Zhou Man's regret was genuine; she said she "wanted to see him so much," but in her heart, she thought: Only one of us can live, and I regret not being able to see him sooner. I'd rather kill him quickly.
Jin Buhuan, of course, didn't detect the flaw.
He looked at Zhou Man for a moment and said calmly: "This one doesn't need to rush to enroll like us. Who knows, she might come any day now."
Zhou Man smiled: "I hope so."
However, her mood didn't improve much; a shadow of "what I knew in my previous life might be wrong" still lingered in her heart.
In her previous life, she heard these words after being imprisoned in the dungeon.
That day, as usual, someone came to deliver food.
Her guards had been watching over her for more than two months and were growing weary. They grumbled and asked: "How much longer are we going to keep this little brat locked up?"
The food delivery person smiled and said: "Soon. The academy matter is settled, and the Cold Beauty Saw is in hand. We'll be back in a couple of days."
At that time, she didn't know what the "academy" referred to, nor did she know what the "Cold Beauty Saw" was.
Later, after inheriting the Martial Emperor's lineage, she learned that among the numerous academies in the world, only the Sword Gate Academy was universally recognized as the "academy."
That same year, Wang Sha, the young master of the Divine Capital, became the master of the Cold Beauty Saw, the number one sword in the world. The Cold Beauty Saw, also known as the Intercepting Sword, was once the prized sword of the Shu Prefecture Sword Pavilion.
However, it seemed to have been lost somewhere, and the Sword Gate Academy would send outstanding disciples to search for it every year.
Since Wang Sha was the master of the Cold Beauty Saw, and there was corroborating evidence from the person in prison, he should have been at the Sword Gate Academy that year.
Unless, as Jin Buhuan said, it wasn't his time to come to the Sword Pavilion yet.
Or…
There were hidden circumstances and changes she didn't know about.
For example, in this life, she forcibly took the spot that originally belonged to Wang Gao, the eldest son of the Wang family, and entered the Sword Gate Academy.
Would Wei Xuan allow her to be in the academy with Wang Sha?
When the old man escorted her to the Jieyun Hall, he didn't even seem to intend to visit the academy to see who was there; he only told Steward Yang that he had come to see her off and then left.
Zhou Man fell into deep thought, but then she considered: if Wang Sha really did come to the academy another day as Jin Buhuan said, that would be ideal; but if he didn't come for various reasons, she wouldn't be in a hopeless situation. In her previous life, she had managed to survive even in dire straits. In this life, her sword bones were still intact, her cultivation speed far exceeded that of ordinary people, and she had even entered the academy. She had far more choices than in her previous life.
First, she would diligently cultivate the Yi Shen Jue. If she could find a way to obtain the Tired Heaven Bow as soon as possible, she could kill Wei Xuan and retrieve the Heart Contract. When the time was right, she could go to the capital to kill someone.
If the monk could escape, could the temple escape as well?
With this thought, her mind instantly became clear, and her thinking even broadened considerably.
At this moment, Song Yuanye, Song Lanzhen, and Lu Yangchen had arrived before the Sword Study Hall. Since the east and west dormitories each stood on either side, they naturally stood in the middle.
Many people had arrived at the academy a month earlier and had already seen the three of them, so they only glanced at them and didn't pay special attention.
Instead, the three of them, intentionally or unintentionally, all turned their gazes toward the East House.
Li Pu, standing beside Zhou Man, sensed something amiss and quietly tugged at her sleeve: "Junior Sister Zhou, they're looking at you, aren't they?"
Zhou Man composed herself and looked up.
Sure enough, she immediately met three different gazes.
Lu Yangchen was the nephew of Lu Chang, the Marquis of the Nightless City. He had been taken in and raised by Lu Chang at a young age because of his exceptional talent. He was calm and composed, neither arrogant nor impatient, and was merely observing Zhou Man with some curiosity.
