199: Chapter 198 One should know that in youth one's lofty ambitions once aspired to be the best in the world.

An Lan raised her eyebrows, her eyes instantly filling with curious light, and she unconsciously leaned toward Lu Fan. "Why did you want to be a swordsman?"

"Back then, I often watched The Legend of the Condor Heroes with the adults."

Lu Fan's eyes sparkled with light, as if his younger self, who harbored heroic dreams, had returned.

"Hero Guo Jing acted with justice in the martial world, helping those in need and punishing evil; he was truly majestic! He traveled the world with high spirits and a vigorous posture, roaring at injustice and drawing his sword to help, saving the common people from danger."

"In The Desert, he bent his bow to shoot eagles, showing his heroic spirit; in Xiangyang City, he fought bravely against enemies to protect his home and country."

"I really idolized him and hoped that in the future, I could be like him—a hero who stands tall between heaven and earth, using my own strength to guard the justice and peace of the world."

As he spoke of his excitement, Lu Fan's voice unconsciously rose a bit, his face brimming with respect for his childhood idol and nostalgia for that hot-blooded dream.

"Haha, I didn't expect you to have such a hot-blooded heroic dream when you were a kid."

An Lan's eyes curved with laughter, filled with amusement as she teased him half-jokingly. Her crisp laughter echoed around the campfire, blending with the crackling of the burning wood, creating a relaxed and cozy atmosphere.

At this time, the barrage comments in the livestream room also exploded, with everyone sharing their childhood dreams, their words filled with nostalgia for those innocent years.

"Sigh, I remember when I was a kid, I also thought about being a swordsman and wiping out all the bad guys."

"Hehe, when I was little, I wanted to be a photographer, taking pictures everywhere to record the beauty of the world."

"Like Guan Xi Ge?"

"Hehe."

"I used to want to be an astronaut, to fly into the sky and see, to explore the mysteries of the universe."

"Hahaha, did your grandma buy you your favorite Xi Zhi Lang jelly?"

By the fire, the warm light reflected on Lu Fan's face. He was in high spirits, his eyes shining as he continued to share.

"That's not all! When I was a kid, I even learned a set of super 'cool' martial arts with my friends, following the examples on TV."

When he said the word "cool," he specifically emphasized it, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly with a hint of self-deprecation and teasing.

"Really?"

An Lan's interest was piqued instantly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She leaned forward slightly and said impatiently, "Quick, tell me, how did you learn it? I'm so curious."

"We were very serious back then; we learned every move and stance properly."

As Lu Fan spoke, he stood up and patted away the non-existent dust on his body, as if he were about to start a formal performance.

He spread his legs and took a wobbly, non-standard horse stance, waving his hands vigorously in the air while shouting martial arts cries with great momentum: "Hey, Ha!"

That comical yet serious appearance made An Lan unable to stop giggling. Her laughter was crisp and pleasant, carrying far across the snow.

"Later, we even performed for our little friends in the snow, feeling very majestic ourselves!"

Lu Fan paced back and forth in the snow while reminiscing, imitating scenes from his childhood.

"At that time, we wore thick cotton-padded jackets, jumping around in the snow, imagining we possessed the light-body technique of 'stepping on snow without leaving a trace'."

After demonstrating a few moves, Lu Fan slowly sat down, his tone carrying a hint of sentimentality.

"Unfortunately, dreams are just dreams after all, and I didn't dare mention them again after growing up. Even if someone asks, I just talk about some insincere dreams. Haha, it's quite ironic when you think about it."

A hint of loneliness flashed in his eyes, as if he were saying goodbye to his former hot-blooded self.

In the livestream room, the barrage comments also became somewhat sad, as everyone empathized with him.

"Sigh, things like dreams can only exist in the most innocent childhood."

"'I want to buy osmanthus and carry wine, but it's no longer like the travels of youth.' After growing up, those pure dreams seem to have gradually drifted away."

"We've all grown up and passed the age of talking about dreams; the pressure of reality makes us hide our dreams in the deepest part of our hearts."

