On the mountain, there was both the withered grass from last winter and the new green shoots that had just sprouted from the soil this spring, all swaying in the wind.

More and more martial artists gathered, like the bustling scene of last summer. They were patient, not making any hasty movements.

Song You was also patient, waiting for them to assemble.

Among them were several familiar figures, ones that seemed to have been seen last year. They were likely fortunate at the time, or perhaps skilled enough to survive falling off the cliff. It was unclear whether they had come again to seek treasure, were here to take revenge for the events of the previous year, or were simply here to enjoy the spectacle.

“So many people...” the cat murmured softly.

The horse, unaware of the events at Mount Beiqin last year, snorted as it saw this scene today.

“It’s fine.” Song You calmed the horse and looked on with quiet composure.

From his elevated position, he could see the distant Changjing City behind and the martial artists approaching. It wasn’t long before this group of martial artists seemed to have gathered.

Few people were coming from behind.

Just like back at Mount Beiqin, as more people gathered, their courage grew, and they moved closer and closer to Song You. Song You couldn’t help but smile.

The martial artists immediately tensed, gripping their knives and swords tightly. Although they felt that no matter how skilled the Daoist was, unless he was a god, it was impossible for him to kill all of them with just his own strength. It was impossible for him to stay calm in front of hundreds of bows.

They knew well that this Daoist had abilities like freezing, burning, and cursing. No one was willing to be the first to step forward.

“Guys, no one else is coming from behind.” Song You merely smiled slightly and said to them, “But I wonder what matters have brought you all here to seek me. Please speak quickly, as I still have a journey ahead.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd turned around. Indeed, there were no more people arriving.

It wasn’t that there was truly no one left, but those who did come were scattered. Looking at their side, it had become a sea of dark shadows, and their courage grew even more.

At this moment, a horse stepped out from the crowd. The black horse was ridden by a grey-clad swordsman whose face was wrapped in cloth.

Everyone thought he was stepping forward first, and they cast their gazes upon him.

However, this man seemed to have no intention of speaking. He continued riding forward, focusing on the Daoist in front. After walking a bit, when he saw the Daoist clearly, the swordsman’s eyes widened in recognition.

“

Swoosh

!” In a swift motion, the swordsman pulled off the cloth covering his face, revealing a young and handsome face.

“Sir!” The swordsman shouted, then quickly dismounted and cupped his fists in greeting. “Greetings, sir.”

“You’re…” Song You looked at him for a moment, then smiled. “So it’s you, Sir Shu. It’s been a while.”

The swordsman was none other than Shu Yifan.

“You flatter me,” Shu Yifan said. “When I parted with you at Xuzhou, I thought I would never see you again. I never expected to meet you again today, it truly is a stroke of luck.”

“Are you here to seize the treasure as well?” Song You asked.

“Not at all, please don’t misunderstand. I’ve never been interested in the Dou family’s paintings,” Shu Yifan quickly explained.

“I was merely traveling from the south to the north, passing through Changjing. I was about to leave the city when I saw many martial artists heading in this direction. I asked a few questions and they said that there was a Daoist here, someone who seemed like you. So, I came along to check, and to my surprise, it really was you!”

“Then it must be fate.”

“Sir...” Shu Yifan turned around to look at the sea of martial artists behind them, even the passing merchants were too scared to approach, then glanced back at Song You.

“It’s fine.” Song You remained calm.

Shu Yifan's eyes flickered as he considered the situation. Seeing that Song You's composure was genuine and not feigned, he nodded and said, “Today, I shall protect you!”

As his words fell, the swordsman led his horse to stand by Song You's side, turning to face the martial artists, holding his sword at the ready.

There were at least several hundred people opposite them, armed with knives, swords, and longbows. Yet, the swordsman stood unflinching, unafraid.

At the same time, the martial artists were in an uproar. Their earlier conversation had spread through the crowd.

When they heard that this young swordsman’s surname was Shu, someone immediately recognized him, sparking a flurry of discussions.

By now, Shu Yifan was no longer the nameless swordsman who had fought against various masters at the Great Liujiang Gathering three years ago. After leaving Xuzhou that year, he gained a reputation as a hero. After killing Lin Dehai in Zhaozhou, his name became famous as the number one swordsman in the world.

In the past two years, as he traveled through the southern regions, there were even rumors that he had mastered the sword momentum, starting to show some resemblance to the grand masters of a century ago who entered the Dao through martial arts.

It wasn't that several hundred people couldn't defeat a single individual. It was just that there were rules among martial artists as well.

For example, if the opponent were a Daoist or someone from the government, the group of martial artists would charge in, defeat the enemy first, and then settle the matter themselves, whether by fighting or negotiating—it was their own business.

But if the opponent were also a martial artist, and even more so someone well-known in the jianghu, the rules were different.

