In the Qi-Lu Region, Jinan Prefecture, Mount Tai Sword Sect.
It was the fifth watch of the night, and the world was pitch black; the rooster, which announces dawn, was still asleep in its coop.
In a small courtyard within the Mount Tai Sword Sect, Master Zuo Lishan, the head of the Mount Tai Sect, was practicing swordplay shirtless.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The sword sliced through the air, producing a sharp whistling sound.
Although the sword moves were still based on Mount Tai Swordplay, their intrinsic nature was completely different now.
Anyone who could reach the realm of a peerless master possessed the talent and comprehension necessary to establish their own sect.
In the hands of such individuals, all techniques were no longer confined to their original forms but would gradually evolve into a style most suitable for themselves.
And the disciples within the sect would naturally, under the influence of these masters, gradually develop martial arts different from the original.
This was also the process by which martial arts in various major sects in the martial world were innovated; many sects' martial arts, through the iteration of such masters, had become completely different from the methods of their founding ancestors.
For example, the original Mount Tai Swordplay was a grand, dignified, and upright sword art.
However, in Zuo Lishan’s hands at this moment, this sword art subtly revealed a fierce, overbearing dominance that relied on sheer power.
Rather than a sword art, it was more akin to a saber art.
Martial arts do not necessarily reflect a person's character, because not everyone in this world can use martial arts suited to themselves, nor does everyone act according to their own nature.
For example, if someone is a born villain, extremely talented, but joins a righteous sect. He naturally cannot cultivate martial arts that are inconsistent with his own nature to their limit, but he can still practice them quite well due to his talent.
If he uses righteous martial arts his entire life and does righteous deeds his entire life, then no one can discern his true nature from his martial arts. When he dies, everyone will give him a thumbs-up and call him a “Great Hero.”
However, for someone like Zuo Lishan, who uses martial arts in his own distinct style, his swordplay is certainly a reflection of his inner character.
In this courtyard, Zuo Lishan practiced sword stroke after sword stroke, giving his all with each one, until the rooster crowed at dawn.
“Hoo—”
He exhaled, and in the cold air, his breath was like a white arrow, traveling three or four feet before slowly dissipating.
Zuo Lishan stood for a moment, then walked to a large vat in the courtyard to draw water, pouring it over himself scoop by scoop.
It was late autumn, and the water had frozen overnight in the courtyard, making it bone-chillingly cold. When poured over him, steam billowed off his body.
After washing off his sweat, Zuo Lishan entered the room.
His disciple, a woman in her twenties with a charming face, lay on the bed. She was accustomed to Zuo Lishan's routine and was lazily opening her eyes, gazing at him with silken, infatuated eyes.
Zuo Lishan said nothing, simply flashed onto the bed.
“Oh… cold—” a soft cry.
Half an hour later, Zuo Lishan rolled out of bed and dressed.
He went to a quiet room and began to meditate and cultivate his internal energy.
It wasn't until noon that someone knocked on the door and brought him food.
A bowl of coarse rice, a plate of boiled beef, and a plate of green leafy vegetables, all bland and tasteless.
Zuo Lishan held the bowl in his left hand, taking a bite of meat, then a bite of rice, a bite of vegetables, then a bite of rice, swallowing the food like a machine.
After finishing his meal, he aligned his chopsticks and placed them on the bowl.
A plate on the left, a bowl in the middle, a plate on the right, perfectly symmetrical and neat.
Only then did Zuo Lishan go to the Mount Tai Sect's administrative hall to handle the sect's affairs.
In the afternoon, as the sun set, a disciple knocked on his door and came forward to report.
“Master, Zhao Ying, the Young Chief Escort of Tiger Might Escort Agency from Jizhou Prefecture, requests an audience.”
“Tiger Might Escort Agency?” Zuo Lishan pondered upon hearing this, “Is that the one whose Chief Escort died recently? The one named… Zhao Dehua?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Did she say what it was about?”
