The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 132-147, Great Advancement in Cultivation! Yin Gui Demoness? [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

Lu Chen has been a bit bored lately.

This manor, which doesn't have many peach trees and is mostly filled with crape myrtle, wintersweet, and a few sandalwood trees, was casually renamed "Peach Blossom Manor" by Lu Chen. Compared to the grand manors of wealthy families by Tanxi Lake, it seemed a bit small, but if he lived alone, the manor would be too large and empty.

Because he had too many secrets, he did not hire servants or buy maids, and lived alone in the manor.

He practiced martial arts alone every day, did his own laundry and cooking. When he got really bored, he would row a small boat to the lake to fish, or go to a restaurant in Xiangyang City to listen to martial arts gossip and news about the feudal lords.

In the past, although his daily routine also involved constant practice, Rong'er was always by his side.

Now that he's all alone, he has no one to talk to while eating, so it's natural that he feels lonely.

Lu Chen could only console himself with the thought that "masters are lonely."

Fortunately, there is still hope.

Just by staying in Peach Blossom Village for a month, this place can be identified as the "return point".

He'll go back to Peach Blossom Island to see Rong'er first—even the oxen and horses of the 996 genie get one day off every week. He'll be cultivating diligently for over a month, and then he'll go home to visit his beloved wife. I doubt the Zhuxian Sword Intent will have anything to say about that.

I counted down the days, and before I knew it, more than twenty days had passed.

Over the past twenty-odd days, Lu Chen's progress in visualizing "Sword Four: Heart Sword" has been nothing short of phenomenal.

In his mind, the lightning-shaped heart sword that was originally blurry had become clear and distinct, just like a real lightning bolt.

As his mental sword meditation progressed rapidly, his spirit grew stronger and his perception became more and more powerful.

When he concentrates on sensing, even the slightest changes in the airflow within a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) around him cannot escape his mental perception.

This perceptive ability means that unless the body can be completely "ethereal" and not interact with the air, even the "Shadow Assassin" Yang Xuyan would be immediately detected once he enters within one zhang of him.

If Lu Chen were to encounter Yang Xuyan again, he would no longer be able to receive a warning only after Yang Xuyan's sword had pierced within three inches of his body, just as he had done before.

His cultivation of the Heart Sword has advanced by leaps and bounds, and his power has also increased significantly. The "Pure Yin to Yang Dual Cultivation Method" that he created has been gradually perfected, and his use of "Yin Yang Double Flying Sword" and "Sword Wind Domain" has become more and more proficient.

The swordsmanship and agility he learned from the Shadow Assassin have all been integrated into his own martial arts.

Even the third stage of sword body training, "refining tendons and bones," has completed the tempering of the right hand.

In just over twenty days, Lu Chen's strength has improved dramatically.

This was partly because he received generous support from the Shadow Assassin and the Twin Dragons of Yangzhou upon his arrival, and learned some very profound new things. On the other hand, it was also thanks to the cultivation environment of the Twin Dragons world.

It's no wonder that in the world of Twin Dragons, even young people who don't consume rare and precious herbs, such as Yang Xuyan, Wanwan, and Shi Feixuan, can quickly surpass established masters at a young age thanks to their talent and aptitude.

this day.

Lu Chen then went to Xiangyang City and dined at the famous "Jiaxianglou" restaurant.

Jiaxianglou has three floors, and the VIP rooms on the third floor can only be booked by regular customers and local celebrities.

Although Lu Chen had eaten at Jiaxianglou three times and had become somewhat familiar with the place, he was still not qualified to go up to the third floor.

Fortunately, he never cared about these things.

You can hear even more news while dining in the second-floor hall.

Today was no different. Lu Chen sat at a table in the second-floor hall, ordered three dishes and a pot of wine, poured himself a drink, and enjoyed himself. At the same time, he focused his ears to listen to news from all sides.

As his Heart Sword grew stronger, his mental perception improved, and his five senses also became more powerful.

At this moment, as he listened intently, he could hear all the sounds from the first to the third floor of the entire Jiaxiang Building. Then, based on his subconscious, the system automatically filtered out useless noise and amplified the potentially useful sounds, allowing him to choose which ones to listen to.

