The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 80, page 95: Lin Pingzhi begs Hero Lu to intervene [Requesting monthly votes!]

Now that Huang Rong knew that this young lady Qu Feiyan was most likely the granddaughter of Qu Yang, an elder of the Demonic Sect, she could guess why Qu Yang had sent her to deliver this message.

As an elder of the Demonic Sect, Qu Yang is probably a cunning and treacherous old man.

The Songshan Sect's lineup this time is far too impressive, with the three top-ranked Taibao and dozens of elite disciples. It would be hard to believe they came just to observe the ceremony.

The key point is that the members of the Songshan Sect had never shown their faces in Hengshan City before. Given the relationship between the Five Mountains Sword Sects and the status of the Songshan Sect as the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, why would the experts of the Songshan Sect need to be so secretive and sneaky when they come to Hengshan to attend the ceremony?
The corpses found in the woods were all dressed in black, their faces covered, as if they dared not be exposed to the light...

Qu Yang's biggest fear in befriending Liu Zhengfeng was being exposed. Once he knew the lineup and attire of the Songshan Sect, he would inevitably suspect their intentions and might even be able to guess the purpose of Ding Mian and the others.

So, Qu Yang was returning the favor by reminding her to send a message via carrier pigeon to Lu Chen of the Hengshan Sect, and that Zuo Lengchan would be arriving soon.

Just then, Huang Rong was thinking...

Qu Feiyan then said:
"Sister, when are you and that young hero Lu leaving?"

"Leave?" Huang Rong said with a smile, "Why should we leave? We still want to witness Master Liu's hand in the Golden Basin ceremony."

Qu Feiyan's eyes widened:
"But Zuo Lengchan is coming! Zuo Lengchan's martial arts are extremely powerful, and there are still many, many masters in the Songshan Sect."

Huang Rong said leisurely:
"Isn't that perfect? ​​My brother Lu Chen has long wanted to experience Zuo Lengchan's martial arts."

Qu Feiyan looked admiring and gave a thumbs-up with a smile:

"admire!"

As the two were talking, Lu Chen had finished his sword duel and exchanged sword salutes with the young swordsman who had displayed all his skills to the fullest and was still savoring the experience. Just as he was about to take his leave, a man emerged from the crowd, with a small monkey perched on his shoulder, looking like a monkey trainer. He smiled and bowed to Lu Chen.
"My name is Lu Dayou, the sixth disciple of the Huashan Sect. Um, we have long admired Young Master Lu's swordsmanship and are filled with longing for it. Now that we have the opportunity to meet you today, please forgive my intrusion..."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers burst into laughter.

However, it was because Lu Dayou's words were exactly the kind of rhetoric Lu Chen used when challenging others.

Someone laughed and said, "The sixth disciple of the Huashan Sect is going to challenge Young Hero Lu!"

Lu Dayou quickly waved his hands repeatedly: "It wasn't me, I just came out to give an opening speech."

As he spoke, he turned around and pulled out a person:
"He is my senior brother from the Huashan Sect, and he wishes to challenge Young Hero Lu."

It was Linghu Chong.

As soon as Linghu Chong came out, everyone on the street turned to look at him.

The Huashan Sect's "Gentleman's Sword" is renowned and known throughout the martial arts world.

As the chief disciple of Yue Buqun, the "Gentleman Sword," Linghu Chong naturally had a considerable reputation. He was considered a prominent figure among the younger generation of various sects, and even more so among ordinary people in smaller sects.

However, Lu Chen's recent performance has been too outstanding. Despite his young age, no one regards Lu Chen as a member of the younger generation. Instead, they all regard him as someone who can stand on equal footing with the older generation of famous masters.

Therefore, although Linghu Chong was a well-known figure, in the eyes of many, he was still not qualified to fight Lu Chen with swords.

It would be more appropriate to replace him with Yue Buqun, the "Gentleman Swordsman".

