Chapter 125

Although Li Li Lianhua had only just spoken, Yan Shisan had already roughly guessed it.

Yet, having it truly confirmed from Li Li Lianhua’s own mouth, Yan Shisan still found it hard to believe!

The dignified Third Young Master of the Divine Sword Villa, hiding his name and living in seclusion was one thing, but to actually be called "Useless A-Ji" by others? To be looked down upon to such an extent?

Is this truly the fated opponent he had envisioned?

Yan Shisan found it hard to believe.

Thus, he remained silent for a long time.

Li Li Lianhua could also roughly guess Yan Shisan’s current thoughts, so he did not intend to say much more, giving Yan Shisan plenty of time to digest this information!

In this way, after a silence lasting about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Yan Shisan seemed to have finally accepted the news.

Immediately, he looked at Li Li Lianhua and asked, "Divine Physician Li, why?"

Indeed, why?

Last time, Divine Physician Li had already said that Xie Xie Xiaofeng had neither had his Wu Gong crippled nor lost his memory; so, for no reason at all, why would he choose to live in seclusion?

And furthermore, become a "Useless A-Ji" whom everyone looked down upon?

Why on earth is this?

Yan Shisan wanted to know the specific reason!

"Hmm, since you want to know why, then I shall tell you!"

Originally, Li Li Lianhua had thought that once he informed Yan Shisan of Xie Xie Xiaofeng’s identity, he would immediately rush off to find Xie Xie Xiaofeng for a duel.

He did not expect that he would actually have the patience to ask for the reason why Xie Xie Xiaofeng had fallen to this point!

"Good!" Hearing what Li Li Lianhua said—that he not only knew Xie Xie Xiaofeng’s identity but also the specific reason for his downfall—Yan Shisan sat down as well, prepared to have a proper chat with Li Li Lianhua!

"How much do you know about this person, Xie Xie Xiaofeng?" After pouring another cup of tea for Yan Shisan, Li Li Lianhua asked!

"Me? It is rumored that the Third Young Master, Xie Xie Xiaofeng, was a natural genius with the sword; at a young age, he transformed the family’s seventy-two sword techniques into one hundred and forty-four techniques using both hands!"

"For many years, he has sparred with countless sword masters without a single defeat, and is hailed as the person in the Great Ming Jiang Hu with the most hope of breaking through to the realm of Sword Immortal!"

……

Hearing Li Li Lianhua ask how much he knew about Xie Xie Xiaofeng, Yan Shisan began to recount everything he knew about him, point by point.

However, before Yan Shisan could continue, Li Li Lianhua raised his hand and waved it, signaling him to stop.

"What? Divine Physician Li, did I say something wrong?" Yan Shisan asked in surprise, seeing Li Li Lianhua wave his hand at him.

"You didn't say anything wrong, but what you spoke of are merely appearances," Li Li Lianhua said, shaking his head at Yan Shisan.

"Then, what is it like on the inside?" Without any intention to argue, Yan Shisan simply asked.

"On the inside, Xie Xie Xiaofeng's reputation is becoming increasingly illustrious!"

"But, as his reputation grows, the pressure upon him also grows heavier!"

"You must have heard the saying: 'The barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes'?"

"When a person has nothing left to lose, they dare to fight for anything!"

"However, if a person possesses too much, they will instead become timid!"

"The Third Young Master is in exactly such a situation."

"Although he has been undefeated for many years, the more this is the case, the more he actually fears his own defeat."

"Because of him, the reputation of the Divine Sword Manor has grown ever louder, becoming increasingly pivotal in the Jiang Hu."

"Therefore, the Third Young Master is afraid. He fears that if he duels again, he will lose, and such a result is something he cannot accept, nor can the Divine Sword Manor."

"Furthermore, the Jiang Hu is vast, with countless capable people, and geniuses as numerous as crucian carp crossing the river. Xie Xie Xiaofeng fears encountering someone even more gifted than himself."

"So, unable to bear such pressure, at a certain moment, these negative emotions finally erupted completely."

"Thus, in the end, the Third Young Master hid himself, taking the name 'Useless A-Ji', neither wanting to duel with others nor wanting to kill anymore."

Li Li Lianhua spoke, roughly recounting the mental journey of the Third Young Master Xie Xie Xiaofeng as he hid himself and became the 'Useless A-Ji' for Yan Shisan.

"So, the truth of the matter is actually like this?" Hearing Li Li Lianhua's explanation, Yan Shisan's expression was one of sudden realization, and at the same time, he felt a mix of laughter and tears.

It was only because Divine Physician Li had personally spoken these words.

If anyone else had said the Third Young Master hid because he was afraid of losing, Yan Shisan would absolutely not have believed it.

It was only because Divine Physician Li said it that he believed it!

"I never imagined that the one truly suppressing the Third Young Master was actually himself!"

Thus, amidst his realization, Yan Shisan suddenly sighed with emotion.

"Who is to say otherwise?" Hearing Yan Shisan's words, Li Li Lianhua also nodded in agreement.

At the same time, Li Li Lianhua actually felt many emotions in his own heart as well.

Why?

Because in Li Li Lianhua's view, this Xie Xie Xiaofeng had many similarities to his own former self, Li Li Xiangyi.

Both became famous in their youth and shook the Jiang Hu, but in the end, their choices were quite similar.

Xie Xie Xiaofeng hid his name because he feared his own failure.

And Li Li Xiangyi?

After the battle with Di Di Feisheng, he was poisoned by the Bi Cha poison, leaving him with little time to live and less than one-tenth of his martial arts remaining. Thus, Li Li Xiangyi did not dare to return to the Si Gu Sect to acknowledge his old acquaintances.

This point was actually quite similar to Xie Xie Xiaofeng's thinking.

