Heroine, don't turn back, I'm just a farmer.

The night is already deep.

"The Xuanpin contains the Yin and Yang energies. By using cultivation techniques to absorb the Yang energy within, one can harmonize oneself with the essence of heaven and earth, fundamentally changing one's constitution, expanding the Qi Sea, and cleansing the meridians and marrow."

Lu Guo cast aside all worldly thoughts and focused his essence, energy, and spirit into his clear mind, sensing the changes in his own body's mechanisms.

He kept receiving notifications, but he ignored them.

He desperately needed the internal energy he had accumulated over the past 60 years to replenish himself, elevate his strength to a new level, and then feed it back into his main body.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he came to his senses and slowly opened his eyes. He then discovered that several retainers of the sidewalk were standing around him, with Li Jiuluan, dressed as a refined young nobleman, at the very front.

Lu Guo was speechless at this kind of江湖 (jianghu) attire where one could disguise oneself as a man simply by sticking on a beard. Upon seeing the group, he stopped breathing and stood up.

Congratulations, Brother Zhao.

Li Jiuluan's face showed not only surprise but also joy.

She sensed that Lu Guo's aura had become more profound, as if a complete transformation had taken place. What she admired most was the aura she felt from Lu Guo that drew her in.

It gave her an impulse to rush over without hesitation and throw herself into her brother Zhao's strong and warm arms.

"Li Jiuluan's favorability +5".

Seeing the gaze of his prince, the old man with the jade flute smiled, waved his hand, and quietly led the others away. Soon, only Lu Guo and Li Jiuluan remained in the courtyard.

"Brother Zhao, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight."

Li Jiuluan remained calm, suppressing her emotions as she looked up at the sky.

"Yes, perhaps only the moon, high above, wouldn't be so sentimental."

Li Jiuluan turned to look at him and felt a sense of sadness in Lu Guo's words. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that he had undergone a tremendous change.

"When Brother Zhao first entered the Lü residence, his skill was at most comparable to mine. How come he has made such progress in just a few days?"

Such comprehension is truly terrifying.

Although her expression remained calm, she harbored a deep joy, happy for the person she had chosen. After a moment, she spoke, "Brother Zhao, how do you intend to resolve the matter of the Jianghuai martial arts alliance?"

When exactly will the alliance meeting take place?

"May 10th".

It's the fifth day of the fifth lunar month now, and there are still a few days until the alliance meeting. I was delayed for a while because I came here. Now that I have obtained the Mysterious Female Qi, it's time to switch roles and deal with the matters on the swordsman's side.

The thief character trains at the Lü family mansion, while the swordsman account logs in at Qingluo Manor.

Now that we have the strength, it's time to figure out a way to deal with this.

……

Qingzhou, Langya.

As night deepened, Wei Changyuan looked out the window of a pavilion at the street and gazed at the distant Qingluo Manor.

He has been secretly observing for seven days.

The other person in the room rose from the darkness and said, "The book died a few days ago. You can't delay any longer. Act immediately."

"I understand." Wei Changyuan looked out the window and asked, "Do you know how he died?"

"Hengxingdao is said to have died at the hands of a disciple who possessed a bizarre technique that allowed him to regenerate continuously."

"Constantly regenerating..." Wei Changyuan said calmly, "It's just an illusion. What kind of technique exists in this world?"

"Whether it's illusion or something else, we need to be careful. Ming Suxue is definitely not a kind person, so we must be even more cautious."

"Of course," Wei Changyuan nodded.

Seven days have passed, and he has gathered enough intelligence to meet Ming Suxue and learn more about this extraordinary woman in the martial arts world, whose face is as beautiful as a peach blossom but whose heart is as venomous as a snake.

"Madam, a new letter has arrived!"

The nights at Qingluo Manor were unusually quiet.

A maidservant dressed in a light blue dress, completely concealing her body and revealing not a trace of skin, entered the Buddhist hall, carrying a letter in her hand.

The maids were puzzled, wondering why, when the young master arrived, they were dressed so alluringly, but as soon as he came, the madam made them cover themselves up completely.

I wonder what he's accomplished during his many days of seclusion.

Inside the Buddhist hall, Ming Suxue sat quietly, staring at a piece of paper, her elegance and murderous intent both emanating from her.

Her voice was clear and detached, yet held a hint of appreciation as she softly recited: "Lying awake at night, I hear the sounds of wind and rain; in my dreams, I see iron horses and icy rivers..."

"This is a poem he wrote..."

Ming Suxue's expression changed slightly for a moment.

The maid entered quietly.

"lady."

"What is it?"

A letter has been delivered.

"Leave it there, step back." Ming Suxue didn't even raise her head, quietly appreciating the artistic conception of the poem.

As someone who wields a knife, she naturally understands that the true meaning of this poem comes from the art of war and warfare, and that the poet has captured the essence of war and warfare in a single line of poetry.

I was hiding myself away the other day because I was writing these things.

"Iron horses and icy rivers come to me in my dreams, what a beautiful line..."

Sitting there, the more she savored the poem, the more she felt its weight.

Of course, she also became more curious about Lu Guo.

He possesses bizarre martial arts skills, his strength is unknown, and he cannot distinguish between good and evil in his actions, but he dares to take responsibility; he possesses relics, has unique martial arts skills... and even more amazing poetic talent and enlightenment.

"Are you really the successor of the Heavenly Blade?" Ming Suxue murmured, a sudden doubt creeping into her heart. "...Just who are you?"

As she pondered, she became somewhat lost in thought and absent-minded.

This is the first time in all these years that she has thought about such a question.

As she pondered, she opened the letter that Wei Changyuan had sent.

Suddenly sensing an unusual energy deep within the Buddhist hall, she thought for a moment, then beckoned to her maid and whispered a few words to her.

After the maid nodded and left, as night deepened, she changed her clothes, leaped over the high wall of the manor, and disappeared into the darkness.

West of Langya City, there is a bamboo garden.

The bamboo grove was noisy tonight, with blades and energy clashing, leaving the surrounding bamboo in a mess.

Ming Suxue held the knife quietly, her aura flickering, her eyes having turned emerald green at some point.

Standing opposite her was Wei Changyuan, who was holding a knife.

He felt something was off; Ming Suxue's condition seemed a bit off. In other words, she was weak and didn't seem as ruthless and cunning as the intelligence reports had described.

This made him feel like he had wasted seven days.

But Ming Suxue is a cunning and vicious woman; who knows what tricks she might be hiding?

When traveling the martial world, women, children, and the elderly are the people one must be most cautious of. He was unsure of the other party's intentions for a moment. Just then, in the bamboo forest, a figure dressed in black approached from behind Ming Suxue.

The man was tall and handsome, holding a knife in his hand, and slowly appeared.

However, at that moment, Wei Changyuan also heard a complaint.

"I just got back, Aunt Liu!"

Ming Suxue also saw a figure land beside her.

Just one glance at the silhouette of that figure and all her fighting spirit vanished, and all the strength in her body seemed to dissipate as well.

Then, the corners of her mouth pursed slightly.

Moonlight spilled into the bamboo forest, and Lu Guo looked at the pale-skinned woman who leaned slightly towards him.

I discovered that she had a touch of allure and a hint of seduction.