The Young Swordsman of Dalu

Wenjie and Li Chaoyang talked in the front hall for a while before Wenjie suddenly remembered the duel with the number one swordsman in the northern desert.

“Uncle Li, I was passing by the pavilion just now when that swordsman challenged me to a martial arts duel, and I agreed,” Wenjie said.

“Okay, eat your fill before you go! And be careful of his hidden weapons,” Li Chaoyang said.

After Wenjie finished breakfast, he went to the pavilion, where the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert was still meditating.

"I'm here!" Wenjie stood in front of the swordsman.

"Then let's begin!" The number one swordsman of the Northern Desert leaped forward and attacked Wenjie.

"Good heavens!" Wenjie reached out and caught the swordsman's attack.

The people in Wenxian Pavilion had lost the curiosity they had on the first day about the number one swordsman in the northern desert. People walked around in the courtyard, showing little interest in their duel, and went about their own business as usual.

Wenjie and the swordsman would sometimes fly to high places to fight, and sometimes land on the ground to fight. Every move they made was standard and proper. Seeing that the swordsman was fighting without being impatient, Wenjie was not anxious either. He also fought back with the swordsman in a methodical and orderly manner.

“Sister Feiyan! Look, isn’t that Young Master Wen the Second?” Li Wei pointed at Wen Jie.

Liang Feiyan looked in the direction Li Wei was pointing and saw that the person competing with the number one swordsman in the northern desert was Wen Jie.

"It's just my sister! I still have Mr. Huang's class, so I'll be going now." Liang Feiyan didn't want to see Wenjie and make things awkward between the two of them.

"Strange! The person I've been longing for has finally arrived, but I'm afraid to go see them," Li Wei said.

"Young Master Wen!" Li Wei called out as he ran over.

Upon hearing the shout, Wenjie withdrew from his duel with the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert.

"Excuse me! Let's stop for a moment, I've run into a friend," Wenjie said.

"A martial arts competition like this? How boring!" complained the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert.

"Miss Li!" Wenjie called out with a smile.

“Young Master Wen, Sister Feiyan ran away as soon as she saw you. She’s really strange,” Li Wei said.

"Really? Maybe she doesn't want to see me," Wenjie said.

"Are you here to fight that weirdo too?" Li Wei asked.

"I came to see Uncle Li, and we had a martial arts match while I was there," Wenjie said.

"Do you have any news about Wenfei?" Li Wei asked.

“He went to the South China Sea and should be heading back now. He might appear in front of you in a few days,” Wenjie said.

"Young Master Wen can joke now. That brat has long forgotten about me," Li Wei complained.

"Wenfei has always been thinking about you," Wenjie said.

"I don't believe it!" Li Wei said.

"I still have to go and fight that person. Miss Li, let's talk later." Wenjie wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Go ahead! I want to be alone," Li Wei said dejectedly.

Wenjie then stood before the number one swordsman of the northern desert.

"Let's continue."

"I don't want to fight you, it's pointless!" said the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert.

"You're picky about who you fight? That's strange," Wenjie said.

"Why not?" the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert said, his eyes wide.

"Whatever! I'm leaving!" Wenjie said.

The number one swordsman of the northern desert sat cross-legged on the bench, ignoring him. Wenjie looked at him carefully and felt that the swordsman must have suffered internal injuries, which was why he hadn't fought fiercely with him earlier.

Wenjie returned to the front hall, where Li Chaoyang was discussing matters with a group of people. Wenjie tactfully walked outside.

"Wenjie, come here!" Li Chaoyang called out to Wenjie.

"Uncle Li, what is it?" Wenjie turned around and asked.

"How did your duel with that number one swordsman of the Northern Desert go?" Li Chaoyang asked.

“He refused to compete with me again before the match was over,” Wenjie said.

“Oh! This isn’t like him!” Li Chaoyang said.

"Uncle-Master, he must have suffered internal injuries," Wenjie said.

“I injured him last night with the Yin-Yang Thunderbolt Hand,” Li Chaoyang said.

"As expected, it was my martial uncle who made the move. My master and martial uncle Wuyi were worried that you would be hit by his hidden weapon," Wenjie said.

Hearing Wenjie say that, Li Chaoyang's right arm started to ache slightly. It had taken Li Chaoyang a lot of effort to pry the arrow out of his flesh, and he almost fainted from the pain.

"Uncle-Master, are you alright?" Wenjie noticed a fleeting hint of pain on Li Chaoyang's face.

"I'm fine," Li Chaoyang said calmly.

"It's good that you're alright," Wenjie said with relief.

"Wenjie, come with me to the back," Li Chaoyang said.

Wenjie followed Li Chaoyang to the attic. Once inside, Li Chaoyang handed Wenjie a piece of paper.

Wenjie took the paper and looked at the words on it: The tribes of the northern desert have completed their preparations and will soon expand southward.

“Uncle Li, the northern desert is very far from us. Not to mention the various tribes of the Western Regions blocking their way, there is also the Northern Dynasty in between,” Wenjie said.

“A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. What if the northern desert unites with the various tribes of the Western Regions and then tries to win over the Northern Dynasty to our Great Lu Kingdom?” Li Chaoyang said.

"Our Great Lu Kingdom is on the verge of collapse!" Wenjie said in surprise. "Uncle-Master, have you reported this to the imperial court?"

“Our Emperor is terminally ill. Even if news reaches the palace, those people may not be able to let him see it,” Li Chaoyang said.

“The Crown Prince has been helping His Majesty govern the country; the Crown Prince should know that,” Wenjie said.

"I hope he can respond positively, otherwise our Great Lu Kingdom is truly in dire straits," Li Chaoyang said worriedly.

"What should we do next?" Wenjie asked.

"I discussed it with some of the elders in the cabinet, and we can't just sit here and wait to die. We want to send people to the Northern Dynasty, the Western Regions, and the Northern Desert to find out the situation in these places," Li Chaoyang said.

“Uncle Li, I’ll go!” Wenjie volunteered.

“I knew you would say that, but it’s clear you can’t complete this task alone,” Li Chaoyang said.

"By the way, I'll ask Wenfei to come along. He's been to the Western Regions and is familiar with the Northern Dynasties," Wenjie said.

"Didn't Wenfei go to the South China Sea?" Li Chaoyang said.

“My martial uncle knows his whereabouts very well,” Wenjie said.

“The experiences that the kid went through in the South China Sea and at Haifeng Manor were invaluable lessons for him,” Li Chaoyang said.

"Uncle-Master! Is Wenfei in any danger?" Wenjie asked worriedly.

"That kid's quick-witted! Don't worry! He'll be fine," Li Chaoyang said.

“If nothing unexpected happens, Wenfei should come back to Nanshan to find me,” Wenjie said.

“He might be on his way to Wenxian Pavilion,” Li Chaoyang said.

"That's great! We'll set off as soon as he arrives!" Wenjie said excitedly.

Wenfei and Shangguan Xingyun didn't look for an inn on the way. When they were tired, they would dismount and rest for a while. When they were hungry, they would buy some dry food along the way. They traveled all the way to Wenxian Pavilion, covered in dust.

At dawn, Wenfei and Shangguan Xingyun finally arrived at the foot of Wangtian Cliff.