"Hmph. People like you, born with exceptional talent and extraordinary bones, have had an unimpeded path in cultivation, with few bottlenecks to speak of. How could you understand the suffering of ordinary people like us?
Do you still remember the Straw-Cloaked Swordsman?"
Fang Duohai was in no hurry to strike. Demonic flames blazed in his eyes; though he radiated ferocity and cruelty, he remained rational. He also seemed to retain a special attitude—or perhaps feeling—toward Mountain Lord.
His words drew Mountain Lord back into those bygone days. Dimly, he recalled the Straw-Cloaked Swordsman.
An elderly swordsman with a kindly smile, who liked to carry a long sword on his back, wear a bamboo hat, and dress in a straw rain cloak.
"I remember. Back when you and I were kindred spirits, drinking our way through the martial world and upholding justice, we happened upon him. He taught us the Illusionary Light Swordplay. That swordplay was of the highest order. In recent years, I used it as my foundation to create the Jade Flute Sword. Its roots still lie in the Illusionary Light Swordplay."
The Jade Flute Sword was the martial art Shanhua most often used against enemies. Its moves were intricate and endlessly shifting, yet its postures were graceful, fluttering like a dance.
Once one comprehended the true essence of the Jade Flute Sword, the sword qi it produced could bend and turn as one wished, flowing freely from left to right with incomparable agility. It was an exceedingly ingenious sword art.
"Ha ha, that's right. Back then, you and I upheld justice, slew villains, and saved a grandfather and grandson. Later, in a grass hut, we encountered that Straw-Cloaked Swordsman. His martial arts were formidable then, far surpassing yours and mine. He had watched the entire affair from the