Wandering Swordsman |

At this moment, the woman also stared at the old man with extremely angry eyes, her eyes almost spitting fire, as if she wished she could tear him to pieces immediately. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white from the force, her body leaning slightly forward, ready to take action at any moment. A cold wind blew by, her clothes fluttering in the wind, every muscle like a taut bowstring, poised to strike.

The old man noticed the woman's expression and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. He slowly said, "Little girl, do you want revenge?" His voice carried a hint of contempt and provocation, as if he were teasing a trapped little animal.

The woman replied, "You guessed right," her voice as cold as ice, without the slightest hesitation. Before she finished speaking, she had already bypassed Shen Mo like an arrow and attacked the old man. Her movements were swift and fierce, each move containing boundless anger and determination.

However, no matter how the woman threw punches, the old man was like a leaf drifting in the wind, always managing to dodge skillfully, as if he had already seen through her every move.

The old man dodged as he spoke, "Young lady, I've heard that the seventh young lady of the Murong family, Murong Qing, is not only as beautiful as Situ Meng, but also possesses formidable martial arts skills. Is this all you've got?" His words were full of sarcasm, yet his eyes held a barely perceptible hint of admiration. With each dodge, his footsteps were as light as a ghost, causing the woman's attacks to miss their mark time and again.

The woman was utterly enraged; a raging fire ignited within her, as if all reason had been consumed by fury. She abandoned all strategy, unleashing a frenzied barrage of punches, each one a desperate act of resolve. Sweat soaked her clothes, her breathing became rapid, but her eyes remained resolute, refusing to give up.

However, just as the woman was fully focused on her attack, the old man suddenly moved. Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, he turned around and, with lightning speed, lightly pressed his fingers onto her pressure points. In an instant, an invisible force seemed to descend from the sky, binding the woman's body. Her eyes widened, and she tried to continue attacking, only to find that her limbs were completely immobile, and she could only watch helplessly as she lost the ability to move.

"Hmph, it seems the rumors aren't true." The old man chuckled coldly, his mocking expression vanishing, his gaze sharpening and turning icy once more. He stood there, silently watching the woman, as if waiting for something.

Upon seeing this, Shen Mo's heart tightened, and he immediately drew his sword and stepped forward, slashing at the old man. His movements were swift and decisive, the blade cutting a cold light in the morning light, as if it could split the air in two.

However, the old man seemed unhurried, his movements as light as the wind, each dodge perfectly timed, as if he had already seen through Shen Mo's every move.

The two exchanged blows, their swords flashing and figures intertwining, creating a tense and fierce scene. After fighting for a while, the old man shook his head slightly, a contemptuous smile appearing on his lips: "You do have some skill, but compared to me, you're still far inferior."

Faced with the old man's provocation, Shen Mo smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes. He quickly adjusted his breathing, calmed his mind, and began to circulate the internal energy cultivation method of the *Wu Xiang Jing*. In an instant, a powerful current flowed through his body, making him feel his strength increase exponentially. He carefully observed the old man's movements, silently predicting his next move.

Suddenly, Shen Mo moved. His movements were lightning fast; his sword flashed through the air in an arc, precisely striking the spot where the old man's next attack would land. This unexpected strike completely disrupted the old man's rhythm. The old man was startled and hurriedly dodged to the side, but it was too late. Shen Mo's sword grazed his upper garment, cutting a large gash. Fortunately, the old man reacted quickly and escaped serious injury.

The old man showed no concern at Shen Mo's sudden increase in the ferocity of his attacks; instead, he became somewhat excited: "Judging from your swordsmanship, lad, it bears some resemblance to Luo Wangchen of the Sword Tomb. May I ask who Luo Wangchen is to you?"

Shen Mo smiled slightly, his gaze fixed firmly on the old man: "Guess!" His voice was deep and powerful, full of a challenging tone. The longsword in his hand gleamed coldly in the sunlight, as if echoing his words.

The old man burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the wasteland, seemingly a sign of his disdain for Shen Mo. "Back in the day, when Luo Wangchen sparred with me, his swordsmanship was nothing special. He didn't lose to me, but he didn't really win either. Now, you brat, you think you can beat me just because I was careless for a moment?" His eyes revealed an unfathomable confidence, as if he had seen through everything.

Shen Mo's heart skipped a beat. 'He's already fought Master, but judging from his tone, it seems they were evenly matched. What should I do?' He quickly racked his brains for a solution, trying to find a breakthrough. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him, and he came up with a plan.

"Could it be, old man, that you're all alone here?" Shen Mo's smile held a hint of cunning, as if he were already confident. His tone was relaxed, yet it carried a deeper meaning, attempting to put psychological pressure on the other person.

The old man smiled contemptuously and said dismissively, "I alone am enough to deal with you all." His eyes remained sharp as knives, seemingly disregarding Shen Mo's words.

Shen Mo continued casually, "But my master, Hero Luo, is on his way. He should arrive in a little while. When the two of us join forces, we will definitely be able to defeat you." He deliberately raised his voice to make his words sound more believable, while also observing the old man's expression.

The old man's smile gradually froze, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Then I'll defeat you first, and then wait for Luo Wangchen to come before taking him down as well," he said, feigning ease, but a trace of unease was already in his voice.

Shen Mo was secretly delighted, knowing his plan had worked. On the surface, however, he remained calm and composed. "You'd better think this through. My master, Luo Wangchen, is not so easy to deal with. His swordsmanship is already at its peak, and with my disciple assisting him, do you really think you can escape unscathed?" His tone was full of confidence and warning.

A complex emotion flashed in the old man's eyes, a mixture of resentment and doubt. He clearly realized that if Luo Wangchen really arrived, the situation would be extremely unfavorable for him. However, he didn't want to give up the battle so easily, after all, he had already invested too much effort.

Shen Mo carefully observed the old man's expression, understanding that this moment was crucial; he had to seize the opportunity presented by the old man's wavering to buy more time. He decided to add fuel to the fire, to completely shake the old man's resolve. "Hahaha, old man, do you think only Master Luo is coming? Actually, Senior Situ Dengfeng is also on his way. Even if Master Luo's strength is equal to yours, with Senior Situ Dengfeng on top of that, do you still have a chance of winning?" Shen Mo's voice carried an undeniable confidence, as if it were all true.