“Senior Brother Han, you really are oblivious to the world outside! How could you not know about such a big event? Even if you were in seclusion, your master should have mentioned it to you,” Xiao Suanpan said, his tone tinged with suspicion again.
Without a word, Han Li swiftly pulled out a waist token from his body and handed it to Xiao Suanpan.
“Senior Brother Han, what’s this for? Do you think I don’t trust you? The moment I saw you, I felt you looked familiar—surely we’ve met before, haha!” Xiao Suanpan quickly glanced at the token with the corner of his eye, confirmed its authenticity, and immediately put on a flattering smile.
“Now can you tell me?” Han Li was still focused on the question he’d raised earlier.
“Of course, of course!”
“Ugh, I’ve probably offended this guy,” Xiao Suanpan thought to himself, but he obediently spilled everything.
It turned out that in recent years, the conflicts between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang had intensified. The two groups had fought over a dozen battles, both large and small, over several prosperous towns with unclear ownership, resulting in significant losses on both sides. The Wild Wolf Gang’s members, trained like horse bandits, fought recklessly, becoming even more frenzied at the sight of blood. While the Seven Mysteries Sect’s disciples had superior martial skills, they lacked the same ruthlessness, often hesitating in battle. As a result, the Seven Mysteries Sect suffered heavier casualties in several consecutive battles. Unable to sit idly by, the sect’s leaders dispatched most of the inner disciples to participate in a series of subsequent clashes with the Wild Wolf Gang. On one hand, these territories were too valuable to lose; on the other, it was a chance to temper the disciples in the harsh realities of the martial world and gain practical combat experience.
In the later battles, the Seven Mysteries Sect regained the upper hand, but the inner disciples’ casualties were still alarmingly high. Many older senior brothers never returned. At this point, Xiao Suanpan sighed deeply.
Later, the sect leaders changed their strategy. Inner disciples were first sent on less critical missions to gain experience in other regions before joining the fights against the Wild Wolf Gang. This significantly reduced casualties. Over the past two years, this approach was formally incorporated into the sect’s rules, requiring all disciples to undergo external training after completing their apprenticeship before being assigned official roles within the sect.
As a result, nearly all the older senior brothers on the mountain had been sent down, either to tangle with the Wild Wolf Gang or to undergo training. Aside from the necessary mountain guards, only the younger, unapprenticed disciples remained.
Hearing this, Han Li suddenly understood why the mountain felt so different from before.
Clang! A loud noise rang out as a soft sword flew into the air.
Zhao Ziling clutched his right hand’s webbing, injured from the impact, his face pale as he staggered back a few steps, panting heavily.
Moments earlier, under Senior Brother Li’s ferocious flurry of saber strikes, Zhao had no time to dodge and was forced to parry with his soft sword. The immense force from the saber sent his weapon flying.
“Senior Brother Li, your skills are impressive. I concede,” Zhao Ziling said with a forced smile, bowing respectfully.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
“Senior Brother Li, what amazing skills!”
“Senior Brother Li, incredible saber technique!”
“Senior Brother Li, give me some pointers!”
The shouts, each louder than the last, filled the arena with admiration for their idol.
Senior Brother Li sheathed his saber, a faint blush on his face as he seemed about to say something. Suddenly, his expression changed, his brows furrowing as if recalling something urgent.
He clasped his fists and said coolly, “I have some urgent matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave.”
With that, he turned and gracefully floated out of the arena, displaying impressive qinggong (lightness skill) as he vanished into the pine forest beside the cliff.
“Tsk, tsk! Senior Brother Li’s not only skilled with the saber but also has remarkable qinggong.”
“Exactly!”
“Exactly!”
Praises rang out once more.
Han Li frowned slightly. Senior Brother Li’s skills were indeed impressive, but he seemed a bit fond of showing off—perhaps a touch of youthful arrogance.
Reflecting on himself, Han Li gave a wry smile. He wasn’t much older than these people, yet his thoughts felt so mature, almost like those of an old man. It seemed practicing that technique had aged his mindset.
“Junior Brother, I still don’t know your name,” Han Li suddenly asked Xiao Suanpan, who stood nearby.
“My name is Jin Dongbao, but Senior Brother Han can just call me Xiao Suanpan,” he replied, visibly excited that Han Li had asked his name, likely thinking he’d latched onto a big backer.
“If you get sick or injured in the future, come to me. I’ll treat you for free,” Han Li said, patting Jin Dongbao’s shoulder. Glancing at the crowd, now embroiled in another dispute, he walked into the nearby pine forest without looking back.
Jin Dongbao remained standing there, bewildered, unsure of what Han Li meant.
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