Chen Yi halted his sword's edge, the sweeping Sword Qi slicing through Qin Tu's hair tips, leaving the latter trembling with fear.

He sheathed his sword and asked:

"What do you want?"

Qin Tu crawled up from the ground, glanced at the corpses scattered around, swallowed hard, and said:

"Hero, we've been tracking the whereabouts of the Western Jin swordsman known as Lonely Smoke Sword recently. Might I ask if you have ever heard of him?"

Lonely Smoke Sword…

Chen Yi had indeed heard of him.

This man was one of the renowned swordsmen of the Western Jin. In the Capital City, he was commonly known as the Little Broken Swordsman, frequently traveling between the two nations under the guise of a Darts Master.

"Why are you searching for him?"

"It's not just us looking for him… some important figures from above are searching for him as well." Qin Tu made a gesture of secrecy and continued, "They say this man trained under the same master as Broken Swordsman and is considered Loulan Sword Emperor's disciple. Those big shots are likely seeking his swordsmanship to counter Broken Swordsman."

Chen Yi listened intently, recalling his three-year promise with Broken Swordsman.

Unknowingly, half a year had passed, leaving only two and a half years of training time.

Though he had practiced the killer's sword, compared to Broken Swordsman's techniques, it was still like a drop in the ocean.

And those influential figures were searching for Lonely Smoke Sword to confront Broken Swordsman…

Chen Yi furrowed his brow slightly.

Broken Swordsman hailed from the Chen Family of Western Jin. To deal with him… could it be Xique Pavilion behind this?!

Chen Yi said, "Continue."

Qin Tu nodded and replied, "Currently, Liu Feng County lacks money and resources. Even border defense maintenance has exhausted all finances, and there are simply no hands available to track Lonely Smoke Sword. We can only hope the hero lends his assistance to aid us in this endeavor."

Chen Yi asked, "You, a mere clerk, came to persuade me?"

Qin Tu quickly responded, "The county magistrate, Jiang, has come as well. He's not far away. I can introduce you to him."

"Just him?"

"Yes, only him."

Qin Tu led the way, taking Chen Yi out of Moon Viewing Tower. Lu Ying snapped out of her daze and hurried to follow, fearing Chen Yi might leave her behind.

After navigating through winding paths, Chen Yi finally met the county magistrate Jiang that Qin Tu mentioned.

The magistrate appeared to have recently scaled a wall, judging by the dirt on his knees, making it obvious he had disguised himself.

"Why climb the wall?"

"It's during governmental hours. Leaving the office without cause might incite accusations against me." Jiang Shangli offered an apologetic smile.

Chen Yi glanced back at the Moon Viewing Tower and chuckled, "How many blades are hidden in that brothel, county magistrate, have you never considered?"

"Shantong City's coffers are empty. Even public order relies on sects for maintenance, and capturing criminals requires the help of these sects."

"Oh." He seemed nonchalant.

Jiang Shangli spoke slowly, "Young master possesses excellent martial arts skills; otherwise, you wouldn't have made it out of Moon Viewing Tower. But Lifeng Pavilion isn't easy to deal with. They still have remnants in the city, and I trust you wouldn't enjoy living in constant fear."

"So?"

"To be blunt, this humble official sincerely invites the hero to help capture the lawless thief Lonely Smoke Sword. In return, I can even…"

Jiang Shangli's gaze hardened as he said:

"Assist the hero in eliminating the Lifeng Pavilion entirely."

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.

Jiang Shangli continued, "Lifeng Pavilion has long been a sect of assassins aligned with Western Jin. Their foothold in Shantong City was secured through bribing the previous magistrate. By the time I took office, they were already too entrenched to uproot. I've long wanted to rid the city of this menace, but it's simply beyond our manpower."

Chen Yi pondered for a moment.

Lifeng Pavilion's pursuit likely stemmed from the incident in Liu Feng County, when he unintentionally drew attention. If remnants of Lifeng Pavilion remained in Shantong City, it would only be a matter of time before they targeted him again. It would be better to eradicate the threat early.

Moreover, he had some interest in Lonely Smoke Sword. And the fact that Xique Pavilion was involved only made this intrigue stronger.

"Alright."

Jiang Shangli asked, "May I know how to address you, young master?"

"My surname is…" Naturally, Chen Yi wouldn't give his real name, so he recalled the tale of *The Return of the Condor Heroes* mentioned earlier and said, "Long."

Lu Ying stared at Chen Yi with wide eyes.

Still claiming not to be hinting at something?

Still insisting she wasn't Xiao Longnu?

Still denying she wasn't… Yin Zhiping…

Lu Ying gritted her teeth and inwardly cursed Chen Yi's shamelessness. As the nephew of Zhou Yitang, how could he concoct stories that slandered her and her sect's reputation? Moreover, with the way this tale was progressing, wouldn't she end up competing with her teacher for the "Xiao Longnu" label?

Truly outrageous!

At that moment, Chen Yi had no idea what Lu Ying was thinking. After finalizing how to stay in touch with the magistrate, he dragged Lu Ying along and left.

As the two figures vanished into the distance, Qin Tu muttered:

"Magistrate, that man truly has some skills."

"You were saying you could spar with him?"

"…Actually, I think I was just a bit off."

"A bit off?"

Qin Tu gestured and said, "A bit off means if he moves his finger an inch, I'd die on the spot."

"Qin Tu, are you playing games with me?"

"No way. How could this humble servant deceive the magistrate?"

"So you aren't joking?"

"Because I'm being very serious."

"..."

Jiang Shangli was speechless and finally sighed.

Qin Tu thought for a moment and asked, "Magistrate… do you really want to uproot Lifeng Pavilion? Those people are all hardened killers who lick blood off blades…"

"I know."

"Furthermore, eliminating Lifeng Pavilion might bring great trouble. The Jianghu knows that Lifeng Pavilion carved out their infamous reputation through bloodshed."

Jiang Shangli nodded slightly, his gaze long and deliberate:

"Then what do you think about selling him to Lifeng Pavilion instead?"

Qin Tu froze in place, utterly stunned.

...............

Within Clear Wind Hall, figures lined the room neatly, while one man alone sat at the head seat.

His eyes were drowsy, his eye sockets deep, and his hands were as emaciated as dried twigs. In his younger years, he had disguised himself as a beggar to assassinate four people, one of whom had claimed the title of the world's eleventh strongest.

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