Chapter One: The Emergence of the Martial God (10)

Liu Hanyan said: "That is called 'A promise is worth a thousand gold coins.' If you truly want to go out and have fun with us, why not join us in Yueyang?" Li Yueqian hesitated and asked: "Is Yueyang fun?" Liu Hanyan smiled and replied: "Of course it is fun. Yueyang is right by Dongting Lake, and the scenery is picturesque. Once we finish our business there, we will take you to enjoy a few days in Yueyang."

Li Yingchang then asked, "So how many swords did you cut in total just now? I fear it must be several thousand swords, right? It is the first time I have seen such a technique that can produce that many swords in a single move." Li Yueqian shook his head and said, "It is not as many as you say; I only cut a total of two hundred seventy-one swords." Li Yingchang was somewhat skeptical and replied, "Two hundred seventy-one swords can achieve such fragmentation? In my opinion, it would require at least three or four thousand swords to reach this level." Li Yueqian smiled and said, "Your way of thinking is flawed."

"That's wrong!" Li Yueqian broke the chopsticks in his hand, then aligned them again and broke them into four pieces, smiling as he said, "It only takes two cuts!" Although Li Yingchang knew he was wrong, he still felt somewhat unwilling to concede, saying, "Your reasoning is not incorrect, but according to your argument, your move 'Blood Rain and Wind' cannot be executed that quickly either, because you still have to wait for the chopsticks to align before you can make the second strike."

Chen Jinghong repeatedly responded, "Yes! Yes!" However, at that moment, he was already so frightened that he lost control of himself, his whole body felt weak and limp, and he could hardly move an inch. Bu Jie, seeing his cowardice, spat in his face and said, "Useless thing! Let me handle it!" He then took off his outer garment, not caring about the dirt, reached out to grab the pieces of flesh and broken bones, and hastily bundled them up in his clothing. He turned to Li Yue and said, "I will go throw this thief's meat out in the wilderness to feed the wild dogs." After saying this, he leaped and ran towards the city outskirts.

Li Yueqian smiled again and said, "Your idea still has its flaws." As he spoke, he stood four broken chopsticks upright in his hand, and with a slap of his right palm on the top of the chopsticks, they instantly split into eight sections, even more neatly than if they had been cut with a knife. Li Yingchang, not understanding the meaning, thought to himself, "These chopsticks are so thin, and with just a casual slap, he divides them into eight sections. This level of internal skill is indeed remarkable. How has this young man cultivated his abilities?" He then heard Li Yueqian say, "When you look at chopsticks this thin, you naturally think of cutting them horizontally, but isn't it the same to cut them vertically?" He thought again, "These chopsticks are so thin, and with just a casual slap, he divides them into eight sections. This level of internal skill is indeed remarkable. How has this young man cultivated his abilities?" He then heard Li Yueqian say, "When you look at chopsticks this thin, you naturally think of cutting them horizontally, but isn't it the same to cut them vertically? A horizontal cut with one stroke, and a vertical cut with another stroke, will also divide them into four sections, and it doesn't even take any extra time."

Li Yueqian coldly said: "He is lying! Back then, it was he and Li Sheng who were captured by the Yuan army due to their carelessness. The two of them, fearing for their lives, actually led Wang Baobao to identify Chen Naotou, Wang Shicheng, and Tian Feng, who were mingling among the common people. " Hong Lei, terrified to the extreme, shouted: "I didn't do such a thing! You are talking nonsense! You must not listen to him!" Li Yueqian replied: "Li Sheng confessed everything before he died! That is how I knew you have a large knife scar on your face. At first, I couldn't recall it; if it weren't for the leader of that gang revealing your name, you might have escaped this calamity today!" You must not listen to him!" Li Yueqian said: "Li Sheng confessed everything before he died! That is how I knew you have a large knife scar on your face. At first, I couldn't recall it; if it weren't for the leader of that gang revealing your name, you might have escaped this calamity today!"

