Chapter 7: Standing Up for Justice

The sun was blazing, it was midday, and the scorching heat relentlessly baked the earth. There wasn't a breath of wind in the air, and the low bushes along the way looked listless and weak from the heat; the heat was so intense that it made one irritable and restless.

Lin Zixuan rode ahead of the caravan. Seeing that everyone behind him was sweating profusely after rushing for half a day, he said to Lu Zhongming beside him, "Uncle Lu, I see that everyone is tired. There is no village or shop in sight. Why don't we rest for a while under the trees ahead before continuing our journey?"

"Xuan'er, don't worry. After we pass the grove ahead, there's a town called Liangning not far away. We'll all rest there. But speaking of which, Xuan'er, your martial arts seem to have improved a lot. Two years ago, around this time, you went to the capital with your mother. The sun wasn't as strong back then, and you threw a tantrum for days in the carriage."

Lu Zhongming possessed extremely profound internal strength, making him impervious to heat and cold; the scorching sun had no effect on him whatsoever. Lin Zixuan, on the other hand, had been calm and composed throughout the past two weeks, showing no signs of fatigue and displaying boundless energy. He was practically a different person than he had been not long ago, clearly demonstrating a breakthrough in his internal strength, which greatly surprised Lu Zhongming.

Lin Zixuan smiled, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Half a month ago, Lin Zixuan and his group parted ways with Wenren Wan's classmates outside the island and took the shortest route north. During this period, except for two nights when he secretly went into Wenren Wan's boudoir to sleep with her, Lin Zixuan has been practicing the "Cultivation Divine Technique" almost every night.

In just half a month, his cultivation progressed so rapidly that no one would believe it. Now, he can circulate his true energy through eight small cycles in all his meridians, successfully entering the Foundation Establishment stage, and his internal strength has increased by more than 40%.

According to the "Cultivation Divine Manual," once he reaches the peak of Foundation Establishment, his internal energy will be twice as strong as it is now. At that time, he will not only be invincible among his peers, but he will also be able to challenge stronger experts beyond his level. Even Lu Zhongming beside him would not be able to defeat him in less than a hundred moves. "Brother Xuan."

A clear and melodious voice called out from behind.

Lin Zixuan spurred his horse back and arrived at the rear of the caravan, where Wenren Wan was riding. The curtain was drawn back, and Wenren Wan smiled and waved to Lin Zixuan. "Brother Xuan, come in quickly. Your sister has specially brewed some tea to help you cool off in the summer heat." "Okay."

Without a word, Lin Zixuan had the servants take the horse away and readily climbed into her carriage. "Here, drink this bowl; I've already cooled it down for you."

The carriage was spacious and much cooler than outside. Although Lin Zixuan's ability to withstand the heat had greatly increased, being exposed to the sun all day was still not a pleasant experience. As he took the tea from Wenren Wan's slender hand, a delicate and alluring fragrance wafted into his nose, and Lin Zixuan couldn't help but take a closer look at her.

Today, Wenren Wan changed into an elegant pale yellow long dress. On her straight, beautiful legs, she wore exquisite lake-green embroidered shoes and white thin stockings. Her face was without makeup, yet she radiated beauty.

Lin Zixuan truly grew to love her more and more the more he looked at her.

Recalling those two nights a few days ago, when he rode on Wenren Wan's naked body, enjoying her soft and fragrant body, Lin Zixuan felt extremely proud to have such a dignified and gentle beauty.

The Sword Maiden of Penglai was unparalleled in beauty, and after Lu Zhongming won her heart, everyone in the martial arts world envied his good fortune with women. However, Lin Zixuan possessed two beauties whose looks and temperament rivaled Qin Yuning's, even surpassing Lu Zhongming's. If this were to spread, he would likely become the object of envy among the younger generation of the Nine Provinces Kingdom.

Wenren Wan noticed that Lin Zixuan had a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, so she took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped it away for him.

A faint fragrance filled the car. Lin Zixuan took the opportunity to grab her slender hand, pulled her into his arms, and gently kissed her fragrant lips.

Wenren Wan was somewhat helpless against him, so she lay on top of her handsome younger brother and let him take liberties with her.

Soon, the two were kissing passionately. "I love you, Wan'er, will you marry me?"

Wenren Wan blushed from his kiss. Hearing her lover's heartfelt confession, she gazed deeply into his eyes, gently stroking his cheek, and said with a smile, "I love you too, but Jin'er is your rightful wife. If you want to marry me, you'll have to ask your wife first."

