Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 134 Li Xunhuan Arrives, the Plum Blossom Bandit Reappears, Long Xiaoyun's Scheme! [Guaranteed Two-in-One]

The sun was setting, dusk was falling, and the wind and snow continued to sweep and howl.

The main hall of Xingyun Manor was deathly silent.

The gate was crowded with retainers, each carrying a knife and sword, looking fierce and menacing, yet not one dared to cross the line.

The remaining four or five martial arts practitioners were all pale-faced, staring incredulously at the two men and two women opposite them, their eyes filled with fear.

The owner of the manor, Long Xiaoyun, was sweating profusely, his lips trembling, staring intently at the 'killer star' he had personally invited. It was too late for him to regret it.

At that moment, he was filled with shock and fear.

These chivalrous figures were all renowned figures in Baoding Prefecture, and even the weakest among them possessed at least second-rate strength.

Yet, among so many people, not one could withstand the young man's sword strike. Even You Longsheng, who had already grasped the essence of swordplay and was known as the number one genius swordsman in Baoding, was defeated with a single blow.

What he found most unbelievable was that those seven or eight experts were killed with a single blow.

Even with his sharp eyesight, he couldn't see clearly. However, he could barely sense that the terrifying aura was emanating from the young man in the purple fur coat behind him.

artistic conception!

That's definitely the power of artistic conception!
Only the power of intent can be so terrifying, capable of killing seven or eight second-rate or higher masters in a single strike!

"Who...who exactly are you people?!" Long Xiaoyun stared intently at Jiang Xuan, his heart filled with extreme shock and confusion.

Those who can comprehend the essence of a concept are by no means unknown figures in the martial arts world.

But why would someone like that be interested in a piece of gold-embroidered armor and interfere in the affairs of the 'Plum Blossom Thief'?!

"You have no right to know my identity. Just remember that his name is A-Fei."

Jiang Xuan glanced at A Fei beside him and said calmly, "If I were you, I would tell you everything that happened tonight, word for word, including why you invited us here, how you argued so illogically, distorted the truth, and used your power to intimidate us, and why we took action, etc."

“If you have lied even once, then your Xingyun Manor has no reason to exist.”

You may doubt whether I can do it.

"On the premise that you can afford the cost of wiping out your entire family."

Long Xiaoyun trembled, swallowed hard, and said, "You...you're not going to kill me?"

"Although I also despise hypocrites like you, I'm here to deal with the Plum Blossom Thief. You're not qualified to dirty my hands."

Jiang Xuan said calmly.

Long Xiaoyun's face stiffened, feeling endless humiliation. But he was a smart man and knew when to bow his head. No matter how angry and unwilling he was, he dared not say a word at this moment.

Jiang Xuan ignored him and turned his gaze to You Longsheng, who was clutching his left shoulder and looking pale. He said, "Come here."

You Longsheng's expression changed, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "A scholar can be killed, but not..."

Swish!
A chilling aura locked onto him, and You Longsheng's body stiffened as he finally clearly experienced the feeling of impending death.

He had no doubt that if he insisted on finishing those words, he would definitely die.

In the end, he chose to follow his heart, lowered his head and remained silent, and followed Jiang Xuan out the door.

Lin Xian'er leaned against the wall in a corner, her face also pale, but she breathed a sigh of relief at having escaped this ordeal.

Then, he turned his gaze to Jiang Xuan and the others, silently watching them leave, his eyes flashing with a strange light, as if he were thinking about something.

……

That night, the entire city of Baoding was shaken.

Xingyun Manor was trampled upon by outsiders. Many martial arts masters who had been visiting Xingyun Manor in the past few days were all killed. The manor lord, Long Xiaoyun, dared not utter a word and watched helplessly as the murderers left.

Of course, this matter is also inextricably linked to the few martial arts masters who survived.

In order to capture the Plum Blossom Bandit, the powerful families who had been harmed by him each offered a large reward, which they entrusted to Long Xiaoyun, the most famous man in Baoding, to keep safe, claiming that whoever could kill the Plum Blossom Bandit would get the money.

In addition, Lin Xian'er, the sworn sister of Long Xiaoyun's wife Lin Shiyin and known as the "most beautiful woman in the martial arts world," also vowed not to marry anyone who would eliminate the Plum Blossom Bandit.

Therefore, whoever can eliminate the Plum Blossom Thief will gain both fame and fortune, and also win the heart of a beautiful woman.

All of them came for this reason.