Li Yingchang asked from the side, "Why didn't I hear the roar of that thunder?" Li Yueqian replied, "I cut his throat with my first sword strike, so of course he couldn't make a sound." Li Yingchang wondered, "Since you pierced his throat with one sword, the many subsequent strikes were unnecessary; why did you use them all?" Li Yueqian gave a wry smile and said, "What you say makes sense, but once the sword's momentum is unleashed, it flows like the Yangtze River, and I can't stop it even if I want to." Liu Hanyan said, "Can't stop it? Is it that your internal energy cannot be controlled freely?" Li Yueqian replied, "Yes, my elder brother said that my internal skill is not yet fully developed, so I cannot control it freely. Is it that your internal energy cannot be controlled freely?" Li Yueqian continued, "Yes, my elder brother said that my internal skill is not yet fully developed, so I cannot control it freely. That's why whenever I engage in a fight, I often end up seriously injuring others, and my elder brother is precisely why he keeps such a close watch on me."

Upon hearing this, Hong Lei felt a surge of joy in his heart, thinking that he might have a chance to escape today. He immediately drew his long sword to face Li Yueqian. Li Yueqian, without saying a word, thrust his sword towards Hong Lei's chest. Seeing the attack, which appeared rather ordinary, Hong Lei thought to himself: "This kid was just boasting, claiming that I would fall to his sword in three moves. I expected him to possess some extraordinary skills or exquisite swordplay, but it turns out he is just mediocre!" Without further thought, he swung his sword to parry the incoming strike.

Li Yingchang was left speechless. At this moment, Liu Hanyan asked, "Are these principles something you came up with, or did Brother Wu teach you?" Li Yueqian replied proudly, "Such simple principles don't require my elder brother to teach me. You underestimate me too much." Li Yingchang thought to himself, "This kid must be exceptionally intelligent to come up with so many principles. But why is it that he is completely oblivious to many principles outside of martial arts?" Liu Hanyan understood that Li Yueqian had chosen to focus solely on martial arts, rejecting knowledge beyond that, and fundamentally, he was by no means a fool.

Li Yingchang was quite displeased and said, "What is wrong with my idea?" Liu Hanyan, upon hearing this, also became quite interested and looked at the two with great curiosity. Then, Li Yueqian picked up a chopstick and asked Li Yingchang, "Here is a chopstick; how many cuts do you need to make to divide it into two pieces?" Li Yingchang replied, "One cut." Li Yueqian then asked, "If you want to cut it into four pieces, how many cuts do you need at least?" Without hesitation, Li Yingchang answered, "Of course, at least three cuts." As soon as Li Yingchang finished speaking, he realized he was wrong.

Joke! Li Yueqian said: "As long as you can walk past me under my sword for three moves today, I guarantee that no one will dare to touch a hair on your head in the future! Even if my elder brother wants to kill you, I will ask him to spare you!" This statement was incredibly arrogant, and everyone present, except for Liu Hanyan and Li Yingchang, thought that Li Yueqian was just boasting. However, Liu Hanyan and Li Yingchang had personally witnessed Li Yueqian seriously injuring Dongfang Tianying with his bare hands in one move and repelling the 'Beimang Twin Heroes.' The martial arts of any of these three were far superior to that of the current Hong Lei. Everyone present, except for Liu Hanyan and Li Yingchang, thought that Li Yueqian was just boasting. However, Liu Hanyan and Li Yingchang had personally witnessed Li Yueqian seriously injuring Dongfang Tianying with his bare hands in one move and repelling the 'Beimang Twin Heroes.' The martial arts of any of these three were far superior to that of the current Hong Lei. Li Yueqian's claim of three moves was already considered modest; it was likely that Hong Lei would not even be able to withstand a single move under Li Yueqian's sword.

Chen Jinghong, witnessing the internal strife among his allies, immediately reached out and blocked Bu Jie’s palm, saying: "Brother Bu, let us deliberate on avenging Chief Chen at length. With the formidable enemy before us, we should first unite against them." Bu Jie, whose martial skills were inferior to Chen Jinghong's, found himself unable to push forward even an inch as his hand was held back, and he could not help but angrily retort: "To hell with that! General Chen has shown us immense favor; I will kill this scoundrel first, and then we can unite against the enemy!"

