Chapter Seven: Gazing Northwest, Slaying the Hungry Wolves

  Luozhi Han retreated only half a step back, the sword light of the black-clothed man with scars on his hand was already in front of his chest, it was unavoidable, and he could only wait for death.

  In this flash of lightning, I suddenly felt a strong push from the side, and I was knocked open, avoiding the sword's edge.

  He turned his head to look, it was his master, but the sword of the masked man with a scar on the back of his hand was deeply inserted into his master's chest, the tip of the sword protruded from his back, still dripping with blood, one drop at a time.

  Luo Zhihan let out a loud cry: "Master!" and rushed over to wail. The masked man used force to pull out his sword, but the sword was clamped tightly between Zhao Yinfeng's chest and ribcage, how could he possibly pull it out?

  Zhaoyinfeng was seriously injured and vomiting blood, but he mustered his strength to gather his energy. With a backhand swing of his sword, he completely severed the little finger and ring finger of the masked man's left hand, and also cut off the tip of his middle finger. As he swung his sword again, his chest hurt and he had no more strength left.

  At this time, Lu Shaohang and Lu Lun also woke up and shouted in unison: "Despicable villain!" They then attacked from behind with their double knives. The masked man could only release his sword and retreat, his left hand still bleeding. As he turned to flee, his movements were smooth and effortless, and his figure was not inferior to that of the short, black-clad man.

  But then a "peng" sound was heard, which was the sound of a human head falling to the ground. When everyone stopped in shock and turned their heads to look, it was actually Yao Kun's head, the "Hungry Wolf". The decapitated head still had its eyes wide open, as if it couldn't believe it had died like this.

  Zhao Yun was in a daze of pain, and when he glanced sideways at the place where "Hungry Wolf" had his head cut off, he was shocked again. He saw that it was as neat as one, and surprisingly, there was not a single drop of blood on the severed head. It can be seen that this person's sword is extremely fast, and it is really rare in life. In the Nanhai sect, only the senior brother from those years ago seemed to be able to do it.

  Before he knew it, his eldest disciple Chen Xin was standing beside him, and there was another person in the yard who had appeared out of nowhere. He was the one who had just come from the northwest rooftop with a sword, truly "Northwest gaze, slaying the hungry wolf!"

  Lu Gongzi and Lu Gongzi, two sworn brothers, were already busy bowing and paying respects.

  He was dressed in a simple green robe, slender in build, with three long whiskers. Although he appeared to be around fifty years old, he looked no more than forty at most, truly an extraordinary figure of elegance.

  The man with excellent lightness skills, who was short and wore a mask, had retreated several steps back, his left hand clutching his chest, as if he had suffered an internal injury. He stood alongside the other masked man, whose left hand was still dripping blood and had sword marks on the back of it, holding swords together.

  Originally, just now the short and masked swordsman was about to pierce through Chen Xin in an instant, when suddenly a figure appeared out of thin air from northwest, suspended in mid-air, with sword light flashing.

  "The Hungry Wolf" Yao Kun had just leapt into the air, when he saw a flash of sword light. He hastily raised his knife to block it, but with just one touch, Yao Kun felt that the knife in his hand, which was forged from hundred-folded steel and was quite sharp, was lightly cut off by the other person's sword. Then he felt his head flying up with a "whoosh", and lost consciousness, never to regain it again for the rest of his life.

  The sword's residual light had not dissipated, and the downward momentum pressed onto the short-statured masked person's sword. The sword energy rose, sending the black-clothed masked person's sword flying away. The black-clothed masked person only felt a surge of internal force transmitted through the sword, his chest severely aching, and he hastily retreated to defend himself with his sword.

  The newcomer didn't rush to attack, but with a light push of his left hand, he pushed Chen Xin out of the sword's range and fell down himself.

  This person, in the brief spark of time, with a sword in his hand, killed "Hungry Wolf" Yao Kun, and then forced back the short, black-clothed, masked man. He also rescued Chen Xin, but his body still descended calmly from mid-air. Although it was an urgent situation, his demeanor was extremely elegant, like floating clouds and flowing water, truly a sight to behold.

  Chen Xin then heard his junior brother's crying, and came to from his daze. Letting out a loud wail, he rushed forward and threw himself at his master. The three of them had been traveling the jianghu together for years, relying on each other for survival, and were as close as family.

