imperial Court to lose face, yet they could do nothing about it.

The expressions of the two injured golden-blade attendants changed immediately, faintly revealing a trace of fear.

Even the limping old man was no exception, though he hid it more deeply.

Under the pressure of the formation, Chen Yu, who refused to kneel, already had blood seeping from her knees, staining her plain dress red, yet she remained expressionless: "If I am harmed, your Zhao Family might still be able to sit on the Emperor's throne, but you will never sit securely, and you, Zhao Wu, will die without a burial ground."

Zhao Wu's expression changed again and again. After hesitating for a moment, a trace of ferocity suddenly appeared between his brows: "I originally wanted to spare your life, but now you are definitely going to die. As long as you are dead, no one will ever know that it was I, Zhao Wu, who did it. But before I kill you, hehe..."

Having said this, the First Imperial Prince did not order his subordinates to retreat, and just like that, he reached out toward Chen Yu's clothes.

Looking at this large hand gradually approaching, and that hideous, disgusting face.

Chen Yu's beautiful eyes flickered, and she secretly gathered her True Qi; no matter what, she could not be humiliated at the hands of such a filthy person.

Suddenly, Chen Yu's eyes lit up: "Master."

Imperial Prince Zhao Wu was stunned for a moment, squinting as he said: "Do you take me for a child? Still trying to use this kind of trick to stall for time..." But he suddenly discovered that the expressions of his attendants and the lame old man had changed; distortion, panic, and fear were instantly written all over their faces, clearly visible and impossible to fake...

The Imperial Prince gulped, then slowly turned his head.

A man with flowing black hair and peerless, handsome features stood before the window.

Black clothes, black hair, black eyes; wherever his gaze fell, the world seemed to dim, rendered in a pale ink wash. His long hair and robes both fluttered with the cold wind.

Without a sound, the Murong Twin Peers had appeared.

The Imperial Prince felt his blood surge, yet his heart turned icy in an instant. He opened his mouth, but could not make a single sound.

"Little Chen Yu, your situation seems rather dire." Murong Tonghuang drifted into the room, extended a slender fingertip, and tapped lightly on a rune in the room.

This tap of his did not use True Qi, God-sense, or any such power.

But this tap happened to strike the key point of the rune array's rotation, so the array's light dimmed, while the compass in the Imperial Prince's hand cracked with a *crack-crack* sound, finally shattering into pieces.

The pressure brought by the rune array vanished abruptly. Chen Yu failed to adapt in time and sat down on the floor with a thud, lacking any of the demeanor of a Sword Immortal.

The young girl panted slightly, tilted her pretty face to look at Yu Liancheng, and said in an extremely aggrieved tone: "Master, I was bullied by them."

The image of the female Sword Immortal was completely shattered, replaced by a little girl acting spoiled and fawning toward an elder.

Yu Liancheng waved his sleeve and said: "I have said I am not your master."

Chen Yu's expression grew even more aggrieved: "But..."

Whoosh!

Before she could finish speaking, a fierce wind rushed toward her face.

It was the lame old man making his move, reaching out to grab Chen Yu.

This Ministry of Justice retainer naturally knew of Yu Liancheng's great reputation and knew even better that he was no match for him, so he wanted to capture Chen Yu as a hostage, perhaps holding onto a glimmer of hope.

"To beat a dog, one must look at its master. Since the master has arrived, you are still so presumptuous; you are courting death." A figure suddenly blocked the path of the lame old man.

The lame old man, however, seemed to have anticipated this.

Or rather, this was his true intention.

Only hearing him let out a long whistle, he thrust both palms forward violently.

And in the process of this thrust, his originally withered arms suddenly swelled up, his sleeves exploded directly, shredded into dust by the force of his energy.

In an instant, this pair of arms seemed to transform into two pillars of heaven, muscles bulging like iron, veins writhing like dragons and snakes. With ten fingers spread, his fan-sized hands whipped up an incomparable, raging tidal wave, slamming toward Yu Liancheng's chest with a *Boom—*.

Yet compared to the lame old man's hands, his appearance aged rapidly, his figure becoming increasingly withered, as thin and shriveled as a hemp stalk, as if he had poured all his vitality and strength into those two hands.

He was also intending to use these hands to meet this legend of the human world, Murong Tonghuang, head-on.

Boom!

No one saw Murong Tonghuang make a move.

After a muffled sound, the ground trembled, and large swathes of roof tiles were shattered and sent flying.

And this First-Rank Expert flew backward, crashing through the wall, snapping countless green bamboos, and finally, his entire body was broken to pieces, turning into a puddle of scarlet blood—a sight too horrible to look at.

At the same time, Yu Liancheng raised an eyebrow; the two golden-blade attendants who were preparing to launch a sneak attack also crashed through the wall, flying out horizontally. After snapping seven or eight green bamboos, they collapsed limply, their breath gone.

"You, you..."

Imperial Prince Zhao Wu retreated repeatedly, his face pale to the extreme, and he shrieked hysterically: "I am the Imperial Prince of Liyang, if you dare to lay a hand on me..."

Before he could finish his words, an invisible, intangible, yet vast and boundless power pressed down. The ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, his knees buckled, and he sank deep into the floor.

The Imperial Prince let out a cry, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, his entire body's bones popping like firecrackers as he struggled desperately to stand up.

But not only did he fail to stand, under that immense pressure, his upper body also slammed heavily onto the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he gasped violently.

Yu Liancheng stepped forward, placing one foot on Imperial Prince Zhao Wu's face, applying slight pressure to make his entire face deform instantly.

The Imperial Prince realized the other party did not intend to kill him, but was merely humiliating him at will. He coughed violently twice and rasped: "Murong Tonghuang, Liyang will not let you go! A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated; if you have the ability, then kill me."

"Tsk tsk, aren't you trying to become a Feudatory King? Don't you want to be above ten thousand people with only one person above you? You can't even take this, yet you still want to achieve some great cause? You might as well die early." A trace of mockery curled the corner of Yu Liancheng's mouth.

"Mas... Murong, he is, after all, an Imperial Prince..." Chen Yu hesitated; because her knees were injured, she could only drag her leg and stumble forward two steps.

"Chen Yu, since you study the sword, you should not only learn the grace and elegance of the sword, but also possess the sharpness and decisiveness of the sword," Yu Liancheng said, glancing at her indifferently, his gaze as cold as a sword.

"... Yes." Chen Yu hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Murong Tonghuang squatted down. Zhao Wu glared at Yu Liancheng, but his pupils only reflected a corner of a swaying black robe and a pair of deep eyes.

"I ask you..."

PS: Eight thousand words updated, second day.