Liu Biyun frowned, her gaze fixed on Li Muzhan. She understood him more deeply than he could possibly imagine.

When Li Muzhan mentioned Mei Daoling, his expression remained outwardly calm, yet an almost imperceptible shift occurred—a nuance that Cheng Suzhen missed, but which Liu Biyun clearly discerned. She instinctively felt that Li Muzhan meant ill toward Senior Martial Brother Mei; he was an enemy, not a friend. After their discussion, the three retired to their rooms. Liu Biyun walked Li Muzhan to his door, pausing at the threshold. “Big Brother Li…”

Li Muzhan turned to face her. In the lamplight, she was exquisite, like fine white jade lightly dusted with rouge, stirring in him a sudden urge to draw her close. Li Muzhan smiled. “Biyun, wake up early tomorrow. I want to take another look at the Dragon Mountain Sect.”

Liu Biyun nodded slightly. As Li Muzhan turned away, she took a deep breath. “Big Brother Li, do you have a feud with Senior Martial Brother Mei?” The hand Li Muzhan used to pull the door stopped, and he looked back at her. Liu Biyun said, “I sensed that you and Senior Martial Brother Mei have a grudge!” Li Muzhan laughed. “Biyun, you noticed?” “Yes.” Liu Biyun stared at him unblinkingly. “How could you and Senior Martial Brother Mei have a feud?”

Li Muzhan chuckled, shook his head, and said, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you slowly another day. I don’t actually have a feud with him; I’ve only heard of the man.” “Is that so…” Liu Biyun laughed. “I must be too sensitive. Hearing about it, I dislike Senior Martial Brother Mei too—he’s too cruel!” Li Muzhan smiled. “Indeed. Deceiving a woman’s affection and then stealing martial arts skills—he’s unfit to be a man!”

Liu Biyun hesitated, then ventured cautiously, “Perhaps there’s more to the story.” Li Muzhan shook his head and sighed. “No matter the hidden circumstances, killing someone remains an undeniable fact.” “Maybe that person tricked Senior Martial Brother Mei first,” Liu Biyun murmured softly.

Li Muzhan frowned, pondering, then sighed deeply. “Well, that is a possibility… Biyun, if you don’t go back now, Senior Cheng will come looking for you!” Liu Biyun instantly blushed and turned away, walking off. Li Muzhan watched her depart before returning to his room and sitting on the couch. Thinking of his actions today, he realized no one could truly uncover the truth behind the incident with Mei Daoling. Senior Sister Yi Xiaoru was already dead, and there was no one to verify the truth of his words. It was a tangled affair, and all he could do was repay murder with death, avenging Senior Sister Yi Xiaoru. As for whether Senior Sister Yi Xiaoru had wronged him first, or if he had wronged her, he couldn’t be certain. However, once they met, his Heart-Tong sense should allow him to find some thread of evidence. ———— It was the early hours of the next morning. As soon as he finished his morning practice, Liu Biyun arrived gracefully, holding a stack of folded letters. “Big Brother!” she approached, followed by a waft of delicate fragrance. “Hm—?” Li Muzhan stopped his movements and smiled. “What are these?” “Challenge letters!” Liu Biyun waved the stack irritably. “They all want to challenge you!” Li Muzhan laughed. “How many people?” “There are twenty-five so far,” Liu Biyun handed them over, huffing. “I expect there will be more.” Li Muzhan accepted them, flipping through with a smile. “Good.” Liu Biyun grumbled, “These fellows are something else!” Li Muzhan laughed. “Why bother with challenge letters? They could just spar at the training grounds.” Liu Biyun stamped her foot in exasperation, pouting. “Big Brother, sparring and issuing a formal challenge are different things.” “What’s the difference?” Li Muzhan asked with a smile.

