Lu Li felt increasingly uneasy, because he knew that in history, Ying Zheng did indeed have a bodyguard by his side.

Moreover, his swordsmanship was superb, and he was known as the number one swordsman in the world!

He is Gai Nie!

Gai Nie was originally known as the strongest swordsman in Qin and was the chief bodyguard of King Zheng of Qin. But what became of him afterward is unknown.

However, in a later animated series, Qin's Moon, it is said that Gai Nie unexpectedly defected from the Qin state and fled to the ends of the earth with Jing Tianming, the son of his old friend Jing Ke.

Gai Nie and Tianming were pursued by the Qin army to the Valley of the Crescent Moon. Gai Nie fought a great battle against three hundred Qin soldiers, ultimately annihilating them all, but he himself was also seriously wounded. During their escape, Gai Nie and Tianming met the Xiang clan and members of the Mohist school, and later went to the Mohist stronghold, Mirror Lake Medical Manor.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhuang made a deal with the Qin state, leading the Quicksand organization to hunt down anti-Qin forces from Mirror Lake Medical Village to the Mo Family's Mechanical City. Wei Zhuang subsequently dispatched his four Quicksand kings to pursue Gai Nie and his group.

After fighting against three hundred Qin soldiers, Wushuang Gui, and Canglang Wang, Gai Nie finally collapsed due to his severe injuries, but was fortunately saved by Duanmu Rong, the "Mirror Lake Physician" of the Mo family.

Subsequently, Gai Nie and the others were invited to the Mo Family's Mechanical City to temporarily escape the Qin state's pursuit. Initially, because they were considered the murderers of the Mo Family's righteous man Jing Ke and Qin's spies planted within the Mo Family, they were imprisoned in a stone chamber by the Mo Family's leader, Gao Jianli.

Meanwhile, Wei Zhuang's Quicksand, the Gongshu family, and the Qin army had already breached the Mo family's mechanical city. At the critical moment of the mechanical city's collapse, Gai Nie stepped forward and engaged in a decisive battle with his junior brother Wei Zhuang, which also cleared up the misunderstandings that the Mo family had about Gai Nie.

Bai Feng suddenly appeared, intending to ambush Gai Nie. Duanmu Rong, in order to protect Gai Nie, blocked Bai Feng's attack, suffering severe injuries and falling into a coma, her fate unknown. During the confrontation with Liu Sha, Hei Qilin, disguised as Tianming, took advantage of Gai Nie's unpreparedness to stab him in the back, injuring him.

Gai Nie, despite his injuries, fought a decisive battle with Wei Zhuang. During the battle, Wei Zhuang, who had learned the Horizontal Sword Technique, unleashed the ultimate technique of the Vertical Sword Technique—the Hundred-Step Flying Sword—just like Gai Nie. However, Gai Nie blocked it, and Wei Zhuang's left shoulder was pierced by Yuan Hong.

However, Gai Nie's Yuanhong sword was broken by Shark Tooth during the confrontation, but Gai Nie still managed to subdue Wei Zhuang with the broken sword. However, because Gai Nie couldn't bring himself to kill him, Wei Zhuang successfully ambushed him with a single sword strike. Wei Zhuang did not kill Gai Nie, as he also hoped for a fair fight with him.

However, Gai Nie was severely wounded by Wei Zhuang's sword and was on the verge of death, but was fortunately saved by Xiaoyaozi, the leader of the Taoist sect. As Tianming succeeded Yan Dan as the new leader of the Mohist school, Gai Nie also moved with the Mohist members to the secret Mohist stronghold in Sanghai City to evade the Qin army's pursuit.

Gai Nie was wanted by the Qin state with a reward of 100,000 taels of gold. After Yuanhong was broken, Gai Nie personally carved a wooden sword for himself to fight in place of Yuanhong.

Dao Zhi brought up the matter of Duanmu Rong to Gai Nie, but was very dissatisfied with Gai Nie's seemingly indifferent attitude, which led to a conflict. Gao Jianli later came to the rescue.

But this is anime after all, and cannot be regarded as history.

