I became a prince in a martial arts world.

Chapter 72 The Chief Disciples of the Seven Great Sword Sects Gather

Morbas, a swordsman from the Western Regions, is said to have inherited the strengths of both the Central Plains and Persia. His father further innovated and nurtured him, eventually making him a master swordsman who reached the highest level of innate skill.

This man has lived in Liefeng Fortress for generations, located in an oasis dozens of miles outside the capital of Cheshi. He seems to live a life of seclusion, but in reality, he is the backer of several bandit groups and receives a share of their profits.

Because of his exceptional martial arts skills, he even took the Prince of Cheshi as his student. As a result, the Cheshi Kingdom did not target him. Instead, they relied on him to defend against experts from other countries. In return, he also controlled the sand bandits to prevent them from touching the Cheshi Kingdom's property. This is why the Cheshi Kingdom was careless and its important town was captured by the combined forces of the Shalijin horse bandits and Qishan bandits from the south.

The Cheshi Kingdom suffered heavy losses, and Morbas was also very unhappy, but the Qishan bandits were far inside the pass, and Shalijin was also deep in the southern desert and had no fixed abode, so he had no way to retaliate.

So they turned their attention to the caravans that traded between East and West, and because of Morbas's own preferences, they focused more on caravans that were mainly composed of people from the Central Plains.

"Why does Morbas dislike the people of the Central Plains?" Li Yunxiu asked thoughtfully.

"Of course, it's because the Kingdom of Cheshi also has a behemoth," Qianqian said with a grin.

The group hurried eastward and then, in the desolate Gobi Desert, they discovered a small courtyard with a wine flag fluttering in the wind.

Yang, several horses were tied up outside the courtyard.

Similar to the major cities in the Central Plains, cities in the Western Regions also had curfews. These taverns and inns, which were located not far from the city and town, were set up for travelers who missed their lodging or had difficulty going into the city.

Upon seeing the familiar horses outside the courtyard, Xu Qingquan immediately said, "They haven't set off yet!"

The group dismounted and entered the courtyard, where they saw Fang Shaobai and Shen Zhijun talking to two men and a woman, accompanied by three other people.

Wang Yu didn't know the person in question, but he did know three other people.

"Brother Duan, Brother Xu, Brother Gongsun!"

The three people accompanying him were none other than Duan Wei from the Duan family of Pingliang Fort in Anxi Province, along with Xu Hao and Gongsun Yi, whom he had met in the Central Plains.

"Prince Zhao?"

"Huh, you two know each other?" Fang Shaobai was curious at first, then suddenly realized that the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion and Pingliang Fort were both in Anxi Road, so it was not a strange thing for Wang Yu to know Duan Wei.

Since you know Duan Wei, it's perfectly normal for you to know Duan Wei's friends as well.

Then Fang Shaobai introduced Wang Yu and his group, as well as the other people.

Xu Qingquan of the Qingyang Sect had already met Wang Yu since he stayed in Cheshi Royal City and returned with him, so there was no need for introduction. The other three were Liu Wuchen of the Bashan Sect, Xie Fuyun of the Yucang Sect, and Leng Jiangzhu of the Meishan Sect.

The chief disciples of the seven major sword sects have now gathered!

The candlelight dims in the night rain over Bashan, and willow catkins flutter in the wind.

Sword Saint Liu Suifeng is one of the five famous swords in the world and the number one person of the seven major sword sects. The Bashan Sect also holds an extraordinary position among the seven major sword sects. Liu Wuchen is Liu Suifeng's kinsman. It is said that he received personal guidance from the Sword Saint. Not only has his skill reached the Innate level, but his "Wandering Willow Sword" is also deeply inherited from the Sword Saint. He is the leader of the four people from Sichuan who came here.

The Qingyang Sect originated from Taoism, and their swordsmanship is upright and peaceful. Xu Qingquan is also a peaceful person, not competitive or greedy, but upright and steady. There is no task that is not handled by him.

The Yucang Sect is located on Yucang Mountain, the southernmost point of the Sichuan-Western Road. The swordsmen of all generations have been gentlemen, and Xie Fuyun is no exception. He has a refined and calm temperament, while also having a hidden noble air. He is outwardly gentle but inwardly proud.

