At night, Li Muzhan returned to the small courtyard and took out the Duan Yue Blade wrapped in grey cloth.

The cloth was wrapped several layers thick, completely obscuring its shape, making it difficult for outsiders to guess its true form. This Duan Yue Blade was tied to his military identity; it could not afford to be compromised.

If it were recognized—not even confirmed, merely suspected—the Imperial Court would investigate exhaustively. Even with the cover of Hanshan Temple, it would be useless.

After joining the army, he had interacted with the military elite and realized his pre-enlistment ideas were naive; he had vastly underestimated the military and the Court. The Court and the army held countless exceptional individuals. His granduncle's methods were too simple and could not withstand scrutiny.

Furthermore, military law was merciless. Even if nothing concrete was found, mere suspicion would not be easily dismissed by the Court; the most likely outcome would be 'better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go.'

His entanglement with the army rested on this Duan Yue Blade, and on Chi Ying.

Chi Ying's appearance had changed drastically, and its speed had greatly increased. Few people would suspect that a fast horse and a slow horse, despite superficial similarities, were the same creature.

He always kept the cloth wrapped tightly so no one could see it. He would only unveil it after leaving Canghai Mountain. The Duan Yue Blade was the key symbol of his other identity.

Slowly unwrapping the grey cloth, the ancient scabbard came into view. A sense of familiarity washed over him. He gently stroked it, feeling the power contained within the sheath.

"Zheng..." The long saber slid out of the scabbard, ancient and desolate. He placed the blade against his brow, closed his eyes, and quietly felt the killing intent radiating from it.

He had practiced the Bishui Saber Technique today, deepening his comprehension of sabermanship. Upon returning to the courtyard, an impulse moved him; thinking of the Duan Yue Blade, he couldn't resist touching it, wanting to absorb the essence of the Duan Yue Saber Arts.

The icy blade pressed against his brow, the chill piercing his skin and drilling straight into his mind. Li Muzhan understood that this was not merely the coldness of the metal, but the Sha Qi emanating from within the weapon.

This blade, steeped in saber intent, had gained a subtle sentience. The intent of the Duan Yue Saber Arts clung to it. By mastering the saber intent within, one could grasp the essence of the Duan Yue Saber Arts.

Back when he first accidentally gained that flash of insight into saber intent—'stable as bedrock'—he now realized his understanding was shallow, merely scratching the surface.

He also knew that as his mastery of the saber arts deepened, his comprehension of the Duan Yue Saber Intent would grow further. Each new realization would make his previous understanding seem like superficial fluff.

The cold intensified, condensing at his brow—a thread here, a wisp there—coiling, twisting, gathering, slowly forming a blade within his forehead.

In Li Muzhan's mind, only this one blade existed. In the empty void, a long saber floated silently. Suddenly, it slowly cleaved downward. Where the edge passed, a fissure cracked open in the void.

The void abruptly shattered, like breaking mirror glass. Everything vanished. A violent pain shot through his brow, as if an electric drill were boring into his mind.

"Clang," the Duan Yue Blade fell to the ground. Li Muzhan formed hand seals, desperately trying to enter the vision of the Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Tu (Mirror of Heaven-Man-God Reflection).

……………………………………………………”……………………

When he awoke from his meditation, he snatched up the Duan Yue Blade and went into the courtyard, slowly wielding it under the moonlight, savoring the saber intent he had just grasped.

The blade sliced through the void with leisurely grace, moving slowly and calmly—like a small stream flowing over flat ground, indescribably fluid. He integrated the Duan Yue Saber Intent into the Bishui Saber Technique.

Having simulated the deduction dozens of times in his mind, practicing it now felt as effective as if he had trained it dozens of times in reality.

His spirit was formidable. Mental deduction and physical practice each had their merits; deduction was exceptionally good for refining techniques, surpassing real-world practice.

However, no matter how exquisitely deduced, it was useless without physical cultivation.