Lin Zixuan was overjoyed: "Mother has already promised me. As long as Sister Wan'er agrees, she has no objections."

Wenren Wan smiled and said, "Since Madam agrees, then I will naturally follow Madam's arrangements. When we arrive in the capital, you should first inform Jin'er. It wouldn't be good to keep such an important matter from her."

"Of course." Lin Zixuan nodded. "Speaking of which, I haven't seen Jin'er in a long time. You often saw her when you were in the capital. Has she said she misses me?"

Wenren Wan covered her mouth and chuckled: "No, Sister Jin'er often talks to me about those talented men, praising their outstanding abilities."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zixuan was immediately disappointed. Although he had read extensively, he was not interested in poetry and prose.

"So, once you arrive in the capital, you can spend quality time with your sister Jin'er. She's the most talented woman in the Nine Provinces and an absolute beauty. Although your engagement is known throughout the land, there are still plenty of talented young men who fawn over her every day. Be careful that Jin'er doesn't dump you one day; then you won't even have time to cry."

Faced with Wenren Wan's teasing, Lin Zixuan laughed instead: "I'm not worried that Jin'er will dump me."

"So confident?" Wenren Wan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what she meant and looked Lin Zixuan up and down with a smile: "You little rascal, I understand now. Jin'er must have been fooled by you, you little lecher, just like me, right?"

Lin Zixuan smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Wenren Wan rolled her eyes at him: "I knew it. Calling you a little pervert was definitely the right insult."

"By the way, Sister Wan'er, we should also have someone send a bowl of this tea to Uncle Lu. It's really hot outside."

Upon hearing this, Wenren Wan seemed to remember something, her face flushed slightly, and she said with a hint of annoyance, "I won't see him off; it would be better if he died of thirst."

Lin Zixuan looked at her in great surprise. Wenren Wan was always very ladylike. Even when she wore bold Western clothes, her demeanor was still elegant and dignified. He rarely saw her show such a girlish and playful side.

He immediately became very interested: "What's wrong? What did Uncle Lu do to make you angry?" "Nothing, he just wouldn't give him any to drink."

Lin Zixuan's curiosity was completely piqued, and he couldn't resist asking questions relentlessly.

Wenren Wan was reluctant to speak, but he kept pestering her, so she had no choice but to lean close to his ear, blushing, and whisper what Qin Yuning had said to her that night.

Lin Zixuan was furious upon hearing this.

"This... Uncle Lu is really... really awful! How could he let my mother eat that stinky thing of his? And my mother is really something, she even let him have his way with her mouth, doesn't she... doesn't she find him disgusting?"

Wenren Wan snorted coldly, "That's right, he only cared about his own pleasure and didn't care about the lady's feelings. In the end, he ejaculated all over the lady's mouth. Just thinking about it makes me hateful."

Lin Zixuan naturally understood why Wenren Wan was angry. She had been raised by Qin Yuning since childhood, and the two had a very close relationship, like mother and daughter as well as like sisters. Wenren Wan had always looked up to Qin Yuning, and it was understandable that she was furious to hear that the Penglai Sword Maiden she admired was condescending to serve a lousy man in bed.

She suddenly frowned slightly, exclaimed "Oh!" and said with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance, "Brother Xuan, you really are... Madam was bullied like that by Uncle Lu, and you're actually so excited? I'm not going to take care of you anymore."

Originally, Lin Zixuan was indignant on the surface, but when he thought of the dignified and beautiful Qin Yuning, who was on the bed using her hot, fragrant lips to swallow and lick Lu Zhongming's thick, hard penis, and finally being filled with Lu Zhongming's thick semen, he unknowingly got a small tent pitched between his legs, which was caught red-handed by Wenren Wan.

Lin Zixuan gave a wry smile and quickly hugged Wenren Wan, explaining, "Wan'er, don't be angry. I just... I've always thought that my mother is so beautiful and outstanding, only my father is worthy of her. But things didn't go as planned, and my mother dumped my father and got together with Uncle Lu. Although I knew long ago that my mother must have slept with Uncle Lu, this is the first time I've heard such detailed accounts of their affection, and I acted impulsively for a moment."

Upon hearing this, Wenren Wan spat and said with some embarrassment and annoyance, "Brother Xuan, really, you get so excited just from hearing about Madam. I don't know what to say to you."