While the other six major sword sects also have female disciples, they mostly respect men. Meishan Sect, however, is the only one among the seven major sword sects that only accepts female disciples, and it has suppressed the other sword sects, being known as one of the six major sword sects, including Bashan and Taihua.

This was not something other sword sects humbly and kindly gave up, but something the female warriors of the Meishan sect fought their way out of. Leng Jiangzhu is eighteen years old this year, but she is already another Xiantian (innate) swordsman in the Sichuan West region besides Liu Wuchen.

The seven swords of the seven major sword sects are all represented by Leng Jiangzhu. Although she has just broken through to the Innate Realm, she is already no less skilled than Liu Wuchen, who is training with the Sword Saint, and Fang Shaobai, who is said to be the next generation to reach the top. However, she is as cold as her surname suggests.

The four of them left the Western Sichuan Road and entered the Starry Sea. After crossing the Starry Sea, they entered the Western Desert from the south and headed north. There they encountered Duan Wei and his group, who had come out of Liefeng Fort and were injured.

After Duan Wei and his two companions left Longshan Prefecture, they returned to the Duan family in Pingliang Fort and stayed for a few days before venturing deep into the desert, traveling along the Tianshan Mountains in search of Tianshan snow lotus.

Unfortunately, the Tian Shan snow lotus is a rare and precious treasure, and it cannot grow near human habitation. They traveled for a long time without finding any, so they turned south and headed to Dayuan.

Gongsun Yi bought two hundred horses in Dayuan and hired a team of grooms. The three of them drove the horses back, but unexpectedly encountered sand bandits in the territory of Cheshi Kingdom.

If they were ordinary bandits or sand bandits, the three of them would not be afraid at all with their martial arts skills. However, this group of sand bandits was different. Their leader had been trained by Morbas, and the three of them together were quite skilled in martial arts. They managed to hold off the three of them for a short time and took away most of the horses.

The three of them, of course, gave chase and found the bandits' lair. They launched a surprise attack in the dead of night and wiped out the small group of bandits. However, they discovered that several of their most prized Akhal-Teke horses were missing.

They interrogated the surviving bandits and learned about their relationship with Morbas of Galewind Keep, as well as that they had delivered those fine horses to Galewind Keep.

They had no interest in exposing the so-called "insider information" about Morbas's collusion with the bandits; they only wanted to get their most valuable horses back.

The Western Regions are adjacent to Anxi Road, and Cheshi Kingdom is also close to the Central Plains. Duan Wei had heard of Morbas's name, and he believed that Morbas had also heard of the reputation of the Duan family of Pingliang Fort in Anxi Road.

In his view, his father was also a master of innate skill, and Liefeng Fort and Pingliang Fort were considered to have a spiritual connection. He believed that Morbas would not refuse if he asked for a few horses that had been taken by the bandits.

But Morbas refused.

Not only did they refuse, but their attitude was also extremely hostile, even going so far as to slander Pingliangbao and Duan Wei's father in their words.

Even the most mild-mannered Duan Wei could not tolerate being insulted to his parents' faces, let alone the men of the Northwest.

Unfortunately, Morbas lacked martial ethics. He didn't even send his apprentice to fight Duan Wei. Instead, he personally stepped in, stabbing Duan Wei in the shoulder with his sword, and then drove them out of Galewind Fortress.

It was under these circumstances that Duan Wei and his two companions encountered Liu Wuchen and his group.

Last year, Duan Wei traveled to the Central Plains and met Xu Qingquan, who was also traveling from Sichuan, in the Gyeonggi Province. Xie Fuyun also knew Xu Hao from Huichun Valley. So after the two sides met and reminisced about their past, Liu Wuchen prepared to stand up for the three of them.

However, Morbas was a well-known veteran innate expert, and Xu Qingquan was worried about the possibility of failure, so he volunteered to go to Cheshi Royal City to see if Fang Shaobai and his group had arrived.

As a result, not only did Fang Shaobai arrive, but also the three members of the Zhenxi King's party.

