Chapter 6

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Xiao Hu clapped his hands in high praise, and Li Chun couldn't help but nod. With this transformation of sword intent, a whole new world was immediately established from the gentle and soft Willow Fluff Sword Technique. Just based on this concept, the sword technique was worth looking forward to.

If this move truly matched the concept, then even one hundred taels of silver would be worth it.

Now, when evaluating swords, the most important thing was the artistic conception. This sword technique would absolutely surpass any so-called thunder and lightning strikes from Lie Ba!

"Please, Senior, demonstrate this move!"

Li Chun's tone became even more respectful and courteous. This fat man might not look impressive, but he seemed to have some real skills.

"Of course!" The fat man shrugged nonchalantly. "You perform the Willow Fluff Sword Technique again, and I'll use this move to break your sword intent!"

This was a rather arrogant statement. Although the Willow Fluff Sword Technique was just an introductory sword technique, its sword intent was flexible and resilient, with a very strict defense. It wasn't that easy to break it with just one move.

Li Chun was secretly alarmed but didn't dare to be careless. He started from the beginning and performed the Willow Fluff Sword Technique again, his sword movements so fluid that they were impenetrable.

Of course, to a master, this introductory sword technique still had many flaws. Indeed, the fat man was looking at Li Chun's sword light with disdain, not eager to make a move.

It seemed he was waiting for the moment when Li Chun's Willow Fluff Sword Technique was at its most严密.

This sword technique had a total of forty-nine moves, and the last move, "Disordered Fluff," was the most defensive, with sword light radiating in all directions, forming a dense circle around the body.

"Right now!"

The fat man laughed loudly, leaped forward, and swung his long sword directly at Li Chun's sword circle!

"Watch my..."

Bang!

His roar was interrupted by a sharp collision. His sword was deflected by Li Chun's sword light and flew out of his hand, spinning in the air before finally landing in the grass with a thud.

The fat man's face turned pale, and he stood there motionless.

Li Chun sheathed his sword, looking bewildered.

Xiao Hu was speechless.

This... this is "Good Wind Helps Me Ascend to the Clouds"?

Is it "The Sword Flies to the Clouds"?

"No... no..."

The fat man was drenched in cold sweat, his brows furrowed. "That didn't count. I didn't time it right. It's not right... This sword intent should be like this..."

He scrambled to the grass, picked up his sword, and swung it with all his might.

"Good Wind Helps Me Ascend to the Clouds!"

"I ascend! I ascend!"

His fat body bounced around, the tip of his sword repeatedly thrusting towards the sky. His expression was fierce, but combined with his clumsy movements, it was more comical than anything else.

By this point, it was clear what kind of move this was.

Who knows where Xiao Hu found this gem!

"Is this the steady and reliable seventh-grade sword technique you talked about? You want to sell this for one hundred taels?"

Li Chun's eyes glowed with a sinister killing intent.

"This... this..."

Xiao Hu was drenched in cold sweat. The angry Senior Brother was terrifying. His legs trembled, and he cried out in despair.

"I was deceived by a villain, Senior Brother, please spare me!"

"Ahh—"

The惨叫声 echoed from the small forest outside the city, making people shudder.

***

After thoroughly teaching the arrogant fat man a lesson, Li Chun finally returned to the Qingling Pavilion, head hanging low.

Time was running out, with only four days left. He had exhausted all his means, but it seemed there was no way to surpass Lie Ba.

Is this really the first battle of my career, and I'm going to lose?

Although many great figures have also experienced failure, and the rise of a nobody can be more impressive, even with this self-comfort, Li Chun still felt a bit frustrated.

"For now, the only thing to do is to minimize the losses..."

"Senior Brother, what do you plan to do?" Xiao Hu was overjoyed. He had been beaten into a pig's head by Li Chun, his eyes swollen to slits, but he still grinned and asked for advice.

"This time, I heard that the Thunder Hall has also opened a betting pool. Although the odds of my losing are not high, I'll try to win back a little..."