Lin Zixuan was a little embarrassed. "How can this be my fault? I was just thinking about my father. He loves my mother so much. When I think about Uncle Lu being so affectionate with my mother in bed, I don't know why, but thinking about it makes me feel angry and sad, yet also very excited."

Wenren Wan leaned against him, smiling gently, "Take it easy. The love between Madam and Uncle Lin is in the past. Now, who on the mainland doesn't know that the Sword Maiden of Penglai is Lu Zhongming of Wuhu Villa? Although I think Uncle Lin is much better than him, what can we do if Madam likes us?"

Lin Zixuan fell silent, thinking to himself: Father, where are you?

"Huh, why did the convoy suddenly stop?" Wenren Wan got up from his arms.

"There seems to be something going on outside. I'll go check it out," Lin Zixuan said immediately.

Wenren Wan said, "I'll go too."

While the two were talking, the convoy had already passed through the grove. The two got out of the carriage and saw the mottled city wall standing in front of them. That was the Liangning City that Lu Zhongming had mentioned.

However, the gates of Liangning City were tightly shut, and several guards on the city walls nervously peered out. The ground outside the city was chaotic; the wide, flat roads were deserted, with not a single passerby or merchant. Only a few refugees could be seen cautiously observing from a distance. This was because two groups of people were engaged in a fierce battle outside the city. "Uncle Lu, what's going on up ahead?"

Lin Zixuan and Wenren Wan each rode a horse to the front of the caravan, while Lu Zhongming was intently gazing into the distance.

One group consisted of about forty or fifty men, mostly dressed in blue, all young men. The other group numbered only about twenty, but they were a group of burly men, each strong and powerful, mounted on horseback wielding heavy weapons such as long swords and axes, displaying extreme belligerence. If it weren't for the young men's seemingly sophisticated combined attack technique, they would probably have been overwhelmed by the burly men long ago.

Wenren Wan frowned slightly: "Those burly men on horseback look like bandits and outlaws."

Lin Zixuan nodded: "These people don't seem to be ordinary bandits. They appear to be fighting individually, but upon closer inspection, they actually have a coordinated attack method, just like the other side. Although the man in blue has the numerical advantage, I think his defeat is only a matter of time."

He turned to look at Lu Zhongming: "Uncle Lu, should we lend a hand?"

"No rush." ​​Lu Zhongming said slowly from his horse, "These bandits won't be able to take down the enemy anytime soon. Given time, they will surely retreat."

"How do you know?" Lin Zixuan asked humbly.

"If I'm not mistaken, these people are using the Dual Cultivation Pavilion's Heavenly Star Sword Formation. In other words, they should all be disciples of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion's Southern Courtyard. I estimate that the experts from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion are probably on their way here. These bandits must know this, which is why they're trying to finish this quickly. We'd better stay out of it."

"So you're from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion." Lin Zixuan mused. "I've long heard that the Dual Cultivation Pavilion's Heavenly Star Sword Formation and Nine Heavens Sword Formation are incredibly powerful, and seeing them today confirms it."

In terms of individual martial arts skills alone, any one of these burly men would be significantly stronger than their opponents. However, the Dual Cultivation Pavilion members, relying on their sword formation and numerical advantage, have managed to hold off this band of bandits. Whenever someone in the sword formation is attacked, two or more people immediately take their place. So far, not a single member of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion has been injured, and their exquisite teamwork is unbelievable.

Wenren Wan asked in surprise, "The entire Yunmeng Ridge area is under the influence of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion. Although Liangning City is a small city, how could there be such a bold bandit who dares to oppose the Dual Cultivation Pavilion?"

Lu Zhongming said, "Recently, the government and local forces have joined forces to crack down on bandits and outlaws. These people are probably those who escaped from elsewhere. Now that they are united, they are all tough opponents."

He then said in a deep voice, "They're here."

A richly decorated carriage stood quietly in the middle of the road. Two young men dressed in blue and nine beautiful women dressed in white surrounded the carriage like stars around the moon.

The leading woman let out a shrill cry, and the group of male disciples from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion immediately withdrew from the battlefield, quickly blocking the only untraveled of the three main roads. Seeing the situation was dire, the bandits' leader, a bald, burly man, roared, and the group scattered like birds and beasts.

But at that moment, the two men and nine women beside the carriage leaped into the air and blocked the path of the bandits.

