Now that he recognized the bearded man as Yan Chixia, the person he was fighting with was naturally the Xiahou swordsman who had been pestering Yan Chixia for seven years.
This man was so obsessed with the title of "The Best Sword in the World" that he kept fighting Yan Chixia without ever winning, but he suffered repeated defeats. Finally, he was drained of his energy by the Dryad Grandma and died.
In the eyes of today's Li Zhi, people like Swordsman Xiahou cannot be regarded as treacherous and evil people. They have good cultivation, but in the end they end up with no bones left, and the body dies and the Tao disappears.
Sigh? Sad? Cherished?
While Li Zhi was sighing with emotion, the fight between the two on the field reached a fever pitch in an instant.
The two of them had just attacked with all their strength, and both of them were injured, but the Xiahou swordsman was obviously more seriously injured, and his originally white clothes were stained with blood.
"Hahaha, I have been practicing hard in Beijiang for a year, am I still going to be defeated by you today?"
At this time, Xiahou Swordsman's consciousness seemed a little blurry, and his two eyes were actually filled with red light.
"Brother Xiahou Xian, you and I are fighting for our hearts and minds, so why do we have to fight to the death? You must know that there is a sky outside the world, and there are people outside the world. Even if you completely defeat me, will you definitely be the 'No. 1 sword in the world'?"
"This level of cultivation is like the light of a firefly. There are many people who can surpass me. It's just that those experts don't want to wander around in the world."
"In the past seven years, you and I have competed six times. A certain family admires Xiahou Xiandi's kung fu and resilience very much, not as much as you and I..."
To be honest, Yan Chixia and Xiahou Swordsman didn't know each other without fighting. After they met, they fought constantly.
In Yan Chixia's eyes, Swordsman Xiahou is a slightly paranoid warrior. Having such a person spurring him on is not necessarily a good thing.
However, Yan Chixia was absolutely unwilling to have a life-and-death showdown with him.
"Hmph, you surnamed Yan, don't say nice things in front of me. You are the 'Light of Fireflies', so who am I, the Marquis of Xia? Am I not as good as Yinghuo?"
"I don't care if there are others who are stronger. I only know that if I want to become the 'No. 1 Sword in the World', your surname is Yan, the one I must defeat."
"You can give up if you want. If you can accept my last sword, from now on, no one named Xiahou will ever come to you again——"
Swordsman Xiahou couldn't listen to Yan Chixia's words at all and interrupted him extremely rudely.
Suddenly, those eyes became more and more red. Under the moonlight, they looked like two evil fires burning.
I saw the Xiahou swordsman roaring on his back, with veins popping out all over his body, and a faint shadow of a blood wolf appeared behind him?
"'Sirius Escapes Shadow'? Brother Xiahou, you actually learned such an inhumane sword technique?"
Yan Chixia is also a swordsman, and her accomplishments in swordsmanship have gone beyond the swordsmanship itself. However, some swordsmanship cannot be ignored, such as the "Sirius Escape" move used by Xia Hou now.
"Hmph, it's true that I sacrificed nine hundred and ninety-nine lives for the sword, but I used the lives of those barbarians in the north. As long as I can defeat you, what swordsmanship can't I learn?"
Xiahou stopped talking and recited a spell secretly, his aura reaching its peak.
In Li Zhi's opinion, Xiahou Swordsman at this time has enough combat power to rival the peak of the Golden Core Stage. Is he burning his lifespan?
Seeing this, Yan Chixia did not dare to neglect at all and adjusted her state to the strongest.
"The dragon roars for nine days, and thousands of swords return to the clan——"
This is currently Yan Chixia's strongest move. When she reads the first four words, the sword box behind her rises into the sky, and the swords are released one after another. The sound is like the roar of a dragon.
At this moment, Yan Chixia controls as many as nine swords.
He first pointed his left hand into the air to set up a gathering point for the nine swords, and then waved his right arm forward to control the formation of the swords, setting up a small killing array in the void.
"Haha, okay, after this move, it will be clear who is the 'best swordsman in the world'."
Seeing that Yan Chixia finally used his strongest technique, Xiahou Swordsman became even more excited. Isn't it his dream to defeat his opponent with his strongest technique?
"Ninth Young Master, they..."
The momentum of the two people in the field has reached its peak, and whirlwinds are blowing in the entire courtyard of the ruined temple.
