Luo Fuyi

"Are you a distinguished disciple of the Qingwei Sword Sect?" A delighted young voice came from behind him.

Yu Xiu turned and saw a young woman carrying a saber and a sword on her back. Her thick hair was tied up, giving her a neat, capable look. She had long, straight legs and a superb figure, and her fair face had pleasing features. She wore a black martial outfit that made her look bold and dashing.

"Oh!" When the woman saw Yu Xiu turn around, her clear eyes lingered on his face for a moment. She secretly praised him. Now this is the swordsman I have in mind: dashing and unrestrained, roaming the world with sword in hand.

"Can I help you?" Yu Xiu asked, puzzled.

If she had encountered demons or fiends, there would be nothing wrong with asking the Qingwei Sword Sect for help within Yan Province.

But if it was some other matter, the Qingwei Sword Sect had its own rules. Local affairs were not the responsibility of its disciples.

"No, no, it's nothing. I've admired the Qingwei Sword Sect for ages, so..." The young woman waved her hands repeatedly, but she still couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes.

"If it's nothing, I'll be going." Before she could finish, Yu Xiu had already set off.

You never knew what was in another person's heart. When traveling abroad, trusting others too readily was the greatest taboo.

Though this was Yan Province, under the Qingwei Sword Sect's jurisdiction, it never hurt to be careful.

Besides, he had already changed out of his Inner Court disciple uniform, yet she had still recognized him.

"Wait! Are you heading to Cloud Mountain Cliff? Let's go together!" The woman hurried after him again.

Yu Xiu ignored her, so she continued talking on her own. "A few years ago, I wanted to join the Sword Sect too, but they said my talent for the sword was poor and turned me away."

She smiled confidently. "But I don't agree. My swordsmanship has reached a high level now. My master says I have the bearing of a master."

Then she looked at Yu Xiu. "I've seen many Sword Sect disciples traveling about, and their swordsmanship was all inferior to mine. But I can tell yours must be excellent. Could you..."

Before she could finish, Yu Xiu stopped. "How can you tell my swordsmanship is excellent?"

Everyone who had seen him fight so far was dead.

The bold, dashing woman looked at Yu Xiu's face and replied as if it were obvious, "I can see it with my eyes!"

"..." Yu Xiu said, "My swordsmanship is only average. Don't follow me."

"My name is Luo Fuyi, and I'm a disciple of the Lingyang Sect. You don't need to be wary of me. Though our sect can't compare to the Qingwei Sword Sect, we often join forces with the Sword Sect to vanquish demons and fiends." Luo Fuyi continued walking beside him. "My heart is set on the sword. Could you spare some time to give me pointers?"

She hurriedly added, "You're going to Cloud Mountain Cliff, and I can show you the way. I've been there once. If there's something inside you want, I can help you get it, too."

The Lingyang Sect, the greatest sect in Guxu Prefecture!

Yu Xiu stopped for the first time.

The Qingwei Sword Sect ruled supreme over Yan Province's eight prefectures, but it wasn't the only sect around. Beneath it were many other sects, both large and small.

"Show me your swordsmanship. I'll see if I can offer you any pointers." Yu Xiu's interest was piqued, and he suddenly relented.

As the greatest sect in Guxu Prefecture, the Lingyang Sect's legacy was surely impressive. If Luo Fuyi was asking him for guidance, perhaps he could secretly learn a sword art and gain more than a decade of lifespan and insight.

With his current level of insight, if anyone performed a complete sword art in front of him, he really could learn it.

Even the underlying techniques and Qi Circulation routes should be deducible from the moves and momentum.

A sword art that came for free was not to be passed up.

Luo Fuyi was overjoyed. "Thank you."

Her aura surged, and the long sword on her back rang with a metallic chime before soaring into the air and landing in her hand.

That move alone looked dashing.

"This sword art of mine is called Hanguang Sword. Please give me your honest opinion." Luo Fuyi swept her sword through a full set of moves, each one delivered with tremendous force and momentum.

But Yu Xiu's expression darkened as he watched.

Swordsmanship was meant to be light and nimble, either sharp or dazzlingly keen. From Yu Xiu's trained eye, the Hanguang Sword should have relied on speed, odd angles, elusive movements, and unpredictable changes.

But in Luo Fuyi's hands, it had nothing to do with being odd, fast, or elusive. Yu Xiu would sooner believe she was wielding a mountain-splitting axe.

Forget it. She had trained this sword art into something that wasn't quite anything, and no matter how gifted Yu Xiu was, he couldn't deduce it.

When she finished the set, Luo Fuyi hurried over, brimming with anticipation. "Brother Yu, how was my swordsmanship?"

"My master praised me as a great master in the making. He said I've already broken free of the Hanguang Sword's original framework and can forge my own path."

If you can turn swordsmanship into axe-wielding, of course you can forge your own path. Yu Xiu nodded. "Your swordsmanship is excellent. If you get the chance, you could also practice the axe or hammer. You'd surely capture their form and spirit."

Luo Fuyi was delighted. "Brother Yu really does have a keen eye. My master suggested the same thing, so I've also taken up the saber."

Yu Xiu said, "Your saber skills must be excellent."

Given Luo Fuyi's natural affinity, the saber truly suited her better. More precisely, she was well suited to weapons like sabers, axes, and hammers.

Luo Fuyi was displeased. "I like practicing the sword more."

Her eyes lit up. "Brother Yu, would you spar with me? Don't worry, I'll hold back."

Yu Xiu wasn't interested. "My swordsmanship is mediocre. There's nothing worth showing off."

He suddenly understood why Luo Fuyi said she had met many Qingwei Sword Sect disciples traveling about, yet everyone said their skills were inferior to hers.

Everyone in the Sword Sect practiced the sword. Of course they wouldn't bother with Luo Fuyi.

Luo Fuyi smiled. "Brother Yu, you're too modest."

She loved being praised for her superior swordsmanship, especially by members of the Qingwei Sword Sect. Their praise pleased her most of all.

The Qingwei Sword Sect's swordsmanship was unrivaled and the best in Yan Province. If they acknowledged her, then her swordsmanship had to be truly exceptional.

She didn't insist on sparring with Yu Xiu. If I keep chasing Brother Yu for a match, and he loses to me at swordsmanship, he's a Sword Sect disciple. He'll surely be heartbroken.

"Come on, I'll take you to Cloud Mountain Cliff."

"I went there once before. There was a demon monkey that had passed the first of the Four Great Passes. I was no match for it, so I had to retreat."

"Now, many experts have gathered outside Cloud Mountain Cliff. The monsters up there will surely be slaughtered to the last."

She was enthusiastic and eager to help.

Yu Xiu listened quietly without interrupting.

"The monsters on Cloud Mountain Cliff are actually quite cunning. They like to eat human hearts and brains, especially those of cultivators. They've been hiding on Cloud Mountain Cliff for who knows how long, and no one ever discovered them."

"I heard from Jiang Han's friend, who escaped from the monsters' lair, that they used demonic arts to bewitch some women and pretended they were pitiful victims kidnapped by bandits and dragged into the mountains. Any cultivator who took the bait and went into the mountains to suppress the bandits would be captured by the monsters."

"Who knows how many people those monsters have eaten over the years? Only now have they finally been exposed!"

By the end, Luo Fuyi was furious. "Mountain spirits and demons bring endless harm to people. They must be cut down by the sword."

Yu Xiu could tell that Luo Fuyi was just the sort of righteous heroine people spoke of in the martial world, a woman with a heart full of courage.

He thought there should be more people like her in the world.

Of course, he thought he was a good person like that, too, even though he had killed quite a few people.