Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 737 - 41 One-Leaf Pavilion Wu Qiong (2/2) (3000)

Chapter 737 -41 One-Leaf Pavilion Wu Qiong (2/2) (3000)

After killing a Fifth Rank expert of the Mysterious Sword Sect by the roadside, Wang Anfeng slowly walked toward the bundle he had placed down at the entrance of the road. His breathing was even, and he stepped out step by step. As he ascended the heavenly ladder, he breathed in the pure qi and swallowed the jade fluid, using a supplementary martial arts technique from Medicine King Valley to stabilize the turmoil within his chest and prevent any hidden injuries.

Then he raised his hand, rubbed his face, and waited until his reflection in the puddle no longer showed any sharpness or aggression. Once his expression was full of simple honesty and harmlessness again, he calmly picked up the bundle containing the Divine Wooden Sword, slung it on his back, and dashed forward.

The horse he had tied to a tree by the side of the road earlier was still there, not snatched away by any reckless ruffians.

Wang Anfeng breathed a sigh of relief, walked over to pat the horse’s back and smooth its mane, muttering to himself, “Good that I didn’t lose you, otherwise I would have been at a disadvantage this time, and it would be hard to explain when I go back.”

He certainly did not want to take the blame for killing Wei Qianfeng himself.

After all, his reputation as Wang Anfeng in the martial arts world of Jiangnan Road was now incredibly prominent, not at all inferior to those notorious old demons who had been famous for many years. To use the lingo of Mo Xiaoqi and those from the bandit dens, it was that the situation had been quite tense recently, creating a need to lay low for a while.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of anyone; Wang Anfeng simply did not wish to one day walk down the road with Xue Qinshuang and encounter a hero who, oblivious of the truth, would swing a sword at his head, nor did he want to be surrounded by onlookers wherever he went.

Not to mention anything else, just think how his Third Master would laugh to death.

How could there be any dignity left in a young hero’s journey through Jianghu like this, he might as well be a captive exotic beast in its pen, what would it look like?

No wonder those Masters, in their exceptional cases, either hid in places rarely visited by ordinary people or converged their magnificent qi mechanism and disguised themselves as ordinary elderly folks living in the marketplace, proclaiming “true hermits live among the crowds.”

So that was it.

Chuckling self-deprecatingly, Wang Anfeng mounted his horse. He had never ridden a horse during his youth, only rode pigs with his Uncle Wang’s son when he was a child.

The first time he rode a horse, his stomach churned as if it was being overturned by torrential waves. He almost wished he could lie down on the horse’s back and vomit to his heart’s content. Concerned about the expensive horse, which was worth hundreds of silver in a single ride, he had to endure the discomfort, causing his face to turn as pale as those of noble concubines.

Now, he was well-versed in the affairs of Jianghu; he sat steadily on the horseback, channeled his inner strength into the horse, making it accelerate forward. Although he wasn’t known for his eidetic memory, he still remembered the general path clearly.

After a long journey, he finally managed to return before Jiang Lan, Tian Zhide, and others, and before reaching back, he manipulated his qi to block his energy channels, pretending to be in a state of panic, as if he had just encountered something terrifying.

Fei Yonglin, worried about the safety of his fellow disciples, hurried forward in a few quick steps and asked anxiously:

“What happened? Where are my fellow disciples?”

“How come you’re back alone?!”

“Could it be…”

He and Tian Zhide had known each other since childhood, for over twenty years. Their friendship was profound, and thinking of the possibility he dreaded, his face instantly turned pale, and he swayed slightly, almost unable to stand steadily.

Wang Anfeng pretended to be puzzled, shaking his head, he said:

“I… I don’t know.”

“There were a lot of people fighting there. I was so scared that I threw a corpse over, just like what Tian the Hero said, and ran out ahead of time.”

“There was an old man there, very powerful.”

He purposefully made his tale fragmented and convoluted, causing Fei Yonglin’s heart to grow more anxious, pacing back and forth. Xue Qinshuang gave Wang Anfeng a knowing smile and then said:

“It wouldn’t hurt to wait a bit longer.”

Fei Yonglin struggled internally, then shook his head furiously, gritting his teeth as he said:

“No, we must hurry. If my fellow disciples are okay, they will naturally catch up later, but if, if… it could implicate everyone.”

Li Qidao’s face showed a moved expression, his two disciples were just like this, raising his esteem for Fei Poyue by a notch.

Fei Yonglin drew his sword and was about to head back when, at that moment, he saw the flustered Feng An pointing towards the north, hesitantly saying:

“I think I heard Tian the Hero’s voice…”

Fei Yonglin was momentarily stunned and turned his head to look, but he did not notice any signs, hearing only the light rustle of the wind through the treetops, sinking his spirits further. Xue Qinshuang then suggested waiting a little longer, and this time Fei Yonglin did not refuse, nodding in agreement though not holding much hope.

Shortly after, they heard the rapid rush of hoofbeats. Startled, Fei Yonglin looked up, and he just happened to see Tian Zhide bursting out from the woods, wearing the tenacious aura of a man who had survived a fierce battle. His heart surged with excitement, and he called out.

