I Have the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye in the Storm Riders

The rain grew heavier and heavier, and a white curtain of rain hung between heaven and earth.

About a mile from the ancient road, there is a simple and quiet village. The houses are scattered in an orderly manner, and wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys, exuding a peaceful and idyllic atmosphere in the rain.

At the east end of the village, in a small courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles.

"Mom! I'm home!"

The boy rushed into the courtyard in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone like a drowned rat, but still grinning, clutching a rain-soaked foxtail grass tightly in his hand.

The curtain inside the room was lifted, and a young woman dressed in simple clothes and a hairpin walked out. Although she was without makeup and dressed simply, her natural beauty could not be hidden. Time had not left too many marks on her face; instead, it had given her a gentle and mature charm.

She was holding a newly mended garment in her hand, and upon seeing the boy's appearance, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

"Long'er! You silly child, where have you been running around again? Look how soaking wet you are!"

Feng Wu scolded him playfully, but she didn't slow down. She quickly put down her work, stepped forward, pulled Long'er under the eaves, took a dry cloth hanging nearby, and tenderly wiped the rain off his head.

"This autumn rain is the coldest. If you catch a cold, your father will spank you."

While vigorously rubbing Long'er's wet hair, Feng Wu nagged incessantly, her eyes full of affection.

Long'er let her mother do as she pleased, lowered her head and hummed in agreement. After a moment, she whispered:

"Mother, I'm not afraid of the cold. I just went to the ancient road and watched some martial arts practitioners fighting."

Feng Wu paused slightly in her movements, glanced down at him, and

"You went to the ancient trail again?"

Long'er didn't explain, she just pursed her lips, but her shoulders were tense.

Feng Wu knew this child's personality all too well. He was usually quiet and didn't confide in anyone. The more he was like this, the more unpredictable he became.

He spoke briefly, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if the battle in the snowstorm hadn't completely faded from his mind.

Feng Wu slowly stopped drying his hair and said softly:

"You looked closer?"

"No." Long'er shook her head, paused, and then added,

"They're not exactly close."

Feng Wu could easily tell the lie in his words, so she raised her hand and gently tapped his forehead.

"You've always been like this since you were little, not talkative, but very stubborn."

"When people in the martial world start fighting, their palm strikes and sword strikes are indiscriminate. If you get caught up in it, you won't even have time to dodge."

Long'er lowered her head and remained silent.

Seeing his expression, Feng Wu softened her tone again.

"It's not that I don't want you to see it, it's just that you're still young, and the things outside are far more dangerous than you think."

Long'er looked at the rainwater puddles at her feet and suddenly whispered:

"We can't stay cooped up in this yard forever."

Upon hearing this, Feng Wu's handkerchief tightened slightly. She looked at Long'er, her eyes filled with an indescribable complexity.

"Who told you that?"

"Nobody said anything," Long'er said softly, but with a hint of stubbornness in her voice.

"I know it myself."

Feng Wu paused for a moment, then gently tucked his loose, damp hair behind his ear and whispered:

"It's not what you think outside."

"What you see now is excitement, skill, and freedom of movement, but what your mother has seen is death, bloodshed, and people who are sitting in front of you today talking to you, only to be buried in the ground tomorrow."

Long'er listened without much change in expression, but her eyes gradually darkened.

He didn't talk back or argue, but his demeanor was more unsettling than any commotion.

"Hmph, out running wild again?"

A sturdy middle-aged man strode out from the inner room, dressed in coarse linen clothes with his trousers rolled up, looking like an old farmer in the fields. However, his eyes shone brightly when he opened and closed, clearly indicating that he had profound internal strength. He was none other than Long Xiu, the leader of the "Five Joyful Men" back then.

He glanced at Long'er, who was soaking wet, shook his head helplessly, and said with a stern face:

"Hurry up and change your wet clothes! After you're done, go to your study and start reading! If you don't finish your homework today, you won't get dinner."

Upon hearing the word "reading," Long'er's already somber face paled even more, a hint of indescribable loneliness flashing in her eyes. She lowered her head and weakly replied:

"Okay, Dad..."

