Chapter 49

Chapter 48

In the end, Qingyun Xiao, stumped by Zhaohui's brazen attitude, could only waste time meaninglessly.

However, it was not a situation where he could continue to waste time indefinitely.

Thus, Qingyun Xiao scanned the tents of the Zhaogadaishang Assembly lined up in front of the sword hall but found no peculiarities.

It was only then that he realized that Zhaohui had thoroughly prepared for the visit of the inspector.

The only place he had not yet examined was the wooden boxes in a corner of Zhaohui's bedroom.

However, with Zhaohui and Zhang Yilong snoring soundly in their sleep, he could not enter the bedroom at will.

With no other choice, Qingyun Xiao sat cross-legged in front of Zhaohui's bedroom and closed his eyes.

As he immersed himself in the tranquil mountain night, three hours passed.

When the dim dawn began to fade and the sky gradually brightened, a solemn voice finally emerged from Qingyun Xiao's lips.

"Boundless Buddha, did you perhaps cough?"

About half an hour later, Zhaohui frowned and opened the tent.

Zhaohui, adjusting his clothes, looked at Qingyun Xiao with sharp eyes.

'Hmm...'

Qingyun Xiao, the greatest talent under heaven.

Among the young generation, he was the one whose achievements were the most outstanding, and before Zhaohui appeared, he was the lifelong rival that Nangong Zhanghuo had etched in his heart.

His reputation in the martial world was not something to be taken lightly, and those who bore a nickname before their names were known to possess exceptional talent and ability.

If one was a martial arts prodigy, they would have excellent physical attributes, quick reflexes, and a sharp memory, which often indicated a high level of mental acumen.

Being a martial arts prodigy meant having a good head on their shoulders.

Even Zhang Yilong, the greatest talent of the Green Forest, despite his dull appearance and speech, had a sharpness that rivaled Zhuge Yun.

With a little support in education, the exceptional talents of the young generation could shake the world, as Zhang Yilong had already proven.

However, from this Qingyun Xiao, the greatest talent of the righteous sect, he could not discern any outstanding qualities.

Clearly, he was a young generation with a reputation surpassing Nangong Zhanghuo, Zhuge Yun, and Zhang Yilong, yet he could not find any particular talent.

Due to this ambiguous nature of Qingyun Xiao, Zhaohui could only fiddle with the labor contract in his pocket.

"What's the matter so early in the morning?"

"Um, well, it's that..."

The incident at Huashan left a burning mark in his heart, and whenever he looked at Zhaohui, his emotions would waver.

Especially those eyes, so transparent and indifferent.

They were the eyes that effortlessly blocked all his sword techniques, which he had executed with all his resolve.

Facing Zhaohui's water-like, transparent eyes, he was once again at a loss for words.

"If you called me, there must be something, right?"

Qingyun Xiao repeatedly recited mantras in his heart to calm himself.

"Boundless Buddha, I have examined all other places."

Zhaohui frowned.

"So you want to inspect our quarters? Didn't you inspect this place first, Commander?"

"Those wooden boxes..."

At last, Zhaohui, seeing Qingyun Xiao's true intentions, replied in a blunt tone.

"Oh, those boxes? Of course, you can see them. Come inside."

As Qingyun Xiao entered the tent with Zhaohui, he carefully opened the wooden boxes and examined their contents.

"Hmm..."

They were empty.

The silver had long been moved out by Zhang Yilong through the back door of the tent.

"Bring two cups of cold tea."

"Yes, Chairman."

As the servant respectfully withdrew, Zhaohui suddenly smiled faintly and looked at Qingyun Xiao.

"Being a member of the alliance is truly a tiresome and arduous task. It inconveniences so many people."

"I'm sorry."

Suddenly, Zhaohui pointed to the entrance of the sword hall.

"By the way, Commander, are you not interested in the sword hall? As a swordsman of Huashan, the representative of the Central Plains, you should naturally be curious."

"Boundless Buddha, as a member of the alliance, I do not seek personal matters during official duties."

At this, Zhaohui revealed his white teeth.

"Are you curious about the sword hall?"

"..."

As a swordsman of the Central Plains, how could he not admire the great achievements and traces of the Sword God?

"Let's go. I'll show you."

Qingyun Xiao's face, which had been filled with confusion, now changed.

He had already grasped the exorbitant admission fee of the sword hall as an inspector.

"I don't have that much silver."

"Come on, between us."

Zhaohui nudged Qingyun Xiao with his elbow and headed out of the tent first.

"Chairman..."

Qingyun Xiao, taken aback, followed Zhaohui and eventually entered the interior of the sword hall.

