Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 547 - 188 This is the real deal! (2/2)

Master Huaidie felt like she was dreaming.

From the blurred memories of childhood friendships to following her Master in the study and practice of martial arts, leaving her hometown.

Her Master then perished in a Sect struggle, and she herself was cast adrift in Jianghu, relying on a bit of serendipity and innate skill to constantly find resources, and slowly progressed in her martial arts, until one day she killed a rogue Taoist, which led her to a chance encounter with a certain distinguished person.

She knew nothing about that distinguished person, but he said he could give her something she had long desired, something that was also the cause of her Master's death, and she couldn't refuse.

The Fish Intestine Sword.

And power.

Without hesitation, she took the sword.

Then followed day after day of cultivation and killing, at the expense of never having the slightest chance to reach the Grandmaster realm. With talents rare among thousands, Master Huaidie became a top expert in Jianghu at the age of thirty-one.

The Fish Intestine Sword had drunk the blood of countless good and evil people.

Yet, all she was left with was the Fish Intestine Sword.

The rest of her companions were Jianghu experts lured in, each either secretive or ruthless, with only mutual wariness between them, devoid of any comradery.

Even she herself seemed like a venomous creature hunting in the night.

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The only one who seemed more human was 'Jue Que' the 'Iron Buddha', cultivated through secret techniques, who lacked the common man's wit.

The towering giant with a height of nine feet was a godlike figure when holding the sword, but once he put it down, he was like a child, silently gazing at the sky.

His rough palms, which had broken many necks, could gently caress the stray cats and dogs on the streets; she occasionally leant against the door, watching the 'Iron Buddha' squatting on the ground and feeding the animals, wondering idly about the face behind that mask.

But 'Iron Buddha' died, and the Fish Intestine Sword broke.

Master Huaidie once again saw that youth with a lazy and handsome smile, standing with his hands behind his back. His features were naturally fine, but in her eyes, he seemed the end of everything, his every move emanating the profound air of the deep Yuanghai.

He flicked his finger.

The Fish Intestine Sword in her hands shattered, turning into fine dust pouring from her grasp, disappearing as Master Huaidie stood blankly in the dark. The surrounding Heaven and Earth seemed to vanish with the disintegration of the Fish Intestine Sword, turning into nothingness.

The youth of extraordinary bearing had already appeared one step in front of her.

His right hand lifted, and his index finger lightly pointed at her forehead.

This one gesture seemed like the center of the world, attracting all the flowing light.

Master Huaidie's eyes snapped open, her face even paler, breathing fast and uneven, as the last of her memories froze on the cool, jade-like touch of Hong Luoyu's finger on her forehead, followed by endless darkness and silence.

But immediately she reacted, retreating warily, her right hand sweeping over her waist. She already had a short sword in her hand, similar in design to the Fish Intestine Sword. Although it was not as renowned as the latter, being one of the ten famous swords, it was still quite a formidable weapon.

Sword in hand, she felt somewhat reassured.

Master Huaidie looked around cautiously.

She remembered that before her 'death', she was in a withered forest preparing for an ambush, but now she seemed to have arrived in a bustling market, with people constantly coming and going. There were children, women, heroes, and people selling wares, quite lively.

Yet her gaze uncontrollably fell upon a teahouse.

Sitting next to a polished table was a Scholar in a cyan robe, age indiscernible, drinking tea nonchalantly, as though making the surrounding world and the conversations of the passing crowd fade away, sending an unsettled feeling through her.

Master Huaidie's breathing slowed.

She slowly retreated, hoping to leave the place without attracting notice, and then to figure out what on earth was happening to her body. No matter what, she had no intention to engage in combat at the moment.

However, Master Huaidie had only retreated three steps when she stiffened slightly.

The woman's pupils slightly contracted as she looked ahead.

Under the flapping banner of the teahouse, as the Scholar's robe swept across the table, a sword appeared – its blade no more than two feet one inch long, shorter than ordinary weapons, only slightly longer than a dagger, emanating a chilling edge.

Its body was dark, with dragon and sparrow motifs from the Xia Dynasty on the hilt, simple yet ungainly.

There were faint glimmers of light flickering along the blade.

Master Huaidie's expression shifted subtly, instinctively holding her breath.

She was already extremely familiar with this sword; it had a spiritual resonance surpassing that of the one in her hand. Clearly not a counterfeit, she could not move from where she stood upon seeing it, pausing amid the crowd.

People passed by as if they were but illusions, not reacting to Master Huaidie's actions.

The Scholar lightly tapped his finger on the sword.

The sound of the sword's ring was so faint that it was almost imperceptible, yet it made Master Huaidie's body tremble, and a fierce longing rose within her. It clashed with the thought of leaving immediately, struggling restlessly, eventually gaining the upper hand.

The enigmatic Scholar lifted his hand to sip his tea and didn't look at her.

With a relaxed expression, he murmured softly.