However, since Lu Chen has broken with tradition and begun to accept challenges from young swordsmen, the onlookers will not question Linghu Chong. They will cheer and jeer, waiting to see Lu Chen and Linghu Chong compete.

Linghu Chong, unfazed, bowed respectfully to the cheering crowd.
"Linghu Chong greets all the heroes."

He bowed to Lu Chen again:
"Young Master Lu, I apologize for my intrusion, but I humbly request your guidance!"

In the past, Lu Chen was always the one to say "please enlighten me" to others; now it's the other way around.

Lu Chen did not refuse.

He was also interested in seeing Linghu Chong's swordsmanship talent—after spending some time at the Hengshan Sect, he had gained some understanding of the progress a normal person, or rather, an average but excellent person, makes in learning swordsmanship.

Before this, he had only been in contact with geniuses.

Huang Rong studied swordsmanship diligently. She learned the moves and footwork of the Yue Maiden Sword after watching it once, and the breathing techniques after listening to it twice.

She could learn the White Rainbow Sword Technique from Qi Gong in just half a day.

Li Mochou was the same; she learned the entire White Rainbow Sword Technique in half a day, and then all she needed to do was practice constantly to improve her proficiency.

Even Lu Chen himself, before unlocking "Sword One and Sword Two" and before his swordsmanship comprehension was as heaven-defying as it is now, managed to correct Huang Rong's three months of accumulated bad habits and teach her the correct basic sword techniques in just one night.

Then it was nine moves a day, and four days to learn all thirty-six moves of the Yue Maiden Sword.

After unlocking Sword One and Sword Two, his swordsmanship comprehension increased day by day, and his learning speed became faster and faster. Now, he has reached the point where he can learn other people's sword techniques and methods of exerting force simply through sparring.

Therefore, he didn't really know how efficient martial artists with average or even average talent were at learning swordsmanship before.

It was during his time at the Hengshan Sect that he came to understand this point.

Among the disciples of the Hengshan Sect, those who can master even one exquisite sword move in a day are considered excellent.

This is only "learning".

There is still a very long way to go before one can be "skilled", "proficient", or even use it with ease.

A disciple who can master a complete set of sword techniques in six months, refine it in two years, and apply it in actual combat in three years can be considered an elite disciple.

As for reaching a state of divine skill...

In any case, Lu Chen learned the Hengshan sword technique on the spot, and within a few days he had surpassed his master and even reached a state of divine skill. As for the three nuns Dingyi, Dingxian and Dingjing, who had practiced the Hengshan sword technique all their lives, it was only under Lu Chen's guidance that they gradually reached the state of "divine skill".

Are there any swordsmanship geniuses in this world?
Of course there are.

After Linghu Chong discovered the secret cave in Mount Hua and saw the lost sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, he only needed to study them for a short while before he could put them into practice.

Compared to the disciples of Hengshan, this talent is no longer that of an ordinary genius.

No wonder Feng Qingyang was so eager to learn Linghu Chong's swordsmanship that he showed up to instruct him and even taught him the "Nine Swords of Dugu".

Even the most exquisite sword techniques in the Hengshan Swordplay can only be learned by outstanding disciples in a day, and it takes a long time to master them. The "Nine Swords of Dugu," a sword technique that Dugu Qiubai pursued to the pinnacle of skill in his youth, is truly not something that ordinary people, or even ordinary geniuses, can learn.

It's estimated that Feng Qingyang had been lying low for many years before finally finding a satisfactory successor like Linghu Chong.

If Feng Qingyang hadn't met Linghu Chong, it's entirely possible he would have taken the "Nine Swords of Dugu" to his grave.

Lu Chen didn't even think that this could be considered as hiding something from others.

The ultimate sword technique is too advanced and requires too much talent, making it impossible to find a suitable successor.

now.

With the intention of witnessing Linghu Chong's swordsmanship talent, Lu Chen drew his longsword, nodded slightly to Linghu Chong, and gave him the opportunity to challenge him.

"Thank you!"

