"Soul-Drawing Boy Sword Hongchen." Ye Xiu strapped the sword to his waist, pausing to stroke his horse. "Your greeting is certainly unique, but sadly, you are still no match for me."

Jian Hongchen grinned broadly. Although he knew Ye Xiu was from the Central Plains, for a swordsman, where one comes from or where one is going holds little importance; what matters is the sword in hand. "We parted barely half a month ago, and yet your power has grown so much. You can actually unleash Ten Thousand Swords Overwhelming the City."

Ye Xiu spread his hands helplessly and took a couple of steps forward. "What choice do I have? The enemy is too strong. If I don't improve myself, how can I hold my ground? Where is the Third City Lord?"

"I didn't expect Brother Ye to still remember Qinglin." A figure emerged steadily from the woods. He carried no imposing aura, nor the might of an emperor, yet he exuded a gentle, peaceful, and approachable feeling. "It has been a long time."

"Third City Lord." Ye Xiu turned and nodded. "It seems my intuition was correct. The Third City Lord was indeed waiting in the mountain stream's hidden waters for the opportune moment to emerge."

Qinglin strolled over, examining Ye Xiu carefully. "Brother Ye's mastery of the Myriad Sword Art has progressed so rapidly. It was not in vain that my elder brother entrusted you with the sword manual."

"Alas!" The moment Cang Long was mentioned, Ye Xiu shook his head, looking dejected. "It’s a pity I still lack the ability to save the Great City Lord, though Princess Chen Ying is safe now."

"That is all we can manage for now. I have seen what has happened to my elder brother; as long as Chen Ying is safe, I can rest easier." Qinglin’s mood also turned somewhat somber as he spoke. "I wonder what the situation is like inside Myriad Sword City now?"

Ye Xiu had come specifically to report to Qinglin, so he did not fear speaking the truth. "Myriad Sword City is currently managed entirely by the Second City Lord. I wonder if the Third City Lord has heard about the new decree the Second City Lord issued yesterday."

Qinglin certainly had informants in the city, but regarding that decree, he felt both anger and joy. "Second Brother's desire to execute all members of the Three Clans and unify the Three Swords is a monumental mistake. If that step is taken, the realm of the Three Swords will know no peace forever."

Ye Xiu smiled, understanding Qinglin's thoughts. In truth, he had always been trying to discern the true nature of the Myriad Sword Qinglin—would the gentle exterior conceal a tyrant as well? "Isn't this precisely the situation the Third City Lord has been waiting for? I doubt you have hidden yourself here all day just to admire the scenery."

"Since Brother Ye has figured it out, Qinglin will no longer hide anything. Now that Elder Brother is dead, I have no reservations. Governing this world will certainly be better under my hand than under Myriad Sword Xuan Hu." Qinglin had never so openly displayed his ambition. "I have been waiting for this very decree. When the ruler acts unjustly, someone must resist, and that person is me, a member of the Myriad Sword royal family as well. What do you think?"

Ye Xiu gave a thumbs-up in praise. "The Third City Lord truly knows how to keep his patience. I truly never imagined that the three brothers of the Myriad Sword royal family would adopt three such distinct approaches to governance."

Qinglin walked as he spoke. "Elder Brother believed the Human Race superior, and the royal family the apex of humanity—naturally stemming from his innate kingly aura. Second Brother is tyrannical and ruthless, resorting to any means to achieve his ends. His current desire to slaughter the Three Clans and unify the world is entirely in character."

"As the youngest, the Third City Lord is benevolent and kind-hearted, yet you wish to establish a new world where everyone is equal, where the Three Swords realm knows no division by race or faction, leading to universal harmony." Ye Xiu took up Qinglin's thread, voicing the thoughts dwelling in his heart.

"You are more than half right, but there is one thing you couldn't have guessed." Qinglin was quite self-assured, but he had no desire to continue this line of discussion. "We can talk about that later. I only want to know your purpose in coming here!"

Ye Xiu had no desire to pry further; he certainly had a favor to ask. "The Second City Lord sent me to the Cangshan Sea to secretly investigate the situation of the Water Clan. And naturally, I came here because there are matters I wish to discuss with the Third City Lord."

"Discuss with me? What is it?" Qinglin looked puzzled.

"The battle last time, the Third City Lord must have witnessed the power of the Frenzy Meridians within Dugu Bingchen. But now, Dugu Bingchen seems to have vanished as if evaporated. After a few days of observation, however, I discovered another person possessing immense power." Ye Xiu glanced at Jian Hongchen, believing he understood the matter of the Frenzy Meridians better than anyone.

"You mean the Frenzy Meridians have found a new master!" Jian Hongchen was indeed concerned about this matter; he tensed the moment Ye Xiu brought it up. "The ancient records mention the transplantation of Frenzy Meridians. Are you implying someone has already killed Bingchen and seized them?"

"Not just someone!" Qinglin looked at Ye Xiu with gravity. "Brother Ye clearly suspects a specific person; why not just say it?"

Ye Xiu sighed, confirming his suspicion. "I suspect that person is Myriad Sword Xuan Hu. I observed his Myriad Sword Art has nearly reached the ninth level!"

"Second Brother!" Qinglin blinked, feeling a slight annoyance. "I was told his Myriad Sword Art was only at the seventh level. Such a breakthrough in such a short time is indeed suspicious."

