“Indeed, there is only one move; the rest are ones the disciples have figured out for themselves. The uselessness of moves lies in defeating the enemy. Fearlessness in defeating the enemy lies in taking their life,” Wang Long said with a slight squint and a smile. “Too many moves are just preparation for that final, fatal strike, and this strike must be swift, possessing ghostly speed to achieve anything. The emphasis is on the absolute limit of speed.”

“Alas, what a pity that I never studied the sword. Otherwise, I could have learned a few more defensive techniques from the old master,” Ye Xiu lamented, feeling that all his previous time had been spent on reading. He had never managed to learn swordsmanship, perhaps because Sister Ji Jiang had never pushed him.

“Young Hero Ye, there’s no need to rush. Seeing as you are familiar with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and can move unscathed within my Xuanhuan Formation, you can already be considered an outstanding figure among the Qimen arts. With just a little guidance from this old man, you certainly could…” Wang Long trailed off, his meaning perfectly clear—he seemed inclined to take Ye Xiu on as a disciple. “I wonder if Young Hero Ye would be willing?”

“What if I wish to learn them all? Heh, I’m curious about every specialty of the Ghost Valley,” Ye Xiu said, not knowing where the sudden courage came from. The moment he saw something good, he wanted to master it completely. That way, he wouldn't be bullied while walking the martial world.

“Young Hero Ye, you truly have such a deep passion for the Dao of the Ghost Valley!” Wang Long began to look at Ye Xiu with great seriousness. In his eyes, he had initially seen Ye Xiu as just a carefree wanderer, but unexpectedly, this person harbored such immense ambition—to single-handedly encompass all the arcane arts of the Ghost Valley.

“Heh, just kidding, Elder Wang. I was just speaking casually,” Ye Xiu immediately reverted to his playful demeanor. What did he really want to learn? He just wanted a few more trump cards for self-defense. What good was he in this ancient world anyway? If only he had known, he would have brought a gun instead of the heap of junk he crossed over with.

Now, everything seemed meaningless. The most annoying things were the two young ladies of the Wang family. The elder sister always blushed deeply whenever she addressed him, while the younger sister never gave him a pleasant look. Ah! They were both femme fatales; he must avoid any involvement with these two women.

Late at night in the eighth month, the small pavilion on the lake center offered a different kind of scenery.

Wan’er softly stroked the strings of her zither, but the melody had shifted this time. As it drifted out, it was unmistakably the zither arrangement of the ancient song, "The Moon Represents My Heart," which Ye Xiu had sung previously. This level of artistry could surely be called professional.

Chen Feng suddenly appeared on the small bridge before the pavilion, his face etched with anger. He had never heard Wan’er play anything like this; the rhythm was annoyingly stirring.

“Wan’er, what in the world are you playing? Why is it so strange?” Chen Feng’s tone was accusatory. “Has that kid Ye Xiu been influencing you?”

“Yes, Senior Brother Chen!” Wan’er disliked her Eldest Senior Brother but couldn't avoid him. “Is this tune very strange? I find it especially melodious and gentle; I like it very much.”

“Hmph! It’s nothing more than that brat singing some nonsensical song to you! I didn’t expect you to dwell on it so much.” Chen Feng suddenly exploded in fury, rushing forward to grab Wan’er’s hand. “Don’t you know how much I like you? He’s only been gone a few days, and you’re already like this. What do you take me for?”

“Senior Brother Chen, please let go! You’re hurting me.” Wan’er was naturally frail and possessed little martial skill; Chen Feng’s rough handling nearly brought her to tears.

“Hmph…” Though agitated, Chen Feng managed to restrain his emotions, gently releasing Wan’er, though his expression remained foul. “I didn't realize you were this kind of person.”

Wan’er felt wronged, tears welling up: “Senior Brother Chen, so you were spying on me and Young Hero Ye that night? Then what kind of person are you?”

“Spying!” Chen Feng’s anger flared anew. With deep emotion, he walked back toward Wan’er. “I have always been watching you. Can you truly not tell that I have always liked you?”

“Senior Brother, please don’t say that. I’ve always seen you as a brother.” Facing such a confession, Wan’er offered no encouragement. She rubbed her wrist. “I have only ever felt sibling affection for you, Senior Brother. I have always viewed you as a real older brother, so…”

“So what! What are you trying to say!”

“There’s nothing to say. I’m going back to my room to rest.” With that, Wan’er turned directly to leave, only to be pulled back by Chen Feng once more. “Senior Brother Chen, what are you doing…”

“Doing nothing, Wan’er, I truly love you. I’ll tell the Master tomorrow; can we be together?” Chen Feng was resolved, showing no regard for Wan’er’s feelings.

“Senior Brother! Don’t be like this!” Wan’er grew angry and forcefully shook off Chen Feng’s hand. “It’s impossible between us; I won’t agree, because…”

“Because what? Because you’ve fallen for that perpetually erratic Ye Xiu?” The moment Chen Feng mentioned Ye Xiu’s name, he ground his teeth. The last time at the drill ground, that fellow had caused him such utter humiliation, and now he had stolen the person he loved.

