At eighteen, after spending more than a year in Songzhou, Xie Qianyu returned to Yujing City. He had grown more mature, shedding his youthful naivety, and his swordsmanship had become even more formidable.
Back in Yujing City, Xie Qianyu took up the banner of the Xie Family and began expanding its territory and influence.
Countless experts of Yujing City died by Xie Qianyu's hand.
Xie Qianyu had never been confused, nor had he lost himself to the endless slaughter or allowed any woman he encountered to change his values.
A martial artist like him, one who advanced along the martial path, possessed an unwavering will that could not be changed so easily.
He did not care how many innocent people died beneath his sword. He only knew that the Xie Family's power was steadily growing.
At twenty-two, through arrangements made by his family, Xie Qianyu entered a marriage alliance with the Shen Family of Yujing City, marrying Shen Jiaoniang, the Shen Family's eldest legitimate daughter and the only daughter of its patriarch.
This meant that after the Shen Family patriarch passed away, Xie Qianyu would control the Shen Family's power.
At that time, the Xie and Shen Families would merge into one, and their influence would expand rapidly.
Xie Qianyu and Shen Jiaoniang were a perfect match, and the couple loved each other dearly.
At twenty-three, Shen Jiaoniang bore Xie Qianyu a son named Xie Renwang, reflecting Xie Qianyu's great expectations for him.
At twenty-four, Xie Qianyu made a breakthrough and officially entered the realm of Martial Arts Grandmaster.
Not long after his breakthrough, he obtained a shocking secret through the Shen Family's channels.
Three hundred li east of Yujing City, on Qingyang Mountain, a cave estate left behind by Ji Xiuzhu, Yujing City's foremost expert a century ago, had been discovered. Within lay Ji Xiuzhu's secret sword manual—the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay!
Xie Qianyu immediately set out. He could not allow such a divine art to fall into someone else's hands.
At the same time, the martial world stirred with unrest. Many people received the news and rushed straight to Qingyang Mountain.
Just then, another shocking piece of news spread through Yujing City.
"A fragment of the Jingchan Palace Mechanism Map is in the hands of Jia San, the steward of the imperial estate."
Xie Qianyu scoffed at the news. The Jingchan Palace Mechanism Map had long since become fragmented. Setting aside whether the news was true, even if it was, reclaiming one fragment would be of little use.
Ji Xiuzhu's Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay, on the other hand, was on Qingyang Mountain. Once he obtained it, he could rapidly increase his own strength. By then, the Xie Family would rise to an even greater height!
That was what Xie Qianyu thought, and most others in the martial world thought the same.
It was not that the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay was more enticing than Li Jingchan's Jingchan Palace, but that the swordplay was easier to obtain.
By the time Xie Qianyu reached Qingyang Mountain, many martial artists had already gathered there.
Xie Qianyu immediately began searching for Ji Xiuzhu's cave estate.
The search lasted a full five days.
Just as some began to suspect that the news was false, a martial artist resting against a bamboo stalk in a bamboo grove halfway up the mountain accidentally triggered a mechanism. The cliff wall behind the grove, standing perpendicular to the mountainside, slid aside and revealed a cave estate tall enough for one person.
In an instant, Qingyang Mountain boiled like a pot of bubbling water.
All the martial artists surged forward.
The martial artist lucky enough to activate the mechanism was the first to die.
Then came the other martial artists. Before anyone had even entered the cave estate, its entrance was already stained with countless streams of blood.
Xie Qianyu finally fought his way there. Having entered the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm, his swordsmanship had become increasingly fierce. Every strike of his sword claimed a life!
Before long, several martial arts experts had already fallen beneath his blade.
Some recognized Xie Qianyu and knew how formidable his swordsmanship was, so they tacitly joined forces to attack him.
Xie Qianyu's swordsmanship was divine. Sword light flashed through the bamboo grove like morning clouds stretching across the sky, dazzling and resplendent.
The melee lasted a full three hours. Blood ran freely through the bamboo grove before the cave estate, and corpses lay everywhere.
Xie Qianyu had also lost an arm, but he was the final victor.
Pride gleamed in his eyes. The Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay was his now.
Just then, his reinforcements arrived.
The Shen Family patriarch, Shen Luo—also his father-in-law.
Seeing his father-in-law arrive, Xie Qianyu let out a breath of relief.
Shen Luo was also a Martial Arts Grandmaster. With him there, even if more martial artists appeared, the two of them together would be more than enough to eliminate them.
"Why have you come as well, Father-in-law?"
Though injured, Xie Qianyu remained humble and courteous, every bit the refined young master of a great family.
Shen Luo's face was full of anxious concern as he quickly walked up to him.
"Your arm..."
"It is nothing, Father-in-law. I still have one hand to hold a sword!"
Xie Qianyu was proud by nature and strong-willed. He did not take the loss of an arm to heart.
Shen Luo sighed.
He patted Xie Qianyu on the shoulder.
"Come, let us go inside. I will help you secure the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay!"
"Good!"
Receiving his father-in-law's promise, Xie Qianyu revealed a sincere smile. He had originally been worried over how the swordplay should be divided.
Xie Qianyu turned around and entered the cave estate first.
Shen Luo followed behind him.
The cave estate was not large. After walking for about the time it took to burn an incense stick, they saw a luminous pearl hanging overhead, its faint green glow illuminating the cave.
Before a stone table sat a meditation cushion. A skeleton was seated upright upon it, its hands folded together and holding a martial arts manual. On its cover were the eight words: "Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay."
Joy appeared on Xie Qianyu's face. Since one of his arms had been severed, he had no choice but to set down his sword and take the martial arts manual with one hand.
He then placed it on the stone table and rapidly flipped through it one-handed.
With his knowledge of swordsmanship, he could naturally tell whether this secret sword manual was genuine.
His father-in-law, Shen Luo, simply waited quietly for him to finish, standing guard without saying a word.
After a long while, having finished reading, Xie Qianyu said happily, "Father-in-law, it truly is the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay. There is not a single mistake!"
Shen Luo smiled.
"Good. Very good."
"Let us go. Jiaoniang is still waiting for you at home."
Xie Qianyu gave a sound of agreement.
Shen Luo picked up Xie Qianyu's sword. "I will carry this for you. You should hold on to the swordplay."
Xie Qianyu was moved. "Father-in-law, I trust you. We are family; there is no need to be so cautious."
Shen Luo smiled. "This swordplay is precious. It is better for you to carry it yourself."
Xie Qianyu silently resolved to honor his father-in-law properly in the future.
He turned and walked outside, with Shen Luo following behind him just as he had when they entered the cave estate.
Xie Qianyu had just taken his second step when a sharp sword pierced through his heart.
The sword was his own.
The person holding it was his father-in-law.
As Xie Qianyu felt the life rapidly draining from his body, he turned around and stared at Shen Luo in stunned disbelief.
Shen Luo's expression was calm, his eyes filled with mockery.
"Wh... why?"
He was Shen Jiaoniang's husband. Was Shen Luo not afraid that his daughter would become a widow?
"Good son-in-law, have a safe journey. Thank you for helping me seize the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay."
"You fought fiercely against more than a hundred martial artists and unfortunately died in battle. I will certainly spread your glorious name far and wide."
As he spoke, Shen Luo pulled Xie Qianyu's sword free.
Xie Qianyu fell to the ground and died, his eyes still open.
Shen Luo snapped Xie Qianyu's sword, then slashed his own arm, letting blood flow freely, before taking the Fifty Hand Great Zhou Heaven Swordplay from Xie Qianyu's hand.