The Oriole is Behind - Part 1 (Newly Revised)
Several days after the contest, people were still immersed in the aftertaste of that duel.
Wang Boyu was in the same boat. At this moment, he was standing in front of the Four-Corner Pavilion at the foot of Black Mountain, carrying his luggage and looking reluctantly toward the direction of the main peak.
“Young Master Liu has already headed towards Yijian Mountain.” Pei Jiangxi turned her gaze away from the main peak of Black Mountain and looked at the master and disciple in front of her, saying, “He is going to retrieve the ‘Avalanche’ that is placed in the Sword Tomb.”
Han Yizhi's heart skipped a beat.
“But don’t worry.” Pei Jiangxi handed a neatly folded note to Han Yizhi and said, “It’s not too late to get there now. As long as you can persuade the elder in the mountains to hand over ‘Avalanche,’ he won’t make a move.”
“Impossible.” Han Yizhi said solemnly, “They would never hand over the treacherous sword. Besides, my current identity is so ambiguous, they wouldn’t listen to my advice.”
Pei Jiangxi pointed to the note. "Give this note to them and explain that this is the new leader's arrangement. It has his handwriting and the seal of the Chen family of Wenqu City on it."
“It was Li Letian. When did he give it to you?” Wang Boyu turned his gaze back to the note Han Yizhi had unfolded. “Are you so sure he can win?”
“It is against the rules for the alliance leader to use the Chen family’s seal.”
“It’s not in accordance with the rules yet, but it will take some time for Liu Langxian to reach Yijian Mountain,” Pei Jiangxi untied the reins from the Du Ying tree and handed them to the two of them: “By the time you come up the mountain, this rule will naturally be established.”
"I understand." Han Yizhi nodded and said, "I will take him up the mountain."
“Originally, I didn’t want you to have too much contact with him,” Pei Jiangxi said. “However, the matter in Black Mountain is not yet settled, and I need to stay in the mountains to take care of it.”
The master and apprentice took the reins from Pei Jiangxi and mounted their horses.
“It’s a pity,” Wang Boyu said, “that we won’t be able to see the outcome of the sword-testing tournament, which is held only once every few years.”
“There’s nothing to regret,” Pei Jiangxi said, “You’ve already seen the most exciting match.”
Han Yizhi stopped swinging the reins. "Who exactly do you hope will win that competition?"
Wang Boyu also looked at her.
“He Zian,” Pei Jiangxi replied, “From the very beginning, the winner of that competition could only be He Zian.”
"The winner of that contest?"
"That's right."
"I understand." Han Yizhi swung the reins, urging the horse to return to the path it had come from.
Wang Boyu glanced at his master's back, nodded to Pei Jiangxi, and then raised the reins.
"Boyu," Pei Jiangxi called out to him, "Did you clearly see He Zian's sword intent?"
"I saw it clearly."
Pei Jiangxi waved her hand and said, "Go ahead."
The master and his apprentice, one in front of the other, departed towards the rising sun, concluding their journey through the Black Mountain.
*
However, for most people, the trip to Montenegro is far from over.
For example, Li Letian, a dark horse from Sword Forging City.
The competition in the rain left him both terrified and relieved.
What's alarming is that I'm about to face such a powerful opponent.
Fortunately, the two were evenly matched and used all their trump cards. Both He Zi'an and Du Taibai were carried off the testing platform that day. Of course, in terms of the result, although the victory was fierce, there is no doubt that He Zi'an won the duel.
Looking at the entire Sword Trial Tournament, even if Li Letian himself were to judge, he would probably rank the duel between He Zian and Du Taibai as number one.
Li Letian raised his head and squinted at the sun, which was brighter and more intense than usual.
The sword on his back was never drawn. Beneath the sword in Li Letian's right hand lay the pale-faced He Zian.
"The competition that day took too much to handle, and Young Master He is already exhausted." A sigh of regret rose from the seats around the testing platform.
