Su Muyu galloped forward at full speed, encountering three more checkpoints along the way. The guards at these checkpoints no longer gave him trouble, allowing him to pass after seeing his Peerless Token.
At the first checkpoint, Lu Yuzhai stared at the shattered fragments of spears scattered across the ground, lost in thought. Those around him assumed he was deeply shaken by his recent crushing defeat, and someone tried to approach to console him. But Lu Yuzhai merely waved a hand and said in a low voice, "Do not disturb me."
The others dared not press further and withdrew, leaving Lu Yuzhai to his brooding.
"Back then, during the Eastern Campaign against the Demon Sect, he fought side by side with the Spear Immortal… and after just a few observations, he could execute all thirteen forms…" Lu Yuzhai's gaze grew sharper and sharper until he suddenly raised his head. "Send orders to the checkpoints ahead—stop that man at all costs. You—take the Disciple's Path to the Martial Hall and have Sword Elder dispatch the Four Swordsmen of Dao Inquiry to intercept him outside the city."
The Disciple's Path was a narrow trail reserved exclusively for the direct disciples of Peerless City, leading straight to the city at twice the speed of the main road open to all. Though the disciple didn’t understand why Lu Yuzhai had suddenly become so tense, the urgency in his expression left no room for delay. The disciple mounted his horse and sped off.
"Four Swordsmen of Dao Inquiry… Senior Brother," one disciple ventured cautiously, "isn’t this a bit excessive?"
"Excessive? If only my authority extended further—I would have Sword Elder himself ride out!" Lu Yuzhai growled viciously.
Su Muyu was galloping at full speed precisely because he knew Lu Yuzhai had only been momentarily stunned by his display. Once the shock wore off, Lu Yuzhai would realize something was amiss about his identity, and then reaching the gates of Peerless City would no longer be so easy.
After Lu Yuzhai issued the interception order, the guards stepped onto the nearby watchtower and began pounding the war drums with wooden mallets. The thunderous drumbeats echoed all the way to the next checkpoint, where the guards, upon hearing them, paled and immediately ascended their own tower to relay the signal. The drums passed from checkpoint to checkpoint, and by the time Su Muyu reached the fifth one, the guard who had been about to let him through suddenly raised his head, frowning slightly. "That sound…"
"War drums," another guard reminded him. The two exchanged glances before abruptly stepping back, drawing their swords and pointing them at Su Muyu and the other travelers waiting to pass. "Back! All of you, back!"
Peerless City, Martial Hall.
An elderly man in a gray robe lounged on a long chair in the courtyard, sipping tea as he watched a group of young, robust swordsmen sparring and practicing. He yawned. "Luo Ge, lower your sword wind by three inches, slow your draw by two counts."
No sooner had he spoken than one swordsman's blade was knocked from his grip. His opponent—presumably Luo Ge—waved his sword triumphantly. "Thank you, Sword Elder!"
The old man blew on the steam rising from his teacup. "Next time, he won’t make that move. My advice won’t help you then. What you should be thinking about is why you should have executed that move in the first place. The Sword Way is divided into technique and principle—if you focus too much on technique, you’ll remain trapped in these struggles."
"I understand, Master," Luo Ge replied hastily, swallowing his pride and answering with humility."Elder Sword!" The defeated swordsman complained with some dissatisfaction, "Why did you have to remind him?"
The old man set down his teacup: "Xiu Ru, you could have won but chose not to, waiting for the perfect moment. Yet in this world, nothing is ever perfect. To walk the martial path is to gamble with one's life, and where there is gambling, there is risk. If you refuse to take any risks, you will keep losing opportunities until someone finds your weakness and defeats you in a single strike."
Xiu Ru flushed, lowering his head with his sword in hand: "This disciple will remember your words."
"Elder, Lu Yuzhai has sent someone over, saying there's a matter requiring the Martial Hall's intervention," a black-clad swordsman appeared behind the old man.
Before the elder could speak, Luo Ge's expression darkened: "What kind of trash is Lu Yuzhai, thinking he can order the Martial Hall around just because he's the city lord's first disciple? Tell him to get lost."
Xiu Ru, however, frowned slightly: "Lu Yuzhai may not excel in martial arts, but he's always been the most tactful in handling affairs. He wouldn't come to us without reason."
The old man nodded in agreement: "Speak. What is it?"
"You can say it directly here," the black-clad swordsman turned and said, "There are no outsiders present."
A disciple who had been following Lu Yuzhai hesitantly stepped forward, quickly bowing upon seeing the elder: "Elder Sword."
"What does Nephew Lu need from me?" Elder Sword asked leisurely.
The disciple clasped his fists and lowered his head: "Senior Brother discovered someone attempting to infiltrate Peerless City with ill intentions. He has already sounded the Prohibition Drum to halt passage at all checkpoints, but fears the intruder might force their way into the city. Thus, he hopes the Martial Hall can dispatch the Four Swordsmen of Dao Inquiry to intercept."
"Outrageous! Since when does our Martial Hall act as gatekeepers?" Luo Ge fumed. "If he found the intruder, why doesn't he handle it himself?"
The disciple flushed and shook his head: "Senior Brother tried to stop them but was defeated..."
"Defeated?" Luo Ge was momentarily stunned before laughing. "I knew it! If there were merits to claim, he'd have taken them first. He probably couldn't win, so now he wants us to help him. No way, tell him to go find his master."
"Mind your manners," Elder Sword coughed lightly.
Luo Ge hastily stepped back, lowering his head: "This disciple spoke out of turn."
"What is this person's identity?" Elder Sword inquired.
The disciple shook his head: "Unknown. They wore a mask, carried a paper umbrella on their back, and had a longsword at their waist. But when fighting Senior Brother, they used a spear technique."
"A spear technique? Which one?" Elder Sword pressed.
The disciple quickly replied: "Senior Brother said it was the Dragon's Surprise."
"Dragon's Surprise?" Elder Sword's expression changed. "He's certain?"
"The intruder admitted it themselves, saying they learned it after seeing Spear Immortal Sikong Changfeng use it," the disciple answered. "I couldn't have misheard—they definitely said Dragon's Surprise."
"Could they be from Snow Moon City?" Elder Sword waved his hand. "Luo Ge, Xiu Ru, Jia Zhou, Ye Wuxiu. The four of you, accompany this young man out of the city and assess the intruder's strength."
The four stepped forward with their swords upon hearing Elder Sword's command: "As you command."
Elder Sword said gravely: "Do not underestimate your opponent!"Luo Ge laughed, "I'm afraid that person isn't from Snow Moon City at all, just an ordinary spearman who boasted a bit after defeating Lu Yuzhai, and he took it seriously. If that's really the case, then I'll have to teach Lu Yuzhai a good lesson."
The messenger disciple dared not voice his anger and could only let out a cold snort, secretly hoping in his heart that the masked man would teach this person a proper lesson.
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