In the end, before anyone even saw what the Plum Blossom Bandit looked like, they all died trying to retrieve the Golden Silk Armor for Long Xiaoyun.

Long Xiaoyun was so suppressed that he didn't dare to utter a single word.

The remaining martial arts masters could no longer stay, and they left Xingyun Manor in dejection that very night, harboring resentment towards Long Xiaoyun.

If Long Xiaoyun hadn't invited those killers to his mansion, the others wouldn't have died, and they wouldn't have been so humiliated.
With the help of several people, the news spread extremely quickly, reaching the entire martial arts world in just two days.

Upon learning of this, many forces were shocked and became interested in the Plum Blossom Thief case.

The Plum Blossom Thief hasn't even shown himself yet, but he's already attracted such a master?

Many people want to come and broaden their horizons.

Soon, many masters gathered in Baoding City, including the nearby Shaolin Temple, as well as several masters ranked high on the weapon ranking list.

Meanwhile, as the news spread, Xingyun Manor was also branded with shame, and its owner, Long Xiaoyun, became a laughingstock.

The golden silk armor he sought was stolen by the Golden Lion Escort Agency. Instead of going to the agency, he went directly to the owner of the armor. When his soft approach failed, he tried to intimidate them with his power, but he ended up hitting a brick wall. The experts he had brought in to help were almost all wiped out, and he was so suppressed that he didn't dare to utter a sound.

This incident completely shattered the chivalrous image that Long Xiaoyun had cultivated over the past decade, an image of righteousness, boldness, and loyalty.

Indeed, when faced with life and death, no one is unafraid of death.

Even these so-called martial arts heroes are no exception.

Inside Xingyun Manor, Long Xiaoyun's face was gloomy, almost distorted, and his eyes were filled with deep-seated hatred.

Although his martial arts skills were not top-notch, over the years, in order to cultivate his image as a chivalrous hero, he was generous and charitable, and made friends from all over the world, which earned him the reputation of being the number one chivalrous hero in Baoding.

But now, more than a decade of accumulation has vanished in an instant, and he has become a laughing stock in the martial arts world.

All of this was because of a golden silk armor, and because of those two people whose origins were unknown!
"If I don't avenge this, I, Long Xiaoyun, swear I'm not human!" Long Xiaoyun gritted his teeth and vowed to tear the young man who had humiliated him to pieces to vent his hatred.

But thinking of the young man's terrifying strength, he forced himself to calm down.

He has been able to get to where he is today because of his calm mind.

Wisdom is his greatest weapon.

After a moment of contemplation, Long Xiaoyun's eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked, "I heard that the people from Shaolin Temple have also come down the mountain, is that right?"

"Yes sir."

The butler respectfully replied, "Master Xinmei of Shaolin Temple personally led his disciples down the mountain, but he may have come for Young Master Qin."

Long Xiaoyun nodded.

He naturally knew that Qin Chong, the eldest son of Qin Xiaoyi, was the only lay disciple of Master Xinhu, the abbot of Baoding Shaolin Temple.

Shaolin Temple, Qin Xiaoyi, and the Plum Blossom Thief...

Long Xiaoyun narrowed his eyes, a fierce glint flashing in them, and said, "Summon Xian'er to see me."

……

After dusk, the snow had melted, and the streets were busiest at that time.

People of all kinds strolled around the streets, and vendors and laborers came and went, together forming a bustling scene of urban life.

On the streets, there were also many martial arts practitioners carrying knives and swords; judging from their attire, most of them were from out of town.

Clearly, they all had the same goal: they were all drawn to the case of the Plum Blossom Thief.

Jiang Xuan stood by the window in an inn on the street, looking at the martial arts figures weaving through the crowd outside, and said calmly, "Quite a few people have come."

Ren Yingying stood to the side and whispered, "I heard that someone saw Guo Songyang, who is ranked fourth on the 'Weapon Ranking' with the 'Songyang Iron Sword', and Ximen Rou, who is ranked seventh with the 'Snake Whip'. People from the Baoding Shaolin Temple and the Money Gang have also come."

Jiang Xuan nodded: "It's alright, the more people the better, so that no one will complain and say that we are using our power to bully others."

He naturally didn't take the mere Plum Blossom Thief seriously, not to mention that he already knew that the Plum Blossom Thief was Lin Xian'er.

Eliminating it would be a piece of cake.

However, the imperial court needs a legitimate reason to act.

Without any evidence, they went directly to Lin Xian'er's house and accused her of being the Plum Blossom Thief, and then wiped out the entire Xingyun Manor. How is such behavior any different from that of the Demonic Sect?

