Chapter 221 - 163: Invitation
’Willing to do anything?’
Lu Changfeng simply ignored Hong Xiangxiang’s intense gaze.
As for Zhao Xiaoxing.
Lu Changfeng looked into Zhao Xiaoxing’s eyes and said, "If you are to train in the sword by my side, you must leave your mother. Are you willing?"
Hearing this, Zhao Xiaoxing hugged Hong Xiangxiang’s arm tightly, clearly unwilling to leave his mother.
"You child, are you a fool? Do you have any idea who this man is?"
"If you train in the sword with him, you’ll have a bright future, you know."
Seeing her son’s reaction, Hong Xiangxiang was both gratified and exasperated, so she began to scold Zhao Xiaoxing.
Lu Changfeng stopped Hong Xiangxiang’s scolding.
He found a teahouse nearby and invited the mother and son for morning tea.
Inside the teahouse, they had a long talk.
Lu Changfeng learned about what Hong Xiangxiang had been through in recent years.
For some unknown reason, Zhao Xiaoxing did not inherit the Soul Seed Talent, so he was removed from his position as the heir to the Sacrificial Priest.
Coupled with Hong Xiangxiang being stripped of her title as Saintess, she had severed ties with the Taihong Association a few years ago and, in a fit of anger, left with her son.
After that came the invasion of the Dalang Alien Race.
As a lone woman with a child—a vulnerable mother and son—Hong Xiangxiang naturally couldn’t go to the front lines to fight the enemy.
They drifted from place to place, narrowly avoiding the massacres of the Dalang Alien Race.
Later, when Sword City was established, Hong Xiangxiang seized the first opportunity to slip into the city’s Inner City.
With her cultivation at the Tendon Transformation Realm Peak, Hong Xiangxiang served as a personal bodyguard for the wealthy madams and young ladies of Sword City’s Inner City, earning enough to provide for themselves.
Hong Xiangxiang’s current situation was such that she could leave Sword City at any time, which was somewhat different from what Lu Changfeng had previously imagined.
And so, Lu Changfeng took a sip of his tea and said softly, "You can take Zhao Xiaoxing to Qin City. With your strength, you’ll have no problem opening a Martial Arts Hall there to support yourselves. As for Zhao Xiaoxing, he can start by training at the Changle Martial Arts Hall."
Now that it came time to actually make the long journey, Hong Xiangxiang hesitated.
Her life in Sword City had been relatively stable recently.
Lu Changfeng saw Hong Xiangxiang’s hesitation. "You can think it over and come find me later. I’ll be staying at the Lucky Inn until the Sword Discussion Conference is over."
Lu Changfeng stood up, paid, and turned to leave.
"Mom, who is that man, exactly?" Zhao Xiaoxing looked at Hong Xiangxiang and asked with confusion.
Hong Xiangxiang sighed softly and stroked Zhao Xiaoxing’s head. "He’s a friend of your father’s, named Lu Changfeng. He was once the most brilliant Sword Dao Talent in all of Jiangnan Prefecture."
"Is he even better than Dad?"
"Mhm," Hong Xiangxiang nodded.
"Then does Uncle Lu know where Dad is?"
Hong Xiangxiang replied, "Maybe he does."
Zhao Xiaoxing watched Lu Changfeng’s figure disappear into the crowd, lost in thought.
...
Lu Changfeng left the teahouse.
He continued to wander aimlessly through Sword City.
It was clear that traces of the Divine Sword Sect were everywhere in Sword City.
This was only to be expected.
One could say that Sword City owed its very existence to the Divine Sword Sect, to Jiang Changge.
Before he knew it, Lu Changfeng had arrived at the largest area in the Inner City.
The headquarters of the Divine Sword Sect.
The current Divine Sword Sect headquarters naturally couldn’t be located in the remote mountains and was forced to be established in the center of Sword City.
The pavilions, terraces, and towers within the headquarters, along with the huge training grounds, were all built in a rather grand style.
He paused briefly before the Divine Sword Sect headquarters, and people began to approach him from all sides. Lu Changfeng had already sensed them and was not surprised.
After all, his face had once been a frequent feature on the front pages of Jiangzhou’s newspapers.
