Hua Yan was completely stunned at that moment.
She had only been away from home for a month, and now her seniority had somehow increased! Also, what on earth was this “Master’s wife” nonsense!
“Kid, watch your words!”
The young man, oblivious to Hua Yan’s displeasure, continued with a loud voice, eyes filled with pleading, “Great Hero Lu, please take me as your disciple!” He crawled forward half a step, wanting to cling to Lu Chengsha’s leg but not daring to, “I really want to become stronger. I’ll do anything to get stronger. I’ll work like an ox or horse for you…” His tone grew more urgent and even carried a hint of sobbing by the end.
Unfortunately, Lu Chengsha showed no intention of paying him any attention.
The young man remained on his knees, crying his heart out. His greyish-blue sword robe dragged on the ground, looking quite familiar.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Uh… you’re from Dangshan Sect, right? Is it okay to switch allegiances so casually?”
The young man, hearing this, glanced at his sword robe with a sorrowful look. Determination flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and immediately began to strip off his outer robe. In no time, he had it off and tossed aside, his baby face now deadly serious, “Master’s wife is right! As long as Great Hero Lu takes me as his disciple, I will immediately leave my sect and never return to Dangshan Sect!”
Hua Yan couldn’t help but correct him, “…Not Master’s wife!”
The young man was stunned, pondered for a moment, then carefully asked, “Senior sister…?”
Now it was Hua Yan’s turn to be stunned.
Although the situation seemed off, she had indeed learned martial arts from Lu Chengsha. So being called senior sister wasn’t entirely wrong… Moreover, being called senior sister inexplicably made Hua Yan a bit happy. She felt like she had become a heroine from a prestigious sect.
Hua Yan happily accepted this designation and asked, “So why are you so insistent on taking Great Hero Lu as your master? Dangshan Sect isn’t bad either…”
The young man lowered his head and said, “I want to avenge my family, but I’m too weak right now… The uncles at my sect said I need to wait a few more years before they would take me as a disciple, but I can’t bear to wait any longer… Great Hero Lu’s martial arts are unparalleled. If he teaches me, I will surely become strong enough to avenge my family!”
Hua Yan nodded repeatedly, indicating her understanding.
The young man clenched his fists, barely containing his excitement, “Although the Demon Sect leader is dead, the sect has not been completely eradicated… One day, I will personally destroy the Demon Sect completely!”
Hua Yan: “…”
She knew it!
Xie Yingxian isn’t even dead yet!
Oh well… She was used to it anyway.
Hua Yan, feeling somewhat numb, asked, “What kind of revenge are you seeking?”
A fierce hatred and traces of sorrow flashed in the young man’s eyes, “My family… they all died in the Miyin Dragon Cave. My mother passed away from depression not long after giving birth to me… All because of those heartless scum from the Demon Sect…”
The Miyin Dragon Cave massacre was an event so infamous that every person in the martial world, even Hua Yan, was well aware of it.
The incident happened over a decade ago, during the autumn. The top martial artists from all the major sects received a hero’s invitation from Duan Yan, the greatest swordsmith in the world. He claimed to have recently discovered a remarkable piece of meteorite iron and had forged an extraordinary sword with his life’s effort. He planned to present the sword soon and wished to find a worthy owner for it, thus inviting the experts to gather at the Miyin Dragon Cave.
Duan Yan, who started as a blacksmith’s apprentice, had dedicated his life to forging swords. He was known for his integrity and meticulous craftsmanship, regardless of who commissioned him. Many in the martial world had benefited from his work, earning him a stellar reputation.
After sending out the invitations, numerous heroes and even sect leaders flocked to the Miyin Dragon Cave, including the heads of Qingcheng Sect and Baiya Peak. While Tingjian Manor, known for its sword-making prowess, sent fewer representatives, other sects’ experts arrived in droves, creating an atmosphere even more bustling than the Sword-seeking Tournament.
The Sword-seeking Tournament typically attracted more disciples, whereas the gathering at the Miyin Dragon Cave consisted mainly of sect leaders and senior figures.
The Miyin Dragon Cave, located a few miles from Duan Yan’s residence, was known for housing his forge and sword pool, where he would live and work until a famous sword was completed. This arrangement did not surprise anyone.
When everyone arrived at the cave, Duan Yan had not yet emerged. A sword boy greeted them, saying that the master would come out once everyone was present.
No one expected that when everyone was finally gathered, instead of meeting Duan Yan, they experienced a sudden earthquake that sealed the cave.
Trapped inside were over a hundred martial artists. Upon entering the cave, they discovered that Duan Yan had already died beside his forge, and even the sword boy who greeted them had succumbed to poison.
It was all a trap from the beginning.
Normally, the combined efforts of the experts could have ensured their survival. However, no one anticipated that the cave was filled with a highly toxic incense that clouded their minds, making them violent and murderous.
In the nearly sealed environment, the incense’s effects were amplified to the maximum.
They turned on each other in the cave. No one knew the exact details of what happened inside; all that was known was that when someone realized something was wrong and broke open the cave, they found a scene of utter carnage. Corpses were scattered everywhere, the remains torn apart, the place resembling a hell on earth. Blood flowed from the cave, filling the air with a stench that lingered for a long time.
It was said that many disciples sent by various sects to retrieve the bodies of their masters were so frightened by the sight that they were traumatized.
A few severely injured individuals who were fortunate enough to survive the ordeal later exhibited varying degrees of insanity and mental confusion.
These heroes were known for their extraordinary mental fortitude, so it was hard to imagine what had transpired to make them unwilling to recount the events.