Liu Biyun explained, “Once a formal challenge is issued, you cannot refuse, or everyone will look down on you. Furthermore, both sides must stake items of comparable value, or they will be ridiculed!… Hmph, they must have wagered treasures!” Li Muzhan’s eyebrows flickered slightly. “There are rules like that?” “Yes. The two parties stake their items, and the winner takes both. No taking of lives is allowed, and there must be seniors present to supervise,” Liu Biyun stated. Li Muzhan smiled. “That’s a rather effective way to settle private grudges.” If two parties held enmity, issuing a challenge meant the opponent would lose face completely if they dared not accept, earning scorn from everyone. If one could defeat the opponent, they gained something material as well—the ultimate form of satisfaction. The victor felt vindicated, while the loser was humiliated and frustrated, losing both reputation and wealth. This forced them to train diligently, and once they became stronger, they could seek revenge.

Liu Biyun exclaimed, “They are too wicked!… Big Brother Li, wait here, I’ll fetch some jewelry!” Li Muzhan smiled. “No rush. What items are they generally wagering?” “Usually bank notes,” Liu Biyun replied. Li Muzhan smiled and waved his hand. “Hold on a moment.” Under Liu Biyun’s puzzled gaze, he turned, re-entered his room, and returned with a thick stack of bank notes, which he offered to her. “Are these enough?” Liu Biyun looked at him in astonishment, counted the notes, and gasped. “Ten thousand taels?” Li Muzhan laughed. “Acquired through robbing the rich to help the poor.” Liu Biyun pursed her lips and smiled. “Robbing the rich to help the poor? How could you have so much?” Li Muzhan chuckled sheepishly twice. “Am I not poor?” Liu Biyun glanced around quickly, whispering, “If Master found out, she would surely reprimand you for violating sect rules!” Li Muzhan said, “I only robbed those who gained wealth unjustly… Is this amount sufficient?” “Yes, ten thousand taels is certainly enough!” Liu Biyun nodded emphatically. “They don’t have much money. Big Brother, you should pick the ones with shallower stakes first. There will be more challenges later.”

Those caught in the net of love tend to become foolish. Normally, seeing someone act this way, she would certainly feel revulsion—a martial artist robbing a non-martial artist was sheer bullying. But since it was Li Muzhan, she found it exhilarating. She believed none of her peers in the sect could defeat Li Muzhan, unless it was a hidden master like Senior Brother Jing, who might have a slight chance. Everyone else was just delivering money to him; even waves of continuous challenges would be useless. ———— Li Muzhan and Liu Biyun accompanied Cheng Suzhen to the training grounds nestled within the woods. The strong winds from the cliff were blocked by the forest, becoming gentle breezes that caressed their robes and faces. The air was fresh, and the sun hung in the middle of the sky, radiating warmth. The temperature in the woods was pleasant, neither cold nor hot, significantly lower than on the mountain base. When the trio arrived at the forest training ground, four to five hundred people nearly filled the space, creating a bustling scene. Upon seeing them approach, hundreds of gazes simultaneously fixed on Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan walked leisurely, greeting their stares with a calm smile.

Cheng Suzhen, her white robes billowing gracefully, kept glancing at Li Muzhan. Seeing his composed demeanor, she felt a secret satisfaction. Over twenty youths in sapphire blue long robes stood quietly on the east side, glaring coldly at Li Muzhan. To the north stood three elderly men in gray robes, their expressions distant. When they saw Li Muzhan approach, the three elders also cast their gazes over. Their piercing eyes seemed intent on seeing through him, and their faces shifted slightly as they exchanged glances. Li Muzhan’s eyebrows lifted momentarily as he inwardly admired the Dragon Mountain Sect: these three elders possessed profound cultivation, far surpassing ordinary experts; they could be considered top masters in the wider martial world.

“Uncle-Master Jin, Uncle-Master Xu, Uncle-Master Bai, you have arrived?” Cheng Suzhen said with a slightly surprised smile. The short, thin elder with a sallow face spoke solemnly. “Little Cheng, why are you here to join the fun?” “Uncle-Master Jin, can’t I just watch the excitement?” Cheng Suzhen pouted slightly. “Why must Uncle-Master Jin come out in person? It’s just some foolish antics among the younger generation!”

