Martial Arts Master: The Lin Family Sword God, who swept through the Five Mountains and Four Sects

Faced with the questioning, he remained calm and composed: "The title 'Deadly Sword' was given to me by others, while 'Know-It-All in the Martial World' is a reputation I earned myself. I had no intention of deceiving Miss Dongfang."

"Is that so?" Dongfang Bubai chuckled. "It seems I've misunderstood you, young master." Her tone shifted abruptly. "However, you should know that besides me, 'Dongfang Bubai,' there is another person with the same name in the martial world. I wonder what your opinion is of her?"

Lin Tian raised an eyebrow and looked at her in surprise.

Dongfang Bubai remained calm, his eyes expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

After a long silence, he shook his head and smiled wryly, "Your question has really stumped me."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that you are afraid of that Dongfang Bubai? Don't worry, it's just you and me here, no one will hear us."

The meaning couldn't be clearer—if you don't tell the truth, I won't expose your secrets.

Lin Tian shrugged, his expression calm: "I'm not afraid. So what if she's the best in the world? I can't beat her, but she can't stop me either. It's just that I have no grudges against her, and we've never even met. What's there to say? If that girl from Blackwood Cliff is even a fraction as good as Miss Dongfang, I wouldn't mind inviting her for a drink and making friends."

The last sentence was clearly meant to be sarcastic.

Dongfang Bubai's eyes flickered slightly, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She gave him a deep look but said nothing.

After a moment of silence, she spoke softly, "Young Master Fuwei Escort Agency, the renowned young hero of the martial world. If word gets out of here today, you will be scorned by the righteous heroes. Young Master, are you truly not afraid?"

"The righteous path? The evil path?" Lin Tian sneered and said loudly, "What is righteous? What is evil? Yu Canghai, as the leader of Qingcheng Sect and the head of the righteous path, wiped out my entire sect to seize the Evil-Repelling Sword Manual. Is that righteous? I turned around and destroyed Qingcheng, leaving no one alive, yet the letters from various sects only cursed Yu Canghai as despicable and shameless—then am I not the one on the righteous path?!"

In the world of martial arts, only those with the strongest fists have the right to determine right and wrong.

Besides, isn't it often said that 'evil cannot prevail over good'? The Five Mountains Sword Sects, together with Shaolin and Wudang, besieged Blackwood Cliff countless times, but did they ever win even once against Dongfang Bubai? Since they have suffered repeated defeats, shouldn't we change our tune and say that Dongfang Bubai is the true righteous path, while you so-called prestigious sects are the real evil forces?"

After he finished speaking, he raised his head, his imposing presence like a rainbow.

As for his opinion on Dongfang Bubai...

Lin Tian's tone suddenly changed as he stared at Dongfang Bubai, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Miss Dongfang, tell me—has Dongfang Bubai ever stolen any of my family's rice?"

"Um?!"

Dongfang Bubai was taken aback, his brows furrowing slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "This... shouldn't be the case."

"That settles it then?" Lin Tian shrugged and smiled, his tone light. "She hasn't touched a single grain of rice of mine, she has no connection to me whatsoever, so what right do I have to criticize her? Besides, ever since she took the position of leader of the Sun Moon Sect, the martial world has become much quieter. She doesn't cause trouble, doesn't kill, and doesn't wipe out entire families; she's doing righteous deeds that even the righteous path might not dare to do. Why should I cause her trouble?"

"The Sun Moon Cult has always been known as the Demonic Cult. This is the first time I've heard such words from you, young master," Dongfang Bubai said softly, his voice as gentle as a breeze in a secluded valley.

But a strange emotion quietly surfaced in her eyes as she looked at Lin Tian.

She roamed the world fearlessly, defying the condemnation of thousands, yet she never went on a killing spree, never annihilated a single sect. But the world insisted on labeling her a "demon," hurling insults at her daily and besieging her nightly. Sometimes, she truly wanted to massacre the Five Mountains Sword Sects, to see who dared to claim righteousness or evil!

