The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 7, Part 07: Learn Swordsmanship with Me! I'm Senior Brother Han Xiaoying!

Shaoxing Prefecture City.

Lu Chen, dressed in a black outfit, carrying a black-sheathed longsword, and wearing a bamboo hat that partially covered his face, revealing only his nose and below, walked silently beside Huang Rong.

He was tall and had a straight spine. Coupled with his current swordsman attire, he was quite intimidating as long as he didn't fight.

At least now, walking down the main street of the prefectural city, even with a stunningly beautiful young girl like Huang Rong by his side, none of the scoundrels and idlers in the streets who couldn't see through Lu Chen's true intentions dared to come and bother him.

Huang Rong was dressed in white, her hair tied up with a gold ring, her beautiful eyes sparkling, her steps light and cheerful, and she was humming a tune softly. If you listened carefully, it was the song "Laughter in the Jianghu" that Lu Chen was singing to her.

After walking around the streets for a while, they saw a martial arts school and Huang Rong immediately led Lu Chen over there.

Two disciples were chatting idly at the entrance of the martial arts school when they saw such a beautiful and charming young woman approaching. Their eyes lit up immediately, and they greeted her with beaming smiles.
"What brings you to our humble abode, young lady?"

Huang Rong didn't waste any words and went straight to the point:
"Does your martial arts school teach the Yue Maiden Sword Technique?"

"Zhao Nu's sword technique? This..." a disciple said helplessly, "Our master taught us Taizu Long Fist and Panlong Staff Technique."

Seeing that Huang Rong looked bored and was about to leave, another disciple quickly stopped her:
“Please wait, young lady. Our master’s Taizu Long Fist and Panlong Staff Technique are different from those circulating in the martial arts world. Our master has a unique skill…”

A unique skill?
Can one possess the most unique skills among the Five Great Masters of the World?
Huang Rong pouted, too lazy to say more, and led Lu Chen away, leaving the two gatekeepers with regretful faces.

If this one didn't work out, it didn't matter. Huang Rong quickly led Lu Chen to another martial arts school. After asking the gatekeeper, they found out that this school specialized in teaching the Yue Nu Sword Technique.

Huang Rong then led Lu Chen into the martial arts school, wanting to see for herself the quality of the school's swordsmanship.

Upon hearing from his disciple that a young woman of extraordinary bearing, resembling a noble lady, had come to visit accompanied by a seemingly unfathomable swordsman guard, the martial arts school master hurriedly came out to greet her, bowing and smiling from a few steps away:

"My name is Mo Huaiyuan, the unworthy head of the Mo Family Martial Arts School. I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. May I ask your honorable name, young lady? And what brings you to our humble academy?"

Huang Rong, with her hands behind her back and chin slightly raised, looked smug and said in a crisp voice:

"My surname is Huang. My companion's surname is Lu. We've come here to learn swordsmanship."

Learn swordsmanship?

Master Mo glanced at Lu Chen, who was dressed in black, carrying a long sword, wearing a bamboo hat, and with a "cold" demeanor, standing next to Huang Rong. He thought to himself, "You have such a swordsman guard by your side, and he looks like a great master. Is it really necessary for you to come to our small folk martial arts school to learn swordsmanship?"

However, it's quite normal for spoiled young ladies from wealthy families to have wildly imaginative minds, act on a whim, and behave eccentrically. Take, for example, the renowned and talented Li Qingzhao, who enjoyed heavy drinking, playing mahjong, and even getting into verbal battles.
Therefore, it's not impossible that a wealthy heiress would choose to learn the "Yue Maiden Sword" from the common people instead of learning the advanced swordsmanship of her family's guards.

After all, although the Yue Maiden Sword that is now circulating in the martial arts world has become a common item, the legendary Yue Maiden Sword has quite a background. It is said to be a peerless divine sword that was bestowed upon the founder of the Yue Maiden Sword by the heavens through the hand of a divine ape.

Who knows, this young lady might have heard the legend of the Yue Maiden Sword and, with her boundless ambition, thought she could deduce the true appearance of the divine sword?
At that moment, Master Mo said with a smile:

"So it's Miss Huang and Mr. Lu. It's a pleasure to meet you. It's our honor that Miss Huang has taken a liking to our swordsmanship..."

"Slow down!"

Huang Rong raised her hand to stop Master Mo from speaking, and said with a smile:
"There are many schools of Yue Maiden Swordplay, and their quality varies greatly. Although we want to learn swordsmanship, we are not willing to learn every school's techniques. We wonder how much of the true essence of your esteemed martial arts school's Yue Maiden Swordplay is?"

Master Mo chuckled:
"It is my pleasure to inform Miss Huang that although I am not very capable, I have a fellow disciple who is quite famous in the Jiangnan region. I wonder if Miss Huang has heard of the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan? Han Xiaoying, the 'Sword Maiden of Yue' among the Seven Heroes, is my fellow disciple."

