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

Meng Fei stood with his hands behind his back, watching quietly.

When Li Bin stopped and stood still, slightly out of breath, and looked over, he nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

In just one year, he was able to master the first three moves of the Thirteen Deadly Swords so skillfully and fluently, and his application of power was quite methodical. This shows that he had worked hard and had excellent comprehension.

"Brother Meng, his swordsmanship is truly amazing!"

Aya praised softly, her beautiful eyes sparkling, "I didn't expect that he would have such a grand presence after only one year of practicing the Thirteen Deadly Swords. Brother Meng, your master... must be an extraordinary reclusive master, right? I've never heard you mention him before."

Upon hearing this, Meng Fei's gaze drifted into the depths of the swaying bamboo shadows. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "My master... has long since retired to the mountains, no longer concerning himself with worldly affairs. Moreover, he is of a proud and aloof nature and dislikes others mentioning his name. However, it's alright to tell you."

Meng Fei pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "My master's surname is Yan, and his given name is Shisan. This sword technique was created by my master, hence it is called the Thirteen Deadly Swords."

"Yan Shisan..."

Aya murmured the name repeatedly, memorizing it.

"actually……"

A flash of reminiscence for the past and a yearning for the ultimate swordsmanship crossed Meng Fei's eyes.

"The Thirteen Deadly Swords are not the end. After them, there is the Fourteenth Sword, which transcends the mortal realm and leads to sainthood, and even... the Fifteenth Sword, which shakes heaven and earth and annihilates everything. However, those two swords require the swordsman to hone them amidst life and death, and to comprehend them on their own in the ultimate realm of swordsmanship!"

Aya and Alu were captivated, as if they had touched upon a higher and more mysterious realm of martial arts.

After the examination, seeing that Li Bin was indeed as diligent and hardworking as he had said, with a solid foundation, Meng Fei's slight resentment towards the "Divine Sword Gang" dissipated.

So, after pointing out a few minor flaws in his swordsmanship and the key points of power generation, he let him figure it out and practice on his own.

The three of them settled down in the old house in Fuzhou, and their lives seemed to be pulled away from the turbulent waves of the martial world, becoming more and more peaceful and tranquil.

Every morning, Meng Fei would practice his sword in the bamboo forest as usual, pondering the path beyond the invisible barrier.

After practicing swordsmanship, he would accompany Aya and Alu to stroll through the bustling streets of Fuzhou, experiencing the everyday life, or go out of the city to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and fields and appreciate the coastal landscape.

Unbeknownst to Meng Fei, a pair of eyes were watching him closely.

Meanwhile, Aya and Alu were not idle either. They carefully transplanted the rare medicinal herbs they had brought out from the mysterious valley of the Ten Thousand Poisons Cave to a small medicinal garden they had cultivated in the backyard.

Under their meticulous care, these Miao ethnic minorities have miraculously survived in this small medicinal herb garden in Fuzhou.

Among them, the most precious is a rare plant called "Seven Heart Grass". This grass has seven leaves on its stem, with veins like hearts, and is entirely green. After months of careful cultivation by the two women, it finally bloomed with a unique flower at the top.

The flower was not large, pale purple in color, with seven delicate and translucent petals. There were seven golden stamens in the center of the flower. Its fragrance was refreshing, yet it also carried a faint, indescribable chill.

Aya gazed at the hard-won Seven-Heart Flower, her expression a mixture of solemnity and excitement. She whispered to Meng Fei and A Luo, "According to the fragmentary records of our clan, the Seven-Heart Flower is the main ingredient for refining the 'Seven-Heart Begonia.' This poison is extraordinary; it requires a secret method to refine into eight pills—seven 'child pills' and one 'mother pill.'"

After a pause, she lowered her voice again: "Those who take the 'mother medicine' can, at will, remotely control the qi, blood, and meridians of the person who takes the 'child medicine,' and even... life and death."

