Swordholder

"You don't know?"

Chen Zhaoning looked surprised and carefully examined Chen Yuan to make sure he wasn't lying.

Chen Yuan glanced at Lu Chengfeng without showing any emotion, his mind filled with doubt.

Lu Chengfeng had never mentioned the Sword-Holding Society or the Sword-Holders to him.

"Then where did you get your Dragon Binding and Slaughtering Technique?"

Chen Zhaoning asked curiously.

"A scroll found on a corpse while scavenging in the wild."

Chen Yuan gently poked at the fire with an iron spike, his tone nonchalant.

Chen Zhaoning had no doubts and nodded slightly: "I see? Well, in recent years, the Great Xiang Empire has been carrying out large-scale purges of Swordholders, so it's normal to encounter the corpses of Swordholders who died outside."

Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What kind of organization is the Sword-Holding Society or the Sword-Holders?"

Chen Zhaoning did not hide anything and slowly said, "In the Great Xiang Empire, the only organizations that truly hate evil and oppose the rule of beastly evil beings are our human race's revival organizations, the Sword-Holding Society, the Heaven and Earth Sect, and the Azure Lotus Sect."

Human Resurrection Organization?

Chen Yuan was taken aback.

Sword-wielding Gathering!

The Heaven and Earth Sect!

Green Lotus Sect!

Seeing his blank expression, Chen Zhaoning asked curiously, "You don't... even know these things?"

Chen Yuan shook his head and exchanged a glance with Li Wei.

The two had already secretly rehearsed their stories about their origins.

"We come from a very remote mountain, a place that is a paradise on earth... Life is peaceful and stable, we marry and have children, we work at sunrise and rest at sunset..."

Chen Yuan began to fabricate his background to Chen Zhaoning and even Nuomi.

These words were deliberately said to Lu Chengfeng.

Chen Zhaoning and Nuomi listened with longing in their eyes.

"Is there really such a wonderful place? Without oppression, without evil, without killing?"

Chen Zhaoning asked softly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with wonder.

"Yes, there are always higher heavens beyond the heavens."

Chen Yuan looked towards the cave entrance, peering through it at the dim, reddish world outside, his gaze filled with melancholy.

Chen Zhaoning suddenly realized: "That's right, there are always higher realms. So, you're from a reclusive family?"

Chen Yuan: "..."

"Hmm?" Chen Zhaoning raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that wrong?"

"Yes, that's right!" Chen Yuan had no choice but to nod and continue making up a story: "My family's ancestor was once a figure who could dominate the ages, but unfortunately he grew tired of the world's strife and chose to live in seclusion..."

Li Wei, listening from the side, had his eyes light up and quickly nodded in agreement: "That's right! Our ancestor had an innate sacred body and was born with supreme divine bones. He was invincible for too long and got lonely, so he went into seclusion!"

Chen Zhaoning and Nuomi stared wide-eyed, as if they were listening to something incomprehensible.

"Unrivaled throughout the ages? Innate Holy Body? Born with Supreme Divine Bones?" Chen Zhaoning's breath hitched slightly, her gaze burning with fervor: "So powerful, so domineering!"

She looked the two of them up and down, and suddenly realized, "No wonder, there is no trace of pollution from the world on you. You are people from another world."

Chen Yuan and Li Wei exchanged a glance and winked discreetly.

Chen Zhaoning lowered her gaze slightly and nodded gently: "I suppose you, like me, are unwilling to spend your lives mediocre and confined within your families, which is why you've ventured out into the world, right?"

"Yes, that's right!"

Chen Yuan stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sky, feigning melancholy: "A true man, born into this world, should establish a moral compass for heaven and earth, secure a destiny for the people, and bring peace to humanity. How can one live a life of ignominy and cowardice in a corner?"

"So I secretly fled my family, crossed mountains and valleys, and came to this so-called glorious world."

"It's a pity I almost became food for the monster, sigh..." He sighed, a hint of vicissitude in his eyes: "Fortunately, Uncle Lu saved me."

Li Wei immediately chimed in, "Oh right, right! A-Yuan ran out before me, and I followed him out to look for him. Luckily, I found him!"

Li Wei looked excited and thrilled.

For a moment, Chen Zhaoning stared at the two of them and listened to Chen Yuan's words, completely stunned, her beautiful eyes flashing with a strange light!

"Chen Yuan, I... I thought the same thing back then. I wanted to become the Swordholder, join the Heaven and Earth Sect, or the Azure Lotus Sect would also be fine!"

All three forces are fighting for the great rejuvenation of the human race!

I want to be like them, wielding the sword for humanity!

Chen Zhaoning spoke with an expression of adoration, as if she possessed boundless faith.

"To wield the sword for humanity?"

Chen Yuan was surprised, and then looked at Li Wei.

Li Wei's eyes widened: "Chen Yuan, we too must wield our swords for the human race!"

Chen Zhaoning instantly became excited, grabbed Chen Yuan's hand, and solemnly said, "Chen Yuan, oh no, A Yuan, let's not go back to the Chen family, okay?"

"Let us find the Swordholder, to wield the sword for humanity, to vanquish all evil in heaven and earth, and to protect humankind!"

"Compared to these lofty ideals, what does returning to the Chen family matter?"

"In order to survive, the Chen family had long been entangled with the Beast Clan's court."

