Returning Wind Brushes the Willow

West of the Fish-Dragon Gang's secret hideout lay a secluded spot, with a stream running through deep woods. Several rows of weeping willows lined its banks, sprouting thousands of slender, emerald leaves that lightly touched the water as the breeze swept past.

Swish!

Cold light flashed from its sheath and thrust diagonally between two willow strands hanging over the stream. His wrist turned, and the blue-steel sword trembled from side to side, instantly producing two afterimages, graceful as willows, fierce and swift.

"Willows Sway in the Wind!"

The two willow strands, one long and one short, stood half a foot apart, yet the sword tip severed both at once.

Half a foot!

This strike covered precisely the distance from the throat to the heart.

It attacked two vital points simultaneously.

Anyone who treated a headache by tending the head and a sore foot by tending the foot would fall for the feint to the east and strike to the west.

Onlookers would be dazzled. Even the person facing the sword might die without knowing how they had lost, finding themselves with wounds in the chest and throat that would not stop bleeding.

"Still not enough."

Sword in hand, Li Yu gazed at the stream, its surface already covered in severed twigs and willow strands, almost clogging the flow.

"Just a tiny bit more..."

Willows Sway in the Wind was the first of the eight sword forms, and, apart from the final form, the hardest to practice. Only when one sword produced three afterimages would he have reached minor mastery.

"Gulp..."

Li Yu tipped back his long neck, smooth as jade, his throat bobbing. The fine liquor shot down like an arrow, passing through his gut and into his belly, then circulating through the twelve primary meridians. Warmth gradually rose in his dantian. He casually hung the yellow-skinned gourd on a branch and closed his eyes.

Wind, willow, sword!

The world sank into an empty stillness. Once the weeds, wild vines, and worldly clamor were stripped away, certain things gradually grew clear.

"The three merge, becoming one seamless whole. Returning Wind Brushes the Willow..."

The sword was intent.

The willow was bone.

The wind was the steed.

How could they merge?

Coiled in his dantian, the Wine Worm rapidly worked its tiny, round mouth, sucking in wine Qi. After a satisfied burp, it slowly exhaled a strand of pure internal power. Something stirred in Li Yu's mind, and he immediately directed it through his sea of Qi, along the right lesser yin lung meridian, to the Spirit Gate acupoint in his palm.

The willow at his shoulder, the wind past his ear, the sword in his hand, and that gourd of plum wine on the branch-

His eyes opened!

Li Yu seemed to hold a ball of wind in his right palm, with willow strands within it, flinging out cold light in an instant. The naked eye could not make out the blue-steel sword swaying from side to side, only an afterimage like a fish darting through a deep pool.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Two willow strands were cleanly severed and fell into the water, yet four ripples spread at once...

"It worked!"

Delighted surprise flashed in Li Yu's eyes. He put away the blue-steel sword, took down the gourd, and walked to the stream. Looking at the four pieces of willow, he slowly sipped the plum wine, fragrant and mellow, with a lingering finish.

The scarlet Wine Worm in his dantian grew more spirited as well.

"After three months, I've finally reached minor mastery of this superior sword art. With this gourd of plum wine to replenish my internal power whenever I need it, I can put up a fight as long as I don't run into a second-rate expert!"

"I can consider the next step now."

"According to Fu Rong, Zhang Hengye and Zhu Tuo both have third-rate strength."

"The Black Flood Dragon Gang also has over a hundred elite members. The Fish-Dragon Gang hasn't recovered its strength yet. Looks like I'll need some help..."

As Li Yu was making his plans, footsteps suddenly sounded in the woods. He pressed a hand to his sword hilt and turned to look.

"Gang leader."

Fu Rong approached briskly. Today, she wore a floral skirt, embroidered white satin shoes, and a silver hairpin. Every movement revealed the charm of a mature woman, living up to her nickname, Pretty Spider. The broad, long saber on her back lent her an even more martial air.

"My respects, gang leader."

As she dropped to one knee, her chest quivered in magnificent waves.

Li Yu said, "No need for formalities. What brings you here?"

Fu Rong rose and reported, "The Black Flood Dragon Gang has spread word that they'll hold a Flower-Honoring Banquet in five days, inviting fellow jianghu members from a hundred li around. Zhang Hengye says he'll fight you then to decide who's stronger and settle the feud between our gangs."

"A Flower-Honoring Banquet? What sort of occasion is that?"

Li Yu frowned slightly. He had never heard of it and thought it was a custom peculiar to Suzhou.

