Chapter 476: Inviting Yan Thirteen to Appraise the Trial Sword
Chapter 476: Inviting Yan Thirteen to Appraise the Trial Sword
Upon hearing Tie Kaicheng's words, Yan Thirteen immediately realized he had misunderstood the situation.
Recently, quite a few incidents had occurred in the jianghu, and Tie Kaicheng had intervened on several occasions. Aside from piercing Mei Changqing's eyes with a sword by the Qinhuai River, he had also slain Bai Mu and his companions in front of numerous witnesses at their lair in Chen Zhou.
However, Yan Thirteen was unaware of any of these events.
He had already retired from the jianghu several years ago, choosing to live a reclusive life by Green Water Lake. He spent his days boating on the lake, removed from the hustle and bustle of the martial arts world, and thus had no access to news or information about recent occurrences.
Naturally, he was oblivious to the fact that Tie Kaicheng's swordsmanship had improved drastically and was now akin to that of a different person.
That was why Yan Thirteen assumed that Tie Kaicheng was seeking his assistance. From the looks of Sun Xingyu and Li Zhenzhen, they were no ordinary women, and any troubles involving them were bound to be far from trivial.
Yan Thirteen had ample experience in this regard. In the past, Xue Ke Ren, who was not as skilled as these two, had brought him trouble in the form of Xiahou Xing and Xiahou Feishan.
Although Tie Kaicheng had learned his Deadly Thirteenth Sword, Yan Thirteen had not taught him the fourteenth sword style. It was only natural that Tie Kaicheng, relying solely on his family's heirloom—the One Hundred and Thirty-Two Styles of the Chasing Wind Linked Sword—would be unable to resolve the issues presented by these two women.
Yan Thirteen had debuted at the age of seventeen and wandered the lands with his sword for nineteen years. He had taken countless lives and saved many others, but he had no family or friends. After his seclusion at Green Water Lake, the only person who had caught his eye and to whom he passed on the Deadly Thirteenth Sword was Tie Kaicheng.
Thus, despite believing himself to be a loner destined for solitude, Yan Thirteen had no intention of rejecting Tie Kaicheng if he ever sought his help.
Hearing Yan Thirteen's words, Sun Xingyu and Li Zhenzhen's eyes lit up.
They were not shallow women who equated martial arts prowess with prestige in the jianghu. Hence, although Tie Kaicheng's reputation was not particularly high, they had both acknowledged him.
However, Yan Thirteen was undoubtedly one of the best martial artists of his time. Under his Deadly Thirteenth Sword, no one had ever survived, and if he had not mysteriously disappeared a few years ago, there would not have been so many contenders for the title of the best swordsman in the world today.
The two women had never imagined that Yan Thirteen and Tie Kaicheng would have such a close relationship! With these two men joining forces, where in the world could they not go, and who could stand against them?
Tie Kaicheng pointed at Li Zhenzhen, "She's from Emei. Now, the seven great sword sects have handed over the task of dealing with the Heavenly Master to the younger generation. They plan to hold a conference and choose a leader to be the first among the young disciples of the seven sword sects."
Yan Thirteen nodded, "The sword techniques of the seven great sects are indeed remarkable, but in recent decades, very few people have been able to fully comprehend the sword techniques passed down by their predecessors. It's a pity."
If anyone else had made this comment, Li Zhenzhen might have argued, but since it came from Yan Thirteen, she could only remain silent.
Tie Kaicheng then pointed at Sun Xingyu, "She claims to be the daughter of the Demon Sect Leader, but she has a grudge against him for killing her mother, and she is currently evading his pursuit."
Yan Thirteen nodded again, "I've never met the Demon Sect Leader, but I've seen the people he's killed. That knife technique is indeed extraordinary and unparalleled in the world. This trouble is even greater."
Sun Xingyu carefully observed Yan Thirteen's expression and noticed that he remained calm and unperturbed when he spoke those words, without a hint of difficulty or fear, which made her heart skip a beat.
"However, I didn't come to you because of these two troubles," Tie Kaicheng continued.
"It's for you to witness the evolution beyond the Deadly Thirteenth Sword." Tie Kaicheng smiled. "You taught me the Deadly Thirteen Sword, and as I practiced and refined it, I've created something new. Naturally, I wanted to show my teacher."
Yan Thirteen laughed, feeling a sense of relief.
Although he had already deduced the fourteenth sword style and was in the process of developing the fifteenth, it didn't mean that the fourteenth was simple.
On the contrary, the fourteenth sword style was incredibly challenging. It had taken Xiahou Feishan two decades to master, and Yan Thirteen had thought that if Tie Kaicheng could grasp it before turning thirty, it would be impressive.
He hadn't expected Tie Kaicheng to comprehend it so quickly, and Yan Thirteen felt a sense of satisfaction, believing that his chosen successor for the sword technique was truly gifted. It seemed that the Deadly Thirteenth Sword would not die with him.
Yan Thirteen now understood why Tie Kaicheng had said he wasn't seeking his help with the two troubles. With his newfound mastery of the fourteenth sword style, Tie Kaicheng was likely brimming with confidence.
Yan Thirteen believed that with his guidance, Tie Kaicheng could defeat any of the young disciples from the seven great sword sects. And as the Red Flag Escort Agency was part of the righteous path in the martial arts world, the older generation of masters wouldn't stoop to deal with him personally.
Additionally, with their vast resources and central location, the agency could protect Sun Xingyu from the Demon Sect Leader as long as he didn't enter the Central Plains himself. Tie Kaicheng might even have the ambition to strike back at the Demon Sect Leader.
With these thoughts, Yan Thirteen became a little concerned for Tie Kaicheng. While the fourteenth sword style was powerful, it was not invincible, and its effectiveness depended on the user.
Although Yan Thirteen knew that Tie Kaicheng had a calm and stable temperament, not one to get carried away easily, the fact that he had come to him immediately after mastering the fourteenth sword style was a testament to his character.
Nevertheless, Yan Thirteen decided to temper Tie Kaicheng's enthusiasm and encourage him to remain level-headed.
"Good!" Yan Thirteen nodded and drank another bowl of wine. "It seems you're quite confident in this new sword technique you've deduced?"
Tie Kaicheng thought about the fifteenth sword style he had painstakingly deduced and gradually mastered, and he couldn't help but feel proud. "This new sword style is indeed quite formidable."
"The fourteenth sword style is indeed formidable!" Yan Thirteen was confident in his sword techniques. Although there were many talented swordsmen in the world, true geniuses were scarce. Aside from Xie Xiaofeng's graceful and flowing swordplay, he believed that his Deadly Fourteenth Sword was unmatched in the world.
"Have you already tested this new sword style on someone?" Yan Thirteen asked.
"Mei Changhua experienced half of it," Tie Kaicheng replied.
"Who's Mei Changhua?" Yan Thirteen inquired.
"He's the legitimate successor of Mount Hua's current generation of disciples."
Yan Thirteen scoffed, "A waste."
Tie Kaicheng spread his hands toward Li Zhenzhen, indicating that it was Yan Thirteen's opinion, not his own.
Mei Changhua was the face of Mount Hua's new generation, and Li Zhenzhen was the face of Emei's, and the seven of them were often mentioned together. By calling Mei Changhua a waste, Yan Thirteen was essentially insulting Li Zhenzhen as well.
Yan Thirteen stood up, but instead of immediately testing swords with Tie Kaicheng, he signaled to the landlady and then walked toward the back courtyard rooms. "Let me see your swordplay tomorrow morning."
(End of Chapter)
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