Song Yuanye was the young master of the Song family, of noble status. Presumably, news of her rescuing Zhao Nishang yesterday had reached his ears. At this moment, he was looking at her with furrowed brow, seemingly trying to gauge her true intentions.
Song Lanzhen, on the other hand, appeared more peaceful and friendly. When Zhou Man looked up, she didn't even flinch, but gave her a slight nod in greeting.
However, after staring at her for a moment, Zhou Man abruptly looked away, turning to speak to Li Pu without any response or expression, appearing unusually cold.
Upon seeing this, Song Yuanye's brows furrowed even deeper.
Song Lanzhen was slightly taken aback. After a moment's thought, she guessed that the other party might be bothered by Zhao Zhiyi's matter, and didn't find the other party's reaction particularly rude.
Zhou Man, now, neither liked nor disliked Song Lanzhen; it was simply a case of "once bitten, twice shy," and she didn't want any further interaction with her.
With the arrival of the three from the aristocratic families, everyone was present.
At dawn, the morning bell rang from the tower, its deep, resonant sound rippling through the academy like waves, even dispelling the mountain mist.
A moment of silence fell before the Sword Study Hall.
Even Li Pu, who seemed utterly unreliable, shuddered at this instant, standing ramrod straight, as if utterly terrified.
However, after waiting for a while, the Sword Master did not appear.
Just as Zhou Man was wondering about this, she suddenly heard the doors above the steps swing open, and ten sword-wielding boys quickly walked out, lining up on the steps of the Sword Study Hall, one standing every three steps.
Then a man emerged from the doorway.
Short and stout, with a tuft of beard on his chin, he appeared to be around fifty years old. His eyes gleamed with sharp light, clearly indicating he was no ordinary person. However, his face was cold and stern, as if he were owed tens of thousands of spirit stones, his brows and eyes practically screaming "displeasure."
Everyone immediately bowed and greeted: "We students greet the Sword Master!"
The Sword Master retorted: "Greeting my ass."
He then glanced at the crowd below, muttering under his breath: "What a damn academy! Each year is worse than the last. Don't recommend a bunch of mediocre students to fill my ranks again this year..."
His curses were clearly audible to everyone below, causing them to fall silent in fear.
Zhou Man had never expected the Sword Master to be like this.
Was this simply a matter of "bad temper" as Wang Shu had described?
She couldn't help but turn to look at Wang Shu.
However, Wang Shu seemed lost in thought and didn't notice her gaze.
After finishing his tirade, Sword Master finally put his hands behind his back and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: "I don't know if you've heard of me before, but this title was earned through seven days and eight nights of fighting. From the moment you arrive at the Sword Hall, you must all call me 'Sword Master.'"
It was common knowledge that there were far too many sword practitioners in the cultivation world. From Sword Immortals, Sword Saints, and Sword Gods to Sword Masters, Sword Soldiers, and Sword Attendants, and mixed in with countless Sword Ghosts, Sword Heroes, and Swordsmen—titles were far from sufficient.
Sword practitioners were mostly hot-tempered, and a disagreement could easily escalate into bloodshed.
Furthermore, the cultivation world was rife with conflict, and the birth of every renowned title was inevitably accompanied by carnage.
Sword Master was clearly one of them.
He possessed an air of superiority, and said without any politeness: "I don't care what kind of families or sects you come from, or what kind of background you have. Once you're in the Sword Hall, my words are law. Anyone who disagrees can get out now!"
The crowd chorused: "We wouldn't dare."
The Sword Master merely sneered: "Don't speak too soon. Although I've been invited by the Chancellor to teach at the academy for over ten years, I've always had a rule: I don't teach useless people. Today is no different. Have you all seen these ten sword boys before the steps?"
Everyone turned to look at the ten sword boys.
