The Villain's Counterattack

"Lin Ping from Fuwei Escort Agency came to visit us a while ago." In front of West Lake Plum Manor, two flying knights handed over a visiting card.

After knocking on the door for a while, two old men dressed as servants came out and asked, "What brings you to our manor?"

"My young master has heard of the Four Friends of Jiangnan for a long time. Today he passed by West Lake and came to pay a visit. Ask your master to come and welcome them quickly." The two flying knights were not too humble after receiving Lin Pingzhi's order. They had traveled all over the country with Lin Pingzhi, and had been to government offices, the Five Mountains Sword Sects, Shaolin and Wudang. Naturally, they would not be scared by this small manor.

"My master doesn't see guests, please go back." The two men said as they were about to close the door.

Lin Pingzhi was furious. He took a step forward and kicked out. The speed seemed not fast, but it made people feel that it was impossible to dodge or parry. The two old men were not paying attention and were kicked each. They staggered back two steps before they stood firm, their faces full of anger, but they saw a young man opposite them with the same angry face.

"You two slaves dared to turn me away. Who do you think you are? I treated you with kindness and courtesy, and I sincerely wanted to pay my respects to you. Yet you refused to let me in without even asking for permission?" Lin Pingzhi pointed at their noses and cursed. "Even the government office in Hangzhou wouldn't leave me alone. You've succeeded in irritating me."

"You are so unreasonable. My manor owner doesn't see outsiders, but you..." Before the old man finished speaking, four flying knights jumped forward and were about to take them down.

The two old men were also first-rate fighters. Although they were old, they still had good skills. Unfortunately, these flying cavalrymen were not only young and strong, but also strong and sturdy. The Huashan Sect had also mastered the Liangyi sword technique to perfection, and they were on par with them.

"Who is acting wildly in my Mei Manor?" An angry shout rang out, the voice so loud that it made people's ears buzz. Then a big man with a beard as long as his belly ran out holding a jade cup. He was very fast but with a hint of elegance.

"Young master Lin Pingzhi." Seeing that he seemed to want to rescue the two old men, Lin Pingzhi threw a stone casually. The man let out a light exclamation and suddenly stopped. If he didn't stop, the stone would definitely hit a major acupoint on his leg, and he might fall down.

Just the movement of walking and stopping was enough to show that his kung fu was indeed quite good.

"Lin Pingzhi of the Fuwei Escort Agency?" The visitor narrowed his eyes and looked him up and down. Lin Pingzhi's reputation was extremely well-known, even the Four Jiangnan Friends, who lived in seclusion at Plum Manor and were not interested in worldly affairs, had heard of him. In fact, the four of them were not truly reclusive; they would occasionally go out to visit friends, but they had not been active much in the past decade or so.

Lin Pingzhi looked the visitor over and said calmly, "Are you the Danqingsheng, one of the Four Friends of Jiangnan? You have quite good martial arts skills. I, Lin Pingzhi, am a Juren (Junior Scholar) after all, a top-notch martial artist. I heard that the Four Friends of Jiangnan are masters of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so I came to visit them. But I didn't expect these two cunning servants to see my invitation and directly refuse to let me in without even passing on the message."

"Hehe, I have to say that today I have to humiliate you four friends." Lin Pingzhi pointed the long sword in his hand directly at Dan Qingsheng without unsheathing it: "Today, the young master wants to challenge the four friends with swords. If you win, the young master will give you a generous gift. If you lose, the young master will kill these two stubborn slaves and you don't need to ask for anything."

"Boy, you are so arrogant." Two people came out of the village one after another, one was a very tall and thin old man in black who looked like a zombie, and the other was a short and fat man with a shiny bald head. They were Hei Baizi and Tu Biweng.

"Whether you three attack together or one by one, the result will be almost the same. It just depends on how much effort I put in. Don't say I'm bullying you. Let me show you my swordsmanship." Lin Pingzhi made a slight gesture, and the four flying knights each swung a sword and retreated together.

Lin Pingzhi flashed in front of the two elders, his longsword slashing directly at the ribs of the sword-wielding elder, Ding Jian. The latter's sword, swift as lightning, was deflected by Lin Pingzhi's strike and then knocked over with a single finger. The other elder wielding a knife was startled and slashed fiercely with his broadsword. Lin Pingzhi's longsword pierced through, striking his wrist, and the knife fell to the ground with a clang. Finally, Lin Pingzhi pricked key points on both legs, forcing him to his knees.