"There is one other matter that puzzles me even more: the cause of the Great City Lord's death." Ye Xiu only intended to reveal what he knew to Qinglin to demonstrate his loyalty, thereby earning his assistance.

"Elder Brother's cause of death!" Qinglin exclaimed. "Didn't he die at the hands of Dugu Bingchen?"

"Dugu Bingchen?" Ye Xiu asked Jian Hongchen. "That day when you fought Bingchen at full strength and still lost—what were your impressions?"

"Hmph! If his Frenzy Meridians hadn't awakened, how could he have withstood my Endless Sword Spectrum?" Jian Hongchen was certainly proud, but he understood Ye Xiu's underlying question. "Truthfully, at that time, the Frenzy Meridians within Bingchen were almost in a state of violent rampage. He had completely lost his sense of self; he was killing purely on instinct."

"So, he had lost his reason then. With so many people present that day, why did he choose to hunt down and kill only the Great City Lord?" Ye Xiu’s suspicion was entirely accurate. "I lured him away later, and then he vanished. Could my meager abilities possibly contend with the Frenzy Meridians?"

Qinglin nodded thoughtfully. "Meaning Bingchen had already suffered Qi deviation and possessed no real combat capability at that moment."

"And why was Myriad Sword Xuan Hu’s army so slow to arrive?" Ye Xiu proceeded cautiously, attempting to persuade the Third City Lord.

"Are you suggesting Second Brother took advantage of Bingchen’s breakdown to replace the Frenzy Meridians, and then..." Qinglin didn't dare to finish the thought. Although he had considered the worst outcomes between the three brothers, encountering such a possibility now felt almost unbelievable.

Ye Xiu paused, then spoke slowly. "The fatal wound on the Great City Lord was the Eight Directions of Myriad Swords. I believe very few people could unleash that move at that time. If everything was orchestrated by the Second City Lord, wouldn't it all make a certain kind of sense?"

"Hmm." Qinglin put his hands behind his back, a wave of scorching hostility rising in his chest. From any angle, the Great City Lord's death benefited the Second Brother. If this was true, perhaps when he raised his own forces, he would have yet another justification.

"Heh heh, well, Third City Lord, what do you think of Ye Xiu's analysis?" Ye Xiu’s skill in observing people was first-rate; he had already seen through Qinglin's internal calculations.

"Very well, I know what I need to know. What do you need to do now?" Qinglin was quite forthcoming; he also understood Ye Xiu's necessity.

"Where is Lang Taotian currently?" Ye Xiu needed to find the Water Clan Prince before heading to the Water Clan territory. "I just need him to guide me, perhaps. I hope the Third City Lord will permit it."

"Indeed, you still cannot let go of those three swords." Qinglin sat down by the lake, fiddling with his fishing tackle. "Lang Taotian and A Jiao have both returned to the Water Clan. Second Brother's decree has endangered everyone; all are now like startled birds."

"They've already left? Even Sister A Jiao is gone!" Ye Xiu was somewhat disappointed. He had hoped to trick A Jiao into accompanying him; that way, with food and entertainment, the journey wouldn't be so dull.

Qinglin cast his line into the lake and stated steadily, "Brother Ye is my friend, and Lang Taotian's friend. Princess A Jiao also shares a connection with you. Just go; I believe the Water Clan members will not make things difficult for you."

Ye Xiu smiled and shrugged. Having Qinglin's assurance would certainly make his tasks much easier. "Then I thank the Third City Lord. I must leave immediately."

"Go then!" Qinglin waved his hand, paying Ye Xiu no further mind. He was quite pleased with the crucial intelligence Ye Xiu had provided. He had already secretly positioned people in the territories of the Beast Clan and the Winged Clan. Now that the Beast Clan leader, Elder Xie, was dead, once the Winged Clan's Abyss Heavenly Sovereign was also killed by the Human Race, he could step forward and rally everyone to resist the tyranny of Myriad Sword Xuan Hu. That world would certainly see quite a show.

"Farewell." Ye Xiu turned to retrieve his horse, intending to find the path down the mountain, when a sudden burst of radiant light flashed by his feet, pulverizing a large boulder into dust.

Jian Hongchen stood before Ye Xiu, several streams of sword spectrum light swirling around his hands. "Brother Ye, don't be in such a hurry to leave. You've only taken your leave of the Third City Lord; you haven't bid farewell to me yet."

"Oh? Does the Soul-Drawing Boy intend to keep me for lunch?" Ye Xiu released the reins. He understood Jian Hongchen's meaning perfectly; he had already promised him a fair duel back during the martial arts gathering.

"Third City Lord, I must trouble you to enjoy this additional match." Jian Hongchen's pride as a swordsman manifested once more.

"I am merely fishing. You two settle your own affairs." Qinglin didn't even look over in their direction, instead donning a bamboo hat and sitting even more upright. "Fight until you reach your limit, no more. I don't wish to see a bloodbath here in the hidden waters of the mountain stream."

"Hmph! Endless Flowing Light!" Jian Hongchen spread both hands and unleashed his signature ultimate technique. Those several streams of colorful light coiled like chains, linking one to another, attempting to envelop Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu drew his Heng Chen sword and flipped backward, moving the battleground towards the sheer mountain cliff hundreds of feet high. "Don't harm my horse, or I'll hold you accountable."

"Worry about yourself first." Surrounded by the flowing sword spectrum light, Jian Hongchen stepped upon the radiant light as lightly as an immortal, gliding up the cliff face.

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