The Long Journey to Immortality

After putting down his flute and thanking her profusely, Bu Anlan led Han Lu to his backyard. He then introduced Han Lu, a rising star with some fame in the Central Plains cultivation world, to swordsmanship, posing as a reclusive mortal hero who had been living in seclusion for three years.

Back when he was young, Bu Anlan had publicly accepted three apprentices and taught them swordsmanship.

But this was the first time he had ever experienced teaching a cultivator a sword.

Before starting the class, just like she had done a few days before communicating with Master Jin, Han Lu first gave Bu Anlan a few minutes of instruction, explaining to him the legendary ancient cultivator Fang Lin's theory of word techniques.

Han Lu was a cultivator herself, and she was speaking the old words of a great figure like the ancient cultivator Fang Lin. Bu Anlan listened very carefully and immediately categorized his own swordsmanship.

"If we were to categorize these seven sword techniques, the one I'm most proficient in would probably be the 'Thrust Technique'."

The "Stab" Technique?

This is one of the most difficult word techniques for Han Lu to understand. Bu Anlan has some insights into this, which is definitely a good thing for Han Lu.

Bu Anlan explained to Han Lu his understanding of thorns within the framework of the word technique system.

Rolling up his sleeves to show Han Lu the numerous scars on his arms, Bu Anlan said, "The fencing movements of thrusting and pointing are very similar, but lack a bit of agility and don't hold back, but they are more aggressive and more direct."

"I guess it's because I'm used to using a sword that way that I often get minor injuries, even when fighting opponents who are slightly weaker than me."

"However, because of this, I can always defeat many swordsmen who are stronger than me. In fact, some unsuspecting cultivators can be seriously injured by my swift sword strike."

As they were talking, Bu Anlan, whose figure had become slightly out of shape due to three years of comfortable life, suddenly drew her sword and thrust the iron sword in her hand at Han Lu.

Although it happened suddenly, Han Lu realized what Bu Anlan was going to do as soon as he raised his hand.

Their physical strength has declined, and the gap in ability is huge.

In Han Lu's eyes, the fastest and most powerful sword strike Bu Anlan could deliver was not much different from slow motion.

She turned slightly to the side, reached out, and precisely pinched the sword with her middle and index fingers, bringing the sword that was originally aimed at her shoulder to an abrupt halt.

Bu Anlan was not surprised to see his attack blocked by Han Lu in such an unexpected way.

He sheathed his sword, coughed twice, and sighed, "I'm getting old and fat."

Han Lu remained silent.

After a long sigh, Bu Anlan asked Han Lu, "Fairy Han, what do you think of my sword strike? If you want to learn the sword intent behind it, I will teach you."

Although Bu Anlan has lost his former prowess, his understanding of swordsmanship has deepened considerably during these three years of leisurely life.

Han Lu could clearly sense that if Bu Anlan had used a sharp magic weapon, even without any spiritual power, the sword strike he had just unleashed would have easily pierced through the magical defenses of a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator.

"This sword strike is quite good," Han Lu commented first, then said, "Using this sword intent as a bargaining chip is very reasonable. Please, for the next three days, please patiently guide me, Hero Bu."

Seeing that Han Lu agreed to the exchange, Bu Anlan, who had already benefited from Han Lu, breathed a sigh of relief.

Because of the vast difference in skill between them, Bu Anlan could only describe his swordsmanship and thought process in words before repeatedly swinging his iron sword to stab Han Lu.

One attacks, the other defends.

In less than fifteen minutes, Bu Anlan was already panting heavily and it took her a while to recover before she could continue the class.

For half of the two hours, Bu Anlan used Han Lu as a target to launch thrusts, while for the other half, Han Lu awkwardly wielded the spirit sword, trying to imitate Bu Anlan's sword intent through personal experience.

Although it wasn't very efficient, Han Lu could sense the changes in herself over the two hours and understood that this should be considered a correct path.

As the sun set and the moon rose, Bu Anlan invited Han Lu to stay for a meal, but Han Lu declined.