Two men, one slender and wielding a longsword, moved with graceful agility and displayed superb swordsmanship, easily gaining the upper hand against three burly men. The other, tall and strong, carried a broadsword that seemed as light as a feather in his hands. His fighting style was even more brutal than that of the bandits; in a single exchange, he smashed one of the burly men's faces into a pulp.

As for the nine young and beautiful women in white, to outsiders they appeared to be gracefully dancing, their movements elegant and beautiful. However, to the burly men in the arena, these nine women were chilling demons, each with eyes as cold as ice, their swords flashing with nothing but killing intent, causing the burly men to break out in a cold sweat.

Within moments, four bandits had been killed.

Lu Zhongming said in a deep voice, "The Dual Cultivation Pavilion truly lives up to its reputation."

Especially the nine beauties, the outstanding experts nurtured by the Dual Cultivation Madam and known throughout the continent as the Nine Beauties of Dual Cultivation, whose Nine Heavens Sword Formation was unparalleled in power. He put himself in their shoes; if he were trapped in the encirclement of the Nine Beauties, breaking through would likely come at a considerable cost.

As for the other two male disciples, they were no ordinary people either. Although they were about the same age as Lin Zixuan, their martial arts skills were already extremely refined, making them geniuses that are rarely seen in decades.

In a short while, five more burly men were killed; the bandits were now in a bloodthirsty frenzy.

The bald, burly man who appeared to be the leader roared, and with his round, heavy hammer, he knocked back the two male disciples one after another. He broke through the encirclement and charged towards the magnificent carriage, swinging his hammer and filled with boundless rage.

The two male disciples shouted in unison, "Protect the Mystic Maiden!"

The nine beauties reacted and shouted angrily, but it was too late. The tall and mighty male disciple's eyes turned red, and he rushed forward with all his might, completely ignoring the two deep knife wounds he had taken.

Those closest to the carriage were actually the people from Penglai Palace on another side road.

However, Lu Zhongming said, "Knowing that they are from the Dual Cultivation Pavilion, we should not interfere. The Dual Cultivation Lady had some grudges with the Palace Master, and Penglai Palace and the Dual Cultivation Pavilion have always been estranged, so staying out of it is our best choice."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a figure darted toward the carriage with the speed of the wind. "Brother Xuan!" Wenren Wan cried out urgently, "It's too dangerous!"

Lu Zhongming was helpless. Before he could finish speaking, the kid had already run away, clearly ignoring what he had just said.

Having no other choice, he turned to Wenren Wan beside him and said, "That bald man's martial arts are even better than Xuan'er's. Wan'er, you stay here and guard him. Your uncle has to hurry and go help him."

Wenren Wan was well aware of this, her face filled with anxiety: "Uncle Lu, hurry, don't let Xuandi get hurt."

Lu Zhongming nodded, leaped onto his horse, and the moment he landed, he wanted to rush over as fast as he could. However, when he looked up, the scene in front of him made him stop in his tracks.

As they drew nearer, the bald, burly man's face twisted into a ferocious grin as he stared at the magnificent carriage. He could already foresee the sight of it being reduced to rubble in his hands the next moment. "Dual Cultivation Pavilion, I will fight you to the death!"

Wait, what's that?!

Suddenly, the bald man caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. But years of combat had made him incredibly experienced, and his hands reacted even faster than his mind. He spun to the side, tilted his giant hammer forward, and slammed it down with all his might, the hammer brimming with true energy.

A loud "clang" rang out.

Everyone present suddenly felt a sharp pain in their eardrums.

The bald man's wrist went numb, and he nearly dropped the giant hammer, tumbling off his horse. His opponent, however, flew back seven or eight steps. The bald man looked closely and realized the newcomer was a young, barely-grown-bearded boy. Enraged, he roared, "How dare you block my way, kid! You've got a death wish!"

The bald man abandoned his horse and charged forward wildly.

This was the first time since Lin Zixuan's debut that he had truly faced a life-or-death situation. Perhaps having experienced situations a hundred times more dangerous than this, surprisingly, Lin Zixuan felt no panic or fear whatsoever.

The sword in his hand had turned golden, and the difficult and mysterious inscriptions on it had become visible. Lin Zixuan felt neither joy nor sorrow, and the bald man's movements seemed to slow down as well. He lightly pushed off the ground with his feet and bent his elbows slightly. In the blink of an eye, Lin Zixuan had passed by the bald man.

Both were injured.

