And Him

"Senior Brother Chen, did something big happen again today?"

After the routine sparring session ended today, a bold trainee asked Chen Ming this question.

Every time something major occurred, Hong Mingquan and Zhang Mingyu would be absent. The last time was when Huo Qianqian rejected the marriage to Wen Zehao.

Something big must have happened today.

These trainees had already been whispering among themselves.

Seeing their gossip-hungry faces, as if they were all hoping for some incident to break the monotony of training, none of them shying away from trouble, Chen Ming said, "Nothing much. The manor just has an honored guest. Alright, all of you head back now."

Hearing this, the trainees grew curious and pressed him on what kind of guest it was.

Chen Ming ignored them and walked off on his own.

He didn't know either.

Just as he was about to pass through the courtyard gate, he noticed a man with a blade of dog-tail grass in his mouth, holding a longsword in his arms, leaning against the moon gate.

Oh? Wasn't this one of the five who arrived today?

Chen Ming recognized him at a glance, gave a slight nod, and moved to step through the moon gate.

The man extended his sword, blocking his path.

Chen Ming asked, "Friend, why are you stopping me?"

The man looked him up and down with keen interest and asked, "Which disciple are you to Uncle-Master Huo?"

He shook his head. "I am not Old Huo's disciple."

"Your 'Three Powers Fist' is quite well-practiced. Rare to see someone so patient, willing to feed moves to those little brats. Back when I first started learning martial arts, if I'd had a senior brother like you, I'd have picked up the 'Three Powers Fist' much faster."

"You flatter me."

Chen Ming replied modestly.

This man addressed Huo Chengkun as Uncle-Master, meaning today's honored guests were Huo's fellow disciples.

Seeing that the other had no intention of letting him go, Chen Ming asked directly, "May I ask why this senior brother is blocking my way?"

The man spat out the dog-tail grass and grinned. "You can't leave just yet. You're coming with me somewhere."

"And if I refuse?"

The smile faded from the man's face. "Don't make me use force."

"...Where to?"

Chen Ming had always known when to yield.

He didn't know this man's background, so naturally, he wouldn't rashly start a fight.

Besides, the situation was unclear.

What gave this man the nerve to act so arrogantly in someone else's home, showing no regard for the host?

The man couldn't help but laugh. "Friend, you sure know how to read the room. Follow me."

Chen Ming followed the man all the way to the front courtyard, still wondering in his mind what these people wanted at Huo Manor.

As soon as he entered the front courtyard, he saw two people locked in combat.

One of them was the rarely seen senior disciple, Zhao An, wielding a long saber.

His opponent was one of the five riders from this morning, using a longsword.

The courtyard was filled with saber aura and sword energy.

Chen Ming was instantly captivated.

Both of them were at least at the Eighth Rank. A fight at this level wasn't something you encountered every day.

Besides the two fighters, several others were in the courtyard.

Zhang Mingyu, Hong Mingquan, Wen Zehao, Huo Qianqian, and even the already-married Second Senior Sister Du Juan were all there. Among Huo Chengkun's disciples, everyone except the fourth and sixth was present.

But they looked disheveled, with several tears in their clothes.

Zhang Mingyu was even sporting injuries.

It seemed they had all just been through a fight—and had come out the worse for it.

On the other side, a man and a woman stood calm and composed.

The Blue-Robed Woman complained, "Second Senior Brother, what took you so long?"

The man who had brought Chen Ming over laughed. "This Huo Manor is too big. I almost got lost."

"Is this man also Huo Chengkun's disciple?"

"No."

"Then why did you bring him here?"

"I have a feeling this fellow is closely connected to Uncle-Master Huo."

Chen Ming paid no attention to their chatter, his focus fixed entirely on the two fighters in the arena.

He tried putting himself in their shoes and felt that if it were him, he wouldn't last three moves against either of them.

After all, there was a whole major realm between them.

Moreover, the saber and sword techniques they used were far more profound than the "Bagua Saber Technique."

He watched for a while, then suddenly sensed something off. "Strange, why are their moves so similar?"

Though one wielded a saber and the other a sword, the techniques they employed were nearly identical, differing only slightly in style.

What Zhao An was using should be Huo Chengkun's most famous "Five Elements Saber Technique," only taught to direct disciples.

That sword-wielding man, though from the same sect, used a sword style, yet the sword and saber moves were the same. Could it be that the sect's ancestors were just too lazy?

By now, their duel had reached a fever pitch.

Chen Ming could tell Zhao An was going all out, his long saber whirling into a blur of light, so fast it was nearly invisible.

His opponent, however, simplified the complexity, thrusting his sword once.

Clang!

A sharp ring echoed.

Chen Ming's eardrums stung as he saw a long saber fly up, tumble through the air a few times, and then, with a metallic thud, embed itself in the ground.

Zhao An stood there, dazed, his tiger's mouth split open, his hand trembling uncontrollably, as if unable to accept his defeat.

"Good."

"A fine move—'Golden Crow Descends.'"

"Haha, you've all lost!"

The two men and one woman on the sidelines clapped and cheered.

The Huo Manor group's faces darkened further. Huo Qianqian bit her lip so hard it turned red, her eyes welling up, almost drawing blood.

In the arena, the sword-wielding man sheathed his blade and said flatly, "You're not bad, but turning sword techniques into saber techniques was a wrong path from the start. Naturally, you're no match for me."

Zhao An jerked his head up, his eyes blazing with grief and fury. "Guo, I lost because I'm not skilled enough. Don't you dare slander my sect's saber technique."

The man didn't argue, only replying, "Whether it's true or not, go ask your master yourself. Well, since you've all lost to us brothers, as agreed, you'll submit to our judgment."

At those words, Zhang Mingyu and Hong Mingquan's faces changed drastically.

Zhao An, however, stood tall and proud, chin raised. "Since we lost, we have nothing to say. Do as you will—kill or maim!"

Guo turned and called out toward the main hall, "Uncle Huo, you heard that, didn't you? If you listen to my master and hand over the item, I won't trouble these junior brothers and sisters. If not, don't blame me for being ruthless."

After a moment, Huo Chengkun's voice came from inside. "Junior Sister, why put yourself through this? I told you, that thing isn't with me..."

Then a sharp old woman's voice cut in, "Senior Brother, don't you get it yet? You've spent over a decade here, diligently taking disciples, twisting the sect's sword techniques into saber forms to teach them. What good has it done? They can't even beat my apprentice.

Senior Brother, you thought you could pass on the sect's flame this way, but the inheritance only grows weaker. Is there a single one among your disciples who amounts to anything?

Do you want the sect's ultimate arts to die out? When you meet our ancestors in the underworld, what face will you have to show them?"

"..."

The conversation in the main hall carried too much weight, leaving everyone outside stunned.

Especially Chen Ming, an outsider. As he listened, a knot of unease tightened in his stomach. He'd accidentally stumbled onto such a secret. After this was over, would Huo Chengkun silence him?

Then, no more sounds came from the main hall.

Those outside grew increasingly anxious.

"Hold on!"

Suddenly, Huo Qianqian spoke up loudly. "We haven't lost yet."

The Blue-Robed Woman sneered. "Oh, is this little sister trying to weasel out?"

"Who's weaseling?" Huo Qianqian shot back. "It was agreed from the start: you have to defeat all of us for it to count. If even one of us can beat you, we win. We lost, but there's still him!"

With that, she pointed at Chen Ming. "He hasn't lost yet."