Both valued their own dignity too much, and thus could not bear for those familiar with them to see their fallen state.

The only difference was that Li Li Xiangyi had already fallen, while Xie Xie Xiaofeng was afraid that he would fall in the future.

Not to mention how Li Li Lianhua felt, Yan Shisan fell silent.

Although he knew the news that Xie Xie Xiaofeng was not dead and where he was, he had not expected that the reason for his hiding was this.

This made Yan Shisan feel somewhat embarrassed to seek a duel with Xie Xie Xiaofeng!

After all, Xie Xie Xiaofeng had hidden himself as 'Useless A-Ji' precisely because he feared losing one day.

If he were to truly challenge him to a duel and defeat him, wouldn't that make his inner demon a complete reality?

Thinking of this, Yan Shisan really felt embarrassed to go and ask Xie Xie Xiaofeng for a duel.

But if he couldn't bring himself to invite the current Xie Xie Xiaofeng to a duel, how could he reignite his fighting spirit?

"Divine Physician Li, thank you for telling me. I will not disturb you further!"

After thinking for a long time, Yan Shisan could not come up with a good solution, so he stood up to bid farewell to Li Li Lianhua.

After all, he had learned what he wanted to know, and as for how to face Xie Xie Xiaofeng in the future, that was his own business.

Naturally, Yan Shisan had no intention of staying to bother Li Li Lianhua.

"Hmm, we shall meet again if fate allows!" Hearing Yan Shisan's farewell, Li Li Lianhua had no intention of keeping him and watched as Yan Shisan left.

Sometimes, how should one put it? The person who understands you best is often not your lover, but your enemy.

In the original story, Yan Shisan and Xie Xie Xiaofeng were originally competing rivals, but they became friends who understood each other.

This feeling was somewhat similar to his own former self, the Li Li Xiangyi of ten years later, and Di Di Feisheng.

Shaking his head, Li Li Lianhua did not dwell on it too much, since Yan Shisan had already left.

It just so happened that he should open a treasure chest and see what good things he could get from it!

Packing up the rattan chair and other items, Li Li Lianhua spent 220,000 taels of silver in medical fees, and then a treasure chest appeared before him.

Looking again, the price for the next treasure chest had already risen to 250,000 taels.

And his remaining medical fees were only 40,000 taels. Li Li Lianhua shook his head silently, focusing his attention on the treasure chest.

The price of the treasure chests was getting higher and higher, and the frequency with which he opened them was getting lower and lower.

Therefore, Li Li Lianhua now put his full attention into every single chest, hoping to open something good.

Taking a deep breath, he prayed silently, hoping for something good!

Immediately, Li Li Lianhua opened the chest before him.

Brilliant light burst forth once again—the same familiar feeling, the same familiar taste!

Then, when the light of the chest dissipated, a mass of misty radiance appeared before Li Li Lianhua.

This mass of light slowly merged into Li Li Lianhua's mind.

A familiar sense of enlightenment rose from the bottom of his heart, as if something he had forgotten for a long time had suddenly been remembered!

Li Li Lianhua understood what he had opened from the chest this time.

It was a sword technique!

More accurately, it was a high-level sword control technique from the *Chinese Paladin* world, belonging to Shushan, named the "Ten Thousand Sword Technique"!

As for its effect? It was very simple: by performing the sword control technique, one could manifest thousands, or even ten thousand, immortal swords falling from the high sky, causing area-of-effect damage within a certain range!

All in all, although this move was just for clearing out small fry and overlapped to a certain extent with the ability of Conqueror's Haki, for Li Li Lianhua, this move was incredibly cool!

Just imagine, when performing the Ten Thousand Sword Technique, thousands of swords falling from the sky—would you call that cool or not?

It was just like when Li Li Chungang challenged Wang Wang Xianzhi at the Wu Di City in the East Sea, borrowing all the swords in the entire city at once for his own use!

What did Li Li Chungang say at the time? Actually, at his level, there was no difference between borrowing one sword and borrowing countless swords!

But why did Li Li Chungang borrow all the swords in the city to fight Wang Wang Xianzhi? Wasn't that just to look dominant?

"Not bad, it is indeed what I need right now!"

Feeling the effect of the Ten Thousand Sword Technique, Li Li Lianhua nodded silently.

Although Conqueror's Haki was also an area-of-effect method, if one were to use game terminology, it only stunned the targets, which could only be considered a crowd control skill rather than an area-of-effect damage skill!

The Ten Thousand Sword Technique, however, was an area-of-effect damage skill, which was somewhat different from Conqueror's Haki!

Additionally, his only ultimate move was the "Divine Sword Imperial Thunder Technique," which was an ultimate move biased toward single-target attacks!

Now that he had drawn the Ten Thousand Sword Technique from the chest, it could be considered a true area-of-effect ultimate move!

Although Li Li Lianhua couldn't help but want to go and test out this new ability he had drawn from the chest, the Ten Thousand Sword Technique was too loud, and it seemed really difficult to find a place to test it!

……

Not to mention Li Li Lianhua's thoughts on drawing the Ten Thousand Sword Technique, on the other side, Ku Hai Town was only a few dozen miles away from the Great Ming capital. With Yan Shisan's speed, he soon arrived at Ku Hai Town.

Although he had drawn a new ability from the treasure chest, Li Li Lianhua could not help but want to give it a good try!

It was just that the Ten Thousand Swords Art was a move with such a massive commotion that it really didn't seem easy to test out!

Setting aside what Li Li Lianhua was thinking after drawing the Ten Thousand Swords Art, a sword-controlling technique.

On the other side, Kuhaizhen was only a mere few dozen miles away from the Great Ming Jingcheng; at Yan Shisan's pace, he arrived at Kuhaizhen very quickly!