Xu Fengnian took on a poor, young apprentice.
Before reaching the city of the Martial Emperor, while still within sight of the Eastern Sea, he encountered a small band of cross-border bandits. He rescued a family of orphans and widows. Among them was a young boy, unrelated to the family, who recklessly stepped forward to confront the horsemen and nearly got skewered by a spear. Xu Fengnian saved him without hesitation and continued toward the Martial Emperor’s city. The boy was spirited and mischievous, somehow taking a liking to Xu Fengnian, perhaps seeing him as a chivalrous hero of the martial world. Like a stubborn piece of chewing gum, the boy followed behind the carriage for days. Not wanting to wear out his boots, he took them off and tied them around his waist. His stamina was decent, and since Xu Fengnian’s carriage was in no hurry, often stopping and starting, the boy always managed to catch up eventually.
One night, as Xu Fengnian lit a fire by the sea, the exhausted boy dared not approach and curled up to sleep at a distance. The next morning, he awoke to find himself inside the carriage. Carefully lifting the curtain, he sat cross-legged by the side, unsure of what to call his noble-looking master. He hesitated between calling him “hero” or “sir.” Finally, the nobleman spoke first, asking two questions. The boy shook his head each time. The third question puzzled him even more—asking if he wanted to become his disciple. The boy didn’t nod but blushed deeply, shyly saying he couldn’t afford the tuition fee. The man said it didn’t matter.
Thus, the two became master and apprentice, with little conversation. The boy’s name was Wang Sheng, a fisherman’s son born and raised by the sea. His parents died at sea while fishing, and he lived with his grandfather until the old man passed away. Since childhood, Wang Sheng had possessed strength far beyond his peers. He had begged, mourned for hire, and carried illegal salt—doing nearly every job that could earn him a few copper coins, yet he never starved.
Wang Sheng, still young and innocent, was overjoyed to learn that his seemingly heaven-sent “master” was heading to the Martial Emperor’s city. He chattered nonstop. Naturally kind-hearted, he lacked the cunning of seasoned martial artists, but he had a keen sense of character. After spending days with his master, he sensed that his master was a kind-hearted person, earning more respect than fear from him.
However, Wang Sheng felt a bit disappointed that his young master, who looked even more handsome than a woman, wasn’t fond of conversation. Most of the time, the boy talked to himself, sharing every scrap of martial world gossip he had ever heard. When he ran out of tales, he repeated old proverbs he had heard from elders. Fortunately, his master didn’t mind and taught him a complex mantra and a soft boxing technique. The mantra was hard to remember, causing him headaches, and the boxing style felt weak and limp. Still, the boy was content, satisfied just to be learning martial arts.
Two years ago, when he first left home, he came across an old man selling secret martial arts manuals at a stall in Jianzhou. He handed over all his hard-earned silver, three taels in total. The old man was kind, opening his bamboo basket for the boy to choose from. Unable to read, Wang Sheng listened carefully as the old man recited the titles, which sounded like legendary techniques. He believed that even mastering a single move from those manuals would bring him fame in the martial world. He eventually chose a sword manual. Though inexperienced in the ways of the world, he wasn’t foolish. Soon, he realized the manual was fake. Still, he kept it close to his heart, treating it as a way to learn a hundred characters.
Only a day’s journey remained to the Martial Emperor’s city. The sea breeze gently blew, bringing the rhythm of tides and easing the summer heat. Wang Sheng, raised by the sea, didn’t mind the salty scent but found it familiar and comforting. Perhaps because he had been away from home for years, memories of his deceased family stirred, and he fell silent.
Xu Fengnian’s silence toward his apprentice wasn’t out of regret for taking on his first disciple or disdain for his mediocre talent. Rather, it was because he had discovered something both amusing and puzzling—after getting to know the boy, he realized Wang Sheng was actually a girl. Stranger still, her internal energy and pulse were unlike any woman’s, not following the typical feminine patterns. For women, martial cultivation was far more difficult than for men. In Buddhism, women could not attain enlightenment in their own bodies, and in Daoism, female immortals were rare. For the past hundred years, only one female swordsman had ever reached the level of a sword immortal—his mother. Going back another three hundred years, there was only one more. Excluding swordsmanship, even reaching the pinnacle of martial arts was rare for women. Among the Four Great Masters of old was the Green-Robed Queen of Fengdu. Today’s martial world had more female power, such as Luoyang, Xuan Yuan Qingfeng, and the mysterious Lin Ya, the apprentice of Wang Xianzhi.
