Chapter 128 The Lady's Power Shocks All Directions

"You brat, how dare you be so arrogant!"

Li Xian pressed his advantage, his blade flashing like the wind, a net of blades woven like silk. Wang Bao was now helpless, his sword swings becoming sluggish. Li Xian reversed his blade, intending to sever Wang Bao's wrist.

Just then, a loud shout rang out. A figure darted out with incredible speed, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye.

He grabbed Wang Bao by the back of the neck, shoved him backward, and threw him out of danger. Then, with a cold snort, he raised his palm and struck Li Xian's face.

Although this person used his hands, his knife skills were undoubtedly superb. This palm strike cleverly bypassed all the knife's paths, seemingly ordinary, but in reality, it possessed unparalleled killing power and was exquisitely crafted.

Li Xian thought to himself, "What a great palm strike!" Without hesitation, he channeled his inner energy and struck out with his left hand in a palm strike.

The two men placed their palms together, producing a buzzing sound.

A moment later, Li Xian took three steps back, each step breaking through the stone bricks on the ground and sinking seven-tenths of the way into the soil, leaving his boots covered in dirt.

This was a way of channeling the force of his palm into the ground to avoid injury. Although the man stood still, his expression was extremely strange.

He is none other than Xu Liefeng, the leader of the Leopard Blade Sect.

He heard that his gang members had gotten into a street fight. For martial artists, fighting with others was perfectly normal, and he didn't care.

But the fighting grew increasingly fierce, even involving "Wang Bao." Fearing trouble, I secretly followed.

Seeing Wang Bao feign an attack by throwing bricks and raising dust, Xu Liefeng nodded secretly, thinking, "Bao'er is very cautious and not careless. He's using the dust to obscure his vision. This battle is almost certain to be won!"

He was quite at ease, stroking his beard and smiling.

However, in no time, the sound of blades clashing rapidly filled the air, their paths weaving into a net. Xu Liefeng's heart skipped a beat: "My Golden Leopard Quick Blade is indeed fast, but its aim is the speed of the swing, not the speed of the strike. Judging from this sound, dozens of strikes were unleashed in a single breath; this is definitely not the work of Leopard!"

In the next instant... the dust and mist were dispersed.

Countless blades suddenly appeared before him, and Wang Bao was unable to defend himself and was about to die. Xu Liefeng was shocked and rushed in to save Wang Bao.

Seeing his disciple covered in blood, Xu Liefeng was filled with grief and rage. Ignoring his reputation for bullying the weak and oppressing the strong, he immediately struck out with his palm.

Although he only used one-tenth of his strength, he believed it was a sure thing. He could capture the boy alive, humiliate him in public, and show off the ferocity of the Leopard Blade Sect.

Unexpectedly, this young man possessed remarkably advanced internal energy cultivation at such a young age.

After exchanging blows, Xu Liefeng looked at his palms.

There was a bluish-purple pattern on his palm. Although he had the upper hand in the previous palm strike, Li Xian's palm force was cold and penetrating.

The strands seeped into his palm and gathered there.

"Such exquisite palm techniques! It's no wonder that I, Leopard, was defeated by him. Even if we fought ten more times, I still wouldn't be a match for him," Xu Liefeng thought to himself.

Li Xian shuddered, channeling all his remaining energy into the earth, causing the surrounding blue bricks to shatter into pieces with a "crack".

"Kid, try taking another palm strike!" Now that Xu Liefeng had made his move, he had no more reservations.

Li Xian narrowed his eyes, abandoned his saber and switched to a sword, the [Setting Sun and Decaying Blood Sword] poised to strike.

Undeterred by powerful and formidable enemies, we will do everything in our power to counter them.

[Facing a formidable opponent head-on, displaying fierce swordsmanship, proficiency +21]

Xu Liefeng was stunned for a moment, then his eyes filled with greed: "Superior martial arts! Kid, you have superior martial arts!"

He originally intended to kill Li Xian with a single palm strike, but suddenly changed his move to a capture.

In the Great Wu Dynasty, martial arts are highly valued.

Mastering a powerful martial art can even change the world. Basic martial arts can cultivate internal energy. If ordinary people practice them and achieve even a little skill, cultivating a wisp of internal energy, they can stand out from the crowd.