Feng Wu glanced back at Long Xiu.

"He just got back, can't you give him a break?"

Long Xiu said calmly:

"Slow down? His mind is wandering more and more each day. If he slows down any further, he'll lose himself."

Long'er raised her eyes, glanced at Long Xiu, and moved her lips, but did not argue like a normal boy. She only whispered, "I didn't run around."

"Didn't run around?" Long Xiu sneered.

"I could hear the commotion over the ancient road from inside the house, and you, on the other hand, braved the rain to head over there."

"You really think you're all grown up now?"

Long'er clutched the foxtail grass in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white.

"I'm just going to take a look."

"Look?" Long Xiu stared at him.

"Do you want to watch, or do you want to move closer?"

These words were like a nail, driven straight into Long'er's heart. He pursed his lips, and his face gradually turned cold.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Feng Wu quickly tried to smooth things over.

"He's still a child, so you should say less."

"The child?" Long Xiu didn't even look at Feng Wu, only staring at Long Er.

"What he has in his heart is nothing like what a child would have."

The courtyard fell silent, with only the raindrops dripping from the eaves.

Long'er stood there, soaked to the bone, but her back was ramrod straight, as if she was unwilling to show any weakness in front of Long Xiu.

After a long pause, he said in a low voice:

"Reading, reading, reading every day."

Long Xiu's eyes darkened slightly.

"If you don't study, what do you want to do?"

Long'er didn't answer immediately. First, she gently bent the soaking wet foxtail grass in her hand before saying:

"Practice martial arts."

"And then what?" Long Xiu pressed.

Long'er raised her head, her voice not loud, but firm.

"Wandering the martial world."

Feng Wu's expression immediately changed.

"Ryuu!"

Long Xiu, however, seemed to have expected this, her expression remaining calm and composed as she coldly stared at him.

"Venturing into the world? With your current skills, you won't even survive outside the village."

Long'er remained silent, but the intensity in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Long Xiu looked at him for a while, then suddenly said:

"You think those people outside are so powerful?"

Long'er remained silent.

Long Xiu continued:

"You saw them take action today and felt a sense of satisfaction, you thought they were powerful, but did you see the debts they carried?"

"Did you see how many bones were buried along the path they walked?"

"The martial world isn't about the fleeting pleasures and grudges you imagine; it's about having a knife to your throat and having to swallow your blood and keep going."

Long'er whispered:

"That's still better than being locked up in a room your whole life."

These words were spoken softly, yet they made Feng Wu's heart sink.

She stepped forward, grasped Long'er's icy hand, and her voice tightened.

"Who said we'd lock you up for life?"

Long'er looked away, refusing to look at her.

"I just know you won't let me go."

Feng Wu was stunned and couldn't say a word for a moment.

Long Xiu said coldly:

"We'll talk about whether you go or not when you can stand on your own two feet."

"At this age, with this level of skill, going out would be suicide."

Long'er lowered her eyes and stopped arguing.

The more he acted this way, the more it seemed that his determination wasn't just a momentary outburst, but something that had been brewing in his heart for a long time.

Feng Wu forced a smile and stuffed the dry cloth back into his arms.

"Don't think about these things now, go change your clothes."

"You're so cold, if you really get sick, you won't have the energy to think about anything else."

Long'er hummed in agreement, her voice very low.

After saying that, he walked into the house dejectedly, his back looking particularly lonely.

Feng Wu watched his retreating figure, the tenderness in her eyes slowly fading. She turned to look at Long Xiu and whispered:

"I also noticed the commotion over the ancient road; it's probably not from ordinary martial artists."

Long Xiu hummed in agreement, her relaxed expression softening somewhat.

"The commotion was quite significant; even from a mile away, it made one's heart feel heavy."

"If they're just passing by, that's fine; but if they're here for something, things won't be peaceful these next few days."

Feng Wu pursed her lips.

"That child, Long'er, is getting more and more preoccupied every day."

Long Xiu remained silent for a moment before saying:

"It's not that he's wild at heart, it's that his heart has already wandered out the door."

Feng Wu's heart tightened.

"Then why did you pressure him like that?"