"I don't want to go back. I don't want to stay in such a spineless family!"

"I want to emerge! I want to wield the sword for the human race!"

"I will become the swordsman, shattering all darkness and bringing light to humanity!"

Chen Zhaoning became more and more excited as she spoke, her face full of anticipation and excitement.

Chen Yuan: "..."

At the cave entrance, Lu Chengfeng's eyes lit up slightly.

"But the world is vast, do you even know where the Sword-Wielding Society is?"

Chen Yuan said helplessly.

"I don't know."

Chen Zhaoning gently shook her head.

"That settles it," Chen Yuan said gently, patting the other person's hand. He calmly added, "We're now wanted by the Wuqiao Town government. If we don't leave soon, we'll be in danger at any time."

Now, you are the only one we can rely on.

You wouldn't just stand by and watch someone die, would you?

You have the Chen family behind you, but we have nothing behind us.

Li Wei secretly gave Chen Yuan a thumbs up.

He knows Chen Yuan too well.

Chen Yuan's plan is to first secure the Chen family's support and focus on developing his strength.

As for which swordsman to find?

The world is vast, but it's too dangerous.

Moreover, there is the colossal Great Xiang Empire, and even the Divine Court, which transcends the world and reigns supreme over all living beings. Who can defeat them?

Seeing that Chen Zhaoning still didn't want to go back, Chen Yuan sighed and raised his voice a few decibels:

"It's not that you don't want to go home, it's that you're afraid to face your third uncle's death, isn't it? You're shirking responsibility, you're cowardly and weak!"

Chen Yuan looked directly into her eyes and said solemnly, "I promise you, I'll take you back to the Chen family first, and we'll make further plans once we're safe."

You need to face your responsibilities head-on, admit your mistakes, and reflect on your actions.

Then, we'll secretly investigate the whereabouts of the Sword-Holding Society and wait for the right opportunity to join them. What do you say?

"real?"

Chen Zhaoning's eyes lit up.

"Um."

Chen Yuan nodded and looked at her seriously: "What I want to see is a Chen Zhaoning who is affectionate, righteous, and responsible!"

Instead of Chen Zhaoning, who shirks responsibility, worries his elders, and dares not go home.

"Okay, I'll show you!"

Chen Zhaoning nodded emphatically.

For some reason, she felt an unusual urge to prove herself to this young man.

Chen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and continued to warm himself by the fire.

Lu Chengfeng's gaze at the cave entrance remained unsteady, as if his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

After an unknown amount of time, Nuomi's stomach suddenly made a "gurgling" sound.

"Haha, Little Nuomi's hungry!" Li Wei smiled smugly upon seeing this. "Come on, let your brother Li dig you something delicious!"

He picked up Chen Yuan's iron spike, turned it over in the fire a few times, and dug out two black coal-like things.

Chen Yuan was also looking forward to it; his stomach had been growling for a while.

Soon, Li Wei knocked open the outer layer of hardened mud, revealing the wild rabbit and pheasant inside.

The hairs were all stuck to the mud and could be easily torn off. Although a few fine hairs remained, they did not affect eating at all.

Li Wei handed a pheasant to Chen Yuan, while he and Nuomi shared the wild rabbit.

Chen Yuan broke off a chicken leg and handed it to Chen Zhaoning, saying gently, "Here, have a taste."

"I..." Chen Zhaoning looked at the dirty meat and hesitated, "I have no appetite."

Chen Yuan smiled, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth, and said earnestly, "You're our guardian goddess, how can you not eat? Who will fight against demons and monsters on the road ahead?"

He pointed to himself, then to Li Wei and Nuomi, who were wolfing down their food: "We all depend on you to survive."

"You are the hope of all of us!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaoning inexplicably felt a great responsibility, and a strong desire to protect her arose spontaneously.

Yes, if she gets hungry, what about these three little ones in front of her, and that...?

She glanced at Lu Chengfeng, who sat motionless like a corpse... Well, this combination was doomed in this dangerous wilderness.

"Sister Ning, eat up, it smells delicious!"

Nuomi raised her head, her eyes curving into crescents with a smile, her lips stained with black ash, and with her two little dimples, she looked exceptionally cute.

Chen Zhaoning looked at her suspiciously. This girl probably has never eaten anything good before.

"When you're in a bad mood, you need to eat something. Only when you're full will you have the energy to adjust your mood."

Chen Yuan stuffed the chicken leg into her hand and buried his head in his food.

He was so hungry.

In the past, he would never have been able to bring himself to eat something like this that had no seasoning and was unhygienic.

In this desperate and dangerous world, having a hot meal is already a great blessing.

When survival itself is a problem, everything else is meaningless.

Chen Zhaoning looked at the slightly sticky chicken leg in her hand, and then at Chen Yuan, who was eating with a satisfied expression in the firelight. For some reason, she also felt a bit hungry.

She set the blood-stained knife aside, remained silent for a moment, then gently tore off a piece of meat and slowly put it in her mouth to chew.

The meat was very tough, and apart from the charred aroma, it had almost no other flavor, making it difficult to swallow.

But seeing the three of them eating so happily, she forced herself to swallow it down.

As the hot food slid down her throat and into her stomach, her heart and body felt inexplicably warmer in this lonely and cold night.

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