Watching the Show

It was half past six.

Half an hour had passed, and many of the younger guests at the reception were growing impatient. If their family elders hadn't still been there, they would have left.

Li Tiancheng watched the assembled family members below. They stood to profit without lifting a finger, yet they looked utterly uninterested. His heart bled.

He was beginning to regret his decision. Would the Li Family's voluntary retreat only whet the wolves' appetites?

Before long, heavy footsteps sounded outside the hall.

A thin figure, about five foot nine, walked in step by step.

The newcomer had soft, delicate eyes and long hair tied back. He wore a white robe in an old-fashioned style, with a purple sword at his waist.

He was not particularly imposing, but the moment he entered, he gave off a razor-sharp presence.

His keen gaze swept the room. No one dared meet his eyes.

With the man they had been waiting for finally here, everyone in the hall perked up, eager to see how the Li Family would handle the Sword Manual—the problem they were so desperate to unload.

"Lord Zheng, I've been waiting for you," Li Tiancheng said, hurrying forward.

"Spare me the nonsense. Where's the Sword Manual?" Zheng Qiming asked bluntly, giving him no courtesy at all.

Li Tiancheng's breath caught. He swayed, nearly making a fool of himself in front of everyone.

He had planned to use Zheng Qiming's name to warn the families carving up his holdings: take what the Li Family had given up, but don't get too greedy. Zheng Qiming, however, seemed unwilling to play along.

"Third Brother, bring the Sword Manual," Li Tiancheng ordered, turning around.

"Eldest Brother..." Li Tianwen said quietly.

"Don't ask questions!"

"Yes." Li Tianwen quickly left the hall.

In a corner of the hall.

"Isn't the Zheng Family famous for its fist techniques? Why does Zheng Qiming seem to practice swordsmanship?" Chen Yiming asked Zhang Youde in a low voice.

"I'll tell you, but don't go repeating it," Zhang Youde said. "Rumor has it that Zheng Qiming dressed as a boy from childhood. Zheng Qiming's build was too slight for fist techniques, so he switched to swordsmanship."

"Really? Is that true?" Chen Yiming asked, puzzled.

"That Zheng Qiming is a genius of the Sword Dao. At only twenty-two, Zheng Qiming has already undergone six Body Metamorphoses," Zhang Youde explained. "If Zheng Qiming breaks through to the Warrior Realm, the Zheng Family might gain a swordsmanship lineage with a direct path there. Who would want to see that happen?"

Another path meant there would always be young people in the family suited to it. Over time, the family's foundations would only grow deeper.

They did not have to wait long. The Sword Manual was soon brought out.

"Young Master Zheng, the Sword Manual." Li Tiancheng offered it with both hands.

Zheng Qiming took the Sword Manual and flipped through it page by page. Once Zheng Qiming confirmed it was genuine, Zheng Qiming tucked it away and turned to leave.

"Young Master Zheng, you promised..." Li Tiancheng hurried forward to stop Zheng Qiming.

If Zheng Qiming left without publicly declaring Zheng Qiming's protection, the Sword Manual would have been given away for nothing.

Zheng Qiming stopped, glanced at Li Tiancheng, and announced, "The Sword Manual is in my hands. From this moment on, the Li Family has my protection."

With that, Zheng Qiming left.

This time, Li Tiancheng did not try to stop Zheng Qiming. At last, he could breathe easier.

As long as Zheng Qiming did not simply take the Sword Manual and renege on the deal, the Li Family would most likely survive.

Even an incomplete Warrior Realm swordsmanship manual had been left by someone at or above the Warrior Realm. Its most valuable part—the key to breaking through to the Warrior Realm—was not something an ordinary Apprentice Realm cultivator could simply reproduce.

For the Li Family, giving away the Sword Manual rid them of a dangerous burden and drew away the experts coveting it. But it also meant losing that swordsmanship forever.

After watching Li Tiancheng hand over the Sword Manual, the people in the hall soon followed Zheng Qiming out of the Manor. Zhang Youde and Chen Yiming blended into the crowd. Only the Li Family members stayed behind.

Everyone was waiting for a spectacle. Would anyone dare offend the Zheng Family by attacking Zheng Qiming openly? And was Zheng Qiming truly as formidable as the rumors claimed—capable of fending off every attacker alone?

"Something feels off. Isn't the Zheng Family worried about Zheng Qiming at all?" Chen Yiming asked Zhang Youde as they walked.

"Of course they are. Zheng Family experts must be following nearby," Zhang Youde replied.

"Then someone would still dare attack? Do they care that little about their lives?" Chen Yiming asked.

"The Zheng Family is probably doing this on purpose. Their experts will only intercept assassins who've undergone nine or more Body Metamorphoses. It's a trial for Zheng Qiming," Zhang Youde explained.

Now Chen Yiming understood.

The third, sixth, and ninth Body Metamorphoses each marked a major leap within the Apprentice Realm.

Those who needed an incomplete Warrior Realm swordsmanship manual had undergone fewer than nine Body Metamorphoses. Even the strongest among them would not be too far above Zheng Qiming, making them ideal opponents for testing Zheng Qiming's true combat strength.

By the time the crowd reached a bridge near the river, Zheng Qiming was already fighting someone at the bridge entrance.

The first masked attacker was huge, over six and a half feet tall by the look of him, and carried a greatsword. It was obvious he favored raw power.

The exchange lasted no more than an instant. Before anyone could see clearly, Zheng Qiming kicked the much taller masked man away. Zheng Qiming's sword never left its sheath.

Chen Yiming and Zhang Youde stopped with the crowd, keeping a safe distance from the fight.

"That first masked attacker lost without even taking a single move?" Chen Yiming exclaimed.

He had thought that even if it was not a hard-fought battle, the two would at least trade a few blows at the start.

"That happens all the time. The ones who rush in first aren't strong enough to win a fair fight. They're hoping to snatch the Sword Manual with a surprise attack," Zhang Youde said with a smile.

"That first masked man probably hasn't even undergone six Body Metamorphoses. Otherwise, how could he lose in one move?" Chen Yiming said.

"Exactly. Some people just aren't afraid to die. Even an incomplete Warrior Realm swordsmanship manual is far stronger than ordinary swordsmanship. Using it themselves would make them stronger," Zhang Youde replied.

When the masked man fell in a single move, the onlookers burst into cheers.

Unlike everyone else, whose attention was fixed on Zheng Qiming, Chen Yiming kept his eyes on the masked man who had been kicked away.

Blood from the masked man's mouth had stained his collar, and he staggered as he walked. That kick had clearly hurt him badly and caused internal injuries.

Should I follow him? Chen Yiming began weighing the risks.

The man had undergone five Body Metamorphoses at most. He had not reached the sixth, with its qualitative change that made the whole body hard as iron, and he was badly injured.

I've only undergone three Body Metamorphoses, but the fourth and fifth are only gradual improvements. With him injured, even if I can't beat him, I should be able to get away.