A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

The once quiet courtyard now houses two women locked in a standoff.

One man wielded a sword, the other a gun.

Beside him was a handsome young man reclining in a rocking chair.

The young master, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them:

"They're here."

I don't know when.

A scholar dressed in a faded blue robe arrived at the small pharmacy.

Those eyes were fixed on the inner courtyard of the pharmacy. He stood there casually and calmly, as if he had merged with the atmosphere of the place, and a sense of righteousness permeated the air.

Ye Yun straightened his robes and slowly walked out of the inner courtyard. The two locked eyes for a moment.

A paradise on earth.

Cao Changqing's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought to himself.

A person with such an imposing presence, dressed in blue... must be him.

"Ye Yun greets Cao Beima!"

Ye Yun bowed and addressed him by his former title from the battlefield of Western Chu.

In a short time.

Cao Changqing felt a moment of disorientation, as if he had returned to the days when he was full of vigor and high spirits when he repeatedly defeated the Northern Barbarians.

Looking at Ye Yun, who bore a striking resemblance to the Sage of War, a familiar yet unfamiliar face revealed a long-lost hint of excitement.

Ye Yun.

He is a descendant of an old friend.

"Ye Yun, I never imagined that after so many years, you would have become a god. If Ye Bingsheng knew this in the afterlife, he would surely be pleased."

Cao Changqing looked at Ye Yun and said with a slight sob in his voice, but his eyes were filled with joy.

This is the future of the Great Chu.

"According to seniority, I should call you Uncle Cao."

"Please come in!"

Ye Yun respectfully and humbly invited Cao Changqing into the inner courtyard.

"Um!"

Cao Changqing gave Ye Yun a standard scholar's salute.

Ye Yun would naturally not let this arrogant and unrestrained scholar, who had monopolized the eight celestial phenomena, get away with it. The fact that he was able to find this place was because Ye Yun had informed him.

The two sat facing each other, and with a wave of Ye Yun's hand, a special space formed by sword intent was created.

Between the two, there was a chessboard.

"Uncle Cao, everyone says you were a national champion back in the day. I wonder if you could give me some pointers?"

"Since the fall of the Western Chu Kingdom, I, Cao, have never played a single game of chess with anyone."

Cao Changqing showed a hint of regret.

Ye Yun did not reply. He picked up the black piece and quickly placed it, not giving Cao Changqing a chance to refuse.

Cao Changqing smiled slightly and picked up the white pieces.

Both players placed their pieces extremely quickly.

Cao Changqing's white pieces have already occupied a triangle, demonstrating a meticulous layout. He is steadily gaining territory, with his pieces complementing each other to form an encirclement.

Although Ye Yun's black pieces only occupied a corner, the overall situation was like a flying dragon, with its head striking straight into the enemy's heart, forming an isolated and unstoppable force with no room for maneuver.

They went back and forth, playing a game of chess.

Ye Yun observed the entire chess game while pondering in his mind. As the saying goes, one can judge a person by their chess moves. Cao Changqing was meticulous in his thinking, but acted arrogantly. He would observe three moves ahead before making a move, and he would proceed cautiously at every step.

Ye Yun is even more domineering, likes to take unconventional approaches, and his chess style is sharp and ruthless.

"I wonder, Uncle Cao, what are your thoughts on the current state of Western Chu?"

As Ye Yun placed his pieces, he asked a question.

"Western Chu? It is naturally a kingdom to be restored. I wonder if you have ever thought about inheriting your father's mantle."

Cao Changqing wanted Ye Yun to return to Western Chu and regain control of the Western Chu military.

"For me, like this black piece, it's more suitable to take an unconventional approach and strike straight at the heart of the enemy."

Ye Yun did not want to get involved in the restoration of Western Chu.

As for Cao Changqing's willingness to restore the kingdom, it was only for his beloved, wanting to prove that Western Chu did not perish because of that woman.

"Alas! Taking a risky approach is not a long-term solution."

Cao Changqing placed a white piece.

The outcome of the entire game is already decided.

Ye Yun placed his hand on the chessboard and gently rotated it; the black and white chess pieces and the chessboard all turned into a pile of dust.

