Chapter 058 – My Blade Has Improved! Master, Please Advise!

A long boat drifted smoothly along the gentle current, its hull cutting through the water with a soft whoosh.

Beneath the canopy, a young man dressed in black robes sat quietly, blade strapped at his side. His posture was calm and composed, sleeves resting neatly at his sides, and a measured serenity showed in his gaze.

“Morning, Young Master Li,” the boatman greeted him obsequiously, dipping his head as he worked the bamboo pole to steer them forward. Hidden in his tone, however, was the faintest hint of condescension.

Everyone knew Li Yuan was the direct disciple of the famed Senior Li, rumored to be chosen because of his extreme caution.

On his very first day at the black market, he’d supposedly taken ill and returned home, dodging an assassination attempt by the Wei Family. Meanwhile, his unfortunate partner, Wen Xiaoqiao, had not been so lucky.

Word on the street was that Senior Li, feeling the weight of old age, had been eager to pass down his legacy. And so, thanks to Li Yuan’s caution—or perhaps just sheer luck—this young man had earned the title of Young Master Li.

According to many in the Blood Blade Sect, though, he was just a rather average ninth rank martial artist who preferred the bow.

After some time, people got wind that, despite his status as a direct disciple, Li Yuan didn’t actually possess the official tokens for either inner disciple rank or a gold residency pass.

In fact, he was still living in the shabby outskirts along Silver Creek. Even outer disciples didn’t usually stay there.

As one month stretched into another, it became a running joke. Li Yuan, stuck in the slums, lacked any real authority.

Further rumors alleged that he’d lost his seat in the prime residential district to a newer, more gifted arrival—pushed down the pecking order.

This was the same story Yu Mao had quietly told Li Yuan. But after sharing the news, Yu Mao began to distance himself. He’d befriended Li Yuan initially because he believed him to be a future inner disciple. However, when it became clear that Li Yuan couldn’t even fend off the sect’s power plays, he became hesitant to stay close.

Li Yuan was well aware of all this.

Just then, a soft bump disturbed his thoughts. The boatman had guided the vessel against the shoreline, using the flow of the water to help nudge them ashore.

“We’ve arrived,” the boatman announced.

“Mhm,” Li Yuan replied tersely.

He rose to his feet and hopped onto land, heading toward the north market. At once, the passersby began greeting him.

“Good morning, Young Master Li!”

“Hey, Young Master Li! Back in the black market again, I see.”

“Looking well today, Young Master Li... haha!”

Everyone called out, regardless of whether they truly knew him or not.

No matter how the Blood Blade Sect members might look down on Li Yuan in private, or how they might secretly scorn him, none of that stopped them from treating him politely in person. But that politeness was purely out of respect for Senior Li. Everyone knew they were only honoring him, not Li Yuan himself.

As Li Yuan walked along, he kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, just as he always did.

Suddenly, a clamor arose in the distance, a cacophony of wails and shouts drawing closer.

A large crowd of people trailed behind a procession of ox-drawn carts. Each cart carried an iron cage draped in black cloth. Some carts returned empty, presumably heading back for another load.

When a gust of wind caught the cloth, Li Yuan saw people huddled inside the cages, limbs limp and expressions numb. The boisterous crowd following behind them were potential buyers. They knew this kind of upheaval often revealed hidden stock that the merchants usually kept tucked away. If they stuck around at the right moment, they could snap up what they wanted right on the spot.

Li Yuan frowned slightly and grabbed a nearby menial worker who was helping maintain order. “Why are they moving everything?”

The man looked irritated at first, but on recognizing Li Yuan, he quickly grew respectful. “The central market is gone for good. All these live goods are being shifted to the north market. It’s more convenient that way, since they come in via Silver Creek’s northern docks. Now, when they land, the selling point will be right there. Less hassle all around.”

“Why shut down the central market?” Li Yuan asked.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“I’m not sure,” the menial worker admitted. “They say the Wei Family hid a bunch of poison and traps there. One mishap could cause major casualties, so the alley leading to the central market is completely sealed now.”

Li Yuan let go of the man’s sleeve and hurried on toward the north market. Along the way, he passed those slow-moving ox carts, all headed in the same direction, and even through the black cloth, he could feel the despair radiating from those inside.

After about the time it took to burn a stick of incense, Li Yuan reached the unnamed little pavilion where Senior Li usually stayed.

As always, Senior Li lay on his rocking chair, leisurely swaying, though his injuries didn’t seem much improved from three months earlier. He looked only marginally healthier.

“You’re here,” Senior Li greeted, his tone as calm as ever.

Li Yuan went straight to the point. “Master, everyone from the central market has been moved here.”

Senior Li simply responded, “Then so be it. It’s better than leaving them there.”

“Yes, but...” Li Yuan hesitated. “Is the central market really sealed off just because the Wei Family supposedly planted poisons and hidden weapons?”

Silence weighed on the air. Finally, Senior Li said, “The sect master came out of seclusion. That order came from him.”

“Why, though?” Li Yuan pressed. By now, he felt he had every right to ask. The situation was getting stranger by the day.

Senior Li said, “Since you’re my student, I can share the sect master’s exact words with you. But if this gets out and causes upheaval in the black market, the Blood Blade Sect won’t let you off. You understand?”

Li Yuan nodded. “I won’t say a thing.”

Senior Li continued, “The Sect Master said that we can’t allow

it

to keep killing.”

“

It?”