Li Yueqian said, "Let me handle this!" Then he turned to Liu Hanyan and said, "Sister Liu, may I borrow your long sword for a moment?" Liu Hanyan had originally wanted him to take action, so upon hearing this, she drew her long sword and handed it to him by the hilt. Hong Lei, knowing that he was already in a dire situation today, thought to himself as he saw Li Yueqian preparing to step forward: "Given this kid's age, his martial arts skills can't be that high. As long as I can provoke the people from 'Haotian Fortress' with words today, there might still be a chance for escape." He then asked Liu Hanyan and the others, "Are you all trying to rely on numbers to win?"

Little did they know, at the moment when Hong Lei's long sword was about to collide with Li Yueqian's long sword, the long sword in Li Yueqian's hand suddenly erupted as if it had exploded, emitting countless rays of light in an instant. The onlookers could only perceive the dazzling brilliance of the sword light, which immediately engulfed Hong Lei within it. Surrounded by the sword light, Hong Lei's figure became invisible. All that could be seen was a faint mist of blood rising amidst the sword light, accompanied by the continuous clashing sounds of the long swords in Hong Lei's and Li Yueqian's hands, producing a dense metallic resonance. The onlookers felt the brilliance of the sword light, which had once again swallowed Hong Lei. Enveloped by the sword light, Hong Lei's figure was no longer visible. Only a faint mist of blood could be seen rising within the sword light, while the sounds of the long swords clashing continued to resonate. Eventually, the sound of the two swords intersecting began to grow intermittent, until it was nearly inaudible, at which point Li Yueqian sheathed his sword.

However, not everyone places importance on these matters; instead, they are deeply horrified by the brutality of this sword technique. Apart from Li Yueqian, everyone on the roof are seasoned heroes of the martial world, having witnessed countless scenes. Yet today, they are witnessing such a bloody spectacle for the first time. Liu Hanyan felt a wave of sourness churning in her stomach, unable to suppress a wave of nausea, and began to vomit. It was then that she understood why Wu Tianyuan dared not let Li Yueqian roam the martial world alone, but always kept him by his side or at home. Liu Hanyan began to doubt whether her third sister could control this youth, who resembled a fierce tiger and was oblivious to the concept of cruelty. Although others did not vomit like Liu Hanyan, they too felt their scalps tingle and their bodies shiver with fear.

Li Yue stepped back, not looking back, and casually threw the long sword in his hand. The sword traced a graceful arc in the air and effortlessly inserted itself into the scabbard held by Liu Hanyan. This display of skill was indeed exquisite, and everyone present, being connoisseurs, couldn't help but cheer loudly. After the applause, everyone turned their gaze back to the arena, but they were all stunned.

The leader of the "Tianlong Gang," Chen Jinghong, truly lived up to his name. Upon witnessing this scene, he was so frightened that he lost all composure, resembling a startled bird, nearly fainting, with his legs trembling uncontrollably like sifted chaff. Bu Jie, seeing Chen Jinghong in such a pitiful state, scolded him: "Look at you, you coward! You’re scared to death by a thief who deserves to be executed. How can you call yourself a leader? With such a pathetic demeanor, how can you survive in the martial world? I think you should just go home and hold your child instead!"

Hong Lei had vanished, leaving only patches of blood on the rooftop and a mixture of minced flesh, broken bones, and remnants of swords. At a glance, that heap of mixture was cut with extreme precision, with no piece of flesh, bone, or sword fragment exceeding an inch in length. A gentle breeze blew, carrying a strong smell of blood that sent chills down everyone's spine. Each person (except for Bu Jie, who was so excited that his hair stood on end) felt an involuntary chill rise within them. A large person, even if standing still and allowing their opponent to hack away, would likely take a long time to be reduced to such fine pieces. Yet Li Yueqian accomplished this in an instant; in terms of swordsmanship, this strike was indeed extraordinarily exquisite, and Li Yueqian's skill with the sword had reached a level of consummate mastery.

Returning to the room, Liu Hanyan steadied her mind and asked Li Yueqian, "What is the name of that sword technique you just used?" Li Yueqian replied, "It's called 'Blood Rain and Bloody Wind.' Is there something wrong with it?" Liu Hanyan frowned and said, "There's nothing wrong, it's just a bit cruel." Li Yueqian nodded and said, "When my elder brother helped me revise this sword technique, he also mentioned this. He told me many times that unless facing someone truly heinous, I must never use this move. This is also the first time I have used it. I think I won't use this sword technique against an opponent again in the future." At this point, Li Yueqian let out a long sigh.