"...Five days after Yang Guang's death, Li Zitong's army besieged Yangzhou. Yuwen Huaji dared not fight back and led his Xiaoguo Army to abandon the city and flee! It is said that when they fled, they loaded more than two thousand carts with the wealth, concubines, and palace maids they had looted from Jiangdu Palace and Yangzhou City!"

"More than two thousand carts? Yuwen Huaji is going to be rich now!"

"What kind of 'prosperity' is this? Yuwen Huaji used to be quite shrewd, but this time he's lost his mind. Over two thousand carts were loaded only with looted goods and women, while the soldiers had to carry their own provisions, armor, and weapons, causing a mutiny in the Xiaoguo army. The leader of the mutiny was none other than Sima Dekan, who had joined forces with him. Although Yuwen Huaji quelled the mutiny and killed Sima Dekan, he also lost the morale of his army and suffered a severe blow..."

"Indeed, Li Mi gained a great advantage. Li Mi ordered Xu Shiji and Shen Luoyan to ambush Yuwen Huaji in Liyang. Yuwen Huaji suffered a great defeat, losing all his wealth and women. Of his tens of thousands of elite soldiers, only about 20,000 remained, and they fled in disarray to Wei County... The once invincible Yuwen Huaji is now no longer as powerful as he once was, and is almost like a stray dog!"

"Wouldn't Li Mi have become rich then?"

"Call him Lord Mi! Lord Mi has just defeated Yuwen Huaji, seizing countless treasures and women, and taking in tens of thousands of brave and fierce soldiers. His prestige has soared to new heights. Many people say that Lord Mi is likely to be the one to establish a new dynasty and rule the world in the future!"

"That's right. I heard that even Song Que, the Heavenly Blade, thinks highly of Li Mi..."

Hearing this, Lu Chen shifted his attention to listen to something else—

Li Mi's reputation for being invincible was undeniable, but his conflict with Zhai Rang sowed the seeds of a major hidden danger. It was fine if he remained undefeated, but once he failed to capture Luoyang and broke his invincible record, the Wagang forces were destined to collapse.

Song Que does indeed think highly of Li Mi, and it seems that he has already arranged for his second daughter, Song Yuzhi, to be engaged to Li Mi's son, Li Tianfan.

Once Li Mi conquers Luoyang, Song Yuzhi will marry Li Mi's son, and the Song clan will fully support Li Mi.

Unfortunately, this marriage alliance was destined to fail, because Li Mi simply couldn't conquer Luoyang, and his current powerful and influential position was just a flash in the pan.

That being said, Song Que's martial arts skills are top-notch, and his military strategy is also very strong, but his judgment of people is not very good.

I was optimistic about Li Mi, but he failed.

He trusted his sworn brother Jie Hui and got tricked.

I was optimistic about Kou Zhong, but I got scammed again.

Given Song Que's limited vision, if he were to invest, he would definitely lose everything.

It's more suitable for him to focus on martial arts training.

Just as he was feeling sentimental, Lu Chen's ear twitched slightly as he heard a familiar name.

Yes, it's his own name.

"Have you heard? On the night of the Jiangdu mutiny, a young man named Lu Chen repelled the shadow assassin Yang Xuyan."

"What? He repelled the Shadow Assassin Yang Xuyan? Yang Xuyan even dared to assassinate Du Fuwei, the overlord of Jianghuai. Although he failed, he still managed to escape unscathed from Du Fuwei's hands. Among the most famous young masters in the martial arts world today, Yang Xuyan, Hou Xibai, Dugu Feng, and Ba Feng Han, Yang Xuyan is ranked number one... So who is Lu Chen? How could he possibly repel the Shadow Assassin?"

"I don't know. Only Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling have seen him. They witnessed that battle firsthand, and it was the two of them who spread the news of Lu Chen defeating Yang Xuyan, praising him highly in their words."

"Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling? Just two lucky nobodys!"