Li Yuan felt his heart lurch; goosebumps prickled all over him, as if his blood had turned half to ice. So in the end, everything pointed back to his earliest suspicions.

The idea that the Wei Family’s spies were solely responsible was just a story for public consumption—or perhaps the Wei Family truly had spies, but they were taking the blame for something larger.

After all, the black market couldn’t afford chaos, nor could they simply relocate it. This island in the middle of the lake had a uniquely advantageous position, funneling in goods from all around and fueling the black market’s prosperity, which in turn benefited the Blood Blade Sect immensely.

Suppressing the chill in his veins, Li Yuan asked, “Master, then how can we deal with...whatever

it

is?”

Senior Li’s expression grew grim. He gulped his throat slightly before he spoke again. “The sect master merely said that if we keep the central market abandoned, it...won’t come out.

“As for dealing with it, he gave no further instructions. If we’re sealing off that place, it likely means we can’t deal with it. And that’s all I’ll say. Just keep your distance from the central market.”

Li Yuan nodded. “I understand. But do we really have no idea what it is?”

“No one knows,” Senior Li replied. “Think of it as a ghost, a spirit, or something else entirely. It doesn’t matter. That’s enough on the subject.”

He paused, then shifted tone. “My student, keep up your training. By early spring next year, you should be ready to replace your shadow blood. I want to see you through that process before I rest easy...”

Li Yuan gathered the manuals he’d come to collect and was about to take his leave when Senior Li called him back.

“About the inner disciple residence, space is limited, so there aren’t any vacancies at the moment. That’s why your token hasn’t been issued yet. Don’t read too much into it...”

Li Yuan stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t just brush the matter aside anymore. “Master, is it because the sect thinks I’m just a bow-wielding ninth rank martial artist—nothing special? So the place I was supposed to have was snatched by someone more highly regarded?”

Senior Li didn’t seem surprised that Li Yuan knew. He merely gave a faint smile. “Are you that impatient?”

“I suppose I am,” Li Yuan admitted.

“If you feel wronged, then train harder. Improve your skills. There’ll be opportunities later.”

Li Yuan took a steadying breath. “Speaking of training, I’ve been practicing my blade lately. I’ve made a bit of progress and would like your assessment.”

“Aha...so you still have some fight in you.” Senior Li chuckled. “Well, that’s normal. Without a bit of fiery spirit, you’d never make it as a martial artist. You want to show me a move, right? Is it Spring Thunder? Let me see how far you’ve come.”

“Yes, Master.” Li Yuan gave a respectful bow, then stepped back to reach for his blade. But Senior Li lifted a hand.

“Wait. Use the long-handled blade instead.”

Li Yuan walked over to the weapon rack and picked up a long-handled blade nearly two meters in length.

The moment he gripped it, the blade felt perfectly balanced, almost like an extension of his own arm.

In one swift motion, the young man tightened his grip on the hilt.

For an instant, time seemed to freeze. The long blade, secured in his iron-like grasp, let out a low, resonant hum that echoed through the air—a sound like a distant bell, murmuring its own mystic tune.

Senior Li abruptly opened his eyes, gaze riveted. “Resonance?”

In the next heartbeat, Li Yuan swung the blade with a force that tore the air, the ferocious arc of the slash howling endlessly. Like snow flung in a storm, the flash of steel descended from the heavens, aimed at the ground.

Before it could land, clouds of dust kicked up, swirling into a rolling haze. But the blade never struck earth.

Li Yuan’s fingers held the hilt fast. The savage downward swing cleaved only empty space, but the air exploded in a deafening boom—like thunder on a clear day—roaring through the unnamed pavilion.

The shockwave rippled in every direction, pushing the dust back in a violent surge.

People nearby, laborers loading goods and passersby alike, stopped and stared.

“A long blade really does feel best,” Li Yuan remarked with satisfaction. Pulling back the blade, he bowed respectfully toward Senior Li. “Master, what do you think of this strike?”

Senior Li needed a few beats before he found his voice. “Spring Thunder giving rise to buddha’s resonance, Spring Awakening sparking a dragon’s roar, Leaping Abyss stirring a ghostly wail...that’s a sign you’ve nearly perfected the form. Such mastery can only be reached through genuine insight. This Spring Thunder of yours...you actually drew out the resonance...”

Li Yuan lowered his head. “Your student has not betrayed your faith in him. Through good fortune, I managed to grasp this slash.”

Senior Li’s breathing grew unsteady. His eyes shone with excitement as he locked onto the young man before him. “Good, very good. Excellent!” he said repeatedly, then broke into a hearty laugh. “That old fool Wu might have a genius disciple, but does that mean I, Li Yu, can’t have one too?”

He calmed himself enough to continue. “I’d been willing to step back for the time being over something as small as a single residence. Whether it came a few months earlier or later didn’t matter. But if you managed this level of mastery in just over three months, then that room is yours by right.

“You must understand, caution and modesty are virtues. But that doesn’t mean we must swallow every insult. Li Yuan, if I arrange a duel with one of your fellow disciples, do you dare accept?”

Li Yuan glanced inwardly at the numbers he had in his mind—119~190. Then he glanced at Senior Li’s combat power of 140~145.

In an even tone, he replied, “I don’t seek conflict. But if someone snatches what’s rightfully mine, and in doing so embarrasses my teacher, I won’t stand idle...”

He closed his eyes briefly and placed his fists together in a formal salute. “I won’t disappoint you, Master.”