Li Mu, still riding high after winning the match, had no idea he had just narrowly escaped death.
Although he had done his best to conceal his abilities during the match, even disguising his moves against his opponent, the Cangshan Swordsman had never noticed the presence of sword intent.
Unfortunately, such disguises were useless against peerless experts. After all, comprehending even a trace of intent was a prerequisite for reaching that level, and they were more familiar with it than anyone.
Fortunately, none of that mattered now. Thanks to Li Mu's earlier performance, and with Haoran Sword Intent lending a hand, Ning Qingyu had decided he was a modest and honorable gentleman.
"A gentleman may be deceived." Even if someone like that possessed great martial skill, he would never become a threat.
Sword Sect disciples were also Mount Hua disciples. As the leader of the Mount Hua Sect, Ning Qingyu aspired to see Mount Hua stand alongside Shaolin and Wudang as one of the three great powers. Naturally, he had no objection to having another highly skilled gentleman in the sect.
As a good disciple, after escaping the crowd offering congratulations, Li Mu went straight to his master to listen to his instruction.
"Well? What did you learn from that fight?"
Zhou Qingyun asked with a broad smile.
"Thank you for teaching me, Master. I understand now that I must always stay alert while traveling the martial world. Our enemies won't abide by its rules."
Zhou Qingyun had helped choose his opponent, and Li Mu didn't believe he knew nothing about the Cangshan Swordsman. The reason he had deliberately picked such an opponent was obvious.
Although he disliked being maneuvered, he still appreciated his master's thoughtful intentions.
The match had been dangerous, but the actual risk was low. No matter how arrogant the Cangshan Swordsman was, he wouldn't dare resort to underhanded tricks on Mount Hua's grounds. Besides, sect elders had been watching. If Li Mu had truly been in danger, they would have stepped in to save him.
Compared with the lessons he had learned, winning or losing mattered little. As a rising talent, Li Mu's greatest advantage right now was that he could afford to lose.
When challenging a senior expert across a gap in cultivation, as long as he kept a humble attitude and observed proper etiquette, no one would fault him even if he lost miserably.
Zhou Qingyun stroked his beard and said with satisfaction, "The Cangshan Swordsman has always operated in the Yungui region and has never cared much for the rules of the Central Plains Martial Arts Alliance. It's not bad that you reacted so quickly.
"The leader just sent word, granting you free access to the Scripture Library to study martial arts. The last person given that privilege was Junior Brother Feng. It seems the leader thinks very highly of you.
"Every Mount Hua martial art except the Purple Mist Divine Skill is recorded there. This is your chance to build up your knowledge and foundation. Don't let it pass you by."
The Scripture Library was unquestionably one of a sect's most important places, and also one of its most secret. Only Shaolin Temple dared to put its library on open display; every other sect kept theirs under lock and key.
Even sect elders had to exchange their contributions to the sect for permission to enter the Scripture Library. Not even Cai Buli and Yao Buzhou, the respective protégés of the Sword and Qi Factions, had unrestricted access.
If this news got out, it would immediately cause an uproar in the sect. If the beneficiary hadn't been his own disciple, Zhou Qingyun would have been green with envy.
Even as someone reborn into a second life, Li Mu was stunned. He had thought he would have to become a core disciple before he could find a way to get access. He never expected the opportunity to be handed to him outright.
Once the shock passed, he felt a deep gratitude toward Ning Qingyu, the leader he had never dealt with before.
Now he finally understood how Ning Qingyu had managed to hold on to his position as leader of the Mount Hua Sect and earn the respect of so many Sword Sect disciples.
Li Mu admitted he had been won over. Whatever schemes might lie behind it, he owed Ning Qingyu this favor. He guessed Feng Qingyang felt the same way.
Yet after accepting this, Li Mu felt even more confused. If Ning Qingyu was so well-liked, why had the Sword and Qi Factions ended up in open conflict?
Even if the Sword Sect had its sights set on the position of sect leader, they would only be competing for the next appointment. No one was arrogant enough to try to force Ning Qingyu out.
With Ning Qingyu keeping things in check, the two factions couldn't possibly come to blows. At heart, they were still fellow disciples. They had competing interests, but things had never reached the point of calling for blood.
Unless...
Li Mu didn't dare think any further.
"Cai Buli of Mount Hua requests instruction from Senior Zheng, Flying Fork Taibao!"
"Yao Buzhou of Mount Hua requests instruction from Senior Zhou, Guanzhong Hero!"
At last, Cai Buli and Yao Buzhou, whom Ning Qingyu had ordered to stand down, got their chance to take the stage. But now that they couldn't fight each other, they vented their resentment on the unfortunate challengers who had accepted their matches.
Their temperament aside, their martial skills were truly formidable. And since the two were locked in a rivalry, each was determined to prove he was better than the other.
Once they began, they fought with all the flair they could muster, without the slightest restraint. They showed those senior martial artists no respect at all.
For a time, swordlight flashed across the arena like lightning. A burst of shattered, icy brilliance swept past, stirring the sounds scattered across the sky and sending them tumbling down.
The brutality of the arena matches reached a new peak. Losing an arm or a leg seemed to have become commonplace, and quite a few people lost their lives.
If the two had not been clear-headed, Li Mu would have thought they had gone mad from practicing their martial arts. Fortunately, they had chosen opponents who weren't on good terms with the Mount Hua Sect. Otherwise, the sect leader would have stepped in to stop them long ago.
Li Mu understood Sect Leader Ning's intentions. The Mount Hua Sect needed not only "modest gentlemen" to boost its reputation, but also sharp swords to kill. Since the two were willing to serve as those swords, he naturally wouldn't stop them.
As for the question of a successor, there was no need to hurry. Ning Qingyu was only in his fifties, and Mount Hua's martial arts were particularly good for maintaining one's health. With his skill, he could easily hold on for another thirty or forty years.
Being a sword that killed people was no easy thing. The nicknames their fellow martial artists had given them made that clear—they didn't sound like names belonging to decent men.
Once a nickname caught on, it was hard to change. But the meaning people attached to it could still be altered. If the Mount Hua Sect wanted to help clear their names, the solution was simple enough.
They could kill a few members of the Demonic Cult, and "Death-Dealing Swordsman" and "Ruthless Swordsman" would become righteous heroes who hated evil to the core. That was how everyone played the game, anyway.
No matter how those two lovesick senior brothers vented their feelings, Li Mu had begun his own rise to fame.
"Li Bumu of Mount Hua requests instruction from Senior Wang, Bashan Swordsman!"
"Li Bumu of Mount Hua requests instruction from Senior Yang, Northwest Blade King!"
Only after defeating three renowned experts and using up most of his internal energy did Li Mu stop taking on challengers.
Compared with his two senior brothers, his record was certainly far less impressive. But his reputation in the martial world was much better.
There was no comparison without contrast. At the arena next door, challengers went up standing and came down flat on their backs. Li Mu had injured people too, but the "senior experts" he faced could all walk off the stage by themselves.
With the shoulders of several senior martial artists beneath his feet, Li Mu's title of "Mount Hua Sword Immortal" grew louder and louder. The only thing that annoyed him was that the "Little" at the beginning still hadn't been dropped.
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