  Luozhi Han saw his master severely injured today, on the verge of death, and it was all because he had sacrificed himself to save Luozhi. Overcome with grief, Luozhi wept uncontrollably, as did Chen Xin, whose tears would not stop flowing.

  Those two masked men saw that they couldn't discuss anything good today, exchanged a glance with each other, and already knew that this person was the one who secretly shot flying needles earlier, a master of the Qing Dynasty!

  "That tall man in black shouted: 'Flying needle sneak attack, it's you! Hiding one's head and showing one's tail, what kind of hero is this?'"

  Lu Lun spat and said: "You bunch of mice hiding in the shadows, secretly plotting to surround and attack, what face do you have to say such things?"

  Two masked men did not speak, even in the face of injury, they did not dare to stay for long. With a soft shout, they both leapt towards the wall top. Lu Shaoxing and Lu Ren, along with the newly arrived green-robed swordsman, suddenly stood up to chase after them. However, they saw the two masked men loudly shouting: "Scatter!"

  A short, black-clad figure suddenly threw out a handful of white powder, which was the "Hu Tun San" powder often used by the "Liangzhou Five Wolves". The same powder had been blown into the inn earlier. Lu Shaoxing and Lu Lun knew its danger, so they held their breath and hastily retreated to avoid being affected.

  The swordsman in the green shirt suddenly drew his sword, aiming at a point on the knife in Lu Shaoxiong's hand as he hastily retreated and fell back. With a clear ring, the sword curved and then arced upwards, and the swordsman straightened his posture, leapt forward another ten feet, avoiding the "Hu Tui San" mist, and landed behind the short, masked figure. He let out a dragon roar: "Look at my sword!" and stabbed out with his sword in a straight line.

  The Green Shirt Swordsman was a great hero of the time, and even in his greatest rage, he would not stoop to making a silent attack from behind someone's back, so he let out a loud shout.

  The two men in black clothes simultaneously shook their bodies, but suddenly they separately linked their left and right hands, the linked hands twisted each other, the forward force of the two people turned into a horizontal force, rotating around, it was surprisingly the "left meets right, left palm right sword, both sides use together, mutually assist and support" stance.

  A short, masked figure with a sword in hand clashed swords with the green-robed swordsman in a flurry of "ding-ding-dang-dang" sounds that didn't cease. Another person, disregarding their injured left palm, welcomed him with a slap, and amidst the force of the slap, a faint red and blue color appeared. The green-robed swordsman could only use his right hand to wield his sword and his left hand to counter with a slap, fighting two opponents alone.

  Below the three people in the South China Sea, Lu Shaohang and Lu Lun could only hear the sound of swords clashing and palms meeting, as well as the two men's loud roars. Lu Shaohang again felt blood splattering down from mid-air, landing on his fellow disciples' bodies, but didn't know who was injured.

  In mid-air, after dozens of moves, the three people slowly fell from the air, and the two masked men's bodies paused, landing right on the edge of the courtyard wall.

  The two of them borrowed force again, flying out in a circular motion and going further away. In the air, another drop of blood fell down. The short, masked man's swordsmanship was no match for the Green Robed Swordsman, who had already been injured quite badly. Before his body even hit the ground, a long whistle sounded, and two fast horses suddenly appeared from behind the big trees outside the courtyard, with both men landing on horseback and galloping away.

  The swordsman in the green shirt was suspended in mid-air, but without any support. After another flip, he landed on the wall and could only see two men in black riding horses turning around the corner of the wall. Seeing that they couldn't catch up, he let out a sigh and jumped down to the ground.

  Although Qing Shan Jian Ke had the upper hand, he could only let the two of them escape. Seeing that Zhao Yin Feng was seriously injured in the backyard, he also found it inconvenient to chase after them.

  Lu Shao Hang and Lu Lun saw that although there were many bloodstains on the Green Shirt Swordsman's body, his green shirt was intact without any holes or tears, looking perfectly normal. At a glance, they understood that he had been splattered with the opponent's blood and hadn't been injured himself. They both let out a sigh of relief.

  At this time, "Hu Tun San" had dispersed, and the moonlight in the backyard was vast. Only Luo Zhihan brothers were left to cry loudly in front of Zhao Yin Feng.

  "Who would have thought that after parting ways with Emei for thirty years, I could reunite with old friends before my death? Luckily, I got to see 'White Cloud Swordsman' Gu Daxia again, which has lifted a weight off my mind. Heaven owes me one in this life, and at least it's taken a glance at me before my death!" Zhao Yinfeng was severely injured and knew he couldn't be saved, speaking as fresh blood continuously flowed out of his wounds.