The Sword Master said: "To enter the Sword Study Hall, you must first pass the 'Sword Trial,' defeating at least one Sword Attendant without using spiritual power—only sword techniques and skills. Seating in the Sword Study Hall is arranged according to the number of Sword Attendants defeated. The one who defeats the most will sit at the head of the hall, becoming the Sword Leader of my Sword Study Hall! But if you can't defeat even one, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Zhou Man's heart sank upon hearing this.
At this moment, Wang Shu finally sighed softly beside her: "I knew it..."
Li Pu tensed up: "It's starting, it's starting!"
The Sword Master wasted no time, tossing a scroll into the air with a wave of his hand. It unfurled with a "whoosh": "I'm too lazy to count names this year. You'll try your swordsmanship in the order you registered yesterday."
The scroll contained everyone's names.
At the top of the list was...
Li Pu.
The instant he saw the order, Li Pu almost collapsed to his knees: Why isn't this year following the usual procedure! Didn't they always start with the people from the six states and one kingdom?!
Little did he know, the Sword Master was dissatisfied with all the people selected from the six prefectures and one kingdom last year, and was simply too lazy to bother with the selection process this year.
This time, Li Pu was truly in trouble. Everyone looked at him with pity—after all that fuss, he had jumped and hopped to stand on the East Side, just to avoid embarrassment later, only to find himself first in line.
Even though he was already in tears, Li Pu could only grit his teeth and step forward, taking a wooden sword from the sword boy standing at the bottom of the steps, saying: "Li Pu of the Nanzhao Kingdom, please, please teach me."
The sword boy returned the greeting without a word, and took up his sword, assuming a fighting stance.
Unexpectedly, Li Pu circled around the sword boy for a long time, not daring to draw his sword.
The sword boy frowned and drew his sword first.
Li Pu was immediately frightened and retreated, only parrying with his sword or dodging around the sword boy, completely avoiding direct confrontation, let alone attacking.
This went on for about twenty moves, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
The Sword Master, after watching for a long time, finally lost his temper and roared: "You don't even dare to draw your sword! What kind of swordsmanship are you?! Dodge one more move and I'll chop you down!"
Li Pu thought to himself: My greatest skill is running away; I've never actually fought anyone head-on.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.
But a glance out of the corner of his eye revealed the Sword Master holding a gleaming sword, seemingly about to strike him. His survival instinct surged instantly!
Just then, the Sword Boy attacked with his sword.
Li Pu no longer cared about technique or style; he grabbed the sword and began wildly swinging it, yelling: "Ahhh! Don't come any closer! I'll fight you to the death! Get out of the way!"
"Clang, clang, clang," the wooden swords clashed violently. The Sword Boy was forced back several steps, looking at Li Pu with astonishment.
This man's technique was terrible, but his strength was outrageous!
By the time the Sword Boy realized what was happening, it was too late.
In his terror, Li Pu mustered almost the strength he could break a drum with his fist, closed his eyes, and struck down with his sword, actually knocking the wooden sword from the sword boy's hand!
A subtle silence fell over the entire arena.
Not only Zhou Man and the others, but even the Sword Master at the top of the steps doubted his own eyes: "What rubbish!"
Li Pu opened his eyes and, realizing he had won, was overjoyed: "I won! I actually won! I can enter the Sword Hall!"
The Sword Master scolded: "Stop talking nonsense, keep fighting!"
The previously defeated sword boy stepped down, and the sword boy on the sixth step descended.
Li Pu immediately shook his head vigorously: "No, no, no, I won't fight anymore, I won't fight anymore."
The Sword Master was surprised: "What did you say?"
Li Pu said: "The Sword Master said that defeating one person is enough to enter the Sword Hall, but he didn't say that we had to keep fighting. I've already defeated one, so I can go in, right?"
The Sword Master: "..."
Indeed, he hadn't said that they had to keep fighting.
His eyelids twitched, and he stared at Li Pu for a long while before waving his hand with utter disdain: "Another charlatan, get up here."
