Chapter 54: The Sword Dance of Three

The next day, Wang Jingyuan had important business to attend to, so he rose bright and early. Skipping his usual morning sword practice, he got dressed, pushed open his bedroom door, and saw that the dirty clothes he had brought back had already been washed and hung out to dry.

Wang Jingyuan smiled with satisfaction, retrieved a small dish from his room, placed it on the windowsill, and filled it to the brim with dried fruits. This was the unspoken understanding between him and the little monkey.

Casually picking up the item he had commissioned Niu Da to make the previous day, he wrapped it in a cloth and left the courtyard. To his surprise, no sooner had he stepped outside than he ran into Linghu Chong, who was laden with heavy luggage of all shapes and sizes.

Linghu Chong spotted Wang Jingyuan as well and offered an awkward, sheepish smile. Taking in the sight, Wang Jingyuan asked with a hint of amusement, "You're a grown man now, and you're still running away from home?"

Linghu Chong waved his hands frantically. Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind him, "Eldest Senior Brother, the rations I prepared for you, you forgot—"

Yue Lingshan, who had hurried up from behind, caught sight of Wang Jingyuan standing there. She instinctively swung the rations she had prepared for Linghu Chong behind her back. For some inexplicable reason, catching sight of Wang Jingyuan at that moment made her feel like a thief caught in the act.

A moment later, however, anger flared up within her. She shoved the bundle of rations into Linghu Chong's arms, turned her glare upon Wang Jingyuan, and snapped indignantly, "You've only been down the mountain once, yet you've already visited brothels three times! I don't know what my father is thinking—you should be the one going up to Jade Maiden Peak to do penance with Eldest Senior Brother!"

*I was racking my brains out inside a brothel, thank you very much,* Wang Jingyuan thought to himself. Too lazy to explain, he ignored Yue Lingshan and turned his attention back to Linghu Chong. "The last time I saw you come down from Jade Maiden Peak was right before we set off. How is it that the moment you return, you're getting yourself locked up in there again?"

Linghu Chong was no fool; he could clearly read the subtle agitation in Yue Lingshan's actions, and a trace of bitterness flashed across his eyes. He knew in his heart that Junior Brother Wang felt nothing whatsoever toward his younger sister, but he couldn't help how the junior sister felt...

Hearing Wang Jingyuan's question, Linghu Chong forced a casual demeanor and replied, "When we neared Mount Hua, I gave in to temptation and drank a bit too much. I was too drunk to get up when we set out the next morning."

Wang Jingyuan nodded. "Well, that's convenient. I'm heading up to Jade Maiden Peak too. Let's go together."

Linghu Chong frowned, asking with curiosity, "What are you going up there for?"

Yue Lingshan chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "Aren't you my father's precious darling? He wouldn't let you suffer even the slightest grievance. Why are you going out of your way to invite trouble?"

Wang Jingyuan couldn't be bothered to argue with Yue Lingshan—mostly because her health bar was glowing green—and instead countered with a question, "Do you remember the three core elements for revitalizing Mount Hua that we discussed previously?"

Hearing this, Yue Lingshan turned serious. "Combat strength, financial resources, and political influence?"

Wang Jingyuan snapped his fingers. "Spot on. During this trip down the mountain, I established a strategic partnership with the F威 Escort Agency, so our financial needs are covered. What we currently lack in the short term is martial might.

"My trip up Jade Maiden Peak today is to activate the Mount Hua Sect's ancestral secret weapon."

Yue Lingshan looked skeptical. "Why have I never heard of any such weapon belonging to our Mount Hua Sect?"

Wang Jingyuan glanced at her sideways. "Even your father doesn't know about it, so it's only natural that you don't."

Yue Lingshan frowned. "Then how would you, a disciple who has barely crossed our threshold, come to know of it?"

Wang Jingyuan opened his mouth, realizing it was practically impossible to explain. Remembering a favorite catchphrase of a certain friend, he replied, "I have special intelligence channels."

Without waiting for Yue Lingshan to press further, he took the lead and set off toward Jade Maiden Peak. With no other choice, Yue Lingshan followed close behind.

As the trio passed the pool of water beneath Jade Maiden Peak, a gleam of recognition lit up Linghu Chong's eyes. This was the very place where he and his junior sister used to practice their swordplay together, the exact spot where the two of them had created the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique*.

Stopping by the edge of the pool, Linghu Chong gritted his teeth, dropped his bundle, unsheathed his long sword, and fixed his gaze on Yue Lingshan. "Junior Sister, let me see if your sword skills have grown rusty."

