Chapter 60

"Uh-huh!"

"If I learn martial arts... how strong can I become?"

"If you learn?"

Lian closed his eyes and pressed his forehead, then dramatically said,

"Uhwaryun. You, if you just learn! You are practically destined to be the next top martial artist. Who was the current top martial artist? I heard it changed after Grandfather was injured."

"The leader of the martial arts alliance?"

"Ah! That's right. The leader of the martial arts alliance. That person will have to step down from their position once you turn twenty? No, once you turn fifteen."

"What about Via and my sister?"

"Huh?"

"Wouldn't Via or my sister become the top martial artist?"

Lian didn't respond with 'Can you become the top martial artist just by wanting to?' but thought about it seriously for a moment.

Considering the achievements of Tian Huayun, the young master of the Ma Qian Sect, and what he and Danmu Bi would achieve in the future.

'Can I really surpass Yun if I learn more here? I might be able to do something if I use spirit energy, but I don't have any inner strength.'

Perhaps he could do something with this spirit energy, but not right now.

As for himself, let's say he could, what about Danmu Bi?

'Biya isn't just an ordinary talent. But... '

Lian looked at Danmu Bi, who was sound asleep, with a tender gaze, then whispered to Huayun.

"Whoever becomes the top martial artist in the future, we'll still look out for each other."

"Huh?"

"We'll look out for each other."

Lian emphasized. Huayun laughed as if finding it amusing. A martial artist talking about looking out for each other.

"Will my sister look out for me too?"

It was a voice filled with hope.

"Of course!"

Lian said this and then pulled Huayun into a hug, rubbing his cheek against hers. Huayun quickly made a disgusted face and fled backward.

"Ugh! My sister will read books."

"You?"

"I need to go get firewood."

"Firewood? You don't need to bring it, stay here."

Lian said this while pulling Huayun closer.

Then he draped one of the two disheveled outer coats over Danmu Bi and spread the other one wide, covering both himself and Huayun, and they sat side by side, opening a book.

"Look, it's warmer when we're together, right?"

Lian said with a smile. Huayun frowned and stared at Lian, then muttered something incomprehensible and leaned against the table.

* * *

Since it was a martial arts family, there were books on handling various weapons, even if not deeply.

However, the Danmu family primarily used swords, so there were fewer types of books on sabers, and very few people in the family were proficient in saber techniques.

One of these rare individuals was Danmu Hansuo, the first seat of the Yu Cheng Eighteen Elders.

After giving Lian a punishment, he left Hangzhou for a tour but was caught by Danmu Tianji and ended up teaching the two girls.

"Me? Teach sabers?"

"That's how it turned out."

Danmu Tianji nodded with a slightly embarrassed look.

"When I first tried to pick up a saber, I ran barefoot from one end of the family estate to the other, afraid I would be caught and killed. Do you remember?"

"Hmm."

Danmu Tianji cleared his throat.

Given the family's focus on swords, anyone who tried to pick up a saber would be shocked.

"I came to see if I could meet with Tai Xu Zhenren. I'll leave again soon."

"So you're saying I should delay my departure for a bit?"

"Delay it and teach the kids some saber techniques?"

Danmu Tianji groaned.

He owed Danmu Hansuo, so he felt uncomfortable.

"One of them will take it more seriously. So I want you to teach them. Do you want your successor to have a hard time just because you found it difficult?"

Danmu Tianji recalled what Lian had said. Danmu Cheng had more talent for sabers than swords, so why not take advantage of this opportunity?

Lian's judgment was the best Danmu Tianji knew.

"One of them? The other one is just passing the time?"

"Not just passing the time."

Danmu Tianji frowned.

In this situation, Lian would benefit the most from the lessons, not Lian or Danmu Cheng, but Danmu Hansuo himself.

Lian knew exactly who Danmu Hansuo was.

The first seat of the Yu Cheng Eighteen Elders, who had even lost his inner strength to give Lian a punishment.

He had stepped down from his position in the Yu Cheng Eighteen Elders because he had lost his strength. Danmu Hansuo had given up almost everything for Lian's punishment.

Just because Lian was Danmu Tianji's granddaughter.

Lian told Danmu Tianji that if possible, he wanted to return what he had lost.

Danmu Tianji didn't take this lightly. Lian had paid an excessively high price for the blood treasure he had received. He had healed his injuries and helped him reach a new realm.

So, shouldn't the same be true for Danmu Hansuo?

"I'll listen if you order me to."

Danmu Tianji frowned. Honestly, after the punishment, he felt he owed Danmu Hansuo and didn't want to order him around.

'This isn't even a punishment. It's so hard to offer a drink!'

He couldn't easily tell the young Lian that she might help with his achievements.

If he were in Danmu Hansuo's position, he would think the family patriarch had gone senile.

In fact, for Danmu Hansuo to not react with 'You want to use up my inner strength and waste my time?' was almost saintly.

"Alright! I'll order you. The competition is in a month. Teach them well in the meantime."

"Do you know my teaching style is a bit rough?"

"I know, I know. Do as you please."

"I'll watch the competition in a month and then leave. I plan to go to Sichuan, which is quite far. Have you tried Sichuan cuisine? They have a dish called Huiguorou, which is incredibly spicy. I must try it."

"Go ahead and eat it all. Eat it all."

* * *

"…Are you going to join too?"

Before entering the training ground, Danmu Cheng took a deep breath and looked at Lian standing beside her.

"Uh-huh!"

Danmu Cheng's expression was hard to read.

"You're just going to listen to the lessons with me. I'll be the one facing that guy."

"Uh-huh, that's right!"

Lian nodded with a smile. Lian wasn't doing this because she wanted to compete with Jin Zhongxia again.

Just seeing the saber wielded by someone of Danmu Hansuo's caliber would surely improve her insight. How could she miss this opportunity?

"Alright. Let's go."

"Uh-huh, alright."

"And I'll finish it all off after learning everything."

Danmu Cheng, with a cold expression and raised eyebrows, said this with a presence that belied her young age.

"Right! Let's finish it all off."

The two girls held hands and walked into the training ground. A man with prematurely gray hair, left unstyled, appeared.

"Hehe. I went on a tour and didn't expect to see two people from the family wanting to learn sabers. I never dreamed it would happen."

Danmu Hansuo chuckled, tapping his sword at his waist, while Danmu Xianyao, who had entered with him, looked sternly at Danmu Hansuo.

"Our Cheng will only face the Jin family's son."

Danmu Xianyao had high hopes for his daughter.

He had named her 'Cheng' after his older brother, Xiancheng, because she was the most talented person he had seen.

So, Danmu Cheng would also raise the family with a sword, just like Danmu Xiancheng, becoming a martial artist worthy of the 'Sword Wind' Danmu family.

"Of course, what happens after that is beyond our control."

Danmu Hansuo said calmly.

He was a collateral descendant who had risen to the position of saber master in the Danmu family, and he acted as if he had nothing to fear except for Danmu Tianji, whom he was loyal to.

Danmu Xianyao didn't argue further with Danmu Hansuo and left the training ground.

With the others gone, Danmu Hansuo looked down at the two girls and smiled widely.

"Let's start then."

As the two girls followed his instructions, jumping, running, rolling, and stopping, Danmu Hansuo initially had a mixed expression of concern and indifference, especially when looking at Lian.

Although Lian was the eldest granddaughter of the family, who had even given up his inner strength to punish her, she wasn't as talented as he had hoped.

Danmu Cheng was slightly better. She had a more solid build and showed an abundance of enthusiasm.

Still, Lian didn't care much about Danmu Hansuo's expression. Even if he treated her like a dog or a cat, it wouldn't have mattered.