Fu Rong herself was from Gusu, yet she had never heard of it either. She could only guess from the clues. "Zhang Hengye has never been open and aboveboard, and he likes reading the Spring and Autumn Annals. His belly is full of schemes. In my view, there must be a plot behind this!"

Li Yu considered it briefly, then chuckled. "It isn't a hidden plot. This is an open stratagem."

Fu Rong said, "Hidden or open, we can simply ignore it."

A duel to settle their feud was a trick to fool children. The Black Flood Dragon Gang had finally pulled off its surprise attack and occupied Blackearth Town. With silver coming in and strong forces at its command, its best course was naturally to swarm them and overwhelm them with numbers.

Its only frustration was that it could not find the Fish-Dragon Gang's remnants, so it had cast this bait to fish them out.

Li Yu turned, sword in hand. "The Fish-Dragon Gang can't hide in the woods forever."

"You mean... accept the challenge?"

Fu Rong looked at the severed twigs and willow strands covering the stream. She knew the gang leader had practiced here every day lately. He had even been seeing less of Miss Qin, who had once been inseparable from him. Could he have made a breakthrough in his martial arts?

"With the Fish-Dragon Gang's current strength, even though your martial arts are formidable, two fists can hardly contend with four hands..."

"You're quite right to consider that."

Li Yu gazed at the streamside. A mere breeze could stir a whole tree's willow strands, gathering small movements into a great momentum until a tug at one strand moved the whole, setting the entire willow swaying. Was this not itself an invisible set of Returning Wind Brushes the Willow sword forms?

"So we need to find some friends."

"Friends?"

Li Yu smiled. "Aren't the Black Flood Dragon Gang's enemies all good friends of our Fish-Dragon Gang?"

"You mean the Seventy-Two Peaks of Lake Tai?"

Fu Rong quickly understood, but she was not optimistic. She had considered this route long ago, and it led nowhere. At most, they would agree to bypass the Black Flood Dragon Gang and do some whitebait trading, as White Sand Island had, each getting what they needed.

Li Yu smiled. "That was then. This is now."

Fu Rong nodded slightly, a smile appearing in her eyes. "True. With your formidable martial arts, they won't dare underestimate the Fish-Dragon Gang. Perhaps we can talk."

Li Yu asked, "You know the Seventy-Two Peaks. Is there anyone suitable?"

Fu Rong said, "The Seventy-Two Peaks are scattered across all of Lake Tai, spanning several hundred li. Leaving out those too far away, there are fourteen groups near the eastern shore that regularly visit Blackearth Town. Among them, Lin Mang of White Sand Island, Zhou Xun of Crow Crossing Island, and Tao Zongwang of Turtle Back Island have the most influence."

Li Yu pondered. "With only five days, time is tight. We may not reach all three. Who should come first?"

"Lin Mang of White Sand Island."

"The one I saw at Black Sand Wharf?"

"Exactly."

"He agreed to Zhang Biao's harsh terms to save a brother under his command. That counts as loyalty."

Fu Rong explained, "Lin Mang is nicknamed Water Salamander. His skills on the water are exceptional, and he's long been known for his loyalty. Zhou Xun and Tao Jinwang used to clash with each other. It was entirely thanks to his mediation that they reconciled, and both respect him."

"He's the one!"

Li Yu settled the matter with a single decisive stroke.

Fu Rong said worriedly, "He keeps his thoughts deeply hidden and acts cautiously. He won't be so easy to persuade."

Li Yu smiled. "Easy or not, we have to try! People with deep thoughts often see far ahead. Those who are usually cautious can be extraordinarily fierce when undertaking great things. Perhaps he's waiting for me to visit his island?"

This was also why he had announced his own name after killing Zhang Biao at Black Sand Wharf.

People of the jianghu valued their names as dearly as their lives, and not out of vanity.

A resounding name was a divine weapon that swept all before it.

His present name was certainly no divine weapon or keen blade. It could only be called... a first glimpse of its edge.

Seeing the smile on his face, Fu Rong's worried brow gradually relaxed, and she found herself believing him for no particular reason.

Li Yu asked, "Right, where's Qin Xiu?"

"Miss Qin... Miss Qin was already gone early this morning. Do you want to wait for her to return before setting out?"

Li Yu looked up at the sky. The sun was at noon. If they left now, perhaps they could reach the island before sunset.

"There's no time to lose. We'll leave at once."

"All right."

A breeze swept past, and a few willow strands happened to brush her shoulder. Fu Rong lowered her head slightly. Hearing the word "we," she could not help feeling ripples rise in her heart. Gazing at the man's retreating figure, she hurried after him.