The Young Manor Lord of Heavenly Sword Manor

The Young Manor Lord of Heavenly Sword Manor

"Whatever it is, this subordinate will surely do his utmost to accomplish it."

Hearing Fang Yuan's request, Zhou Shan replied in a deep voice.

"Good!" Fang Yuan nodded slightly. "This matter is neither difficult nor easy. Someone has set up an arena in the eastern district. Go defeat him and blunt his edge. Someone will tell you the relevant information about him on the way. Oh, and change into different clothes when you go. Do not reveal your identity."

"Understood!"

Zhou Shan nodded and withdrew from the room.

Before long, Zhou Shan, having removed his black armor, left the Commander's Residence with a Black Armored Guard.

On the way, Zhou Shan learned about the person who had set up the arena from the Black Armored Guard.

The arena master was Yi Shaofeng, the young manor lord of Heavenly Sword Manor.

Heavenly Sword Manor was likewise one of Yun Province's top powers. Though the territory it controlled did not compare to Guiyuan Sect's, it still occupied two commanderies—or rather, two and a half commanderies.

Of those, one commandery was being contested between Heavenly Sword Manor and another top power, the Five Poisons Sect.

Previously, Guiyuan Sect had formed an alliance with Heavenly Sword Manor. Guiyuan Sect attacked Qingyang Commandery, while Heavenly Sword Manor attacked Cangwu Commandery. In the end, Guiyuan Sect took control of Qingyang Commandery.

However, Heavenly Sword Manor was slightly weaker than Guiyuan Sect. It had only occupied half of Cangwu Commandery, while the other half had been seized by the Five Poisons Sect. Heavenly Sword Manor and the Five Poisons Sect were locked in a fierce struggle throughout Cangwu Commandery.

Heavenly Sword Manor had come to Qingyang Commandery to purchase military equipment, but after several rounds of negotiations, they had failed to reach an agreement on the price. Yi Shaofeng, the young manor lord of Heavenly Sword Manor, could not swallow his anger and wanted to do something about it. Thus, he had taken it upon himself to set up an arena in the eastern district, challenging martial artists of his generation. He intended to raise Heavenly Sword Manor's prestige and thereby put pressure on the Black Armored Army.

Two quarters of an hour later, Zhou Shan arrived in the eastern district.

On a main street in the eastern district stood an arena of blue stone.

A huge crowd had gathered around the arena, a sea of black heads that nearly blocked the entire road. Even the street-facing windows of the restaurants and teahouses lining both sides of the street were packed with people watching the action on the stage.

"Alas, another loss."

"One of the Flying Eagle Gang's Three Elites was no match for the young manor lord of Heavenly Sword Manor either."

"The young manor lord of Heavenly Sword Manor has been holding this arena for three days now. Is there truly no one among his peers who can defeat him?"

"This young manor lord of Heavenly Sword Manor, Yi Shaofeng, is extraordinarily gifted. He was born with sword bones. In three days, he has already displayed more than twenty different sword techniques, and every one of them has reached an exceedingly profound realm."

"Besides his superb swordsmanship, Yi Shaofeng's internal power is probably close to fifty years' worth. Combined with those extraordinary sword techniques, only a First-class Martial Artist could hope to defeat him."

"The commandery city is teeming with experts, but there is not a single person under eighteen with fifty years of internal power who has become a First-class Martial Artist. The youngest first-class experts are all over twenty."

"Are we really going to let Yi Shaofeng keep running wild?"

"In such a vast commandery city, there is actually no one of his generation who can stand against Yi Shaofeng."

"Yi Shaofeng was born with sword bones. To deal with him, one would need someone with exceptional talent at the very least."

"If Vajra Sect were still around, perhaps they would have had a First-class Martial Artist under eighteen."

"I heard that Vajra Sect took in a disciple with Innate Divine Strength a year ago."

