novelapdf Chapter 52 Elder Feng Tests His Skills: The Alliance Leader's Order Arrives
Chapter 52 Elder Feng Tests His Skills: The Alliance Leader's Order Arrives
In early summer, the wind is gentle and the night is quiet on Mount Hua.
Comparatively speaking, Li Che still prefers the dryness of the North.
The moon is very round tonight, and its light shines down, casting two intertwined shadows.
Li Che and Yue Lingshan sat on the threshold of the kitchen, very close together. The wisps of smoke from the recently extinguished stove rose slowly, adding a hazy layer to their figures.
Li Che was holding a bowl in one hand and using chopsticks in the other to eat rice; it was clear he was really hungry.
Rice served with eggplant in soy sauce, along with some dried tofu and radish, is savory and delicious.
"Junior sister, it's been a long time. I didn't expect you to know how to cook."
Yue Lingshan, who was quietly watching him eat while resting her chin on her hand, blushed slightly and was about to say that she hadn't made the dishes.
Unexpectedly, Li Che added, "The fire in the stove is really burning well."
Yue Lingshan: "..."
The two bickered and laughed, and before long, the bowl was empty and it was getting late.
Li Che had already grabbed her wrist without her noticing. "Alright, alright, stop fooling around. I'll tell you a secret."
"You stinky senior brother, all you do is try to fool me. What do you even know?"
Li Che pursed his lips and leaned closer, "Tomorrow, Master and Mistress will say that I have suffered internal injuries and need to rest. I'm telling you in advance so you won't be anxious."
But don't let the secret slip.
Hot breaths blew onto her slender neck, like thousands of ants burrowing into it, instantly turning her face blushing and her eyes misty. She couldn't hear a single word Li Che said.
"Huh? What did you just say, senior brother?"
Left with no other choice, Li Che repeated himself.
"Oh, I've got it. So, are you going to go into seclusion at the Cliff of Repentance again?"
Seeing Li Che nod, Yue Lingshan happily said, "Then I'll bring you food."
The two sat under the moon, chatting idly. Before they knew it, their shadows drew closer and closer, and their large and small hands were now intertwined.
......
Before dawn the next day, Li Che had already packed his things and gone to the Cliff of Contemplation.
He meditated and practiced breathing exercises as usual, not wanting to waste a single moment of the morning sun's rays.
As soon as he finished his practice, he heard light footsteps behind him.
"Are you addicted to seclusion, young man? How come you're more fond of quiet than an old man at such a young age?"
Li Che hurriedly stood up and bowed, "Grand Uncle, I was hoping to visit you later, you got up so early."
Feng Qingyang said irritably, "It's best not to come. That girl Shan'er is always nagging about her parents in this old man's ear. This brat got a benefit, and this is how he repays me?!"
Even so, Li Che clearly noticed that Elder Feng's complexion had improved significantly compared to when they first met.
Her pale complexion had regained its rosy hue, and she seemed to have reduced her habit of frowning.
The stubborn old man was truly saying one thing and meaning another.
Therefore, we still need to continue to encourage the old man to live a communal life.
"What are you standing there for? Get your sword and stretch your muscles. You brat, you've been practicing your internal energy diligently, but if your swordsmanship falls behind, hmph!"
......
Standing on either side with branches serving as swords, Li Che subconsciously rubbed his shoulders and thighs, his eyes rolling, and said with a forced smile, "I have recently figured out two sword moves, and I would like to ask my grandmaster uncle to give them his opinion."
Feng Lao let out a soft "Eh," and said, "This brat's greed is truly hard to shake. Isn't the Nine Swords of Dugu enough for you?"
Li Che didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Grand Uncle, be careful!"
Following the movement of the shaking branch, he took the lead in making his move.
The branch has no sharpness like a sword, but it possesses the quality of "softness".
When the "Huashan Illusion Sword" was unleashed, it struck the branches with a dense, sudden rain, resembling a woven curtain.
"You've got some skill!"
Feng Qingyang truly deserves his reputation as a master swordsman. Having immersed himself in the Dugu Nine Swords for decades, he has long since reached the point where the sword moves from the heart, leaving no trace of technique.