Linghu Chong was overjoyed, drew his sword, and attacked Lu Chen with a standard Huashan sword technique.

As it turns out, Lu Chen was overthinking things. Linghu Chong still dared not deviate even slightly from the rules and regulations set by Yue Buqun; every move he made was rigid, conventional, and utterly unremarkable.

Although there were occasional flashes of inspiration under Lu Chen's guidance, he seemed to fear those changes and would nip them in the bud as soon as they appeared.

Lu Chen knew that when Yue Buqun taught swordsmanship, he would severely reprimand his disciples without mercy if their moves were even slightly off-standard, even by the slightest deviation.

Linghu Chong has been taught by Yue Buqun for many years, and he has probably developed a conditioned reflex.

If he hadn't encountered such a devastating blow as the "Ten Elders of the Demonic Sect's Great Destruction of the Five Mountains Sword Technique," which was enough to shake his worldview, and had Feng Qingyang, a senior from his sect, constantly giving him guidance, he wouldn't have gradually broken free from his old ways.

As for now...

The current Linghu Chong doesn't even dare to face his own talent and spirituality, and his conventional Huashan swordsmanship is really nothing to look at.

Lu Chen was not in the mood.

But since he had already sparred with even an unknown, ordinary young swordsman, he patiently fought Linghu Chong for a hundred moves before stopping and withdrawing his attacks—when he fought older swordsmen or martial arts seniors, he always fought for a full three hundred moves.

As for the young swordsmen, a hundred moves would be enough to make up the numbers.

Linghu Chong, completely oblivious to Lu Chen's lack of interest, felt he had performed well and enjoyed the fight immensely. Gleaning radiantly, he bowed respectfully to Lu Chen.
"Thank you for your guidance, Young Master Lu!"

Lu Chen nodded and was about to turn and leave when a hunchback suddenly jumped out from the crowd and bowed deeply to Lu Chen.

"Great Hero Lu! My parents are in grave danger, captured by thieves! I beg you to have mercy and rescue them!"

As the hunchback spoke, he banged his head against the ground repeatedly, quickly creating a large, swollen bruise on his forehead.

Seeing the hunchback suddenly appear and hearing his youthful voice, Lu Chen frowned slightly, knowing who this person was.

In his previous life, the character he regretted the most in the novel "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" was Lin Pingzhi. At first, he thought Lin Pingzhi was the protagonist and was very much looking forward to him mastering the divine skill and taking revenge. But then the protagonist changed.

Before his transformation into a villain, Lin Pingzhi, a pampered rich kid, even after experiencing the tragedy of his family's massacre, would not steal fruit from the roadside even when he was starving, and could restrain himself from using his martial arts to bully the weak when he was insulted by a peasant woman...

Such a principled, upright, and kind-hearted person ultimately fell to such a state in order to seek revenge.

This is what Swordsman Online is all about.

If you encountered Ke Zhen'e in the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes, would you simply kowtow to him, explain the situation, and wouldn't the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan readily lend a hand?
Even someone as kind-hearted as Hong Qigong, upon learning of the Qingcheng Sect's brutal act of annihilating the entire Fuwei Escort Agency, not even sparing its branches, would still include Yu Canghai in the list of over two hundred people to be killed.

Unfortunately, this is the world of Swordsman.

Lin Pingzhi, who was kind-hearted and had a bit of chivalry, could only be tainted by the darkness of the martial world and twisted by hatred into a ruthless and vicious member of the Bixie sect.

Lu Chen lamented Lin Pingzhi's fate.

But just like Feng Buping, who would accept even a few taels of silver when he helped the villagers.

You have to sing the song appropriate to the mountain.

Therefore, Lu Chen did not stop Lin Pingzhi from kowtowing, but watched coldly until Lin Pingzhi's forehead was covered in blood, which flowed down his cheeks and dripped down his chin. Only then did he ask indifferently:
"Who is your enemy? Where are your parents?"

