Wandering Swordsman |

These thoughts surged like a tide, leaving Shen Mo with mixed feelings. Despite this, his yearning for the future remained strong. With this urgency, he used his lightness skill to travel quickly, almost running the entire way. Several times, Juechenzi nearly couldn't keep up with Shen Mo's pace due to exhaustion and had to remind him to slow down.

"Heavenly Demon God, you're moving too fast! We still have a long way to go. Let's rest for a bit," Juechenzi said, panting.

Shen Mo realized that his eagerness might be a burden to Juechenzi, so he slowed down. "I'm sorry, Juechenzi, I was a little impatient."

So the two readjusted their pace and continued on their way.

From Tianjian Ridge to the Northern Desert, it would take a normal martial artist at least four months to travel using light-footed skills overnight. However, Shen Mo and Juechenzi, relying on their extraordinary strength, arrived at their destination in just 15 days.

Standing on the northern grasslands, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds in the distance, Shen Mo took a deep breath, as if all his fatigue had vanished at that moment.

It was mid-July, and the scenery of the northern grasslands was breathtaking: the vast grasslands were covered in lush green grass, and when a gentle breeze blew, the grass rippled like a green ocean; the distant mountains were bathed in the golden light of the setting sun; occasionally, herds of horses galloped freely across the grasslands, their manes fluttering in the wind like dancing flames. The sky was a clear, deep blue, with a few white clouds floating like cotton candy, adding a touch of tranquility and peace to this vast land.

Just as Shen Mo was immersed in the beautiful scenery, a group of nomadic bandits quietly approached. They rode fine horses, wielded long knives, and their eyes revealed greed and ferocity. Clearly, these two unfamiliar faces had caught their attention.

"Looks like we're in luck today, running into two fat sheep from foreign lands," one of the bandits muttered, a smug glint in his eyes.

Shen Mo sensed the danger and immediately became alert, preparing to attack. He was about to draw his sword when Juechenzi stopped him. "Heavenly Demon God, let me handle this trivial matter," Juechenzi said softly, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

Shen Mo nodded, stepped aside, and observed the situation.

Juechenzi slowly walked towards the group of bandits, a gentle smile on his face. He took out a bag of silver from his pocket and handed it over. "Brothers, we are just passing through and have no intention of offending you. This silver is a small gift; please do us a favor."

Shen Mo was slightly taken aback when he saw this. He thought Juechenzi would make a move, but he never expected that Juechenzi would actually give money. In the Heavenly Demon God Sect, which reveres the strong, Juechenzi's behavior was really outrageous.

The bandits were taken aback, clearly not expecting their opponents to so readily hand over silver. But they quickly regained their guard, and the leader sneered, "You think you can get rid of us with a mere amount of silver?"

Juechenzi remained calm and continued with a smile, "You all misunderstand. We are not ordinary passersby. In fact, we are here to find a senior named Yang Zhi, known in the martial arts world as the 'Sunset Swordsman.' I wonder if any of you have heard of him?"

Upon hearing the name "Sunset Swordsman," the bandits' expressions changed instantly, a hint of awe flashing in their eyes. The leader of the bandits frowned and asked, "Are you really here to find the Sunset Swordsman?"

Juechenzi smiled slightly, took out a token from his robes—a redwood token engraved with the words "Sunset"—and handed it to the other party. "This is a token personally given to me by Senior Yang Zhi, proving our identities."

Upon seeing the token, the bandits immediately became respectful. The leader of the bandits hurriedly returned the silver to Juechenzi and apologized, "So you are a friend of Sunset Swordsman. We are so sorry for our rudeness. Please forgive us."

Juechenzi waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to be polite: "Since we are all friends, then there's no need to stand on ceremony. May I ask, have any of you seen Sunset Swordsman recently?"

The bandits' faces lit up with joy, and one of them said, "Sunset Swordsman is currently in 'Ten Thousand Horses City,' which isn't far away. We can take you there."

Upon hearing this, Juechenzi smiled and thanked everyone, saying, "Then thank you all very much."

So, the bandits generously gave Shen Mo and Juechenzi each a fine horse, and they galloped southeastward. Along the way, the sound of hooves echoed across the grassland, and the galloping horses brought gusts of cool breeze, dispelling the fatigue of the journey.

As Shen Mo rode on his horse, he inwardly admired Juechenzi's wit and shrewdness. This experience made him realize that the martial world was not just about fighting and killing, but also about knowing how to handle complex interpersonal relationships. This experience made him understand this point even more deeply.

Upon arriving in Wanma City, the bandit leader led the two to a courtyard. The courtyard gate was tightly shut, and the outer perimeter was crowded with people. According to Shen Mo's observation, some wanted to befriend the Sunset Swordsman, some wanted to become his disciples, and others simply wanted to catch a glimpse of this legendary figure. The crowd bustled about, buzzing with discussion, and an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement filled the air.

"It seems Yang Zhi is quite popular here," Juechenzi said in a low voice, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

Shen Mo nodded, but his gaze fell on the crowd gathered outside the courtyard wall. "There are too many people at the gate; going in directly like this might cause unnecessary trouble."

Juechenzi smiled slightly: "Then let's try a different approach."

So, Shen Mo and Juechenzi went around to the other side of the courtyard and found a relatively secluded spot. The two exchanged a glance and almost simultaneously used their lightness skills, like two nimble cats, silently leaping over the courtyard wall. They landed lightly in the courtyard, their movements clean and swift, without making a sound.

The courtyard was silent, save for the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Shen Mo and Juechenzi swiftly made their way to the inner courtyard, their footsteps as light as feathers, seemingly blending into their surroundings. However, their martial arts skills were so advanced that Yang Zhi didn't even notice their presence. It wasn't until they reached Yang Zhi's room, exchanged a glance, and were about to knock that Yang Zhi was suddenly jolted awake from his meditation.

"Who's there?" Yang Zhi's voice was deep and powerful, tinged with a hint of alertness.

Shen Mo and Juechenzi exchanged a smile, then pushed open the door and went inside.

When Yang Zhi saw the two of them, he was clearly startled. "How did you get in? I didn't even notice." Yang Zhi stood up and scrutinized the two of them with sharp eyes.

Juechenzi smiled leisurely and said, "I am Juechenzi."

Upon hearing the name "Juechenzi," Yang Zhi's eyes instantly became respectful. He quickly straightened his clothes and solemnly bowed deeply to Juechenzi: "So you are the Venerable Juechenzi of the Divine Sect! It is truly an honor to meet you today."