A girl with a masculine appearance was like a southerner with northern features—often blessed with fortune. Wang Sheng’s talent was actually quite good. However, Xu Fengnian had seen many prodigies at the peak of the martial world, and often those who showed promise early didn’t fulfill it later. Cultivation required endurance and opportunity—both were essential for true mastery.
Why did Xu Fengnian take him as a disciple? The reason was simple.
Wang Sheng carried a wooden sword.
At first, Xu Fengnian asked if he would trade the wooden sword for food. Wang Sheng refused. Then he asked if he would trade it for silver. Again, he refused.
Late at night, only thirty or forty miles from the Martial Emperor’s city, Xu Fengnian stopped the carriage and told Wang Sheng to gather firewood. A large fire blazed on the beach, illuminating the two faces of master and apprentice. Xu Fengnian gave Wang Sheng half a piece of dried beef, about the size of a child’s palm. Under the clear night sky, studded with stars, Wang Sheng chewed while looking at the stars. Then, licking his oily fingers, he pointed upward and said with a smile, “Grandpa used to say those are big lanterns. When a person dies, their lantern goes out on earth and lights up in the sky.”
Xu Fengnian said calmly, “My hometown has a similar saying.”
Wang Sheng waited but saw his master fall silent again. Talking to himself, he said, “Master, aside from you, I admire the Grandmaster of Huishan Mountain the most.”
Smiling, he asked, “Guess who the next one will be?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head.
Wang Sheng grinned, “It’s Lin Ya, the Grandmaster of martial arts in the Martial Emperor’s city!”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “She’s the disciple of Wang Xianzhi, the strongest man in the world, and also one of the beauties on the Beauty List. You’re far behind her in both aspects.”
Wang Sheng wished he could dig a hole to hide in and timidly asked, “Master, you know?”
Xu Fengnian nodded.
Seeing that his master didn’t seem angry, Wang Sheng said, “My parents always wanted a younger brother but never had one, so they raised me as a boy. Besides, we couldn’t afford a dowry, and I don’t want to marry anyway. Who would want to live with a woman who looks like a man? It sounds so suffocating. Whoever marries me must have been a flower-picking thief in a past life, and heaven is punishing him by making him marry a man this time.”
At this, the cheerful Wang Sheng made himself laugh.
Xu Fengnian tore off a piece of beef and said quietly, “When you grow older, your features will soften.”
Wang Sheng blurted out, “If I could be half as handsome as you, I’d be willing to live half my life.”
Xu Fengnian said flatly, “Go practice your boxing for an hour.”
Realizing his mistake, Wang Sheng took off his wooden sword with a gloomy face and went to practice by the sea. He diligently practiced six rounds of the boxing set, though he often forgot the moves and made many mistakes. However, he noticed that his master didn’t seem to mind his clumsiness, showing no unusual expressions.
Wang Sheng practiced half an hour longer before sitting opposite his master, placing his wooden sword across his knees.
Xu Fengnian asked, “Carrying a wooden sword around the martial world, aren’t you ashamed?”
Wang Sheng was puzzled and asked in return, “What’s there to be ashamed of?”
Xu Fengnian didn’t answer.
Wang Sheng grinned happily, “This wooden sword was made for me by Grandpa. Even if Master wanted it, I wouldn’t give it to you.”
Xu Fengnian, who rarely referred to himself as “Master,” replied indifferently, “Who would want such a broken piece of wood?”
Wang Sheng chuckled.
Xu Fengnian teased, “When someone blind falls for you, you can give this wooden sword as a token of love. It can be your dowry.”
Wang Sheng frowned but said nothing.