Bu Jie asked, "How did Li Sheng die?" Li Yueqian replied, "My elder brother killed him. After my brother uncovered the truth back then, he was always indignant whenever he spoke of this matter. Unfortunately, Hong Lei has not appeared in the martial world for a long time, so my brother has never been able to find him. Hehe, I never expected to encounter him today." Upon hearing this, Bu Jie immediately knelt down and knocked his head three times before Li Yueqian, saying, "Thank you, virtuous brother, for uncovering the truth and clearing the fog for me; otherwise, I would still be kept in the dark about this scoundrel. " After saying this, he leaped up and declared to Hong Lei, "Today, I will avenge General Chen!" With that, he struck out a palm towards Hong Lei.

Liu Hanyan forced a smile and said, "We came out to handle important matters, not for sightseeing. The several hundred people in Haotian Fortress are counting on us to support them. Unlike you, you have your elder brother to take care of you, so you don't have to worry about anything." Li Yueqian replied, "That won't do. You promised me something, and you can't go back on your word. My elder brother says that a man’s word is worth a great deal."

Chen Jinghong was greatly alarmed upon hearing this, and hurriedly said: "It has nothing to do with me! I have no connection with General Chen at all, and I did not betray him!" Li Yueqian replied: "Then do you still have something unfinished? It seems you were asking for some money from Haotian Fortress?" Chen Jinghong quickly shook his head repeatedly and said: "I don't want it anymore! I dare not ask for it anymore!" Li Yueqian said coldly: "Then you clean this roof for me! Tomorrow morning, if I see even a trace of blood on the roof, I will go find you at your so-called gang!"

Before Liu Hanyan could give any orders, a group of people had already surrounded Hong Lei and his companions at a distance of three zhang. The man named Bu Jie then asked Hong Lei: "I remember that during the siege, it was you, Li Sheng, Wang Tong, Gu Han, and others who helped General Chen disguise himself, dressing him in the clothes of the common people in the city, vowing to escort General Chen to break through the encirclement. Later, didn't you say that you were discovered by the Yuan army, and only you and Li Sheng managed to fight your way out, while General Chen unfortunately fell into the hands of Kuo Kuo Tiemu?"

Bu Jie once again addressed Li Yueqian, saying: "Thank you, Young Master Li, for dismembering this scoundrel. If I were to kill him, I wouldn't have your methods to make it so satisfying!" Li Yueqian smiled and replied: "There is no need for that; my elder brother says that scoundrels like him deserve to die a thousand times over!" After saying this, he pointed at Chen Jinghong and said: "You, the so-called leader, come here!"

Li Yueqian had lived in the north since childhood, having only seen small ditches and ponds, and had never encountered any large rivers or lakes. He asked, "Is Dongting Lake very big? Is it filled with water?" Liu Hanyan smiled and nodded, saying, "It is very big! The lake water stretches as far as the eye can see. So, are you going?" Li Yueqian exclaimed, "Of course I am going! Let's set off right now!" Liu Hanyan replied, "There is no need to be in such a hurry! We should each return to our rooms to rest, regain our energy, and set out early tomorrow morning."

Liu Hanyan had originally stopped vomiting, but upon witnessing Bu Jie’s actions, she could not help but vomit again. Li Yingchang hurriedly supported her and gestured to the crowd to disperse, then called for Li Yue to return to the house. Only the leader of the "Tianlong Gang", Chen Jinghong, remained on the roof, his eyes vacant and his entire body trembling uncontrollably.

Li Yueqian said, "By the way, Sister Liu, where are we going to have fun tomorrow?" Liu Hanyan replied, "We have some matters to attend to; we need to rush to Yueyang in the next few days. I have discussed it with Manager Li, and we will set off early tomorrow morning." Li Yueqian became anxious and said, "Didn’t you promise to take me out for a trip during the day? Why are you now saying that you have to go to Yueyang?"