Zhong Bixuan let out a soft chuckle. She shook her head. “Junior Brother Zhanran, what a bold proclamation!” Li Muzhan smiled, gazing into Zhong Bixuan’s bright eyes, and said lightly, “Senior Sister Zhong, how about a little contest between us?” Though he didn't know the quality of Zhong Bixuan's Qinggong (Lightness Skill), Zhao Jinsheng was known as the foremost master, so her own skill must be considerable. From her, he could faintly gauge the standard of lightness skill among the core disciples. Zhong Bixuan snorted softly. “Junior Brother Zhanran, not only are your words bold, but you possess no small amount of courage!” Li Muzhan grinned slyly. “Does Senior Sister dare?” He understood clearly in his heart that to have his words heeded, one needed to establish authority first; authority unestablished meant words held no weight. This was a fundamental flaw in human nature, impossible for anyone to overcome. He felt quite helpless; he truly didn't wish to steal the limelight, but circumstances compelled him to act.

“A contest it is, who’s afraid of whom!” Zhong Bixuan chirped with a delicate hum. Her bright eyes darted around, and she laughed, “However, I have one rule for any competition!” “What rule?” Li Muzhan asked with a smile. Zhong Bixuan huffed, “There must be stakes!” “What stakes?” Li Muzhan asked, smiling vaguely, watching her with casual disinterest. Zhong Bixuan tightly pursed her delicate lips and grunted, “The loser must lie on the ground and bark like a puppy!” “Bark like a puppy… very well, how many barks?” Li Muzhan inquired sweetly. Zhong Bixuan frowned slightly, staring intently at him. After a moment, she huffed, “How many barks? You tell me?!” Li Muzhan smiled. “Then how about twelve barks?” “Fine, twelve barks it is! You’re going to lose anyway!” Zhong Bixuan giggled, looking at him mockingly, as if already picturing the scene of him barking. Li Muzhan smiled back, finding the thought of such a dainty beauty imitating a dog rather comical. Mei Ruolan frowned slightly and said calmly, “Zhanran, perhaps you should let it go.” Li Muzhan smiled. “Miss, this was Senior Sister Zhong’s idea; how could I refuse?” Mei Ruolan smiled gently. “Senior Sister Zhong, why stoop to his level?” Zhong Bixuan huffed, “This little monk is too arrogant, too conceited. Does he think conquering one gate a day makes him amazing, better than all his senior sisters and brothers?!” Li Muzhan shook his head with a wry smile; it seemed being too conspicuous had caused the trouble. Zhong Bixuan then turned to the side. “Senior Brother Zhao, tell me, isn't Zhanran being utterly disrespectful?” Zhao Jinsheng quickly shook his head. “Junior Sister Zhong, it’s not that Zhanran is disrespectful; it’s you being unreasonable. I am speaking the plain truth!” “Senior Brother Zhao!” Zhong Bixuan stomped her foot, pouting charmingly. “You are truly annoying! … No, I absolutely must compete with Zhanran, just to hear what his dog barks sound like!” Li Muzhan laughed. “Wonderful, then let’s compete! Senior Sister Zhong, please—!” Zhao Jinsheng quickly waved his hands and said with a smile, “Junior Sister Zhong, Junior Brother Zhanran, since you must compete, let the limit be ten li. Whoever reaches it first wins, how about that?” Li Muzhan smiled. “Ten li, good, neither too close nor too far.” “Hmph, ten li is too short, make it a hundred li!” Zhong Bixuan waved her small hand grandly.