Tian Zhide reined his horse to a stop, seeing Wang Anfeng though pale, appeared to have been frightened but was fortunately unharmed. He sighed a great relief, a slight smile appearing on his face as he looked toward his fellow disciple and explained:

“Although it was dangerous, fortunately there was a master by my side, and I was lucky to have my life saved.”

“Brother Situ also was not in danger of losing his life.”

As he was speaking, a noisy clamor could be heard from behind, and many martial artists galloped out, though nearly one-third fewer than before; leading them was Situ Che, followed by Jiang Lan and an old scholar named Wu Qiong.

Wu Qiong dismounted his horse and meticulously adjusted his clothes; only after he was properly dressed did he bow respectfully and say, “I, Wu Qiong, am here to thank everyone.”

Xue Qinshuang glanced at Wang Anfeng and said, “Old sir, there is no need for such formalities, as we haven’t really done anything significant. If you wish to thank someone, it would be better to thank Hero Tian.”

Wu Qiong, emanating a scholar’s aura, stubbornly shook his head and said, “Of course, I must thank Hero Tian for saving my life, but I must also thank you all for allowing Hero Tian to come to our aid instead of fleeing. Such noble actions certainly deserve thanks.”

“Having come here and thanked everyone, we will naturally choose another direction to leave. The people before have been temporarily repelled, and I will not implicate you all. If I am lucky enough to keep my life, I will certainly repay this debt.”

Xue Qinshuang come from a martial arts family; the Xue Family, although not one of the four great noble clans, was feared by many skilled fighters in various sects.

In other words, at least as the apparent young master of the Xue Family, Qinshuang, who was being groomed as a top figure among assassins, knew which skilled fighters were alive in each sect, what their martial arts were like, whether their nature was bold or dark, and had a thick dossier on each in her mind.

She recognized the identity of the old man at a glance, knew that martial artists from the One-Leaf Pavilion who belong to the lineage of Jiang Yang, although part of Jianghu, had a scholarly air far exceeding their martial spirit, and did not obstruct him from paying his respects but simply returned the gesture with a bow and a smile, saying:

“The respect you just showed was kindly accepted by us youngers, but we must not confuse the order between the elder and the younger. This bow is to respect your age, elder, so please do not refuse.”

With a gracious demeanor and sound reasoning, Wu Qiong could say no more and just nodded, accepting this bow. Qinshuang smiled slightly and then added,

“Since elder mentioned the road ahead is perilous, it might be better for us to travel together for some time. We are numerous, coming from Fufeng with a clear origin, so the elder can mix in with us without worry.”

“Even if elder feels uncomfortable about it, you could at least wait until your injuries have healed before leaving; this would be more proper.”

A hesitant look appeared on Wu Qiong’s face, but still, he shook his head and said:

“We are neither kin nor friends; this is too dangerous.”

Xue Qinshuang calmly replied:

“Although we few young ones come from Fufeng, where our dear friend Ren Fufeng once guarded the library and had many connections with master Ren Changge of Fufeng Academy, I’ve heard him mention elder before. With such a bond of friendship, if we were to ignore the elder’s plight, it could hardly be justified.”

Hearing the name Ren Changge, Wu Qiong’s expression softened considerably and no longer refused as before. On the other side, Liu Ling shook his wine bowl and laughed, saying:

“Old brother, you might as well accept. If you feel uneasy, just drink some wine with me—it’s the best solution.”

At the Divine Martial Mansion, seeing Li Qidao and Wang Anfeng remaining silent, Cao Limin understood most of their thoughts and spoke up:

“We also have little to say, and we have never feared battle in Jianghu; meeting a master like elder is a pleasant affair indeed.”

Wu Qiong glanced at the semi-disciple beside him, sighed, and looking hesitantly at Qinshuang, asked, “May I know where you all are heading?”

Qinshuang answered, “We’re passing through the Sword Sect to enter Shu Land.”

The old scholar finally set aside his last bit of suspicion and hesitation, bowed deeply to everyone, and said, “Since this is the case, I will no longer refuse. Appreciating your kindness and nobility, if I have the chance, I will certainly repay it.”

Wang Anfeng still had an honest look on his face, but he truly relaxed inwardly. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Whether because of Ren Changge or Xiahou Xuan, he absolutely had no way to just watch Wu Qiong and Jiang Lan take risks in leaving; but given the current situation, it was difficult to speak up himself. Qinshuang speaking on his behalf truly allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking up, he noticed that the beautiful young lady was also turning to look at him. Their eyes met, and Qinshuang stealthily winked her right eye with a smile on her lips, and subtly gestured with her right hand a reassuring motion that everything was under control.

Wang Anfeng felt a warmth in his heart and nodded slightly.

The subtle exchanges between the two were hardly noticeable to ordinary people. Gong Yu saw it as naturally as mountains, stones, grass, and trees—unperturbed, while Li Qidao caught a clear glimpse, grinning as he shook the wine jug and poured into his mouth.

Then he racked his brains, juggling the not-so-abundant scholarly contents in his mind, thinking that since Wang Tiance had died without leaving anything like a family register, he couldn’t decide what name would be appropriate for the next generation of Wang Anfeng.

Pondering all the way, he could not come up with a suitable idea and finally sighed, wondering whether he should visit Jiangnan someday to seek out Pang Shiyi or the old fox of the Yuchi Family?

Naming should not be taken lightly.

PS: The second addition today… three thousand words