Misjudgment

"Brother Tian, please instruct me." Li Mu smiled, his heart utterly calm.

His opponent wanted a sparring match on the strength of the wine and insisted repeatedly. Zhao Tuo was put in an awkward position, so Li Mu simply accepted.

"Old Tian, mind your limits." Zhao Tuo was actually somewhat displeased, but since Li Mu had accepted the challenge, he sat down and secretly prepared to intervene.

Since he had called Li Mu over, he could not let anything happen to him.

The two drew their swords and left the table.

Tian Zeyi's face was slightly flushed, while Li Mu remained calm, seemingly untouched by the wine.

After Li Mu's vitality and blood had broken through the threshold, not only had his appetite grown again, but his capacity for alcohol had increased as well.

Two catties of rice wine had gone down without him feeling a thing.

The night breeze swept past. Dressed in fluttering white robes and holding Black Frost, Li Mu stood calmly as a faint battle intent rose within him.

Tian Zeyi was slightly drunk, but the moment he gripped his sword and stirred his vitality and blood, he became much more alert.

"Brother Li Mu, be careful." Tian Zeyi gave him a warning before abruptly attacking.

He unleashed the techniques of his mastery-level Dripping Water Swordsmanship. Dozens of thrusting sword shadows surged toward Li Mu.

Li Mu answered with the same sword technique.

The two exchanged dozens of moves in succession. Their attacks grew faster and faster, and sword light flashed in a dazzling blur.

"This Li Mu..."

Tian Zeyi was astonished. He had indeed deliberately restrained both his strength and sword techniques, but his Dripping Water Swordsmanship had already reached major accomplishment. Even when suppressed to the mastery level, it was still actually stronger than ordinary mastery.

Yet he had not expected Li Mu to block everything flawlessly. This showed that the latter had most likely already entered the minor accomplishment stage.

From what he knew, Li Mu had only practiced the sword for three months.

Minor accomplishment in three months? That talent was definitely not low.

I can't underestimate him. Tian Zeyi became serious, but he found himself struggling more and more. He had bragged too soon...

The people seated nearby could see it as well. Li Mu's arms were inconvenient to use, yet his swordsmanship was so fluid that he did not fall behind in the slightest.

"This Li Mu is a newcomer?"

"He's injured, yet he can still hold on for this long?"

The other two men Zhao Tuo had invited were named Guan Gu and Jiao Yang.

Guan and Jiao were both rather surprised.

They had not originally thought Li Mu could last long against Tian Zeyi. The four of them often drank and sparred together, and they knew each other's strength well. Among them, Tian Zeyi had the strongest combat instincts.

Even when they all suppressed their strength and used major-accomplishment Dripping Water Swordsmanship, Tian Zeyi's practical combat was far more refined. He had never lost.

It could be said that Tian Zeyi was especially skilled at spotting flaws in his opponents' sword moves. Or rather, though they were all at major accomplishment, his understanding of swordsmanship had reached a deeper level.

Thus, the two had long expected the outcome of this match.

Even Zhao Tuo had thought Li Mu would certainly lose. He simply did not want Li Mu to get hurt and earn Zhao Meng's rebuke afterward.

Yet now, Li Mu was not at a disadvantage in the slightest. It was completely beyond their expectations.

"Old Guan, Old Jiao, do you think... Old Tian might lose?" Zhao Tuo could not help asking in a low voice.

The three exchanged looks, each seeing a trace of disbelief in the others' eyes.

Tian Zeyi, who was on the field, was suffering in silence as well. He could not help wanting to use minor-accomplishment sword moves. No, he was already secretly changing his techniques.

"Minor accomplishment indeed—perhaps even close to major accomplishment!" When Li Mu changed along with him and completely adapted to his rhythm, Tian Zeyi suddenly realized that he had truly underestimated his opponent. Li Mu had never said he was only at the mastery level...

Could it be that Li Mu had reached major accomplishment in Dripping Water Swordsmanship in just three months?!

Clang!

Li Mu suddenly knocked aside Tian Zeyi's horizontal slash. His blade rode the momentum and pressed toward Tian Zeyi's face, lashing out like a swift silver serpent with its sharp edge fully revealed!

Cold sweat broke out on Tian Zeyi's back. That momentary lapse in focus had allowed his opponent to seize an opening. It was fatal!

He twisted his wrist to counterattack, only for a point of cold light to freeze his movements.

Black Frost stopped three inches before his face.

Tian Zeyi did not dare move again. His feelings were complicated for a moment. He had truly lost...

The four below nearly sprang to their feet at once, too shocked to speak.

Tian Zeyi had controlled the match for more than a hundred moves and seemed to have been pressing Li Mu the whole time. Yet he had revealed just one opening, which was suddenly seized, and he lost?

Moreover, both sides seemed to have used minor-accomplishment sword moves just now.

But when had Li Mu reached minor accomplishment?

Had he held back during the assessment? Or had he gained sudden enlightenment in the mere few days since it ended?

Either possibility proved that Li Mu had attained minor-accomplishment Dripping Water Swordsmanship in only three months, something none of those present could accomplish!

"Good! Splendid!" Zhao Tuo was secretly excited. Big Brother had finally unearthed a promising talent.

That Cao A-Man merely had exceptionally strong innate vitality and blood. Could his talent for the sword really be as high as Li Mu's? Vitality and blood could be piled up with resources, but talent was inborn! Nurturing Li Mu would be a great achievement! Big Brother's hope of becoming a formal disciple had increased again!

"You let me win." Li Mu sheathed his sword and returned to his seat.