Xu Fengnian continued, “You think your wooden sword is precious now, but that’s only because you haven’t seen real swords. I’m going to the Martial Emperor’s city to retrieve something. I can give you a real sword, but you can only keep one. How you choose is up to you. Let me warn you in advance—I won’t bring a poor apprentice with only a wooden sword to wander the martial world. That would be too embarrassing. Besides, you can’t learn high-level sword techniques with a wooden sword. Wang Sheng, you can keep this broken wooden sword and struggle through the martial world, getting bruised and battered, never achieving anything. Or you can accept a legendary sword that everyone would envy, follow me to learn profound martial arts, and advance rapidly in the path of martial cultivation. Don’t rush to answer. Tell me your thoughts tomorrow morning.”
After saying this, Xu Fengnian returned to the carriage to rest, leaving his apprentice stunned.
The next morning, at dawn, heavy fog blanketed the area.
In the distance, the mighty Martial Emperor’s city was shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing like a perilous island at sea.
Xu Fengnian walked to the shore and saw Wang Sheng with her eyes closed, pointing her wooden sword at the sea. She had been holding the sword for a long time, and a droplet of mist hung at its tip.
Previously, Wang Sheng had been determined to learn swordsmanship, but Xu Fengnian paid little attention, only teaching her a simple starting move.
She treated it as a legendary sword technique, practicing it diligently.
To others, it might seem amusing, or not.
Wang Sheng finally noticed her master beside her but didn’t lower her sword. She turned to face her expressionless master and suddenly tears rolled down her cheeks. Choking back sobs, she said, “Master.”
When a child faces an insurmountable obstacle, they naturally turn to elders for help.
Xu Fengnian said coldly, “Let go of the sword.”
Wang Sheng’s face turned pale, “Master, I really want to learn swordsmanship. I want to achieve something great with my wooden sword. Because Grandpa said there are people in the martial world who became famous with just a wooden sword. I’ll definitely follow Master and practice martial arts well…”
Xu Fengnian sneered, “Where in the world can you have it both ways? If you can’t even let go of a broken wooden sword, how can you grasp the treasures everyone desires—gold, fame, rankings in martial arts, founding a sect? What’s so precious about this wooden sword, just because it was your grandfather’s heirloom? In the martial world, countless people would abandon everything—even family, even their masters, even their lovers—for a secret martial arts manual. If you’re so rigid and unwilling to adapt, how can you learn swordsmanship?!”
By the end of his words, Wang Sheng clearly felt her master’s harsh tone. Although she had only known him briefly, she had always found him gentle and approachable.
For some reason, she also knew that if she lost this master, she would never dream of becoming a swordsman again.
Her arm trembled, and she turned away from her master, sulking, softly sobbing, “Master, I won’t learn martial arts anymore!”
Wang Sheng sheathed her wooden sword and placed it at her waist. Kneeling, she bowed deeply three times to her master, who had only been with her for a few days.
As she sheathed the sword and knelt, Xu Fengnian extended a finger and stopped the droplet that had fallen from the sword’s tip on his fingertip.
Looking at the unbroken droplet, Xu Fengnian said softly, “I also practice swordsmanship, but I always feel I fall short of many senior swordsmen, like Li Chungan’s sword path, Deng Ta’a’s sword techniques, and Wang Xiaoping’s talisman sword.”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “But the ones I feel most guilty toward aren’t them, but an old man named Lao Huang and another called Wen Busheng.”
Xu Fengnian continued, “I’ve always believed that too much intelligence, too much scheming, no matter how gifted or skilled with a sword, doesn’t make a true swordsman.”
Wang Sheng stood up, confused and unable to understand what the man who was probably no longer her master was saying.
Xu Fengnian gently flicked his finger, then reached out and patted Wang Sheng’s head, rubbing it gently with a warm smile, “These people were my seniors and old friends. They gave up many things, especially the last wandering swordsman who, like you, carried a wooden sword. He had the same desires and dislikes as you.”
Xu Fengnian stepped back, his voice deep, “Today, Xu Fengnian of Beiliang formally takes on Guihua County’s Wang Sheng as my disciple.”
Wang Sheng was stunned.
Xu Fengnian said calmly, “What Wen Hua gave up, you accept.”
Wang Sheng was still confused but finally understood that her master was still her master, and that was enough.
