Singing with a Sword

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! After seeing off the eight people, only the old man and Yi Ranxiao remained in the woods. The old man turned around, looked at Yi Ranxiao, and his eyes revealed a satisfied light.

"Kid, I think highly of you. Your personality is quite similar to mine, so," the old man said with a smile, "we're brothers from now on!"

Upon hearing this, Yi Ranxiao was overjoyed! He had vaguely guessed the old man's intentions when he rescued him, and now that the old man had spoken it aloud, he was overjoyed and excited. He immediately tried to sit up and bow to his elder brother. However, his depleted energy, coupled with his forced use of the Plum Blossom Hermitage Seal, had already severely damaged his vitality. He had only managed to stand halfway before collapsing back to the ground.

"Brother, don't move! Your vital energy is severely depleted, and your condition is very bad!" The old man said as he walked up to Yi Ranxiao, reaching out to take his pulse, behaving like a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. This "old doctor" frowned more and more deeply, and after a long while, muttered to himself, "Brother, your condition is indeed very, very bad!"

The old man shook his head and said, "If your condition is not treated in time, it may lead to chronic illness. For example, whenever you use your Yuan energy, you will experience inexplicable pain in your dantian."

Yi Ranxiao didn't care about any of that. He glanced at the sky; it was already the early hours of the second day, the last day of the system mission. If he couldn't get this new elder brother to teach him magic, he, the younger brother, would have to go to the underworld alone. Just as he was about to speak, the old man said:

"Hehe, but don't worry, I'll teach you a set of mental cultivation techniques and sword techniques. Since you can't move right now, use the mental cultivation techniques to regulate your vital energy. Once you can move, you can start practicing the sword techniques. If you practice these sword techniques a lot, your injuries will heal in just a few days, and there won't be a single trace of illness left in your dantian."

Yi Ranxiao was flattered and overwhelmed with joy! Before she even had to say a word, he... he was going to teach her magic? Haha, haha, happiness came too fast, like a tornado!

"Brother, listen up, I'll explain this mental cultivation method to you now."

Yi Ranxiao immediately focused on memorizing it. The mantra of this mental cultivation method wasn't long, and Yi Ranxiao quickly memorized it. In fact, it was a set of Yuan Power cultivation techniques. Originally, Yi Ranxiao practiced the Yuan Power cultivation techniques of the Wind Control Sect, but the one the old man was now teaching him was clearly much more advanced. In just half a day, his Yuan Power was restored.

However, the Yuanli cultivation method is not considered a specific technique, and the system mission does not recognize it. Therefore, after recovering his Yuanli, Yiran Xiao immediately began practicing swordsmanship with the old man.

By evening, Yi Ranxiao, under the old man's guidance, had already performed the first move of this sword technique. At the same moment, the system's voice rang in his mind: "System, congratulations host, mission successfully completed!"

Yi Ranxiao finally felt relieved. The system continued, "The system rewards the host with a set of 'Mysterious Shadow Steps'!"

"The elusive shadow step!" Yi Ranxiao was overjoyed. He had heard of this footwork before. It was said that cultivators who mastered this footwork could easily dodge even lightning attacks! Although this statement was somewhat exaggerated, it was enough to show how powerful this footwork was!

Yi Ranxiao waited for the system to give her the secret manual of this footwork technique. But the system said, "The host only needs to decide to receive it, and the system will input all the information of this footwork technique into the host's mind. Then, the host only needs to browse the information once, and without practice, she can automatically master it!"

Mastering it without practice? And mastering it flawlessly? Is there really such a thing as a free lunch? Yiran was so happy she wanted to set off firecrackers to celebrate. But thinking about it calmly, this kind of benefit wasn't so easily obtained. Wasn't it earned by risking her life? Imagine if the old man hadn't shown up, or had only been a day late—she wouldn't have been able to complete the mission! She wouldn't have had the life to enjoy this privilege then.

"Would you like to claim the Mysterious Shadow Step now, host?"

Yi Ranxiao thought for a moment and asked, "If I don't claim it now, can I claim it at any time later?"

The system replied, "Absolutely. The host can even wait until after completing the next task to claim both prizes." Yi Ranxiao nodded, thinking that he was currently practicing the sword technique taught to him by the old man, so he should wait a while before claiming the prizes. He replied, "I choose to claim them later."

The system responded and then fell silent again.

……

……

Luo Rong sat cross-legged on a futon, with a small table in front of him. On the table sat a pot of tea and a cup, the tea steaming and a few tea leaves floating on the surface. Luo Rong gently picked up the teacup, took a sip, and savored the taste.

“Brother Wang, it’s been many years. Your Hengyun Temple is still the same as ever, as serene and elegant as ever. It’s still a great place for self-cultivation.” Luo Rong said to a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe sitting to his left.