"Blockhead, you're really something. Brother Tian has practiced the sword for over a year." Hui Zhen poured Li Mu wine again and clinked cups with him heavily. He drained his full cup in one gulp, happier than if he had won himself.

Tian Zeyi came back to his senses and took a sip of hot tea. Much of the heat on his face gradually faded as he looked at Li Mu with a trace of sincere admiration.

He walked over to Li Mu, bowed slightly, and said earnestly, "Brother Li Mu, I was presumptuous earlier. My skills are inferior. I willingly concede defeat!"

"Brother Tian did not use his full strength. I only won by luck."

Li Mu raised his cup to clink with his. The two drained their cups together, displaying their empty bottoms before smiling at each other.

Tian Zeyi was truly convinced now. He knew perfectly well that Li Mu had not won by luck. He himself had even broken their agreement and used minor-accomplishment sword moves, yet Li Mu remained humble in victory and spoke in such a pleasant manner. That alone surpassed who knew how many of his peers.

"I can understand why Black Frost is in your hands now. Forging Sword Tower misjudged you. They failed to recruit you, and they'll regret it." Tian Zeyi said.

"After all, I only placed second in the assessment. My innate foundation is lacking, and my talent is not particularly conspicuous. We cannot blame Instructor Liu and Manager Ye." Li Mu shook his head.

"You may not say it, but as your elder brother, I must speak a fair word. A man cannot be judged by his appearance, nor the sea measured with a bucket! When the Manor Lord first learned the sword in his youth, he kept his eyes closed and said not a word for ten years. The old Manor Lord considered him dull, worthless wood. Yet after another ten years, he comprehended the Supreme Heart Sword. At the first Famous Sword Tournament, he defeated the Twelve Heroes of Jiangnan with one sword and became a legend of the Azure River martial world! Afterward, he even entered the Sword Pavilion and became an outer disciple!"

The wine was getting to Tian Zeyi. He drained another large cup and said excitedly:

"At the time, the Manor Lord was frail and weak, with insufficient innate vitality and blood. He endured so much ridicule, but who could have imagined that he would make a name for himself with a single sword?"

"I know Liu Yi. He places particular importance on innate aptitude. Back then, I wanted to join Forging Sword Tower, but he rejected me outright! Brother Li Mu, your aptitude is even better than mine. You have Manager Leng's favor and work this hard. One day, you will surely trample Liu Yi beneath your feet!"

Tian Zeyi's face was flushed red. He was already speaking without much restraint.

Though he was praising Li Mu, everyone could hear his extreme dissatisfaction toward Liu Yi of Forging Sword Tower and his deep resentment over his own innate shortcomings.

The others at the table all lacked innate aptitude as well. Otherwise, why would they have been assigned to Myriad Swords Tower? For a moment, they were all rather moved.

Guan Gu and Jiao Yang also came over to toast Li Mu. This time, they were much warmer toward Hui Zhen as well.

"Once my vitality and blood break through the threshold, I'll seek instruction from you two as well." Li Mu was sincere. One of the two had a vitality and blood value of 11.7, the other 13.3. They were the most suitable opponents for him to spar with now and gain practical combat experience.

He needed to begin preparing to leave the manor, starting with large-scale practical sparring against people around him at a similar level.

Taking the chance, he also voiced the doubt in his heart. "I heard that martial arts encompass eighteen kinds of weapons, as well as body tempering, movement techniques, and so on. Does the manor teach those as well? It seems swordsmanship alone is not enough to face enemies."

"I'll explain," Zhao Tuo said with a smile, his thick beard trembling. "A swordsman kills a man within ten steps and leaves no trace across a thousand miles. The greatest swordsmen are all first-rate assassins. The Dripping Water Swordsmanship you are learning is only meant to establish your foundation and help you comprehend sword momentum and sword intent. True high-grade swordsmanship accounts for offense, defense, movement techniques, controlling distance, covert assassination..."

"Now that your swordsmanship has reached minor accomplishment, you can apply to Big Brother tomorrow to teach you the Water-Questioning Sword Manual. Once you master the second form, you'll understand naturally."

So the Water-Questioning Sword Manual was actually this extraordinary? Li Mu had not cultivated that far yet, but his doubts now cleared, and he felt the trip had been worthwhile.

"By the way, Brother Tian mentioned that the Manor Lord once entered the Sword Pavilion. What kind of place is that?" Li Mu asked again.

The Manor Lord was so formidable, yet he had only been an outer disciple of the Sword Pavilion. Li Mu could not help being curious.

"The Sword Pavilion..." At the mention of those words, Zhao Tuo's eyes filled with longing. "It is a top-tier sword sect!"

"The Sword Pavilion has guarded Jiangnan Commandery for five hundred years, standing unmoved through wind and rain! You should know that Great Qian has only existed for three hundred years... The Sword Pavilion has always recruited only the greatest sword talents in the world. Even an inner disciple who emerged from there could likely suppress the entire Azure River... When the old Manor Lord became gravely ill, the Manor Lord returned to take charge of Hidden Sword Manor. Otherwise, his achievements in the sword would likely have been even greater." Zhao Tuo sighed.

Li Mu was startled upon hearing this. The Manor Lord, Ye Ying, was merely an outer disciple of the Sword Pavilion, yet he already ranked among the top five in the Azure River! His current strength was unfathomable... How strong, then, must those old monsters among the Sword Pavilion's inner disciples, elders, and even its master be?

He felt as though the door to a new world had opened before him.

"The Sword Pavilion is too far away. What you need to do now is work hard and strive to claim a place among the top three newcomers in the year-end martial exhibition. That reward is extremely precious to people like us, whose foundations are ordinary." Zhao Tuo earnestly advised.