Why do I have so many masters?

When Wang Anfeng first saw Huangfu Xiong, he had just begun learning martial arts and had reached Foundation Establishment after a hundred days, his martial arts skills were terribly poor, while the latter had already made a name for himself among his peers with a pair of iron fists.

He was almost without rivals, except when faced with Qinshuang, who went by the alias Xue Shisan, before whom he had suffered a great loss.

Afterward, he planned to regain his reputation and had followed them all the way to Wangxian County, yet he still wasn't a match for his opponent.

At their first meeting, he was lazing under the pavilion, drinking his sorrows away, reeking of alcohol.

But thinking back now, the words spoken then were merely youthful arrogance and should not be taken seriously.

At that time, Wang Anfeng himself was terrible at martial arts and even more clueless, like an outsider peering curiously into the Jianghu from the threshold.

When Xiahou Xuan introduced him, Wang Anfeng believed everything he was told.

But now, having wandered the Jianghu for several years and survived countless life-or-death battles, he had encountered many top-notch peers and understood that there were always stronger people out there.

With the martial arts skills Huangfu Xiong possessed at that time, he might have been considered decent among nobles' offspring, but to stand out in the Jianghu of the Great Qin, he was definitely not 'only second to Shisan'.

Not to mention others, just Gong Yu from Qingfeng Edge, who had been raised by the Great Elder Murong Qingxue since childhood, was likely approaching Seventh Rank standards by the age of fifteen.

With a longsword in hand, he could summon wind and thunder, possessing a hint of the Immortal's sword's essence. Even compared to his peer, Qinshuang, it was uncertain who was superior and who was inferior, and certainly against Huangfu Xiong.

Probably just holding his sword scabbard, he could beat the young and lonely Huangfu Xiong, who fancied himself just behind Shisan, into utter confusion. Then that young man would have no choice but to sullenly lower his rank a bit further.

And then add another name to the list of people he must defeat.

He was always such a forthright and magnanimous person, hardly seeming like someone from a noble family.

Yet to think that such a wanton and unbounded man could be made to run helter-skelter, a total disarray, and even flee to the back mountains of Qingfeng Edge to hide, all because of a girl, made Wang Anfeng extremely curious. He chuckled and said,

"That person… is a young lady?"

Huangfu Xiong nodded sullenly and took another swig of alcohol, perhaps more distressed when Wang Anfeng mentioned that woman. He sighed repeatedly, almost choked by his own emotions.

Wang Anfeng joked,

"Looking at you, could that lady be exceptionally burly and robust?"

"Are her fists as large as clay pots, can she run horses on her arms?"

"Or does she have some grudge with you? Otherwise, how could she frighten you so…"

He paused midway, his eyes widening as he suddenly thought of a possibility. His voice sharply rose as he said,

"Could it be, Huangfu, that you jilted her?!!"

"I—or, cough cough cough…"

Just as Huangfu Xiong was about to gulp down more liquor, he was so distressed by the words that he sprayed out the alcohol in his mouth, supporting himself on the ground and coughing violently, his face turned beet red.

Wang Anfeng jumped back to avoid the strong smell and the shower of alcohol, not letting it stain his clothes.

He looked at Huangfu Xiong, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth, clearly having been joking. He was about to speak again but his expression subtly changed as he lifted his gaze towards the west.

As far as his eyes could see, mountains veiled in mist bore a surge of sharp energy, as if someone was practicing swordsmanship or possibly hastening with a sword.

But this was none other than the Qingfeng Edge's entrance, so he wasn't particularly concerned and withdrew his gaze.

After catching his breath, Huangfu Xiong, both angry and anxious, said,

"Anfeng, don't talk nonsense."

"There's no such betrothal, no such thing…"

"And I wasn't scared of her, just terribly annoyed. I couldn't fight or out-talk her, so I had no choice but to hide…"

While speaking, Huangfu Xiong's expression turned even more wistful and helpless. He guzzled the last bit of his drink, smacked his lips, and carelessly tossed the now empty jug beside him on the ground, where it clinked lightly against another empty jug, emphasizing the emptiness of the place.

It had only been shortly after the New Year. The area was completely bare. If it were lush with springtime, the scene would have been quite pleasant.

Looking up at Wang Anfeng, Huangfu Xiong smiled and said,

"Let's not talk about that vexing matter. As for you,"

"Although I've been confined to clan cultivation and haven't been in the Jianghu these past two years, I've heard about another Wang Anfeng. But he's not from Wangxian, he's from Fufeng County City. Heh, he's also skilled with a sword, a peer to you and me. If not for his reckless nature, I might have thought he was you."

Wang Anfeng raised his hand, pointing to himself, and said with a laugh,

"Could that be me?"

Huangfu Xiong was slightly taken aback, looking up at his former close friend adorned in a cyan robe, his hair held with a jade hairpin, with a sword on his back. His appearance had certainly matured, but his expression was even more mellow than before, his lips curled in a gentle, amiable smile.

It was more convincing to say he was a scholar from a private school rather than a wandering swordsman of the Jianghu.

He just laughed out loud, pointing at Wang Anfeng and shaking his head continuously as he said,

"Yes, yes, yes, you are definitely Wang Anfeng, but that Wang Anfeng is not you."

