Wandering Swordsman |

Shen Mo smiled faintly at Master Zhu's praise, not bringing up the past, and only said, "Brother Zhu was a man of genuine character, which I fondly remember. The fact that Mount Hua was able to accommodate his growth shows the magnanimity of your sect."

As Shen Mo finished speaking, a spring breeze caressed his face, his smile gentle as water, yet possessing immense power.

Then Shen Mo smiled and raised his hand, pointing to the east side of the Wulin Alliance Hall: "Gentlemen of Mount Hua, please follow the guiding disciple to the 'Pine Breeze Pavilion' and take your seats. Tea and refreshments have been prepared, and the wedding banquet will begin shortly."

The leader of the Huashan Sect bowed deeply and led his followers in single file.

Just as Hua Shan's figure disappeared into the corridor, the bells and chimes rang again, and another person with an otherworldly air appeared outside the Martial Alliance.

At this moment, the Qingcheng Sect arrived.

The sect leader, Yu Xu, was the leader, followed by eight elders, all dressed in blue satin Daoist robes with the "Shangqing Sword" hanging at their waists.

His steps were light, yet his voice boomed: "Brother Situ! Brother Murong! This old Taoist has come today with the sincere wishes of the entire Qingcheng Sect to congratulate your daughter on her return to the nest, and to further congratulate the Sword God on his benevolent heart and righteous path!"

After speaking, the master of ceremonies presented a congratulatory gift—a box of the "Shangqing Sword Manual," a secret manual of the Qingcheng Town sect, which has always been passed down only to the sect leader.

Master Yuxu gazed intently at Shen Mo: "This is not a gift, but a loan. Once the Sword God establishes his own sect, this manual will be returned to Qingcheng!"

Shen Mo accepted it solemnly and bowed deeply: "I will never forget your kindness, sir."

Following closely behind, the Kunlun Sect arrived through the snow.

Although it was April, the Kunlun disciples still wore white fox fur coats and carried cold iron swords at their waists, their aura as fierce as the wind and snow of the western frontier.

The Kunlun Sect Leader had a cold and stern face, but he nodded slightly when he saw Shen Mo, his voice low but sincere: "Congratulations on the wedding of the 'Sword God'."

He waved his hand, and his disciple presented two crystal-clear "Ice Soul Short Daggers" with dragon patterns hidden on the blades: "These were forged from the Kunlun Ten Thousand Year Cold Marrow, and are given to the two brides for self-defense."

Situ Dengfeng and Murong Liang quickly expressed their gratitude, secretly marveling: even the usually aloof Kunlun had prepared such a generous gift!

Then, the Long River Sword Sect arrived by boat—they actually sailed directly from the Qinhuai River to the Alliance Gate Pavilion!

The sect leader, dressed in a dark blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, laughing loudly, "The long river flows on, eventually returning to the sea; wherever the sword's heart leads, it will surely reach you!" He leaped ashore, presenting with both hands a scroll of "The Nine Forms of the Long River: A Combined Manual," saying, "This is the culmination of the efforts of generations of sect leaders. Today, I bestow it upon the newcomer, wishing that your sword hearts may be in harmony, your techniques may merge, like the long river flowing into the sea, never to be separated!"

Shen Mo accepted the manual, his fingertips trembling slightly—this was clearly no ordinary martial arts manual. What an honor to receive such a gift from the Long River Sword Sect!

Finally, the mysterious and unpredictable Tang Clan made their grand entrance.

Dozens of men in black stood silently in formation, their faces covered by masks. Only the leader removed his mask—it was the current leader of the Tang Clan. He had a gaunt face and sharp, eagle-like eyes, yet he rarely showed a smile before Shen Mo: "Sword God. Today, I will not give you gold or silver, but only three 'Shadowless Heart Needles'—the needles leave no trace, leaving no shadow or mark, capable of protecting your wife."

He handed over a brocade box. When the box was opened, a cold light shone through it. The needles were as thin as hair, yet they contained the highest level of techniques of the Tang Clan.

Murong Liang was shocked: Tang Clan's hidden weapons have always been used only for killing, but today they have been used as congratulatory gifts. This is unprecedented!

Before he could have any more thoughts, he suddenly felt the surrounding noise gradually subside, and the crowd spontaneously parted to make way for him.

At the end of the long street, the noise suddenly stopped.

The once bustling Wulin Alliance gates were suddenly cleaved in two by an invisible sword aura—laughter ceased, and even the wind held its breath.

A solemn and aloof aura slowly emanated from the depths.

There were no drums or music leading the way, no banners waving, only a group of people walking steadily in the dim morning light.

