At that moment, in Gu Chengming's courtyard.
Gu Chengming sat at the stone table, writing furiously as he worked on the second part of his story, striving to earn another wave of Favorability for the Clear Heart Art.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Someone suddenly rapped on the courtyard gate.
Gu Chengming set down his brush, puzzled. Jiang Lu had only just left. Had he forgotten something?
He went to open the gate, only to find a young cultivator in a green robe standing outside—not Jiang Lu, but someone he had never seen before.
The man was tall and straight, with sharp brows that swept toward his temples. He looked young, but his features carried the steady bearing of someone long accustomed to being in a position of authority.
"May I ask who you are, Senior Brother...?"
Gu Chengming was a little confused. He didn't think he knew anyone like this in the sect.
The green-robed cultivator cupped his hands and spoke clearly.
"I am... Liu En."
He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, then continued.
"Junior Brother Jiang Lu recommended me."
The green-robed cultivator was, of course, Liu Enchuan in disguise.
To avoid giving himself away, he had specially chosen an alias by dropping the last character of his name.
Gu Chengming looked him up and down.
Judging by the man's youthful face, he was probably an Inner Sect Disciple of the same generation as Gu Chengming, despite his extraordinary bearing.
So Gu Chengming returned the salute, though he hesitated a little over how to address him.
"So you're Liu En... Junior Brother?"
After all, Gu Chengming had been in the sect for three years. His cultivation might be low, but he had seniority.
Calling him Junior Brother shouldn't be too presumptuous, right?
"..."
At the words "Junior Brother," Liu Enchuan's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
He was the dignified Elder of the Ministry of Works. Usually, everyone who saw him respectfully called him Elder. And now an Outer Sect Disciple had called him Junior Brother?
But he didn't correct Gu Chengming. Instead, he suppressed the strange feeling and got straight to the point.
"Junior Brother Jiang Lu said you're quite proficient in the Huiyuan Sword Art, with deep attainments. I happen to have some insights into this sword art myself. My fingers are itching to test them, so I'd like to spar with you and compare what we've learned."
At that, Gu Chengming's previously placid eyes lit up.
A spar in the Huiyuan Sword Art?
Talk about a pillow arriving just when you were nodding off!
He was fretting because the Huiyuan Sword Art's Favorability had hit a bottleneck and refused to budge.
By the logic of the game, what he needed most at a time like this was a high-quality duel—or an opponent well-versed in the art to spur him on. That might trigger a "Bond Event" and break through the Favorability cap.
Unfortunately, although Jiang Lu was enthusiastic, his attainments in the Huiyuan Sword Art were... hard to describe.
Sparring with him was just beating up a rookie. It did nothing to spur Gu Chengming on.
As for this "Junior Brother Liu En" before him, Gu Chengming didn't know him, but since Jiang Lu had recommended him—and given his bearing—he was probably a master.
"Excellent! Since Junior Brother Liu is in the mood, then I, as your Senior Brother, won't refuse!"
Gu Chengming agreed readily, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Liu Enchuan was a little surprised to see him agree so readily, even looking eager to get started.
This was quite different from the Gu Chengming he remembered.
Perhaps there really was some truth to what Jiang Lu had said.
They went to the open space in the courtyard and stood facing each other, each holding a sword.
"Please."
"Please!"
Before the words had even faded, two streaks of Sword Light crossed.
Since they were sparring in the Huiyuan Sword Art, naturally both of them used that sword art.
As an elder, Liu Enchuan had studied the art for many years, and his swordplay had long since reached perfection.
The moment he struck, his Sword Momentum flowed without end, like a mighty river—orthodox, grand, and without a single flaw.
Gu Chengming's swordplay, however, was a completely different style.
His sword was swift and strange, but it had one defining feature: entanglement.
No matter how forceful Liu Enchuan's Sword Momentum was, Gu Chengming's sword always found an extremely tricky angle to slip in and cling to his blade. It flowed along with his opponent's force, defusing his attacks as if they were nothing and even turning them back on him to restrict his movements.
At first, Liu Enchuan looked down on Gu Chengming's style.
In his view, the Huiyuan Sword Art was about balance and harmony, with an unbroken flow of energy.
Gu Chengming's swordplay, which seemed to do nothing but tangle with his opponent—almost stubbornly refusing to let go—was a crooked path, plain and simple!
"What kind of swordplay is that supposed to be?"
Caught off guard, Liu Enchuan slipped into the stern manner he usually used when instructing his disciples. He parried with his sword as he scolded,
"The sword should be light and nimble, its intent clear and unobstructed! You're all sticky and tangled up, like some street thug brawling in the Marketplace. You've completely lost the true meaning of the Huiyuan Sword Art! This is utter nonsense!"
How does everyone manage to come up with a different true meaning for the Huiyuan Sword Art?
