63: Would you be willing to become my disciple?

"Hmm, unique bone structure, stable sword heart. A promising talent."

Chen Wuji carefully observed Su Mengyao and was very pleased.

"What is your name?"

"This Junior is Su Mengyao. I thank Senior again for helping me out."

"You don't know my identity?"

"I do not."

Su Mengyao answered very directly.

Chen Wuji burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Hahahaha, I didn't expect there to be someone in Chess Sword Pavilion who doesn't know of my existence, Chen Wuji? How interesting. Little girl, which Elder's direct Disciple are you in the Sect?"

Su Mengyao: "Senior, this Junior is merely a Utility Disciple of the Sect, tasked by the Sect Master to manage this Medicinal Field."

"What? A Utility Disciple!"

Chen Wuji carefully scrutinized Su Mengyao again, only then realizing that she was indeed wearing the uniform of a Utility Disciple.

"No wonder you don't recognize me. I thought you were a direct Disciple of some Elder in the Sect, punished to the back mountain for committing a transgression. In that case, it's not so strange."

Su Mengyao cupped her hands: "Thank you, Senior, for helping this Junior today. This kindness, this Junior will engrave in my heart. This Junior still has many chores to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

With that, Su Mengyao bowed to Chen Wuji again, then turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Chen Wuji quickly called out to Su Mengyao.

"Girl, are you willing to take me as your master and inherit my legacy?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mengyao politely declined: "This Junior appreciates Senior's kind intentions, but this Junior has no desire for other matters now and only wishes to spend the rest of my life here."

"What a pity. Aptitude like yours is rare in a thousand years. Not cultivating the Sword Dao is truly a great loss."

Chen Wuji shook his head, a look of regret on his face.

"Girl, why don't you consider it again? This old man doesn't have much time left, but the sword techniques I've created throughout my life have yet to find a successor. If you are willing to inherit this old man's legacy, within ten years, your name will surely be known in the Sword Dao."

"I'm truly sorry, this Junior really doesn't want to wield a sword again right now. Please, Senior, find someone else. Chess Sword Pavilion is full of talents, I believe there are more suitable candidates than this Junior."

With that, Su Mengyao left without looking back.

"Hehe, little girl, since this old man has taken a liking to you,

how can it be up to you? The Blood River Sword Intent that this old man spent his entire life creating but has yet to complete,

must be completed by your sword heart. Flee? Can someone I've set my sights on truly escape?"

"Sword Emperor Sima Zhou, I will prove with my actions that I, Chen Wuji, am far stronger than you, this hypocrite!

When the complete Blood River Sword Intent emerges, everything of yours will be overshadowed, hahahaha, hehehehe..."

Chen Wuji watched Su Mengyao's retreating figure, a sinister and cruel smile on his face.

Returning to her residence on the mountainside, Su Mengyao picked up her axe, ready to go into the mountains to chop more firewood, when she encountered a Disciple sent by the Sect to summon her.

"Senior Sister Su, there isn't much grain left in the mountain gate. Please go down to Yunluo City to purchase some and bring it back, as quickly as possible."

"Hmm, hasn't the grain always been regularly delivered to the mountain gate by merchants from the foot of the mountain?"

"That's right, recently a group of evil cultivators appeared outside Yunluo City and harmed many people.

The merchants are now afraid to transport grain to the mountain gate. Currently, all the Disciples in the Sect are busy with their studies and cannot spare the time. We can only trouble Senior Sister Su to make the trip."

"Alright, I'll go then."

"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister Su."

The summoning Disciple completed his task, bowed to Su Mengyao, and left.

Su Mengyao didn't think much of it, took a deep breath, and headed down the mountain towards Yunluo City... Yunluo City, protected by Chess Sword Pavilion, was extremely prosperous.

But Su Mengyao had no mind to wander; she only wanted to quickly retrieve the grain from the designated merchants and return to the Sect to report.

This mission went very smoothly, and Su Mengyao quickly retrieved the grain from various merchants.

Although she was just a Utility Disciple now, Chess Sword Pavilion was, after all, the number one Sect in the Southern Domain. No merchant would be so foolish as to make things difficult for a dog of Chess Sword Pavilion, let alone a person.

