The deepest affection in Gu Long's world

Chapter 4 Fang Yunhua VS Chu Liuxiang

The doors to the guest hall were wide open, giving the Huashan disciples a good vantage point for watching the battle.

"Who was that person fighting Senior Brother Fang? What exquisite lightness skill!"

"And he looks really handsome!"

"Hmph! No matter how handsome he is, he can't compare to Senior Brother Fang. Does he really think the title of 'Amorous Young Master' is just a joke!"

"But speaking of which, isn't Senior Brother Fang's martial arts ridiculously strong?"

Anyone who practices swordsmanship can see that Fang Yunhua's mastery of the Qingfeng Thirteen Forms is now second nature to him. In terms of skill and proficiency, he is even better than the elders in the sect.

This made the disciples even more curious about who among the younger generation could fight so fiercely with their senior brother.

At this point, Master Kumei had already noticed some signs.

While their own prodigal disciple appeared to be evenly matched with the opponent, the opponent was actually on the defensive and counter-attacking side the whole time. To say that they were holding back would be to underestimate their prodigal disciple's strength, but there was indeed a gap in combat power between the two sides.

Under the relentless pressure from the wicked disciple, the opponent displayed increasingly superb lightness skills, which reminded him of a renowned master.

"The Master Thief Chu Liuxiang"

Upon hearing that their sect leader had recognized the identity of the person who fought Fang Yunhua, all the disciples present showed expressions of astonishment.

As a signature protagonist in Gu Long's world, one of his essential characteristics is that he achieves great success right from the start, and after seemingly becoming Chu Liuxiang, he experiences one amazing feat after another.

But in fact, before describing Chu Liuxiang stealing the white jade beauty from Jinbanhua, he was already a renowned master.

His former companions, who once roamed the world alongside him, have decided to live a life of seclusion.

The saying still circulates in the martial arts world: "The wild goose and butterfly are its wings, and the fragrance of flowers fills the world."

This also made the disciples present start to worry about their senior brother.

After all, it seems that there is a generation gap between this master thief and Fang Yunhua. The latter's reputation as a romantic young master has just begun to emerge, while the former has already completed a round of travels. It was only recently, because of the case of the White Jade Beauty, that the martial arts world has once again awakened the memory of this master thief.

In reality, Chu Liuxiang and Fang Yunhua are only five or six years apart in age.

In the Great Desert chapter of the original work, during a conversation between Hu Tiehua and Chu Liuxiang, it is mentioned that, "It's probably been almost nineteen years; back then, I was just an eight or nine-year-old child."

Analysis suggests that the two are currently in their prime, around 28 years old.

Regarding the Bat Legend incident that had been troubling Fang Yunhua, Hu Tiehua remarked, "It's amazing you still remember my age. It's truly remarkable that I've lived to thirty-three and still haven't collapsed."

Based on the similar age difference between Chu Liuxiang and Hu Tiehua, it is estimated that Chu Liuxiang is about thirty-two years old.

Because he calculated that there was still some time before the event of detonating the Huashan Sect's thunderbolt occurred, Fang Yunhua was not in a hurry.

Because of Chu Liuxiang's formidable reputation, the disciples began to pay even more attention to the battle, but Hua Zhenzhen was the most anxious among them.

Her eyes widened, she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her gaze constantly shifting between the two's exchange. Her right hand instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword, as if she would rush to Fang Yunhua's aid without hesitation should she sense him being in danger.

At this moment, Fang Yunhua was immersed in the battle with Chu Liuxiang.

After another round of probing exchanges, Fang Yunhua's eyes suddenly gleamed. Where his sword blade swept across, the six red-lacquered pillars in the hall simultaneously displayed sword marks as fine as hair. It turned out that his previous rounds of sword strikes were all preparing for this sure-win attack!
With nowhere to dodge, Chu Liuxiang finally struck out with his palm for the first time, lightly flicking the seventh ripple on the spine of the sword with his right middle finger.

Ding--

The dragon-like tremor lasted for three full breaths. Fang Yunhua was shocked to realize that all subsequent changes in his sword moves were locked down by this seemingly casual flick. Just as he was about to change his move, Chu Liuxiang's left palm pressed against the Yanggu acupoint where he was holding the sword.

This press, though without any force, made Fang Yunhua's entire right arm meridian feel as if it were bathed in a spring breeze, and the accumulated strength involuntarily transformed into a gentle, silky touch!
"Young Master Fang, do you know?" Chu Liuxiang gracefully retreated to the antique shelf in the corner of the hall, his fingertips tracing a porcelain piece on the shelf. "The most exquisite aspect of the Thirteen Styles of Qingfeng lies not in the sword techniques."

Before the words were even finished, the porcelain suddenly shattered into countless fragments.

It turned out that Fang Yunhua had secretly stored his strength in the soles of his feet, and at this moment it suddenly erupted through the transmission of the blue bricks.

At the critical moment, Chu Liuxiang spun around, tore off the wine pouch from his waist, and splashed a cloud of wine into the sky!
Each drop of wine precisely strikes a piece of broken porcelain, the tinkling sound seemingly composing a beautiful melody.

As the last note faded away, Fang Yunhua's sword was pressed against Chu Liuxiang's neck, while the Thief King's folding fan was already pressed against his Tanzhong acupoint!

"and many more!"

Just as the onlookers were about to rush forward, Master Kumei stopped them in time, having noticed that Fang Yunhua seemed to have entered a state of enlightenment.

This made her warily look at Chu Liuxiang.

Chu Liuxiang smiled calmly, put the folding fan into his pocket, touched his nose, and then found a reasonably intact chair in the messy guest room. He sat quietly and waited for Fang Yunhua's enlightenment to end.

At the same time, most of his previous suspicions about Fang Yunhua dissipated.

Because from this exchange, he had already realized that his opponent had grasped the threshold of "intention." In a master who has not mastered "intention," it is difficult to discern a person's character from their moves.

However, a strong person who has already grasped the basics of 'intention' can discern the true nature of their opponent through the exchange of blows during combat.

For example, Fang Yunhua.

In the exchange just now, Chu Liuxiang had already discovered that his opponent was like an elusive, free breeze. Although there was a chilling wind within, such a proud and unyielding person would not use a pregnant woman to carry out any schemes or plots.

Of course, we still need to confirm the specifics during the subsequent conversation.

As for Fang Yunhua, he felt that his state was somewhat subtle at this moment.

He seemed to have grasped something, and his final, sudden thrust at Chu Liuxiang with the Thirteen Styles of Qingfeng truly broke free from the constraints of swordsmanship, each move as graceful as a gazelle's horns, leaving no trace of its true essence.

And once this technique was no longer restricted, the increasingly powerful sword skills resonated with a hidden will within him.

'Something is still missing.'

This battle greatly inspired him, and he truly realized that after awakening his past life memories, he had directly stepped into the threshold of becoming a peerless genius, a class he greatly admired.

After all, just a sparring match can elevate one's combat strength to a new level.

After regaining his senses, he sheathed his Lingxiao sword and bowed respectfully to Chu Liuxiang:
"Master Xiang, thank you for your guidance."

Chu Liuxiang stood up and returned the greeting respectfully.

"So, the matter of the disguised Jin Banhua is considered settled then?"

"It's over." Fang Yunhua nodded seriously.

He then realized that he and Chu Liuxiang were like monkeys in a zoo, surrounded by layers of junior brothers and sisters in the guest hall.

(End of this chapter)