Chapter 76: Otherworldly as an Immortal, Enchanting as a Demon

The two of them arrived at Xiang Yinglong’s courtyard and continued their conversation, sitting on the stone stools in the center. Naturally, there was no shortage of wine—each person had his own jar, sipping leisurely.

Taking a hearty swig, Xiang Yinglong wiped his mouth and said, “Last time, thanks to you, brother, our martial arts school took the first prize, finally raising our heads with pride and prestige!”

Luo Changning smiled. “We’re all brothers here, so of course we help each other. Besides, didn’t you and Uncle Xiang help me teach those bandits from Tianmen Fort a harsh lesson?”

Xiang Yinglong slapped his thigh and snorted, “I’ve long wanted to deal with those troublemakers up on Tianmen Mountain. All they ever do is take the easy way out, living off robbery and silver—they’re no heroes!”

Watching his brother’s righteous indignation, Luo Changning merely smiled and said nothing, drinking his wine in silence.

His eyes narrowed slightly; he still remembered that there was one fish that slipped through the net on Tianmen Mountain. Though he didn’t know where it had fled, one day he would catch it.

“Now things are looking up. Let Gao Ba and those petty people from Divine Hand Martial Arts bask in their glory for so long—finally, they know there’s always a higher sky, a stronger man. Recently, more and more people are coming, hoping to become disciples of my father. Though we still can’t compete with Divine Hand Martial Arts for now, sooner or later I’ll sweep them away, just like we did with Tianmen Fort!”

Hearing this, Luo Changning became even more silent.

Yes, there’s always a higher mountain, a stronger man. The biggest problem for Luoyang Martial Arts School isn’t the lack of disciples, but the absence of innate martial artists.

Even the master is only at the acquired stage—how could he possibly cultivate disciples of the innate stage?

As for Divine Hand Martial Arts, though Gao Ba alone is an innate martial artist, as long as he’s there, training a second one isn’t difficult. Ling Yancheng is a promising candidate.

He sighed inwardly; it was fortunate that Uncle Xiang was a lay disciple of Buddhism and had powerful backing. Otherwise, with only the righteous passion of father and son, they would have been crushed by Gao Ba long ago.

But whether it was a blessing or a curse, being a lay disciple of Buddhism had limited Uncle Xiang’s advancement. He refused to learn anything beyond Buddhist martial arts, and so his progress stalled.

In the end, this world is ruled by strength, with martial prowess above all. Having backing may deter others, but developing further is always fraught with difficulty.

Just as in the siege of Tianmen Fort, without Ma Qingyun, who was at the lesser innate stage, Luo Changning’s side would have lost utterly, not the bandits.

“Enough about all that. Brother, when you return to Miaonan Dao, don’t forget you still have a good brother here in Qingyang County!” Xiang Yinglong looked at Luo Changning, unusually solemn.

Luo Changning felt a warmth in his heart, punched Xiang Yinglong’s chest, and smiled broadly. “Don’t worry, I’d never forget you, no matter what!”

“Heh, once you’re gone, I’ll practice harder. When I’m ready, I’ll venture out, and look for you in Miaonan Dao! You’d better treat me well—food, drink, and entertainment, all on your tab!” Xiang Yinglong teased with a wicked grin.

“Alright, no problem!” Luo Changning replied with hearty enthusiasm.

He still remembered the first time he met Xiang Yinglong—it was at the Su Family Clinic.

Back then, Luo Changning was only three years old. Though he had the soul of a sixteen-year-old boy within, he was still filled with curiosity about everything on the Yaohua Continent.

After all, it was nothing like his previous life: ancient scenery, legendary martial arts—everything was new to him. In his former life, he’d never left the orphanage, so he’d seen little of the world. His only window to the outside was books and television, and though he was a mere idle eater, he was allowed to watch TV.

His favorite shows were martial arts dramas—heroes with both strength and tenderness, the tangled grievances of the jianghu, roaming the world with sword in hand. What an exciting life that would be!

Fortunately, fate was kind, granting him another chance at life, a healthy body, and the possibility to roam the world with a sword.

But feeling a chill at his back, Luo Changning’s gaze deepened: no, it should be roaming the world with a blade.

That chill, which only he could sense, vanished the moment he corrected himself, as if it had never existed—just a figment of his imagination.

Yet Luo Changning knew it was no illusion. Since he obtained the No-Blade, he knew there was something mysterious about it, far from ordinary.

But as things stood, his knowledge of the jianghu was still too limited to guess its origin, let alone its secrets.

He knew, however, that one day he would unravel its mysteries, unleash its full potential, and become its true master.

Yes, though he possessed the No-Blade, Luo Changning was very clear-eyed. He knew his current strength was nowhere near enough to wield its true power.

He was not yet worthy of it.

Driven by curiosity about the Yaohua Continent, Luo Changning pestered Aunt Qing to take him to the Su Family Clinic.

At that time, Su Meng wouldn’t let him practice martial arts. Not wanting to disappoint his aunt, Luo Changning hid his longing for martial arts, and instead studied basic medicine alongside his aunt and Wen Rugu.

Though he didn’t love medicine, neither did he dislike it.

Since the Su Family was famed for medicine and gu arts, he couldn’t afford to be completely ignorant.

Luckily, he had an exceptional memory, making learning easy. With the soul of a sixteen-year-old, he astonished everyone in the Su Family’s small courtyard, prompting Aunt Qing to exclaim repeatedly that he was truly her lady’s child.

But now, Luo Changning felt he would ultimately let his aunt down. For two whole years, he hadn’t touched medicine, barely handled herbs except for a few occasions when he needed to strengthen himself.

The enemy was too powerful, and he knew that apart from focusing on martial arts and building his influence, he had neither the time nor energy to waste on anything else.

So, much as he hated to leave Qingyang County—hated to leave friends, brothers, and his sister Xue’e—he knew he must go.

Romantic entanglements could not slow his steps toward greater strength.

Speaking of romance, Luo Changning suddenly found a face appearing in his mind.

It was an exquisitely handsome, delicate face, shining under the moonlight and impossible to look away from.

Yet beneath its gentleness was a resolute righteousness that commanded respect, with clear, untainted eyes.

Luo Changning laughed softly; reminiscing about childhood, how did his thoughts wander to that youth he’d seen at Bai Mansion that night? Was he truly bewitched?

Otherwise, why did that youth’s face keep appearing in his mind lately—especially those clear, bright eyes, as if they contained the entire starry sky, dazzling and unforgettable.

Luo Changning felt little about leaving Annan Dao, for he believed that fate would bring them together again, and it wasn’t as if he would never return.

Yet the thought that he might never see that youth again after leaving filled him with inexplicable frustration. He even felt the urge to go to Bai Mansion and find out exactly who that youth, Yun Ruoyi, was, and where his home lay.

Luo Changning feared that if he didn’t ask, he might never meet Yun Ruoyi again.

After all, such an ethereal, enchanting youth clearly couldn’t be someone raised in Bai Mansion. But he’d never heard of any Bai family relative surnamed Yun, nor could Yun Ruoyi have any real connection to the Bai family—perhaps he was simply a guest staying there by coincidence.

Letting out a long sigh, Luo Changning, restless and uneasy, bid farewell to Xiang Yinglong and Xiang Ao, then walked slowly out of Luoyang Martial Arts School and headed home.