"Shh, keep your voice down. Qingyang Commandery has now been taken over by the Guiyuan Army's Black Armored Army and belongs to Guiyuan Sect's sphere of influence. Do not mention Vajra Sect again, or you might be treated as an accomplice of Vajra Sect."

"..."

As Zhou Shan squeezed into the crowd of spectators, he heard no small amount of discussion.

Just as these people had said, Qingyang City was filled with experts. There were plenty of people capable of defeating Yi Shaofeng.

Forget First-class Martial Artists—even a Superclass Martial Artist who dared to cause trouble in Qingyang City would have only one path before him: death.

But Yi Shaofeng was only fifteen years old. To defeat him, it had to be someone of his own generation, with an age gap of no more than three years—that was, a martial artist no older than eighteen.

If a martial artist older than Yi Shaofeng stepped in, it would be using age to bully the young.

For martial artists without any backing, using age to bully the young was no great matter. But Yi Shaofeng had Heavenly Sword Manor behind him, and ordinary forces could not afford to offend it. Only someone of the same generation could take the field.

"Young Manor Lord of Heavenly Sword Manor, let me test you."

As the words fell, a white-robed youth gripping a single saber used his lightness skill to leap onto the arena.

"It's him—the young sect master of Wuying Sect, Song Qingfeng."

"Three months ago, Song Qingfeng slew the Black and White Twin Fiends."

"The Black and White Twin Fiends were both second-rate martial artists with more than forty years of internal power, and they excelled in combined attack techniques. They could fight a First-class Martial Artist, and had once battled one for over a hundred exchanges without losing. Yet they were slain by Song Qingfeng. That shows Song Qingfeng is even somewhat stronger than an ordinary First-class Martial Artist."

"If Song Qingfeng can defeat the young manor lord of Heavenly Sword Manor, he will surely become famous throughout Qingyang Commandery."

"..."

Amid the crowd's discussions, the two men on the arena had already begun their fight in earnest.

Zhou Shan also squeezed his way to the front of the crowd to watch.

The area around the arena had long been crammed full without even the slightest gap. Ordinary people could never force their way in, but for Zhou Shan, it was no problem at all.

With his sixty years of internal power, he easily squeezed his way to the very front.

"Shadowless Saber Technique!"

Song Qingfeng, the young sect master of Wuying Sect, employed Wuying Sect's supreme art, the Shadowless Saber Technique.

The Shadowless Saber Technique was famed for its speed.

The instant Song Qingfeng attacked, he unleashed one killing move after another from the Shadowless Saber Technique in a savage assault.

Fleeting Light and Vanishing Shadow, Chasing Wind and Pursuing Shadow, Phantasmagoric Splendor, Shadowless and Traceless...

Faced with Song Qingfeng's fierce onslaught, like a violent storm of wind and rain, the second-rate martial artists watching below all believed they would be unable to withstand it. They might not even last ten moves before being cut down.

Yet Yi Shaofeng remained calm. The longsword in his hand flashed from its sheath, and he responded with swift swordplay of his own.

No matter how violent Song Qingfeng's offensive became, Yi Shaofeng dealt with it calmly.

"Your moves have begun repeating themselves."

After several dozen exchanges, Yi Shaofeng seemed to have already seen through Song Qingfeng's attacks.

"Turbulent Waves!"

Yi Shaofeng slashed out with his sword. Over a hundred sword shadows seemed to appear in the empty air, then merged into one, transforming into a raging torrent that instantly shattered the single saber in Song Qingfeng's hand.

Clang—

Song Qingfeng's single saber shattered, its fragments scattering all over the ground.

At that moment, Yi Shaofeng's longsword pointed directly at Song Qingfeng's throat. Its sharp tip had even sliced through the skin of Song Qingfeng's neck, and thin streams of blood trickled out.

If it moved forward even a little farther, it would sever Song Qingfeng's windpipe.

"Thank you for showing mercy. I have lost!"

Song Qingfeng cupped his hands, then turned and left without another word.