“No, it’s not him.” Wan’er lowered her head in embarrassment and walked straight toward her room. She knew clearly the feelings she held for Ye Xiu—Ye Xiu was the kind of man who could bring her unprecedented romance.

“What’s so good about him? He’s only been here a few days! How could you fall for this good-for-nothing rogue who understands nothing?” Chen Feng had completely lost his usual refined composure. He just stood on the bridge, yelling to himself, and when that wasn’t enough, he drew his Gui Qi (Ghost Cry) sword and swung it wildly, sending killing intent surging in all directions.

“Damn it…” Ye Xiu pinched his nose, cursing fiercely. “Which bastard is insulting me again? Why do I feel so unsettled?”

The sounds of the disciples practicing on the drill ground could already be heard outside the window. Bored, he went to the kitchen, grabbed two steamed white buns, and began strolling while munching, only to hear Wan’er sighing near the door. He didn't know why.

“I heard Brother Ye didn't use his full strength last time. Today, I must duel you with swords. If you die, there will be no regrets!” Chen Feng was unusually proactive today, throwing a long sword at Ye Xiu’s feet. “Come on, Ye Xiu!”

Ye Xiu hadn’t finished digesting his breakfast, and being provoked so early in the morning felt really irritating, especially with all the minor cronies making snide remarks that only added fuel to the fire: “What are you doing, Eldest Senior Brother? I’m clearly no match for you. Maybe we shouldn't compete? Can’t I just admit defeat?”

“No! Are you even a man? If you are, follow me!” Chen Feng was adamant. He had cursed Ye Xiu many times in his heart; he had to kill this detestable guy today.

“What nonsense.” Ye Xiu still wanted to avoid conflict and tried to back away.

“Seeking death!” Before Ye Xiu could prepare, Chen Feng drew Gui Qi and swung it like flowing clouds toward Ye Xiu. The thrust aimed directly for Ye Xiu’s heart—it was clearly intended to kill.

What the hell? Ye Xiu thought. This was supposed to be a sparring match, stopping at the crucial moment, but the sword was coming straight at him with no sign of holding back. He immediately took a small shuffle step backward. This way, he avoided the heart, but the blade struck his shoulder instead, spurting blood.

“Aiyaaa…” Ye Xiu collapsed with a pained cry. “Damn your ancestors, how could you be so vicious?”

No one knew what he was cursing, and everyone panicked, rushing to help lift Ye Xiu. But Chen Feng was actually preparing to point his sword at the man again.

“Do not be insolent!” At that moment, Wang Long arrived, sharply rebuking Chen Feng. “How could you be so reckless? How can you injure someone in a match? This is not like you.”

“Master!” Chen Feng tried to explain. “I only used a basic move; I didn't expect it to turn out like this…”

“Get out of here.” Wang Long dismissed him with a single sentence. He walked into the hall to treat the wound himself, sensing the fury burning within Chen Feng.

After a long while, the bleeding from Ye Xiu’s shoulder finally stopped, and he began to feel slightly better.

“Father, what happened to Young Hero Ye?” Wan’er, hearing the news, rushed over first. Seeing Ye Xiu’s blood-soaked shoulder, she felt a pang of heartache. “How did this happen? Who did this?”

“It’s nothing, a minor thing. Just lost a bit of blood,” Ye Xiu said, feeling a bit smug and wanting to banter, seeing how concerned Wan’er was.

“Alas, your Eldest Senior Brother wounded him. I don’t know what got into that fellow today; his strike was so heavy,” Wang Long was deeply ashamed that his favored disciple had shown such a lack of restraint; he had even hoped to entrust him with important matters.

“Eldest Senior Brother! How could Chen Feng do this!” Wan’er was filled with anger, but then she realized that it was because of her that Chen Feng had taken his rage out on Ye Xiu. She had to go explain things clearly to Chen Feng, so she ran out.

“Elder Wang, please don’t blame Eldest Senior Brother too harshly. His swordsmanship is indeed quite good,” Ye Xiu only mentioned that he hadn’t lost his life, thinking he needed to be cautious around this Eldest Senior Brother in the future; the man was a dangerous individual.

“That’s right. Ye Xiu was simply less skilled, so getting hurt is normal.” Hong’er, though still sharp-tongued with Ye Xiu, had a slightly better opinion of him now. “Hey, are you really hurt badly?”

“I didn’t expect Miss Hong’er to care about me too. This injury was worth it!” Ye Xiu’s left arm was injured, but his right was still functional. He made a victory sign with his right hand.

“You still have the heart to joke with me! Not bad.” Seeing that Ye Xiu was still lively, Hong’er was relieved and gave his injured shoulder a hard slap.

“Damn it, you…” Ye Xiu thought this little rascal Hong’er wasn't so kind-hearted after all, that she was just trying to tease him.

“Enough fooling around. Go back quickly and let Young Hero Ye rest properly,” Wang Long didn't have the patience to watch the two young people mess about; he had more important matters to discuss.

“This incident is truly my own fault for not mastering my skills well; I can’t blame Eldest Senior Brother,” Ye Xiu told Wang Long the truth. His own cultivation was indeed lacking; he had to admit that. “Senior Brother’s sword was indeed fast.”