This middle-aged man was the abbot of Hengyun Temple, named Wang Zan, with a cultivation level of the sixth level of Qi Condensation. He and Luo Rong were longtime friends. Luo Rong learned that Yi Ranxiao had appeared in Dongtai City, and since Hengyun Temple was not far from Dongtai City, he came to bother Wang Zan.

Like Luo Rong, Wang Zan appeared to be a humble gentleman, displaying the composure of a grandmaster. He slowly said, "Brother Luo, you flatter me. In fact, in recent years, my mind and spirit have regressed. I have always focused my energy on cultivation and forgotten to cultivate my character. It is truly shameful."

"Hey, Master Luo and Abbot Wang, can't you say something else? Why do you have to talk about such impractical things?" said impatiently the man sitting to Luo Rong's right. This man wore a golden headband and a yellow monk's robe; he was stout and dressed like a monk. This monk was the owner of the little black dog, named Sha Tongtian. When Sha Tongtian learned that the little black dog had been killed, he couldn't help but blame Luo Rong. Afterwards, Luo Rong gave him some benefits, and he stopped pursuing the matter.

However, the little black dog was his spirit beast, and since it had been killed, he was determined to kill the murderer to avenge the dog. So he followed Luo Rong to Hengyun Temple. In the end, Luo Rong only sent Li Sishui to capture the boy named A-San, and told him to stay in Hengyun Temple with him and wait for their return.

Sha Wujing was an impatient man. Seeing that Li Sishui had been gone for a long time and had not yet returned, he had long been impatient. So he said, "Sect Leader Luo, Abbot Wang, why don't we go and capture that brat ourselves? Watch me use my crescent shovel to cut off his head!"

Luo Rong chuckled and said, "Brother Sha, why do you need to deal with such a lowly scoundrel? My junior brother and the others are enough. Brother Sha, just wait patiently for him to bring that little thief back, and then we can torture him slowly."

Sha Tongtian touched his bald head and said, "But that guy Li Sishui has been gone for a long time, why hasn't he come back yet? Could it be... could something have happened to him?"

Luo Rong smiled calmly, took a sip of tea, and said leisurely, "How could that be?" But as soon as he finished speaking, a person suddenly rushed in from outside. This person was the leader who had attacked Yi Ranxiao.

"Master, something terrible has happened! Elder Li has been killed by that Indian!"

Click~

The teacup in Luo Rong's hand fell to the ground and shattered instantly. Luo Rong stood up abruptly, looking at the disciple with shock and anger, pointing at him and asking, "What did you say?"

"Elder Li was killed by that Indian... killed!"

"How is this possible?!" Luo Rong exclaimed incredulously!

"Master, it's...it's true! How could your disciple dare to lie?"

Luo Rong was stunned. That lowly servant Ah San had actually killed two of his junior brothers and his beloved son in succession—an irreconcilable hatred! An irreconcilable hatred!

"Ah San, I'm going to kill you myself!" Luo Rong roared, this time, he was prepared to take action personally!

……

……

"Brother, I don't even know your name." Yi Ranxiao and the old man had been practicing swordsmanship for several days, so engrossed in it that they had forgotten to ask the old man's name. Only now did they remember it and asked him during their break.

The old man chuckled and brushed aside the white hair at his temples, saying, "My name is Gui Buzhong."

"Gui Buzhong?" Yi Ranxiao was taken aback; the name sounded really strange.

In fact, Gui Buzhong didn't know Yi Ranxiao's name either, so he said, "Brother, when I was spying, I heard that woman call you Ah San, but I don't know what your real name is."

Yi Ranxiao said, "To be honest, brother, my real name is Yi Ranxiao." The old man's eyes lit up, and he murmured, "Yi Ranxiao, Yi Ranxiao? Haha, what a good name, I like it! No matter when or where, one should always be carefree! Hmm, brother, your personality is just like mine! I was right about you!"

The old man suddenly looked at Yi Ranxiao with a hint of jealousy. "Such a good name, why didn't I think of it? No, no, I want to have a name as dashing as yours—no, even more dashing than yours! It has to be more dashing than yours."

Yiran Xiao was used to Gui Buzhong's childlike personality, so he just smiled and remained silent. Gui Buzhong, on the other hand, racked his brains, thinking hard. "Yiran Sa? That sounds awful! And 'Sa' comes after 'Xiao,' and I'm your older brother, I can't fall behind you... How about Yiran Ba? No, no, I don't want to be a domineering person, I want to be a carefree person. So what should I call myself? Yiran... Yiran..."

"Ah San, your name is clearly Yi Ran Xiu, when did you change it to Yi Ran Xiao!" Suddenly, a powerful voice, containing endless Yuan energy, rang out in the forest.

"Luo Rong!" Yi Ranxiao's pupils contracted.