Anyone would be dissatisfied.

Doing this could easily provoke a backlash from the underworld. People might not dare to say anything openly, but they might not say anything behind the scenes.

Just like Wei Zhongxian before him, he was assassinated wherever he went, and during his time in power, he hid in the capital and dared not go out.

Jiang Xuan didn't want to live like this.

Before you have the strength to fight against the entire martial arts world, you still have to abide by the rules.

Especially Long Xiaoyun, although his martial arts skills are a bit lacking, he is quite good at dealing with people. Otherwise, with his mere innate realm strength, how could he have made such a great name in Baoding?

Most importantly, this guy also has a good brother.

Although Jiang Xuan looked down on Li Xunhuan, he had to admit that he was no match for Li Xunhuan at this moment.

Especially since that guy was skilled at throwing knives.

Jiang Xuan didn't want to be watched by a grandmaster who was skilled in throwing knives and hidden weapons at any time.

"Is there any news about Li Xunhuan?" Jiang Xuan asked, as this was what he was most concerned about.

Ren Yingying shook her head: "They're still investigating."

Jiang Xuan frowned. The plot had changed, and he wondered if Li Xunhuan would still come to Baoding City...

Just as he was thinking this, Jiang Xuan's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, "They're here. No need to investigate anymore."

Jiang Xuan turned his gaze to the street in the distance.

There, a carriage slowly approached, driven by a burly, bearded man—Li Xunhuan's servant.

Ironclad Warriors, Ironclad Armor!

……

In the plum blossom grove in the back garden of Xingyun Manor, there stands a small building.

This little building has a lovely name—Lengxiang Xiaozhu (Cold Fragrance Abode).

Those familiar with this place know that this Cold Fragrance Abode was originally the residence of Li Xunhuan, the former owner of the manor, because he liked the quiet environment here and the plum blossom grove.

The plum blossoms in the garden are in full bloom, swaying and dancing gently in the wind, a truly beautiful sight.

Meanwhile, in the secluded Cold Fragrance Pavilion deep within the garden, two figures rose and fell with the swaying of the plum blossoms.

After a long time.

With a low growl from the man, all the noise came to an abrupt halt.

Then, a soft voice came.

"Why has my brother-in-law been so rough lately? Is he still thinking about that night?" Lin Xian'er curled up, like a flawless piece of white jade. Her fair and beautiful face was slightly disheveled, yet filled with satisfaction. She breathed slightly and asked, "Is my brother-in-law in a bad mood?"

"I've told you many times, don't call me brother-in-law!" Long Xiaoyun frowned.

Lin Xian'er smiled and said, "Don't you feel a different way when you call him brother-in-law?"

Long Xiaoyun paused, then gave her a cold glance before changing the subject: "How's the matter I asked you to handle?"

Lin Xian'er propped herself up, her fair arms gently supporting her head, and tilted her head with a smile: "How could Xian'er dare to delay the matter you entrusted to me, Fourth Master Long?"

"Don't worry, I've already 'slept' with many of the experts who came to Baoding City these past few days. Of course, no one else knows about my relationship with them."

"As long as I don't say anything, they are even less likely to say anything. After all, they are all people who care about their reputation, and they will definitely not affect your plans, Fourth Master."

Lin Xian'er smiled, but her eyes flashed with sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, a flash of disgust crossed Long Xiaoyun's eyes. Suppressing his nausea, he asked, "Including experts on the weapon ranking list like Guo Songyang and Ximen Rou?"

"These few are the most difficult to deal with."

Lin Xian'er shook her head: "I only managed to seduce Qiu Du, the disciple of 'Green Demon Hand' Yi Ku. Guo Songyang didn't see me, and I can't find where Ximen Rou lives."

Long Xiaoyun frowned: "Where are the Shaolin monks?"

Lin Xian'er rolled her eyes: "Fourth Master Long, I can't exactly go and sleep with a few monks, can I?"

Long Xiaoyun remained silent.

"But these few are far from enough."

After a moment of silence, Long Xiaoyun said, "Isn't Shangguan Fei, the young master of the Money Gang, here too? Go and try to handle Shangguan Fei. I'll find a way to contact Shaolin Temple."

"I'll try it tonight," Lin Xian'er hummed in agreement, her voice as alluring as a kitten that had just stolen some cream.

Long Xiaoyun ignored him, put on his clothes, and said coldly, "Take care of these people as soon as possible, and then let the 'Plum Blossom Bandits' show themselves."