"Use our one hundred taels to bet on my loss!"

Li Chun's face was filled with sorrow and anger.

"Ah?"

Xiao Hu's mouth opened wide enough to fit a duck egg.

Giving up! Completely giving up!

A man of action, Li Chun had to make this decision. With only four days left, there was really no other way.

"Should we tell Teacher Lu first? You did promise..."

Xiao Hu thought for a moment and kindly reminded Li Chun.

"Man Niang... I'm sorry..."

Thinking of the spring scenery on his teacher's chest, Li Chun felt a surge of heroic spirit, but if he couldn't win, he couldn't win. He had done his best, and giving up now was already a last-ditch effort.

"I'll hint to Man Niang to avoid her having too high hopes and then being disappointed..."

Li Chun gritted his teeth. A man must take responsibility. As a man destined to become a Sword Saint, since he was prepared to fail, he at least had to give others an explanation.

Lu Man Niang's meditation room was in the back of the Qingling Pavilion. When not teaching, she spent most of her time in meditation.

She was twenty-six years old, an age when unmarried women in Qingfeng City were already a rarity. But she also had the identity of a sixth-grade swordsman, which added a touch of decisiveness to her choice.

A sixth-grade swordsman at twenty-six was also rare among commoners.

When Li Chun entered the school, he heard that Lu Man Niang had chosen not to marry for the sake of the Qingling Pavilion and her own swordsmanship career.

For a beautiful woman in her prime, this was a very courageous decision.

And it made her even more endearing.

Li Chun cautiously approached the door of Lu Man Niang's meditation room. He was the mighty Senior Brother to his junior students, but he couldn't maintain that air of authority in front of Man Niang.

"Is it Xiao Chun? Come in!"

Before he could knock, Lu Man Niang called out.

As a sixth-grade swordsman, she had keen senses and could perceive the slightest movement. Of course, she could hear Li Chun's footsteps.

Li Chun chuckled and pushed the door open.

"Greetings, Teacher."

Saying "greetings" was just a casual bow. There was no strict master-disciple relationship, and even the most honest student wouldn't be so formal with the always gentle Lu Man Niang, let alone the never honest Li Chun.

Lu Man Niang sat cross-legged on a cushion, a delicate and finely patterned sword in front of her. This was the famous "Flowing Light" sword, passed down from ancient times in the Qingling Pavilion. It was said that the first owner was the first female swordsman to achieve divinity with a sword, and it had been passed down for hundreds of years.

The sword glinted with a cold light, captivating the eye, but the woman behind the sword was no less impressive.

Lu Man Niang had a beautiful and gentle face, with a hidden touch of heroism in her features. Her figure was slender from years of sword practice, and her tight green outfit accentuated her slim waist, with no excess fat. Compared to her slender waist, her ample chest was even more striking.

—She was also a well-known beauty in Qingfeng City.

"Xiao Chun, are you afraid of losing?"

Seeing Li Chun enter, Lu Man Niang smiled and asked.

"How could I be? I'm destined to become a Sword Saint, how could I lose to someone like Lie Ba?"

Li Chun answered without hesitation.

After speaking, he wanted to slap himself. He couldn't bring himself to say anything without confidence in front of Lu Man Niang—yet today, he was supposed to come to prepare her, but why was he still so stubborn?

Lu Man Niang's smile became even gentler. "I thought you were afraid of losing and came to seek comfort from your teacher."

"Pfft! I won't lose, Man Niang, don't worry!"

Although he didn't feel that way inside, he said something completely different.

"Actually, the Qingling Pavilion hasn't won against the Thunder Hall for many years. Your talent is good, but you've only been practicing for a short time. If you lose, I won't blame you..."

"What are you talking about?"

Li Chun interrupted Lu Man Niang, gritting his teeth. "Actually, I just came to ask you, what clothes should I wear for the sword discussion meeting..."

"Oh?" Lu Man Niang raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly.