A man stands before the heavens, his sword emerges from the Emei Mountains.

A morning breeze swept across the mountains and fields, the air still carrying the chill of the previous night. The thin mist stirred, and Chen Yu stepped out. Not far from him were the restaurants along the official road.

The horses are entrusted to that place.

This is also the place where Chen Yu and Yang An agreed to meet.

The night before, he exhaled and inhaled in the stone cave. The coolness of the jade ruyi allowed him to cultivate without having to distract himself from fighting the inner fire, making his practice twice as effective. The coolness also helped to regulate the balance of the meridians and promote the flow of qi and blood.

Therefore, Chen Yu could focus wholeheartedly on using the Emei internal energy cultivation method to relax his muscles and tendons, nourish his internal organs, and recuperate. As dawn broke, his injuries had mostly healed. He left the stone cave and, using the cover of the trees, headed straight for this place.

"Junior brother."

Chen Yu appeared, and a joyful shout rang out from the woods as Yang An leaped out.

"Did you arrive early, Senior Brother?"

"Thank goodness." Yang An looked relieved when he saw Chen Yu. "I was worried about my junior brother, so I rushed over early."

"Thank you for your help, Senior Brother. This is the Heaven-Slaying Sword."

Yang An's gaze lingered briefly on the Heaven-Slaying Sword, a look of delight on his face, before quickly returning to his original gaze. "Junior Brother, quickly change your clothes."

"Okay."

Chen Yu took the bundle, went into the woods, took off his black night clothes, put the clothes into his bag, took out a Solomon's seal from it and chewed it. A sweet taste came out of the Solomon's seal and entered his stomach. The medicinal properties dissolved, and with each breath, a warm feeling spread from his chest and abdomen, making him feel much more comfortable.

Chen Yu walked to Yang An's side and asked, "How's it going at the Taoist temple?"

"The whole night was chaotic, and I learned from the young Taoist boy that the Master had perished."

"Many people died?"

"Both sides suffered casualties." Yang An looked shaken. "I learned from the young Taoist that the man was actually a Tartar prince. Luckily, I didn't act rashly at the beginning last night. The man in black might be a chivalrous hero from the martial world. However, at the time of the incident, only the Tartar prince and his entourage were in the courtyard. I couldn't get any more information from the young Taoist. I examined the two bodies of the man in black, but there were no sect tokens. I don't know which heroes they were."

Chen Yu suddenly had a flash of inspiration. The Prince of Ruyang had traveled a thousand miles to Qingcheng Mountain to pay homage to a descendant of Shao Yong, surely seeking guidance on the prophecy of the Plum Blossom Poem. Who were these men in black? The Ming Cult? Or were they someone else entirely?

Chen Yu sensed something unusual.

Yang An was already immersed in the joy of obtaining the Heaven-Slaying Sword. He said excitedly, "The sect leader has always admired you, junior brother. Now that you have obtained the Heaven-Slaying Sword, I think it will be no problem for you to enter the inner sect and become a personal disciple after returning to the sect."

"Without my senior brother's help, how could I have obtained the Heaven-Slaying Sword?" Chen Yu said with a smile as he regained consciousness.

"Don't worry about scarcity, but about inequality; don't have this mentality."

Chen Yu knew that Yang An wanted him to take all the credit, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart; his brother was so loyal.

He smiled slightly, having already made up his mind, and decided not to dwell on the matter.

As dawn broke, Su Baichuan, Meng Biaotou, Ji Xiaofu, and Su Mengqing descended the mountain, accompanied by Yang An and the other four, carrying the Yitian Sword wrapped in a cloth bag on their backs.

When everyone saw Chen Yu, even Ji Xiaofu, who was now calm and composed, couldn't help but cheer with joy.

Su Baichuan already knew what had happened from Su Mengqing. Looking at Chen Yu, who was bathed in the morning sun and had a handsome and refined appearance, he recalled the words he had spoken the night before and felt ashamed. He had known countless people, but he had misjudged this person. Young and fearless, with extraordinary skills, bold yet meticulous, and decisive in his actions, it was no wonder that he had won the favor of Abbess Miejue. This young man was no ordinary person. Perhaps the future of the Emei Sect would depend on Chen Yu. He would definitely have to carefully cultivate this relationship in the future.

Without much small talk, the group took horses from the restaurant, spurred them on, and headed straight for Guanzhou.

……

As the sun set, Chen Yu and his group entered the city, bypassing the escort agency and heading straight to the Su family's residence.

The mansion, with its three courtyards, was a tranquil place where Chen Yu and Yang An stayed. The rockery was exquisitely crafted, and there was a twisted and gnarled Podocarpus macrophyllus in the courtyard.

Just as the two caught their breath, Ji Xiaofu and Su Mengqing arrived.

A pretty maidservant served fruit and tea before leaving. The four of them drank tea, and Su Mengqing said, "I'll have Father arrange for someone to make a sword case later."

Chen Yu laughed and said, "Wrapped in cloth, others might think it contains a worthless, broken iron sword."