After this incident, the righteous sects suffered a severe blow to their vitality for years. Many sects, especially smaller ones, were left with only a few junior disciples after losing their leaders, almost leading to their extinction.
The massacre sent shockwaves through the entire martial world at the time.
As for the true culprit, Hua Yan thought helplessly, almost everyone in the righteous path believed it was the Demon Sect, or more specifically, a collaboration between Xie Yingxian’s father and Hua Yan’s mother.
This wasn’t hard to understand. The righteous sects were greatly weakened, benefiting the Demon Sect the most. The Demon Sect was notorious for its use of poison and underhanded tactics, so setting up such a grand scheme seemed fitting.
During that period, those seeking revenge against the Demon Sect were as numerous as fish crossing the river, many engaging in suicidal revenge attempts. Despite the Demon Sect’s efforts to guard against them, many disciples and hall masters perished.
The Tiancan Sect, in turn, couldn’t take this lying down and naturally sought revenge.
As a result, the casualties on both sides grew even more severe.
However, although Hua Yan’s mother did gloat over the incident, the Zhengyi Sect truly had nothing to do with it.
Her father even argued with her mother over it because he disapproved of such actions. After marriage, her mother had almost entirely given up her former ways. She would even secretly kill a chicken, fearing her father’s faintness at the sight of blood.
When the rumors spread, her father had also suspected her mother, making her so angry she nearly slit her throat to prove her innocence.
Later, when her father realized it truly wasn’t her doing, he felt guilty and humbly begged for her forgiveness, spending over half a month sweet-talking her with nearly every romantic word he could muster before she finally forgave him.
For Hua Yan, this incident seemed like a distant story, but the living orphan of the massacre before her made her realize it was a real event that had truly happened.
And that their Demon Sect, being wronged, might never see its name cleared.
The judgment for this single massacre alone was enough for Xie Yingxian to die a thousand times.
Hopefully, Xie Yingxian could figure something out himself.
Hua Yan rarely felt a bit melancholic.
Lu Chengsha, though not understanding her melancholy, still patted her comfortingly.
Seeing this, the young man wiped away his tears and said, “Senior sister, don’t be sad. I will avenge them one day! So, Master, will you accept me now?”
***
He still didn’t accept him.
The disappointment in the young man’s eyes was palpable as he picked up his robe and walked out step by step. Even Hua Yan felt a bit uneasy.
Seeing her like this, Lu Chengsha hesitated.
After a while, the dishes were served, and Lu Chengsha finally said, “…Should I just accept him?”
Hua Yan was picking up some food with her chopsticks when she heard him speak. She paused and said, “It’s your decision to take on a disciple, you don’t need to ask me!”
They were halfway through their meal when she heard Lu Chengsha say, “I’m not used to it.”
Hua Yan looked up, a bit puzzled, with a piece of pork elbow in her mouth, “Not used to what? The pork elbow? You never mentioned it before.”
Lu Chengsha was silent for a moment before saying, “…It’s nothing.”
Hua Yan generously said, “If you don’t like it, just say so. We won’t order it next time. There are so many dishes to choose from, you can have whatever you like! No need to force yourself. Eating out should be about enjoying the meal. By the way, you usually eat everything. I’ve always wanted to ask what kind of food you actually like. Is it sweet, salty, spicy, or something else?” She blinked at him, asking curiously.
Lu Chengsha suddenly sighed with relief. He looked at the table full of delicious dishes and thought for a moment, then said, “I like them all.”
Remembering how Lu Chengsha had once bought a simple pancake before setting off without any fuss, Hua Yan genuinely said, “Great Hero Lu, you are really easy to please!”
After finishing their meal, Lu Chengsha seemed eager to practice swordplay with Hua Yan.
Using this as a post-meal exercise was simply too brutal. Hua Yan rubbed her wrist apprehensively. Although Great Hero Lu was a nice person, sparring with him was not fun at all!
He was too strong! There was no sense of achievement in fighting him!
It was just a one-sided game where she was being toyed with!
However, the sword Lu Chengsha brought was excellent. Produced by Tingjian Manor, it was guaranteed to be of high quality, both light and sharp, with an exceptional grip. The blade was exquisite, and even the scabbard was beautifully crafted, with delicate hollow patterns resembling jewels. Hua Yan had even visited the nearby Tingjian Manor’s sword shop, but none of the swords there could compare to this one, making it difficult to estimate its value.
Wearing it at her waist, Hua Yan felt like a bona fide heroine.
As she played with the sword, she recalled that famous disciples of major sects all had named swords. Delighted, she said, “Should I give it a name?”
Lu Chengsha replied, “Hmm.”
“What should I call it? Oh, does your sword have a name?” She had asked this before, but Lu Chengsha hadn’t answered her then.
Hearing this, Lu Chengsha said, “Wuren.”
Hua Yan was surprised, “It really has a name! Why is it called that?”
Lu Chengsha explained, “My grandfather named it.”
“Oh? Did he give you the sword too?” Hua Yan looked at the black, unremarkable long iron sword on Lu Chengsha’s back, a question she had wanted to ask for a long time. “Why do you use this sword? It doesn’t look like a treasure at all.”
Lu Chengsha seemed taken aback by her question. He drew the sword and placed it in his hand.
Indeed, it was a plain, black, long iron sword, so unremarkable that it might go unnoticed if left by the roadside.
Tingjian Manor was renowned for its countless famous swords, yet in Lu Chengsha’s hands, there was only this one.
After looking at it for a while, Lu Chengsha said, “It’s hard enough. That’s all that matters.”
Hua Yan thought about it and realized he was right. With Great Hero Lu’s strength, it didn’t matter what sword he used—he could still win!