He practiced the Bishui Saber Technique with the Duan Yue Blade, time and again. With every repetition, subtle changes emerged, as if the blade itself had gained weight.

Where it had been a trickling brook before, it now resembled flowing mercury—smooth and unhurried, continuous, yet giving a sense of profound solidity.

After practicing for a full hour, Li Muzhan smiled, sheathed the blade, and rewrapped it with the grey cloth, circle after circle, until its shape was completely lost.

The next morning, Li Muzhan, again clad in his sheepskin coat and cap, arrived at Wuji Hall. Only Abbess Zhuzhao was present; Wen Yinyue was absent.

"Master," Li Muzhan said, cupping his fist.

Abbess Zhuzhao retrieved a porcelain vial from her robes and smiled, "Here is what you requested."

Li Muzhan took it and smiled, "How quickly can hair grow back?"

"Just three or four days," Abbess Zhuzhao replied.

"That's good," Li Muzhan nodded, tucking it away. "With this, my identity can be concealed even further."

"Impudent boy, you truly intend to keep your hair?" Abbess Zhuzhao asked.

Li Muzhan nodded: "Disciple does not wish to take risks."

Sanxiao Hall and the Lin family were both stronger than Canghai Mountain. Once Lin Ping was killed, the two families would surely join forces, and Canghai Mountain would be unable to resist. Concealing his identity was paramount.

"Sigh... I feel bad for you. With our entire Canghai Mountain, everything seems to fall onto your shoulders." Abbess Zhuzhao sighed.

Li Muzhan smiled, "I am very happy to relieve Master's worries."

"How long will you be gone this time?" Abbess Zhuzhao gave him a sidelong glance.

Li Muzhan replied, "Quickly, half a year to a year; slowly, three to five years. I don't plan to take revenge too soon, lest I arouse suspicion from Sanxiao Hall and the Lin family."

"So long?!" Abbess Zhuzhao's delicate eyebrows furrowed.

Li Muzhan asked, "Master, do others outside know that the Bishui Saber landed in our Canghai Mountain?"

Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head, "Probably not. Your Martial Ancestor was injured back then and dared not let it be known. Moreover, it has been over two hundred years; even fewer know now."

Li Muzhan smiled, "It's best if no one knows, so we don't risk everything for nothing."

…………………………………………………………

"Zhanran, you go alone this time. Be extremely careful in all matters," Abbess Zhuzhao cautioned.

Li Muzhan smiled, "I am used to being alone, Master, rest assured."

"Sigh..." Abbess Zhuzhao let out a long, sorrowful sigh.

Li Muzhan smiled, "What troubles Master? Tell me about it."

Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head, "I discussed it with several Martial Uncles and Martial Granduncles. We cannot seal the mountain. Sealing it is easy; reopening it is hard. We cannot take that step unless absolutely necessary."

Li Muzhan nodded, "Not sealing the mountain is fine, as long as we ignore Sanxiao Hall over there, and try to keep the disciples from venturing too far."

"I fear Sanxiao Hall will take the opportunity to strike," Abbess Zhuzhao frowned.

Li Muzhan shook his head, "Even a powerful dragon cannot crush a local snake. Don't Sanxiao Hall and their ilk have their own adversaries?"

"Let's hope so," Abbess Zhuzhao conceded.

In life, there are always people one clashes with, and gangs are especially so. Entanglements of profit, grudges, and vendettas—they always have enemies. Although Sanxiao Hall is strong, if they mobilize massive forces to attack, they risk damaging their own foundations. How could their enemies let such an opportunity pass?

Li Muzhan cupped his fist and smiled, "Master, then I shall take my leave."

Abbess Zhuzhao hastily said, "Wait—tell me carefully what you plan to do once you reach Nanli."

Li Muzhan replied, "Nothing extraordinary. I'll likely make a name for myself, then find an opportunity to deal with Lin Ping, and then slip back quietly."

Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head, "That sounds easy to say, but it's hard to do. Nanli is not like our Dayuan. Their people are martial from birth; weapons are hidden among the populace. The Court is not strict with its commoners. Military martial arts and civilian martial arts are not strictly separated there. Thus, martial artists in Nanli are generally a tier above ours in Dayuan... Zhanran, you are a first-rate master in Dayuan, but in Nanli, you would only be second-rate."

Li Muzhan frowned, "Second-rate?"

Abbess Zhuzhao chuckled, "Yes, with your skill level, you are merely a second-rate master. Do not be arrogant and act rashly."

Li Muzhan pondered silently, removing his hat and touching his bald head.

Abbess Zhuzhao asked, "Are you thinking of challenging their experts to gain renown?"

Li Muzhan nodded, "That is the shortcut, the path requiring the least effort."

"That won't do," Abbess Zhuzhao shook her head and sighed. "Nanli's martial arts are superior to ours in Dayuan. You’ve just learned the saber arts; challenging others now would be inviting trouble."

Li Muzhan slowly nodded, his brow deeply furrowed.

Abbess Zhuzhao continued, "Although you possess several powerful unique skills, they are not entirely dependable. Take the Diamond Indestructible Divine Skill, for example. The Lin family has a Withered Wood Divine Skill. When activated, the body becomes like deadwood, impervious to blades and spears. Moreover, those who practice the Withered Wood Divine Skill have deep, sustained vital currents and vigorous life force; unless their head is severed, they cannot be killed."

………………………………”……………………

Li Muzhan gave a wry smile, "If Nanli is this formidable, is Dongchu also so?"

The last time he went to Dongchu, dealing with Su Yunyun, he hadn't felt it was overly difficult. Although he sensed Dongchu's martial arts were prosperous, perhaps a tier above Dayuan, it didn't feel like he would be reduced to a second-rate master.

Abbess Zhuzhao said, "Nanli is such a small place, and its population isn't huge. How has it managed to survive without being swallowed by its neighbors? Do you think Xizhao, Dongchu, and our Dayuan are all benevolent?"

Li Muzhan slowly nodded.

Abbess Zhuzhao continued, "If you wish to make a name for yourself, the first step isn't to challenge others and seek fame, but to find a place to apprentice and master your saber arts."

"Apprentice?" Li Muzhan frowned.

Abbess Zhuzhao explained, "Nanli's martial arts surpass ours. You use saber arts, but our Canghai Mountain lacks true saber masters. Fumbling through it yourself is ultimately not the right path."

Li Muzhan nodded.

Abbess Zhuzhao said, "If you use sword arts, you will involuntarily display the Canghai Nine Swords, unable to shed its shadow. Palm techniques will reveal traces of the Tu Long Hand. All things considered, saber arts remain the best choice."

Li Muzhan agreed.

"Fortunately, learning the basics of saber arts is easy—three years for the saber, ten years for the sword. Given your comprehension, you can master it in a year or eighteen months, and then you can seek fame." Abbess Zhuzhao concluded.

Li Muzhan forced a bitter smile, "Then where do I find a master?"

Abbess Zhuzhao said, "Let me explain the situation in detail... There aren't many major factions in Nanli. To the north is the Beijiang Sword Sect, to the south is Sanxiao Hall, to the west is the Huxiao Gang, to the east is Xinghu Small Lodge, and in the center is the Haitian Palace—these hold positions equivalent to our Seven Great Sects."

Abbess Zhuzhao continued, "You cannot go to the Beijiang Sword Sect. The Huxiao Gang is not a place for learning skills. Although the Haitian Palace is powerful, they do not accept outside disciples; they select people to bring into the Palace themselves. The Xinghu Small Lodge holds a transcendent position, and their martial arts are exquisite, but they only accept those with truly supreme talent and aptitude."

"Then I'll go to Sanxiao Hall," Li Muzhan suggested.

His aptitude wasn't exactly supreme; although he had photographic recall, learning techniques wasn't fast, and his body still lagged behind his mind's speed.

Abbess Zhuzhao shook her