Seeing that it was getting late, just as Su Mengyao was eagerly preparing to leave the city and rush back to the mountain gate to report, she passed a teahouse and was blocked by a Disciple of Chess Sword Pavilion.

"Su Mengyao, you escaped earlier this afternoon, but now I don't believe anyone will come to save you!"

The person blocking her way was naturally Han Feng.

Su Mengyao's eyes turned cold: "Han Feng, are you ever going to finish? Is it really worth it, all for Lu Qingyi?"

"Shut up, you vicious woman! What right do you have to call Senior Sister by her name!"

Han Feng roared, raising the Spirit Sword in his hand.

"Now I'll give you two choices. First, obediently come back with me and kneel before Senior Sister to kowtow and admit your mistake. Second, I will personally cut off your hands, making it impossible for you to ever use a sword again. Choose one."

Su Mengyao's eyes instantly turned icy: "Han Feng, are you planning to harm a fellow Disciple? Aren't you afraid of the Sect Master's punishment if he finds out?"

"Hmph, who in Chess Sword Pavilion doesn't know that the Sect Master doesn't like you at all?

No one would care even if you died. If you know what's good for you, come back with me and apologize to Senior Sister. Don't force my hand."

Su Mengyao took a deep breath, enunciating each word: "Make me apologize to her? I can't! If you want my hands, come and take them with your own ability."

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Since that's the case, don't blame me for being merciless!"

Han Feng roared and directly thrust his sword towards Su Mengyao.

This time, Su Mengyao was prepared. As Han Feng approached within three zhang, she agilely dodged to avoid being suppressed by his coercion.

Han Feng's sword missed, causing him to frown. He then swept out a Sword Qi, which rapidly attacked Su Mengyao.

Clang—

Su Mengyao had nowhere to dodge. She immediately drew the ordinary iron sword from her waist and used all her Spiritual Qi to block it with all her might.

After a piercing metallic roar, Su Mengyao's ordinary sword instantly shattered into several pieces. She herself was forced back more than ten steps by the fierce Sword Qi, uncontrollably retreating towards a seated customer in the teahouse.

"Stubborn! Let's see how long you can last!"

Han Feng's face was filled with intense killing intent. Seeing Su Mengyao's defeat clearly, he decisively raised his sword again and thrust it towards her vital points.

At this moment, the noise of the Sword Qi shattering the ordinary iron still echoed in Su Mengyao's ears, and her body uncontrollably retreated.

Even though she had already anticipated Han Feng's next move, due to the huge disparity in cultivation, she couldn't react at all.

Just as she closed her eyes, preparing to endure the sword strike, she suddenly felt her lower back being propped up by a closed iron fan.

"Qi enters the dantian sea, movement like the six meridians, stillness without end, action like thunder."

Hearing the person behind her silently recite the incantation, Su Mengyao felt her true essence boil within her, and her spiritual platform instantly became much clearer.

Just as Han Feng's sword momentum approached within three feet of her.

"Raise hands to embrace the moon!"

The voice from behind her sounded again, and her right arm, holding the broken sword, involuntarily lifted.

"Misplaced Sword, Bone Gouge."

Driven almost by instinct, Su Mengyao's broken sword spun at extreme speed in her palm, and her figure darted forward like a meteor.

Pfft—

Clang.

The moment she passed Han Feng, blood splattered, and metal hit the ground.

"Ah~ my hand!"

A mournful scream rang out. Han Feng clutched his bleeding severed hand, writhing in pain on the ground.

Su Mengyao stared in shock at the broken sword, now only a few inches long, in her hand, then looked at Han Feng, who was kneeling on the ground in excruciating pain. For a moment, she felt as if she were dreaming.

"How disappointing!"

A cold and arrogant voice sounded. Su Mengyao looked up.

She saw Shen Lian slowly stand up, place a spirit crystal on the tea table, and then walk directly out of the city without looking back.

It wasn't until Shen Lian's figure disappeared that Su Mengyao finally reacted.

She glanced at Han Feng, who was still groaning in pain on the ground, and immediately chased after Shen Lian out of the city.