"Sirius Escape——"
"Wanjian Chaozong——"
A man hangs in the air, sword in hand;
One has his feet on the ground and his sword in the air.
It was as if two monstrous forces, one killing and the other sharp, were about to collide fiercely. Even Qin Huaiyu, who was watching from the side, instinctively closed his eyes.
After a moment, the wind died down, and there was the sound of the sword being returned to its sheath, but there was no deafening sound that should have been heard?
Qin Huaiyu slowly opened his eyes again. Yan Chixia and Xia Hou were still facing each other, one in white clothes and the other in black robes.
It's just that they no longer have swords in their hands. Yan Chixia's nine swords have been returned to their cases, and Xiahou Swordsman's "Sword of Heaven" has also returned to his scabbard.
However, these two people seemed to have seen a ghost. Both of them stared at the center of the field with their eyes wide open, their slightly open mouths not closing for a long time.
"Ninth Young Master?——"
At some point, Li Zhi, who was originally standing next to Qin Huaiyu, had already arrived between Yan Chixia and Xiahou Swordsman.
Looking at the way his hands were spread apart, did he forcibly stop the duel between the two by his own strength?
"Hahaha, someone remembers that the little brother called himself 'Li Jiu' just now, right? I didn't expect that when Yan also made a mistake, the little brother turned out to be a senior expert, so disrespectful -"
In spiritual practice, no one is old or young, and those who are mature are respected. Yan Chixia called Li Zhi "Senior Master", which is not too abrupt.
Yan Chixia was stunned for a while, and then she fully understood what had happened. No wonder a teenage scholar dared to stay in a ruined temple.
I have always been worried about the safety of these two people, fearing that Xiahou would hurt them when he came to have a bet. Unexpectedly...
"You can't afford to be a 'senior expert', so if you don't mind, it would be more comfortable to call me 'little brother'. If I'm not mistaken, I am the famous Yan Chixia, right?"
"Oh, little brother, you also know the name of a certain family? Yes, this is Yan Chixia!"
Yan Chixia was still a little surprised that a teenager like Li Zhi could call her by his name in person.
However, he has already judged that the opponent's realm is higher than his own. Even the followers beside him are "martial arts and gods" beings, and they are all so young.
It seems that this boy is definitely not an ordinary person. "Li Jiu", I'm afraid this is not his real name, right?
"Why?...Why exactly?..."
Compared with Yan Chixia's frank treatment, the swordsman Xiahou on the other side was like a defeated rooster, staring at his "Demon Sword" that had been returned to its sheath, muttering to himself.
.
From the look on his face, it was clear that he was completely shocked by Li Zhi's attack just now.
A teenage boy, or the boy who had just been "taunted" by him, he was so stunned that he didn't see clearly how the other party acted, so he casually separated him from Yan Chixia?
But his "Demon Sword" flew back into his scabbard uncontrollably.
"Who are you? Did you do it just now?"
Although Xiahou Swordsman clearly knew that it was the young man in front of him who moved his hands, he still asked unconsciously.
"Your Excellency is Brother Xiahou, right? I can roughly guess the grudge between you and Brother Yan. It's just that you want to compete for the 'No. 1 Sword in the World'."
"Just because of this false reputation, you have to fight for seven years. Do you want to fight to the death just now?"
"That's exactly what I did just now. I've just learned the Crop Handle Style for a few days, and I'm afraid I'm a little bit higher than two places in the realm. Even so, I'm still not up to par with this little bit of Taoism."
Li Zhi, who was in the center of the field, spoke in a leisurely manner, but the words he spoke made Yan Chixia and Xiahou Swordsman on both sides blush.
The two of them are quite old, so it doesn't matter that they were easily defeated by a teenager, but he still claims to be "unfashionable"?
If he is "out of the ordinary", then who are the two of us?
You still have the nerve to call your name on the world, but you actually lick your face and compete for "the best sword in the world"?
At least Xiahou Swordsman was blushing, but Yan Chixia didn't see it very clearly. After all, the full beard on his face could still play a role in hiding his shame.
"Um... little brother, today we drank and then fought. We got to know each other. Can you give me your real name?"
"It is a crime to disobey the master. It seems that Yan must practice diligently in the future, otherwise he will really be unable to use his meager Taoism."