"This young swordsman's swordsmanship is unpredictable. Even if the young master of the He family goes all out, he may not be able to win." Another person had the exact opposite opinion.
Regardless of the reason for He Zian's defeat, it will only lead to an outcome that these prestigious families and powerful clans do not want to see.
"In that case, we'll be at the mercy of this young man in white for the next few years."
"What a disgrace!" An elder from a sect glared angrily at the juniors participating in the competition, his words filled with resentment at their lack of competitiveness.
Being less skilled, the younger generation could only lower their heads and silently endure the anger of the elders.
Li Letian heard everyone's words clearly. He was very glad that he had won. Perhaps, as Chen Changji and Pei Jiangxi had said, he could indeed change the fate of all the sword children in the world.
In stark contrast to Li Letian was He Zian. His body hadn't suffered many new injuries, and his hands were far from being too weak to hold the sword. Only his eyes had lost their sparkle; all words and noise could no longer penetrate his heart.
The sun was without light, and the mountain wind was still. Only the sword pointing at him emanated a chilling cold.
He Zian was defeated before he even used "Sword Rain," which was the He family's pride and joy.
Every move, every stance. He began learning swordsmanship at the age of five, and for fifteen years he has practiced diligently every day, striving to perfect his sword techniques. He has never slacked off for a single day.
He defeated his own brother and became the sole inheritor of the He family's swordsmanship. That was proof of the He family's past glory, something he had always been proud of.
But Li Letian stood right in front of him, meticulously dissecting his swordplay. He beat him so badly he stumbled and fell, utterly humiliated. Fifteen years of effort seemed like a joke.
Looking at the dizzying figure before him, He Zi'an asked absentmindedly, "Did I hurt you?"
Li Letian searched the body for a while, then pointed to a gash in his waist, where there was no sign of blood seeping out. "There's one here." Seeing the distraught He Zian, Li Letian couldn't help but comfort him, "Your swordsmanship is very strong, it's just that you unfortunately ran into me."
This is not a white lie.
Li Letian had already seen ninety percent of He Zian's sword techniques at the blacksmith shop. Moreover, what Li Letian saw were refined and perfected versions of the techniques. As for the remaining ten percent of He Zian's self-created sword techniques, someone had already told Li Letian about them a few days in advance.
However, these things could not be explained to He Zi'an. In He Zi'an's ears, this could only be a well-intentioned consolation, a superior's pity for the loser.
Li Letian was well aware of this, and he greatly respected his opponent. However, there was no time to feel sorry for his rival; he was now about to embrace his own unique glory.
The first to rush onto the stage was Xin Ruien. She looked nervous, still holding that exquisitely crafted sword. On the pommel was the pink tassel that Li Letian had been dreaming of.
Xin Ruien ran past Li Letian without glancing at him. She anxiously ran in front of He Zian and instinctively used her body to block Li Letian's sword.
"Are you alright, Zian?" Xin Ruien asked anxiously.
A fleeting glint appeared in He Zi'an's eyes, and he replied blankly, "It's nothing. I'm fine."
Xin Ruien finally breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around, her lower lip pursed, and said to Li Letian with restraint, "Thank you for showing mercy, young hero Li."
Li Letian suddenly felt a void in his heart. He would rather Xin Ruien call him "Little Blacksmith".
"Clap, clap, clap." The first to lead the applause was the master of Xinyuan Temple.
"Truly, heroes emerge from among the young," Zhao Zheng said loudly. He walked around the wooden table in front of him, stepped down the stairs, and walked towards Li Letian: "With Young Hero Li leading the way, the martial arts world will be united, and defeating the witch of the Glazed Palace will be just around the corner."
The crowd was silent at first, then erupted in a wave of cheers.
The seniors from Xinyuan Temple and Canghai Sword Manor also followed Zhao Zheng onto the sword-testing platform.
Beside Xiang Yu, Ling Guang, who hadn't reacted at all throughout the entire competition, also stirred at this moment.