Li Muzhan chuckled and shook his head. Zhong Bixuan was momentarily stunned, then annoyance flared. “What are you laughing at! … Do you think I’m taking advantage? Fine then, ten li it is!” Li Muzhan smiled and waved his hand. “I’ll abide by Senior Sister’s wishes; a hundred li it is!” “Hmph, your internal energy is shallow; a hundred li should certainly exhaust you?” Zhong Bixuan winked playfully. Zhao Jinsheng shook his head. “Junior Sister Zhong, this is using your own weakness against someone else’s strength—a foolish strategy. Let’s stick to ten li!” Zhong Bixuan glared with her bright eyes. “Hmph, nonsense! One hundred li!” Mei Ruolan secretly shook her head. Senior Brother Zhao understood the situation, but Senior Sister Zhong was clearly obsessed and wouldn’t be deterred from paying the price of barking. In terms of sustained Qimai (Energy Flow), Zhanran was top-tier; few could match him. His profound internal energy might not rival the absolute peak masters, but the sheer endurance of his energy flow was comparable. If it were only ten li, Senior Sister Zhong might actually beat Zhanran with her specialized lightness skill, but a hundred li meant pitting raw internal energy against him—how could she win? She shook her head repeatedly. Seeing this, Zhong Bixuan pouted charmingly. “Junior Sister Mei, you’re clearly biased toward him!” Mei Ruolan smiled, shot Li Muzhan a quick glance, and said no more. Being exceptionally intelligent, she had divined Li Muzhan’s intentions. However, using Senior Sister Zhong to establish dominance made her slightly uneasy, as Zhong Bixuan’s cheerful and lively nature was quite endearing, much like Xiaoyuan. Li Muzhan said, “Senior Sister Zhong, shall we begin?” “Hmph, what’s the rush!” Zhong Bixuan retorted coquettishly, then turned to Zhao Jinsheng. “Senior Brother Zhao, you must run ahead, otherwise how will we verify the winner? I’m afraid he’ll cheat!” As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Li Muzhan, revealing an expression of disdain. Li Muzhan stroked the small mustache above his lip, shook his head, and smiled faintly. He said no more in defense, merely gesturing to indicate they were ready to start. “Alright, let’s begin now!” Zhong Bixuan declared with a huff. By this time, the group had walked several li along the riverbank, moving surprisingly fast without realizing they were already employing their lightness skills. Zhao Jinsheng said, “Good, let’s race to Jiying Town!” With that, he raised his hand: “Ready—… Run!” Zhong Bixuan instantly shot forward like a graceful butterfly. Her movement looked elegant and enchanting, yet in the blink of an eye, she vanished into the distance with astonishing speed. Mei Ruolan frowned, inwardly surprised by the sheer mastery of Zhong Bixuan’s Qinggong. She looked over, and the others turned to look at Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan smiled faintly. “Senior Brother Zhao, where exactly is Jiying Town? Could you draw me a map?” The others stared blankly, stunned for a moment, then shook their heads and laughed inwardly.

Zhao Jinsheng laughed heartily. “Look at me, I completely forgot! Junior Brother Zhanran doesn’t know Jiying Town! My fault! My fault!” Saying this, he swiftly drew his sword, and with a chichii sound, etched a map onto the sandy bank—simple lines depicting hills, rivers, and woods. Then, he began pointing out landmarks one by one, explaining to Li Muzhan: this is where, it looks like this; that is there, it looks like that. He went into meticulous detail. Xu Jingying shook her head from the side. Senior Brother Zhao was excellent in every way—good nature, strong martial arts, decent looks—but this tedious habit of rambling was a headache. She sighed. “Senior Brother Zhao, if you keep talking, Junior Brother Zhanran won’t even need to set off; he can just concede. Junior Sister Zhong will already be there.” “Heh, look at me, look at me!” Zhao Jinsheng suddenly remembered and slapped his forehead. When he started explaining, he instinctively wanted to make everything clear; his words flowed uncontrollably. By the time he realized, a whole basketful of explanations had already spilled out. He quickly sketched out the terrain in a few strokes and then urged them, “Hurry now, Junior Sister Zhong’s lightness skill is unparalleled; none of us can match it.” Li Muzhan smiled, clasped his hands in greeting to the three of them, and then his form flashed. He reappeared several yards away; with another flash, he was twenty-odd yards distant; with a third flash, he was gone. Xu Jingying frowned and looked toward Mei Ruolan. Mei Ruolan murmured, “His Qinggong has improved again!” Xu Jingying frowned back. “But wasn’t Junior Brother Zhanran’s lightness skill already formidable?” Mei Ruolan nodded. “He has an extraordinary natural talent for Qinggong. Later, he had a fortuitous encounter and learned several supreme lightness arts, integrating them seamlessly.” Xu Jingying nodded and smiled. “It seems Junior Brother Zhanran is quite blessed with good fortune, to have such an encounter! … His lightness skill is even superior to our Canghai Sword Sect’s Nudao Gong (Raging Waves Skill)!” Mei Ruolan smiled faintly. “He is brave and quick-witted. He faced several perilous situations and somehow managed to turn danger into safety, thus earning his great fortune—it was earned at the cost of his life.” Xu Jingying mused thoughtfully. “No wonder the Sect Master insisted he accompany us. With lightness skills like that, even if he can’t win, he certainly won't be a burden.” Mei Ruolan smiled slightly, inwardly shaking her head. She had underestimated Zhanran too much! It was no wonder Zhanran insisted on establishing authority. Given his temperament, he couldn't tolerate being looked down upon by others. If he didn't assert himself, the journey would be miserable, and Zhanran, being a man who followed his own mind, would never endure such suffering. Zhao Jinsheng prompted from the side, “Two Junior Sisters, shall we set off?” Xu Jingying glanced at him, shook her head, and smiled. “Yes, Senior Brother, let’s go!”