As for the names her master spoke—some famous, others unknown to her—she didn’t dwell on them, simply assuming her master was boasting.
The master and apprentice headed toward the Martial Emperor’s city.
“Master, are you not angry with me anymore?”
“Yes.”
“Master, I’ve heard of the Peach Blossom Sword God and the Wudang Sword Obsession. They’re both top sword immortals. But who are the others?”
“You’ll know in time.”
“Master, there’s something I want to ask, but I’m not sure if I should.”
“Then don’t ask.”
“Uh, Master, I can’t help it. Please don’t get angry. Although you’re definitely a great master, did you really boast too much? Did you really know those two divine figures? Or did you just catch a distant glimpse of them?”
“…”
“Master, it’s okay. I think you’re the mightiest master in the world.”
“Master, I’ve heard that Beiliang has many great masters—General Yuan who wields a saber, General Xu who uses a spear, and the new Shu King who has already left Beiliang. Have you ever seen them from afar? Oh, right, and the young Beiliang King, even more formidable. Sigh, but he’s a feudal lord. I suppose you’ve never even seen him.”
“Master, I see you don’t carry a saber or sword. Are you going to the Martial Emperor’s city to buy a suitable weapon for your journey?”
Most of the conversation was Wang Sheng talking to herself.
The horse’s hooves moved slowly, the carriage rolling forward, finally arriving outside the Martial Emperor’s city.
Outside the city, the fog thickened and then thinned. But on the wall, hundreds of legendary weapons bore droplets of mist, which fell one by one to the base of the wall, leaving deep water marks.
The carriage halted outside the city. Xu Fengnian finally spoke, addressing his apprentice who sat with her legs dangling outside the carriage, “Lift the curtain. Remember not to block the entrance.”
Wang Sheng didn’t know why but obediently complied, holding the curtain and crouching beside it.
Xu Fengnian sat cross-legged, gazing at the open gates of the Martial Emperor’s city.
Wang Sheng’s eyes widened as she saw her master’s sleeves flutter without wind.
The fog in the Martial Emperor’s city instantly dissolved.
Inside the city, the wall that once symbolized who was the strongest in the world began to tremble imperceptibly, then more and more violently.
First, a streak of purple shot out of the city gate and flew into Xu Fengnian’s arms.
Then the famous sword Huang Lu, embedded high on the city wall, detached and flew into the sandalwood sword case.
Eight more swords of varying lengths followed, one after another.
Xu Fengnian sat holding the case.
Wang Sheng, still holding the curtain, gaped in astonishment. What was happening?
Inside the city, hundreds of unclaimed legendary weapons began to tremble in unison, as if struggling to resist.
Xu Fengnian raised his arm and said softly, “Come.”
The sword Duyu, the sword Huamei, the sword Yu Junjue, the small sharp sword from the Nanhai Guanyin Sect, the swords Fangxin and Renzhen from the Wujia Sword Tombs, and countless others from two hundred years ago—Chen Qingming’s sword Zibuyu—all flew out one by one.
The sword Dantian, the sword Jiashu, the sword Bozhuo from Master Gu Jiantang, the great frost saber that made its wielder invincible four hundred years ago—each followed in succession.
One sword after another flew out of the city.
The finest eighteen weapons in the world all left the wall, emptying it completely.
They circled around Xu Fengnian, gliding in a perfect arc, and slid into the carriage. No matter how thunderous their flight, they stopped abruptly after passing through the curtain, gently descending.
The carriage filled with weapons until it could hold no more. The remaining ones embedded themselves into the ground around the carriage.
Half a stick of incense later, all 418 weapons from the Martial Emperor’s city wall had left, each now claimed.
Wang Sheng stood frozen, her mind unable to comprehend.
Her master really was a master who knew many great masters.
Xu Fengnian, at this moment, was like a martial world in his own right.
The new Martial Emperor, the new Invincible.
At this moment, the Martial Emperor’s city, which had recently learned of the death of its city lord at the hands of Beiliang, finally believed that the young feudal lord had truly defeated Wang Xianzhi.
From then on, the entire world had no choice but to admit that the son of the Butcher of the World was now the strongest in the world.
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