With a sword drawn, he laughs proudly, his martial prowess dominating the heavens!

The Golden Knife King's family was located in the east of Luoyang City.

In ancient towns, there was a saying that the east was rich and the west was noble. As you can see from the fact that the Wang family mansion has a tall gate tower, carved beams and painted rafters, and occupies a large area, you can tell that the family is very wealthy.

Li Che's trip was ostensibly a journey through the martial world, but in reality, it was a bodyguard mission.

Although the Wang family of the Golden Saber is considered one of the most prominent martial arts families in Luoyang, and its leader, Wang Yuanba, is known as the "Great Hero of Central China," their status in the martial arts world is still far inferior to that of the Five Mountains Sword Sect.

After considering both options, Li Che thought that if he went there rashly, it would only embarrass the Huashan Sect.

Therefore, he only glanced at the convoy from afar before turning around and heading back to his residence.

The caravan was large, and after a long and arduous journey, everyone decided to stay in Luoyang for a few days, indulging in meat, drinking, and visiting brothels. The entire itinerary was meticulously planned on the way.

Therefore, before entering the city, the two head镖师 arranged for someone to find an inn in the south of the city and book it. The price was reasonable and the location was relatively quiet.

Knowing that Li Che was a "refined and elegant man," they specially reserved the only small courtyard behind the inn for him to live in alone.

Saying it's "living alone" is a bit of a stretch, since there's a follow-up clause.

"Feifei, feed the horse, remember to crack two eggs, and then tell the servant to bring some delicious food."

I'll stay in the room on the east side; you can choose any of the other rooms.

Li Che walked ahead, behaving like a lord, and suddenly realized that having a little maid was indeed a pleasant experience.

After talking for a while without hearing any footsteps behind him, he turned around and saw Qu Feiyan sitting listlessly on the threshold, her arms wrapped around her knees, her chin resting on her knees, curled up into a small ball.

The little girl stared blankly at the bluestone pavement in front of her, her eyes somewhat vacant.

One moment her little mouth is upturned as if she's smiling, and the next it's pursed as if she's crying.

It seems she didn't hear a single word Li Che said.

"Hey! Don't worry, your grandpa won't die!"

Qu Feiyan suddenly snapped out of her daze, glared at him angrily, and said, "Your grandfather is the one who's dead!"

Li Che secretly curled his lip, thinking to himself, "It's not just my grandfather; he lived two lives, but only he survived."

Although Qu Feiyan was young, she was precocious. She noticed Li Che's strange expression at a glance. She wanted to comfort him, but the words that came out were very harsh: "What's so great about death? My parents died a long time ago. Everyone dies. You're a grown man, and you're not as good at taking it as I am."

"Alright, alright, is this some kind of misery contest? I said your grandpa's fine, so he's fine. You're just a little girl, but you think too much."

"What do you know?!" Qu Feiyan raised her voice unconsciously, then lowered it again. "Grandpa cherished that zither very much. He once said that it's better to die than to break the zither and its music."

This time...this time Grandpa seems to be contemplating suicide.

"Hmm?" Li Che suddenly felt that what the girl said made some sense, but then he thought that if Qu Yang died, it would save a lot of trouble.

Wait, could it be that the old man just wanted to dump this girl on me?

"Brother Li."

Li Che was suddenly startled, realizing the scene was somewhat familiar. He then saw the little girl pleading pitifully, "Brother Li, you're so capable, could you please help my grandfather?"

"Even your grandfather couldn't beat you, do you think I can? You'd better wait three days!"

The little girl's expression immediately changed upon hearing this. "Tch, I knew you couldn't do it. I'm hungry. Have someone bring the food to my room. Don't forget you promised my grandfather you'd take care of me."

"Hmph, you dare bully me? Next time I see Grandpa Liu, I'll tell on you!"

Li Che: "..."

Half past 7 PM, Li Che stood in the courtyard with his sword in hand. Looking up, he saw that the guest rooms in front of him were completely dark.

Where did those thirty-odd men go so late at night? It goes without saying.

The moonlight was clear and cool, and the early summer night breeze was warm.

Li Che closed his eyes and stood still for a quarter of an hour.

Out of sight and out of hearing, as if in deep meditation.

However, he kept recalling the Hengshan sword technique he had used that day.

The Thirteen Styles of Hengshan's Ever-Changing Clouds and Mist are one of its three ultimate skills, originating from the appearance of Hengshan Mountain and incorporating the changes in clouds and mist within the mountain.