Gu Chengming grumbled inwardly, but his movements never stopped.
His wrist flicked, and his sword darted out like a serpent, latching onto Liu Enchuan's blade again. His retort was just as sharp.
"Junior Brother Jiang Lu said something similar."
Gu Chengming gave as good as he got.
"Don't lose even sooner than he did, Junior Brother Liu."
Liu Enchuan laughed in exasperation.
The kid sure had a sharp tongue.
Very well, then. Don't blame me for being ruthless. Today, I'll teach you a proper lesson and show you what the real Huiyuan Sword Art looks like!
His anger flared, and the force behind his strikes unconsciously grew heavier. His Sword Momentum grew fiercer and fiercer.
Yet as time passed, the anger on Liu Enchuan's face gradually faded, replaced by undisguised astonishment.
The longer they fought, the more startled he became.
Gu Chengming's entangling style looked chaotic, but it concealed a subtle design.
Every time their blades met, every time their forces pulled against each other, Gu Chengming hit the exact instant when Liu Enchuan's old force had yet to fade and his new force had not yet risen.
It felt like being trapped in a swamp: he could not bring his strength to bear and instead found himself led around by the nose.
Even more shocking, Gu Chengming understood every move and variation of the Huiyuan Sword Art just as well as Liu Enchuan, who had studied it for years!
In some of the ways he handled his changes in technique, he was even more flexible and perceptive than Liu Enchuan.
What did that mean?
It meant that kid Jiang Lu hadn't lied!
Gu Chengming really was a hidden genius, with an understanding of the Sword Dao beyond that of ordinary people!
"Excellent!"
Caught up in the fight, Liu Enchuan couldn't help but cry out.
By now, he had completely forgotten that he was here to "sound Gu Chengming out." He had even forgotten his status as an elder.
The joy of finding a worthy opponent, of meeting a talented swordsman, swept him up completely in this pure contest of swordsmanship.
Gu Chengming was just as delighted.
This "Junior Brother Liu En" was definitely a master!
His understanding of the Huiyuan Sword Art was the deepest of anyone Gu Chengming had ever met—not merely a cut above You Yuyao, who only knew how to cry, but leagues beyond her.
Every clash and every exchange gave him a new insight into the sword art.
They fought faster and faster. Sword Light flashed, and fallen leaves whirled through the courtyard, shredded by Sword Qi.
Just then, inspiration struck Gu Chengming.
Ever since the Huiyuan Sword Art's Favorability had reached the "infatuation" stage, a hazy feeling had lingered in his heart, as though something were always just beyond a veil. At last, it became clear.
It was as if quantity had finally given rise to quality.
The sword in his hand suddenly changed.
It was no longer a stubborn, sticky entanglement. Instead, it became a "momentum" that could slip through every opening, yet left no trace.
Sword Light flashed, like an antelope hanging its horns on a branch—leaving no trace to follow.
This was the very essence of the Huiyuan Sword Art: all things returning to their origin, life flowing on without end!
Faced with this sudden stroke of genius, Liu Enchuan's pupils contracted sharply. He had been completely absorbed in the spar.
Instinctively, he turned his wrist and used his signature sword move without even thinking.
"Flowing Water Sever" burst forth!
But the moment he launched the move, he realized something was wrong.
He hurriedly tried to force it to a stop, but when masters fought, victory or defeat often came down to a hair's breadth.
The instant his forced withdrawal made his body falter, Gu Chengming's antelope-horn stroke had already arrived.
Thud!
A dull impact rang out.
Though Liu Enchuan had protected his vital points in time, the blow still landed squarely on his shoulder.
The tremendous force sent him stumbling back two steps before he managed to steady himself.
The courtyard fell silent.
Only a few shattered bamboo leaves drifted slowly to the ground.
Gu Chengming flicked his wrist, twirled his sword in a graceful flourish, and sheathed it behind his back.
He looked at Liu Enchuan, who seemed a little worse for wear, smiled, and cupped his hands.
"Junior Brother Liu En really is a few steps stronger than Junior Brother Jiang Lu."
"You're too kind."
At the center of the little courtyard, paved with bluestone slabs, a few bamboo leaves shaken loose by the Sword Qi were still spinning as they drifted slowly to the ground.
In the afternoon, mottled bamboo shadows swayed across the stone slabs. The air still held the keen chill of blades cutting through it.
Gu Chengming stood with his sword in hand, breathing a little hard, its tip angled toward the ground as he watched the figure he had forced back with a single strike—
That young Junior Brother who called himself "Liu En."
Although Liu Enchuan had been forced back by one strike and his shoulder still ached faintly, there was not a trace of anger on his face. Instead, he praised Gu Chengming again and again.
"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
He laughed with unrestrained delight.
"Thank you for your instruction, Senior Brother Gu!"
Before you continue