With that, he lunged forward, thrusting his sword toward Yue Lingshan.

*Junior Sister, remember the bond we share!*

Taken aback by the sudden attack, Yue Lingshan had no choice but to draw her sword to parry. At first, Linghu Chong used the "Green Pine Welcomes Guests" stance from the *Mount Hua Sword Technique*, but within two moves, his form shifted abruptly into the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique*.

The two of them had rehearsed the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique* countless times; Yue Lingshan was far too familiar with every single movement. Subconsciously matching Linghu Chong's pace for a few strikes, she suddenly realized her swordplay had changed.

She felt a strong urge to stop, pulling back in resistance. For some reason, she flatly refused to practice the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique* with Linghu Chong in front of Wang Jingyuan. Unfortunately, a high degree of muscle memory proved to be a double-edged sword. Once the familiar rhythm took hold, her hands and feet refused to obey her will, carrying on relentlessly without a way to halt.

With a tearful, miserable expression on her face, she was dragged into continuing her practice with Linghu Chong.

Linghu Chong glanced sideways at Wang Jingyuan, who was watching the spectacle with great amusement, and began loudly recounting the origins of how he and Yue Lingshan had created the sword set, detailing its various stances and unique characteristics.

No sooner had he spoken a few words than a system prompt chimed in Wang Jingyuan's mind:

[Linghu Chong is imparting the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique* to you.]

[Do you wish to learn: Yes/No]

*Good grief, so the two of you were merely a part of my grand play.* Wang Jingyuan suddenly grew curious. What would it look like if three people performed a sword technique originally meant for two?

Disregarding the fact that the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique* was rather crude and might clutter his skill library, he directly selected [Yes].

Having learned the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique*, Wang Jingyuan drew his long sword and waded right into their sparring session. Though he only wielded a single blade, he possessed the *Thirteen Misty Cloud Forms of Mount Hua from the Hengshan School* and had his inventory system to rely on.

In the blink of an eye, he smoothly passed the sword from his right hand to his left, and back from his left to his right. Consequently, Linghu Chong discovered that his sparring partner had morphed from Yue Lingshan into Wang Jingyuan, while Yue Lingshan made the exact same startling discovery.

This was originally a deeply affectionate sword routine meant for star-crossed lovers. Practicing it with another man was entirely unappealing, and Linghu Chong grew desperate to put an end to it.

Yue Lingshan shared the exact same sentiment. If she were practicing swordplay with Wang Jingyuan alone, she would have been more than willing. But the problem was that they were currently executing the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique*! Furthermore, even though she exchanged most of her blows with Wang Jingyuan, she would still occasionally cross paths with Linghu Chong.

This bizarre sensation made Yue Lingshan intensely uncomfortable.

Yet, as noted before, excessive familiarity was a double-edged sword. As Wang Jingyuan continuously harvested "+1" proficiency prompts, his execution of the *Chong-Ling Sword Technique* grew increasingly flawless. Gradually, the two of them were swept along by his momentum, utterly unable to stop.

Left with no alternatives, the two of them wore matching miserable expressions as they continued their forced practice alongside Wang Jingyuan.

Having had his fill of amusement, Wang Jingyuan finally called it quits. The pair silently sheathed their swords, too drained to utter a single word. Judging by their appearances, neither of them wanted anything to do with sword practice for quite some time.

Not sensing anything amiss, Wang Jingyuan assumed they were simply exhausted. He granted them a brief resting period and resumed his journey upward.

As they drew near the summit of Jade Maiden Peak, Wang Jingyuan pulled a strange contraption from his cloth pouch and tested it out.

Catching sight of this bizarre device, Yue Lingshan had her attention successfully diverted. She hurried over to ask, "I've seen you carrying that thing since earlier—what on earth is it used for?"

Wang Jingyuan explained, "This gadget is called a megaphone. If you use it to shout, the sound waves become concentrated and can travel an incredible distance."

Linghu Chong looked equally puzzled. "Why did you drag this contraption up the mountain with you?"

Giving Linghu Chong a look that suggested he was mentally deficient, Wang Jingyuan replied, "To shout, of course."

With that, he brought the megaphone up to his lips, channeled his inner energy to its maximum capacity, and began to roar:

"Shaanxi Mount Hua, Shaanxi Mount Hua!
The mighty Mount Hua Sword Sect has gone and bitten the dust!
Elder Feng Qingyang got his brains scrambled by lust,
Leaving behind just two or three cats and dogs,
He ran off following a flashy seductress!
With no other choice left to us,
We rely on sheer desperation to prop up Mount Hua..."