The Reversal of Heaven Begins with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

With such an expert's help, perhaps we wouldn't need to go through so much trouble.

Lin Mu listened quietly, but he already understood.

He knew more about the situation at Plum Manor in West Lake than Xiang Wentian did.

The personalities and quirks of the Four Friends of Jiangnan, the location of the key's hiding place, the layout of the dungeon...

These have all been shown in the plot, and they are all pretty much the same, so I had already thought of a solution.

The two traveled at breakneck speed, traveling by day and resting by night, without daring to delay.

More than half a month later, we finally arrived at the West Lake in Hangzhou.

Standing by the lake, gazing at Plum Manor shrouded in mist and rain in the distance.

With its green tiles and white walls, built along the water, and two red lanterns hanging at the entrance, it looks like an ordinary Jiangnan mansion. No one would guess that beneath this seemingly elegant estate lies a dungeon where the former leader of the Demonic Sect was imprisoned.

Over the next two days, Lin Mu and Xiang Wentian did not act rashly, but instead quietly scouted the area around Meizhuang.

Lin Mu disguised himself as a scholar boating on the lake and used a homemade telescope to observe the guards' shift changes at Plum Manor.

Xiang Wentian disguised himself as a peddler, wandering the streets and alleys to find out about the daily activities of Meizhuang from the nearby villagers.

The two of them thoroughly investigated the number of people, the layout, and the routes of entry and exit at Plum Manor.

After a night's rest and recuperation, Lin Mu and Xiang Wentian changed into the clothes they had prepared and slowly walked towards Plum Manor.

Meizhuang is built along West Lake, with its green tiles and white walls reflecting the shimmering blue water. The copper bells hanging from the eaves sway gently in the wind and tinkle.

Xiang Wentian stepped forward and knocked on the door. The copper ring lightly struck the wooden door, producing a heavy "thump-thump" sound.

After the door opened, he cupped his hands and smiled at the gatekeeper, saying, "I am to your left, and this gentleman beside me is Young Master Lin."

"We have long admired the four masters of Plum Manor for their mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and for being the most refined scholars in Jiangnan. We have come here with a small gift, hoping to exchange ideas and learn from the four masters and have our wish fulfilled."

The gatekeeper was a middle-aged man with a goatee. His gaze first swept over the wooden box on Xiang Wentian's back.

The scroll of an ancient painting and the tail of an ancient zither were faintly visible through the cracks in the box. Looking at the sandalwood folding fan in Lin Mu's hand, the fan surface was a landscape painting by a famous artist. Seeing that the two men were dressed in exquisite clothes and had extraordinary demeanor, he dared not be negligent: "Please wait a moment, I will go and inform the master of the manor."

Before long, the servants led the two through the waterside pavilion and corridors to the main hall.

The hall is elegantly furnished, with ink paintings hanging on the walls and a guqin and chessboard on the table. The air is filled with the faint scent of ink and tea.

As expected, the four friends of Plum Manor were attracted by the "generous gift" prepared by Xiang Wentian and were already waiting in the hall.

The leader, Huang Zhonggong, had a lean face and three long wisps of beard on his chin. He held an ancient seven-stringed zither in his arms. The zither had a warm and lustrous patina, clearly a treasure that had been handled for many years.

The black and white pieces on the left are as pale as paper, with protruding knuckles, and hold an iron chessboard in their hands, on which is an unfinished game.

Bald-haired old man stood on the right. He was slightly plump and held a purple-haired judge's pen between his fingers. Small characters were engraved on the pen handle, and there were specks of ink on his cuffs.

The youngest, Danqingsheng, reeked of alcohol, with a tin gourd hanging from his waist that swayed as he walked. The scabbard of his longsword was made of bamboo, giving him a casual air.

"You two have come from afar, and the items you brought, as mentioned by the servants, are indeed extraordinary."

Huang Zhonggong, as the eldest brother, spoke first. His voice was calm but carried a hint of scrutiny as his gaze swept over Lin Mu and Xiang Wentian: "I wonder what brings you two here today besides exchanging refined skills?"

Xiang Wentian laughed heartily, about to speak according to the original plan.

The plan was to first praise Huang Zhonggong's superb qin skills, then use rare qin scores as bait to lure him into a one-on-one competition, and then break through his defenses one by one, seizing the opportunity to trick him into giving up the key.

But just as he was about to speak, Lin Mu took a step forward, slammed his folding fan shut, and interrupted him.

Lin Mu calmly swept his gaze over the four friends of Plum Manor, his tone devoid of any politeness, and went straight to the point: "No need to waste time on pleasantries. Hand over the four keys to the dungeon, and I may spare your lives."

Upon hearing this, the main hall fell into a deathly silence!

The polite smiles on the faces of the four friends of Plum Manor froze instantly, their eyes shifting from astonishment to disbelief, and then replaced by furious rage.

"Insanity!"