At this moment, the members of the Dual Cultivation Pavilion arrived and surrounded the burly man. The latter immediately sensed something was wrong, because in the instant he fought the boy, the boy's sharp sword energy had invaded his meridians, causing him considerable internal injuries. Now he could only exert less than half of his previous strength and had no will to fight anymore, focusing solely on breaking through the encirclement. However, Jiu Mei did not give him this opportunity, trapping him tightly.

The bald, burly man ultimately died at the hands of the slender young man.

Lin Zixuan had just swallowed the mouthful of blood that had welled up in his throat when he saw that the person wielding the broadsword was a tall and strong young man, at most the same age as him. He stared at the golden sword in Lin Zixuan's hand, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty. "Thank you for your help, young hero."

The nine women expressed their gratitude to Lin Zixuan for his righteousness. Being stared at by these beautiful women, especially by several of them with bold and passionate gazes, Lin Zixuan, who was thin-skinned, felt very embarrassed and quickly declined their attention.

The tall, thin man scrutinized Lin Zixuan, his expression arrogant and aloof, remaining completely silent. The tall, muscular youth, however, spoke with apparent admiration, "So many of us couldn't catch this scoundrel. Young hero, you're truly amazing! You stopped him in an instant. May I ask where you're from and what your name is?"

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man immediately shouted at him, "Xuan Yuanlin, you have time to ask these irrelevant people so many questions, but there are still so many bandits down there. Hurry up and clear this place out."

The tall, strong young man named Xuan Yuanlin blushed red when he was shouted at: "Senior Brother Hua, this young hero has helped us a lot, how can you say he's an unrelated person?"

One of the nine beauties, a tall woman who seemed to be the leader, couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward.

"Hua Dongsheng, Xuan Yuanlin is now a disciple of the Southern Academy's inner court, with the same status as you. He is no longer someone you can order around at will. Don't take advantage of his honesty just because he's honest. Xuan Nu hasn't spoken yet, so don't make our Dual Cultivation Pavilion lose face in front of outsiders."

The male disciple named Hua Dongsheng sneered: "All you do all day is hide behind women, what a coward."

Xuan Yuanlin's face turned bright red, his eyes filled with anger, yet he dared not lash out.

Lin Zixuan had been observing Xuan Yuanlin.

Given his surname Xuanyuan and the expression he displayed while holding the Xuanyuan Sword, Lin Zixuan had some guesses. Could this Xuanyuan Lin be a member of the Xuanyuan clan? Otherwise, why would so many people focus so much on him, but he alone paid special attention to the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand?

Just then, a melodious voice came from inside the carriage. "Hua Dongsheng, go back and receive your punishment from the Grand Elder."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hua Dongsheng, who had been looking arrogant just moments before, turned pale, glared at Xuan Yuanlin hatefully, and left without a word.

The Dual Cultivation Maiden's voice was incredibly beautiful, comparable to Lin Zixuan's fiancée, Sima Jin'er. Lin Zixuan immediately felt an urge to see her face; how stunning she would be! "Thank you for your righteous help, young master. May I ask your name?"

Lin Zixuan quickly replied, "I am Lin Zixuan from Penglai Palace. It was nothing, no need for thanks." "May I ask what relation the Penglai Sword Maiden is to you, young master?" "She is my mother."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zixuan felt that the atmosphere around him seemed to have changed.

A moment of silence fell over the carriage.

"I sensed from your weak voice that you have suffered a serious internal injury. Our Dual Cultivation Pavilion takes full responsibility for this. If you do not mind, our Dual Cultivation Pavilion would like to invite you and your party to be our guests to express our gratitude for your kindness. Please do not refuse."

As the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden extended the invitation, the gazes of everyone outside the carriage toward Lin Zixuan became strange.

Lin Zixuan pondered for a moment. He had heard that there was a rift between the Dual Cultivation Pavilion and Penglai Palace, but his mother never revealed the specific reasons. Now that the Dual Cultivation Mystic Maiden had personally extended an invitation, it would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted. In addition, he was injured and indeed needed to rest and recuperate for several days; it was not advisable for him to undertake a long journey at this time.

So he said, "In that case, thank you, Mystic Maiden, for your nagging."

A flawless white hand pulled back the curtain of the carriage window, revealing the Dual Cultivation Maiden, half her face veiled in white, like a holy goddess descending to earth. The moment her beautiful, watery eyes met Lin Zixuan's, he felt them light up instantly, as if a myriad of flowers were blooming.

Lin Zixuan's heart started pounding uncontrollably.