From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

Several days later, at the foot of Jianxing Peak in Hengshan.

After some recuperation, Meng Fei's injuries were about 70-80% healed. Although he was not fully recovered, his combat strength had been largely restored.

Although Aya still needs to rest, her health is no longer a problem, and A'luo has also returned to her usual liveliness. However, when she occasionally looks at Meng Fei, there is a hint of affection that is not easily noticed.

Just as Meng Fei and his group were preparing to set off to return to Fuzhou, at the end of the mountain road, a somewhat lonely figure in a blue robe appeared in everyone's sight. It was Linghu Chong, who had returned from attending the Five Mountains Alliance at Mount Song.

However, at this moment, Linghu Chong no longer had his usual carefree and unrestrained demeanor. Instead, his brows were shrouded in an unyielding solemnity and weariness, as if he had just gone through an extremely agonizing decision.

"Brother Linghu."

Meng Fei stepped forward and bowed in greeting. He clearly noticed that Linghu Chong's expression was unusual and knew that something might happen at the Songshan meeting.

Linghu Chong stopped, looked at Meng Fei, then at Aya and Alu behind him who were showing concern, and forced a smile. He nodded, "Brother Meng, are you well? Are Miss Aya and Miss Alu alright?"

"Thanks to Brother Linghu's help, I am now out of danger."

Meng Fei replied, then asked with concern, "Judging from Brother Linghu's expression, could it be that... something went wrong on Mount Song?"

Upon hearing this, a bitter look flashed across Linghu Chong's eyes, and he let out a long sigh.

He was not one to keep his feelings to himself, especially since this matter was of great importance and involved his former mentor, so he was filled with resentment and could not find peace of mind.

Then, he slowly recounted what happened on the Fengchan Platform of Mount Song.

Originally, Zuo Lengchan believed that with the combined power of the Five Mountains Alliance and his own martial arts prestige, the position of leader of the Five Mountains Alliance was already in his grasp.

Unexpectedly, Yue Buqun displayed a terrifying swordsmanship on the Fengchan Platform that left people speechless. Although it was slightly inferior to Meng Fei's Thirteen Deadly Swords, when it came to swordsmanship, no one from the Five Mountains Sword Sect could match him.

Moreover, Yue Buqun was not only proficient in the lost sword techniques of the Five Sacred Mountains and their countermeasures recorded in the secret cave of Siguo Cliff, but also deeply studied the Huashan Sword Sect's ultimate technique, "Deadly Three Immortal Swords in a Chain".

What is particularly shocking is that his sword techniques subtly incorporate some of the essence of the "Thirteen Deadly Swords".

Although Zuo Lengchan's Frosty True Qi was strong, he was constantly restrained by Yue Buqun, who had integrated the strengths of various schools and whose sword techniques countered the Songshan Sword Technique.

After a hundred rounds of fierce fighting, Zuo Lengchan's sleeve was pierced by a fierce move from Yue Buqun, who had incorporated the "Thirteen Deadly Swords," and his longsword almost slipped from his hand, resulting in a loss of the battle.

Although Zuo Lengchan was unwilling, he had no choice but to accept defeat. To everyone's astonishment, the position of leader of the Five Mountains Sect fell to Yue Buqun of the Huashan Sect.

"Then... Brother Linghu, you..."

Hearing this, Meng Fei felt a pang of emotion. He had long known that Yue Buqun was extremely cunning, but he never expected that the other party could actually combine the Five Mountains' methods of breaking the curse.

As for the fact that the opponent's sword moves contained some of the essence of the Thirteen Deadly Swords, it was obviously related to the three sword moves that Lin Pingzhi had mastered.

Linghu Chong gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with even more complex emotions: "Sect Leader Yue... his swordsmanship has reached its peak. Although I am confident that I can find his weaknesses and defeat him... but..."

He paused, his voice lowering, "He was, after all, my master. Besides... now that he has become the leader of the Five Mountains Sect, it fulfills his wish to revitalize Mount Hua. If I, as his disciple, were to defeat my master with my sword... I... couldn't bring myself to do it!"

Clearly, he went through a great internal struggle, torn between the responsibility to the Hengshan Sect and the deep bond between master and disciple. In the end, he chose to back down.