The voice seemed as if it had been soaked in a cold spring, permeated with the chill of winter days. It arose by Teacher Huaidie's ear and in an instant, shattered the defenses of her heart.

"This one of mine is real."

............

About three hundred miles to the north of Jiu Zizai's secluded abode lay a county town.

Wang Anfeng and his party stopped a horse carriage on the road. Yuchi Gongzi, full of boldness, simply threw some Silver to book the somewhat dilapidated carriage.

The carriage owner was a man who delivered goods to the city, and he dumped his load of mountain goods right there on the roadside, emptying out the carriage which became their ride as Yuchi Gongzi, his legs gone weak, climbed aboard in the midst of Lv Baiping's disdainful gaze and sat down with a plop.

The mountain goods were worth some money, but the carriage owner knew he couldn't afford to offend these folks behind him. Besides, the Silver was already far more than what the goods were worth. Even though he was heartbroken, he didn't say much more.

Whipping up the horses, the creaky carriage followed the imperial road towards the county town.

Wang Anfeng sat on the left side, somewhat distracted, lost in thought.

Gong Yu came over and sat next to him, paused for a moment, then said:

"Senior Jiu Zizai probably hasn't been living in that cottage for a long time."

Wang Anfeng nodded but didn't open his mouth.

This was also why he had just decided to leave immediately. If Jiu Zizai were indeed still in that courtyard, or had recently stayed there for some time, then absolutely no one would dare to ambush them here.

However, when he left Qingfeng Edge, the news Zhu Ling told him wasn't limited to just this one piece; there were several other ways to contact Jiu Zizai as well. Going to his secluded cottage was simply the most straightforward method.

After all, it was the closest.

Who could have anticipated this kind of hitch? If it hadn't been for Hong Luoyu's appearance, the best outcome for them would have been for both him and Gong Yu to escape with their lives while the others would have been left to perish there.

White Tiger Hall? Or Four Symbols Pavilion?

Wang Anfeng could imagine that those with the capability and the resolve to strike at him could only be these two secret organizations, both unknown to ordinary folks of Jianghu. But if it really were these two powers, how could they have known of his whereabouts?

A traitor among Qingfeng Edge?

Almost subconsciously, this thought surfaced in Wang Anfeng's mind, and then he immediately cast it aside.

The Great Elder knew about the Ancient Taoist and would not have done such a thing.

Moreover, among them, both Gong Yu and Lin Qiaofu were undoubtedly considered the future pillars of Qingfeng Edge. The murderous intent they had just faced was real and unselective, targeting both him and Gong Yu, while the Fish Intestine Sword Master had directly used Lin Qiaofu as a hostage to lure them in.

He didn't think he was so valuable as to sacrifice the next generation of Qingfeng Edge's disciples just to put himself in danger.

His thoughts a jumble, Wang Anfeng couldn't sort them out. He sighed and stopped pondering over it.

Gong Yu simply sat next to him, quietly observing the scenery around.

Since the holiday season had passed, there were quite a few travelers on the imperial road, but it couldn't be considered crowded. Most of them were young people in a hurry. Wang Anfeng's gaze swept over the road, but he was slightly startled, a hint of curiosity rising in his eyes.

To the front left of their cargo carriage was a not-so-sturdy donkey cart, moving at a steady pace.

The cart was piled with goods and bore a flag, dusty but with the words 'Wine Shop' still discernible. Clearly, it served as a roadside tavern selling drinks to passersby, earning some Silver Coin.

However, there was still some time before noon, and this tavern had already packed up its wares. Such taverns were usually operated by residents of nearby towns, but from what could be seen, it seemed they were heading toward the county town, perhaps due to some affairs.

Sitting at the back of the cart was a young man in his twenties, who had wrapped his outer garment around a little girl in his arms to protect her from the cold. Wearing just a white undershirt, with a Jade Pendant hanging from his waist, he had a warm smile on his face as he teased the giggling little girl.

Sensing Wang Anfeng's gaze, the young man lifted his head. He was taken aback at first but then nodded and smiled amiably at Wang Anfeng.

Wang Anfeng nodded slightly in return, acknowledging the gesture.

Even if it was a jaded horse pulling the carriage, it was still much faster than the donkey cart. Quickly overtaking it, Wang Anfeng, looking at the little girl wrapped tightly in the young man's arms to shield her from the chilly wind, smiled at the young man and said:

"What a cute little girl..."

The young man laughed good-naturedly and replied:

"I think so too."

Then he gently scraped the girl's cheek and said:

"Say, thank you..."

The little girl, about four or five years old and somewhat unclear in her pronunciation, obediently expressed her gratitude.

The carriage continued forward, passing the donkey cart and following the imperial road toward the county town.

Wang Anfeng withdrew his gaze and looked ahead.

Behind him, the smile remained on the young man's face in the donkey cart.

PS: The second update for today is up...