Wandering Swordsman |

The bookworm had barely finished speaking when he moved, rushing towards Li Fanglin like a shadow. With a light flick of his folding fan, an invisible force swept towards him. Li Fanglin dared not be careless; he swiftly drew his longsword, its tip trembling slightly, preparing to deal with the sudden attack.

The two engaged in a fierce battle in the courtyard. With each clash of their weapons, a crisp metallic clang filled the air. Li Fanglin quickly realized that although the bookworm's moves seemed simple and direct, each strike contained profound internal energy. His movements were not flashy, but they were full of power and precision, as if each move could easily pierce through the enemy's defenses. This pure sense of power made Li Fanglin wary—if he were hit even once, he would probably be powerless to retaliate.

Therefore, Li Fanglin did not rush to attack, but instead chose to focus on dodging and disrupting the opponent. His figure was like a nimble snake, weaving nimbly through the Bookworm's attacks, sometimes feinting, sometimes skillfully avoiding a fatal blow. Even so, whenever the Bookworm's moves brushed past him, the powerful internal force still made him feel a sense of oppression, as if it might devour him at any moment.

After dozens of rounds, the bookworm gradually realized Li Fanglin's strategy. He smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes, and then began to change his fighting style. His originally monotonous attacks became more complex and varied, not only faster but also with more tricky angles. Li Fanglin immediately felt the pressure increase, and the situation he could barely manage before instantly became precarious.

Sure enough, after only a few rounds, Li Fanglin found himself on the defensive. A powerful palm strike from the Bookworm landed on his shoulder, causing him to stagger and nearly fall. The Bookworm then pressed his advantage, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks that left Li Fanglin breathless. At that moment, Li Fanglin was secretly amazed by the Bookworm's insight and adaptability, while also deeply sensing the unfathomable depth of his opponent's martial arts skills.

Just as the bookworm was about to deliver the final blow to completely subdue Li Fanglin, a silver light flashed past from behind, aiming straight for the bookworm's arm. The bookworm suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm and immediately realized that he had been hit by a hidden weapon. He quickly pulled out the tiny needle stuck in his arm, while simultaneously scanning his surroundings out of the corner of his eye, trying to find the person who had ambushed him.

Though startled, the bookworm remained calm. He understood that staying any longer would only put him in greater danger. Therefore, he decisively decided to retreat. With a leap, like a soaring roc, he gracefully landed on the roof. Then, in a few bounds, he was already beyond the walls of the old house.

However, when the bookworm landed, he was surprised to find two men dressed in formal attire crouching there, waiting for him to escape, as if they had already anticipated his escape. One of them was tall and imposing, while the other was as short as a child. The taller one looked to be in his thirties, but his mature appearance had a touch of handsomeness; while the shorter one looked like an eight or nine-year-old child, who at first glance could be mistaken for a student in a private school.

The bookworm thought to himself: These two must be extraordinary. If they were to waste time here, the poison from the needles would soon invade his organs, and the consequences would be unimaginable.

At this moment, the tall, middle-aged man said to the boy beside him, "Brother Qinglong, you are very knowledgeable. Do you know who this person is?"

The boy known as Azure Dragon replied, "Second Brother, in terms of martial arts, I am indeed superior to you. But ask anyone in the gang, who doesn't know that you, as the White Tiger Saint Lord, have extensive connections and are proficient in the martial arts of various schools? If you really want to know who he is, wouldn't it be clear if you tried his moves?"

Upon hearing this, the White Tiger Saint Lord's gaze sharpened as he stared intently at the Bookworm, and he said in a deep voice, "Alright, Brother Azure Dragon! Please don't make a move, I'll go and test his moves and techniques."

As soon as he finished speaking, the White Tiger Saint King slowly stood up, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and approached the Bookworm step by step. At this moment, a suffocating atmosphere filled the air, as if a storm was about to break.

Seeing this, the bookworm felt a sense of unease. He knew that the White Tiger Saint Lord before him was no ordinary person; every movement of the other exuded a powerful aura. The bookworm took a deep breath, adjusted his inner energy, and prepared to face the impending challenge.

With a low shout, the White Tiger Saint Lord launched the first attack, striking out with a palm that sent a gust of wind howling, aiming straight for the Bookworm's vitals. The Bookworm swayed, skillfully dodging the blow, and at the same time, he lightly waved his folding fan, sending an invisible stream of air rushing towards the White Tiger Saint Lord.

The clash between the two erupted instantly, each move brimming with power and skill. The White Tiger Saint Lord's offensive surged like a tidal wave, his attacks relentless, seemingly intent on completely overwhelming the Bookworm. The Bookworm, however, countered with softness, using his agile movements and exquisite techniques to constantly deflect his opponent's attacks.

Despite this, the bookworm felt the poison in his body gradually spreading, and his strength was waning. He knew that if he couldn't get rid of these two people as soon as possible, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In this perilous moment, a scene suddenly flashed through the bookworm's mind: It was a peaceful night, moonlight spilled into the courtyard, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of flowers. The bookworm was playing chess with an elder, the black and white pieces on the board intertwined, each piece seemingly carrying endless wisdom and strategy.

The elder placed a chess piece down and slowly said, "Jian Yihan and Qin Wuyin have some matters to attend to on their way, so they have already left. Please play this game with me before you depart."

The bookworm stared intently at the chessboard, his mind racing with thoughts of his upcoming journey. The elder seemed to sense his thoughts and continued, "Oh, by the way. I cast a divination for you last night. The divination indicates you will encounter a crisis on this trip. When the time comes, take this." With that, the elder handed him a pill, its color warm and lustrous, radiating a mysterious aura.

The bookworm accepted the pill, feeling its warmth in his hand, and a strange sense of security welled up within him. He nodded slightly, carefully put the pill away, and continued his game of chess with the elder. That night, they chatted and laughed, seemingly forgetting the swords and shadows of the martial world.

At that moment, the image flashed through the bookworm's mind, and then, a thought struck him, and he reached into his robes. He remembered that the pill was hidden inside his clothes; perhaps it could help him in this critical moment. Sure enough, his fingers touched a small object, and a look of joy appeared on the bookworm's face.

However, just as he was about to take out the pill and put it in his mouth, the Azure Dragon seemed to notice this detail. The Azure Dragon's eyes narrowed, and it swiftly made a move, flicking its finger lightly. A pebble shot towards the Bookworm's arm like lightning. The Bookworm's arm trembled, and the pill slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

The moment the pill hit the ground, it suddenly exploded, raising a cloud of dust. The bookworm was startled; the Valley Master had actually anticipated this?

However, the bookworm knew that with the drug spreading, there was no time to think. So, before the smoke cleared, he turned and fled into the woods. He clutched his arm, enduring the pain, and ran through the dense forest, occasionally looking back to see if anyone was chasing him.