"Senior Brother Chen, has something big happened today?"
After the routine sparring session ended, a bold student asked Chen Ming this question.
Only when something big happened would Hong Mingquan and Zhang Mingyu be absent. Last time, it was when Huo Qianqian refused to marry Wen Zehao.
Today, something major must have occurred.
The students were already whispering among themselves in private.
Chen Ming saw their gossip-hungry expressions, seemingly eager for some event to break the monotony of their training life, none of them shying away from any potential troubles. He said, "Nothing major, just that an important guest has arrived at the mansion. Alright, everyone go back."
The students, hearing this, all became curious and pressed him about the identity of the guest.
Chen Ming ignored them and left on his own.
He didn't know either.
Just as he was about to cross the courtyard gate, he noticed a person with a piece of foxtail grass in his mouth, holding a long sword, leaning against the Moon Gate.
Huh, isn't this one of the five people who came today?
Chen Ming immediately recognized the person and slightly nodded before attempting to pass through the Moon Gate.
The man extended his sword, blocking his path.
Chen Ming asked, "Why are you blocking my way, brother?"
The man looked him up and down, and with interest, asked, "Which disciple of Master Huo are you?"
He shook his head, "I am not one of Old Huo's disciples."
"Your 'Three Talents Fist' is well practiced; it's rare to have such patience, willing to guide those younger members. When I first studied martial arts, if I had a senior like you, I would've mastered the 'Three Talents Fist' much faster."
"You're too kind."
Chen Ming humbly replied.
This person refers to Huo Chengkun as Master, meaning the important guests today are peers of Huo's.
He saw that the man had no intention of letting him leave, and directly asked, "Why does this senior brother block my path?"
The man spat out the foxtail grass from his mouth and smiled, "You can't leave yet; you have to come with me to a place."
"What if I don't go?"
The man's smile faded, "Don't force me to use force."
"... Where to?"
Chen Ming usually listened to reason.
He didn't know this man's background, so he wouldn't act rashly.
Moreover, the situation was unclear.
This person dared to be so brazen as a guest in someone else's home, without regard for the host, what was he relying on?
The man couldn't help but laugh, "Brother, you are truly perceptive, come with me."
...
Chen Ming followed the man to the front courtyard, still pondering what these people wanted at the Huo Mansion.
Upon entering the front courtyard, he saw two people engaged in combat.
One of them was usually elusive Senior Brother Zhao An, wielding a long saber.
His opponent, also among the five knights seen in the morning, wielded a long sword.
Inside the courtyard, sword Qi and saber Qi criss-crossed fiercely.
Chen Ming was immediately captivated.
These two were of at least Eighth Grade Cultivation, such battles were rare to witness.
In the courtyard, aside from the two combatants, several others were present.
Zhang Mingyu, Hong Mingquan, Wen Zehao, Huo Qianqian, and even married Second Senior Sister Du Juan were there. Apart from the fourth and sixth disciples of Huo Chengkun, all were present.
However, they all appeared rather disheveled, with tears in their clothes.
Zhang Mingyu's injuries were particularly noticeable.
It seemed they had just experienced a battle and suffered considerable losses.
On the other side, the single man and woman appeared composed.
The blue-clad woman complained, "Second Brother, why took you so long?"
The man who brought Chen Ming over chuckled, "The mansion is too big, I almost got lost."
"Is this person also one of Huo Chengkun's disciples?"
"No."
"Then why bring him here?"
"I believe he is surely connected to Master Huo."
...
Chen Ming wasn't paying attention to their conversation, his focus was entirely on the duel between the two in the arena.
He imagined himself and felt incapable of enduring more than three moves under them.
After all, the gap in realm was vast.
Plus, the saber and sword techniques they used were far more advanced than the 'Eight Trigrams Saber Technique.'"
After watching for a while, he felt something was amiss, "Strange, why are their techniques so similar?"
Though one used a saber and the other used a sword, their techniques were nearly identical, only differing in style.
Zhao An was using Huo Chengkun's famous 'Five Elements Saber Technique,' only taught to direct disciples.
The man using the sword, though from the same school, employed Swordsmanship, with the same techniques as Saber Technique, was this... this family's ancestor just lazy?
Currently, their battle had reached a fever pitch.
Chen Ming could sense Zhao An was desperate, his long saber swung forming a cluster of saber lights, moving too fast to clearly see.
His opponent, however, simplified and thrust a single sword strike.
Clang!
A resonant sound echoed.
Chen Ming's eardrums stung, witnessing a long saber soar, flipping a few times, finally clanging into the ground.
Zhao An stood there lost, his tiger's mouth cracked, his hand trembling uncontrollably, seemingly unable to accept his defeat."
"Well done."
"What an impressive Golden Crow Falling Technique."
"Haha, all of you lost!"
The two men and woman on the side clapped in praise.
The faces of the ones from the Huo Mansion grew darker, Huo Qianqian biting her lip, eyes teary, lips almost bleeding from her biting.
...
In the arena, the man sheathed his sword casually, saying, "Your strength is good, but unfortunately, you practiced Swordsmanship into Saber Technique, initially heading down the wrong path. Naturally, you're not my match."
Zhao An's head snapped up, his eyes filled with anger and despair, "You, surnamed Guo, I admit defeat by skill, but don't you dare slander my master's saber techniques."
The man did not argue with him, only saying, "Whether it's true or not, you can ask your master yourself. Alright, since you all lost to us brothers, as agreed earlier, we have the discretion."
At these words, Zhang Mingyu and Hong Mingquan's expressions drastically changed.
Zhao An, however, was straightforward, raising his head and saying, "Seeing that I lost, we have nothing more to say. Do as you will!"
The man surnamed Guo turned away, shouting into the main hall, "Master Huo, you heard everything, right? As long as you obey my father's wishes, and hand over the item, your disciples and sisters will not be harmed. Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless."
A moment later, Huo Chengkun's voice echoed from the main hall, "Junior Sister, why is this necessary? I told you, the item is not with me..."
Following, a sharp voice from an elderly woman replied, "Senior Brother, don't you understand? You've been here for years, focused on discipleship, altering our school's Swordsmanship into Saber Technique, teaching it to your students. For what purpose? Even your students can't beat mine.
Senior Brother, you wish to pass down our school's legacy through this method, but the heritage will only fade further. Is there anyone among your disciples who can amount to anything?"
Do you wish for our school's unique skills to be lost? When you meet the ancestors after death, how will you face them?"
"..."
The dialogue inside the main hall was overwhelming, leaving the people outside in shock.
Especially Chen Ming, an outsider overhearing, he felt uneasy. Accidentally eavesdropping on such a secret, after this ordeal, would Huo Chengkun silence witnesses?
No other sounds came from the main hall afterward.
The ones outside grew anxious from waiting.
"Hold on!"
Suddenly, Huo Qianqian exclaimed, "We haven't lost yet."
The blue-clad woman mocked, "Oh, does this little sister want to deny it?"
"Who's denying?" Huo Qianqian responded, "It was agreed that you had to defeat all of us for it to count. As long as one of us wins, we win. We've lost, but there's still him!"
She pointed to Chen Ming, "He hasn't lost yet.""