Dan Qingsheng was the first to lose his temper, slamming his wine gourd on the table with a thud, spilling a few drops of wine: "Where did this brat come from, daring to cause trouble at Plum Manor? Does he really think we four brothers are easy to bully?"

"Brother, it seems they've come with ill intentions!"

Bald-headed old man gripped his judge's pen tightly, pointing the tip at Lin Mu, his tone grave: "They actually know about the dungeon; they must be after the people inside!"

Hei Baizi's face paled even more, his eyes turning sinister: "Who are you people?"

Huang Zhonggong's face darkened, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He pressed his hands against the body of the zither, his fingertips exerting slight force, taut the strings: "Who exactly are you? And why do you know about the dungeon?"

Xiang Wentian had not expected Lin Mu to be so direct, disrupting all his plans. He smiled bitterly to himself, but could only remain vigilant.

Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to fight it out.

His biggest worry was the traps deep inside the dungeon. If the four friends of Plum Manor were to activate them in desperation, Ren Woxing would likely be in danger. The only prudent course of action right now was to bring the situation under control as soon as possible.

As for whether Lin Mu could defeat the four of them... he had no idea and could only pray silently.

Lin Mu was too lazy to waste any more words. His right hand was already on the hilt of the Yitian Sword. He said to Xiang Wentian, "Leave the four of them to me. You go and deal with the servants and household guards in the manor."

"it is good!"

Without further hesitation, Xiang Wentian dashed out of the main hall like an arrow released from a bow.

As soon as he reached the door, a man with a sword rushed at him; it was none other than Ding Jian, the One-Word Lightning Sword.

Chapter 20: The Seven-Stringed Invisible Sword

Ding Jian appears to be gentle and refined, but he is actually a second-rate master. He once defeated four powerful figures with a single palm strike in the Qilian Mountains and subdued two heroes with a single sword strike. Later, he retired to Plum Manor and became the manor's steward.

Ding Jian has been living in seclusion at Plum Manor for more than ten years, but he has not given up his martial arts skills.

Each move of this "One-Word Lightning Sword" is like a bolt of lightning striking the sky, so powerful that it is awe-inspiring and instills fear in those who see it.

Unfortunately, he encountered Xiang Wentian.

Xiang Wentian drew his long sword from his waist, and with a flash of light, forced Ding Jian back, and then they engaged in a fierce battle.

"court death!".

Dan Qingsheng was naturally impatient. Seeing Lin Mu's disdain for them, he could no longer restrain himself. He roared and drew his long sword from its bamboo sheath at his waist.

His sword technique is called "Splashed Ink and Hemp-fiber Sword Technique," which draws inspiration from the splashed ink and hemp-fiber texture strokes in landscape paintings. The sword moves are agile and expressive, yet they conceal deadly intent.

He brandished his longsword, first with a move called "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun," the tip of the sword aimed straight at Lin Mu's heart; then, with a twist of his wrist, the sword's momentum slowed, sweeping towards Lin Mu's wrist like "Spring Breeze and Willow"; in the blink of an eye, he suddenly accelerated, the sword blossoms blooming, transforming into "Soaring Dragon and Rising Phoenix," the three swords executed in one breath, the sword wind carrying the smell of wine and the fragrance of ink, forming a strange force.

Lin Mu's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't move an inch, nor did he even make a dodging motion.

"Zheng——!"

A clear, resonant sword cry suddenly exploded, drowning out all other sounds.

A scorching pale golden sword light burst forth from the sheath of the Yitian Sword, arriving faster than anyone could have imagined, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air.

No matter how his opponent's sword techniques changed, he would still kill them with a single sword strike.

Speed ​​determines superiority, range determines success or failure.

Dan Qingsheng felt a blur before his eyes, and a scorching sword aura rushed towards him, making his cheeks burn.

He was horrified and wanted to sheathe his sword and retreat, but it was too late.

"Pfft!"

With a flash of sword light, the longsword in Dan Qingsheng's hand, along with his right wrist, was severed cleanly.

Strangely, there wasn't much blood spurting from the cut.

The pure Yang energy attached to the Heaven Sword was extremely hot, instantly burning the wound and temporarily stopping the bleeding.

"what--!"

Dan Qingsheng instinctively covered his severed wrist with his left hand, and his shrill screams echoed throughout the main hall.

A piercing pain shot through the broken end, like being repeatedly burned by a branding iron. The pain made his vision go black, and he staggered back a few steps, crashing into the table with a thud. The wine gourd at his waist fell to the ground, spilling wine all over the floor, mixed with the cold sweat on his forehead, making him look utterly disheveled.

One move was enough to severely injure him!

"Fourth brother!"

Huang Zhonggong exclaimed in surprise, his eyes filled with shock.

"What a fierce and swift sword!"

Bald Pen Elder and Black and White Piece were both shocked and furious. They exchanged a glance and attacked at the same time.

