The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 262: Heavenly Blade Song Que, Well-Deserved of His Name

After hundreds of years of development, Lingnan no longer has the atmosphere of a wild land. This place is located in the south of the Five Ridges, which consist of five mountains: Yuechengling, Dupangling, Mengzhuling, Qitianling and Dayuling. The size of the area varied in different dynasties. In this world, it was probably the Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan areas in later generations, and its borders included Fujian and Jiangxi.

When Su Ming set foot in Lingnan, he felt that the place was vast and sparsely populated, with many mountains and a small population. There was not enough arable land and it could not support too many people, which greatly weakened Lingnan's war potential.

The Song family's base camp is located in a strategic location. It is just standing at the foot of the mountain city. If there is sufficient food and grass, it is felt that without an army of 100,000, it would be impossible to take this city.

Su Ming looked at the defenses and various buildings in the city. He was well versed in the art of war and was capable of both offense and defense. The Song family must have an expert.

There are merchants traveling back and forth inside and outside the city, selling goods. There are hundreds of houses scattered around, connected by more than ten neatly-organized, bluestone-paved avenues. The most distinctive feature is that they rise layer by layer according to the terrain of the mountain, and each layer is connected by stone steps and slopes, making it convenient for residents to travel by car or horse.

Trees, flowers and plants are planted along the roadside, and spring water from the mountains is introduced to form streams, which are interspersed among the gardens and residences, forming endless beautiful scenery such as small bridges, flowing water, ponds and pavilions. The space is spacious and comfortable, with the scenery of Jiangnan gardens. Being in it is like being in a garden in the mountains.

The main building complex is gathered at the highest point of the mountain. Even at the foot of the mountain, Su Ming can see the pavilions and palaces on the mountain. From the eaves to the flower windows, the craftsmanship and decoration are meticulous, with a sense of southern garden architecture. It is exquisite and elegant, yet majestic.

After walking around, he came to an inn in the city.

This is the Song family's base camp, but not all residents here are members of the Song family. It is mostly a place where ethnic groups from Lingnan come to communicate and trade, and it is filled with people of all kinds.

"Warm up a pot of wine and order two of our signature dishes."

"Okay, wait a moment."

Sitting down at the table by the window, Su Ming thought about what to do next.

If you want to cooperate with the Song family, there is one person you cannot avoid, and that is Song Que.

In the martial arts world, Song Que is known as the "Heavenly Sword", and is recognized as the best swordsman in the world. He has fought countless battles in his life, and has never been defeated. Soon after his debut, he defeated the "tyrant sword" Yue Shan and became the best swordsman in the world. Seeing a master rising up, he met the nuns of Cihang Jingzhai, and suffered a setback in his relationship. He returned to the Song family and rarely left the mountain. On weekdays, he would study the sword in the knife sharpening hall.

Many years have passed since then, and now no one knows what level Song Que's swordsmanship has reached.

"Sir, the food and drinks are here."

The waiter's shout interrupted Su Ming's thoughts. The food and wine were served on the table, including a steamed sea bass, a plate of stir-fried river shrimps and a pot of wine.

Pour a glass, the wine is clear, sweet and refreshing, and quite delicious.

In the inn hall, besides him, there were several tables of diners. Judging from their appearance, they should be traveling merchants.

I had just eaten two chopsticks of dried shrimp when their conversation reached my ears. "Have you heard? Yu Wenzhi offered a reward of 100 taels of gold for two people. If we can find them, we will be rich."

"If you can really find it, it's still your turn. The Central Plains is in chaos, you have to survive to get it back."

"That's true. Central Plains is a good place, but it's too chaotic." The person who spoke had a look of regret on his face.

"Yes, on the way back, we encountered several groups of robbers. If we hadn't revealed the Song family's flag, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to come back."

Hearing this, Su Ming paused as he picked up the dish and gradually formed an idea in his mind.

……

"Young Master, there is a Taoist outside who wants to challenge the leader of the clan."

On the top floor of Songjiashan City, a young man in gorgeous clothes received a report from a servant. This man was Song Que’s son Song Shidao.

"Father is still in seclusion. This man dares to challenge Father. He must be a capable person. Bring him up. I want to see him in person."

At the foot of the mountain, Su Ming stood in the pavilion, with his hands behind his back. His back was broad and his temperament was remarkable. The servant of the Song family just came over. When he saw his back, his body bent involuntarily and his voice became respectful, "Sir, please follow me. My eldest son is waiting in the guest hall."

"Good work."

Su Ming nodded slightly and followed closely.

After an incense stick of time, he arrived at the top of the mountain city. The pavilions, terraces, plants and gardens along the way complemented each other and blended into the surrounding mountains, giving him a sense of unity between man and nature. Being in the midst of it, Su Ming also realized that there were vigilant eyes staring at him in secret, and the defenses were very strict.