Zhong Bixuan flew forward, the scenery flashing past her, blurring into a long streak. Her robes fluttered loudly, and the wind against her face felt like a physical pressure. She became utterly exhilarated; every cell in her body seemed to awaken, wishing she could throw her head back and let out a long cry. But remembering she was a young woman, such wild shouting would ruin her image, so she vigorously suppressed the urge. She ran faster and faster. The Talan Yin (Treading Waves Chant) Lightness Skill was the pinnacle of the Canghai Sword Sect; when she unleashed it, it truly felt like walking on water. An image sprang to her mind: Li Muzhan lying on the ground, barking like a small dog. The thought alone made her want to laugh, and she preened her delicate lips in satisfaction. Suddenly, a flash of movement crossed her vision, like a fierce gust of wind striking her. She quickly turned her head, only to see Li Muzhan’s silhouette appear a few yards ahead. She froze for a moment. Then Li Muzhan vanished, reappeared twenty-odd yards away, and with another flash, disappeared entirely. Zhong Bixuan wiped her bright eyes, put more power into her steps, and increased her speed again. Within a few breaths, she arrived outside a small town. Beneath the archway marking the town entrance, a figure stood smiling faintly. His gray monk’s robe billowed slightly; he stood still, hands clasped in greeting, offering her a gentle smile. Zhong Bixuan’s face instantly drained of color. She widened her eyes in disbelief and exclaimed, “It really is you!” Li Muzhan nodded with a gentle smile. “Senior Sister Zhong, it is I!” Zhong Bixuan seemed stunned, staring at him fixedly. After a long pause, she sighed and huffed, “You are formidable, you win! Hmph—!” Li Muzhan smiled. “Senior Sister Zhong, let’s forget the stakes.” “Nonsense, I won't renege!” Zhong Bixuan huffed, glancing around. There was no one else present, just the two of them. She glared at Li Muzhan with vexation, then suddenly squatted down, opened her delicate lips, and cried: “Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!…” To Li Muzhan’s wide-eyed astonishment, she barked twelve times in quick succession. Then she sprang up, surveyed the surroundings, and thankfully, no one else was there. “Hmph, is that enough?!” Zhong Bixuan tilted her head up at him proudly. Li Muzhan gave a wry smile, feeling immense admiration for Zhong Bixuan. Indeed, the core disciples of the Canghai Sword Sect were not ordinary people. Li Muzhan clasped his hands in respect and sighed. “Senior Sister Zhong, I am impressed!” Zhong Bixuan snorted, waving her hand dismissively. “Enough of that; don’t try to sweet-talk me. I will get back at you for this sooner or later!” Li Muzhan smiled sweetly. “Very well, I shall await Senior Sister’s challenge!” Zhong Bixuan pouted. “Just you wait and see!” As they spoke, Mei Ruolan and the other two arrived, immediately observing the expressions on Li Muzhan and Zhong Bixuan.