"Haha, children don't need dreams; before they grow up, they just need to obediently follow the whims of adults. Don't misunderstand, I didn't say that; the old witch in Tiga Ultraman said it."

Lu Fan couldn't help but laugh as he asked An Lan, "Is this dream of mine very childish? Wanting to be a swordsman in this day and age."

There was a hint of insecurity on his face, as if he were worried his childhood dream would be mocked.

Seeing Lu Fan's somewhat lonely expression, An Lan's heart softened, and she hurried to comfort him.

"No, this dream isn't childish at all. You, who harbored this dream, are also very good and very cute. Everyone has had pure dreams; they are our most innocent responses to this world and the most precious memories in our hearts."

Her voice was gentle yet firm, like the warm sun in winter, dispelling the gloom in Lu Fan's heart.

Hearing this, Lu Fan's mood instantly improved, and a bright smile returned to his face.

"Can you perform that martial art for me in its entirety? I really want to see it," An Lan said, blinking her eyes with anticipation.

Lu Fan was slightly stunned and looked up at An Lan. At this moment, her smile was so warm and infectious, as if it possessed a magical power.

Anyway, there was no one else here, and even if the audience saw it, it wouldn't affect him.

"No problem, I'll perform it for you right now!"

Saying that, Lu Fan stood up excitedly, took a deep breath, sank his qi into his dantian, and seriously performed that set of "martial arts" in the snow.

He first struck a stylish opening pose, his arm tracing a graceful arc in the air as if he were truly holding a sharp sword that could cut through iron like butter, creating a "sword wind."

Next, his movements were as smooth as flowing water, and his footwork was flexible and varied. At times, he was as powerful as a flood dragon emerging from the sea, charging forward suddenly with his hands waving rapidly.

At other times, he was as majestic as a fierce tiger descending a mountain, crouching down and then quickly leaping up. Every move and stance was full of power, yet elegant and unrestrained, as if he were truly in the martial world.

He performed a "White Crane Spreads Its Wings," his posture as light as a white crane about to take flight, his arms gracefully extended as if to embrace the entire world. The snowflakes dancing around him seemed like stage effects tailored for him, beautiful and magnificent.

Then, he performed a "Swallow Skimming the Water," leaning forward and extending his arms with agile speed, as if he were truly scooping up some rare treasure from the snow. The entire set of movements was seamless and cool, making one's eyes light up.

The originally ordinary moves became powerful under his interpretation, truly having the style of a great hero.

An Lan watched without blinking. She had originally thought it would be a comical performance, but she didn't expect Lu Fan to be so invested, his movements so standard and proper. She couldn't help but admire him secretly.

"I didn't expect it to look quite impressive. Take this move!"

An Lan suddenly felt playful and shouted with a smile, rushing up like a child to "battle" Lu Fan.

Lu Fan showed a confident smile and responded with great momentum: "Today, this hero will let you see how powerful I am! Watch this!"

He turned around suddenly, wanting to perform a cool move, but his foot slipped, and he rolled clumsily in the snow like an out-of-control snowball.

This sudden turn of events made An Lan laugh so hard she couldn't straighten up, clutching her stomach with tears almost coming out.

By the time Lu Fan managed to crawl out of the snow, his hair and clothes were covered in it, making him look exactly like a snowman that had just crawled out of a snow pile.

He patted the snow off his body and said to An Lan with a smile, "How was it? My martial arts are pretty good, right?"

An Lan wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and said, suppressing her laughter, "Not bad, not bad. It's simply a 'peerless martial art' without precedent! If you were to travel the martial world with this, you'd probably become a legendary hero and charm thousands of girls!"

After saying that, the two of them chased each other in the snow, pretending to fight. Their laughter echoed across the snowy field, adding a different kind of warmth and joy to this cold winter day.

An Lan was in an exceptionally good mood, playing and laughing with Lu Fan.

Looking at Lu Fan's high-spirited appearance, a poem suddenly surfaced in her mind.

"How could eating meat ever reach the level of Tiger Head? Thirty years of books and swords, autumn between sea and sky."

"One must remember the lofty ambitions of youth; I once promised to be the best in the world."