Wandering Swordsman |

Upon hearing this, Li Fanglin smiled slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "It's rare to see so many martial arts masters gather together to compete, how could I miss this grand event? Although I can no longer participate, I must at least watch until the end and know the final result of this competition so that I don't leave empty-handed."

He Yun nodded in agreement and smiled, "Brother Li is absolutely right, that's what I was thinking too. Let's go down the mountain together after the competition."

Li Fanglin nodded and replied, "Yes, it's a deal."

He Yun felt somewhat relieved when he saw that Li Fanglin had agreed. He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Li Fanglin, and said, "Brother Li, it's getting late. We'll take our leave now. Please get some rest."

Li Fanglin also stood up, smiling, and said, "Thank you for your concern, Brother He and Miss Zhao. Please take care."

Zhao Xue smiled and nodded: "Young Master Li, you should get some rest. We'll meet again another day."

Li Fanglin opened the door and watched He Yun and Zhao Xue leave. As their figures gradually disappeared into the night, his expression suddenly turned gloomy, and a complex light flashed in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "It seems that kid He Yun is already a bit wary of my identity. I hope he doesn't ruin the whole plan."

A moment later, Li Fanglin turned and entered the room. The room remained as elegant as before, but now an eerie atmosphere permeated the tranquility. As soon as he stepped across the threshold, a masked man in black appeared in the shadows of the room. However, facing this unexpected guest, Li Fanglin remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic, as if he had anticipated the man's arrival.

"Most of the people from Jingtian Pavilion have gathered in the central square today, and the guards in other areas have been much lax. Did you find anything during your investigation?" Li Fanglin asked coldly, his voice exuding an unquestionable authority.

The masked man in black bowed slightly, his voice low and respectful: "Reporting to the Xuanwu Saint Lord, we have searched every place except for Situ Dengfeng's study."

Li Fanglin nodded, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were deep in thought. He walked to the table, picked up a cup of tea that was not yet finished, and took a small sip. The aroma of the tea lingered in his mouth, but it did not alleviate the anxiety in his heart.

"Why wasn't Situ Dengfeng's study searched?" Li Fanglin's gaze was sharp as a knife as he stared directly at the masked man in black, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

The masked man in black bowed slightly, his voice low and respectful: "Situ Dengfeng's study remains heavily guarded; our men cannot approach it."

Li Fanglin nodded, a hint of displeasure on his face, but he didn't show it. He turned around, his back to the masked man in black, and said in a low, powerful voice, "Take advantage of the martial arts competition these next few days to find a way to sneak into Situ Dengfeng's study. If the 'Formless Sutra' is not found by the day before the competition ends, then execute the backup plan."

He paused, then turned to face the masked man in black, a hint of seriousness in his eyes: "Furthermore, write a letter under my pen name and send it by carrier pigeon to the gang leader, saying that some people have begun to doubt my identity. Just in case, ask him to send the other three Holy Lords to Jingtian Pavilion to provide support."

The masked man in black bowed and replied, "Your subordinate obeys!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the masked man in black moved swiftly, disappearing from Li Fanglin's sight like a shadow in the night. Silence returned to the room, with only the candlelight flickering gently in the wind, illuminating Li Fanglin's lonely yet resolute figure.

......

After He Yun and Zhao Xue returned to their room, the soft, warm candlelight illuminated their tired faces. He Yun sat at the table, his gaze deep, seemingly lost in thought. Zhao Xue sat on a soft couch beside him, gently tidying her long hair, her eyes filled with concern.

He Yun asked softly, "Ah Xue, what do you think of Brother Li?"

Zhao Xue smiled slightly, her tone relaxed: "Very good. Young Master Li is skilled in both literature and martial arts; he is indeed a fine young man."

Then, she said with a grin, "If I didn't know Brother Yun, then I would have followed Young Master Li."

Upon hearing this, He Yun shook his head and laughed, "Stop joking. I'm being serious."

Seeing He Yun become serious, Zhao Xue also put away her joking expression and said seriously, "When we first met Young Master Li on the way up the mountain, we thought he was the kind of person who was weak and scholarly, so when he humbly said that his martial arts skills were low at the front gate, we did not doubt him."

She paused, a thoughtful look in her eyes, and continued, "Then, in the duel, although he wasn't familiar with the swordsmanship, he still won a round. Combined with your statement that he deliberately pretended to be unfamiliar with the swordsmanship, it gives off an air of mystery."

At this point, Zhao Xue looked relieved and then said, "But thankfully, when we went to find him, he said he wasn't faking it; it was just a wrist injury. I actually think he's quite deserving of sympathy."

He Yun chimed in, "Yes, a wrist injury will definitely affect his performance. However, I still feel something is amiss. Although Brother Li's swordsmanship is not yet proficient, every move seems meticulously calculated and deliberately executed. If it were truly due to a wrist injury, there should be even more mistakes."

After He Yun finished speaking, he stood up, walked to the window, and opened it. A gust of cold, biting night wind rushed in. He took a deep breath, looked at the endless night outside the window, and his mind was filled with many thoughts.

Seeing He Yun's deep expression, Zhao Xue asked softly, "Brother Yun, do you think Young Master Li has other motives?"

He Yun turned around, a hint of determination in his eyes: "Yes, I always felt that there were more secrets hidden behind Li Fanglin's actions. His swordsmanship was unnatural, and the claim of a wrist injury seemed a bit far-fetched. I always felt that he was deliberately hiding something."

Zhao Xue nodded, indicating her understanding: "Brother Yun, we don't have conclusive evidence yet, so we can't jump to conclusions. Perhaps we should observe a little longer and see if we can find any other clues."

He Yun nodded: "Ah Xue, you're right. Let's work together to find clues."

As night deepened, the moonlight shone like water in the living quarters of Jingtian Pavilion, and everything seemed so peaceful. However, beneath this tranquility, a storm was about to erupt.

......

The next morning, as dawn broke, a light mist filled the courtyard of Jingtian Pavilion. He Yun and Zhao Xue got up early, washed up briefly, and then went together to Li Fanglin's residence.

Arriving at Li Fanglin's door, He Yun gently knocked. After a short while, the door slowly opened, and Li Fanglin appeared in the doorway. He still looked somewhat tired, but his spirits were noticeably better than yesterday. Upon seeing He Yun and Zhao Xue, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he smiled, saying, "Brother He, Miss Zhao, what brings you here?"

He Yun smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Brother Li, let's go to the central square to watch the martial arts competition together today."

Zhao Xue smiled and echoed, "Yes, Young Master Li, today's martial arts competition is sure to be very exciting."

Li Fanglin nodded, a hint of excitement naturally appearing on his face, as if he had been looking forward to today's competition: "Okay, wait a moment, I'll finish washing up, and then we'll go together."