From the Qin Dynasty onwards, he eked out a living among the heavens.

Chapter Seven: A Brief Discussion on Vertical and Horizontal Strategies

The strong wind in the courtyard dissipated slowly as Wei Zhuang retreated, and dewdrops rolling off the branches pattered on the bluestone bricks, making soft, tinkling sounds. The morning mist was mostly dispersed by the air currents stirred up during the fight, and sunlight shone through, illuminating the leaves of the orchids throughout the courtyard.

Xu Huang stopped wandering around, raised his hand and gently dusted off the thin layer of dust on his sleeve. The playful smile on his face faded, and he returned to his usual calm and peaceful demeanor.

Zi Nu slowly walked to his side, her gaze fixed on the corner of the corridor where Wei Zhuang had disappeared, and sighed softly.

"Wei Zhuang has always been like this, straightforward in his actions. If he has any doubts, he must verify them personally. That's why I offended you. I hope you won't take it to heart."

"It's alright." Xu Huang shook his head slightly, his gaze falling on the few orchid branches in the courtyard that were bent by the sword energy. His tone was gentle. "It is normal for a martial artist to be curious about unfamiliar martial arts when they possess peerless sword skills. In the exchange just now, he was only slightly at a disadvantage and was not truly defeated. He still had some sense of propriety, so there was no offense involved."

Zi Nu turned her head to look at him, her eyes still holding a lingering curiosity. Just now, Wei Zhuang had gone all out, each move sealing off advances and retreats, his offensive fierce and unparalleled. Ordinary experts would have been forced to fight head-on, but Xu Huang only dodged and did not block at all. He always seemed to have a lot of room to maneuver around him, and no matter how fierce Shark Tooth's sharp edge was, it could never even touch a corner of his clothes.

"Young Master's dodging technique just now seemed relaxed and soft, but in fact it contained countless variations. Wei Zhuang's swordsmanship is domineering and unparalleled. Even after fighting for a long time, he could only gain a slight advantage. I have never seen such martial arts in all my years of traveling in Xinzheng."

Xu Huang walked to a stone bench and sat down, raising his hand to wipe away the dew on the stone surface, gesturing for Zi Nu to sit with him.

"Martial arts in the world are divided into two paths: hard and soft. Guigu School follows the hard and fierce path of killing, breaking through the situation with force and overwhelming the opponent with momentum. It emphasizes attacking the enemy unprepared and deciding the outcome with a single strike. It is the art of fighting in chaotic times."

Zi Nu took her seat and listened quietly to what he had to say.

"But the strong are easily broken, and the powerful will inevitably decline. If you rely solely on overwhelming sword force to crush your opponent, you will have nowhere to release your power and you will miss your target everywhere. My approach does not aim to injure the opponent, but only to deflect their force. The fiercer their sword force is, the greater the loss of their own strength. They can only be slightly restrained for a short time, but they are by no means powerless to fight again."

Zi Nu seemed to be deep in thought, lightly tapping the stone table with her fingertips: "The Vertical and Horizontal Sword Technique originates from the Ghost Valley lineage. The vertical and horizontal sword techniques, when combined, can stir up the winds and clouds of seven kingdoms, and when separated, can dominate a region. The world admires its fierce and domineering nature, but only you, young master, see the limitations of a direct assault."

"It's not a weakness, it's just that our paths diverge." Xu Huang gazed at the thick palace walls of the royal city in the distance, his voice calm and resonant. "The teachings of Guigu are born for scheming to conquer the world and seize power, inherently carrying a competitive spirit. Wei Zhuang has practiced them for many years, and his very nature is accustomed to taking the initiative, controlling the overall situation, and not tolerating variables beyond his own predictions. Just now, seeing that my fist techniques were unpredictable and difficult to suppress, he felt uneasy and immediately attacked to test me."

"So, young master dislikes conflict, which is why he specializes in defensive and resolving skills?"

"That's part of the reason," Xu Huang said with a slight smile. "When traveling around, I don't want to make enemies for no reason. I avoid them if I can, and I try to avoid conflict if I can. There's no need to resort to swords at the drop of a hat. Secondly, it's a common principle in the world that what goes up must come down. Strong attacks will eventually have their limits. Only by being gentle can we protect ourselves in the long run."

After chatting for a while, the sound of light footsteps came from the corridor. Nongyu walked slowly in, carrying a cup of warm tea. Her golden skirt trailed on the ground, and the fire feather agate at her waist swayed gently. She walked to the stone table, curtsied, and gently placed the teacup between the two of them.

"Sister Zi Nu, Young Master Xu, the morning dew is chilly, please have a cup of hot tea to warm yourselves."

