The Young Swordsman of Dalu

Nangong Xun glanced at the young man, then looked at Feng Weiran. Feng Weiran said to Feng Xun Nan, "He's not getting any younger, it's time for him to broaden his horizons!"

“Mother! I’m afraid he doesn’t know his place!” Feng Xunan said.

"Who is he? Why are you all so nervous?" Nangong Xun asked.

“He is Nan’er’s son, Jiang Huai,” Feng Weiran said.

"I've been here for so many days, why haven't I heard you mention this before?" Nangong Xun asked.

Feng Weiran winked at Nangong Xun, signaling him not to ask any more questions. Nangong Xun understood her meaning and quickly shut up.

The number one swordsman of the northern desert sized up the young man before him and said with disdain, "Come on! Little brat, let me see what you're made of!"

Jiang Huai swung his sword at the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert, but the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert did not dodge at all, and instead extended his right sword to block Jiang Huai's thrust.

Jiang Huai quickly retreated and launched a second attack. The number one swordsman of the Northern Desert remained calm and stood there without moving. Jiang Huai swung his sword at the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert from the opposite side and thrust again. The number one swordsman of the Northern Desert swung his sword forward and swept it across Jiang Huai's arm. Jiang Huai was hit on the arm by the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert because of the force of his forward charge. His sword immediately fell to the ground. Seeing that Jiang Huai was in danger, Feng Xunnan immediately flew over and blocked the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert's second sword.

Jiang Huai was helped down, and Feng Xunnan stepped back, assuming a fighting stance to continue his duel with the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert. At this moment, Nangong Xun said, "Nan'er, don't linger, come back!"

Feng Xunnan retreated back into the Feng Family Manor. The number one swordsman of the Northern Desert pressed close to the manor gate, but the servants blocked his way. The number one swordsman of the Northern Desert wore an arrogant and mocking expression and said, "What do you think the Feng Family Manor is? It's just a bunch of nobodys! Hurry up and make way for your grandfather!" He then burst into laughter.

Jiang Huai wanted to challenge him again, but Feng Weiran stopped him: "Huai'er! This is not the time to be competitive!"

"Are we just going to swallow this insult?" Jiang Huai asked.

“Huai’er! Listen to your maternal grandmother!” Feng Xun’nan said.

"Close the manor gates and strengthen the guards! Keep a close eye on the movements of the number one swordsman in the northern desert and the imperial tomb," Feng Weiran said.

"Mother! I'll give the order right away!" Feng Xunnan went downstairs.

"Huai'er! After bandaging your wound, go and get some rest!" Feng Weiran said.

"Yes, Grandmother." Jiang Huai was helped away.

"Is he Nan'er's son?" Nangong Xun asked, looking at Jiang Huai's retreating figure.

“Yes!” Feng Weiran said.

"Who is his father?" Nangong Xun looked around.

"Stop looking! His father isn't at the manor," Feng Weiran said.

"What exactly happened?" Nangong Xun asked, puzzled.

“Same as me,” Feng Weiran said.

"Could it be that Nan'er has encountered a heartless man!" Nangong Xun exclaimed. "Tell me who it is! I want to avenge Nan'er!"

“I was the one who kicked his man out of the manor,” Feng Weiran said.

"What exactly happened?" Nangong Xun asked.

“Back then, I hired a private tutor for Nan’er. Nan’er spent her days with us martial arts practitioners when she suddenly met a refined and cultured scholar, and she became completely infatuated with him. One day, Nan’er told me that she had fallen in love with that tutor and insisted on marrying him. Just like my father had stopped us years before, I tried to stop them. Later, they consummated their marriage, and Nan’er became pregnant. To prevent Nan’er from following in my footsteps, I reluctantly agreed to their marriage. After Huai’er was born, they lived happily for three years. Suddenly, one day, a woman came to our Feng Family Manor with a boy and a girl. Who would have thought that they were the tutor’s wife and children? His wife had been waiting for him at home for three years, searching everywhere for his whereabouts, and finally found him here. In a fit of anger, I kicked him out of the Feng Family Manor,” Feng Weiran said.

"What's that kid's name? Where is he from?" Nangong Xun asked angrily. "I want to skin him alive! How dare he deceive my daughter!"

"It's all in the past, let's not bring it up again, lest Nan'er be sad!" Feng Weiran said.

"I can't swallow this! Tell me, once this is over, I'm going to settle the score with that kid!" Nangong Xun said.

“Let me tell you! He is Jiang Nan, the son of Jiang Yin, the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty,” Feng Weiran said.

"So what if Jiang Yin is my son? I, Nangong Xun, fear no one when I get into trouble!" Nangong Xun said.

"Alright! Old man! Let's finish dealing with what's in front of us first! How about that?" Feng Weiran said.

“I’ll do as you say! That’s how it’s done! I won’t let them get away with this!” Nangong Xun said confidently.

The top swordsman of the northern desert returned to the imperial mausoleum and told Zhou Moyao about his duel with the Feng family manor. Zhou Moyao said, "My father established the Great Lu Kingdom, and the Feng family manor also contributed to it, so their position cannot be ignored. Although they have always ignored state affairs and kept themselves out of it, they are involved and cannot hide. We should have people keep a close eye on what is happening in the manor."

“Your Highness is making a mountain out of a molehill!” said the number one swordsman of the Northern Desert. “If they don’t behave, I can take care of their entire manor by myself.”

"I'll leave everything to you, my little brother!" Zhou Moyao laughed heartily.

“Mother! That number one swordsman in the northern desert no longer takes our manor seriously. Why doesn’t Grandmother send out the manor’s best fighters to compete with him? That way we can save some face,” Jiang Huai said.

“Your maternal grandmother’s decision is correct. Our Feng family manor has never cared about outside affairs. If we rashly surpass him, who knows what will follow? It’s better to be careful,” Feng Xunnan said.

“Grandmother is getting old, and her courage has waned. If this continues, what standing will our manor have in the martial arts world?” Jiang Huai said with dissatisfaction.

"Huai'er! You can't talk about your maternal grandmother like that. Your maternal grandmother's abilities are beyond question. You must not say such disrespectful things again! Do you understand?" Feng Xunnan said angrily.

"I know, Mother! I was just venting," Jiang Huai said.

"From now on, just focus on practicing your martial arts and studying hard in this backyard! Don't worry about anything else, your mother will take care of everything," Feng Xunnan said affectionately.

"Mother! When can I go see my father?" Jiang Huai asked.

"When you pass the imperial examinations!" Feng Xunnan said.

"I will definitely study hard! I will strive to pass the imperial examination! My father will be very happy when he sees me!" Jiang Huai's eyes shone, as if his father had already come to him.

Looking at her son, Feng Xunnan felt a mix of emotions. The man had deceived her feelings back then, but she had never spoken a bad word about him in front of her son. She didn't want Jiang Huai to spend his whole life in this closed-off manor like she had. She hoped her son could leave the manor and see a different world.