Long Xiu gazed at the doorway, his voice low and deep.

"If we don't force him to consolidate his position, are we really going to let him leave now?"

"He's now completely focused on looking outwards, and the more I try to stop him, the more he tries to suppress it."

"But if we don't stop him, he doesn't even know where he's going."

Feng Wu sighed softly.

"I always felt that this child would leave sooner or later."

Long Xiu didn't reply, but stood under the eaves gazing at the ancient road beyond the rain, her eyes gradually darkening.

In the far north of China, there is a world of ice and snow.

The wind howled, whipping up a flurry of snowflakes that painted the world a vast expanse of white. The cold here was enough to freeze even metal and stone, making it impossible for ordinary people to set foot here.

However, amidst the wind and snow, a figure was struggling to move forward.

Carrying a heavy black iron sword case on his back, Huai Kong left a trail of lonely footprints on the snow, his eyebrows and hair covered in frost, but his eyes were as firm as iron, as if nothing in the world could stop him.

"Where is this peerless sword...?"

Huai Kong muttered to himself, but his voice was instantly swallowed up by the raging wind.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

"Boom!"

The howling wind suddenly turned violent, and the surrounding snow seemed to be drawn by some force, soaring into the sky and turning into countless huge snow waves that crashed down into Huai Kong.

Amidst the swirling snow, countless fierce and unparalleled fist energies arose out of thin air, mingling with the snow waves, and crashing down upon Huai Kong. Each fist energy contained astonishing destructive power, as if it wanted to blast this entire world into dust.

"Who goes there?!"

Huai Kong's expression changed instantly. He reacted swiftly, his body suddenly sinking into the ice as if rooted to the ground. He activated the Breaking Void Yuan Hand instantly, and invisible true energy burst forth from his body, transforming into an indestructible barrier.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dense sounds of impact echoed across the snowfield.

Huai Kong's palms flew, and his Breaking Void Yuan Hand neutralized all the incoming fist force like an impenetrable wall. Although the ice beneath his feet was cracked inch by inch by the residual force, he remained as still as an ancient pine tree, and not even the hem of his clothes was disheveled.

"What a powerful punch! Too bad, it can't hurt me!"

Huai Kong's eyes swept around like lightning, trying to find the person who had attacked him.

However, apart from the swirling snow, there was not a single person in sight. It was as if the person had become one with the wind and snow, omnipresent yet impossible to find.

"Who exactly are you? And why did you ambush me?"

Huai Kong shouted loudly, his voice carrying true energy that pierced through the wind and snow and traveled for miles.

As soon as he uttered his voice, the surrounding snow seemed to freeze for a moment, and several swirling snow dragons in the distance suddenly exploded, turning into countless snowflakes dancing wildly.

But the person in the shadows did not answer immediately. Instead, the pressure from all directions grew heavier and heavier, as if an invisible hand was slowly squeezing the entire snowfield toward the center.

Huai Kong narrowed his eyes slightly, his left palm held horizontally across his chest, while his right palm slowly pressed down. The power of his Breaking Void Hand technique didn't leak outwards, yet it pressed down so hard that snow couldn't fall and wind couldn't get in the three feet in front of him. His lips curled slightly, and he said coldly:

"Hiding your head and showing your tail, what kind of skill is that?"

"If you don't show yourself, don't blame me for forcing you out."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another fist force suddenly broke through the snow from the northwest corner. This fist was not as wide and powerful as the previous one; instead, it was extremely vicious, skimming along the ground and causing layers of ice to shatter wherever it passed, heading straight for Huai Kong's knees.

Huai Kong snorted coldly, shifted his feet, and flipped his right palm downwards. The palm force struck first despite being delayed, and with a muffled boom, the fist force was immediately scattered, and the snow beneath his feet was also lifted more than ten feet.

But just as the punch shattered, three more heavy punches came crashing down on his head simultaneously—one from above, one from the middle, and one from below—their coordination was extremely cunning.

Instead of retreating, Huai Kong advanced, his shoulders and back suddenly feeling heavy. The black iron sword case behind him emitted a muffled hum, like a ferocious beast that had been awakened.