Looking at the brightly lit interior of the sword hall, illuminated by numerous torches, Qingyun Xiao's face soon revealed admiration and longing.

"Boundless Buddha, ah...!"

The inner walls of the sword hall, etched with countless sword marks.

Thinking about seeing the traces of the Sword God's great sword dance, his heart was filled with awe.

Zhaohui watched Qingyun Xiao with an interested expression.

If Qingyun Xiao was truly the greatest talent under heaven, he would recognize the extraordinary nature of the sword hall at a glance.

Qingyun Xiao, as if entranced, caressed the walls.

His expression was reverent and solemn, as if he was determined to engrave every sword path in his heart.

Then, he stared at a wall filled with tiny dots, and his face was filled with awe.

"Ah... This is...!"

Zhaohui's eyes also sparkled.

"Can you identify the nature of these marks?"

Qingyun Xiao, trembling with his hands, caressed the wall and said in a voice filled with admiration.

"This must be a part of mental training! After engraving imaginary dots on the wall, it is an incredible training to strike them with pure physical ability alone!"

"Hmm?"

To recognize this just by looking at a wall filled with countless dots without any annotations?

"Ah, such a thousand-day training is beyond my imagination. If one can complete this fine-point training, it would truly be possible to achieve perfect self-control of the body!"

Zhaohui was genuinely impressed by Qingyun Xiao's insight, which not only recognized the training process but also its purpose.

As Qingyun Xiao moved past the wall of dots, he discovered sword marks that consistently fell downward and was even more surprised.

"Boundless Buddha, what...!"

"Hmm? What about that?"

Qingyun Xiao's hands trembled.

"Could this... be the traces of different sword speeds based on the weight of the sword?"

Zhaohui's face stiffened with a light shock.

He didn't know the term 'gravity,' but he accurately understood the core of it.

These marks were the result of dividing the internal energy to achieve a certain vector value of motion, considering the gravitational acceleration.

Fear was now spreading across Qingyun Xiao's face.

"Truly, the determination of a formidable swordsman... This is... incomprehensible..."

Qingyun Xiao was also a swordsman of Huashan.

The school of Huashan, known for its Illusory Sword, was the most free and unrestrained in discussing swords among the nine schools.

Therefore, the research of sword techniques was the most active in Huashan.

However, he had never imagined that such a type of training existed.

Most discussions focused on the form and trajectory of the sword, and the dynamics of sword techniques were considered personal matters.

Why?

Because each person's physical strength and internal energy were unique, making their dynamics different.

While maximizing the use of one's own body aligns with the purpose of martial arts, it was not something to be tampered with lightly before engraving the sword form in one's body.

It was the fastest path to madness.

"Evil Sword..."

Qingyun Xiao muttered as if entranced.

He had heard that such research was sometimes conducted in the evil schools.

Because the evil schools strictly followed efficiency.

But what is the essence of the righteous schools?

The plum blossoms of Huashan.

The Taiji of Wudang.

The imperial power of Nangong.

Swords are a path, an ideal to pursue.

Without a pure spirit, one cannot achieve true enlightenment.

The thousand-year history of the righteous schools has endured because of such unique ideals.

However, if one is obsessed only with the dynamics of the sword without such ideals, they would become a madman, a Sword Demon.

A Sword Demon might become a renowned master, but they would never have disciples to follow.

A school's sword art is like a religion; without the essence and ideals of martial arts, it cannot move the hearts of future generations.

Zhaohui understood Qingyun Xiao's perplexed emotions but felt a slight anger at his attitude of calling it an 'Evil Sword.'

"What do you mean by 'Evil Sword'?"

Qingyun Xiao, seemingly realizing his mistake, bowed in embarrassment.

"Boundless Buddha, I apologize. I spoke rashly."

The other was the Little Sword God, who inherited the legacy of the Sword God.

Calling it an 'Evil Sword' in front of him was a grave offense.

However, Zhaohui's next words left Qingyun Xiao frozen like a statue.

"Do you so blindly believe in the swords of Huashan?"

"Blindly believe?"

How could there be a swordsman of Huashan who did not believe in the swords of Huashan?

But perhaps due to the negative connotations of the word 'blindly,' Qingyun Xiao could not help but frown.

"You are exaggerating."

Zhaohui chuckled.

"Seeing the sword marks of the Sword God and immediately calling them evil techniques, could this not be due to the pride of Huashan's plum blossoms?"

Qingyun Xiao did not deny it.

"Boundless Buddha, at first, I was filled with admiration and awe. Controlling one's body completely is the dream and aspiration of all martial artists. However..."

"However?"

"If all the training of a swordsman is focused on such mental dynamics, the