Arriving at the guest hall, the servant guarding the door came forward to greet him, "Sir, the eldest master is waiting inside."

As soon as he arrived at the door, he heard a gentle voice coming from inside, "You have come from afar, Master Song, please forgive me for not welcoming you in person." Then a tall figure appeared in front of Su Ming.

"I have come uninvited. I am honored to be received by the young master in person." Su Ming saluted him with a fist.

Song Shidao clasped his fists in return. He was stunned for a moment when he saw Su Ming. Then he walked to the front of the hall and raised his hand to signal, "Please take a seat."

Su Ming took off his shoes and socks, walked to the table, and knelt down.

The servants served fragrant tea and snacks.

Song Shidao looked at Su Ming for a while and asked,

"May I ask your name?"

"Su Ming."

"Where did Mr. Su come from?"

"From Yangzhou."

Song Shidao was surprised. He was in charge of the salt transportation route at home. He had never heard of a master named Su in Yangzhou. What this person said was questionable. He was puzzled but remained polite on the surface. "My father has been in seclusion for several years and has not seen any outsiders for the time being. I hope Mr. Su will forgive me."

The moment he saw Song Shidao, Su Ming understood why Song Que was willing to lead the entire Song clan to support Kou Zhong instead of sacrificing his family for the country. There was only one reason: the Song family had no successor.

As the young master of the Song clan, Song Shidao is polite, gentle, kind and generous, with the demeanor of a young man from an aristocratic family. However, he is far from qualified to be the heir to the Song clan, let alone to be the future ruler of the world.

Su Ming smiled and continued, "I am a swordsman, and the clan leader is not in a position to come forward. I heard that the Song family has a swordsman who is known as the Earth Sword. I wonder if the eldest son can introduce him to him?"

"Mr. Su is a swordsman?"

Song Shidao was confused. He had no calluses on his palms and he didn't carry a sword. How could he be a swordsman?

"What? Not like it?" Su Ming smiled and stretched out his finger to scratch the teacup. The empty teacup slid down silently and broke in the middle.

Song Shidao's heart trembled. This sword energy was silent and reserved. He could never do that. After he made his move, there were several more hidden gazes inside and outside the hall, as if as long as he made any unusual moves, someone would secretly stop him.

"Does the eldest master believe it now?"

Song Shidao nodded and called the servant outside the door, "Please ask Second Uncle to come over."

Not long after, Song Zhi walked into the living room. The moment he saw Su Ming, all the hairs on his body tensed up, as if he had seen a ferocious beast.

Song Zhi's reaction made Song Shidao stunned for a moment, and then he introduced, "Second Uncle, this is Mr. Su, who is also a swordsman. He wants to spar with you. What do you think?"

"Your Excellency, do you want to challenge me?"

Su Ming shook his head and stood up from his seat. "I came to challenge the clan leader, but unfortunately he is in seclusion and I have no chance to meet him. I have heard of the name of the Earth Sword for a long time, and I hope you can teach me."

Song Zhi stared at him closely, as if he was facing a great enemy, "Shi Dao, you go out first."

Song Shidao was puzzled, and then he said, "Please come out, big brother."

He understood what his second uncle meant, clasped his fists towards Su Ming, and left in a hurry.

"It's not convenient to take action here, please follow me."

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Soon, they arrived at the martial arts field in the backyard, which was paved with thick bluestone tiles, was a hundred feet in radius, and was very spacious.

"If you need a sword, I'll send someone to bring it to you."

"No need." Su Ming shook his head lightly with an indifferent expression. Song Zhi's level was almost at the level of the Five Supreme Masters in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, but the problem was that the martial arts value of the Tang Dynasty was one level higher than that of The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The Five Supreme Masters were not good enough here at all. If they were not masters, they would all be ants.

"please."

"please."

However, as soon as the sword was unsheathed, he stopped moving. A drop of sweat dripped from his forehead. The crisis of death loomed in his heart. He didn't see any movement from the other party. Song Zhi clearly felt that there was a sword pointing at his forehead, like a thorn in front of him. As long as he moved, the sword would hit him.

He let out a long breath, clasped his fists and saluted, admitting defeat frankly, "I lost." As soon as he finished speaking, the sense of crisis suddenly disappeared, as if nothing had happened.

"Mr. Su, my father asks you to go to the knife grinding hall for a while."

"Thank you, young master."

The Grinding Hall is well-known in the martial arts world. This is where Song Que practices swordplay. There is a whetstone in the Grinding Hall, on which are written the opponents that Song Que thinks are qualified to fight with him. "The Evil King" Shi Zhixuan and "Master San" Ning Daoqi are both on the list. They are all world-famous top masters, and the worst of them are also grandmasters.