"No matter how skilled he is in martial arts, this time I will make sure he dies without a burial place, and let him know... the consequences of offending me, Long Xiaoyun!"

Long Xiaoyun gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with venomous hatred.

No one has ever dared to treat him like this!

Lin Xian'er recalled the scene from that day, her eyes glazed over, and said, "I think that kind of person is a real man... What a pity, if only I could conquer him, how exhilarating that would be..."

"Bitch!"

Long Xiaoyun glanced at her and said coldly, "Without my orders, you'd better not provoke them. If you ruin my plans, I won't let you off the hook."

Lin Xian'er snapped out of her daze, chuckled, and said with a charming smile, "Is brother-in-law jealous? Don't worry, even if Xian'er has many men, there will only be you in my heart. Every time brother-in-law comes here, Xian'er makes sure to get clean..."

Long Xiaoyun felt a chill run down his spine and could no longer stay there. He grabbed his coat, turned around, and walked out.

Behind them came Lin Xian'er's charming laughter.

"Master! Master!"

As soon as Long Xiaoyun stepped out of the plum garden, the steward rushed over and said urgently, "Master, something has happened to the young master!"

Long Xiaoyun's expression changed slightly, and he asked, "What happened? Wasn't he supposed to go to Niuzhuang with Old Master Qin to invite Mr. Mei Er back to treat Qin Zhong? How could something have happened?!"

The butler said anxiously, "Young Master is in Niuzhuang. He got into a fight with someone and... his martial arts were crippled!"

"what?!"

Long Xiaoyun was furious: "Who is it? Who dares to hurt my son?!"

The butler hesitated, then sighed and said, "They're already outside the door, sir. You should go and see for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Long Xiaoyun could no longer wait and hurriedly ran towards the manor gate, his heart filled with anxiety.

He only has one son!
Soon, Long Xiaoyun arrived at the door and saw the young man in brocade robes being carried on a stretcher. His heart trembled: "Yun'er! Who is it? Who dares to hurt you?!"

"father!"

Upon seeing Long Xiaoyun, the boy burst into tears, pointing at the carriage behind him with a face full of resentment, "It was him! He's the one who crippled my martial arts!"

"Father, you must avenge your son!"

Long Xiaoyun, like a furious lion, suddenly turned around and looked menacingly at the man who stepped down from the carriage behind him.

But after just one glance, he froze: "It's...it's you?!"

Li Xunhuan's expression was complex, tinged with guilt. Finally, he sighed and said, "Brother."

……

Li Xunhuan, the "Little Flying Dagger" who disappeared for more than a decade, has returned.

This news instantly caused a huge uproar in the martial arts world.

For the masters who have emerged in the last decade or so, the name Li Xunhuan is undoubtedly a legend.

He was chivalrous and courageous, and unparalleled in his time; these descriptions are insufficient to fully capture his character.

He was like a bright new star, just like the famous swordsman Shen Lang of yesteryear. In just a few years since his debut, he had made a name for himself in the martial arts world. With his Little Li Flying Dagger, he ranked third on the "Weapon Ranking" and for many years no one had been able to shake his position.

He was generous and made many friends, but he also made countless enemies. After being ranked third on the Weapon Ranking by Bai Xiaosheng, he accepted more than 300 challenges in seven years and never lost.

Although he disappeared for ten years, his legend still circulated in the martial arts world during those ten years.

Countless newly emerging martial arts masters regard him as an idol and a goal to be emulated.

The martial arts masters who had gathered in Baoding City during this period were all shocked and exclaimed that their trip had not been in vain.

To be able to witness a master from ten years ago reappear in the martial arts world, even if we fail to capture the Plum Blossom Thief, this trip will still be worthwhile!

Just as they were preparing to visit Xingyun Manor.

Long Xiaoyun, the owner of Xingyun Manor, suddenly sent word that the Plum Blossom Bandit had reappeared!
Just last night, the Plum Blossom Thief suddenly broke into Xingyun Manor again and killed one of its servants.

Upon examination, it was confirmed that the servant had indeed been struck in the chest by a plum blossom-shaped hidden weapon, and his manner of death was no different from that of the previous victims.

The whole city was immediately in an uproar.

Xingyun Manor has once again become the focus of countless martial arts practitioners.

Li Xunhuan and the Plum Blossom Thief both appeared at Xingyun Manor.

Now, many martial arts figures could no longer wait and sent out visiting cards, preparing to visit Xingyun Manor.