Li Pu was overjoyed, respectfully returning the wooden sword first, then happily ascending the steps and standing behind the Sword Master, his smile brighter than the rising sun.
Everyone was astonished, but with Li Pu leading the way, their initial anxiety eased slightly.
They realized that since the Sword Master had appointed ten sword attendants, they must have been arranged from lowest to highest strength to more clearly assess each person's ability and level.
And indeed, that was the case.
After Li Pu, the students from several sects in Shu Prefecture took their turn. Because they were originally from Shu Prefecture, they had arrived at the academy early and registered for classes early, so they were all at the front of the line.
They were all skilled swordsmen within their sects, and during the sword trials, they generally defeated two or three sword attendants.
Among them, Chang Ji, the stern and unsmiling senior brother of Du Caotang, stood out from the crowd, defeating four sword boys in a row before narrowly losing to the fifth.
The Sword Master rarely praised him, saying: "Du Caotang still retains the spirit of the Sage Du, not bad."
However, the next one was Jin Buhuan.
The "spirit of the Sage Du" that Chang Ji had just established in Du Caotang was instantly shattered.
Jin Buhuan's talent for cultivation was actually quite ordinary; his usual abilities relied entirely on various magical treasures. While others relied on strength, he relied on wealth.
Now, to discard external things and be left with only a broken wooden sword?
Jin Buhuan struggled, fighting for a long time before finally employing a feint attack to win a round.
The defeated sword boy's face was frosty, seemingly angry.
However, Jin Buhuan was extremely thick-skinned, only smiling and saying: "Thank you for the concession."
Then, like Li Pu, he stopped challenging others, took out a gold-flecked fan to fan himself, and swaggered up the steps.
As Sword Master passed by, his face turned green: "Trickster and wicked, how can someone like you enter Du Caotang?"
Zhou Man, listening below, couldn't help but sigh.
Sure enough, everyone who knew Jin Buhuan came from Du Caotang had the same question.
However, Jin Buhuan didn't explain, only smiling silently.
Next came mostly people from the six states and one kingdom, and the three great families. Their registration time was roughly in the middle, and their overall strength was indeed higher than the four major sects of Shu State, with most defeating at least three people.
Zhou Man was particularly impressed by four of them—
First, of course, was Lu Yangchen of the Lu family.
As expected of someone taught from childhood by the Nightless Marquis Lu Chang, his swordsmanship comprehension had reached its pinnacle, defeating a full eight people in a row. Unsurprisingly, he would be the "Sword Leader of the Sword Hall" after this trial.
Second was Meng Shu, dressed as a Confucian scholar opposite him.
He exuded a scholarly air, his manners were impeccable, and he had defeated four people; his strength was clearly not the highest among the group. Zhou Man's attention wasn't drawn to him by his strength, but simply because he hailed from Qizhou, and Qizhou was home to Mount Dai, the place where she inherited the Martial Emperor's dojo.
The third was Miao Huanxi.
Her beauty was breathtaking, and her swordsmanship was equally breathtaking—unexpectedly unpredictable and ever-changing, sometimes gentle, sometimes forceful, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
Everyone only saw her flowing, graceful movements, heard the tinkling of her tassels like delicate bells, and when they came to their senses, Miao Huanxi had already defeated the seventh person, chuckling as she handed back the wooden sword, saying in her clear, snow-like voice: "That's enough. I know I can't fight anymore."
Zhou Man felt that she truly deserved her reputation as a goddess of the Sun Lotus Sect, hailing from the snowy peaks of Qilian.
No matter how you looked at her, she was a feast for the eyes.
As for the fourth…
Zhou Man looked towards the arena.
The reclusive youth named Zhou Guang, from Yingzhou, was taciturn and had been fighting the sixth sword disciple for quite some time. His swordsmanship was relentless, with every move aimed straight ahead, completely disregarding defense, pushing the concept of "attack" to its extreme.