"I thought you were asleep," Xiangyu teased.
Ling Guang was wearing a hood, so Xiang Yu couldn't see his expression. She only heard Ling Guang ask, "Who is this girl on the stage?"
“The eldest daughter of the Xin family,” Xiang Yu replied. “The Xin family now relies entirely on the He family’s support to barely survive in this martial world. She is practically a member of the He family now.”
Ling Guang lay back down in the chair, returning to his original state.
Xiang Yu glanced at him, then at Xin Ruien. She shook her head, wondering what Ling Guang was thinking.
*
Zhao Zheng was not happy to see Li Letian take the position of leader of the alliance.
The He family, which he had personally supported, failed to take first place, and this kid from the Sword Casting City, recruited by the Chen family, won the championship. This meant that he would be subject to Chen Changgui's control from now on.
More importantly, this young lad was an unknown sword apprentice from Sword Forging City. No, to be precise, before leaving Sword Forging City, he wasn't even a swordsman, just an insignificant blacksmith.
As far as Zhao Zheng knew, even among blacksmiths, he wasn't the most skilled. From any perspective, Li Letian was a complete and utter commoner. And even among commoners, he wasn't outstanding.
The Chen family seized the opportunity to argue for equality between sword apprentices and aristocratic swordsmen, thus winning over the hearts and minds of the lower classes. This move challenged the human rights system that Zhao Zheng had long established. The court certainly needed some chivalrous figures, but not so many. For most people, Zhao Zheng only needed them to stay in their current positions; he didn't need them to strive for advancement or try to change their social class.
Zhao Zheng vaguely sensed that the Chen family might have been misled and harbored disloyal intentions. Emperor Yongqing had only recently passed away, and the most urgent matter was to install a compliant new emperor. It wasn't time to sever ties with the Chen family yet. The plan to eliminate the Chen family had to be postponed.
The crowd on the hilltop cheered, and even Zhao Zheng could not go against the will of the people and arbitrarily change the outcome of the competition.
Like the elders behind him, Zhao Zheng wore a kind smile. "Young Master Li, congratulations. From today onwards, you are the leader of the martial arts world. I hope you can help the imperial court and bring peace to the land."
“Young Master Li, everyone here has witnessed the miracles you have created step by step.” Master Wuxin stepped forward, waved his hand towards the crowded high ground on the main peak, and said, “Among them are many who have always supported you.”
“From the Buddhas above to the animals below, all are equal without distinction.” Another master from Xinyuan Temple continued, “Young Master Li’s request is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Now you have fulfilled half of your promise. Look at these people on the mountaintop who are rejoicing for you. Say something to them.”
Li Letian was also moved by the emotions of the scene. However, he had no regard for the leader of the alliance or for the common people.
He looked at the friendly crowd before him, then circled around to survey the heroes on the mountaintop, and said loudly, "I understand, this may be my only chance in this life."
The crowd quieted down, listening intently to what Li Letian had to say.
“These past few days, everyone has done their utmost to support me and have covered up my shortcomings. I have no way to repay you.” Li Letian paused and said, “I assure you all that as long as I live, I will do everything in my power to keep my promise.”
Another cheer erupted from the crowd. Some even took off their coarse cloth clothes and waved them high above their heads.
"There's one more thing I have to say, no matter what." Li Letian's gaze became more resolute than ever before.
The mountaintop fell into an unexpected silence.
Xin Ruien also noticed something was wrong. She stopped patting He Zian's back and, like the others, stared intently at Li Letian.
Li Letian stepped forward, knelt down in front of Xin Ruien, and looked her in the eye.
“Only now do I have enough courage.” Li Letian revealed a bright smile, the sunlight illuminating every inch of his face: “Miss, my name is Li Letian. I am an inconspicuous blacksmith in an inconspicuous blacksmith shop in Sword Forging City. Meeting you is the greatest luck of my life.”
"May I get to know you?" he asked.
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