With just one glance, he could see that Li Che's sword moves were a combination of feints and real attacks, executed with composure and restraint.
The moves are varied and not fixed; they all seem to have hidden strength for variations. They appear complex, but in reality, they are quite ingenious. Before the killing move is unleashed, all other moves are illusory.
Feng Qingyang secretly praised him. Instead of retreating, he advanced. His sword never contained the word "retreat"!
Startled, he leaped up, ignoring the rain on the branches and the changing shadows, instead focusing on Li Che's wrist, drawing his sword as it followed his wrist, cutting through the branches with his sword.
The moment Feng Qingyang made his move, Li Che felt a slight chill. The speed and precision of the sword strike were truly astonishing.
At the same time, he secretly realized that he had been making some assumptions.
The illusion is ultimately fake. It's effective against a fool like Di Xiu, but it's somewhat superfluous against Feng Qingyang.
The two branches suddenly met and broke off.
This time, however, most of the branch in Feng Qingyang's hand broke off, while Li Che only had the tip of the branch cut off.
"You brat, what kind of internal energy are you using for a sword fight?!"
Li Che smiled somewhat awkwardly, "Grand Uncle, please calm down. This... is just a natural reaction."
The old man glared at him, then said, "Your sword moves have the shadow of Hengshan Illusion Sword. The idea is good and quite innovative."
But it emphasizes illusion over danger. Swordsmanship is not for fighting enemies. Do you want to perform acrobatics on the spot?
There should be a focus on the complexity of the moves.
Li Che did not refute, but listened quietly as Elder Feng continued, "Sword techniques can be learned, but the essence of swordsmanship is difficult to grasp. The way of martial arts, relying solely on diligent practice, will ultimately lead to inferior results."
More importantly, it's about comprehension. You can learn the Dugu Nine Swords, and your senior brother might be able to learn it too, but Shan'er is a bit lacking, and your master, that idiot, doesn't have the aptitude for it.
Kid, you want to be the founder of Mount Hua? You're still a ways off!
Li Che: "..."
After saying that, Feng Qingyang left, his nonchalant demeanor tinged with disdain.
Li Che had calmed down. If Elder Feng said his "thinking was good," then his approach was correct, but his method was flawed.
Successful people find solutions—this profound truth is something Mr. Li firmly believes in.
Several more days passed in the blink of an eye. Li Che stayed on the Cliff of Contemplation, oblivious to everything around him. Apart from practicing his breathing exercises and studying swordsmanship, he was sometimes scolded and ridiculed by the bored old man Feng.
Little did they know that a banner bearing the Five Sacred Mountains was shining brightly in the Hall of Righteousness.
"By order of the Left Alliance Leader! Recently, the Demonic Sect has been rampant, slaughtering our righteous followers. As the leader of the righteous path, the Five Mountains Sword Sect should set an example, slay demons and monsters, quell the turmoil in the martial world, and protect our righteous comrades..."
Shi Dengda, standing tall in the hall, raised his command flag and loudly issued the order.
His gaze swept over the Huashan disciples, but he did not see the person in the portrait in his arms.
"Uncle Yue, Alliance Leader Zuo has stated that this matter is of utmost importance and that a proclamation should be issued to the disciples of the Five Mountains Sword Sects. Are there any disciples from the Huashan Sect who have not yet arrived?"
Although the words were polite, the arrogance in the tone was unmistakable.
The Huashan disciples in the hall who heard this were all filled with rage.
Yue Buqun said, "I accept the Alliance Leader's order," but then said worriedly, "Nephew, to be honest, your Senior Brother Linghu has gone out on business, but your Junior Brother Li Che..."
Sigh~ This child went out for more than a month, but returned to the mountain with a lot of internal injuries and is now recuperating.
"If I had known this would happen, I should have sent him to Mount Song to visit Senior Brother Zuo. With Senior Brother Zuo as his guarantor, the journey would have been much safer."
Old Yue shook his head and sighed, his faint sadness seemingly genuine. Seeing this, all the Huashan disciples around him, except for Yue Lingshan, shared the same expression.
Even Yue Lingshan had some doubts about whether Senior Brother Li was really suffering from internal injuries and was only saying that to avoid making her worry.
......