The crowd murmured among themselves, calculating the situation.

“I never expected that the world's number one swordsman, Shu Yifan, would also be here. It's a pleasure,” finally, a young man stepped forward, his white robes fluttering as he cupped his hands toward Song You and Shu Yifan. “I also didn't expect that Mr. Shu is an old acquaintance of yours. How interesting.”

“And you are?” Shu Yifan asked, his tone indifferent.

“I am from the Yunhe Sect of Changjing, my name is Xi Yishang, and my elder brother is Xi Yiji. We both participated in the Great Liujiang Gathering,” the young man introduced.

“Yunhe Sect...” Shu Yifan nodded but showed little interest.

Xi Yishang's face showed a hint of awkwardness. He smiled and again cupped his hands toward Song You. “We’ve met before on Mount Beiqin. I wonder if you remember me?”

“I remember,” Song You said, nodding in acknowledgment. “It's truly a stroke of luck to see you again.”

“Indeed. That day, when the Snake Immortal swept me off the cliff, I was lucky that I was standing close to the edge. After being swept down, I managed to grab a thorny vine on the cliffside, which saved my life,” Xi Yishang said respectfully as he bowed to Song You. “I told you back then I came to watch the fun, and this time I’m still here for the same reason. Please don't harm me, you.”

“You have quite a fondness for watching the fun,” Song You commented with a smile.

“What can one do? Life is short, one must find some joy,” Xi Yishang said, standing with his hands behind his back. “Seeing the Snake Immortal and being lucky enough to survive that day was already a gain for me. I wonder what I’ll witness this time.”

Song You simply smiled, not responding.

Xi Yishang's words seemed to serve as a kind of buffer. The group of martial artists had also finished their discussions and reached a consensus.

“Demonic Dao!” Immediately, another person stepped forward. “Do you still remember me, old man?”

As soon as the voice fell, Shu Yifan frowned.

He glanced at Song You from the corner of his eye, only to see Song You's expression remain calm, which made his furrowed brow relax slightly.

“Are you surnamed Guan?” Shu Yifan asked.

“Indeed!”

The speaker was a somewhat plump middle-aged man, his teeth gritted in anger, glaring at Shu Yifan as he held a large bow in his hand. “I did not come here to seek treasure today, but to seek revenge! What if you're here, Shu Yifan? You caused my elder brother to fall to his death off a cliff that day. Today, I’m here to risk my life. Even if you have unimaginable abilities, I will not spare you!”

“Why do you say such things?” Song You asked calmly, unbothered. “That day, when you came to block the road, it was the Snake Immortal who swept you off the cliff. Although the Snake Immortal was helping me, at most you could say there’s some connection between us. How can you claim I was responsible for your brother's death?”

“Don’t speak nonsense!”

Guan Meiqi glared fiercely at him and then spoke to the others, “Brothers, listen! We’ll charge together! I, Guan Meiqi, will lead the way. After we kill him, I won’t take any of the treasure! It will be distributed among everyone!”

“...” Song You helplessly shook his head and then turned to the others.

“I am Xiao Yan, greetings.” A martial artist stepped forward and called out to their side. “Although Elder Guan's words are harsh, please forgive me, Daoist Master. But if it’s really as Elder Guan said, and we all charge together, do you think you can withstand us?

“In the

jianghu

, peace is highly valued. We know your intentions, and you also know our abilities. So, please tell us, how should we go about exchanging the treasure?”

“Mr. Xiao speaks wisely. This time, there is no Snake Immortal to help, and everyone is well-prepared. So, please hand over the painting from your horse’s back, lest we end up in a bloodshed and stain your cultivation.”

“I am Zheng Tong, please, hand over the treasure.”

“We all know that you have incredible skills, but today, we have brought strong bows. Your abilities may not be of much use today.”

“Everyone is right. Unless you’re a divine being, with so many martial artists here, Daoist, you probably won't leave unscathed! Even if Shu Yifan has transcended into the Dao through martial arts, can he really fight a thousand on his own?”

“...”

More and more martial artists stepped forward—some offering advice, some urging action, others threatening, and some were relatives and friends of those who had died on Mount Beiqin that day. They weren’t here for treasure, but for revenge, inciting the crowd to kill him.

Song You listened quietly as they spoke.

Above, the wind and clouds gathered, and the sky darkened. One after another, people stepped forward, each word followed by a step, with those behind them following suit.

They were getting closer and closer to Song You.

Shu Yifan’s gaze was cold as he stood still, letting the wind rustle his clothes. He observed the martial artists in the crowd, calculating which ones seemed somewhat capable and which ones were the loudest. He pondered which ones he would need to kill first in order to suppress the crowd when the fight started.

“Everyone.”

But then, a calm voice came from beside him—Song You's. “Do you know what day it is today?”