However, the sixth sword disciple was no ordinary opponent, and Zhou Guang ultimately fell short by half a sword strike, his face still showing resentment and unwillingness to accept defeat.
The Sword Master, who had been sitting listlessly on the steps, was startled when he saw Zhou Guang's first strike. He stood up abruptly and stared intently at the battle.
He then asked: "Who is Zhou Zixue of the Sword Sect to you?"
Those in the crowd who recognized the name were taken aback.
Zhou Guang was dressed simply, even in hemp clothing and cloth shoes, but his cold eyes were like black lacquer, possessing a steadfast and resolute quality. Hearing this, he clasped his hands and bowed, saying: "I once received guidance from a senior of the Sword Sect in Yingzhou, and received half of his true teachings, thus becoming his half-disciple."
A collective gasp immediately rippled through the crowd.
Even the Sword Master was startled, his eyes reddening slightly. He suppressed his emotions and said: "Good, good. I didn't expect the Sword Sect's seniors to have such a legacy. You're very good, come up."
Zhou Man only glanced at Zhou Guang's face, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
By this time, everyone else had finished their sword trials, leaving only Wang Shu and Zhou Man in the arena.
Wang Shu looked at the names on the scroll in mid-air and smiled bitterly: "I thought I was late enough to register, but I didn't expect Miss Zhou to be even later than me."
Zhou Man had only registered last night.
Of course, she was last in line for the sword trial.
The Sword Master, seeing Zhou Guang, paused for a moment before calming down. He wasn't particularly concerned about the two remaining people and simply said: "Only the two of you are left, hurry up."
So Wang Shu stepped forward and took the wooden sword from the sword attendant.
He was slender and aloof, with long, thin fingers, yet his demeanor was unlike anyone else's. His grip on the sword didn't resemble wielding a sword at all, but rather the holding of a plum blossom, utterly devoid of any weaponry.
At first glance, he was truly remarkable.
However, Jin Buhuan, standing above, began to frown, a hint of worry creeping into his expression.
Wang Shu, holding his sword, bowed respectfully: "My cultivation is meager; I beg the sword attendant to show mercy."
The sword attendant initially took this as mere humility and didn't pay much attention.
They were acting on the orders of the Sword Master to test swords, so naturally they wouldn't go too far.
But who would have thought that after only three exchanges of swords with Wang Shu, he felt that the sword possessed only the form of a sword, lacking any real power? By the time he tried to retract his stance, it was too late.
A crisp "crack" rang out as the swords clashed.
The sword attendant had actually knocked the wooden sword from Wang Shu's hand with a single strike!
Wang Shu couldn't retreat or dodge in time, and the tip of the broken wooden sword grazed his wrist.
Even though the wooden sword was blunt, its speed was still considerable, instantly slicing through the wrist.
A bloody gash immediately seeped crimson.
The sword boy himself was stunned.
The crowd in front of the Sword Hall had never seen anyone lose so quickly, unable to withstand even three moves from the sword boy and injuring himself—it was simply unbelievable.
Only Wang Shu himself seemed to have expected this outcome and was not surprised.
He even appeared calm, simply pressing his injured wrist, smiling at the sword boy, and comforting him: "It's not your fault, it's because I have no foundation, it's always been like this."
The sword boy stared blankly at him, speechless.
The Sword Master above, however, frowned instantly, saying only: "I've seen bad ones, but I've never seen one this bad," and directly raised his hand from afar, sending a burst of spiritual energy onto Wang Shu.
A moment later, his expression turned extremely ugly.
Sword Master said: "Seven of your eight extraordinary meridians are blocked, you're practically a useless piece of trash who can't cultivate! How dare you come to the Sword Study Hall! Who recommended you?"
Zhou Man had only heard Wang Shu declare himself a useless piece of trash with meager cultivation outside the mortuary that day, but she never expected the situation to be this dire.
Seven of the eight extraordinary meridians were blocked...