"If you really think they're just lucky nobodyes, you're sorely mistaken. These two lads have made incredible progress in martial arts, it's unbelievable. A few days ago, they caused quite a stir in Yuhang. Xu Ziling single-handedly defeated five masters led by Shen Fazheng, the elder brother of Shen Faxing, the Grand Steward of Jiangnan Road. Kou Zhong fought back against hundreds of Hai Sha Gang members, killing many of them and escaping unscathed..."

"Hiss—these two loaches are getting more and more formidable these days!"

"Heh, they've caused quite a bit of trouble. Now, not only are they carrying out the 'Pushan Duke's Decree' with a bounty on their heads, but Princess Dongming has also offered a reward of a thousand taels of gold, plus the Dongming Sect's treasured divine weapon, the 'Dongming Sword,' for their capture. I wonder how many people want their heads for the reward!"

"But their martial arts skills are getting more and more powerful, and I'm afraid not many people will be able to take them down and claim the reward."

"Isn't that right? These two amazing young men, whose martial arts skills improve dramatically every now and then, actually speak highly of Lu Chen. This shows just how powerful Lu Chen is."

"But... such a powerful young master, shouldn't he have been famous long ago? Why has he remained unknown all this time?" "He was unknown before, but isn't he famous now? Just based on his feat of defeating Yang Xuyan in a head-on battle, he is enough to become a guest of honor for all the major warlords!"

Hear this.

Lu Chen was speechless.

He really didn't expect that Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling would help him become famous.

As Yang Xuyan, Kou Zhong, and Xu Ziling become more and more famous, even if he does nothing, won't his fame also rise along with them?

While pondering this.

A familiar-looking waiter brought over a tray with a pot of wine and two dishes, placing them on the table with a fawning expression, and said solicitously:
"Young Master Lu, this is a gift from our manager... The manager also said that from now on, Young Master Lu can have a private room on the third floor whenever he wants."

As the manager and waiter of Jiaxianglou, the most famous restaurant in Xiangyang, they received guests from all directions and prominent figures in Xiangyang every day. Naturally, they were well-informed and must have already learned about Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's fame for Lu Chen.

Lu Chen had already dined at Jiaxianglou three times, and today was his fourth time. Since he hadn't deliberately concealed his name, the manager and waiters of Jiaxianglou naturally knew that his name was Lu Chen.

Although the name is not rare, and there are certainly people in the world with the same name, his appearance, figure, and temperament are all outstanding. Even though he has never shown his martial arts skills, it is hard not to imagine what he is like.

Lu Chen did not refuse, casually thanked the innkeeper, and generously accepted the signature dishes and wine that the innkeeper offered for free.

After a hearty meal, Lu Chen paid the bill and left Jiaxianglou. He exited the city through the west gate and arrived at Tanxi Lake. He boarded his small boat, gently pushed off with a bamboo pole, and the boat glided gracefully into the lake.

The sun has set, and the sky is ablaze with evening glow.

The calm, clear lake reflects the green mountains and crimson sunset, as if flames are burning in the water.

Waterbirds that have not yet returned to their nests dance gracefully close to the lake's surface, while occasionally a fish leaps out of the water, making a tinkling sound and splashing up fluffy white waves...

Such natural beauty made Lu Chen linger for a while. He wasn't in a hurry to go back. He rowed the small boat into the lake and let it drift freely with the lake breeze. He picked up his fishing rod, baited the hook, and sat leisurely at the bow of the boat, enjoying the natural scenery while fishing.

Before we knew it, it was getting dark.

Lu Chen put away his fishing rod, looked at the few pitiful little fish in the fish basket hanging on the side of the boat, shook his head and smiled, picked up the fish basket and released all the fish back into the water.

The crescent moon had risen above the mountain peak, and the stars began to twinkle.

Facing the gentle evening breeze, looking at the night sky where a few traces of deep blue still lingered, inverted over the earth, with stars and the moon hanging high, and then looking at the lake reflecting the crescent moon and the Milky Way, Lu Chen couldn't help but softly recite:

"Drunk, I knew not that the sky was reflected in the water; a boat full of sweet dreams pressed down on the Milky Way..."

Although he was neither drunk nor asleep, he felt that the two lines of poetry were quite fitting for the moment.