The sallow-faced elder ignored her and turned to examine Liu Biyun, looking her up and down a few times before nodding. “Biyun is quite good!” Cheng Suzhen chuckled lightly. “What do you mean by that, Uncle-Master Jin?” The sallow-faced elder snorted. “My eyes are sharp; Biyun is better than you, her master!” Cheng Suzhen laughed coquettishly. “To receive praise from Uncle-Master Jin, even I, her master, feel honored!” The sallow-faced elder spoke sternly, “Stop fooling around. Don’t let the juniors laugh at us!… Young man, are you Li Guanhai from the Green Plum lineage?”

Li Muzhan cupped his hands and smiled. “Your junior, Li Guanhai, greets the three seniors.” Another round-faced elder chuckled heartily. “Good, good. A fine young talent! No wonder you put these boys to shame. Excellent, excellent!” This elder had a round, amiable face, like a kindly neighbor grandfather. However, Li Muzhan dared not underestimate him; of the three, this elder exuded the most potent killing aura, which, despite his efforts to conceal it, did not escape Li Muzhan’s notice. The last elder was slender and refined in appearance; he stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded, also showing approval.

Cheng Suzhen smiled demurely. “Uncle-Master Xu, don’t let the wind out of these young lads’ sails. They need a bit of a humbling to temper their arrogance!” “You girl, you have too wicked a heart,” the slender elder shook his head and laughed. Elder Jin said solemnly, “Very well. Since the person has arrived, let’s begin. Little Brother Li, you understand the rules, correct?” Li Muzhan nodded. “Yes.” Elder Jin inquired, “There are twenty-two challenge letters in total. Have you accepted them all?” Li Muzhan nodded. Elder Jin continued, “You may choose anyone you wish.”

Li Muzhan smiled, pulled out a challenge letter from his robe, and handed it over. Elder Jin took it, glanced down, and barked, “Tian He!” A lean youth stepped forward, cupped his hands, and replied solemnly, “Present!” “What is the stake?” Elder Jin asked. The lean youth, Tian He, took several bank notes from his robe and presented them. “One thousand taels of silver!” “Hmm.” Elder Jin accepted them and counted. “Exactly one thousand taels!”

He turned to Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan pulled out a thick stack of notes from his robe, detached one, and handed it to Elder Jin, causing the surrounding crowd to gasp sharply. One note was worth a thousand taels, meaning this stack was easily eighty to ninety thousand! Elder Jin passed the silver note to Elder Xu and stated gravely, “Good. I will say it one more time: stop before real injury occurs. Determine the victor, but do not seek to kill!” “Yes,” Tian He responded solemnly. Li Muzhan nodded. “Begin!” Elder Jin stepped back two paces, and everyone’s eyes widened. ———— Tian He squinted at Li Muzhan and said coldly, “I wish to request instruction in Young Hero Li’s palm techniques!” Li Muzhan shook his head. “I only practice the sword; I only use the sword.” “You…” Tian He frowned. Elder Jin stated firmly, “Tian He, don't try to find loopholes. He is a swordsman; what else would he use but a sword!… If you can’t win, admit defeat!” “Fine,” Tian He conceded reluctantly. “Then I shall seek guidance in your swordsmanship!”

He drew his sword in one motion and thrust out, uniting body and blade. Li Muzhan shook his head and executed a slight poke with his own sword. Tian He’s movement halted instantly. Li Muzhan smiled, retracted his long sword, and said, “I yield!” Tian He touched his own throat, feeling as if a sword was still pressed against it, radiating a chilling cold. He looked at Li Muzhan with a pale face, disbelief etched across his features. Elder Jin narrowed his eyes slightly and pronounced solemnly, “Li Guanhai wins!”