Su Mengqing was clever. Chen Yu joked and suddenly realized, slapping her forehead and saying, "Junior Brother is so thoughtful. Making a sword box and carrying it around would be too conspicuous. It's like hiding something here, letting those with ill intentions know that there are treasures in the box."

Senior Sister has a good personality. Chen Yu knew Su Mengqing's character, but he couldn't help but admire her in his heart and said, "Senior Sister Ji is the eldest, so the Heaven-Slaying Sword will be carried by Senior Sister."

Su Mengqing said with a grin, "Since you've taken the sword, Junior Brother, you can keep it safe. The three of us will protect you."

"Junior sister is right."

"Junior brother, please don't refuse," Yang An said.

"That's fine too, as long as I'm here with my sword," Chen Yu assured him.

Su Mengqing's eyes darted around. "The supreme martial arts weapon, the Dragon-Slaying Saber, commands the world, none dare disobey. Without the Heaven-Reliant Sword, who can contend with it? What do you think of this sword?"

Who in the martial arts world isn't curious about divine weapons? Ji Xiaofu and Yang An both showed expressions of anticipation.

"Please take a look at the sword, Senior Sister." Chen Yu handed the Yitian Sword, which was placed on the bench, to Su Mengqing.

Su Mengqing drew her sword, and a cold glint flashed.

As the sword was drawn, Ji Xiaofu, Su Mengqing, and Yang An looked at it and saw that the longsword presented a uniform and beautiful arc, shimmering with a clear blue light. Sunlight poured down, and the blade flashed. The light did not only come from the blade, but also from within. The longsword did not move at all in Su Mengqing's hand, but it seemed to have flowing light waves, as if the sword was alive.

Chen Yu felt a pang of sorrow. This was the Heaven-Slaying Sword forged by the original owner's grandfather and others, containing the Nine Yin Manual and the essence of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. He wondered who the other person who participated in forging the sword was.

"I've come to test my sword."

Su Mengqing handed the longsword to Chen Yu, turned and left the hall, returning with a steel knife in her hand.

"Junior brother, draw your sword."

"Alright." Chen Yu had used the Yitian Sword before and knew its sharpness. He held the sword and slashed it sideways with a little force. Su Mengqing raised her knife and used the move "Splitting Mount Hua" to strike the longsword. Immediately afterwards, she felt a lightness in her hand. When she looked up, she saw that the longsword was only a short piece left in her hand. She did not feel the shock of the broken knife.

Ji Xiaofu and Yang An gasped for breath.

Su Mengqing was dumbfounded.

"This sword is really good." Chen Yu thought to himself, no wonder in the world of Yitian, the Ming Cult's Ruijin Banner leader, wielding a wolf-tooth mace, could fight back and forth with Miejue, who wielded an ordinary longsword, but when Yitian was unsheathed, he was beheaded in one move.

Chen Yu sheathed his sword, wrapped it in cloth, and spent the rest of the time drinking tea and discussing how to collect the goods from Ziyun Village. When it was time for dinner, Su Baichuan personally went to Yayuan to invite Chen Yu and the others to sit down and eat.

Chen Yu clearly sensed that Su Baichuan had become much more enthusiastic towards him during the meal. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the social niceties, how could he not guess what the other man was thinking?

However, when he first met Su Baichuan at Qingcheng Mountain, the other party did not treat him coldly or look down on him. Instead, he felt that once he was personally taught by Miejue and had a firm foothold in the Emei Sect, Miejue would allow him to do things freely. He could make good use of the Su family's escort agency's ability to travel all over the country and keep up with the latest news.

Because they had to rush to Xiangziyun Village the next day, Chen Yu, Yang An, and the others ended the banquet early and returned to their lodgings.

Slightly tipsy, Su Baichuan returned to the hall, picked up a cup of tea, and took a small sip.

"Master, why did you seem so enthusiastic towards Chen Yu during the banquet?" Madam Su asked, rubbing his shoulders.

"Heroes have always emerged from among the young." Su Baichuan sighed and recounted in detail how he first met Chen Yu at Qingcheng Mountain, how he underestimated him, and how Chen Yu reclaimed the treasures of Emei.

Su Baichuan knew his wife couldn't keep her word, so he didn't mention the Heaven-Slaying Sword, only saying it was a priceless treasure.

"Is it really that powerful?"

"That's true. Otherwise, why would the nun have allowed the young hero to accompany her?"

"Then we must cultivate this relationship well. Perhaps we could give the young hero some silver as a reward for helping him retrieve the goods, so that we can keep in touch in the future."

"A woman's view."

"What about ginseng and lingzhi? They can nourish qi and blood."

"It's good, but not appropriate for the current situation."

"What should we send?" Madam Su asked with a troubled expression.

Su Baichuan was confident. "A fine sword is a gift for a hero. Find a master craftsman and offer a hefty sum to forge a fine sword for Young Hero Su."

"The master is indeed farsighted."

Su Baichuan laughed heartily, already having already chosen a candidate in his mind.

Sichuan is home to many skilled craftsmen, and the Su family, who have run a security escort agency for generations, have come to know many master craftsmen.