Everyone was silent for a while, and finally Yan Chixia broke the deadlock. He was an open-minded person, so he didn't value the results of the competition that much.
In just a moment, he and Xiahou Swordsman were defeated by Li Zhi's move at the same time. It was a completely crushing rhythm, leaving him with no chance of getting lucky.
"Ninth Young Master..."
Hearing Yan Chixia's question, Qin Huaiyu, who was standing behind, hurriedly said that he wanted to stop Li Zhi from reporting his family status.
After all, people are far apart from each other, and they met these two by chance. How could the identity of His Highness the King of Jin be easily exposed?
"Haha, Brother Huaiyu, you are worrying too much. Brother Yan, Brother Xiahou, my surname is indeed Li, and I am the ninth oldest in the family. There is nothing wrong with you calling me Li Jiu."
"Speaking of my background, it may be a little special. My father is currently sitting high in Chang'an City. He also has a small title. He is the King of Jin of the Tang Dynasty, and his name is Li Zhi."
Li Zhi could completely trust Yan Chixia's character. As for the Xiahou Swordsman, his tragic ending still made Li Zhi a little sad.
Since he encountered it, he thought he could intervene. If Li Zhi hadn't intervened in time, maybe both of them would have suffered losses.
"What? Are you Li Zhi, the king of Jin in Henan Province who is the founder of Buddhism in thousands of families?"
Yan Chixia was also shocked by Li Zhi's registration.
The first thing that amazed me was not that he had an emperor father. Yan Chixia, who traveled all over the country, happened to have also traveled in Henan Province during this period. Some people said that Li Zhi's reputation was too loud.
Unexpectedly, I met him in this ruined temple tonight. Not only did he drink with me for half the night, but I also turned out to be a secret master.
Yan Chixia was amazed, and Xiahou Swordsman was also a little moved.
Although Xia Hou seems a little unkind on the surface and has practiced such skills, he is actually a kind-hearted person in his heart, at least towards the people of China.
"Hey, it's just a false name. It's not worthy of being a Buddha in thousands of families. It was done by Lord Wei Zheng personally, and Lord Fang Xuanling strategized. I just put on a name and do what I can."
"Buddha is born in every family"? What a high praise that is. Li Zhi would not dare to accept it forcefully, or his life would be shortened.
"It turns out that His Royal Highness the King of Jin is in person, and Xiahou is polite——"
The Xiahou swordsman dressed in white actually gave Li Zhi a rare salute.
He also visited several disaster-stricken places in Henan Province and saw with his own eyes the displaced people who either died of cold or starvation, or whose families were destroyed.
No matter how good Xiahou's swordsmanship is, he can save three or five people, but can he save thousands of people?
It was the teenage King of Jin in front of him who personally left Chang'an City and brought countless amounts of food to the victims of the Henan Province.
He was even more benevolent and gathered many homeless refugees in the Luoyang area and built cottages, leaving countless people alive.
Now that everything has been said, tonight's competition will naturally end here.
Li Zhi also specially called Qin Huaiyu over and personally introduced him to Yan Chixia and Xiahou Swordsman, the second son of Qin Shubao, the Duke of Yi State, who had reached the realm of "martial arts and spirituality" at the age of sixteen.
If it weren't for Li Zhi's support, Qin Huaiyu would be the center of attention no matter where he was placed.
Although the competition was short-lived, the courtyard of the ruined temple was even more damaged, and the food and wine in the temple had been exhausted.
After looking at the sky, it would be dawn in half an hour at most. After a brief discussion, the four of them decided to leave together.
Naturally, Li Zhi and his wife wanted to go back to Chang'an. Yan Chixia and Xiahou Swordsman were at home all over the world, so after Li Zhi's repeated invitations, they agreed to go with them.
It happened that four war horses were brought from Luoyang City. Originally, one man rode two horses, but now one man rode one horse.
As they walked leisurely along the way, Li Zhi and Yan Chixia were mostly talking.
Sure enough, as Li Zhi ""knew"", this Yan Chixia was indeed a Confucian scholar, and had been working in a public house for several years. Her personality was too upright, and she could not stay for a long time.
Later, by chance, he became a disciple of the "Kunlun Sect" and practiced swordsmanship.