He struck out with both palms in quick succession, the palm shadows flying like the opening and closing of an iron gate, the three fist energies exploding in mid-air, turning into chaotic snow mist.

With his inner energy surging, Huai Kong's sharp gaze swept across his surroundings as he coldly hissed:

"come out!"

He secretly channeled his inner energy into his chest, causing the surrounding wind and snow to tremble.

As the snow gradually subsided, a burly figure slowly emerged from the snowstorm.

He was a middle-aged man with a full beard. Although he was burly, his face had an unnaturally ashen look, and his aura was somewhat disordered.

"I am Kitano the Lion." The old man looked at Huai Kong, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Not bad. To be able to withstand these punches from me, your martial arts skills are enough to make you stand out among the younger generation."

"The Lion King Kitano?" Huai Kong frowned slightly.

"The lord of Lion King Castle?"

Why did you ambush me?

"To test you." Kitano Yushi sighed, his once upright back suddenly hunching over.

"My time is drawing near; my days are numbered."

Huai Kong was taken aback but did not respond.

He didn't respond, not because he didn't know what to say, but because the person in front of him was too strange.

Given Kitano Yushi's status, if he really wanted to see him, he could have simply appeared openly and honestly. Instead, he hid in the snow and wind first, and then used a heavy punch to test the way. This didn't seem like he was coming to ask for help, but rather like he was blocking the road to test someone's knife.

Huai Kong's gaze fell on his ashen face, and he suddenly said in a deep voice:

"Those punches you just threw, senior, were powerful, but their power was weak and lacked staying force."

"You're not here to kill me; you're using your last breath to see if I'm qualified to work for you."

Kitano Yushi paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"Good eye."

"Before I even uttered a word, you've already seen through seven or eight parts of me."

Huai Kong said coldly:

"Since you know who I am, you should know that I don't have time to play guessing games."

"Speak your mind."

Kitano Yushi continued:

"Throughout my life, I have traversed the North, establishing the foundation of this Lion King Fortress."

"But my son, Iron Lion Man, although exceptionally talented and powerful, grew up under my protection and lacked real life-or-death experience."

"If I die, he probably won't be able to maintain this legacy."

"So, what do you want me to do?" Huai Kong asked in a deep voice.

"I would like to ask you for a favor."

As Kitano Yushi spoke, he suddenly knelt down in front of Huai Kong with a "plop"!

"Senior! What do you mean by this?!"

Huai Kong was shocked and quickly dodged to the side.

Kitano Yushi did not get up immediately. Instead, he lowered his head and pressed his fists firmly into the snow, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

His kneeling wasn't like he was begging for help; it was more like he was crushing his lifelong pride inch by inch and pressing it into the snow with his own hands.

Huai Kong's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

"You, the dignified lord of Lion King Fortress, have gone so far as to kneel to force me to agree to this?"

Kitano Yushi said in a hoarse voice:

"If there were any other way, I wouldn't be in this situation."

"Young hero, I know you've come here to find a peerless sword to save your master, Iron God." Kitano Xiongshi raised his head.

"If you do me this favor, I'll tell you the whereabouts of the peerless sword."

Huai Kong's heart skipped a beat, and he said in a deep voice:

"You investigated me?"

"Although I've been plagued by illness for a long time, I can still see through the eyes of every blade of grass and every tree in the North," Kitano Yushi said with a wry smile.

"Young hero, my request is simple. Just send a challenge to Lion King's Fortress, declaring that you want to take my head."

"That's all?" Huai Kong asked, somewhat puzzled.

"That's all." A resolute glint flashed in Kitano Yushi's eyes.

"Once the challenge is issued, I will sever my own meridians and die in a secret room, making it appear as if you killed me."

"At that time, the man will surely think that you killed me, and will hate you to the core."

"I will use my death to ignite the hatred and fighting spirit in a man's heart, so that he may truly grow into a pillar of society!"

Upon hearing this, Huai Kong was deeply moved. This was a father's last wish before his death. Although the methods were extreme, his love for his son was truly touching.

But after a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"Senior, have you ever considered that if he knew the truth, he would hate not only his enemies, but also you?"