The surroundings were utterly silent; everyone stared at Li Muzhan, trying to discern his swordsmanship. That single strike had been too fast; they hadn’t seen it clearly. The three elders exchanged glances, stunned internally. Li Muzhan’s last sword move had been so swift that even they couldn't track it clearly. “The silver is yours, Little Brother Li. Shall we continue?” Elder Jin asked gravely. “Yes.” Li Muzhan smiled, reached for the stack of challenge letters, and handed them to Elder Jin. The elder took the letters and called out, “Lu Changfeng.”

A burly youth strode over. Li Muzhan smiled and extended a friendly fist-salute. Lu Changfeng showed no interest in reciprocating the friendliness. He drew his saber and announced loudly, “One hundred taels!” The crowd began to buzz with low murmurs, shaking their heads repeatedly. They had never heard of such a small wager; it was truly embarrassing for the Dragon Mountain Sect! “One hundred taels?” Elder Jin looked over. Lu Changfeng stiffly nodded. “Yes, one hundred taels!” “…Very well,” Elder Jin ultimately said nothing. He turned to Li Muzhan, who also nodded. “Alright, one hundred taels it is.”

Lu Changfeng felt his face burn, too ashamed to look at anyone. But knowing he was certain to lose, offering more money would have been foolish. If the challenge hadn’t forbidden withdrawal, admitting defeat so early would have been too humiliating; the previous sword strike had already shattered his will to fight. ———— Li Muzhan slowly drew his sword. Lu Changfeng roared and slashed down with his saber. The saber light transformed into a bolt of silk, plunging downward with immense force, carrying an aura of no return. Li Muzhan shook his head and delivered a gentle thrust. The crowd felt a momentary blur; the silk-like saber light vanished, and Lu Changfeng stood frozen, his saber suspended in mid-air. Li Muzhan retracted his long sword and smiled. “Senior Jin, the next one, please.”

He pulled a challenge letter from his robe and flicked it. The letter drifted gracefully to Elder Jin’s side. The elder caught it, read the name aloud solemnly, and another youth slowly emerged, walking with heavy steps. The mood of the onlookers grew heavy as well. They had not expected such swordsmanship from Li Muzhan. This time the stake was one thousand taels; he didn't have Lu Changfeng's thick skin. Li Muzhan won again with another swift sword move. After sheathing his blade, he shook his head, pulled out the remaining challenge letters from his robe, and handed all of them to Elder Jin. “Senior Jin, let them all come at once!”

Elder Jin started, then frowned at Li Muzhan, before sweeping his gaze over the remaining youths. Their faces immediately flushed, and their eyes blazed like fire. Li Muzhan smiled. “One by one is too troublesome. It’s better if you all come together. If I lose, all the money goes to you all!” Elder Jin slowly looked at the youths. “What do you all think?” No one spoke. Under Elder Jin’s cold gaze, they all lowered their heads.

Li Muzhan smiled. “If I win, everyone gets ten thousand taels of silver each. How about it?” “Ten thousand taels?” The crowd drew in a sharp breath, whispering and murmuring. Ten thousand taels was not a small sum. An ordinary family’s annual expenses were barely a dozen taels; ten thousand was already a fortune. Ten thousand each—even their combined family wealth wouldn't suffice. Li Muzhan turned and smiled. “I have ten thousand taels right here. Are you all brave enough to risk it?” The crowd remained silent, exchanging glances and communicating their thoughts wordlessly. Li Muzhan laughed heartily, shaking his head. “Surely the heroes of the Dragon Mountain Sect aren't so lacking in courage? I would truly begin to look down on you all if that were the case!” “Fine, I agree!” a short youth shouted solemnly. The other dozen or so youths nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed intently on Li Muzhan. Li Muzhan laughed. “Now that’s more like it!… Senior Jin, this doesn’t violate the rules, does it?” Elder Jin looked at him deeply. “Little Brother Li, you must think this through!” Li Muzhan nodded. “My mind is set. I request Senior Jin to preside!” “Very well.” Elder Jin turned to look at the other two elders. “Junior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Bai, what say you?”