The girl's voice was soft, her eyes held a gentle tenderness, and her gaze swept over Xu Huang before quickly falling back down. She stood quietly to the side, waiting for instructions.

Xu Huang caught a glimpse of the familiar agate pendant, paused slightly, then nodded gently in thanks as usual.

Zi Nu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then turned her gaze back to Xu Huang. She changed the subject, no longer discussing martial arts, but talking about the political situation in the court.

"Yesterday, the Ninth Prince left in a hurry, presumably because the old nobles in the court have caused trouble again. The royal power of Han is now weak, and General Ji Wuye holds a lot of troops and controls the court. He levies taxes and levies arbitrarily, and the royal family is helpless. The Ninth Prince has a lot of ideas for governing the world, but he has no place to put them into practice."

When Han Fei was mentioned, Xu Huang remained calm: "Han Fei sees things clearly. The deep-seated problems in the state of Han have long been ingrained and cannot be reversed overnight. Ji Wuye holds military power and has followers throughout the court. A direct confrontation would only backfire. His current strategy of lying low and biding his time is the safest approach."

"Young Master sees things so clearly. With such insight and such martial arts skills, why are you unwilling to stay in Xinzheng and lend a helping hand to Ninth Young Master?" Zi Nu asked with burning eyes, revealing the question she had kept hidden for two days. "With your abilities, if you were willing to help, you could at least give Ninth Young Master an extra layer of support."

This is Zi Nu's real test.

She had seen too many people with skills, some seeking official positions, some seeking wealth, and some seeking achievements in chaotic times. Only Xu Huang, who was at the center of the vortex, always appeared detached from it all. He did not curry favor with royalty, did not associate with powerful ministers, and did not gather forces from the martial arts world. This lack of interest in power was what made him the most unpredictable.

Xu Huang picked up the hot tea, his fingertips touching the warm porcelain, and smiled faintly.

"I am merely a passerby, and I will leave Xinzheng sooner or later. The power struggles in the court and the heavy responsibilities of the nation are all games played by those with ulterior motives, and I have no intention of getting involved. The Ninth Prince has his heart set on the state of Han and has his own path; it may not be a good thing for others to interfere."

"In this chaotic world, with mountains and rivers in turmoil and people displaced, can you really stand by and watch with indifference, young master?" Zi Nu pressed, her mind still firmly on Xu Huang's words from yesterday, "I only cherish the common people."

"The suffering of the common people stems from the wars and power struggles among the states. One man and one sword cannot save a country, much less bring peace to a chaotic world." Xu Huang looked up at the rising sun on the horizon, its soft light falling on his brow. "All I can do is to remain incorruptible, not to stir up trouble, and if I happen to encounter minor injustices, I will lend a helping hand. As for court intrigues and the struggle for supremacy among the seven kingdoms, they are beyond my reach and not my desire."

No sooner had he finished speaking than cold, hard footsteps sounded again from afar. Wei Zhuang had returned and stood in the shadows under the corridor. He did not approach, but gazed at Xu Huang in front of the stone table with his cold eyes, remaining silent.

In the previous exchange, he was only slightly at a disadvantage, not because he was weak, but simply because he had difficulty adapting to Xu Huang's soft and force-dissipating style. His arrogance was not yet subdued, and he had temporarily retreated because Zi Nu had intervened. Now that he has returned, he clearly still has the intention to compete again.

Zi Nu followed Xu Huang's gaze to the corridor and smiled helplessly.

"It seems that someone still hasn't been able to let go of that competitive obsession."

Xu Huang turned his head to look at the tall, aloof figure in black in the shadows, and a quiet understanding dawned on him.

People say that Wei Zhuang is too competitive and stubborn, but he knows in his heart that this competitiveness and arrogance engraved in his bones is simply Wei Zhuang's true nature.

If even this obsession is completely worn away, and one takes everything lightly and doesn't compete for anything, then one will no longer be the sharp-tongued, aloof, and arrogant Xiao Zhuang.

Wei Zhuang stood in the corridor, his gaze deep and intense, a chilling aura emanating from him. His fingers gripped the hilt of his Shark Tooth sword tightly. He stood silently in the shadows, his cold, imposing figure like an unsheathed blade, his stubbornness undiminished and his arrogance undiminished.

The morning light illuminated the entire backyard of Zilan Pavilion, where the fragrance of orchids and tea mingled together.

Nongyu stood quietly to one side, her eyes lowered as she listened to their conversation. The agate at her waist swayed gently in the breeze, concealing a sorrowful past unknown to anyone.

Zi Nu sized up the nonchalant stranger before her, her conviction growing stronger—this traveler named Xu Huang was unfathomable in his cunning, vision, and martial arts skills. The game in Xinzheng had already quietly changed because of his arrival.