Wandering Swordsman |

He Yun smiled slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Brother Li was able to knock Long Zaitian's sword down; this is definitely not something that can be done by luck alone. Ah Xue, let's continue watching."

However, just when everyone thought Li Fanglin was about to win, an unexpected event occurred. Long Zaitian suddenly flipped over, quickly picked up his sword from the ground, and thrust it at Li Fanglin's abdomen with a backhand stroke. Although Li Fanglin tried his best to dodge, he was ultimately a step too slow, and the sword tip pierced his clothes, leaving a shallow scratch.

"Thud!" The referee's stick slammed heavily to the ground, signaling the end of the match. Long Zaitian sheathed his sword, a faint smile on his face, and bowed to Li Fanglin, saying, "Thank you for the win, I have won."

Li Fanglin smiled slightly, sheathed his sword, and cupped his hands to Long Zaitian, saying, "Young Master Long's strength is indeed well-deserved. I humbly admit defeat."

After the Jingtian Pavilion disciple, who was acting as the referee, announced Long Zaitian's victory, the audience below the stage was stunned for a moment, and then burst into enthusiastic applause.

......

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the living area of ​​Jingtian Pavilion, adding a touch of warmth to the complex. He Yun and Zhao Xue walked back to the living area, their steps heavy.

He Yun sighed, a hint of confusion in his eyes: "Sigh~ I really can't figure it out."

His words were filled with confusion, clearly indicating that he still harbored doubts about Li Fanglin's defeat to Long Zaitian.

Zhao Xue gently patted He Yun's shoulder and comforted him, "Brother Yun, Li Fanglin's first round of the competition seemed to be won by luck. In the second round against Long Zaitian, although he also relied on luck to fight back and forth with Long Zaitian, in the end Long Zaitian's strength still overwhelmed Li Fanglin, which is obvious to everyone. So it was expected that he would lose."

He Yun shook his head, a resolute glint in his eyes: "I think with Brother Li's strength, defeating Long Zaitian shouldn't have been difficult. It's just a bit of a pity that he lost in the end." His words carried a hint of resentment, as if he didn't want to believe that Li Fanglin had really lost to Long Zaitian.

Seeing He Yun's persistence, Zhao Xue felt a pang of pity and said softly, "Brother Yun, perhaps Li Fanglin has his own plans. After all, everyone has their own secrets, and we shouldn't speculate too much."

He Yun nodded, but his doubts hadn't completely dissipated. He pondered to himself, "Why is that? Judging from Li Fanglin's deliberately feigned lack of swordsmanship and his evenly matched fight with Long Zaitian, Li Fanglin's strength should be superior to Long Zaitian's. So why would Li Fanglin deliberately lose to Long Zaitian? Could he have some other purpose? And what is that purpose?"

Just then, Zhao Xue's words interrupted He Yun's thoughts: "Brother Yun, let's go visit Young Master Li later. Maybe he's feeling down because he lost to Long Zaitian."

Upon hearing this, He Yun's eyes lit up, and he nodded: "Good idea, let's go see him."

The two quickened their pace and arrived at Li Fanglin's room. The lanterns in front of the door were already lit, and the dim yellow light spilled onto the ground, adding a touch of warmth to the atmosphere.

He Yun gently knocked on the door, the wooden door making a soft "thump-thump" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet twilight. After a moment, the door slowly opened, and Li Fanglin appeared in the doorway. His face was slightly pale, and the weariness in his eyes seemed not to have completely faded, but upon seeing He Yun and Zhao Xue, a hint of surprise immediately flashed in his eyes, and a warm smile appeared on his lips: "Brother He, Miss Zhao, please come in."

Zhao Xue responded with a smile, her smile as warm as the spring sun, making people feel at ease: "Young Master Li, we've come to see you."

Li Fanglin smiled slightly and stepped aside to welcome the two into the house. The interior was simply yet elegantly furnished, with several ink paintings hanging on the walls and a pot of orchids on the table, emitting a faint fragrance. A delicate aroma of tea wafted in the air, creating a particularly soothing atmosphere.

He Yun sat in the chair, looking at Li Fanglin with gentle eyes, his tone calm but with a hint of concern: "Brother Li, we have some questions, and we wonder if you would be willing to tell us about them."

Li Fanglin nodded, a hint of doubt on his face: "Brother He, please speak."

He Yun leaned forward slightly, his tone earnest and sincere: "Brother Li, you know I come from the Sword Tomb, so my understanding of swordsmanship is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Brother Li, your swordsmanship seemed somewhat unnatural during the duel, as if it was intentional..."

As He Yun spoke, Li Fanglin's pupils contracted slightly, a barely perceptible hint of tension flashing in his eyes. But he quickly regained his composure; He Yun had keenly noticed this fleeting change.

After a moment of silence, Li Fanglin smiled and explained, "Brother He, your eyes are indeed extraordinary. It's like this, I injured my wrist not long ago and it hasn't fully healed yet, so I'm a little unnatural when wielding the sword."

Upon hearing this, He Yun nodded and replied, "I see." However, his facial expression revealed a hint of barely perceptible doubt. Li Fanglin keenly noticed this, but did not expose He Yun's disbelief. He simply smiled calmly and continued brewing his tea.

He Yun then tentatively asked, "Brother Li, you've mastered such exquisite swordsmanship at such a young age. May I ask who your teacher is?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fanglin's face showed a hint of curiosity, his eyes gleaming with inquiry: "Brother He, why do you ask that?"

Seeing that Li Fanglin was holding back, He Yun smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone, "Haha, to be honest, Brother Li, your swordsmanship is so exquisite even though your wrist was injured. If your swordsmanship is so profound when your wrist is not injured, then your swordsmanship must be unfathomable. I come from the Sword Tomb, so I am naturally curious about profound swordsmanship."

Upon hearing this, Li Fanglin raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly weighing something. He picked up the teacup on the table, gently blew on it to cool it, and then slowly took a sip, the aroma lingering on his lips and teeth. After a moment, he put down the teacup, a troubled expression on his face, and slowly said, "Brother He, what I practice is actually my master's unique martial art. As for who my master is, it's really inconvenient to reveal."

Seeing this, He Yun stopped pressing for details and simply smiled gently: "Brother Li has his reasons, and I will naturally not force you. However, I am indeed very curious about Brother Li's swordsmanship. If there is an opportunity, once Brother Li's wrist has recovered, I really hope to witness it with my own eyes."

Li Fanglin nodded, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes: "I appreciate Brother He's understanding. Once my wrist recovers, I will definitely spar with Brother He."

Upon hearing this, He Yun realized he couldn't glean any useful information. To appear more natural, he quickly changed the subject. He smiled slightly and said, "By the way, Brother Li doesn't need to participate in the upcoming martial arts competition. When will Brother Li be leaving Jingtian Pavilion? If our schedules are similar, we can go down the mountain together."