However, this Yan Chixia's knowledge is quite complex. When fighting the enemy, she mainly uses swordsmanship. From time to time, she also uses Confucian methods. Now she is obsessed with Buddhist techniques.
Although he has left the public domain, Yan Chixia still likes to fight against injustice, but with his current skills, he will naturally not be as experienced as an ordinary gangster.
"Brother Yan, have you ever thought about 'eliminating demons and slaying evil spirits'? The world is so big, there are all kinds of wonders. Some people practice immortality and practice, and some people do evil things for monsters."
"Brother Yan can get rid of those evil monsters who are capable of causing harm to the village and poisoning the people with all his strength, and the training is not in vain."
After several conversations, Li Zhi discovered that the Yan Chixia in front of him had not yet embarked on the path of "eliminating demons and subduing demons"?
This was too different from Yan Chixia's character in his "impression", so Li Zhi couldn't help but persuade him in a wicked way.
"To tell you the truth... Ninth Young Master, Yan has had this thought before. My master once said that only after Yan has gathered all the three disciplines of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism can he consider subduing demons."
"Yan also asked his tutor why he was like this, but his tutor said, 'Heaven's secrets must not be revealed.' Now Yan finally got a copy of the 'Diamond Sutra'. I think it won't take long before Yan can be like the Nine Young Masters."
That’s what you said.”
Li Zhi recalled it, and it seemed that Yan Chixia in his memory really knew Buddhist magic. It seemed that it came from the "Diamond Sutra". What other Prajnaparamita divine sword was there to subdue demons?
Seeing that Yan Chixia would eventually follow his determined path, Li Zhi said nothing more and focused his attention on Xiahou Swordsman, who was half a horse behind.
"I wonder what Brother Xiahou's next plan is?"
The sky was already bright and the red sun was rising. Only then did Li Zhi realize that Xiahou Swordsman was actually not very old. He could be in his thirties at most?
I'm afraid it's a problem with my practice. My eyes... well, they look a bit coquettish, and I don't look like a good person.
"Ninth Young Master, I used to be short-sighted and always thought that I was so great. But in front of a real master, I turned out to be so vulnerable."
"This time, I would like to thank Ninth Young Master for his wake-up call, which awakened the stubborn Xiahou. However, Xiahou feels that there is still room for improvement in his swordsmanship. If this is over, he will return to the northern border to practice more diligently."
Xia Hou is such a person. After he completely figured it out, he no longer persisted in some aspects, especially in front of Li Zhi.
"If Brother Xiahou is interested, I can recommend a place for you."
"Cheng Yaojin, Duke of the State of Lu in the imperial court, is currently stationed in the northern border. I heard that the savagery there is very serious, and there are also some inhuman monsters and monsters that appear out of nowhere."
"If Brother Xiahou goes there, firstly, he can get the tribute he deserves from the army, and secondly, he can deal with those demons and monsters. This is where a Taoist like Brother Xiahou comes in handy."
From some reports collected by Wei Zheng, Li Zhi also knew something about the frontier affairs.
Since last year, the northern border has not been very peaceful, especially the emergence of some evil spirits. Even a person like Cheng Yaojin, who is at the peak of his innate perfection, has a hard time dealing with it with the help of the power of military formations.
Now that there is such a good "thug" as Xiahou Swordsman, how could Li Zhi not try his best to "fool" him?
"This... is indeed a good place to go. Please think twice about it."
Xiahou Swordsman was originally a casual cultivator and was used to being carefree. If he entered the military camp, he would probably feel a little restrained.
However, due to Li Zhi's reputation, Xiahou Swordsman did not speak too harshly.
…
All the way to the official road, when the four people sitting on the horse saw the Chang'an city gate, it was already close to noon.
Although the sun in early spring is not very hot, the midday sun is still a bit dazzling.
"Ninth Young Master, we have been away from Chang'an for more than half a year, and we are finally back -"
Among these people, Qin Huaiyu is the real young man at heart. When he saw Chang'an City, his heart had already flown back home and he wanted to hit the horse and gallop.
However, Li Zhi tightened the reins and felt an inexplicable heart palpitations. He seemed to have lost something.
His expression was solemn, and he raised his eyes to the sky.
The sun was gradually obscured by dark clouds, and a cold rain began to fall in the sky, falling on several people.
Suddenly, a faint fishy smell filled the air, and the color of the rain...