“I don't know what day it is, only that if you do not hand over the treasure, it may be either your death or mine,” one martial artist replied.

“Even if I hand it over, you’ll still die.”

“Brothers, stop wasting time with him. Just fire a volley of arrows and kill him first! Afterward, we’ll settle the treasure’s ownership the way we do in the

jianghu

!”

“Don’t damage the treasure!” Song You simply shook his head and smiled. With a casual movement, he drew a box from the back of his horse.

At that moment, the entire crowd fell silent. All eyes were now on the box.

“Today is the

Jingzhe

,” Song You said.

At his words, only Shu Yifan’s expression changed. He glanced at Song You, then looked up at the sky. The others barely noticed what he had said, their attention completely on his actions.

Song You remained calm, opening the box. Inside was indeed a scroll.

The crowd of martial artists immediately stirred in excitement.

Some gripped their longbows and blades tightly, while others tiptoed, fixated on the scroll inside the box. Some were shoving forward, but no one noticed that the dark clouds above had already gathered, and the world had dimmed to an unnatural level.

“

Bang

!”

Before anyone could clearly see what was inside, the box snapped shut again. The crowd raised their eyes, only to see the Daoist's calm expression.

“To take the treasure from my hands, you must first take my life. Let's see if you all have the ability to do that. But let me remind you, once you draw your bows and unsheath your swords, there will be no turning back.”

“...”

Upon hearing this, everyone realized that it would be impossible to peacefully take the painting from the Daoist today. They exchanged glances, and each of them made their own decision in their hearts.

Killing intent gathered on the mountain.

That being said, even if the Daoist handed over the painting today, it would only remove the strongest opponent. There was only one scroll, but so many of them, so a battle was inevitable.

At this moment, the martial artists were completely silent.

Slowly, some people noticed—though no one knew when or why—that some of the hair of those present had begun to float up, swaying in the wind but not falling back down.

The more murderous the intent, the higher the hair floated.

“Thunder’s coming!”

“Everyone, shoot your arrows!”

“All together!”

“Aim more carefully!”

The sound of bowstrings tightening filled the air.

Shu Yifan said nothing, merely spurring his horse forward by a step. With a whoosh, he drew his sword from its sheath. However, his eyes couldn’t help but look up to the sky.

With his keen senses and the Sword Dao he had comprehended, he could already sense the terrifying power gathering above the dark clouds. This power made his heart tremble.

“I must make it clear to you all,” the Daoist said calmly, “The ones who die today will be those who seek to kill me. The ones who are injured will be those who seek to harm me.”

He remained composed, “Let me remind you again, I have been cultivating in the mountains of Lingquan County in Yizhou. From this day forward, the Dou family's ultimate treasure will no longer exist in the

jianghu

.”

“

Whoosh

...” Someone released an arrow.

It triggered a chain reaction, and everyone else quickly let loose their arrows. The arrows rained down like a storm, cutting through the sky.

Shu Yifan squinted his eyes, focusing on the arrows. With one hand firmly gripping the sword hilt, the sword’s momentum began to build.

But almost simultaneously, light erupted from heaven and earth!

The dark clouds overhead began to churn. Thousands of bolts of lightning descended in unison, gathering at the mountain peak, illuminating the world in a blinding flash of white. Even the greatest sword master could not keep their eyes open.

This was divine power, not human power!

In an instant, his thoughts wandered back to that thunderstorm night three years ago…

Around the charity hall, thunder roared continuously. That night, he had sat by the door, absorbing the force of heaven’s thunder. Though it had lasted only a single night, he gained immeasurable insights. Even after leaving, he often thought back to the tremendous lightning from that night, still benefiting from it to this day.

By now, rumors had spread that his swordsmanship was as fierce as thunder—still as unmoving as before, but once his sword was drawn, the blade would flash like lightning, its force like thunder, continuous and relentless. All of it had been drawn from the thunderous force of that night.

At that time, he had wondered. There was thunder every year, everywhere. Yet, he had never seen lightning with such overwhelming power, so continuous.

When he left, he had left behind a message, reminding the Daoist that Lin Dehai had never married and only had one son. He had done so to reassure the Daoist that even if he defeated Lin Dehai with the insight gained from him, he would not add to his karma. However, even though he had left that message, he still couldn't be entirely sure at the time.

It wasn't until much later, as time passed and his contemplation deepened, that he gradually realized. It wasn’t that year that was special. It wasn’t that place that was special. It was the Daoist beside him.

It was only today, seeing the sky filled with lightning once again, that he could finally confirm: The thunderous force from that night, and the subsequent insights into the sword path, had truly been bestowed upon him by this Daoist’s providence.

“

Crack! Crack!

” No one knew how many people the thousands of bolts of lightning had struck.