The Melon-eating Swordsman In The Ancient Dragon World Chapter 683: Jin Banhua and the Star-Picking Hermit - Novel Cool

Chapter 683: Jin Banhua and the Star-Picking Hermit

Chapter 683: Jin Banhua and the Star-Picking Hermit

After crossing the Yangtze River, they arrived at Suzhou.

Once again, a young girl's failed assassination attempt on Chu Liuxiang was interrupted, and the carriage finally stopped at the foot of Tiger Hill outside the city walls.

Li Yuhuan and Liu Wumei acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to lead the three up the mountain.

However, both sides were well aware of the situation. One side was concerned about the safety of the three women, while the other had a hidden agenda. Neither wanted to break the uneasy truce.

The five of them climbed the mountain, and the Li couple introduced them to the historical sites of the Thousand People's Stone, the Sword Pool, and Lu Yu's Tea Well, evoking Chu Liuxiang's nostalgia for the grand tea and sword trials of Li Guanyu in the past.

But a hoarse voice broke the harmonious mood.

"Alas, the landscape remains the same, but the faces have changed."

As dusk approached, the setting sun cast a golden glow, and the sky turned a warm yellow. The mountain breeze rustled through the pines, and eagles circled overhead.

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered, and the true tension was revealed. An elderly man with white hair, dressed in a flowing robe and a high hat, appeared in a hexagonal pavilion, brewing tea alone, adding to the desolate and melancholy scene.

Hu Tiehua, unable to contain his impatience, asked, "May I ask the venerable sir's name?"

The old man replied calmly, "This old man is Shuai Yifan."

Chu Liuxiang was startled, "Could you be the legendary 'Star-Picking Hermit' Shuai, who once moved three mountains with a single sword and cut through the celestial stars?"

Shuai Yifan laughed heartily, "Chu Liuxiang is indeed remarkable. My new tea is just boiling; would you care to join me for a cup?"

Chu Liuxiang hadn't introduced himself, but Shuai Yifan was certain of his identity.

Chu Liuxiang's eyes flickered, and he suddenly turned around to find that the Li couple had vanished without a trace.

Hu Tiehua stood beside Chu Liuxiang, his expression serious.

Shuai Yifan was a renowned swordsman in the Jiangnan region, having been famous for over forty years. His sword skills were unmatched in the world, and although his physical strength had waned with age, his sword qi had grown even stronger, surpassing his prime.

Facing such an opponent, neither Chu Liuxiang nor Hu Tiehua dared to be the slightest bit careless.

Then, Chu Liuxiang spotted Jin Banhua nearby.

Jin Banhua leaned against a tree, holding a handful of lotus seeds, and was popping them into her mouth one by one.

"Li Yuhuan and his wife said they're heading back to the manor to prepare dinner," Jin Banhua waved her hand. "We haven't stopped on the way, so I couldn't buy peanuts or sunflower seeds. I could only get some lotus seeds from the little girls by the roadside. They'll have to do."

Chu Liuxiang's face froze as he suddenly remembered the time in Jinan when Jin Banhua had watched a fight between Dian Yihong and Nangong Ling while munching on peanuts, as if she were watching a play in a teahouse in the capital.

This time, I'm the one performing?

On the other side, Jin Banhua beckoned to Hu Tiehua, "Come on, try some freshly picked lotus seeds. Do you really want to team up with Chu Liuxiang and fight an old man without honor? Would you not be ashamed?"

Hu Tiehua stared, "That's Shuai Yifan!"

"Trust Chu Liuxiang," Jin Banhua said earnestly.

Chu Liuxiang sighed and shook his head, patting Hu Tiehua on the shoulder. Then he turned to face Shuai Yifan, making one last effort, "I will certainly join you for tea, but can we avoid a sword test?"

"Is that so?" Shuai Yifan stood up and drew his sword. "Do you think I am old, and my sword is old as well?"

The sound of the sword rang through the forest, and the blade gleamed like autumn water.

Shuai Yifan looked at Chu Liuxiang, "This sword has not left its sheath for thirteen years. Today, it is drawn for you. You should be proud of that!"

"Since the venerable sir insists, I have no choice but to oblige," Chu Liuxiang paused, then sighed, "But I have no grudge against you, venerable sir. Are you acting on someone else's behalf?"

"That's correct, but if it were anyone other than Chu Liuxiang, I wouldn't bother!" Shuai Yifan stared at Chu Liuxiang, "Draw your weapon!"

"As you command," Chu Liuxiang smiled, leaped to a tree branch, and broke off a supple twig, still with a few leaves attached.

Chu Liuxiang held the twig horizontally in front of his chest, "Venerable sir, please!"

"Bold indeed!" Shuai Yifan finally erupted, "How dare a young man like you show such disrespect? Even Li Guanyu would not dare to be so insolent to me."

"I mean no disrespect," Chu Liuxiang smiled, "With proper use, anything in the world can be a weapon. If used improperly, even an ancient divine weapon is useless. How could a venerable master like you not understand this?"

These words only fueled Shuai Yifan's anger, but Hu Tiehua laughed.

He even joined Jin Banhua, took two lotus seeds, and tossed them into his mouth, shouting at Shuai Yifan, "Why must you fight this old stinkbug?