Even basic martial arts are like this...

Superior martial arts need no further explanation.

Xu Liefeng completely forgot his grief and grabbed Li Xian's shoulders with both hands. Li Xian calmly responded, circulating his inner energy, his whole body burning hot like a furnace.

The moment the sword was drawn, a wave of heat swept over him.

People retreated in fear of being affected by the heatwave.

"Wait!"

Just then, a voice came.

Lin Guolong, the magistrate of Qingning County, arrived with county soldiers and constables. Ding Hu was also by his side.

Seeing the situation was turning against him, Xu Liefeng thought to himself that this boy was right in front of him and couldn't escape, so there was no need to rush. He took a few steps back, his brow furrowing, and said, "Lin Guolong, how dare you oppose me?! This boy injured my disciple, how can I let him get away with this!"

"Since both sides suffered equal casualties in your martial arts duel, let's call it a day and call it a day!" Lin Guolong said loudly.

He was short, fair-skinned, and had a prosperous appearance.

Xu Liefeng sneered, "Since this is a martial arts contest, what business is it of yours, magistrate? Get out of here!"

"You may have an official position, but you lack the support of good fortune. I can't easily deal with you, but what can you do if I kill a few of your county clerks?"

A chilling aura emanated from the air.

Many county soldiers took a half step back, their eyes filled with fear. An official, without the blessing of good fortune, will find it difficult to maintain order.

Lin Guolong was furious at being looked down upon like this and said, "Since this is a martial arts competition, aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the martial arts community for bullying the weak with your big strength?"

Xu Liefeng stood with his hands behind his back, arrogantly declaring, "I've practiced martial arts for decades, and I've heard all sorts of things. Let the martial world curse me if they want. Today, this boy... I will take him down!"

Lin Guolong sneered, "You do have backbone. But what if..."

"Can you really have this much backbone when facing Lady Broken Sword?!"

"What?! Lady Broken Sword?!" Xu Liefeng's legs went weak, and his greed diminished greatly. "Don't try to intimidate me with her name. What does this have to do with her?"

Lin Guolong said, "I might as well tell you that the martial artist in that manor is none other than Lady Zhejian."

“The nurses you injured are all her people.”

"You should think it over carefully: do you want to have your eyes gouged out, your tongue cut off, and your limbs severed by Lady Broken Sword, or do you want to just let it go?"

Xu Liefeng felt as if he had been doused with cold water, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face. If it really was Lady Broken Sword, then... he couldn't handle such superior martial arts.

Lin Guolong said, "Young brother, your martial arts skills just now were quite impressive."

Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "Thanks to Madam's favor, I have been taught this martial art. If this hero of the Leopard Blade Sect wants to learn it, why bother doing it secretly?"

"Why don't you come with me to the manor and ask the lady for some advice? She is very easy to talk to. If you are willing to ask, she may be willing to teach you."

Xu Liefeng's expression shifted between light and dark.

He thought to himself, "I have been traveling the martial arts world for many years and have never heard the lady teach anyone any martial arts. Could these two be deceiving me? If so, I can forcibly seize it and obtain a superior martial arts technique."

"But if I don't, I will surely meet a tragic end if I seize Lady Zhejian's martial arts. There will be no survivors. This is a huge gamble. No... no rush. I will observe first before making a move. Martial arts are important, but my life is more important."

Xu Liefeng's mind raced.

Intimidated by the reputation of Lady Broken Sword, they have already decided to retreat.

He flicked his sleeve, gave Li Xian a cold glance, and left.

Li Xian couldn't help but sigh:

"I never imagined that the title of 'Madam' would be so effective. Just a moment ago, Xu Liefeng's eyes were full of greed, as if he wanted to devour me. But after hearing the words 'Madam Broken Sword,' his eyes cleared up instantly."

"Such a reputation in the martial arts world is truly enviable and extremely prestigious. Although Lady Zhejian has many enemies, her reputation is also profound."

Li Xian smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Magistrate Lin, for getting me out of this predicament."