Upon hearing this, Meng Fei's eyes narrowed sharply, and even A Luo, standing beside him, couldn't help but cover her mouth and exclaim softly, "Sister Aya, this...this kind of potent poison, how come I've never seen it in the clan's records?"

Aya glanced at A'luo, her tone tinged with helplessness and reproach: "If you had spent more time studying medical books and classics, how could you have failed during the selection of the Holy Maiden..."

She realized something was amiss halfway through her sentence, immediately stopped, and turned to look at Meng Fei, her expression becoming serious.

"Brother Meng, we still need a few other auxiliary ingredients to refine the 'Seven Heart Begonia'. During this time, A Luo and I will work together to prepare them and strive to refine it successfully as soon as possible."

"No rush, take your time, and be cautious."

Meng Fei suppressed his initial surprise and regained his usual calm expression. However, when he looked at the swaying Seven Hearts Grass, a thoughtful look flashed in the depths of his eyes.

In the days that followed, Meng Fei continued to practice his sword in the bamboo forest every day, trying to comprehend the way of the sword. Although he had not yet made a breakthrough, as his mind became more focused, his swordsmanship became increasingly sharp.

Under the careful care of the two women, the Seven Hearts Grass grew stronger and stronger, and its pale purple flowers gradually bloomed in full.

However, the turmoil in the martial arts world never truly ceases.

Qingcheng Mountain, thousands of miles away.

Ever since Meng Fei publicly chopped off Yu Canghai's left ear at Shaolin Temple and he fled back in panic, Yu Canghai's mind was filled with hatred and humiliation. Whenever he thought of Meng Fei's cold face and his ghostly, ruthless swordsmanship, he gritted his teeth in hatred.

Therefore, not long after returning to Qingcheng Mountain, he secretly sent his trusted disciples to search for Meng Fei's whereabouts, determined to find an opportunity to avenge his previous humiliation, while also looking for clues about the possible existence of the "Evil-Repelling Sword Manual".

"Master."

Yu Renhao stood with his head bowed in front of the hall, his voice respectful but with a slight tremor.

"After leaving Shaolin, Meng Fei traveled southeast and arrived in Fuzhou a month ago."

Since Yu Canghai returned injured, his temperament has become increasingly sinister and violent, and his disciples are all trembling with fear.

"Fuzhou?"

A cold glint flashed in Yu Canghai's eyes, and his hoarse voice sounded like sandpaper being rubbed.

"What's he going to Fuzhou for? What could be there that would interest him? Could it be...?"

Suddenly, Yu Canghai stood up abruptly from his chair, his eyes flashing with a mixture of greed and ruthlessness.

"That's it... Fuzhou! The Lin family! The Evil-Repelling Sword Manual!"

He stared intently at Yu Renhao, making strange hoarse sounds from his throat.

"Go! Gather men immediately and set off day and night for—Fuzhou!"

"yes!"

Yu Renhao dared not ask any more questions and quickly withdrew to make arrangements.

Half a month later, Yu Canghai, looking travel-worn and with a gloomy expression, quietly infiltrated Fuzhou City with Yu Renhao and seven or eight other elite disciples.

Inside the inn, Yu Canghai sat alone at the table, with a disciple who had been sent to monitor Meng Fei kneeling before him.

"Speak! What has Meng Fei done in the past two weeks? Are there any members of the Lin family still active in the vicinity? Has that brat Lin Pingzhi returned?"

Yu Canghai's voice was low and deep, carrying a chilling aura.

The disciple dared not raise his head, but reported in detail everything he had seen along the way and the information he had gathered in Fuzhou in recent days.

After entering the city, Meng Fei lived in his old house and rarely went out. Every day, apart from accompanying the two Miao girls to go shopping and sightseeing outside the city, he did nothing else.

He also mentioned that in addition to the residence where the Fuwei Escort Agency was located, the Lin family also had an old house in Xiangyang Lane, which was said to have been vacant and had no trace of habitation.

"Xiangyang Lane... the Lin family's old residence..."

Yu Canghai squinted, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, as if he was thinking about something.