"Oh?"

Huang Rong raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly, thinking to herself that this guy was probably just bragging.

Because the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan are said to have disappeared from the martial arts world for over ten years, and no one knows where they are now. Even if this guy is bragging, "Sword Maiden of Yue" Han Xiaoying is unlikely to expose him.

Of course, Huang Rong was too lazy to expose him. Anyway, Lu Chen didn't have any requirements regarding the grade of swordsmanship, as long as it was a swordsmanship that could cultivate internal energy from the outside in. So he leisurely said:
"Since he is a fellow disciple of Han Xiaoying, the Yue Maiden Swordswoman, Master Mo's swordsmanship must be quite remarkable."

Master Mo said with shame:

"I am ashamed to say that my talent is lacking and my martial arts are far inferior to Junior Sister Han's. However, Miss Huang, please rest assured that although my martial arts are not good, I have mastered all the sword techniques of my sect. If my martial arts are not good, I can only blame my own dullness and failure to achieve the same level of skill as Junior Sister Han. But when it comes to teaching disciples, I dare to guarantee that in this Shaoxing Prefecture, my teaching level is absolutely second to none."

Huang Rong smiled slightly:
"In that case, Master Mo, would you be so kind as to have your disciple demonstrate his swordsmanship so that we can see it and broaden our horizons?"

It was only natural that the distinguished guest wanted to witness the disciple's skills and verify the martial arts school's teaching level, so Master Mo would not refuse and immediately ordered the school's eldest disciple to demonstrate.

The eldest disciple was a young man in his twenties. After receiving his master's order, he went down to the arena and began to practice meticulously with his wooden sword.

Although the Yue Maiden Sword Technique is widely known and practiced by many, only Han Xiaoying has truly made a name for herself with it. And she did so alongside the other six oddballs.

This shows that the Yue Maiden Sword that has been passed down to this day is truly inadequate.

In Huang Rong's opinion, this disciple of Master Mo's prized swordsmanship was really mediocre. She could easily take him down without weapons, even with one hand tied.

The only commendable aspect was that his basic swordsmanship was fairly solid, and his footwork was barely passable. He also had accompanying breathing techniques that could indeed cultivate internal energy.

With such ordinary swordsmanship, one shouldn't expect much in terms of internal energy cultivated from the outside in. It's likely that ten years of hard work wouldn't be as effective as a year of internal energy cultivation on Peach Blossom Island.

Of course, this is just the average level of Yue Nu Sword, and it's really impossible to expect too much. Han Xiaoying is actually an anomaly among many Yue Nu Sword practitioners. Perhaps it's because she has a really good talent for martial arts, or perhaps the Yue Nu Sword that her master taught her has been innovative and different from the popular sword techniques, which is why she was able to make a name for herself with Yue Nu Sword.

Huang Rong whispered to Lu Chen:
"Do you want to learn this family's Yue Maiden Sword style?"

Lu Chen: "Can the Yue Maiden Sword of this family be used to cultivate internal energy?"

"Hmm. The swordsmanship is indeed there, and there are footwork and breathing techniques, but it's all too ordinary."

"It doesn't matter, as long as you can develop internal strength."

"Then let's learn this family's swordsmanship?"

"can."

Lu Chen nodded, and Huang Rong stopped being picky. She then said to Master Mo:
"How much is the tuition fee for learning swordsmanship from your esteemed martial arts school?"

Master Mo said with a smile:

"Learning swordsmanship only costs one string of cash per month. If you want to learn breathing techniques, you will need to pay an additional ten strings of cash. In addition, our school also has ancestral medicinal soups that strengthen muscles and bones and replenish qi and blood. The medicine is very mild and can be drunk three bowls a day. Each bowl costs only two hundred copper coins."

Although Huang Rong never cared about money, she wouldn't let anyone take advantage of her. She immediately frowned and said:

"If you deliberately delay and don't teach me the swordsmanship and breathing techniques completely, wouldn't I waste several years and still not be able to learn the swordsmanship completely?"

Master Mo smiled and said:
“Miss Huang, you are overthinking it. I have been running my school in the prefectural city for many years, and my teaching ethics are widely recognized. How could I do something that would ruin my reputation? If Miss Huang is still worried, then, one hundred strings of cash, just one hundred strings of cash, including swordsmanship and breathing techniques, Miss Huang can learn for as long as she wants until she has mastered them. Hmm, you can pay fifty strings of cash first, and then pay the other fifty strings of cash after you have mastered them.”

Huang Rong nodded in satisfaction and made the decision on the spot:
"Then learn the one hundred strings!"

What a big spender!
No wonder she's a rich heiress!
Master Mo was filled with respect and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying:

"Miss Huang, rest assured, I will teach you swordsmanship without reservation."

(End of this chapter)