However, Wei Zhuang has already appeared and entered Ghost Valley as an outer disciple. It is rumored that both Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang are Ghost Valley disciples. The more Lu Li thinks about it, the more he feels that Jian Chen and Gai Nie are highly similar!

"Senior Brother, are you from Yuci?"

Jian Chen shook his head and replied, "I've been in Ghost Valley since I can remember. My master raised me. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

After pondering for a moment, Lu Li said, "It's nothing, just a few things I'm a little confused about, but it's nothing serious."

Seeing Lu Li's strange appearance, Jian Chen was also a little puzzled.

"Junior brother, you're acting strangely today."

Lu Li quickly said, "Senior brother, you should go back to Ghost Valley to visit Master tomorrow, but it would be better to ask about your background first."

"My background? Is there a problem?"

Jian Chen didn't understand why Lu Li was so curious about his background.

"No, you can ask your master when you get back."

Lu Li didn't say anything, and Jian Chen didn't press the matter further. Because in his heart, regardless of his background, he was still Guiguzi's disciple.

Yunmeng Mountain is his home, and Guiguzi is his teacher and father!

"Alright, I'll go back tomorrow."

"Senior Brother Jian Chen, we haven't finished fighting yet! Let's fight first and talk later."

Little Deer waited all this time just to spar with Jian Chen.

Because in the few years since Jian Chen left the mountain, he has actually reached the level of a minor grandmaster, while she is still stuck at the peak of the ninth level.

The junior grandmaster is a realm that every martial artist aspires to.

Because once you reach the level of a minor grandmaster, you can release your inner energy at any time. Just like Jian Chen now, his inner energy can be channeled into his sword, and he can take a life from ten steps away. This is the legendary sword energy he uses.

Although it's not as terrifying as cultivating immortality, this sword energy is still frightening enough in the eyes of ordinary people.

"Little deer, you are no match for your senior brother anymore."

If it's just a friendly spar, even Cangwu is no match for Jian Chen now. But if it's a fight to the death, Cangwu could take him down with him.

However, since his last enlightenment in Cangwu, his strength seems to have increased, but whether he has reached the level of a minor grandmaster is unknown.

At the last Hundred Schools Conference, the long sword left behind by the Sword Slave was sent by Lu Li to a skilled craftsman and forged into a short-handled broadsword! (For details, please search for Yang Guo's heavy sword or the broadsword in the game Nage no Akai.)

Cangwu was very pleased with the broadsword he received. Although it was still a bit light, it was the heaviest sword that could be forged.

"Even if I can't beat them, I'll still fight. I want to see just how big the gap is between me and a junior grandmaster!"

Having said that, Little Deer drew her sword and charged directly at Jian Chen.

Jian Chen was not to be outdone, charging forward and unleashing a sword strike that instantly sliced ​​through the air. The moment Xiao Lu'er's sword tip touched the sword energy, she was blasted back several meters.

Jian Chen pressed his advantage, unleashing an even stronger sword aura that forced Xiao Lu'er to parry with her own sword. The two swords clashed together, producing a crisp sound.

"clang--"

Little Deer's feet sank into the mud, her entire right arm ached, and the web of her hand gripping the sword was cracked and bleeding. In contrast, Jian Chen remained motionless, without even flinching.

Jian Chen calmly sheathed his longsword. With just two strikes, he had rendered Little Deer powerless!

Lu Li gasped, this was the first time he had seen Jian Chen make a move after becoming a minor grandmaster.

The junior master is indeed terrifying!

The little deer struggled to pull its legs out and came to Lu Li's side dejectedly.

"Junior Sister Lu, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you..."

Seeing the little deer's hand split open and bleeding, Jian Chen felt a pang of pity. However, he had already stopped using his strength; otherwise, the little deer's bleeding would have been more than just from her hand.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little discouraged. I didn't realize I was so much worse than my senior brother."

It's inevitable for martial artists to get injured, but Little Deer doesn't mind.

Lu Li tenderly picked up Xiao Lu'er's right hand, took out some medicine powder from his pocket and applied it to her, then tore strips of cloth from his clothes and wrapped her hand tightly.

"Now you know there are always people stronger than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding, right? Even Cangwu can't defeat our senior brother now."