Let alone learning swordsmanship, he couldn't even reach the most basic Innate Realm.
However, Wang Shu seemed accustomed to this humiliation, and calmly said: "I was recommended by Master Yiming, who taught me medicine."
Sword Master was speechless for a moment.
He stood there, his chest heaving violently, as if a thousand kinds of anger were surging within him, but in the end, he didn't explode. He just said with a livid face: "Master Yiming once saved my life. Logically, I shouldn't make things difficult for his disciple, but the Sword Study Hall has its rules. I won't force you to leave, but if you want to learn swordsmanship, you can only listen from outside the door, you can't enter."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Man frowned deeply.
But the clay Buddha, without even a trace of anger, clasped his hands and bowed, fulfilling all the proper etiquette: "Thank you for your leniency, Sword Master."
The Sword Master said: "Step aside."
He didn't call for him to go up.
Wang Shu stepped aside, and when he looked up, he saw Zhou Man frowning at him. He was startled, but then smiled slightly, as if to reassure her.
Zhou Man's brows furrowed even more.
After Wang Shu finished, she was left alone.
Zhou Man didn't speak, but walked straight forward and took the wooden sword.
Unexpectedly, the Sword Master stared at her and suddenly said: "Raise your right hand, let me see it."
All of Zhou Man's movements stopped at that moment.
She turned to look at the Sword Master, but didn't move.
The Sword Master flew into a rage: "I told you to raise your right hand!"
He swung his sleeve across the air.
Zhou Man instinctively raised her sword to block, but how could her strength compare to the Sword Master's angry attack?
The wooden sword shattered and flew everywhere!
Zhou Man's right hand was now exposed, and her little finger was wrapped in blackened pieces.
Sword Master, who had been teaching swordsmanship at the Sword Hall for over ten years, had never been so angry. He couldn't help but speak sharply: "First, we had a useless cripple who couldn't cultivate, and now we have someone with half a little finger missing! What kind of lousy family or sect is this, recommending such trash to insult the Sword Pavilion's reputation! With half a finger missing, how can you possibly learn swordsmanship?"
Zhou Man's expression instantly turned cold.
Sword Master's pent-up anger exploded at this moment: "A cripple, a cripple! Can't we find a third person in the whole world willing to learn swordsmanship?!"
Wang Shu quietly clenched his fist.
Zhou Man, however, slowly lowered her hand and actually said: "Please apologize, Sword Master."
Sword Master couldn't believe it: "What did you say?!"
Everyone looked at Zhou Man as if she were a madman.
Zhou Man remained expressionless, seemingly unaware of fear, standing ramrod straight: "Disabled or crippled, whether by fate or human intervention, these are things of the past, things we cannot change. What we can determine is only this moment! If one's talent is mediocre and one cannot learn the sword, then who in the world, besides the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal, is worthy of the sword path? If one is crippled and cannot learn the sword, then with your current level of swordsmanship, if one day an opponent cripples half your hand, should you then destroy your sword and abandon the path?"
Each sentence was more severe and forceful than the last!
Although she stood below, her piercing gaze seemed to look down upon the Sword Master above.
The Sword Master initially held a hint of contempt, but she bombarded him with wave after wave of questions, especially the last one, which penetrated his very soul, rendering him unable to move an inch.
The entire Sword Study Hall fell silent.
For over ten years, who had dared to question the Sword Master like this!
Lu Yangchen, Song Lanzhen, and others from the three great families above were looking at her; Chang Ji and Jin Buhuan from Du Caotang were looking at her; the goddess of the Rilian Sect and the young man who had just claimed to be the successor of Zhou Zixue from the Sword Sect were also looking at her…
Everyone was looking at her—
Including Wang Shu.
After Zhou Man finished asking her question, she didn't look at anyone. She simply lowered her eyelids, took a half step back, clasped her hands in a fist and bowed, and said in a calm voice: "Please apologize, Sword Master."
Next
.jpeg)