They knew that they were no match for Lin Mu if they fought alone, and that only by joining forces could they have a chance of survival.

Hei Baizi suddenly shook the ebony Go board in his hand, and with a "clattering" sound, dozens of black Go stones made of magnets shot out like a rainstorm, accurately covering more than a dozen acupoints on Lin Mu's body, including Baihui, Jianjing, and Quchi.

At the same time, he moved like a ghost to Lin Mu's left side, channeling his cold inner energy into his two fingers, causing a thin layer of white frost to appear on his fingertips. He then used his signature move, "Mysterious Heaven Finger," to strike a vital acupoint under Lin Mu's ribs. Wherever his finger passed, the air seemed to grow colder.

Bald-Brush Old Man shouted loudly, picked up an inkstone from the table, and dipped the judge's brush into the specially made ink.

This ink contains a special liquid that is viscous and corrosive.

With a flick of his wrist, ink dots flew toward Lin Mu's face as if they were alive, attempting to obscure his vision; at the same time, he stepped forward, and the judge's pen thrust forward like a spear, its tip aimed directly at Lin Mu's throat, the move both swift and precise.

Faced with the attack from both of them, Lin Mu swung the Heaven-Slaying Sword once again.

Pure Yang Qi flowed continuously into the sword, causing the sword light to suddenly surge and transform into a dazzling golden light screen that completely protected Lin Mu.

"Clang clang... hiss..."

The sounds of intense impact and burning intertwined.

The iron chess pieces that shot towards them crashed into the golden light screen as if they had hit a red-hot copper and iron wall. They were either blasted away by the sword energy or sliced ​​in half and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

The strange ink that splashed out was even worse; it was instantly evaporated by the pure Yang sword energy as soon as it touched the light barrier, turning into wisps of black smoke that emitted a pungent burnt smell.

Within the light curtain, a single, cold star suddenly appeared.

"puff!"

Bald Pen Master felt a sudden lightness in his hand as the tip of his judge's pen was precisely struck by the sword light.

The purple brush handle broke like rotten wood, and half of the brush handle flew away with ink.

Immediately afterwards, the sword light surged upwards, flashing across his wrist like lightning.

"Ugh!"

Bald Brush Old Man's right wrist was severed at the wrist, and blood gushed out, splattering onto the painting table in front of him, staining an unfinished landscape painting bright red.

He screamed and staggered backward, his face ashen, unable to hold onto the remaining half of the pen.

Almost simultaneously, Lin Mu clenched his left fist, gathering pure Yang true energy on the surface of his fist, which glowed with a faint golden light, and then unleashed a powerful punch that collided head-on with Hei Baizi's chilling Xuan Tian Finger.

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of bone cracking sounded.

Hei Baizi felt an irresistible, scorching force coming from his fingertips. His finger bones snapped instantly, and excruciating pain spread from his arm throughout his entire body.

Before he could even scream, Lin Mu's fist struck him squarely in the chest with unstoppable force.

"Oh!"

Black and White Piece was struck as if by a heavy hammer. The clothes on his chest were instantly charred and torn by the scorching true energy, and the sound of his ribs breaking could be clearly heard.

He coughed up blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the chair behind him and slamming to the ground with a thud. He twitched a few times and then went still, with only the faint rise and fall of his chest proving that he was still alive.

In the blink of an eye, three of the Four Friends of Plum Manor have passed away!

Only Huang Zhonggong, the head of the group, remained in the main hall. His hands, which were holding the guqin, trembled slightly, and his expression had long since changed from solemn to utter horror.

He had lived most of his life and seen countless masters, including Ren Woxing, but he had never seen such fast, sharp, and domineering martial arts.

So fast that the moves are impossible to see, so fierce that it can evaporate ink – this is hardly the kind of martial arts commonly seen in the martial arts world.

He knew that he had encountered the greatest enemy he had ever faced in his life. The strength of the person in front of him might be even more terrifying than that of Ren Woxing back then!

"Good work!"

Huang Zhonggong took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart. He suddenly placed the ancient zither in front of him, sat down cross-legged, pressed his ten fingers on the strings, and said with a resolute look in his eyes: "I have devoted my life to studying the Seven-String Invisible Sword. Today I will use this technique to learn from your superior skills!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his ten fingers swept across the strings!

"Om-!"

The ear-piercing sound of the zither suddenly erupted, like countless steel needles piercing the eardrums. An invisible yet extremely sharp sonic force spread out with the sound of the zither, transforming into a dense array of invisible swords that shot towards Lin Mu from all directions.

The Seven-String Invisible Sword is the most bizarre, specifically designed to damage the meridians and internal energy within the human body, and can also disturb the mind. If an ordinary expert's internal strength is slightly weak, it will only take a moment for their meridians to become disordered and their mind to be lost, ultimately resulting in vomiting blood and serious injury!

Lin Mu merely raised an eyebrow slightly, remaining standing motionless.