“She didn't say, but Zhao Ying looked displeased and full of grief, not like someone coming for a visit.”
Zuo Lishan was silent for a moment, then said, “Invite her to the main hall. I will be there shortly.”
The disciple acknowledged the order and left. Zuo Lishan unhurriedly finished writing a formal invitation, then stood up and meticulously put away the paper and brush on the table before walking towards the main hall.
The Tiger Might Escort Agency in Jizhou Prefecture was a somewhat reputable righteous faction in the Qi-Lu Region, but it lacked formidable masters. While Zuo Lishan had to maintain the demeanor of a prestigious righteous sect and would not refuse to meet, he certainly didn't show much respect.
Inside the hall, Zhao Ying was seated in the guest seat. Seeing Zuo Lishan enter, she quickly rose to pay her respects.
“Master Zuo.”
She looked up at Zuo Lishan; he was tall, with ape-like arms and a wasp waist, his face simple and stern, and his clothes were perfectly smooth, without a single wrinkle.
Zuo Lishan became a peerless master before the age of forty, and in the martial world of the Qi-Lu Region, he was undeniably prominent. In recent years, he had subtly shown signs of integrating the Five Mountains Sword Sect, positioning himself to become a giant among the righteous factions of the Central Plains Martial World.
However, his personality was domineering and unyielding. He didn't much care for formalities in his actions, focusing solely on expanding the Mount Tai Sword Sect, often taking unconventional steps.
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To have him preside over justice would come at a cost.
Had there truly been no other option, Zhao Ying would not have sought out Zuo Lishan.
“Heroine Zhao, please be seated.” Zuo Lishan nodded, not returning the bow, and directly sat in the main seat. Without any pleasantries, he immediately got straight to the point.
“Heroine Zhao, what brings you here?”
Zhao Ying paused, then spoke, “Does Master Zuo know about my father’s murder?”
“I have heard of it.”
“The person who killed my father used Hua Mountain Swordplay.”
“Oh?” Zuo Lishan spoke without emotion, “How can you be so sure?”
“That day, my escort agency and I chased the culprit out of the city and fought a battle with her.”
“At first, she was afraid of exposing her sect and didn't use a sword. In the end, when she had no other choice, she drew her sword and performed three moves.”
“One of those moves, I saw a member of the Huashan Sword Sect use it during your sect's Five Mountains Alliance Meeting, which my father brought me to attend.”
“It was precisely ‘Yuntai Three Falls’!” Zhao Ying exclaimed indignantly.
“Are there any witnesses?” Zuo Lishan asked indifferently.
“All twenty-some members of my Tiger Might Escort Agency were present that day and saw it clearly. There is absolutely no falsehood in my words.”
The matter of integrating the Five Mountains Sword Sect had been ongoing for many years, and the role the Huashan Sword Sect played in it was no secret in the martial world.
Zhao Ying knew that the Mount Tai Sect had long harbored designs on the Huashan Sword Sect, but due to the face of a righteous sect, they lacked a suitable reason to act.
Her shoulder meridians had been crippled, and her martial arts were mostly gone. Revenge on her own was hopeless, so she could only pin her hopes on the Mount Tai Sect’s designs on the Huashan Sword Sect.
Zuo Lishan pondered for a moment, then said, “The Huashan Sword Sect has a long history, and it’s not as if no one has ever betrayed their lineage.”
“As for the direct lineage heart methods, they would not circulate in the martial world. But if we’re just talking about sword moves, that’s not necessarily the case.”
“Based solely on one move, ‘Yuntai Three Falls,’ I cannot confirm that this culprit is from the Huashan Sword Sect.”
Zhao Ying understood Zuo Lishan’s implied meaning and immediately said, “That culprit also announced her name!”
“Whether she is a disciple within the Huashan Sword Sect can be easily verified!”
“Her name is Mei Qinghe!”