"If Dongfang Bubai heard these words, he would probably consider you a close friend," she said suddenly, gazing at him.

Lin Tian chuckled lightly, his eyes flashing slightly: "There will always be a chance to meet. If she doesn't come looking for me, I will go to Blackwood Cliff to meet her myself."

His tone was gentle, yet every word he uttered was sharp.

Dongfang Bubai's pupils contracted as she stared directly into his eyes—the deeply hidden fighting spirit there, like a cold blade drawn from its sheath, was chilling and intimidating. A surge of anger welled up within her, and she said coldly, "What? Were those words just now nothing more than tricks to deceive this young lady? Are you using the banner of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path to try and flatten Blackwood Cliff?"

"Huh?" Lin Tian was taken aback, then shook his head and chuckled. "Miss, you misunderstand. I do want to fight Dongfang Bubai, but not to uphold justice, and I have no interest in being a righteous hero—I just want to take her 'Number One Under Heaven' title. A real man can't be overshadowed by a woman forever, right?"

The last sentence was frank and straightforward, even with a touch of mockery.

After all, everyone in the martial arts world believed that Dongfang Bubai was a man, only becoming androgynous after practicing the Sunflower Manual. Lin Tian's words clearly revealed the truth behind that belief.

Dongfang Bubai's eyes suddenly darkened. He stared at him for a long time before finally saying in a low voice, "Young master, you truly live up to your reputation and deserve the title of 'know-it-all of the martial arts world'."

"Ding—Task card generated, please check it, host."

A sudden sound exploded into his mind, startling Lin Tian. A card shimmering with seven-colored light appeared in his palm. He instinctively crushed it.

[Quest Card: Defeat Dongfang Bubai, the world's number one martial arts master in The Smiling, Proud Wanderer]

[Duration: One year]

[Reward: 1 Orange Card]

……

"What the hell is this thing?" Lin Tian frowned.

"Mission cards are triggered by the host's actions and can be generated by those who influence the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing the overall situation and the overall structure of the world). Besides being dropped by enemies, completing missions is also a way to obtain them," the system calmly explained.

"What are you thinking about, young master? Why are you so lost in thought? If you were this distracted during a life-or-death battle, you would probably be dead by now."

A soft voice suddenly reached his ear, and Lin Tian shuddered.

Oh no! Dongfang Bubai is still standing in front of me, how dare I let my mind wander?

Fortunately, she had no intention of killing at the moment, otherwise ten Lin Tians would have been nailed to the wall long ago.

"System, give me a heads-up next time you're going on a mission! This is so unfair!" Lin Tian cursed inwardly.

He quickly put on a smile and looked at Dongfang Bubai: "Sorry, my thoughts were wandering a bit just now. But, I feel completely at ease in front of you, Miss."

He paused, then his eyes flashed, as if he had suddenly thought of something, and interest ignited in them: "By the way, Miss Dongfang, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet?" Dongfang Bubai raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on her lips. "Tell me about it."

Lin Tian's gaze was intense, his voice steady yet fervent: "I said I wanted to challenge Dongfang Bubai and take her title as the world's number one. You seem skeptical? How about we make a pact—if I win, you'll grant me one request; if I lose, you can do whatever you want with me once. What do you say?"

Dongfang Bubai remained silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, his eyes sparkling: "That's fine, but we can't just leave you hanging, can we? Since it's a gamble, we need to set a deadline."

"Is a year enough?" Lin Tian asked directly and decisively. Anyway, the system's time limit for the mission was one year, which was just right.

"it is good."

One answered readily, the other responded decisively.

"Then I won't stay any longer. I'll go back and practice my swordsmanship. Dying is nothing, but it would be a real pity if I never saw you again, Miss."

Lin Tian chuckled softly and turned to leave. Just as he took a step, a soft voice drifted from behind him:

"Young master... are we friends now?"

He paused, turned around, and smiled: "Of course."

A gust of wind rose outside the door, and the figure had already gone far away.