Under the azure sky and white clouds, two young men were engaged in a sword fight on a grassy field.

The weaker of the two executed his swordplay rigidly and methodically, every move perfectly measured and orthodox. The much heavier young man's style, however, was fluid and smooth, seeming to dissipate the force of any blow struck against his blade. Both combatants displayed an abundance of exquisite techniques, indicating that neither possessed weak swordsmanship, and their exchange was thrillingly sharp.

"Younger brother, your swordsmanship has improved considerably, but you are still far behind your elder brother," the leaner youth chuckled, laughing heartily.

"Elder brother, your skill may not necessarily surpass mine. Watch my blade..." The portly youth shifted his stance, and his sword form changed.

Not far from the grassy clearing, another young man was fast asleep on the lawn.

This young man was average in appearance, clad in simple cyan robes, wearing a bamboo hat to shade his face from the sun. A stalk of grass dangled from his lips, and he held a pale yellow wine gourd in his hand. Within easy reach of his right hand lay an immaculately upright flying sword. This youth, sleeping soundly on the grass, took sips from his gourd intermittently, showing no interest in the ongoing duel.

What a fine day.

Lu Yuan lay back with a sigh.

Such leisurely days had been rare for a long time.

Before his Master passed, following his Master’s instructions, he had finished managing the Tenth Branch Hall of the Hundred Mines Province, and then moved to the Seventh Branch Hall. For others, this pace might seem normal, but it had completely worn him out. Now, he could finally relax here, watching the sun. He loved lying on the grass of North Peak, gazing at the sky.

The sky—the clouds drifted lazily by.

He took another swig of wine.

Life, truly.

Beside him, Ye Fang and Ye Yuan were sparring. His Ninth and Tenth Junior Brothers had also made significant strides in their sword techniques recently, both having reached the second tier of swordsmanship. However, reaching the third tier, the Sword Intent level, would likely take another century. Most core disciples attained the Sword Intent level when they were over a hundred years old; this was the established norm, true for the Ninth Generation as it would be for the Tenth. A prodigy like Shi Chaoyang, the foremost core disciple of the Sword Sect, might reach Sword Intent in another twenty or thirty years, around the age of sixty—significantly faster than average core disciples.

Of course, he himself was an anomaly; his speed couldn't be used as a benchmark.

Precisely because his current swordsmanship was formidable, and his magical power correspondingly strong, he felt no urgency to cultivate further.

Life, after all, was meant to be enjoyed leisurely.

Rushing through it was not savoring existence.

Suddenly, he heard approaching footsteps in the distance. Uncle Song had arrived. "Master..."

Lu Yuan stood up. "Uncle Song, no need for such formality..." Uncle Song had served the Master for many years, remaining fiercely loyal to him, and treated Lu Yuan well now. Lu Yuan made sure to treat Uncle Song with respect. Moreover, Lu Yuan was inherently easygoing; though others found him somewhat lazy, his temperament was indeed excellent.

Seeing Uncle Song appear, Lu Yuan knew—something must have happened. His quiet days of lying on the North Peak grass watching the sky seemed set to pause, for now.

"Master..." Uncle Song spoke, "News just arrived..." He handed over a message scroll.

Taking the letter, Lu Yuan's brow furrowed involuntarily.

Sima Changbai—even when severely injured, he still couldn't resist plotting against Lu Yuan.

The situation was this: currently, the only subordinate who remained relatively loyal was Situ Hong, the Scarlet Swordsman. Situ Hong operated a martial arts academy (Dao Guan). Lu Yuan remembered kicking the Sima Sword Academy on North Peak before the storm—Situ Hong’s academy was similar to that, named the Situ Dao Guan.

Situ Hong, though a woman, was exceptionally forthright and heroic. She enjoyed hosting guests from all directions at her academy, earning a fine reputation; people called her the 'Meng Chang of Red' (a reference to the legendary patron of scholars).

Running a martial arts academy naturally invited challengers seeking to test their skills.

However, because Situ Hong was so gallant and a woman, most people showed her deference, so challenges were rare.

Yet, not long ago, her academy was challenged. The challenger was Song Chi, one of Sima Changbai’s most capable lieutenants. The Huashan Immortal Sect forbade internal strife among disciples, but a challenge to a martial arts academy was permissible; it was entirely within the rules, and no one could lodge a legitimate complaint.

If Li Yuanbai were still alive, such a challenge would be inconsequential; suppressing it then would have been trivially easy for him.

But now, Li Yuanbai was gone.

The result of Sima Changbai's man, Song Chi, challenging the academy was that Situ Hong was defeated. Upon losing, Situ Hong immediately wrote to notify Lu Yuan, as he was now the owner of the enterprise.

Lu Yuan frowned. Sima Changbai, though seriously wounded, was provoking him. If he weren't gravely injured, his provocations would likely be fiercer. It was no simple task to withstand the assault of a Ninth Generation Sword Immortal alone. However, since he was the owner of this property, he had to protect it. If you strike my face, I must strike back—that had always been Lu Yuan's principle.

Situ Hong’s Situ Dao Guan was not far, situated within Jiangyin Prefecture, near Huashan.

The closest place to Huashan was actually Jiangyin County, and a hundred li further lay Jiangyin Prefecture.