"Take him down." Lin Pingzhi put away his sword and stood still. His aura did not weaken at all, and his sharp eyes stared directly at Hei Baizi, Tu Bi Weng, and Dan Qingsheng.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" Dan Qingsheng couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "As expected of Lin Pingzhi, the swift swordsman who slew Yu Canghai. Ding Jian, though he hasn't been out of the martial arts world for a while, is one of the few top-tier masters who wields a swift sword well. But compared to you, his swordplay is like an old man riding an ox."

"Let's make a bet. Two stubborn slaves and a painting titled 'Traveling in Mountains and Rivers by Fan Zhongli of the Northern Song Dynasty'. If you beat me with the sword, they'll all be yours. If you lose, you can come with me to an academy and be a teacher for ten years, specializing in teaching others the art of painting. How about that?" Lin Pingzhi clapped his hands lightly. Xiang Wentian, disguised as a butler, walked up step by step, took an old scroll from Ren Yingying, who was disguised as a maid, and slowly opened it.

Dan Qingsheng cried out, "Ouch!" His eyes were fixed on the painting, unable to move away. After a long pause, he said, "This is an authentic work by Fan Kuan of the Northern Song Dynasty. Where did you get it from?"

Lin Pingzhi smiled profoundly and said, "My Lin family owns the Fuwei Escort Agency, which spans over a dozen provinces. Is it difficult for me, Lin Pingzhi, to find some items related to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? If a thousand taels of silver isn't enough, then ten thousand taels. If ten thousand taels isn't enough, then a hundred thousand taels. If you spend a lot of money, you can always get some good things, right?"

"It is indeed a rare and valuable thing. Haha, let's make a bet!" Danqing Life Man took out a sword, his face became slightly serious, but his eyes were cast on Xiang Wentian. This guy had left two clear rows of footprints along the way, which were neat and clear without any cracks. His skills were not worse than theirs.

That maid didn't look like she didn't know martial arts, and together with the twenty flying cavalrymen of the Lin family, all of them were second-rate fighters, and were proficient in combined attacks. The two of them could team up to fight against the likes of Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei. If they rushed forward at the same time, the four brothers would not be able to withstand it.

Ding Jian and Shi Lingwei refused to let him in, but it was Meng Lang who was the one who made the mistake. Lin Pingzhi was indeed as the legend said, generous and magnanimous, with a high opinion of himself. Moreover, he was a real prodigal son.

If he wins, he can get two servants and a priceless scroll of "Traveling in Mountains and Rivers by Fan Zhongli of the Northern Song Dynasty". If he loses, he can only be a teacher for ten years. Lin Pingzhi is indeed worthy of his status as a juren. He is very interested in literary affairs. However, there are fewer and fewer such scholars in the world.

"Please!" Dan Qingsheng waved the sword in his hand as if to invite Lin Pingzhi. He was unwilling to take advantage of him. After all, he was a senior after all, and this kid was less than 20 years old. Well, he should be almost 20.

Lin Pingzhi couldn't help but shook his head slightly, "In a duel, being humble and giving the advantage to others shows the gentleman's demeanor, but it is a bit pedantic. The sword skills I have learned are very messy, but let me show you my Lin family's evil-repelling sword skills." As soon as he finished speaking, the long sword in his hand had already stabbed out at an incredible speed, pointing directly at Dan Qingsheng's vitals.

Dan Qingsheng felt a chill run down his spine, and he quickly took two steps back. He noticed Lin Pingzhi's sword paused, seemingly giving him time to react. He blushed, and just as he was about to lunge forward, another attack came, only to be met with the same unpredictable force that forced him to retreat two steps again. Lin Pingzhi didn't immediately pursue him, but instead paused, smiled slightly, and unleashed his third sword strike. He did this repeatedly, each strike pushing Dan Qingsheng back two steps, no more, no less. After eighteen consecutive strikes, Dan Qingsheng was cornered, with nowhere to retreat.

Lin Pingzhi sheathed his sword and returned to the arena. "I have just demonstrated eighteen of the seventy-two forms of the Exorcism Sword Technique. Is the Fourth Manor Master satisfied?"

Dan Qingsheng thought carefully about it. What would happen if Lin Pingzhi pressed on without giving him any chance? It would be death.

"I lost. The 'Sword Technique of Exorcism' is indeed worthy of its reputation. Being a teacher for ten years doesn't matter, but it's a pity for this 'Traveling in Mountains and Rivers by Fan Zhongli of the Northern Song Dynasty'." Dan Qingsheng was still thinking about the ancient painting.

"I'm just borrowing it for you to admire for a moment. Who knows, if someone beats me later, I might be eliminated as well."