  Zhao Yunfeng knew as soon as he saw this person that it was also him who had just shot the flying needle to save Chen Xinyu, and naturally it was also him who told Lu Shaohang and Lu Lun that the five masked men with knives were "Liangzhou Five Wolves". He felt that heaven still had some care for a poor man like himself, and let out a long sigh.

  This green shirt swordsman is the master of "Cangshan Cold Sword" Lu Shaohang, the uncle of Ru Lun's teacher, the current leader of the Diancang School "Slanting Sun God Sword" Lin Ruoqi's older brother, and the world-renowned Diancang School master "White Cloud Swordsman" Gu Baiyun.

  Diancang Sect has been renowned for its chivalrous reputation and martial arts skills for over a hundred years since its founding. It is highly respected throughout the land, with its unique Diancang Nineteenth Road Swordsmanship, unparalleled lightness skill, internal strength, and profound Taoist learning. Alongside Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, Huashan, and Kongtong, it is considered one of the seven major martial arts schools in Jianghu.

  Dian Cang's reputation is still above the Qingcheng Sword Sect and the Nanhai Sword Sect. Every generation of Dian Cang has produced famous masters, such as "White Cloud Swordsman" Gu Baiyun, who is also the senior brother of Lin Ruoqi, the current leader of the Dian Cang Sect, known for his exceptional character, swordsmanship, and Taoist skills.

  What's more, thirty years ago, Zhao Yunfeng had already met and interacted with Gu Baiyun, knowing that Gu Baiyun was a hero without equal, who valued emotions and righteousness. When Zhao Yunfeng saw this person, he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

  Gu Baiyun landed, and without wiping off the bloodstains on his body and face from the two black-clothed swordsmen, he rushed forward, his right hand pointing like the wind, striking the four major acupoints around Zhao Yunfeng's wound, and the bleeding slowed down significantly.

  Gu Baiyun's hands tightly grasped Zhao Yinwind's hands, her eyes brimming with hot tears, her voice trembling: "Zhao younger brother, Gu certain acted too late, and harmed you!"

  Gu Baiyun continued: "Earlier, Gu certain started using the flying needles to rescue Lord Xian's disciple. I thought that at least my own disciples and nephew could handle two sword-wielding masked men for a dozen or so moves, and this was an excellent opportunity to test the martial arts skills of these two younger generations. So at the time, I didn't reveal myself, only observing from the rooftop of the stable. But now..."

  Now that things have developed to this point, Zhao Yunfeng was pierced through the heart by a sharp sword, and Gu Baiyun felt extremely guilty in her heart; just now, although she had only taken a slight glance at the wound, she already knew that this sharp sword had completely pierced Zhao Yunfeng's heart, and even if the two greatest doctors in the world were here, they would be powerless to save him.

  Zhaoyinfeng himself had long known that the sword wound was already fatal, and as soon as the sword on his wound was pulled out, he would immediately die in a pool of blood. Although he was not afraid of death, he thought of all the things he still wanted to do, and thought of his two apprentices who would be left with no one to rely on, lamenting that fate had played a trick on him, making him die so early.

  But now he saw "White Cloud Sword Guest" Gu Baiyun, and thought that things in his heart finally had a place to rely on, even if he died, it would be with his eyes closed, and his heart was truly comforted.

  "Who would have thought that after parting ways at Mount Emei, I wouldn't see Brother Gu again until today? Brother Gu's spirit remains unchanged, but the 'Wind Chant Sword' of that day has become like rotten wood...” Zhao Yinfeng coughed once, and a mouthful of fresh blood gushed out, slowly flowing down from the corner of his mouth.

  Luozhi Han and Chen Xin slowly stopped crying, knowing that it might be the last time to hear Master's teachings, not daring to be careless at all, busy wiping the blood on Master's face.

  Gu Baiyun felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, but all she said was: "Zhao Xiongdi, I'm sorry to you!" Lu Shaoxing and Lu Lun also rushed over, using force to support Zhao Yinwind.

  Zhao Yunfeng vaguely remembered that year, the Emei summit Wulin Conference, his senior brother first took the position of Nanhai Sword Sect leader, he and his senior brother came from Nanhai with swords, meeting all the top masters along the way, how delightful.