Bu Anlan's home wasn't large, but it did have a small guest room for entertaining guests.

However, since Han Lu had only chatted with Bu Anlan a few times and could barely be considered a nodding acquaintance, she was not suitable to live in Bu Anlan's house.

Therefore, although Han Lu would spend a lot of time at Bu Anlan's house over the next three days, she still found an inn in Tangxi City to stay in and take care of her own life.

It must be said that Bu Anlan has some musical talent. After meeting the famous teacher Han Lu, he made great progress in music within three days.

On the contrary, Han Lu's progress in the "Stab Word Technique" was slow because Bu Anlan was not a cultivator and could not clearly describe what she felt in words.

But progress, however slow, is still progress.

Now, Han Lu, wielding the ordinary iron in Bu Anlan's courtyard, can pierce through the cultivator's defenses with the same mortal means as a chivalrous hero.

However, even with this much, it's still quite a distance from the so-called "minor mastery of the art of writing."

Han Lu was very satisfied with the results achieved in just three days.

It's a good start; who knows, maybe one of those battles will bring a sudden epiphany?

In the world of cultivation, such stories are never uncommon.

At Bu Anlan's request, Han Lu played "The Shepherd's Song" with him one last time before leaving.

When the music ended and she put down the flute, Bu Anlan felt that the three days of hard practice had been worthwhile.

After bidding farewell to Bu Anlan, Han Lu embarked on her journey once again.

There are two more ordinary sword masters waiting for her to visit, and she has every reason to expect to gain more from this journey through the mortal world.

Chapter 571 A Small Request, Dongyang City

Before leaving, Bu Anlan mentioned something to Han Lu, hoping that Han Lu, a cultivator from the Zhengyi Sect, could do him a small favor.

Bu Anlan had a daughter late in life, and her daughter, who was only fifteen years old, happened to have entered the Zhengyi Sect to cultivate the previous year.

Being thousands of miles apart, Bu Anlan couldn't offer his daughter any help at home. Even if she came home for ten days during the New Year, it wouldn't put his mind at ease, as the old father who had once fought against nearly ten low-level cultivators.

Therefore, Bu Anlan hoped that Han Lu, a big shot in the Zhengyi Sect, could occasionally take care of his daughter and indirectly help her find a "reliable" senior sister in the Zhengyi Sect so that her cultivation path could be smoother.

"Fairy Han, if you find it troublesome or beyond your capabilities, then just consider it presumptuous of me." Bu Anlan had no intention of forcing anyone; he only spoke out of concern for his daughter.

"It's no big deal," Han Lu said without much thought, and agreed. "Tell me your daughter's name and the mountain retreat where she practices."

"I'll write her another letter later and explain the matter."

"I have some influence in the sect. If she encounters any minor trouble in the sect, it shouldn't be a problem for me to take care of it."

"As for matters of cultivation, there's no need to mention them."

“Every year before the major and minor competitions, I guide a few junior sisters and brothers in their cultivation and preparation. One more or one less makes no difference.”

"As long as she doesn't get into any huge trouble, everything will be fine."

This wasn't difficult, and Bu Anlan's concern for her daughter touched Han Lu, reminding her of Feng You, which is why she readily agreed.

Upon hearing this, Bu Anlan was overjoyed and quickly said, "Then I will thank Fairy Han in advance."

“My daughter’s name is Bu Yefei. She was cultivating at Dongshan Academy. When she returned home half a year ago, she was at the third level of Qi Refining.”

"Last year in the small competition, he got fourth place in the division, so he can be considered to have some talent."

When talking about her daughter, Bu Anlan smiled broadly.

As a chivalrous hero, he distinguished the difference between mortals and cultivators.

His daughter is now cultivating in a major sect like the Zhengyi Sect and has achieved good results. As a father, he is naturally overjoyed and happy for his daughter's bright future.

Han Lu nodded slightly and wrote everything down.

Feeling that she had gotten a great deal from Bu Anlan, Han Lu wanted to use this method to give him a small compensation.