"He's from Fufeng County, you're from Wangxian County, even your hometowns are different. Plus, I heard that he once guarded the archives at the Great Qin Fufeng Academy, always carrying a wooden sword and dressed in blue robes."

"You're nothing like that…"

Wang Anfeng paused for a moment, looked at his own attire, feeling baffled and helpless.

In the past, it took him tremendous effort and mental energy to make others separate him from the guardian of Fufeng's scripts. But now when he told the truth, nobody believed him.

If those martial artists, who would never know the identity of the killer even until death, saw this, wouldn't they crawl out of the ground, grab Huangfu Xiong's neck, and shake him violently while shouting their defiance?

Huangfu Xiong laughed again:

"That guardian who could march right up to the Wind Character Tower to proclaim to the world, is indeed audacious and daring—a true man. If one day I could meet him, I would certainly treat him to a good drink, then beat him up harshly."

Wang Anfeng, somewhat woodenly, withdrew his hand and asked:

"Why is that?"

Huangfu Xiong chuckled darkly and said through clenched teeth:

"Why?"

"I was practicing martial arts peaceably in my clan, up until the day that news arrived. That crazy girl went even crazier. I had no choice, after the new year I had to run away from the clan, hoping for a few peaceful days…"

"But I don't know how much longer I can stay here."

"Maybe in just a few days, that crazy girl will follow me here, and then even Qingfeng Edge wouldn't be a place I could stay. But, this world is vast, and Jianghu is distant, there will always be a place for me to hide."

Listening to this, Wang Anfeng just smiled.

So obsessively worried, Huangfu Xiong could never really escape. He even felt that if one day that girl stopped pursuing Huangfu Xiong, there was a great possibility that Huangfu Xiong, having run to the ends of the earth, would turn around and plunge headlong back into the situation.

By then, escaping would no longer be an option.

His mind as clear as a mirror, Wang Anfeng however did not voice these thoughts.

Such matters were pointless for an outsider to discuss, as Huangfu Xiong wouldn't listen anyway. It was better just to observe from the sidelines. It was a pity, though, that he couldn't record Huangfu Xiong's expressions and words at that moment; otherwise, it would make a great story to laugh over later.

About half an hour later, suddenly a clear sound of a sword's chime came from the direction of the front hall. Huangfu Xiong sprang up, looked toward the source of the sound, his face fell, and turning to Wang Anfeng he sighed:

"Uncle Xuan from Qingfeng Edge is calling again."

"There's no choice, if I'm late there won't be good consequences. Even though they know we come to the mountain not seeking their superior swordsmanship, they are still so meticulous. I even somewhat admire Uncle Xuan."

"Anfeng, I must go first. If there is free time, let us meet again…"

Muttering his complaints, Huangfu Xiong sped toward the direction of the sword chime.

Judging by his movement technique, he was close to, if not already at, the Seventh Rank Martial Body, very much in the style of the Huangfu Clan from the Northern Frontier—domineering and forceful like the edge of a blade, intensely impressive.

Wang Anfeng watched as Huangfu Xiong departed, then sat cross-legged on the ground, gazing at the distant mountains shrouded in clouds and mist.

Sounds of swords clashing soon came from the front hall.

Presumably, Uncle Xuan was testing their martial arts.

Wang Anfeng vaguely remembered, three years ago when they had climbed the mountain, this Uncle Xuan had severely reprimanded him and Baili Feng and was somewhat kinder toward Xue Qinshuang and Tuoba Yue. Unexpectedly, three years later, she was responsible for testing and teaching these noble clan descendants martial arts.

Noble clan descendants climbed the mountain not seeking superior swordsmanship, but a thread of familial affection.

Yet Qingfeng Edge claimed, 'Only by resolving Qingfeng can one tranquilly climb to Jade Void', and with the sect having among them the world's foremost in Sword Dao plus the peerless master wielding the Five Phoenix Sword to overwhelm all rivals, would they lack the martial arts secret manuals hidden by those clans?

Unless they brought out something truly special.

Leaning against a mossy rock, Wang Anfeng blankly stared at the mountains through the mist, looking less like a private tutor and, of course, still not much like a martial arts master.

Precisely what he resembled, the woman standing not far behind him couldn't specify, nor did she care. She simply stood there holding her sword, silent, her white garment fluttering, making her seem even more aloof atop the mist-covered peak.

Much time passed, and Wang Anfeng sighed, facing away from the woman:

"Lady Gong Yu, when did you arrive? You could have said something."

Gong Yu replied coolly:

"You were deep in thought."

Wang Anfeng chuckled and, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, stood up, facing the woman behind him:

"Then the blame falls on me for making Lady Gong Yu wait."

"But since you've come to find me, I assume you already know about the arrangements Senior Zhu Ling made?"

Gong Yu's expression remained unchanged as she nodded:

"There are two others, I'll take you to see them."

Wang Anfeng paused, then asked:

"Not on the mountain?"

Gong Yu looked off into the distance, and nodded:

"Hmm."

"They're at Myriad Swords Peak…"

PS: Presenting the first installment of the day......