“Chuhe, you’ve only been playing chess today—haven’t practiced your swordsmanship yet, have you?” Xiao Ruofeng suddenly said.

Xiao Chuhe scratched his head. “Fine.” He stood up reluctantly, picked up the sword beside the table, and walked out of the courtyard. He knew Xiao Ruofeng was deliberately sending him away, but he didn’t mind—their affairs weren’t something he particularly wanted to know about anyway.

After Xiao Chuhe left, Ji Ruofeng sat down before Xiao Ruofeng. “Alas, I dedicate myself to country and people, yet my disciple calls me a crafty old man.”

Xiao Ruofeng smiled, pouring Ji Ruofeng some tea. “You were the one who invited all those Sword Immortals there.”

“Sigh, I merely invited them to watch a duel. Who could have known Si Huai City would experience such upheaval?” Ji Ruofeng spread his hands. “I truly know nothing about it.”

“You anticipated that the Crown Prince’s faction would use this opportunity to take complete control of Wushuang City. So you deliberately led these Sword Immortals there to stir things up.” Xiao Ruofeng blew on his hot tea. “So this time, who did you send?”

“Your Highness jests—the most important person this time was the one I sent,” Ji Ruofeng said with an enigmatic smile.

Xiao Ruofeng raised an eyebrow: “Zhuo Yue’an?”

“Su Muyu,” Ji Ruofeng corrected him.

Xiao Ruofeng smiled: “You’re getting more ambitious. Does Dark River now take orders from the Hundred Knowledge Hall?”

“All things in the world are connected,” Ji Ruofeng said proudly. “And I am like the wind, present everywhere.”

Si Huai City.

Changsheng Gate.

Su Changhe lightly shook his hand, throwing down his cracked dagger: “First time-fighting someone with an axe…”

Dian Ye held his golden axe, breathing heavily: “Dark River’s patriarch truly lives up to his reputation.”

“We in Dark River specialize in stabbing people in the back,” Su Changhe licked his lips. “In honorable direct combat like this, we’re at a disadvantage.”

Bai Huhuai fingered the silver needles in her sleeve, wondering what game Su Changhe was playing—in that exchange, he hadn’t used his full strength.

Su Zhe leisurely smoked his pipe, listening to the horses neighing outside the courtyard, the golden rings on his Buddhist staff jingling.

Su Muyu suddenly looked up toward the southeastern sky: “A sword approaches.”

“Oh? What sword?” Su Changhe asked.

“A sword long sealed in dust, seeming to break forth into light,” Su Muyu bent slightly, hand on his sword hilt.

In the distance, Sword Unrivaled quickened his pace toward Changsheng Gate. Lord Haoyue gradually fell behind, calling out anxiously: “Sir Sword, don’t rush!”

But Sword Unrivaled paid him no mind. His pupils had turned blood-red, and the swords at his waist seemed eager to leap from their scabbards.

“Sir Sword!” Lord Haoyue shouted again, then felt a force suddenly grab him from below. “Who goes there!” he barked.

“Come down!” A stern voice commanded, and Lord Haoyue was forcibly pulled into an inn below. Upon entering the room, he couldn’t help but shiver. Though it was the height of summer outside, where a few steps would leave one sweating profusely, this room felt like the depths of winter, so cold it made one’s teeth chatter.

“Who’s there?” Lord Haoyue quickly drew his weapon and looked up to see a swordsman in a bamboo hat sitting before him. Beside him lay a long sword, the source of the extreme cold permeating the room. Lord Haoyue suddenly understood—this person had used extremely cold sword energy to freeze the air in the room, preventing the flower poison from spreading. How many people in the world could generate such powerful cold sword energy?

The “Wind Snow Sword” Eunuch Jin, one of the Five Supervisors, might be capable of it, but his status was too exalted, and he was far away in Tianqi—he shouldn’t be here.

And the other one…

Lord Haoyue started, remembering Sword Unrivaled’s words, and laughed bitterly to himself. Could his luck be that bad? Although the Lone Sword Immortal was called first among the Five Sword Immortals, he’d rather face him than the person before him…

“Why aren’t you poisoned?” The swordsman’s voice was strange as if deliberately disguised by some technique.

Lord Haoyue hesitated: “I… I don’t know.”

“Because you’re with the one who spread the poison,” the swordsman continued. “Hand over the antidote.”

“This…” Lord Haoyue quickly backed away. “I don’t have it!”

“Then die!” The swordsman waved casually, sending out sword energy that slowly condensed into a blade, pressing against Lord Haoyue’s chest.

Lord Haoyue fell back on his rear in fright. He wasn’t a coward, but he knew this person meant what they said about killing—there would be no hesitation.

Inside Changsheng Gate.

Su Muyu turned his head slightly, frowning: “She’s here?”

Su Zhe exhaled smoke: “This is truly getting interesting. But no time to think about that now—the sword you’ve been waiting for has arrived.”

“If we can’t wait for Song Yanhui, then let’s await this battle!” Su Changhe called out loudly, then threw away his dagger and struck Dian Ye’s golden axe with his palm.

Dian Ye’s hand shook violently, nearly losing grip of his axe. He hastily retreated, swinging the golden axe heavily to cut a trench in the ground, preventing Su Changhe from advancing.

Su Changhe hadn’t planned to pursue it anyway. He withdrew his palm and smiled: “General Dian, our trivial game ends here. No need to hold back anymore.”

Dian Ye’s expression darkened as his golden axe gradually turned dark gold. His qi surged, and faint thunder rumbled from where he gripped the handle.

“Good. This is my first time facing a true military expert,” Su Changhe raised an eyebrow. “Your internal force will be perfect fodder for my Yama Palm.”

“No time to waste here,” Luo Yandie looked outside the courtyard. “Send in the Flying Tiger Twenty-six Riders directly!”

But a black shadow passed by her and walked outside Changsheng Gate.

It was Su Zhe.

He put away his pipe, then struck his Buddhist staff heavily on the ground: “Come, let me see how formidable these twenty-six riders who could defeat three thousand troops are!”

At that moment, Sword Unrivaled arrived.

Without pause or inquiry, he looked directly at Su Muyu inside the house.

This was the sword he sought.

This was the unspoken understanding between swordsmen!

The long sword at Sword Unrivaled’s waist left its scabbard. He grasped the hilt and descended from above.

One sword strikes Su Muyu.

“Well met!” Su Muyu drew his sword to meet the challenge.