"If I were the one holding the chess pieces, every piece would be in my grasp."

The outcome is in my hands.

Only one thing is needed.

That's absolute power.

Ye Yun stared at Cao Changqing as he spoke.

Cao Changqing suddenly felt a sense of clarity.

overbearing.

This is the path that true strength should take.

Cao Changqing closed his eyes slightly, trying to recapture the opportunity that had just occurred.

After the fall of Western Chu, he gained a deeper understanding of the universe and pursued Confucian morality and ideals. However, after many years of wasting time, he still could not achieve true sainthood. He once had doubts about the Confucian path.

Is there really a Confucian sage in this world?

Cao Changqing suddenly opened his eyes, stood up, and respectfully bowed to Ye Yun, saying, "I cannot express my gratitude for your great kindness!"

"Congratulations, Uncle Cao, for truly grasping the essence of power."

Ye Yun entered the game through chess, guiding him to perceive a new kind of power through his own artistic conception.

Cao Changqing seemed to be seeing Ye Yun for the first time. Originally, Ye Yun was just a young man with a fourth-grade cultivation level, but in just four years, he had become a land-based sword immortal, with a cultivation level above Cao Changqing's.

Using his own strength and methods, he forcefully killed Xu Xiao, the King of Northern Liang.

Even if it were him now, he probably couldn't do it!

"Ye Yun, you sent me here and helped me gain new insights into martial arts. What is your purpose?"

Cao Changqing was very perceptive, because he knew that Ye Yun wouldn't have sent him here for no reason.

Ye Yun stood up and bowed, saying, "Nephew, I want to do a deal with Uncle Cao, a deal that could change the entire world order."

If Western Chu wanted to restore its kingdom, relying on Uncle Cao alone and that group of profit-driven nobles, even if it restored the kingdom, it would only face defeat and destruction.

My ambition lies not in the imperial court, but in the martial world.

I intend to use the power of the martial world to restrain the three forces of Li Yang, Bei Mang, and Bei Liang. Uncle Cao will use the power of the imperial court to protect me, and anyone who stands in my way will be killed.

Upon hearing this, Cao Changqing smiled slightly. It turned out that Ye Yun's goal was to reach the pinnacle of martial arts.

"You want to destroy both Beiliang and Liyang."

"That's right, they are all our common enemies."

Although Ye Yun was unsure whether Cao Changqing would ultimately give up on restoring the country because of his obsession, he did not know.

At least for now, he is still the same Cao Changqing in blue robes, who is single-mindedly devoted to restoring his country.

"Okay, I promise."

Cao Changqing pointed to the chessboard, pointing to the piece that Ye Yun had just failed to finish.

Ye Yun smiled slightly. It turned out that Cao Changqing knew everything, but he turned from Confucianism to tyranny in his own way, which only led to his own demise.

Since they were destined to be together, he passed on his cultivation method to him:

"Uncle Cao, the path for Confucian scholars to become true sages is not yet closed, but it is extremely difficult, because there is one person who has deprived Confucian scholars of eight hundred years of fortune."

My nephew now possesses a method that can transform you from a Confucian scholar to a tyrannical one. You will need to re-cultivate the four realms of the first rank and eventually reach the realm of a martial arts immortal on land.

This is a special cultivation method for you, young man. It contains a completely new cultivation system. Once you have mastered it, you will no longer rely on the Confucian concept of resonance with heaven and earth; instead, your personal will will determine your final power.

Ye Yun voluntarily shared his swordsmanship system, which is the most essential part of the "Nameless" swordsmanship insights.

Cao Changqing has just gained some insight into a completely new path of cultivation.

When Ye Yun sincerely presented the sword manual, he was deeply moved, and all his emotions ultimately coalesced into one sentence:

"The younger generation is truly formidable!"

"Young man, tell Uncle Cao something extremely important: Princess Jiang Si of Western Chu is now Xu Fengnian's maid in the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion."

Using the pseudonym Jiang Ni.

Ye Yun calmly reminded him.

"What? The princess is in the Northern Liang royal palace?"

Cao Changqing was greatly shocked.

Ye Yun smiled confidently:

"Once you become the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, you can go to the Northern Liang King's Palace to demand the release of the prisoners."