Bu Anlan, unaware of Han Lu's true purpose in coming, thought she had gotten a great deal out of the kind-hearted Han Lu, and showered her with thanks and gifts.

Finally, Han Lu had no choice but to accept two boxes of high-quality tea and a steel sword forged by a master swordsmith according to the steel-casting method recorded in "Common Sense" before being seen off by Bu Anlan and his wife.

Before settling out of the inn after leaving Bu Anlan's residence, Han Lu took out the steel sword from her storage bag and examined it carefully.

"The fact that a master swordsmith forged steel and made swords according to the methods recorded in 'Common Sense' should be considered an affirmation of the efforts my senior sister and I made."

Han Lu silently decided that after returning to her sect, she would give the sword to Wen Erya as a gift.

She believed that Wenya would be just as happy as she was now when she received the steel sword.

After leaving Tangxi City, Han Lu flew on her sword, heading north.

The second mortal swordsman she was to visit was located in the northeastern part of the Southern Dynasty.

This chivalrous hero's situation is quite different from Bu Anlan's.

Bu Anlan was past his prime and had retired to the city, no longer concerned with the "rights and wrongs of the martial world".

The second hero was not only in his prime, just over thirty years old, but also serving the Southern Dynasty government as a "public official".

If Han Lu hadn't wanted to use her "gentle and refined" reputation to force someone into doing something against their will, this chivalrous hero would have been the most likely ordinary martial arts master to readily agree to teach Han Lu swordsmanship.

The second chivalrous man Han Lu visited was the garrison commander of Dongyang City, who was in charge of security issues inside and outside Dongyang City.

Dongyang City was named this because it was located in the easternmost part of the Southern Dynasties and was the city where the sun rose earliest every day.

If cities were ranked according to their level of stability or chaos, and their performance were assessed, then the prosperous Dongyang City would definitely be one of the top "sin cities" in the Southern Dynasties.

The fact that a chivalrous hero who could defeat low-level cultivators as a mere mortal was assigned to manage public order in the most chaotic Dongyang City speaks volumes.

Dongyang City is located at the mouth of the Yuan River, and has two crossing points for businesses that cross the Yuan River to connect the north and south, and also has trade relations with the East China Sea Islands.

Dongyang City has a thriving commercial sector and a large population flow.

This situation made the city difficult to manage, and river bandits and sea pirates emerged one after another, which was a major problem plaguing Dongyang City.

Driven by sufficient economic interests, many idle low-level cultivators and Daoist disciples mingled among pirates and river bandits, becoming guests of honor for these criminal groups, thus increasing the difficulty of maintaining public order in Dongyang City.

This made the female garrison commander named Wen Xiaonan very experienced in actual combat.

In Han Lu's view, among the three ordinary heroes she was going to visit on this trip, Wen Xiaonan was the one who could provide her with the greatest help.

However, after leaving Tangxi City for only two hours, Han Lu, riding a flying chariot at a leisurely pace, descended from the sky and arrived outside Dongyang City.

The chaos in Dongyang City was not due to poor official management, but rather to its fundamental geographical problems that could not be changed.

Even though Han Lu presented her Zhengyi Sect disciple identity token when entering the city, she still had to spend an extra thirty breaths registering and was informed of Dongyang City's special management regulations for cultivators by a minor official from the Southern Dynasty.

Those staying for a short period must report their whereabouts to the authorities every three days.

If one intends to reside permanently in Dongyang City, one must obtain a permit from the government and report one's whereabouts monthly.

Han Lu didn't take it too seriously. Instead, she thought Wen Xiaonan was a pragmatic official and a reliable student.

Upon entering Dongyang City, Han Lu, relying on her status as a Zhengyi Sect cultivator, easily found the very busy Wen Xiaonan through the Zhengyi Sect's outer stronghold within the city.

Han Lu found Wen Xiaonan halfway to her office.

Wearing a specially made female official's uniform, Wen Xiaonan gave Han Lu a feeling that was different from that of ordinary chivalrous heroes.

Perhaps due to his busy schedule, Wen Xiaonan acts in a very efficient and hurried manner.