Lin Guolong curiously sized up Li Xian. He had originally thought Li Xian was just someone who admired his brother's fame. But upon seeing him now, he found him to be quite remarkable, with an appearance and demeanor no less impressive than his own.

His gaze fell on the space between her brows, and he asked in surprise, "You've shown signs of rebirth?"

Li Xian replied, "Yes."

Lin Guolong said, "You're not bad either. Does Madam know about this?"

Li Xian replied, "Madam is in seclusion refining elixirs and is unaware that I have already manifested."

"I see," Lin Guolong sighed. "You two brothers have each achieved something. You are young, and with your wife's support, you will soon be able to undergo a complete transformation."

"Now that you have revealed yourself, just based on this alone... you are far ahead of others. Perhaps when the lady comes out of seclusion, she will pay even more attention to you."

He saw that Li Xian had a handsome face. His eyes darted around, and he realized that no matter how much a person transforms, they are still ultimately ordinary. He himself was born into a prominent family but lacked good fortune, yet he had obtained the position of county magistrate only by leveraging the power of his family.

Because of his family's influence, he has seen many martial artists who have undergone complete transformation.

A complete transformation, glamorous and dazzling, yet still mundane. Wealth, lust, and power—it's all about these three things. Martial artists, in particular, have even greater desires. An ordinary clay figure, no matter how handsome or adorned, will never catch a martial artist's eye.

Because it is a clay sculpture, not the real thing.

But if it is washed clean and its true form is revealed, then it will be viewed differently by martial artists.

To judge a gentleman by the standards of a petty person... The lady may not be uninterested in beauty. And this Li Xian's "appearance" is already quite remarkable.

They truly broke free from their original social class.

"Brother Li, we are destined to meet."

"It's rare for us to see each other, how about we go to that restaurant and have a drink together?"

Lin Guolong stood on tiptoe, jumped up, and patted Li Xian on the shoulder.

Li Xian laughed and said, "Of course, I couldn't ask for more than the chance to drink with the county magistrate."

"Good, good, good." Lin Guolong was very pleased. Neither Wen Caishang nor Xu Liefeng ever looked at him directly. Even when they did glance at him, it was only at his official robes.

So and so.

This matter came to an end. Li Xian ordered Ding Hu to lead the guards back to the manor to rest.

He then went into the restaurant with Lin Guolong.

Red Candle Lane was bustling with activity.

The fight just now was extremely loud, and the tall restaurant had been seen by many onlookers. Now that Li Xianxing was summoned into the restaurant, it immediately attracted a crowd.

No one disrespects him.

The man's eyes were filled with envy, while the woman's gaze lingered on Li Xian's face as she murmured, "A young hero indeed." Her heart was stirred with romantic feelings.

Among them were many young men from prominent families and ladies from wealthy households.

They have no worries about food and clothing, and enjoy a noble status.

He was once someone Li Xian couldn't possibly rely on. But now his status has completely changed.

It's heartbreaking.

"Brother Li, you're so handsome. You must have stolen the hearts of countless young ladies this time," Lin Guolong joked. "Have you ever thought about finding a wife and settling down early?"

As I climbed the stairs, many women stared at me intently, their gazes burning with desire. They seemed eager to pounce on me immediately.

This inevitably aroused Lin Guolong's jealousy; he, a dignified county magistrate, had never enjoyed such treatment. Was this official robe inferior to the youthful vigor?

Not long after…

The two entered a private room. Lin Guolong knew how to enjoy himself; he ordered several beautiful women to massage his shoulders and back, and he was served food to everyone—he was living the life of a carefree man.

The table was laden with fine food, a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

“Brother Li, enjoy yourself. Hehe, judging from your appearance, you probably haven’t tasted the pleasures of men and women yet. Today, I, the county magistrate, will…” Lin Guolong’s face suddenly stiffened, and he suddenly changed his words: “But you martial artists should not get involved with beautiful women too early.”

In reality, those who practice martial arts do not practice abstinence.

Lin Guolong, however, was thinking of his wife. Heaven knows if this boy was her chosen lover. If he led him astray, his own fate would be dire.

Remembering something, Li Xian said, "By the way, Magistrate Lin, there is something I need to mention to you first."

(End of this chapter)