"Peerless Sword" Lin Xiao was a proud man. Many of the top ten on the Human Ranking wielded swords, but he had never truly acknowledged a single one of them.
Swordsmanship and strength were two different things. Lin Xiao admitted that "Sword Young Master" He Xiu was powerful, but he refused to admit that He Xiu's swordsmanship surpassed his own.
Even if Su Xin's ranking on the Human Ranking was lower than his, Lin Xiao wouldn't waste his time challenging him. Even if Su Xin's ranking were higher, he still wouldn't.
Just then, Xiao Huang suddenly said, "Brother Lin, I seem to recall that you competed with Xie Zhiyan not long ago, and lost?"
Lin Xiao's usually placid expression shifted slightly, but he still nodded. "I did. The Supreme Nine Tribulations Sword is peerless in power, but it wounds its wielder as well as its enemy. It's an extreme form of swordsmanship."
Xiao Huang chuckled. "But the version I heard was that Sword God Mountain wanted to arrange a marriage between you and Xie Zhiyan, and Yi Sword Sect was quite in favor of it. Then Xie Zhiyan challenged you to a fight, and you lost.
"But did you know that Su Xin and Xie Zhiyan were once very close? Back in Xiangnan, Xie Zhiyan helped Su Xin oppose Qingcheng Sword Sect.
"Later, in Xiangnan, inside the mausoleum of 'Sword Venerable' Luo Yun, the two of them joined forces to scheme against Shangguan Yanqing and the others. Their relationship was hardly ordinary."
Lin Xiao's heart stirred slightly, but he immediately shook his head. "Trying to provoke me with that won't work. I've only met Xie Zhiyan once, and there's nothing between us. Whatever her relationship with Su Xin may be has nothing to do with me.
"Besides, Xie Zhiyan is