They were not dressed in fine clothes, nor did they have any ceremonial procession. They were only dressed in plain white outfits, and the swords at their waists were all unsheathed. The swords were simple and unmarked, but they faintly exuded the aura of cold iron from thousands of years ago, as if they had been forged from an ancient icy abyss.

With each step, the ground trembled slightly—not because of the force, but because the sword intent was so deeply contained that it resonated with the earth.

The leader, with snow-white hair and a chiseled face, had eyes that seemed to hold the flow of stars and the flashing of sword light—he was none other than Ouyang Song, the leader of the Sword Tomb.

Behind him, Luo Wangchen, dressed in a blue robe, had tears and smiles in his eyes. Though his steps were slow, he could not hide his excitement. Qu Yifan stood with his hands behind his back, looking gratified, with a slight smile on his lips, as if recalling the first time he met Shen Mo in the Black Wind Gang. Then, He Yun grinned, looking very happy. Zhao Xue's eyes were slightly red, and she held her husband He Yun's arm tightly. Yang Muran gently straightened her clothes, her fingertips trembling slightly. She knew that the person she was seeing today was not only her husband's best friend, but also the benefactor who had saved her seventh uncle from the Black Wind Gang's blade.

"Master..." Shen Mo choked up when he saw Luo Wangchen's figure clearly, his heart surging like a turbulent river.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he knelt down on one knee without hesitation and performed the traditional disciple's salute—his forehead touching the ground, his posture devout, just like the day he became a disciple in the small town years ago.

"Silly child!" Luo Wangchen stepped forward quickly, his hands trembling as he helped him up, his voice slightly shaking. "Today is your joyous day, why perform such a grand ceremony? Get up, let your teacher take a good look at you."

He looked Shen Mo up and down, his gaze sweeping from his eyebrows to his shoulders and back, his eyes filled with pride and affection: "When I took you as my disciple, you were just a stubborn-looking, ragged boy... Now, you have become the Sword God of the Central Plains, renowned throughout the world. As your master... I have no regrets even if I die."

Qu Yifan laughed heartily, teasingly saying, "Brother Luo, Shen Mo is much better than you were back then! At least he married two women, while you didn't even dare to speak to a single girl back then, only daring to stare blankly at the sword manual!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and even Ouyang Song's eyes flickered with a faint smile. The murderous intent he had just felt instantly transformed into human warmth.

He Yun put his arm around Shen Mo's shoulder and teased in a low voice, "Brother Shen, you have two of the four beauties, truly the envy of every man in the world! You'll have to drink to your heart's content with me at the banquet later!"

Zhao Xue gently nudged him and scolded, "Don't be silly!" Then she turned to Shen Mo and said softly, "Young Master Shen, Miss Situ and Miss Murong are both very good... We have been hoping that you two could get married soon, and now our wish has finally come true."

Yang Muruan then cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Young Master Shen, congratulations." His words were brief, yet each one carried immense weight—they contained both gratitude and respect.

At this moment, Ouyang Song finally stepped forward.

His gaze was like a sword, fixed on Shen Mo. After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice deep and resonant like an ancient bell: "Shen Mo, the Sword Tomb... doesn't have anything worth mentioning." With that, he took out a silver note wrapped in red paper from his pocket and handed it to Shen Mo.

Shen Mo's heart skipped a beat. He knew that although the Sword Tomb was renowned throughout the martial world, it was sparsely populated, and its members spent their lives performing chivalrous deeds, providing disaster relief, and helping the poor; their savings had always been meager. For them to prepare such a generous gift was truly extraordinary. He quickly declined, saying, "Senior passed on the 'Tiger-Slaying Heart Method' to me years ago, for which I am deeply indebted. This gift is absolutely unacceptable to me!"

Before he could finish speaking, Murong Liang happened to step forward, swiftly took the silver note, and smiled as he cupped his hands to Ouyang Song, saying, "Brother Ouyang, you are so kind! I am young and ignorant of etiquette, please forgive me. We will accept this gift on his behalf."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ouyang Song nodded slightly and said nothing more before leading the group into the hall.

After the group from Sword Tomb disappeared into the corridor, Murong Liang whispered to Shen Mo, "Shen Mo, listen to me—you can't refuse congratulatory gifts from others. It's not about money, but about the weight of their sentiments. If you refuse, you'll be disregarding their sincerity. They've traveled a long way to see you and offer their congratulations; if you refuse the gifts, you'll be rejecting their kindness."

If you truly feel bad about it, you can repay double in the future. The way of the martial world is not about calculating immediate gains and losses, but about lasting friendship and loyalty.

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo felt a sudden sense of clarity. He looked in the direction where the Sword Tomb group had entered the Martial Alliance, his eyes softening. He realized that true respect wasn't about rejecting what others offered, but about accepting it readily and reciprocating with even deeper affection.