The Young Swordsman of Dalu

When Wenjie returned to Nanshan from the capital, his fellow disciples told him that their master, Daoist Wuyou, had already left for Beishan.

It turned out that Abbess Wuyi was seriously injured, and a message was sent from Beishan to Nanshan by carrier pigeon. After receiving the message, Daoist Wuyou rushed to Beishan without stopping.

Wenjie was worried that his master was anxious because of the accidental injury, and he was also worried about Shangguan Xingyun. After resting for a night in Nanshan, he headed to Beishan.

In Beishan, Master Wuyi lay unconscious on the bed. Shangguan Xingyun and her fellow disciples were all worried and gathered around her bedside. Daoist Wuyou sat by the bed, taking Master Wuyi's pulse.

"Your master has suffered internal injuries. Who did this?" Master Wuyou asked.

“A few days ago, a group of people claiming to be the number one swordsmen in the Northern Desert came to the North Mountain to provoke us. We were all defeated. In the end, my master fought with him. Just when it seemed that my master was about to win, the Northern Desert swordsman despicably used a hidden weapon on my master. My master endured the pain and took the remaining blows. In the end, my master coughed up blood and fell to the ground unconscious. Only then did the swordsman leave triumphantly. We couldn’t even stop him,” Shangguan Xingyun said.

"The number one swordsman of the northern desert? I've never heard of such a person in the martial arts world," said Master Wuyou.

"Master! How is my master?"

"I'll write a prescription for you to get the medicine and have your master decoct it. He'll be fine once he vomits out the stagnant blood in his body," said Master Wuyou.

"Thank you, Uncle Master!"

Wenjie didn't stop on the way and went straight to Beishan.

When Shangguan Xingyun saw Wenjie, he didn't greet him. Wenjie seemed a little embarrassed. He then met with Daoist Wuyou.

“Master, I’m here! How is my Uncle Wuyi?” Wenjie asked.

"He suffered internal injuries, but after taking some herbal medicine and resting for a while, he should recover completely," Wuyou said.

Master Wuyou told Wenjie about how Abbess Wuyi was injured.

"Wenjie, you've been to the Western Regions. Do you know the number one swordsman in the Northern Desert?" Master Wuyou asked.

“The number one swordsman in the northern desert? I’ve never heard of him. In this martial world, new generations of swordsmen and knife-wielders rise and fall every day. There’s nothing new here. I’ll send a message to Sang Ziqi by carrier pigeon and ask him to inquire about it for me,” Wenjie said.

“Very well! What I’m worried about now is that this person might be unaware of his own limitations and challenge Li Chaoyang,” said Daoist Wuyou.

“Master, don’t worry about Uncle Li. Wenxian Pavilion is full of talented people, and any one of them can stand on their own,” Wenjie said.

"I'm afraid that Li Chaoyang will get stubborn and insist on a one-on-one fight, falling into someone's trap," Master Wuyou said worriedly.

“Master, you don’t need to worry about Uncle Li anymore when it comes to strategy. He’s an expert in strategy,” Wenjie said.

“Even smart people can make mistakes, and I’m a little worried! But your Uncle Wuyi hasn’t woken up yet, so I can’t leave Beishan. Wenjie, you should hurry to Wangtianya and make sure Li Chaoyang doesn’t fall into his trap,” Wuyou said.

“Okay! I will go to Wenxian Pavilion in place of my master. I will set off immediately at dawn tomorrow,” Wenjie said.

"You've traveled a long way too, go and rest," said Master Wuyou.

Wenjie walked out of the room and came face to face with Shangguan Xingyun.

“Miss Shangguan!” Wenjie said.

"I'll take the medicine in for Master to drink." Shangguan Xingyun strode into the room.

Wenjie stood outside and waited until Shangguan Xingyun came out.

When Shangguan Xingyun saw that Wenjie was still standing outside, she knew that she couldn't escape today.

"Young Master Wen, this is Beishan. My master is still unconscious. I'm not in the mood to talk to you. Besides, it wouldn't be good for my fellow disciples to see this." Shangguan Xingyun cut off all communication with his words.

“I didn’t mean anything by it, I was just worried about you,” Wenjie said.

"I'm fine!" Shangguan Xingyun said.

"I'm going to Wenxian Pavilion tomorrow. I don't know when we'll meet again. Take care!" Wenjie said before leaving.

As Shangguan Xingyun watched Wenjie's retreating figure, she suddenly felt a pang of reluctance. She immediately suppressed this thought; she couldn't afford to develop any feelings for Wenjie, or she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Wenjie walked into the courtyard where he was resting. He didn't rest immediately. He flew up to the roof and looked up at the starry sky. His mind was filled with many thoughts. Shangguan Xingyun's attitude towards him had not changed. On the contrary, it had become even colder. Wenjie felt a little lost and lonely.

Suddenly someone in the courtyard shouted, "Master is awake!"

The courtyard suddenly erupted in noise. Wenjie heard the commotion and fell from the rooftop, following the others into Master Wuyi's room.

Shangguan Xingyun was kneeling in front of Master Wuyi's bed, holding her master's hand with tears streaming down her face.

"Don't be sad, I'm awake now, aren't I?" Master Wuyi comforted her.

"Master! You scared us to death!" everyone exclaimed.

“Your senior master is here, I will be fine. You should all go and rest. You need to get up early tomorrow morning to practice your skills,” said Abbess Wuyi.

The disciples all left one after another, but Shangguan Xingyun knelt in front of the bed for a long time, unwilling to leave.

"You stubborn child, go to sleep now! Otherwise, your master will get angry," said Abbess Wuyi with concern.

"Master, please rest well too!" Shangguan Xingyun then reluctantly left.

"How are you feeling, Uncle-Master?" Wenjie asked as he stepped forward.

"Much better! Wenjie, you go too! I want to talk to your master," said Abbess Wuyi.

Wenjie left the room and saw Shangguan Xingyun crying uncontrollably in the courtyard.

"Miss Shangguan, why are you so sad?" Wenjie asked as he stepped forward.

Shangguan Xingyun stopped crying, wiped away her tears, and said, "I'm happy, Master is alright."

“This is a happy thing,” Wenjie said.

"I'm going back." Shangguan Xingyun left Wenjie behind and departed alone.

Wenjie watched Shangguan Xingyun's retreating figure, feeling uneasy.

Inside the room, Daoist Wuyou and Abbess Wuyi were discussing the matter of the number one swordsman in the Northern Desert.

"Junior sister, do you see his moves anywhere before?" Master Wuyou asked.

“His moves are very strange; I’ve never seen them before,” said Abbess Wuyi.

“Junior sister, do you remember when Master was alive he mentioned to us that there was a large sword sect in the Northern Desert called the Flying Sky Sect?” Master Wuyou said.

“Now that you mention it, I seem to remember this. Could it be that this number one swordsman of the Northern Desert is from the Flying Sky Sect?” said Abbess Wuyi.

“Very likely. I remember my master saying that this sect’s martial arts are unfathomable, but also very despicable. They resort to hidden weapons and sneak attacks when they can’t win,” said Master Wuyou.

"Senior brother, you've got it all figured out! That number one swordsman in the Northern Desert won against me with underhanded means, it's infuriating!" Master Wuyi said angrily.

"Don't be angry! I'll avenge you when the time comes!" Master Wuyou comforted him affectionately.

"Thank you, senior brother!" Master Wuyi's expression was full of gratitude.

At this moment, the two disciples had a rare moment alone together, their eyes meeting, filled with deep affection.