"Brother Gongsun, are you buying these for personal use or for business? You bought two hundred horses at once?" Wang Yu asked curiously.

Gongsun Yi chuckled, "I think we have them all. Since we're already here, let's buy more. Maybe we can make back our personal expenses."

Wang Yu agreed, saying, "That makes sense!"

"The Northwest trade route truly lives up to its reputation of being both risky and rewarding; there's a reason why it's so expensive," Gongsun Yi remarked. "If it weren't for meeting Master Liu and his companions, I might have lost a fortune on this trip."

He bought more than 200 horses, but seven or eight died on the way. After a battle where the bandits robbed him, they launched a surprise attack, and nearly 30 more horses were injured or killed. In addition, four of the most valuable Akhal-Teke horses were stolen.

If he can't get it back, Gongsun Yi will lose at least half of his capital.

Liu Wuchen smiled slightly, "Now that everyone is here, let's set off."

Fang Shaobai also laughed and said, "I also want to see just how skilled this expert who slandered my Central Plains heroes really is."

.

It is said that Liu Suifeng was unrestrained and romantic, and Liu Wuchen took him as his role model. He was also dashing and debonair, with a calm and confident look in his eyes. Compared to Fang Shaobai's laziness and leisure, he had more of the dignified aura of a superior.

So, led by Liu Wuchen, the group left the hospital, mounted their horses, and headed towards Liefeng Fortress.

As a guest invited by Fang Shaobai, Wang Yu naturally couldn't overshadow the host. He followed behind the group with Li Yunxiu and Qianqian, chatting with Duan Wei and the other two about their experiences in the Western Regions.

Duan Wei was just a guest, Gongsun Yi bought the Akhal-Teke horse, and Xu Hao returned empty-handed.

"We're going up to Tianshan this time. Do you want to come along? Maybe we can find a Tianshan snow lotus," Wang Yu joked.

Xu Hao quickly shook his head, "The Tianshan Snow Lotus is a rare treasure. It grows on a thousand-foot-high mountain with few people. The closest one is Tianshan Lingxiao Peak, which is a forbidden area of ​​the Tianshan Sect. Outsiders are not allowed to enter."

As the group rode along, they came across an oasis in the distance, nestled beneath a sheer cliff. Galewind Fortress was located deep within the oasis, built against the precipice, and possessed a magnificent presence.

But the closer they got, the more they noticed that things seemed chaotic inside the fortress. Many people were running around in and out of Galewind Fortress, seemingly searching for or on guard against something.

Seeing the group of more than ten riders raising dust, Liefeng Fort hurriedly closed its gates. Several other people came to the city tower to look out, and then saw the group reining in their horses outside the fort.

Before Liu Wuchen could even knock on the gate, a man on the city wall spotted Duan Wei in the group and shouted angrily, "Central Plains people, you couldn't defeat my master in martial arts, so you secretly poisoned him. Now you dare to come back? Do you think my Liefeng Fortress is without anyone?"

"Huh?" Everyone was surprised.

Liu Wuchen's expression hardened. "Who are you?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it traveled ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) and gently rang in the ears of the people on the city wall.

"I am Shapur, and Morbas is my master!" the man shouted in response, unaware of anything amiss.

A young man beside him paused slightly, then quickly pulled Shapur aside and carefully examined Liu Wuchen. "May I ask who you are and why you have come here?"

Liu Wuchen cupped his hands in greeting, following the Central Plains custom of politeness before resorting to force, and said, "Liu Wuchen of the Bashan Sect of the Central Plains has come to pay a visit to Senior Morbas and, incidentally, to ask for the horses that my friend mistakenly sent to Liefeng Fortress."

The young man's eyes widened as he glanced around. "Are you all from the Seven Great Sword Sects?"

Liu Wuchen raised an eyebrow and nodded, saying, "Exactly."

"Senior Brother Shapur, open the door." The young man said to Shapur, "The Seven Great Sword Sects are famous sects in the Central Plains. They don't use poison. Master wasn't poisoned by them. Maybe they can even help us find the murderer who killed Master."

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