Your title of 'Star-Picking Hermit' wasn't easy to earn. Why ruin it?"

But Shuai Yifan ignored Hu Tiehua, his expression returning to its calm, and he slowly stepped forward.

As Shuai Yifan took two steps forward, Hu Tieshua’s expression changed once again. He realized that Shuai Yifan was radiating a fierce sword aura that had already enveloped Chu Liuxiang.

Though Shuai Yifan appeared still, he was constantly on the move. If his opponent dared to make a move, the overwhelming sword aura would unleash, reducing the opponent to nothing but shattered pieces.

Hu Tieshua couldn’t help but want to slap himself. How could a renowned swordsman like Shuai Yifan be thrown off by just a few words from Chu Liuxiang? Facing Shuai Yifan’s overwhelming presence, Hu Tieshua knew he couldn’t withstand it. He wondered how Chu Liuxiang would break the deadlock.

Then he heard Jin Banhua suddenly shout, "Chu Liuxiang, why don’t you remove the few leaves at the tip of the branch first? If they get caught in the sword aura later, they might disrupt your rhythm, and you might not be able to react in time."

Chu Liuxiang: ???

Shuai Yifan: !!!

Without giving Shuai Yifan time to react, Chu Liuxiang shot up into the sky, swift as lightning, agile as a divine dragon.

Shuai Yifan remained motionless, solid as a rock, but he slowly raised his long sword, his eyes like torches, fixed on Chu Liuxiang—and the few leaves on the supple branch in his hand.

Chu Liuxiang finally descended slowly.

Shuai Yifan’s sword was poised and ready to strike.

The next moment, a leaf detached from the branch and shot toward Shuai Yifan.

"Swish!" The sword aura shredded the leaf.

Then Shuai Yifan saw another leaf fly toward him.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

After three consecutive sounds, a shimmering light barrier engulfed Chu Liuxiang.

When the sword aura dissipated, Chu Liuxiang was still standing unharmed, though the supple branch in his hand was now reduced to a mere handle.

Hu Tieshua didn’t see what happened, but Jin Banhua did.

Chu Liuxiang used the same technique from the original story, but instead of one leaf, he used four leaves.

Meanwhile, because of Jin Banhua’s warning, Shuai Yifan remained vigilant and didn’t concentrate his sword aura in one spot. This also weakened the power of his sword aura.

However, Chu Liuxiang’s martial arts were still superior to Shuai Yifan’s. Despite Shuai Yifan’s thorough preparation, Chu Liuxiang managed to escape with a certain cost.

On the surface, the battle seemed evenly matched, but Shuai Yifan had come fully prepared, while Chu Liuxiang had to react hastily. Shuai Yifan used a well-tempered long sword, while Chu Liuxiang used a branch from the roadside.

So, in a strict sense, it was Shuai Yifan who lost.

"Your sword skills are truly remarkable, the likes of which I have never seen in my life," Chu Liuxiang bowed. "I managed to escape by a trick, so let’s call this a draw, shall we?"

"Very well, very well, very well..." Shuai Yifan looked at Chu Liuxiang, then at Jin Banhua. "Talents emerge in each generation, and we are indeed old..."

Shuai Yifan seemed to be in a state of exhaustion, waving his long sword toward the sword pond. However, Jin Banhua suddenly appeared and caught the sword.

"What are you doing?" Shuai Yifan snapped back to reality, his voice harsh. "Though the old lady is old, she cannot be insulted!"

"Your sword aura is astonishing, but why are you so quick to anger, resorting to extreme measures at the slightest disagreement, ready to leave the martial world?"

Jin Banhua smiled and returned the sword to Shuai Yifan. "I once saw two old men in their eighties who had mastered the art of controlling a sword with a thread, using a seven-inch sword to fight from a distance of over three feet."

Shuai Yifan’s eyes gleamed with surprise. "What did you say?"

Chu Liuxiang was also startled, knowing that this meant the opponent’s internal power and sword skills were incredibly high.

"But even these two men, who were imprisoned by a great master for twenty years, did not lose their fighting spirit," Jin Banhua said with a smile. "You’ve been famous for decades, with praise heaped upon you. So, can you not handle a little humiliation?"

Shuai Yifan was stunned, looking at Jin Banhua, then at Chu Liuxiang. He couldn’t help but sigh deeply and reached out to take the sword.

"Talents emerge in each generation, and the new generation surpasses the old."

Shuai Yifan sighed again, nodded at Jin Banhua, and then asked Chu Liuxiang, "What is your feud with Li Guanyu?"

Chu Liuxiang said he had no grudge against Li Guanyu.

Shuai Yifan said that Li Guanyu had done him a favor, and he had received Li Guanyu’s token, vowing to kill Chu Liuxiang.

Chu Liuxiang understood, and Shuai Yifan turned and left.

Chu Liuxiang looked at Jin Banhua and said softly, "You saw through my plan from the beginning, didn’t you?"

Though it was a question, Chu Liuxiang had already increased his respect for Jin Banhua in his heart.

"No, no, no, you’re mistaken!" Jin Banhua immediately denied it, waving his hands and looking sincere. "I was just genuinely worried about you, so I gave you a heads-up."

(End of Chapter)

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