  The two of them also knew Gu Baiyun, who was young and vigorous at the time, and became good friends. However, seeing Gu Baiyun's appearance now, so slender, elegant, and refined, with a demeanor that is carefree and effortless, he looks absolutely unlike someone in his fifties. Compared to him, it seems like they have become even younger by several years. His martial arts skills, swordsmanship, and lightness technique have also improved to such an extent. The silent and shadowless flying needle technique he used earlier, with its internal power and ingenious force, is truly unmatched in the world.

  He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that his senior fellow disciple had been missing for thirty years and was probably long dead. The Southern Ocean Sword Sect had also declined to such a state, and the burden on his own shoulders was still so heavy, yet things had come to this pass.

  "I've long heard that not long after the Mount Emei Martial Arts Assembly, Master's brother disappeared. Zhao Xian also wandered the Jianghu for decades searching for Master's brother. What exactly happened? Master's brother was once unmatched in the world with his 'Heavenly Demon-Expelling Mantra', and he was a master of both literature and martial arts, a chivalrous hero without equal. He had always been admired by me, and I had always hoped to be able to share wine and discuss swordplay with him again. How could he suddenly disappear without reason?

  Gu Baiyun saw that Zhao Yin's temples were gray, his face was wrinkled, and his eyes showed the wear of wind and snow. His eyes suddenly felt a pang, and he realized that Yin was no longer the dashing young hero he remembered from thirty years ago, the 'Sword Guest of the South Sea' with a face as handsome as jade."

  He thought back to the days when he and his fellow disciples of the South Sea Sect, including Zhao Yunfeng, would gather to drink wine and discuss swordplay, full of youthful vigor. Now, meeting again in such circumstances filled him with great pain. He knew that Zhao Yunfeng had something on his mind, and he himself had many questions, but time was short, so he asked first.

  "Senior brother... senior brother, Jing Tian's Demon-Slaying Sword Guest! Ah..." Zhao Yin Feng's gradually dimming eyes shot out a glimmer of light again, and he slowly said. These things were not even fully heard by Luo Zhi Han and Chen Xin before, and they knew it was the last lesson from their master, knowing it was a secret within their school, so they listened attentively.

  "Brother Gu knows that nearly thirty years ago, precisely twenty-nine years ago, after the shocking event in the martial arts world during the first year of the Hongwu era, all the heroes returned to their respective sects. My master brother and I also returned from the summit of Emei to Nanhai. I thought our life in Nanhai would still be as usual, peaceful, carefree, and detached, with no worries about the world."

  But I was wrong, I thought wrong, I was wrong.

  One day, when the master's brother finished practicing the 'Sword Pointing to South Mountain' move and waited for four plum blossoms to fall to the ground, he smiled and asked me: "Yin Feng, do you think that our Southern Sea's thirteen sword techniques and the 'Heavenly Demon-Expelling Incantation' are the best in the world?"

  I was stunned for a moment, before going to the Central Plains, I really thought so and firmly believed that the various swordsmanship of our school was unparalleled in the world, and the "Jing Tian Qu Mo Zhou" of the Master's brother was even more the first under heaven.

  However, after seeing the swordsmanship of various major schools in Zhongyuan last time, I realized that the swordsmanship of each major school has been passed down for nearly a hundred years or even hundreds of years, and has been refined and modified to become extremely subtle and wonderful, unparalleled in the world.

  Even the "White Cloud Swordsmanship" of Gu Xiong at that time and the "Slanting Sun Swordsmanship" that Lin Xian started practicing were not the essence of Mount Tiantai's swordsmanship, which was exquisite and extraordinary.

  So I replied to my senior brother at that time: 'Senior brother, our "Jing Tian Qu Mo Zhou" is absolutely unparalleled in the world, but it's definitely impossible to be considered the best in the world.

  Senior brother, you witnessed the swordsmanship of the two seniors from both sides in the final battle at Emei Absolute Summit. You always said that Duan Yu's swordsmanship was unparalleled and number one under heaven.

  Because I wasn't present at Mount Emei that day, although I don't know what kind of state the swordsmanship of those two seniors had reached, but since my senior brother has always admired them, they must be the best in the world.

  The senior brother also didn't speak, seemingly also reminiscing about the sword techniques of those two predecessors, and after a while, continued to practice his sword.

  I knew that Shixiong had never been a competitive person, so he could create the "Sword Pointing to Nan Shan" move, which was so carefree and unmatched. So, I just thought of it as a casual question from Shixiong and didn't take it to heart, and continued to practice my sword." Zhao said slowly, panting heavily.