Chapter 21

"Peace, how is your sword practice going?" A calm voice suddenly echoed in the courtyard.

Yue Lingshan was startled and turned around. She didn't know when, but Su Zhong had stood not far behind them, quietly watching them.

Just as she was about to scold him, she met Su Zhong's eyes. For a moment, she thought she saw the sea, calm yet hiding an incomparable power. For some reason, she suddenly felt timid, mumbled a few words, and lowered her head, not daring to speak.

"Big Brother! When did you get here?" Lin Pingzhi was overjoyed. He ran to Su Zhong, wanting to hug his big brother but didn't dare to approach. Su Zhong had always been cold, and his authority was profound. Lin Pingzhi didn't dare to act rashly.

"Sword," Su Zhong said calmly.

Lin Pingzhi was taken aback by the words but quickly reacted.

"Big Brother, you'll see." He then retreated to his original position, assumed a stance, and began practicing the basic Huashan sword techniques.

Lin Pingzhi was not a spoiled brat. After the great disaster, although he was not in danger, it made him deeply realize the cost of weakness. He was extremely eager for power.

Su Zhong nodded in approval: "Not bad, your foundation is solid."

Before Lin Pingzhi could react, Su Zhong drew his sword and, in one step, was in front of Lin Pingzhi. He extended his long sword in a simple thrust.

This simple thrust, though appearing extremely slow, seemed to have a magical quality. Yue Lingshan stared at the sword, captivated by its indescribable beauty. In an instant, the tip of the sword was at Lin Pingzhi's throat.

Lin Pingzhi stood frozen, the cold at his throat making him feel as if a block of ice had been stuffed down his throat.

Yue Lingshan shuddered and suddenly came to her senses. Looking at the green sword, she felt an immense fear.

"Magic sword! Magic..." Her shout was abruptly cut off.

Su Zhong turned his gaze from Yue Lingshan and stared at Lin Pingzhi, whose face was stiff with deep disappointment.

"Starting tomorrow, follow me to practice the sword." Su Zhong said, then turned and walked to a nearby stone table and sat down.

Lin Pingzhi's disappointment turned into joy: "Really?! Is it like that sword just now?"

"Can't even walk, and you're thinking of running? You've just barely mastered the basic Huashan sword techniques, and you want to learn my Thirteen Deadly Swords? Dream on." Su Zhong was blunt.

Lin Pingzhi was full of pride, but he had no temper in front of his big brother. He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, pulling Yue Lingshan to sit beside Su Zhong at the stone table.

"Big Brother, what was that sword just now? Why did it have such a magnetic power?" Lin Pingzhi suddenly turned pale as he spoke. He hadn't felt it at the time, but now, the feeling of being completely at someone's mercy was terrifying!

Lin Pingzhi glanced at Yue Lingshan, who was pale, and felt a lingering fear. "No wonder Senior Sister shouted 'magic sword.' Such a miraculous sword technique can only be described as a magic sword."

"Isn't it beautiful?" Su Zhong's cold face suddenly showed a smile. Lin Pingzhi was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Big Brother rarely smiled when he was young, but this smile makes him look especially sunny and handsome."

"It is beautiful," Lin Pingzhi thought about the feeling just now and found that the simple thrust was indeed very beautiful.

"That is the Thirteen Deadly Swords." Su Zhong's usually clear and cold eyes sparkled with a pure passion: "That beauty is the beauty of life."

Yue Lingshan, seeing Su Zhong's smiling face, gradually relaxed. Recalling it, she found that Su Zhong's smile was very similar to that sword. The simple beauty left no room for any other thoughts.

"The deadly sword is to take life. But if you don't know the beauty of life, how can you love life? If you don't know the terror of losing life, how can you take life? Do you know the sound of the wind over the sea, the grandeur of the sea hitting the rocks, the vitality of the sun rising? So the deadly sword is a death sword, but it is also a life sword. Without the love for life, how can you have the strong will to protect this beauty? Without this will, you cannot master this sword technique that takes life to give life." Su Zhong's heart was pure.

"It feels so beautiful," Yue Lingshan said instinctively.

"Right," Su Zhong smiled at the simple girl: "Would you be willing to lose this beauty?"

"Of course not!" Yue Lingshan almost reflexively shouted. Then, thinking of who she was arguing with, the cold-blooded demon she had always thought him to be, she turned pale and obediently lowered her head, not daring to speak.

"Remember that impulse just now. If that feeling is strong enough, would you still be afraid of me? Even if your skills are not as good as mine, you wouldn't be afraid of me. That is will, the will to protect the beauty of life. That is the way to eliminate evil and defend the righteous! Incorporate that feeling into your sword, and you will have unexpected gains." Su Zhong liked Yue Lingshan very much for the strength she showed just now.

