From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

Looking in the direction where Mu Gaofeng disappeared, a barely perceptible trace of regret flashed across Meng Fei's eyes, which then turned into a barely audible sigh.

He slowly sheathed his longsword, wiped the blood from his cheek, and turned to look at Lin Pingzhi, who was already dumbfounded.

"Did you see it clearly?"

Meng Fei's voice remained calm, as if the thrilling battle just now was merely a casual rehearsal.

Lin Pingzhi nodded vigorously, his eyes filled not only with shock but also with a sudden enlightenment and an unparalleled longing for that fierce sword technique.

"Brother Meng," Lin Pingzhi hesitated for a moment before finally asking his question.

"Why did you sigh just now? Weren't you the one who defeated Mu Gaofeng?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Fei shook his head slightly, a faint, almost self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips.

"Originally, I wanted to keep them here. Yu Canghai did it, and so did Mu Gaofeng, twice now... Their martial arts skills may not be better than mine, but when it comes to lightness skills and movement techniques, they are both superior to me. If I had a superior lightness skill, how could they have escaped so easily?"

Meng Fei stopped there, but the longing for superior lightness skills and the resentment at missing the opportunity to kill the enemy in his words made Lin Pingzhi's heart tremble.

It turns out that even a master as strong as Brother Meng has his limitations. This did not diminish Meng Fei's image in his mind; on the contrary, it made him feel that Meng Fei was more real and respectable.

After a moment of silence, Meng Fei withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "Let's go, Hengyang City is not far ahead."

Before long, the towering city walls of Hengyang came into view.

Looking at the surging crowd at the city gate, Lin Pingzhi couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Meng, I didn't expect there to be so many people in Hengyang City!"

Meng Fei nodded slightly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd, clearly having anticipated this.

Liu Zhengfeng's retirement from martial arts is a rare and grand event in the martial arts world in recent years. Martial arts practitioners from all over the world gathered here, making it a lively and extraordinary occasion.

Lin Pingzhi followed Meng Fei, walking through the crowd towards the city, his mind replaying Meng Fei's stunning and decisive three sword strikes.

That sword light was more powerful, more direct, and more... suitable for revenge than the Lin family's Heaven-Turning Palm. At the same time, an idea grew uncontrollably in his heart, becoming clearer and stronger.

Watching Meng Fei's figure, Lin Pingzhi hesitated several times, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Finally, as he entered the city gate, Lin Pingzhi mustered his courage, stopped abruptly, turned to Meng Fei, his face slightly flushed with excitement and nervousness: "Brother Meng! I..."

Just as he was about to utter the words, "I want to become your disciple, learn swordsmanship, and personally slay my enemies," he saw Meng Fei seemingly already knowing his thoughts, and at the very moment he opened his mouth, he shook his head almost imperceptibly.

The head-shaking motion was extremely small, yet it carried an unquestionable attitude.

Lin Pingzhi felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and all his enthusiasm and impulse instantly froze.

He understood the unspoken message in Meng Fei's eyes: the master-disciple relationship was of utmost importance. Once spoken, it could not be taken back, and the relationship and responsibilities between them would be completely different.

Meng Fei helped and taught him out of a sense of morality and to help the weak, and perhaps also out of sympathy for the Lin family's plight, but this is a different matter from taking on disciples and passing on his teachings.

Lin Pingzhi's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed back the words that were already on the tip of his tongue, along with the surging desire and a trace of grievance.

He then lowered his head, took a deep breath, and when he looked up again, although there was still some lingering turmoil in his eyes, he had tried his best to regain his composure.

"Brother Meng, let's go into town."

Meng Fei glanced at him, a hint of barely perceptible approval flashing in his eyes—it seemed that after a great change, Lin Pingzhi had finally learned some sense of propriety and how to advance and retreat.

The two then said no more and walked into the bustling crowds of Hengyang City.

However, after asking at seven or eight inns in the city, the two were turned away by all of them.

Only after asking did they learn that it was because of the Golden Basin Washing Hands Ceremony that all the inns in the city had been booked by heroes and warriors from all walks of life who had come to participate.

It wasn't until more than half an hour later that the two of them finally found two guest rooms in a small inn called "Yuelai" in a corner of the east of the city.

Along the way, the sights in Hengyang City truly broadened Lin Pingzhi's horizons.

The long street was bustling with people, and everywhere you could see martial arts figures carrying knives and swords. Among them were monks and Taoists, men and women, dressed in different clothes and speaking in various accents.

In teahouses and taverns, people often talked about the reasons why Liu Zhengfeng retired from martial arts, and some even argued about which school of martial arts was superior. All sorts of things were happening, and there was a lot of commotion going on.

"Pingzhi, we have now arrived in Hengyang City. There are still a few days until Liu Zhengfeng's Golden Basin Washing Up Ceremony. Take a walk around the city and see what it's like to experience the world of martial arts. If you need anything, you can find me at the largest restaurant in the city, 'Huiyanlou'."

Inside the guest room, Meng Fei looked at Lin Pingzhi's slightly indignant face and said in a serious tone, "Just remember, the city is full of all sorts of people right now, and you're new to the martial world, so be careful with your words and actions and don't get into conflicts with anyone easily."

Upon hearing this, Lin Pingzhi's face lit up with a long-lost joy. Ever since the death of his parents, he had always carried a huge stone in his heart called a blood feud.

Now that we have finally arrived in Hengyang City, if we can become disciples of the Huashan Sect, we will have hope of taking revenge in the future.

At this moment, Meng Fei allowed him to walk alone. Although he knew that there were still risks, his youthful spirit still held some curiosity and anticipation for this unprecedented grand gathering of the martial arts world, and his originally depressed mood was slightly relieved.

"I understand, Brother Meng. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Lin Pingzhi nodded vigorously, then turned and left the inn.

After Lin Pingzhi left, Meng Fei sat in the room for a while, then got up and left the inn, heading towards the largest restaurant in Hengyang City, "Huiyanlou," which he had just inquired about.

Various masters from different schools frequently come and go in Huiyan Tower, and at the same time, some reclusive individuals with a reputation in the martial arts world also gather there.

Just as Meng Fei was on the second floor, listening intently to the surrounding drinkers discussing various news from the martial arts world and the movements of various sects, a series of slightly hurried footsteps and faint sounds of struggle suddenly came from the stairwell leading to the second floor.

A tall man, about thirty years old, was seen striding up the stairs.

The man was dressed in a brocade robe and had a decent appearance, but there was an undisguised frivolous and wicked air about him.

His right hand was tightly gripping the arm of a young nun, and he practically dragged her to the second floor.

The nun was only sixteen or seventeen years old. Dressed in a moon-white monk's robe, she was exceptionally beautiful. At this moment, however, her face was pale, her eyes were filled with fear and shame, and she kept chanting Buddhist prayers.

Following closely behind was another person, dressed in a shabby blue robe with a gourd of wine hanging from his waist. His face showed a mixture of anxiety and anger; he was none other than Linghu Chong, the eldest disciple of the Huashan Sect, whom they had met once before.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Linghu Chong immediately spotted Meng Fei sitting by the window, and then managed a weak smile.