One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man, around fifty years old. His hair was gray and somewhat disheveled, and he wore a faded light blue striped shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms and the top two buttons undone. At that moment, he was frowning at an open document, a half-smoked cigarette between his right fingers, a long ash piled up, hanging precariously as if it might break off at any moment.

Hearing the door open, he didn't even look up, only letting out a weary sigh through his nose: "Ball, you never come in without knocking, it's never good news. Tell me, what trouble have you gotten me into this time? Or have you brought back some 'big trouble'?"

"Uncle Hao, you've wronged me this time!" Wang Zhenqiu said innocently, pulling over a chair next to the sofa and plopping down. He then hooked another chair over with his foot, gesturing for Nie Lingfeng to sit down. "This isn't trouble, it's a genuine 'talent'! I've personally verified it, no doubt about it!"

He then turned to Nie Lingfeng and introduced him: "Xiaofeng, this is Hao Yi, the head of our Southwest branch, Uncle Hao. Uncle Hao, this is Nie Lingfeng, a newcomer from the mountains, with impeccable lineage and superb skills. I saw it with my own eyes; he sent 'Black Bear's' bald-headed henchman flying more than ten meters with a single palm strike. He's probably still lying in the forest right now."

Nie Lingfeng sat down as instructed and nodded politely to Hao Yi: "Uncle Hao, hello."

Hao Yi then raised his head, shifting his gaze from the documents to Nie Lingfeng. His eyes initially held their usual weariness and scrutiny, but quickly sharpened, like two small brushes, thoroughly scanning Nie Lingfeng from head to toe. His gaze lingered for a moment, particularly on the Snow Drinking Blade on Nie Lingfeng's back, wrapped in coarse cloth yet unable to conceal its unique design, before returning to Nie Lingfeng's still-young face, which possessed a calm demeanor incongruous with his age.

"Unearthed in the mountains?" Hao Yi finally spoke, his voice hoarse, bearing the characteristics of a long-term smoker. "Which mountain? The exact location?"

"Deep in Leshan." Following the prepared script, Nie Lingfeng said in a slightly reminiscent and uncertain tone, "The exact location... I can't quite say. My master only said it was a mountain valley near 'Lingyun Cave'. I was adopted by my master when I was young and have been cultivating there with him ever since. I have never left. Until last month... my master passed away, and before his death he ordered me to go down the mountain and experience the world."

"'Wind Daoist'?" Hao Yi flicked his cigarette ash, the long streak finally falling to the ground. "Your master's Daoist name? What's his real name?"

"My master only told me to call him 'Master,' or to use his Taoist name 'Feng Daoren.'" A hint of bewilderment and sadness appeared on Nie Lingfeng's face. "As for his real name... my master never mentioned it. He said that names are just labels in the mortal world, as fleeting as dew or lightning, and that I shouldn't be attached to them."

Hao Yi narrowed his eyes, leaning forward slightly, exuding an invisible sense of pressure: "Family martial arts? Where is your Nie family's ancestral home? Who else is in your family?"

Nie Lingfeng sighed softly, his eyes lowered: "My master said that our Nie family's ancestral home is in Shandong. But he didn't say exactly where in Shandong, only that it was something from many years ago. As for my family... my master said that my parents died when I was still an infant, and there are no relatives left in my family, which is why he took me in and taught me the family's teachings."

He had scrutinized this explanation countless times. His ancestral home was Shandong, which subtly coincided with the distribution of the surname "Nie" in North China, and also fit his vague background setting for "Nie Feng"; his master was deceased, leaving no one to verify the truth; he had a lonely and isolated life—this perfectly explained why no such person could be found, why he knew nothing about modern society, and minimized any possible flaws.

Hao Yi remained silent, quietly smoking, his gaze fixed on Nie Lingfeng's face, as if trying to discern the sincerity of every expression. The air in the office seemed to freeze, leaving only the low hum of the air conditioner and the soft crackling of the burning cigarette.

After a long pause, Hao Yi slowly exhaled a smoke ring and spoke again: "You said you know the Cloud-Dispelling Palm, the Wind God Leg, the Heavenly Frost Fist, and that... the Six Secrets of Arrogant Cold?" He paused, "Empty words are no proof. Could you demonstrate it a little? You don't need to use your full strength, and you don't need to hurt anyone. Just show me the stance so I can see how it works."

Nie Lingfeng had expected this, and upon hearing it, he stood up. He walked to a relatively empty spot in the center of the office and pondered for a moment.

First, he raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and seemingly casually slapped the empty space in front of him—the first move of the Cloud-Dispelling Palm, "Flowing Water and Moving Clouds"! When the palm strike began, it was like a gentle breeze, without any trace of fire or smoke. But halfway through the palm strike, the power suddenly increased, and the gentle yet abundant palm wind surged, creating visible ripples in the air, causing several sheets of paper on the coffee table to turn slightly.

Immediately afterward, his figure swayed slightly, as if lifted by a gentle breeze, and he vanished from his spot in an instant, leaving only a faint, fading blue afterimage. The next moment, he appeared beside a filing cabinet in another corner of the office, and almost simultaneously, he returned to his original position like a ghost—the first move of the "Wind God Leg," "Catching the Wind and Shadows"! Although he didn't use his full strength, his astonishing speed and exquisite control over his body were already evident.

Before Hao Yi and Wang Zhenqiu could recover from their surprise, Nie Lingfeng loosely clenched his right fist, slowly brought it to his waist, and then threw a punch forward and to the side—the first move of the Heavenly Frost Fist, "Frosty Marks"! Where the fist passed, the temperature in the air dropped sharply, and fine, crystalline white ice crystals condensed out of thin air, fluttering down and leaving a few damp marks on the floor.

Finally, he gripped the hilt of the Snow Drinking Blade behind his back, and with a clang, drew the blade an inch from its sheath! A dazzling flash of cold light appeared, and a pure, chilling aura, like an awakened ice dragon, suddenly erupted from the blade! Instantly, the temperature in the entire office seemed to drop by more than ten degrees, and a thin layer of frost, radiating white coldness, visibly condensed on the surface of the half-finished teacup on Hao Yi's desk!

Hao Yi's pupils suddenly contracted.

Wang Zhenqiu let out a loud whistle, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Cool! That's awesome, bro! This cooling effect will definitely save electricity in the summer!"

Nie Lingfeng remained calm, flicking his wrist to precisely sheath the Snow Drinking Blade with a "click." The pervasive chill quickly subsided, but the low temperature in the office would take a little longer to completely dissipate.

He walked back to the chair, sat down again, and looked at Hao Yi.

Hao Yi didn't speak, but silently stubbed out the remaining cigarette in the ashtray, which was already piled high with cigarette butts. Then, he took a blank form and a pen from his desk drawer and pushed them in front of Nie Lingfeng.