The 24th Chapter

Liu Ruyan smiled.

Ning Chang'an's eyes shifted as he said, "I'm guessing it's a sword."

"So stupid!"

Liu Ruyan shot Ning Chang'an a look. After unwrapping the silk cloth, a dark, gleaming longsword was indeed revealed. With a flick of her wrist, the longsword landed in Ning Chang'an's hand.

Ning Chang'an's eyes lit up. The sword felt ice-cold and heavy in his hand, weighing at least seventy to eighty catties. He flicked his arm, and clear, resonant sword hums rang out. He immediately praised, "A good sword!"

Liu Ruyan said, "Extreme Cold Profound Iron, forged a thousand times with Black Fire Steel! The Gloomy Cold Soul Severing Sword, do you like it?"

Ning Chang'an exclaimed in surprise, "Extreme Cold Profound Iron? Black Fire Steel?" He was so astonished he couldn't close his mouth. Describing this sword as priceless wouldn't be an exaggeration; it was a treasure beyond compare, impossible to find. Firstly, the Extreme Cold Profound Iron is a type of extraterrestrial meteorite, exceedingly rare. This iron doesn't get hot when heated and forms ice when encountering water. It possesses both hardness and flexibility, making it a supreme material for forging divine weapons. Secondly, the method for casting Black Fire Steel has always been a supreme secret technique pursued by master swordsmiths in the martial world. Very few people in the world understand this method. When Black Fire Steel encounters flames, it causes the flames to turn black, which is its most prominent characteristic and the origin of its name. Black Fire Steel is elastic, bending but not breaking, and extremely resistant to deformation, making it a supreme steel for forging longswords. The value of Black Fire Steel is more than ten times that of Cloud Pattern Steel, truly a rarity on earth.

A longsword forged from Extreme Cold Profound Iron with Black Fire Steel, its value is already immeasurable!

Ning Chang'an found it hard to accept for a moment.

Liu Ruyan seemed to have anticipated this reaction and smiled slightly, "Consider it lent to you! The predecessor of this Gloomy Cold Soul Severing Sword was a saber, a very important saber to me, but it could no longer exist in this world and was inconvenient to keep by my side. When you were defeated by Lu Jing and your Dragon Head Sword was taken, I asked someone to recast that saber into a longsword. This Gloomy Cold Soul Severing Sword has been with me for some time, and now that it's in your hands, I can finally rest easy! This is my token of affection, you are not allowed to refuse!"

Ning Chang'an gently caressed the longsword, feeling the intricate patterns and the icy touch. His gaze finally settled on the sharp, gleaming tip, and he couldn't help but sigh, "With this sword in hand, who dares to stand against me?! Where its tip passes, souls are severed! This is Master Yi's forging technique, great skill in apparent simplicity..."

Master Yi, whose name was Yi Xuan, was a renowned grandmaster of forging in the martial world. His forging techniques could be described as "profound." Any weapon forged by Master Yi was extraordinary. Some renowned heroes spent half their lives seeking to have Master Yi forge a weapon for them.

Wielding a weapon forged by Master Yi was not only a symbol of strength but also an enviable honor.

The more he played with it, the more he loved it.

Liu Ruyan smiled and said, "Suyi asked me to tell you to teach Lu Sheng a good lesson for her at Green Willow Manor!"

Ning Chang'an was taken aback and asked curiously, "Suyi and Lu Sheng don't have any irreconcilable grudges, do they? What is this girl thinking?"

Liu Ruyan replied, "The Lu Family Manor has proposed marriage to Miao Chengfeng. Suyi rushed back in a hurry to refuse, which is why she left so quickly. I don't know what the Lu Family Manor is thinking, to have the old manor lord Lu Feixin personally come forward to propose this marriage for Lu Sheng. It seems that since Lu Dong, the leader of the Lu Family's Three Young Heroes, was defeated by you, the Lu family has begun to focus on cultivating the youngest, Lu Sheng. Before Suyi left, she was stamping her feet in anger and repeatedly instructed me to tell you to teach Lu Sheng a good lesson and make him give up! Heh heh, Suyi calls you 'Brother Ning' all day long with such sweet affection, don't break the girl's heart!"

Ning Chang'an nodded and said, "Of course. Given the personalities of Lu Sheng and Suyi, even if they were forced together, it wouldn't end well. I will obstruct this marriage. As long as Suyi doesn't agree, I won't either."

Liu Ruyan smiled.

Ning Chang'an suddenly said, "As for your engagement to that Young Master Tang, even if you agree, I won't! Ruyan, with me around, you'll never get married!"

Liu Ruyan froze, then chided, "Why must you do this?" Her heart, however, warmed.

Ning Chang'an said, holding his sword, "I'm going to practice my sword!"

His words still lingered as Ning Chang'an, carrying his sword, strode away.

Ning Chang'an's agreement to Lu Sheng's challenge was undoubtedly unwise, but with his straightforward personality, it was impossible for him to back down or refuse. Therefore, he was currently in a carriage heading to Green Willow Manor.

Green Willow Manor was an industry of the Lu Family Manor and the station of one of the Lu Family Manor's escort agencies. Green Willow Manor was located forty li south of Mohe City, deep within a willow forest.

The carriage moved slowly towards the willow forest. The driver was a thin old man, specially assigned by Liu Ruyan. The old man spoke little along the way, and no matter what Ning Chang'an instructed, he would obey without hesitation, never raising any objections.

The willow forest, willow branches like smoke.

Chang'an sat quietly inside the carriage, the curtains heavily drawn.