After listening, Meng Fei remained silent for a moment. Linghu Chong was essentially a person who valued loyalty and righteousness. Asking him to commit the act of "betraying his master and ancestors" would be to make him go against his own heart.

However, with the Five Mountains Sect falling into Yue Buqun's hands, the future of the martial arts world will likely be even more unpredictable.

"Brother Linghu, your noble character is admirable."

Meng Fei solemnly clasped his hands and said, "Sometimes, matters in this world cannot be decided by the strength of one's martial arts. Your ability to uphold your principles is beyond the reach of ordinary people."

Then, he changed the subject and looked at Aya and Alu, his eyes becoming extremely sincere: "I am deeply grateful for Brother Linghu's righteous help this time. Without Brother Linghu, I'm afraid Aya and Alu... I will remember this kindness forever."

Then, he bowed deeply and said, "From now on, whatever Brother Linghu needs, just send someone to Fuzhou to deliver the message, and even if I am thousands of miles away, I will travel day and night to do my best to help."

Linghu Chong quickly helped Meng Fei up and shook his head: "Brother Meng, you flatter me. It is only right to help when you see injustice. Besides, Aya and Miss Alu are very lucky, so Brother Meng doesn't need to worry about it."

Although he said that, seeing Meng Fei's solemn promise, he felt warm inside. Meng Fei was a man of his word, and this friendship was more precious than any treasure.

After bidding farewell to Linghu Chong, Meng Fei and his group finally embarked on their journey back south.

Just in case, Meng Fei specifically ordered Ji Du and two others to secretly accompany and protect him, while continuing to gather information about the martial arts world, especially about the movements of Yue Buqun and the Five Mountains Sect.

During the journey, Meng Fei took out the two items he had won in the lottery and gave them to the two men respectively.

The gossamer-thin yet incredibly durable gold-threaded soft armor was handed to Aya.

Then he handed the exquisitely crafted and terrifyingly powerful Rain of Pear Blossoms syringe to A'Luo.

The two were naturally delighted to receive the gift, especially Aya, who stroked the gold-threaded soft nail in her hand, her eyes revealing an undisguised curiosity.

However, when the night was quiet, Aya quietly called Alu to her room.

Aya held Alu's hand and said softly, "Alu, you can wear this gold-threaded soft armor."

Upon hearing this, A Luo was taken aback, then quickly shook her head: "No, Sister Aya, this is a gift from Brother Meng for self-defense. I can't take it. Besides, you're weaker than me, so you need it more."

Aya smiled at her, her eyes full of affection: "That's precisely why you need it even more. You're lively and curious, and you're more likely to encounter danger than I am. This soft armor can protect your vitals, and in a critical moment, it could be a lifesaver."

"I...I usually stay in the herb garden in the backyard, and Brother Meng guards it, so I won't encounter any danger. Besides, I have this."

As she spoke, she shook her wrist, where an inconspicuous rattan ring was worn, concealing a poisonous insect made in the secret recipe of the Miao region.

"Listen to me, keep those Rain of Pear Blossom Needles safe. They're your last resort, so don't use them unless absolutely necessary. Also, I'll feel more at ease if you wear this golden silk armor."

Looking at the undeniable concern in her sister's eyes, A Luo felt a lump in her throat. After hesitating for a moment, she finally couldn't resist Aya's insistence and accepted the golden silk soft armor.

The group continued south, encountering groups of martial arts practitioners at inns and teahouses along the way.

Whenever Meng Fei appeared, the martial arts practitioners who were originally talking loudly about the upheaval at Mount Song and the Evil Swordsman's nine swords that killed Yu Canghai would suddenly fall silent as if their throats had been grabbed.

They would then steal a glance at them out of the corner of their eye, or hurriedly pay the bill and leave, or keep their distance as if they had encountered a snake or scorpion.

"It's...it's 'The Evil Swordsman' Meng Fei!"

"Shh, be quiet! Are you out of your mind? I heard his swordsmanship has gone astray; he can kill someone if he gets angry even slightly."

"They dared to hit the abbot of Shaolin Temple, and they killed the head of the Qingcheng Sect without hesitation... Run! Run!"

Similar whispers and exclamations could be heard from time to time along the way.

Meng Fei, however, seemed oblivious, his expression remaining as calm and indifferent as ever.

Aya and Alu were initially a little nervous, but seeing Meng Fei so calm, they gradually calmed down.