Just as he finished reading, a soft laugh was heard:
"Drunk, unaware that the sky is reflected in the water, a boat full of sweet dreams presses down on the Milky Way... These two lines of poetry, sir, are truly beautiful and moving."

The voice was soft and melodious, extremely pleasing to the ear, and possessed a subtle magic that seemed to touch the heart directly, making one's heart flutter upon hearing it alone.

Of course, Lu Chen simply thought the voice was pleasant to hear, but he didn't feel anything else—the Zhuxian Sword Intent suppressed his sea of ​​consciousness, and no "external evil" could invade his sea of ​​consciousness or interfere with his cognition.

Therefore, he simply replied casually:
"It's not my poem; I heard someone else recite it."

As he spoke, he looked in the direction from which the woman's voice came and saw a large, magnificent manor nestled against the mountain and beside the water, about ten feet away on the shore.

That grand estate also has a pavilion overlooking a lake.

This waterside pavilion is much more impressive than the suspended lakeside pavilion in Lu Chen's "Peach Blossom Village," resembling a three-story, hexagonal building.

At the edge of the waterside pavilion, on a viewing platform quite close to the water, sat a girl in a yellow dress.

The girl's skin was crystal clear and white, and under the starlight and moonlight, a layer of jade-like halo faintly emerged.

Her long, black hair was not tied up, but hung down naturally, with a few strands dancing in the evening breeze.

She was extremely beautiful and possessed a unique aura. Under the starry sky and by the clear lake, she seemed like an ethereal being who had descended to earth with the radiance of the stars and moon, not of this world.

It is so breathtaking that it dazzles and captivates anyone who takes a single glance.

Well, special charm still has no effect on Lu Chen.

However, even setting aside the special charm formed by that strange temperament, in terms of appearance alone, apart from Rong'er, the girl in yellow was the most beautiful Lu Chen had ever seen in both lifetimes.

The girl, in particular, had her skirt rolled up, revealing half of her fair calves, and was immersing her two crystal-clear, bare feet in the lake water, gently swaying her legs.

this moment.

Lu Chen almost thought he had seen Rong'er.

Rong'er sometimes wears an apricot-yellow dress and loves to sit by the stream, the lake, or the gunwale of a boat to wash her feet.

Occasionally, it would playfully kick up water, splashing Lu Chen all over.

Seeing that Lu Chen was looking at her but seemed lost in thought, as if he was thinking about something else, a strange light flashed in the eyes of the girl in yellow.

She smiled slightly and said in a soft, gentle voice:

“Why be so modest, sir? Such beautiful and moving verses, once they are written, will surely be widely recited by the world. Although I am a woman, I am somewhat knowledgeable in poetry and literature. As far as I know, these two lines of poetry have never been sung before.”

"That's because the original author of the poem didn't want to be famous, and only let me hear it." Lu Chen casually replied, then nodded slightly to the girl in yellow: "I was engrossed in fishing just now and let the small boat drift, which unexpectedly drifted to the vicinity of your residence, disturbing you, young lady."

As he spoke, he picked up the long pole and prepared to row the boat away.

The girl in yellow looked at Lu Chen, a thoughtful look in her eyes. After a moment, as if remembering something, she asked:

"Is your surname Lu, young master?"

Lu Chen paused, then nodded and said:
"good."

The girl in the yellow dress smiled radiantly, a smile so beautiful that even the starlight and moonlight falling upon her seemed to brighten, making her appear even more ethereal and otherworldly.
"My surname is Zhu."

祝？
A strange glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes, but he still nodded nonchalantly:

"So it's Miss Zhu. It's a pleasure to meet you. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

With that, he dipped the long pole into the lakebed, pushed hard, and the small boat shot off like an arrow toward the center of the lake.

Watching the small boat speed away and Lu Chen's tall and imposing figure on board, the girl in yellow raised her right hand, her slender finger lightly touching her lips, and whispered:

"Lu Chen?"

the other side.

Lu Chen also seemed to be deep in thought:
Such a beautiful girl, with such an extraordinary aura, and she was barefoot, with no shoes lying around.

Are you barefoot?
He even claimed his surname was Zhu...

Could it be the Yin Gui demoness, Wanwan?
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(End of this chapter)