There were many people from Jiangzhou in Sword City, so it wasn’t strange for Lu Changfeng to be recognized.
To say nothing of a top-tier Sect like the Divine Sword Sect.
"Master Lu, welcome to Sword City." A Bone Refining Realm expert dressed in the robes of a Divine Sword Sect Elder came forward and clasped his hands in salute to Lu Changfeng.
Calling Lu Changfeng "Master Lu" instead of "Land Demon Sect" was a clear gesture of goodwill.
Lu Changfeng returned the salute. "I’m just looking around. Don’t mind me."
The Divine Sword Sect Elder said, "You jest, Master Lu. Weren’t you and our disciple, Bai Yimeng, comrades-in-arms during the Daliang Martial Arts exchange? Since you’ve come all the way to the Divine Sword Sect, why not come inside and have a seat?"
Lu Changfeng raised an eyebrow. "Is this your own idea, or that of the Divine Sword Sect Master?"
"Both," the Divine Sword Sect Elder said with a smile.
Lu Changfeng nodded lightly. "Then I suppose I’ll come in for a bit. Is Bai Yimeng in the Sect?"
While leading Lu Changfeng into the Sect’s headquarters, the Divine Sword Sect Elder turned back and said, "Rest assured. The Sword Discussion Conference is about to begin. Bai Yimeng has been training his swordsmanship within the Sect recently."
Lu Changfeng nodded slightly and followed the Divine Sword Sect Elder into their headquarters. With an Elder leading the way, the disciples at the entrance naturally let them pass without issue.
Before long, Lu Changfeng was brought to a hall within the Divine Sword Sect reserved for entertaining honored guests.
"Master Lu, please wait here for a moment."
The Divine Sword Sect Elder left, and soon after, a familiar figure walked in.
It was none other than the possessor of the Heroic Root Bone, Bai Yimeng!
"Brother Lu, I just knew you would come for the Sword Discussion Conference," Bai Yimeng said with a laugh.
Only a few months had passed since they last met in Jiangzhou City, but Lu Changfeng noticed that Bai Yimeng’s Heroic Root Bone had improved by another ten percent.
’I have no idea how this guy tempers his convictions.’
Seeing Bai Yimeng, Lu Changfeng thought to himself that he had found one more thing he needed to copy.
’Jiang Changge’s Supreme Sword Dao, Wei Hex’s Ancient Bloodline, Bai Yimeng’s Heroic Root Bone... My own Heroic Root Bone is still twelve percent away from Perfection.’
’This year’s copy slots are pretty much all booked up.’
"Brother Bai, your cultivation has grown immensely since we last met," Lu Changfeng said with a smile.
Bai Yimeng’s Realm had already stabilized at the Third Layer of the Bone Refining Realm: Silver Bone, just a hair’s breadth behind Lu Changfeng.
Bai Yimeng gave a wry smile. "Powerful enemies surround us, and the pressure is immense. All I can do is bury my head in bitter cultivation."
Lu Changfeng nodded slightly. To be honest, the last time Lu Changfeng had acted in his capacity as the Saint Master to drive away Pei Yuanshi, it had been out of sympathy for the people of Jiangzhou. After all, Lu Changfeng had lived in Jiangzhou for many years and held some affection for its people.
When he acted, he hadn’t considered the Divine Sword Sect at all.
The appearance of Sword City had been beyond Lu Changfeng’s expectations.
The Divine Sword Sect had seized the brief opportunity created by Lu Changfeng’s repulsion of Pei Yuanshi. Their rising star, Jiang Changge, had soared, comprehending a Supreme Talent.
His Combat Power had entered the same Realm as Lu Changfeng and Pei Yuanshi. Although he was still a bit lacking, he could now be mentioned in the same breath.
This forced Pei Yuanshi to cede a Sword City to the Divine Sword Sect.
Perhaps this was a sign that the Divine Sword Sect, once the First Sect of the Song Country, had not yet exhausted its destiny, that it was not fated to perish.
"I can see that Sword City has now established its own formidable presence. If Pei Yuanshi wants to go back on his word, he will have to pay an enormous price," Lu Changfeng said.
After a pause, Lu Changfeng asked.
"What format will this Sword Discussion Conference take? As a disciple of the Divine Sword Sect, you must have some inside information."