After roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, Yue Buqun had tried every trick in his arsenal. Then he suddenly leaped out of the fray and said with utmost sincerity,
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"
A man with high emotional intelligence was a man with high emotional intelligence. Even when admitting defeat, he made it sound so graceful and unconventional—and managed to flatter Li Mu in the process.
Li Mu had never gone out of his way to boost his own reputation, but he wasn't about to turn down an opportunity that came knocking.
"Junior Brother, you were too kind!"
After a brief pause, Li Mu feigned hesitation and said, "Your swordsmanship is already remarkably refined, Junior Brother. But the path of the sword is about depth, not breadth.
"Your temperament accords well with the Nurturing Self Sword Technique. If you devote yourself to mastering it, I imagine you'll reap considerable rewards."
Since Yue Buqun had asked for guidance, Li Mu might as well give him some. Martial arts required a certain degree of compatibility, and a technique could reach its full potential only in the hands of someone who suited it best.
If Yue Buqun was truly a gentleman, then practicing the Nurturing Self Sword Technique would naturally bring twice the results for half the effort. If not, he'd have to work twice as hard for half the results.
"Thank you, Senior Brother. Buqun is deeply grateful!"
Their exchange of empty compliments gave the spectators below a taste of what it meant to be "brothers who respected one another" and to have "the bearing of a gentleman."
The results were immediate. After that little performance, both men had surely earned a favorable impression from the sect elders who had watched the match.
The Sword and Qi Factions might be locked in fierce rivalry, but that didn't mean their disciples were out for each other's blood. In truth, the sect's upper ranks wanted more than anyone to put an end to the feud.
It was just that power and profit kept the two factions from reaching an agreement. As for their differences over whether to "control the sword with qi" or "control qi with the sword," those were actually beside the point.
Qi Sect disciples had to practice swordsmanship, and Sword Sect disciples had to train their internal energy. It was simply a matter of which came first; in essence, both paths led to the same destination.
Even now, Li Mu still hadn't figured out why the Sword and Qi Factions had come to blows. Their current dispute was nowhere near severe enough to warrant a fight to the death.
Forget suffering heavy losses. Even if either faction wiped out the other without a scratch, it still wouldn't have enough strength to prop up the Mount Hua Sect as it stood.
As one of the dominant powers in the jianghu, Mount Hua had no shortage of enemies. The moment it showed any weakness, a pack of wolves would descend on the tiger.
Then not only would the sect lose the territory it already held, it might even face annihilation.
Sectarian infighting had often led martial arts schools to decline or even be wiped out. There was no way the sect's leaders didn't know that, yet the Sword and Qi Factions had still come to blows.
Whatever his doubts, the matches went on. After such a promising start, Li Mu displayed even more of a gentleman's bearing in the bouts that followed.
He gave his junior brothers a chance to show off their skills, offered advice on their weaknesses, and even helped one lucky disciple break through on the spot.
"Match on Ring Five is over. The winner is Li Bumu!"
As soon as the uncle presiding over the bouts announced the result, cheers erupted from the crowd below. It seemed today's little performance had worked quite well. He'd gained a wave of support from his fellow disciples.
At this point, Li Mu's part in the tournament was temporarily over. He wouldn't get another chance to compete until the final challenge matches.
He'd had his share of the spotlight for the day, so after exchanging a few words with his fellow disciples, Li Mu promptly took off.
Li Mu came up behind Zhou Qingyun and cupped his hands. "Master, my matches for today are over!"
Even though he knew full well that Zhou Qingyun had been watching, Li Mu still came to report at once, as any good disciple who respected his master should.
"Mm, you did well today. But don't let it go to your head. The ranking matches are still to come. Those will be the real test."
Zhou Qingyun spoke with feigned composure. But the smile hidden in his brows gave away his delight. Clearly, he was very pleased with Li Mu's performance.
To make one's way in the jianghu, a person needed more than excellent martial skills. They also needed a sharp mind and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
Zhou Qingyun put heavy emphasis on the last two words, "real test." Li Mu, who had spent time in the workplace, immediately sensed there was more to it and asked,
"Please enlighten me, Master!"
Zhou Qingyun habitually stroked his beard and said earnestly, "In the matches to come, you can challenge anyone you like. Just don't beat Cai Buli or Yao Buzhou."
Cai Buli and Yao Buzhou were both prominent figures in the Mount Hua Sect. They were the leaders of the Sword and Qi Factions' disciples of the Bu generation, respectively, and enjoyed immense prestige among their peers. They were hailed as the next generation of leaders for their factions.
Yao Buzhou had joined the sect three years before Cai Buli, and his cultivation had always kept him a step ahead. But the advantage wasn't all that great, and it had never been enough to convince Cai Buli to accept him.
Both were sword prodigies. Even while they were at the second-rate level, they had killed first-rate experts. They had entered the first-rate realm years ago, and rumor had it that many of the sect elders were no match for them.
If Feng Qingyang hadn't burst onto the scene like a cheat and stolen the spotlight, they would have made names for themselves throughout the land long ago.
There was a rumor going around that the two of them had cooked up this sect tournament to make a name for themselves in the jianghu.
Li Mu had no interest in investigating whether the rumor was true. He had never considered either of them a rival. But from what his master was saying, it sounded as if he could actually beat them.
The words "don't beat them" were rather ambiguous. To most people, they simply meant "you can't win."
But Li Mu was different. After the matches he'd just fought, he had gained a whole new understanding of his own strength.
If he went all out, he could take down Yue Buqun and the others from earlier in three to five moves. That kind of combat strength had clearly surpassed the bounds of an ordinary second-rate martial artist.
Zhou Qingyun had tested his skills before, so he should have a good grasp of Li Mu's strength. In that case, "don't beat them" had to mean something else.
"The tallest tree catches the wind."
The jianghu could tolerate geniuses, but it couldn't tolerate those who defied the heavens. One Feng Qingyang was already enough for the Mount Hua Sect. No one could stomach a second—not even the Qi Sect, surely.
Even Feng Qingyang, a cheat in his own right, had faced no shortage of schemes as he grew. His enemies had simply underestimated how quickly he would develop, and with the Mount Hua Sect protecting him, he had managed to grow into his power.
The title of Sword Saint had resounded across the land because he had carved his way to it, killing until his name struck fear into people's hearts.
But he was the protagonist now. Just like in a legendary tale, every scheme and calculation would ultimately become nourishment for his growth.
"Thank you for the lesson, Master. I know my cultivation is limited, and I'm nowhere near a match for those two Senior Brothers. I won't rashly challenge them and invite humiliation."
He hadn't intended to stand out in the first place, and Zhou Qingyun's warning only made him more determined to keep his strength hidden.
Deep down, he was already wavering over whether to play it even safer—perhaps by giving up his chance to enter the later challenge matches.
But when he thought of the resources awarded to the tournament's top ten, Li Mu decided he could afford to show off just a little.
Before you continue