Xingyun Manor, which was once deserted, has become lively again.

……

"Li Xunhuan just returned, and the Plum Blossom Bandit has already reappeared. What a coincidence."

Upon receiving the message, Jiang Xuan's lips curled into a mocking smile.

He naturally knew what Long Xiaoyun's actions represented.

Long Xiaoyun clearly had not given up.

When his sworn brother Li Xunhuan returned, he felt he had a powerful backer.

His counterattack is about to begin!

But is he serious about using the Plum Blossom Thief to fight back?

"How many people have gone to Xingyun Manor?" Jiang Xuan asked Ren Yingying.

"Most of the well-known figures went, including Master Xinmei from Shaolin Temple, 'Snake Whip' Ximen Rou, and 'Green Demon Hand' Yi Ku. The only ones who haven't taken any action yet are Guo Songyang and the Money Gang."

Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and said calmly, "Then let's wait two more days. What about A-Fei?"

"He went to the Shen Family Ancestral Hall outside the West Gate."

Ren Yingying replied with some doubt: "That Shen family ancestral hall is said to be the former residence of Shen Lang. I don't know what he went there for. He has been there for three days and has not come out yet."

"Let him be." Jiang Xuan remained silent.

He naturally knew what Afei was doing at the Shen family ancestral hall; after all, he was Shen Lang's son.

Two days later, more news came from Xingyun Manor.

Ximen Rou, ranked seventh on the Weapon Ranking with the "Snake Whip," and Yi Ku, ranked ninth with the "Azure Demon Hand," both challenged Li Xunhuan, but were both defeated by him.

Meanwhile, another person died in Xingyun Manor, also killed by the Plum Blossom Bandits.

This matter has been witnessed by dozens of people in the martial arts world, and it is absolutely true.

Countless people were in an uproar.

No one expected that with so many martial arts masters present, the Plum Blossom Thief would still dare to commit murder.

In Baoding City, this is the fourth murder case in the past half month, and all of them have occurred at Xingyun Manor.

In other words, the Plum Blossom Thief had been hiding inside Xingyun Manor all along?!

Immediately, even more experts flocked to Xingyun Manor, hoping to seize this opportunity to capture the Plum Blossom Bandit and make a name for themselves in front of so many experts.

Guo Songyang, whose weapon ranked fourth on the weapons list, could no longer sit still. He presented a letter of invitation, agreeing to challenge Li Xunhuan in three days.

Li Xunhuan accepted the challenge.

This event added even more excitement to the already bustling Xingyun Manor, making the atmosphere even more lively.

The following day, two invitations were delivered to Shangguan Fei, the young leader of the Money Gang, and Jiang Xuan, respectively.

He invited the two to Xingyun Manor for a meeting to discuss the matter of eliminating the Plum Blossom Bandits.

"So you can't sit still anymore?" Jiang Xuan received the invitation and a smile appeared on his lips.

"At this moment, all the famous masters in Baoding City have gathered at Xingyun Manor, waiting for the duel between Li Xunhuan and Guo Songyang, and also hoping to take this opportunity to capture the Plum Blossom Bandit."

"But Long Xiaoyun's purpose is unlikely to be the Plum Blossom Bandit; he definitely wants to take this opportunity to cause trouble and retaliate against us!"

Ren Yingying's expression was solemn. Although she didn't know who the Plum Blossom Thief was, she could tell that something was wrong.

That Long Xiaoyun is definitely not the gentleman he is known to be in the martial arts world. His invitation to them without holding grudges must be a trap!

"Since he dared to send out this invitation, he must have already made preparations."

Jiang Xuan smiled and asked, "What did the Money Gang say?"

"They've already come to our door."

Ren Yingying nodded: "Shangguan Fei, the young master of the Money Gang, has brought many experts with him. Ximen Rou, ranked eighth on the Weapon Ranking, known as 'Iron Crutch of Vajra'; Xiang Song, ranked nineteenth, known as 'Wind and Rain Meteor'; Gao Xingkong, ranked thirty-seventh, known as 'Judge's Pen'; and Yan Shuangfei, ranked forty-sixth, are all his men."

"These people will probably also challenge Li Xunhuan."

Jiang Xuan nodded, smiled slightly, and said, "Then, it's our turn to make our appearance."

"Call Afei back. Go over there tomorrow and see what Long Xiaoyun is really up to."

"In front of so many renowned figures in the martial arts world, I hope he won't disappoint me."

(End of this chapter)