"Old Man Mu, drive slower!"

Ning Chang'an lifted the curtain and said.

The old man driving the carriage was called Old Man Mu. Everyone called him Old Man Mu. Perhaps only Liu Ruyan knew his real name; no one else knew it, and Ning Chang'an even suspected that Old Man Mu himself had forgotten his name. If anyone asked him how to address him, his answer would always be two words—Old Man Mu.

Old Man Mu seemed to have a touch of senile dementia. No matter what Liu Ruyan assigned him to do, he would never refuse and would carry it out with meticulousness to a terrifying degree. For instance, once Chang'an saw Old Man Mu bathing the horse Chasing Lightning, meticulously brushing it one bristle at a time. He spent half a month washing the horse, almost living with Chasing Lightning. Besides a problem with his brain, Ning Chang'an couldn't think of any other reason.

Old Man Mu said, uncharacteristically, "But it's almost time!"

His voice was like a fly buzzing, making it uncomfortable to listen to.

Ning Chang'an lowered the curtain and said, "The scenery in the willow forest is nice, I want to enjoy it. Just drive the carriage and arrive on time. Not too early, not too late, understand!"

Old Man Mu replied, "No problem!"

The carriage curtains remained drawn, so Ning Chang'an couldn't see the new willow branches in the forest. He was actually listening to the sound of hooves.

Quite a few horses galloped past the carriage. He had already heard the hoofbeats of at least twenty excellent steeds, precious horses worth a thousand pieces of gold. The sound of common horses was even more numerous.

There were many martial artists heading to Green Willow Manor.

Chang'an stroked the Gloomy Cold Soul Severing Sword, his eyes gradually narrowing.

The carriage slowly stopped, having arrived precisely on time.

Old Man Mu said no problem, and indeed, there was no problem.

A fighting stage had already been erected on the training ground of the Lu Family's Yangwei Escort Agency at Green Willow Manor. People stood around the stage, about ten feet away. Facing the stage was the two-story main building of the Yangwei Escort Agency. The railings on the upper floor were filled with tables and chairs. Those with status were already seated, quietly sipping tea, occasionally turning their heads slightly to whisper with their neighbors, their conversations unknown.

Lu Sheng, holding his sword, had already taken his position on the arena.

Ning Chang'an alighted from the carriage and was greeted by Lu Dong, the leader of the Lu Family's Three Young Heroes.

Lu Dong looked dejected. Upon seeing the current Ning Chang'an, he was stunned for a moment, then gave a wry smile, "You shouldn't have come!"

Ning Chang'an replied, "I am here!"

Lu Dong's expression turned grim. He said in a deep voice, "Be careful." Lu Dong turned and led the way, with countless eyes fixed on Ning Chang'an. Ning Family's Chang'an has become a fatty?! Even though they couldn't believe their eyes, they had to accept this fact.

This was a valuable fatty.

No one was unaware of this.

In the provinces of Changshan and Longyuan, the most valuable bounty in the current martial arts world rested on this fat man's shoulders.

Ning Chang'an, his expression calm, walked to the edge of the circular arena and leaped onto it.

Lu Sheng let out a cold laugh. "I thought you wouldn't dare to come!" The moment he saw Ning Chang'an, a surge of hatred welled up within him. The image of Miao Suyi leaning on Ning Chang'an's shoulder, laughing joyfully, flashed through his mind, igniting a demon in his heart and setting countless fires of rage ablaze.

Clearly, his engagement to Miao Suyi was off. Even his grandfather's personal intervention hadn't changed anything.

Miao Suyi had refused outright, decisively.

If he truly had any sliver of hope left, it lay with Ning Chang'an. Miao Suyi had said that if Ning Chang'an won this match, she might consider it.

"Might" meant "opportunity."

Lu Sheng was obsessed with Miao Suyi, so this battle was his to control. He intended to vent all his pent-up resentment on Ning Chang'an.

Ning Chang'an smiled faintly. "I've always been very bold."

Upstairs, Lu Sheng's grandfather, the old manor lord of Lu Family Manor, Lu Feixin, slowly stood up. His sharp eyes swept across the room, and wherever they landed, an immediate silence fell.

He was about to announce the start of the match.

Such a duel required no formalities.

"Wow, is the great demon head a fat person? A fat person..."

A voice rang out, unseasonably clear and incredibly loud. Lu Feixin, about to speak, could only swallow his words.

Everyone was startled.

Lu Feixin was a figure of immense seniority, one of the Lu Family's Twin Heroes before the Lu Family's Three Heroes. He had spent his life escorting goods, with friends and acquaintances scattered throughout the martial arts world. To have someone openly interrupt him while he was about to speak was practically suicidal.

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice. On the rooftop, a woman in green sat on the eaves, swinging her legs, leisurely shelling pine nuts as if she paid no mind to the angry glares directed at her.

Lu Feixin looked up and saw the carefree pair of feet. No one knew there was a young girl on the roof, nor did anyone recognize her.

Lu Feixin said sternly, "Little girl, why are you climbing on the roof?" He only saw her feet still swinging, pine nut shells falling around them.

The little girl on the roof said impatiently, "Are they going to fight or not? Old man, hurry up and tell them to start!"

Lu Feixin's expression darkened. "Little lass, it's not proper to be sitting on the roof. Come down." The people seated upstairs were all influential figures in the martial arts world; how could they tolerate someone overhead?!

The little girl looked displeased and giggled, "I finally managed to climb up here, and now I can't get down! It's nice sitting up high where I can see everything clearly, isn't it?!"