Immortality begins with the Swordsman.

"To repel external threats, we must first pacify internal strife!"

For some reason, Gu Changfeng's heart skipped a beat and his brows furrowed slightly when he heard those six words.

An ominous premonition quietly crept into my heart.

Master Zixiao said, "Only when the two sects of sword and qi are united as one can it be the true Huashan Sect. The position of sect leader has been vacant for more than forty years. It is time to set the record straight."

Gu Changfeng raised an eyebrow: "Then which of you two will be the sect leader?"

Cai Qingyan laughed loudly, "In the martial world, only those with real skill can truly win people's respect. Your master and I intend to hold a sword duel at the end of this year on Jade Maiden Peak. Whoever wins will succeed as sect leader."

Master Zixiao chuckled softly and said, "Haven't you always thought that the Sword Qi Sect and the Sword Qi Sect were bound to clash sooner or later? No, it should be said that everyone on the mountain thinks so. Then let's do as they wish, follow the trend, and merge the two sects."

Cai Qingyan said, "However, there is one variable involved."

A thought flashed through Gu Changfeng's mind, and he blurted out, "Feng Qingyang?"

Master Zixiao nodded slightly and said, "Now on the mountain, in terms of martial arts, the three of us are the strongest. It doesn't matter whether your Uncle Cai or I win, but Feng Qingyang is the only one who cannot win. He is unrestrained and acts as he pleases. He can be a sharp sword, but he is not suitable to be the leader of a sect."

Gu Changfeng narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "You're not planning to lure him away before the sword competition, are you?"

Cai Qingyan was quite surprised: "You actually guessed that?"

Gu Changfeng chuckled, feigning doubt: "But Uncle Feng isn't stupid, he probably won't be so easily fooled, will he?"

Cai Qingyan smiled mysteriously and said, "As long as you write a letter to Junior Brother Feng in the name of 'Xie Huaying,' he will definitely leave the mountain."

"Xie Huaying?" Gu Changfeng was stunned. There was no mention of her in the original work. Who was she?

Cai Qingyan said, word by word, "She is Ren Woxing, the leader of the Demonic Sect, and his betrothed!"

"What??" Gu Changfeng was dumbfounded, his gossip-loving heart instantly burning, and even Ning Zhongze next to him perked up her ears.

This is far more interesting than any sword energy contest.

Gu Changfeng immediately stepped forward, his face full of curiosity: "Uncle-Master Cai, what other secrets are hidden here? Tell me in detail!"

Cai Qingyan smiled and said, "It's alright to tell you about this, but remember not to spread it outside."

"Okay!" Gu Changfeng nodded immediately, and Ning Zhongze also secretly moved closer.

Cai Qingyan then recounted the story in detail.

half year ago.

During the Qingming Festival, Feng Qingyang returned to Jiangnan to pay respects to his ancestors, where he encountered an exceptionally beautiful woman at West Lake...

Seeing her graceful figure and radiant spirit, Feng Qingyang took the initiative to go up and get to know her.

Later, it was learned that this woman's name was Xie Huaying. Not only was she the most beautiful woman in the world, but she was also proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In addition, she had also mastered remarkable martial arts skills.

The two hit it off immediately, chatted happily, and then went boating together on West Lake...

Gu Changfeng's lips twitched: "So, Uncle Feng is... experiencing romantic feelings?"

Cai Qingyan smiled and continued, "Until one night, when Junior Brother Feng and Xie Huaying were drinking and playing the zither and sword in the Fengbo Pavilion, Ren Woxing suddenly barged in..."

Gu Changfeng's eyes lit up immediately.

Is Zun Du fake Du?

Judging from this plot development, won't Feng Qingyang and Ren Woxing just start fighting over her and getting into a physical altercation?!

He quickly pressed, "And then what? And then what?"

Cai Qingyan shrugged and said, "Later, your Uncle Feng got drunk, and I couldn't get anything out of him. I suppose he and Ren Woxing fought, but the outcome is unknown. All I know is that Xie Huaying ended up with Ren Woxing."

Gu Changfeng thought for a moment and then asked, "Excuse me, but how old are you, Uncle Feng?"

Master Zixiao coughed lightly and said, "Forty-five."

Gu Changfeng then asked, "What about Ren Woxing and Xie Huaying?"

Cai Qingyan said, "Ren Woxing is probably in his early thirties, and Xie Huaying is said to be quite skilled in martial arts, so she should be around twenty-four or twenty-five."

Gu Changfeng stroked his chin and said, "No wonder, Uncle Feng couldn't snatch it."

Ning Zhongze nodded: "He lost because of his age."

Cai Qingyan couldn't help but chuckle: "You two little devils, if this gets back to Junior Brother Feng, you'll be beaten to a pulp."

Gu Changfeng suddenly said with some melancholy, "Uncle Feng failed to win the girl, and life is already so difficult for him. Are you really going too far by planning to use this to trick him away?"

So, was Feng Qingyang in the original novel caught in this trap?

On the eve of the Jade Maiden Peak Sword Competition, I was already feeling terrible because I was tricked and taken away by two respected senior brothers. I felt like an outsider.

But after returning from Jiangnan, I took a look.

Good guy!

The Sword and Qi sects turned on each other, killing each other until only a heavily injured Yue Buqun and a little girl named Ning Zhongze remained.

How desolate he must have felt at that moment?

Disheartened, he sheathed his sword and retreated to the mountains.

Master Zixiao said, "What nonsense about stealing a girl. This is a last resort. We will explain it to him when he returns, and I believe Junior Brother Feng will understand our good intentions."

Gu Changfeng said, "I'm thinking, if we make this clear, the other senior uncles and masters will understand your good intentions. Wouldn't that be more appropriate?"

Cai Qingyan shook his head and said, "We've been fighting for this for a lifetime, and the grudges of several decades can't be resolved with just a few words. We must use forceful means to force the merger of the two clans so that it can be accomplished."

"This matter is of utmost importance and cannot be taken lightly."

"Oh..." Gu Changfeng nodded.

But one question remained in his mind:

According to Master and Uncle Cai's wishes, at the end of the year, we would just go through the motions on Jade Maiden Peak, make a show of it, shout a few slogans, and that would be the end of it.

But how did it eventually turn into a fratricidal conflict, resulting in the near extermination of the entire family?

What exactly happened during the sword competition at Jade Maiden Peak?

Could it be that the fighting escalated to the point of real conflict and the situation spiraled out of control?

Or perhaps something else happened in the middle?

Gu Changfeng was completely baffled.

He raised his hand and rubbed his slightly sore temples.

My gaze slowly fell on my left wrist—

The black and white bodhi seed bracelet shimmered softly in the sunlight.

His gaze narrowed slightly.

Looking through the black and white bodhi beads, one is struck by the appearance of a deep, dimly lit space.

The space is not large. Rows of wooden boxes are neatly embedded in the walls, each box is numbered from "1" to "108".

At this point, boxes numbered "1" through "9" have already been opened.

Boxes 7 and 8 were empty, while the rest of the boxes contained bottles and jars of various shapes. Several black lacquered wooden tags stood nearby, with the purpose and name of the items inside carefully marked in vermilion seal script.

Gu Changfeng turned his gaze to box number 9, where he saw a line of small characters clearly engraved on the black lacquered wooden tag:

A gentle breeze carrying sorrow and an antidote.

He was silent for a moment, then his gaze hardened.

No matter what happens, as long as we have these "Sad Breeze" in hand, we can turn the tide!