Lin Pingzhi had been kowtowing until he was dizzy. He forced himself to lift his bloodied face, his eyes shining with expectation as he looked at Lu Chen, and said in a trembling voice:

"It is... Yu Canghai, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, and his disciples... My parents are in Yu Canghai's hands."

While in Hengshan City, he heard rumors that Lu Chen had killed Tian Boguang with a single sword strike and fought to a draw with various famous martial arts masters. He thought Lu Chen was a chivalrous man who hated evil and was highly skilled in martial arts.

Just now, he saw that the people of the Huashan Sect, whose martial arts were far beyond his reach, all admired Lu Chen. Finally, he couldn't help but act impulsively and rushed out to kowtow and ask for help.

Given his pride, he would never kneel before anyone if it were only for his own sake.

But he was willing to break his head in order to save his parents.

Upon hearing Lin Pingzhi's words, the onlookers, who had initially just been watching the spectacle, suddenly erupted in uproar.

Yu Canghai, the leader of Qingcheng Sect?
That's no small fry!

That's a renowned expert in the legitimate world!
Yes, that's right. If someone like Yu Canghai can be considered a famous figure in the righteous path, then you can see just how dark the world of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" has become.

Lin Pingzhi's disguise was so good that Yue Lingshan and Lao Denuo didn't recognize him at first. It wasn't until he revealed his enemy that Yue Lingshan was slightly startled and exclaimed, "It's him!"

However, her soft exclamation was drowned out by the chatter of the onlookers.

"This man has a grudge against Yu Canghai, and his parents are still in the hands of Sect Leader Yu. Could it be... that he is the young master of the Fuwei Escort Agency?"

"The Fuwei Escort Agency is truly in a terrible state. I heard that the entire organization was slaughtered, including all the ordinary escorts and porters. Even their branches in various places were wiped out by the Qingcheng Sect!"

"Rumor has it that Master Yu wiped out the entire family in a fit of rage because his son was killed by the young master of the Fuwei Escort Agency?"

"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Even if it's to avenge one's son, at most one could kill Lin Pingzhi and, at most, punish his parents for failing to properly raise their children. How can one kill even an ordinary person working for a security escort agency? This is clearly the behavior of a demon!"

"The claim of avenging his son is merely the Qingcheng Sect's stance. I've also heard another version of the story, that Yu Canghai actually coveted the Lin family's Evil-Repelling Sword Technique..."

"It's even more wrong to prioritize swordsmanship; Yu Canghai of the Qingcheng Sect is utterly heartless..."

"Shh, keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind? How dare you criticize the Qingcheng Sect Leader?"

"What are you afraid of? Young Master Lu is right here."

"Young Master Lu might kill Tian Boguang, this lone traveler who has traveled thousands of miles, but he might not be willing to confront a powerful and numerous faction like the Qingcheng Sect for the sake of an unrelated person!"

Listening to the discussions among the crowd.

The light of hope in Lin Pingzhi's eyes gradually dimmed, and his hunched body began to tremble. What made him even more desperate was that he saw the uniforms of the Qingcheng disciples in the crowd...

He's been exposed!

If Lu Chen doesn't grant his request, then he...

Just when I was in despair.

Suddenly, Lu Chen's calm voice reached my ears:
"I accept your request."

"!"

Lin Pingzhi stared wide-eyed in disbelief, despair instantly replaced by ecstasy. He wanted to say something, but only a mournful whimper like that of a wounded animal escaped his throat. Tears welled up in his eyes and instantly streamed down his blood-stained cheeks, leaving two tear tracks.

The onlookers initially erupted in uproar, followed by excitement:

Is Young Master Lu, who has always fought to a draw and never harmed anyone, finally going to unleash his killing move?
Although it was said that he killed Tian Boguang with a single sword, no one actually witnessed him killing the person.

With Lu Shaoxia's martial arts skills, how many moves could Yu Canghai of Qingcheng withstand when he unleashed his killing sword?

[Please vote with monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)