The languid youth shouldered his sword, a picture of careless ease etched onto his face with a lazy smile.

At that moment, Sima Bo and the five others—six individuals of some local repute, with Sima Bo being the most known among them—stood together. Facing this listless youth, they lacked even the courage to draw their weapons. Who exactly was this slacker? Finally, someone recognized the youth’s identity.

“That is Lu Yuan, the sixth true disciple of Mount Hua’s North Peak.”

“Huh? The sixth true disciple? Then his ranking should still be behind Sima Bo. Why is Sima Bo afraid to make a move?” someone nearby asked in confusion.

“That’s because you don’t understand. The Sixth True Disciple, Lu Yuan, is no simple figure. Remember the great storm that swept through the North Peak last year? The very cause of that storm was the arrival of the Three Great Swordsmen of Xizhou, intending to assassinate this Lu Yuan. In the end, the Three Great Swordsmen of Xizhou were annihilated by Lu Yuan, alone.”

“Impossible! The Three Great Swordsmen of Xizhou—I heard most of them were at the eighth level of Qi Condensation. How could such figures be wiped out?”

“It is what it is.” The crowd murmured, and gradually, most of the onlookers realized the identity of this indolent youth. Being able to single-handedly suppress the Three Great Swordsmen of Xizhou explained why Sima Bo and his five allies dared not act.

Lu Yuan smiled: “What, are you going to fight or not?”

Just then, a low voice cut through the air: “Oh, so you are Lu Yuan? I have heard your name. Very well, let a few of us test your mettle today.” As the voice faded, a man appeared on the stage holding a Yaoqin (a seven-stringed zither). Instantly, with a flash, three others materialized beside him.

The second was a lean, slender elder carrying a go-board case.

The third was a handsome, scholarly-looking middle-aged man holding a writing brush, radiating an aura of aged literature.

The fourth held a scroll of painting.

These four were the retainers specifically invited by Sima Changbai. They were named Jin Qin-yi, Wei Qi-er, Zhao Shu-san, and Han Hua-si, respectively. All four were rumored to possess profound strength, having seldom met their match within the Qi Condensation stage. However, since joining Sima Changbai’s service for over half a year, they had achieved little distinction. This time, under Sima Changbai’s orders, they came