The round-faced Elder Xu chuckled. “I’d also like to see Little Brother Li’s true skill.” “Then it’s settled. All of you come in,” Elder Jin said irritably. The youths knew that Ancestor Jin was angered, feeling that they had disgraced the sect. They dared not speak much more, silently surrounding Li Muzhan and drawing their weapons—be they saber or sword. ———— Li Muzhan drew his sword. “Gentlemen, please proceed!” The short youth who had spoken earlier stated firmly, “Let’s not be polite. Attack!” Liu Biyun tightly pursed her lips, forgetting to breathe. Cheng Suzhen chuckled lightly. “Girl, don’t be so nervous. Uncle-Master Jin is watching; nothing serious will happen.” Liu Biyun shook her head. “Master, Big Brother Li will not lose.” “You girl have quite a high opinion of him!” Cheng Suzhen laughed and shook her head. “They aren’t just wooden stakes, no matter how fast your sword is…”

She stopped abruptly, staring blankly at the scene. Li Muzhan had already returned his sword to its sheath and cupped his hands with a smile. “Senior Jin.” Elder Jin’s expression was solemn as he spoke slowly. “Little Brother Li has won!… I will deliver the money tonight. You can trust us old fellows, can’t you?” Li Muzhan smiled. “Naturally. I thank everyone for their indulgence!” “Little Brother Li, your swordsmanship is magnificent, truly excellent!” the round-faced Elder Xu chuckled, glancing at the assembled youths. “These young lads are truly disappointing; our generation of the Dragon Mountain Sect is declining!” “Enough, Junior Brother Xu, say less!” Elder Jin snorted. Elder Xu laughed. “Brother Jin, are you afraid they can’t handle the blow?… If they can’t withstand this much setback, perhaps they should just find a wall to smash their heads against!” “It’s not entirely their fault,” Elder Jin shook his head. “It’s Little Brother Li’s sword that was too fast. Let’s go.”

The slender Elder Bai sighed gently. “Know shame, and then strive for courage. Go back and train diligently. Whenever you slack off, remember today!” “Yes, Ancestor Bai!” the youths replied in low voices, turning and leaving, too ashamed to look at anyone. The surrounding spectators dispersed silently. The training ground felt oppressively heavy. Liu Biyun, though bursting with excitement, suppressed it forcefully. Watching Li Muzhan sweep away all his senior and junior brothers with one move made her happier than if she herself had won. Cheng Suzhen looked at Li Muzhan, shook her head, then glanced at the beaming Liu Biyun before turning and gracefully walking out. Li Muzhan quickly followed.

After the three returned to the residence, Cheng Suzhen sat on a low couch, lightly tapping Li Muzhan with her delicate fingers. “You audacious boy. You were trying to draw out the truly powerful experts, weren’t you?” “Yes.” Li Muzhan sat on an embroidered stool, accepting a tea cup handed to him by Liu Biyun. He smiled, “It was partly to win some face for Biyun.” Liu Biyun giggled. “You’ve beaten them thoroughly this time. I wonder who will dare challenge you now!” Cheng Suzhen laughed. “This kind of shock was necessary; the nestlings should finally quiet down!… However, Guanhai, don’t let your guard down. There will be formidable figures next time.” “Who might they be? Senior, please tell me,” Li Muzhan asked with a smile. Cheng Suzhen waved her hand. “Let the girl tell you… You should issue a challenge first, lest you lose all your money!” Liu Biyun quickly chimed in. “Exactly! I think Big Brother should only issue one challenge letter, perhaps to Senior Brother Jing!” Cheng Suzhen pursed her lips and smiled. “Yes, if he can defeat Little Jing, then the fourth-generation disciples will be truly unrivaled. Little Jing is formidable and ruthless; Guanhai, you must be careful!” PS: Only one update today; I will make up for it tomorrow.