It is ever-changing, both in its transformation and its illusion, making it endlessly varied and dazzling.

Before anyone knew it, Li Che flipped his bowl and raised his sword. The sword was drawn in a concealed manner. What should have been a slash turned into a diagonal thrust, and at the very end, it turned into a trembling tip.

His movements were slow, with only subtle changes and no obvious illusions.

In this way, within a quarter of an hour, other sword techniques from Hengshan, such as Spring Echoes with Lotus, Crane Soars Over Purple Canopy, and Stone Granary Reading Sounds, had been practiced repeatedly several times.

The reason for this is that he suddenly had an epiphany when he made his move today.

The Huashan martial arts style is characterized by its unpredictability and danger.

Hengshan Illusion Sword is all about change, with moves that are unpredictable and often deceptive.

But what if we take the "illusion" of the Illusion Sword and combine it with the "real" of Mount Hua's perilous moves?!

A feint, seemingly elusive, is actually a deadly attack delivered with unexpected danger. Or, a sudden, risky thrust transforms reality into illusion.

It seems reasonable, but in reality, it is fraught with difficulties.

Each school of swordsmanship has its own unique techniques, with variations between real and feint. The moves themselves are fixed, but the variations depend on the swordsman.

Li Che's aim was to change the way he moved, and also to counter the enemy, which seemed to coincide with the idea of ​​the Dugu Nine Swords in anticipating the enemy's moves.

He didn't stop moving. After using up all his phantom sword techniques, he switched to the Huashan sword style. Later, he used the phantom sword techniques and the Huashan sword techniques interchangeably.

After a welcoming pine tree scene, it transforms into a babbling brook and lotus blossoms, then into a scene of unparalleled beauty, followed by a celestial pillar shrouded in clouds...

The movements became faster and the attacks became quicker.

The courtyard was filled with the shadows of swords, the flashing of swords, and the continuous whistling of swords.

In the guest room on the west side, Qu Feiyan had been peeking through the crack in the door for a long time. She had seen Grandpa Liu use the Hengshan sword technique before, and at first she recognized a few of the sword moves.

By the time they learned the Huashan sword technique, they no longer recognized it at all.

She was engrossed in watching, thinking how utterly despicable this person was, and that she might as well steal a few sword techniques as revenge.

But no sooner had this thought crossed my mind than the figures in the courtyard grew faster and faster, their sword strikes becoming unpredictable, making my eyes ache from watching so much that I couldn't even make out a single move.

Qu Feiyan recalled what the man had said that afternoon: "Even your grandfather couldn't beat you, do you think I can?" She suddenly realized that the man was just deliberately making excuses and didn't want to help.

He was both angry and amazed that the man was so skilled in martial arts at such a young age. He became so engrossed in watching that he even found the sounds of the swords somewhat melodious.

After a moment, Qu Feiyan rubbed her slightly sore eyes, but when she lowered her hand, she noticed that Li Che's sword dance seemed to have slowed down a bit.

He saw the tip of his sword tremble and create a circle, as if there was a human-shaped phantom in front of him. The sword was aimed at his wrist, but when it got close, the circle suddenly shattered and the sword blade turned upright and pushed forward, hitting his chest.

Then he took three steps back, his sword dance in front of him forming a curtain of light. He seemed to be on the defensive, but suddenly a sword pierced out from the curtain of light, like a lotus flower spitting out petals. At the same time, the angle of the sword changed, and his footwork was like clouds and mist, and he had quietly moved to another position.

Each time this ingenious move was used, it was different; one move seemed to have seven or eight variations, which made Qu Feiyan feel a chill in her heart.

The candlesticks in the room were already half-burned when Li Che finally sheathed his sword.

With a smile on his lips and a glint in his eyes, he had only made two moves, which seemed to be innovative, but they could still be considered as his first sword moves. Regardless of their power, the sense of accomplishment was already immense.

While it may not be as good as the Dugu Nine Swords, passing it down to Mount Hua may earn him the title of "Little Ancestor" in the future.

Looking up into the sky, I saw a dark cloud sweep across the sky.

"Clouds shroud the ancient pines, lotus peaks are hidden in mist—a fine name. Let's call this sword technique the Huashan Illusion Sword!"

He then turned to look at the west door and laughed, "Little girl, after watching for so long, how much have you learned?!"

A cold snort was heard from inside the room, and the lights were turned off.

......