“Hmph, I lost!” Zhong Bixuan stomped her foot, pouting charmingly. “I didn’t expect Junior Brother Zhanran’s lightness skill to be so incredible; I am inferior!” Li Muzhan laughed softly. “Senior Sister is too humble.” Zhong Bixuan glared at him again, then turned away. “Senior Brother Zhao, shall we go inside and rest?” Zhao Jinsheng shook his head. “Let’s skip it; we should press on and reach the Mei Manor as soon as possible!” “Fine, onward!” Zhong Bixuan agreed. Xu Jingying glanced at the two but wasn't particularly surprised. Seeing Li Muzhan’s almost supernatural lightness skill, it wasn't entirely unexpected that he would beat Zhong Bixuan. However, she wisely avoided mentioning the dog barking, deciding to treat it as if it never happened. The five continued on, passing through Jiying Town and heading north. They kept a steady pace. Li Muzhan no longer displayed his exceptional lightness skill, keeping pace beside Mei Ruolan, occasionally speaking a few quiet words to her. His Qimai had always been naturally extensive, and after practicing the Jimie Suoyuan Shu (Nirvana Core Sealing Technique), his internal energy had improved further. This speed was nothing to him. After half a day, they were several hundred li further on. Around noon, Zhao Jinsheng ordered a rest stop; while he could manage, the three women were clearly exhausted. Li Muzhan maintained an even breath, appearing unaffected. Observing the state of the four others, he frowned inwardly, thinking they were still too pampered, their physical condition too poor. Li Muzhan clasped his hands in greeting. “Senior Brother Zhao, how about this: I will go ahead first and wait for you at the Mei Manor, what do you say?” Zhao Jinsheng leaned against a pine tree, looked at him, and said with a bitter smile, “Junior Brother, aren’t you tired?” Li Muzhan shook his head. “My body is robust; I don’t feel particularly weary… Senior Brother, what do you think?” Zhao Jinsheng shook his head, looking troubled. “Junior Brother, this moment isn’t critical enough to rush. If we rest, we won't have the energy to fight even if we reach the Manor.” Li Muzhan forced a smile. “I’m not tired; stopping makes me uneasy.” Zhao Jinsheng still shook his head. “You can’t manage alone; I can’t be at ease. If we truly run into top-tier masters, one more person means one more source of strength!” Li Muzhan laughed. “If we run into top-tier masters, the difference between a few of us and just one is negligible! … If that’s the case, it’s better if only I face them!” Zhao Jinsheng continued to shake his head, refusing under any circumstances. Finally, Mei Ruolan intervened. “Senior Brother Zhao, just let Zhanran go ahead. Even if he can’t win, escaping should still be possible.” Zhao Jinsheng considered this, then looked at Xu Jingying. She nodded gently. He sighed deeply, finally relenting. “Very well then, Junior Brother Zhanran, you may proceed ahead!” “Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Sister Xu,” Li Muzhan said with a slight bow and smile. Xu Jingying replied coolly. “No need for thanks.” Li Muzhan glanced at Xu Jingying. This Senior Sister Zhao was clearly a capable person; her thoughts were deeply hidden.

He bid farewell to the four and sped off like lightning toward the Mei Manor. He did not burn his internal energy, yet his speed was incredibly fast. The boost in his internal energy had naturally increased his speed as well. By evening, he reached the outskirts of Jinyang City. As he stepped into Jinyang City, his heart was filled with anxiety, fearing he might find nothing but ruins upon his delayed return. He deeply understood the feeling of near-home apprehension, but he didn't slow his pace, walking straight down the main street until he reached the front of the Mei Manor. He let out a long breath of relief; the Mei Manor remained intact. Standing before the gate, observing the mansion and the surroundings, it felt as if he had returned from another world. “Fifth Junior Brother!” A voice suddenly commanded. Li Muzhan turned to see his Eldest Senior Brother, Zhao Yuzhen. Behind him were three others—several senior brothers from the Tianshu Courtyard—all smiling. “Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother!” He took them in with a glance: all four senior brothers looked energized and proud. It had been just over a month since he last saw them, not a long time, but seeing them brought a profound sense of familiarity. “Haha, Fifth Junior Brother, why are you back?!” Yuchi Ming rushed over, delivering a hearty clap to his shoulder, laughing loudly and joyously. Li Muzhan smiled. “I heard the Helian family was still causing trouble, so I came back to check things out.” “Ai… don’t even mention it. I’ve been stifled to death these past few weeks!” Yuchi Ming waved his hand, displaying a look of deep gloom, shaking his head repeatedly. “Were there any casualties at the manor?” Li Muzhan inquired. He Nanshan shook his head and smiled. “Only injuries; thankfully, no deaths.” Zhao Yuzhen said, “Fifth Junior Brother, you shouldn’t have returned. You’ve wasted time in your training… Besides, even if your martial arts are not weak, you alone cannot change the grand situation.” “Indeed, our Mei Manor is having a run of bad luck; we should just lie low for a while,” Cheng Xiaofeng agreed. Li Muzhan smiled. It was truly rare for Third Senior Brother to say such things; evidently, the repeated setbacks had tempered him and made him less extreme. He smiled again. “Eldest Senior Brother, there’s no need to worry. The Miss is accompanying the senior brothers and sisters from the Canghai Sword Sect; they should arrive tomorrow.” Zhao Yuzhen’s eyes lit up. “People from the Canghai Sword Sect are coming?” Li Muzhan confirmed. “Yes, Reverend Zhumei heard news of our Mei Manor’s situation and was quite concerned, so she sent three core disciples.” “Haha… With the Canghai Sword Sect here, we have nothing to fear!” He Nanshan clapped his hands in delight. Zhao Yuzhen also nodded happily, but eventually sighed. “Relying on others like this is no long-term solution. We must practice our martial arts diligently!” “Yes, Eldest Senior Brother,” the disciples replied in unison, clasping their fists seriously. The senior and junior brothers turned to enter the manor when a cold sneer suddenly rang out: “Little monk, what a coincidence to meet you again!”

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