Yue Lingshan stared at Su Zhong, thinking about the feeling just now, and suddenly felt very calm. As for Su Zhong's talk about eliminating evil and defending the righteous, she suddenly felt it wasn't that important. Just doing what she liked was enough.

Lin Pingzhi looked at Yue Lingshan with confusion: "Senior Sister, what's wrong with you? You seem different."

"What's different about me?" Yue Lingshan looked at Lin Pingzhi with bright eyes.

Lin Pingzhi's face turned red, and he stammered: "You seem, you seem more beautiful."

"Ha ha, Little Lin, you a man actually blush. Ha ha."

The back courtyard was filled with Yue Lingshan's silver laughter.

...

The back courtyard was filled with laughter, but the front courtyard was not so harmonious.

After the initial emotional outburst, various interests began to clash.

"Little sister, I heard your Peach Blossom Island's bamboo leaf green is selling well," Wang Zhongqiang said casually.

"It's not just selling well; it's a flood of wealth. My brother-in-law is truly a business genius. The Fuwei Escort Agency once operated in ten provinces, and now this bamboo leaf green is sold throughout the world," Wang Bofen said excitedly, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Mrs. Lin's face turned cold: "Big Brother, I came back to see Father, not to do business."

Wang Zhongqiang was about to speak to ease the tension, but Wang Bofen interrupted: "How can we not talk about it? From now on, all the bamboo leaf green from Peach Blossom Island will be handled by the Golden Saber Sect. I guarantee that Peach Blossom Island will be safe. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"I hardly ever come back, and you can't stop talking about money?" Mrs. Lin's face turned even colder. She hadn't even had a cup of hot tea when she encountered this dirty business. She suddenly thought of her eldest son's previous departure. Was it impolite, or did he foresee this situation?

"I don't handle business; it's all Yang'er who runs it," Lin Zhenan said, seeing his wife's anger.

"Alright, let's not talk about this. Where's Yang'er? A few days ago, Pingzhi came, and I tested him. His skills have improved a lot. Master Yue of Huashan is truly worthy of the title 'Gentleman Sword.' They say Yang'er is very skilled; I should go see him too," Wang Yuanba said, turning the golden ball in his hand, feigning concern.

Hearing about Lin Pingzhi, Mrs. Lin was delighted. But when she heard about testing Su Zhong, her heart sank. Su Zhong had always been cold and unpopular, and now he was showing concern. His intentions were clear. Mrs. Lin regretted coming back. If negotiations failed, would they resort to force?

Mrs. Lin was disappointed with her father and brother. They were all blinded by money. Her eldest son was right; the world is full of people seeking profit.

"Yang'er went to find Pingzhi," Mrs. Lin said, not speaking. Lin Zhenan had to speak. He had spent half a year on Peach Blossom Island, tending flowers and vegetables, living a leisurely life. He increasingly enjoyed this peaceful life.

He was very calm about the greed of his in-laws. He saw his former self in their faces and decided not to get involved. Want to get money from his eldest son? Not a chance.

"Find Pingzhi? Who's leading him? What's he doing, wandering around?" Wang Yuanba frowned, displeased.

Lin Zhenan chuckled but didn't speak. He knew his eldest son's sword intent was well-developed. Within a certain range, no one could escape his sword intent. Finding people was easy.

The group moved to the back courtyard, and Mrs. Lin was reluctantly pulled along by Lin Zhenan. Lin Zhenan lagged behind a few steps, chuckled, and said to his wife, "Don't be angry; Yang'er will make you feel better soon."

Mrs. Lin glanced at Lin Zhenan and said, "My son will definitely make me feel better."

After saying that, she no longer dwelled on it. Thinking about the good show to come, her mood improved. People don't know to respect until they hit a wall.

...

Back courtyard

"Peace, is your big brother here?" Wang Bofen led the way into the small courtyard and immediately saw Su Zhong sitting at the table.

"Uncle." Lin Pingzhi stood up and called out happily.

"This is Little Fool... Yang'er, right?" Wang Bofen almost slipped and said the wrong thing.

Lin Pingzhi suddenly paused, his face not looking good. Little Fool? This is how his big brother is seen by his uncle?

"Yang'er, why don't you know to greet your grandfather and uncle?" Wang Bofen lifted his chin and said condescendingly.

Su Zhong stood up: "Mother, come and sit down." He then walked past Wang Bofen, pulling Mrs. Lin to the stone table and sat her down. He didn't even look at Wang Bofen or Wang Yuanba.

Seeing their red faces, Lin Zhenan almost burst out laughing. Finally, someone else was being ignored. For sixteen years, he had been ignored.

"Rude, are you a fool? You don't know manners, just like when you