The Modao Hall was located at the deepest part of a three-story courtyard. Su Ming passed through two arched doorways before arriving at a building with the words "Modao Hall" hung on it.

The Grinding Hall is not a place for sharpening knives, but a hall for collecting famous knives. Dozens of knives of different styles are hung on the walls. Each of them was once a famous knife master. However, after the great changes, only knives are left. Hanging on the wall as trophies, they show the power of the owner of the Grinding Hall.

Since Song Que made his debut, he has fought many battles and has never been defeated. This is also the greatest confidence of the Song family.

The most attractive thing in the knife sharpening hall is not the famous swords, but a middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back.

As soon as he entered the room, Su Ming's eyes were unconsciously attracted to it, and Song Que also looked up suddenly. His indifferent eyes suddenly became as cold as a knife. When their eyes met, electricity was generated in the void and the room was brightened.

He walked forward and looked at Song Que. He was indeed a leading figure in the previous generation. He had a strong and handsome appearance, as perfect as if he had been carved by a knife and an axe, without any flaws. He brought the unique charm of men to the extreme, enough to make any woman fall in love with him at first sight. More importantly, he had a demeanor that could make people feel depressed.

As a knife wielder, he does not have a sharp sense of aggression. Instead, he is full of the elegance and demeanor of a Confucian scholar. With his perfectly symmetrical figure and majestic demeanor, he is truly the best knife master in the world.

His appearance also made Su Ming feel the long-lost sense of crisis. This was a martial arts master who could truly threaten him.

"Master Song, I am Su Ming, and I have come to ask for your advice."

Song Que stood up, his temperament suddenly changed, full of oppression, "Which sect did you follow, sir? It seems that no one in the martial arts world has ever heard of you."

"I am a person of unknown reputation, and I am ashamed of you, Lord."

Facing a master of the same level, in his eyes, there was a sword hidden in Su Ming's body, a dormant divine sword, and he felt his sword intent.

Suddenly, a hint of fighting spirit rose in his eyes. "It is rare to find a master who is not well-known. There are countless people in the world who use swords. The only one that Song can remember is the Cihang Sword Canon of Cihang Jingzhai. Your sword is even better than that."

"Cihang Sword Classic?" Su Ming sneered with disdain on his face. The Cihang Sword Classic sounded like it could be compared with the four great books. In fact, among the four great books, the Cihang Sword Classic was the worst one. The Changsheng Jue was the martial arts left by Guangchengzi who shattered the Vajra. Later, Xu Ziling, who practiced it, was suspected to have ascended to heaven.

Not to mention The Heavenly Demon Strategy, Xiang Yutian, Wu Zhao...The God of War Atlas is the source of the other three books. The successive inheritors of the Cihang Sword Classic have never practiced to the point of ascending to heaven. Even for the final stage of sitting in the dead, only Qin Mengyao has reached this level.

Only the traitor Ning Daoqi was willing to use himself as a ladder to bring fame to the Cihang Sword Canon.

Su Ming said calmly, “If Ning Daoqi really vomited blood after reading the Cihang Sword Canon, this person is definitely not worthy of the title of the three great masters.”

Song Que raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. In fact, all masters at the grandmaster level knew that no matter how powerful the Cihang Sword Canon was, it would not make a grandmaster vomit blood at the sight of it.

"I have been sitting in the Knife Sharpening Hall for decades, and finally I have waited for a master who is worthy of fighting with me. Sir, please come in." As soon as he finished speaking, his aura changed, like a precious sword unsheathed, revealing a sharp edge. The various precious swords hanging on the walls of the Knife Sharpening Hall did not move automatically, as if they were being pulled by an invisible force.

Knife intention.

"Song Que, the Heavenly Sword, lives up to his reputation!"

In Su Ming's view, the birth of the martial arts will is related to the path to the grandmaster. The swordsman is domineering and famous for his lethality. Song Que is a general on the battlefield and his combat power is even better. He can fight with Ning Daoqi to a draw. If he grows older, he will surely reach the level of grandmaster.

"war!"

Before coming, he speculated many times and still felt that the use of force was the most direct method. Only by displaying extraordinary martial power could he make Song Que and the entire Song clan pay attention to his existence.

Warriors must ultimately speak with force.

Song Que certainly guessed that Su Ming might have other purposes, otherwise, with so many masters in the world, why would he choose him? But so what? As the best swordsman in the world, he has strong self-confidence and dares to face any challenge. All his calculations and plans are vain in the face of absolute force.

"Master Song is a man of few words, so please come in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two figures left the Knife Sharpening Hall one after the other. Song Zhi and Song Shidao, who were guarding outside, were stunned for a moment and hurriedly chased after them. For the Song family, this was no trivial matter.

(End of this chapter)