Kitano Yushi's body trembled, as if those words had struck him squarely in the chest.

The wind on the snowfield suddenly picked up, making his beard tremble and his robes flutter.

He looked down at the snow, remaining silent for a long while. When he spoke again, his voice was low.

"If he's still alive and holding onto Lion King Castle when he finds out the truth, then let him hate."

"As long as he lives, as long as he can hold that fortress, I'll accept whatever he hates or resents me."

Looking at the aged and decrepit lion before him, Huai Kong was momentarily speechless.

He had seen too many cases of fathers and sons turning against each other and brothers killing each other in the martial arts world. For power, for fame, for survival, they would do any dirty thing.

But this was the first time he had ever seen someone like Kitano Yushi, who calculated everything before his death just to force his son to a way out.

"Are you that certain?" Huai Kong said slowly.

"Can Iron Lion Man catch you when you die?"

Kitano Yushi raised his head, a hint of true ruthlessness appearing in his eyes for the first time.

"If he can't even handle this, then he doesn't deserve to be the son of my son, the Lion of Kitano."

These words were harsh, but as soon as he finished speaking, the bloodshot eyes became even more pronounced, as if he were tearing off the thing he was most reluctant to part with and throwing it into the snow as if he didn't care at all.

Huai Kong exhaled a breath of white air and said in a deep voice:

"It's not impossible for me to cooperate with you in this play."

"But let me make this clear first: my promise to you is for the sake of a peerless sword, and also to honor your fatherly love, not to deceive a son who knows nothing."

Kitano Yushi smiled bitterly.

"Whether it's deception or coercion, I can't care anymore."

"Alright! For the sake of this peerless sword, I agree!"

Huai Kong took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Kitano Yushi finally smiled with relief and kowtowed deeply.

"Thank you for your kindness, young hero! As for the whereabouts of that peerless sword..."

As he spoke, it seemed to aggravate his internal injuries; his chest heaved violently twice, and he suddenly turned around and coughed softly a few times.

The cough was muffled, as if it were being squeezed out from rotten lungs, and a few specks of blackened blood foam even splattered on the snow, only to be quickly covered by the wind and snow.

Huai Kong saw this and his expression darkened slightly.

"You're more seriously injured than I thought."

Kitano Yushi waved his hand dismissively, as if he didn't care at all, then turned back, lowering his voice even further.

"I've held on until now, just to wait for someone who's qualified."

"If the one who comes is incompetent, even if we tell him the news, it will only be sending him to his death in vain."

"You're different. You have the ability and the courage."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said:

"More than ten years ago, when the peerless sword of Baijian Manor was created, I secretly sneaked in and hid at the edge of the sword pool. I witnessed with my own eyes that the peerless sword was not lost, but was devoured by another sword!"

"What sword?"

"The Fire Kirin Sword!" Kitano Yushi said, enunciating each word clearly.

"And the owner of the Fire Kirin Sword is none other than Duan Lang!"

Huai Kong's pupils suddenly contracted:

"Broken Waves..."

As soon as those two words left his mouth, many scattered clues in his mind seemed to be suddenly strung together by a single thread.

The peerless sword has gone missing, and the Iron Gate has searched everywhere without success. If this matter is truly related to Duan Lang, then what follows will be far more than just a sword.

Huai Kong slowly clenched his fist, the veins on the back of his hand bulging slightly.

"Can you guarantee you're not lying to me?"

Kitano Yushi stared at him and slowly said:

"I'm about to die, why would I lie to you?"

"Besides, if you later discover that what I said was false, you are welcome to come and take my remains to vent your anger."

Huai Kong remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

He didn't ask any more questions, because he could tell that the man was indeed nearing the end of his life.

A dying man, kneeling in the snow with such a heavy heart, having staked his life and his family fortune, there was no need for him to dwell on this matter any longer.

"Thank you for telling me, senior!"

Huai Kong clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and disappeared into the wind and snow.

Watching Huai Kong's departing figure, Kitano Yushi slowly stood up, gazing in the direction of Lion King's Castle, his eyes filled with longing and reluctance.

"My son, this is all I can do for you..."