Having studied for a hundred years, why do you call me the Martial Saint?

"Junior Brother Gu! It's a huge loss that you didn't go read it! Why did you come back to read today?!"

Qian Le was extremely excited, but his face showed a look of disappointment and frustration.

Gu Shuxian occasionally showed a puzzled expression.

Following closely behind Qian Le, Deng Shifan excitedly gestured with his fingers to indicate the name:

"That's amazing! That person..."

"Hey, slow down!" Xu Ergou squeezed between the two. "Brother Gu, you didn't see it! That one sword strike! Just that one strike! It shattered that guy surnamed Shen's sword!"

Zheng Da and others also rushed in, and the group chattered on and on, making it impossible for anyone to understand what anyone was saying.

Gu Shuxian closed the book, his face showing the bewilderment typical of someone who had been reading in the room all along:

"What 'One Sword'? Which one surnamed Shen? Shen Jianyi? What are you talking about?"

"It's Shen Jianyi from the Qingping Sword Sect!"

Qian Le plopped down on the bunk next to Gu Shuxian and began to recount the events that had just occurred on the arena, his spittle flying everywhere.

"But no one in the entire training ground dared to go up on stage. You didn't see it, that guy surnamed Shen was incredibly arrogant, saying he'd let two or three of us come at him! He's practically trampled the faces of all the Suishan disciples into the ground!"

"And guess what? A disciple from the outer sect, who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, went up there carrying a wooden sword!"

"A wooden sword?"

Gu Shuxian opened her eyes wide.

"Yes! It's a wooden sword!" Deng Shifan interjected, his face flushed red.

"That person used a wooden sword to shatter Shen Jianyi's sword!"

"Shattered? A wooden sword shattered an iron sword?" Gu Shuxian's expression grew increasingly surprised. "Are you kidding me?"

"No! Shen Jianyi used all his trump cards, and they were all defeated with a single sword strike!"

"The sword energy soared into the sky; it was truly awe-inspiring! It's a great pity I never witnessed it!"

The servants were all amazed and looked on with a sense of lingering satisfaction.

Seeing their serious expressions, Gu Shuxian believed them quite a bit, then suddenly asked:

"Do you know what sword technique he used?"

"Uh, it seems to be called... Shaoyang Sword?"

"Yes, that person said it himself, the Shaoyang Sword!"

"That was so cool! When I go to the outer sect, I want to learn that sword technique too!"

Oh no, even if it's called the Shaoyang Sword, the outer sect won't have one!

Gu Shuxian's face darkened, and he said, "Really?"

"Of course it's true..." Qian Le scratched his head.

"Uh, wait, that person only mentioned Shaoyang, maybe that's his name?"

"Yes, that seems to be the case!"

"When should we find an opportunity to ask our senior brothers from the outer sect?"

The servants were all talking about it.

Gu Shuxian's expression softened considerably.

At least leave some room for maneuver.

Gu Shuxian smiled and said, "Now that you hear what I've said, I do regret not going to see it."

"Yes, yes, it's such a pity!"

"You haven't seen it..."

After a while of discussion, Zheng Da suddenly blurted out:

"Speaking of which, I always felt that person looked somewhat similar to Brother Gu..."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Zheng Da paused for a moment, scratched his head, and said, "It's mainly because our temperaments are somewhat similar..."

Seeing that all the servants were turning their attention to him, Gu Shuxian smiled calmly:

"Zheng Da, you're getting better and better at flattery."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Junior Brother Gu is right!"

"Zheng Da, your flattery is off the charts!"

The air inside and outside the house was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

……

Night was falling.

Wancheng, a secluded tavern.

An elderly man with one arm sat by the window, with a pot of wine and two wine cups in front of him.

"I have come uninvited, please forgive me, Senior Han."

A middle-aged man pushed open the door and entered, with an ancient-looking longsword at his waist.

He had a clear and bright face, and his brows exuded the air of someone who had long held a high position.

This person is Qin Zhongyu, Yang Qingfeng's eldest disciple, who is considered the designated successor to the Suishan Sword Sect.

In fact, he had long been in charge of many affairs, both inside and outside the gate.

Han Baitao didn't turn around; he just looked at the moon outside the window.

"It's you."

Qin Zhongyu walked to the table and sat down naturally.

"Since Senior Han has come to Suishan, why don't you go and visit my master?"

Qin Zhongyu picked up the wine pot, first filled Han Baitao's cup, and then poured himself a cup.

"He often said that there are fewer and fewer friends of his generation. Since it is rare for an elder to come, we might as well go up the mountain for a chat."

Han Baitao remained silent for a moment.

I don't deserve it.

Qin Zhongyu paused slightly, holding his wine glass.

Han Baitao's tone was very calm:

"Back then, your master thought my swordsmanship was passable, so he let me off the hook. But in the past twenty years, my swordsmanship has not improved at all."

"I'm too ashamed to see him."

Qin Zhongyu sighed inwardly.

He raised his glass and said solemnly, "Senior Han, you flatter me."

"My master often said that among his peers, only the senior could rival him in swordsmanship. In that battle, my master used his full strength, and the senior only lost an arm. No one in the world can surpass his skill in swordsmanship."

"My master once said that if you are willing, you can come up the mountain at any time to drink and chat with him."

Han Baitao remained silent.

But Qin Zhongyu noticed that his hand holding the wine glass was trembling slightly.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Your master's time is running out."

The air seemed to freeze.

Qin Zhongyu's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

He asked in surprise, "Why do you say that, senior?"

"You don't need to lie to me."

Han Baitao turned his head, his cloudy eyes staring at him.

"No one knows better than me. I understood this when I fought him twenty years ago, and I am even more certain that he sealed his sword ten years ago."

"His sword intent is pure, and his sword mind is clear; no one in the world can match him."

"It's a pity that his talent for internal energy cultivation has hampered his swordsmanship."

"He is, after all, a human being."

How can a mortal body bear the burden of transcendence?

"Using a human body to wield the sword of heaven will inevitably lead to backlash in the long run."

Qin Zhongyu remained silent for a long time.

Only the sound of the wind outside the tavern could be heard.

Finally, he sighed and said softly:

"Senior Han sees things very clearly."

"What's the use of seeing things clearly?"

Han Baitao downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, then slammed the cup down. "I can see that he doesn't have much time left, yet he can't do anything. As his eldest disciple, you must have known this long ago. I only have one question for you."

"He's gone, can you handle it?"

Qin Zhongyu remained silent for a long time.

He simply replied, "I'm just doing my duty as a disciple."

Han Baitao smiled, his gaze turning towards Suishan with a complex expression.

Qin Zhongyu followed his gaze and tentatively asked:

"Senior, is this the matter you've come for?"

"no."

Han Baitao shook his head.

"only……"

His thoughts drifted back to the scene he had witnessed during the day: the sword energy soaring into the sky, carrying the tenacity and vigor of a young man, as if it were about to cleave the entire heavens in two.

Finally, he let out a soft sigh.

"Just came to see myself from fifty years ago."