Jiangyin Prefecture was a renowned large administrative district. Unlike typical prefectural cities, this one was too close to Huashan. The city teemed with cultivators, and even demons and monsters dared not approach. Jiangyin Prefecture was incredibly prosperous: rice shops, mercantile houses, cloth shops, taverns, and restaurants lined the streets. Banners fluttered in the wind, long plaques hung one after another. Street vendors called out, pushing carts back and forth. Men hurried along the road, interspersed with idlers with nothing better to do. Well-dressed young masters strolled leisurely, while ladies and young wives frequented the cloth shops the most.

Carriages and horses bustled—it was a vibrant, bustling scene, this Jiangyin Prefecture.

Of course, despite its prosperity, no official aspired to be the Prefect here; the profit margin was too low. Almost no one feared the Prefect here; since no one minded the Prefect, there was little opportunity for illicit gain.

On the eastern side of Jiangyin Prefecture, nestled among continuous buildings and pavilions, several structures surrounded by white walls and black tiles stood. In the center, a large building bore a plaque inscribed with four characters in powerful calligraphy: "Situ Dao..." These characters were immensely vigorous and powerful, rumored to have been written by Situ Hong herself. For a woman to write calligraphy so bold and strong commanded admiration; she was truly a heroine among women.

Lu Yuan stepped into the Situ Dao Guan. The atmosphere inside was heavy with gloom. As Lu Yuan entered, everyone turned to look. Most did not recognize him, but a select few did. Furthermore, since Uncle Song was accompanying Lu Yuan, even more people recognized the older man.

"The Estate Master has arrived..." Indeed, the title used here was 'Estate Master.' Uncle Song had entered the Li family as a servant in his youth, hence he always addressed the previous master as 'Master.' Others were different. Li Yuanbai had established the Dark Sword Villa (An Jian Shan Zhuang), and his subordinates were technically members of the Villa, all addressing Li Yuanbai as 'Estate Master.' With Li Yuanbai having ascended, they naturally addressed Lu Yuan as the Estate Master.

Lu Yuan also saw the Scarlet Swordsman, Situ Hong. This woman appeared to be around forty, still possessing allure and radiating spirited heroism. She wore pale red robes and carried a flying sword on her back—truly a figure of spirited prowess. "Greetings, Young... Estate Master."

Lu Yuan nodded. "Tell me exactly what transpired." He treated Situ Hong with considerable politeness; after all, she was the only one who hadn't skimmed any spirit stones and still handed over the quota established when his Master was alive. Their acquaintance was shallow, so he couldn't claim absolute loyalty, but she certainly qualified as trustworthy.

"Yes..." Situ Hong stated gravely, "Several days ago, Song Chi, the Profane Swordsman under Sima Changbai, suddenly came challenging. I naturally accepted the duel. Song Chi has reached the eighth layer of Body Tempering—Yujian Xingkong (Flying Through the Air on a Sword)—and I could not match him, so I was defeated. Song Chi comes to challenge every day, offering insults. None of the others in our hall can defeat him either. For the Estate Master to have to make this trip personally, it is truly a grievous fault..."

Actually, Situ Hong hadn't only requested Lu Yuan, the Estate Master, but knowing he was very young—only twenty—she feared he might not suffice. She had also invited the Azure Swordsman Shangguan Qing and the White Swordsman Nangong Bai. However, the outcome of inviting these two was...

"Estate Master, I couldn't beat Song Chi either," Nangong Bai lamented, looking utterly helpless. Nangong Bai was named 'White Swordsman' but was exceedingly dark-skinned. "I don't know why Song Chi is so fierce this time; previously, we were always evenly matched..."

"Estate Master, I used to defeat Song Chi. My magic power is indeed one tier higher than his," Shangguan Qing said. He was strikingly handsome, possessing the magnetic charm of a mature, refined middle-aged man. "But as you know, battle depends on timing, location, and psychological factors... too many variables determine the outcome. I never expected to lose to him either." Shangguan Qing spoke with an air of innocence.

Hearing the words of Shangguan Qing and Nangong Bai, Lu Yuan couldn't help but smile faintly.

The reports of their battles, provided by Uncle Song when he briefed Lu Yuan, confirmed his suspicions. Both had clearly held back during their fights. While their duels looked fierce on the surface, a careful observer could see they were deliberately not exerting full effort, ultimately losing on purpose.

Simply put, the current situation was this:

Sima Changbai sent Song Chi to severely damage Lu Yuan’s prestige, making it clear that Lu Yuan couldn't even protect his own subordinates. If a leader cannot safeguard his own people, it is only natural for his followers to leave. Without subordinates, maintaining the enterprise becomes virtually impossible. In essence, Sima Changbai aimed to cause Lu Yuan's assets to collapse, hence sending Song Chi.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Qing and Nangong Bai saw a rare opportunity—or perhaps they were already in league with Sima Changbai. Facing Song Chi, they deliberately underperformed and lost. Only the loyal Situ Hong was truly defeated by Song Chi, but Shangguan Qing and Nangong Bai were also defeated by him.

All problems were now being funneled toward Lu Yuan.

If Lu Yuan failed to stabilize the situation now, his authority would plummet, and his faction would disintegrate. Few followers would stick with a master who couldn't even defend his existing people.

At that point, Sima Changbai's first step in attacking Lu Yuan would be successful, all while operating strictly within the rules.

And Shangguan Qing and Nangong Bai could use this opportunity to leave Lu Yuan's service and seize some of Lu Yuan's local holdings—that would be simple enough for them.

This was a trap, meticulously laid, waiting for him to step in.