Chapter Fifteen: Sarcasm and Mockery

Those who practice martial arts all emphasize having a strong and sturdy foundation. How to attain such a solid foundation? Besides innate talent, it requires diligent practice and the aid of various precious medicinal herbs to build a firm base.

Only then, when breaking through to higher levels later on, will one not feel drained or weak. In Master Yan’s view, someone like Xu Feng, who started late, would hardly achieve great success.

At best, Xu Feng could shine early on due to his terrifying悟性 (comprehension or insight), but in the long run, he would be far inferior to those who started training from childhood.

“Thank you, senior,” Xu Feng said.

“Have you ever had a master?” Master Yan asked, unwilling to waste Xu Feng’s extraordinary悟性.

“I have been practicing on my own with no guidance to this day,” Xu Feng replied.

Indeed, he had no teacher; he merely plundered the memories of others and synthesized them into his own understanding. This was precisely why his悟性 was so fearsome.

“Let us spar a bit. I want to see the limits of your ability,” Master Yan proposed.

Xu Feng was surprised. Though he could not fully fathom Master Yan, he could sense that the master’s strength was far beyond his own.

“Do not worry about anything else. I will suppress my realm to match yours. Treat me as an opponent of equal standing, and there’s no need to overthink it.”

With those words, Xu Feng felt no more hesitation. He drew the broken sword that Master Yan had repaired for him and bowed respectfully.

“Please, senior, teach me.”

Master Yan’s sword techniques seemed ethereal and elusive, yet each strike locked down Xu Feng’s escape routes. If one was careless, it was nearly impossible to break free from his grasp.

From the start, Xu Feng was forced onto the defensive. After a few moves, he felt an immense pressure like never before and thereby realized the vast gulf between Master Yan and himself.

Gradually, Xu Feng abandoned his petty tricks and responded with all his strength.

Yet Master Yan’s swordplay was like a surging river, wave after wave, leaving no time for him to think.

“Young man, your sword technique is limp and weak. This won’t do. Watch carefully—this is what a true swordmaster looks like.”

The move Master Yan employed was precisely the same as the technique Xu Feng had previously gleaned from that little sword.

The style was identical. Before, Xu Feng only thought the technique was terrifying, but seeing it wielded by Master Yan, he finally understood where its true terror lay.

As time passed, Xu Feng was struck and sent flying by a single sword. Only when his body hit the ground did he grasp the profound essence contained within this swordplay.

“Do you see it clearly now?”

Master Yan was not trying to punish him but to help him fully comprehend the sword technique.

“Thank you for your guidance, senior. I now have a rough understanding.”

“Good. Your悟性 is exceedingly rare. Mastering this swordplay is no problem for you. This set was one I used when I roamed the martial world in my youth. I hope you will uphold its honor.”

“Practice it yourself once more. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Xu Feng nodded in agreement. During his sword practice, he learned from Da Shan that Master Yan was none other than the number one swordsman in the world who had disappeared fifteen years ago.

His cultivation had reached the profound Tongxuan realm. No wonder, even while suppressing his true level, Xu Feng could still sense the overwhelming aura emanating from him.

A top-tier master’s presence was simply beyond others’ reach.

“Brother Xu, do you now realize what a great opportunity this is?”

“Thank you for telling me, senior brother.”

“No need to be polite. My悟性 is poor; I could never comprehend the elder’s sword techniques in a lifetime. Passing them to you ensures they won’t be lost. From now on, when we meet in the martial world, let us address each other as senior and junior brothers.”

“Senior brother Da Shan.”

Though Master Yan had not officially accepted disciples, he treated Xu Feng as his own younger brother. By all reason and sentiment, Xu Feng’s calling him “senior brother” was perfectly appropriate.

Xu Feng practiced the sword technique several more times in the courtyard until he fully mastered it. Then Master Yan issued a polite dismissal.

He and Da Shan had secluded themselves here to avoid disturbance. Besides, Master Yan had other affairs to attend to and could not keep Xu Feng here for long. After some final instructions, he let him leave first.

At the gate, Xu Feng bowed deeply in farewell.

Master Yan nodded with a smile but said nothing.

In just a few days, Xu Feng’s strength had improved tremendously. He had officially broken through to the martial warrior stage. His greatest gains were the repaired broken sword in his hand and the sword technique from Master Yan.

With no one around, he enjoyed a rare moment of freedom. Gazing at the grand gate of the Feng estate, he felt as if he were in another world.

He still had to continue playing the role of the useless son-in-law. That disguise would not come off anytime soon.

He pushed open the door and walked inside. Along the way, many people whispered among themselves but no one dared greet him openly—until he met Dong’er at the courtyard entrance, who rushed over with a joyful face.

“Young master, you’ve finally returned! No wonder there were a few magpies flying into the yard this morning.”

Seeing Dong’er, a rare smile broke across Xu Feng’s face.

She was the only one in this household who truly awaited his return and cared about him leaving. Her worry was simple—only whether he was well and safe outside, with no other thoughts.

“I’ve only been gone a few days. Why do you miss me so much?”

Though he spoke lightly, Xu Feng felt a warm sensation and reached out to ruffle Dong’er’s hair.

Before he could even take a sip of water, Feng Yu and Feng Yumian, the two sisters, arrived in quick succession upon hearing the news.

“You’ve been away so long, I thought you’d forgotten your own surname!” Feng Yu teased as usual, but Xu Feng ignored her. After all, he was just a son-in-law to the Feng family, not someone changing his surname like an adopted godson.

In contrast, Feng Yumian was delighted, grabbing Xu Feng’s hand and bombarding him with questions—curious about Miss Rong’s appearance and the divine weapon he had obtained from the Hidden Armory Pavilion.

“Is Miss Rong truly as beautiful as a celestial fairy?”

“And what kind of vital energy did you get from the Hidden Armory? Show me, I want to see.”

Mentioning Miss Rong, Feng Yu’s face stiffened slightly, though she concealed it well enough that no one else noticed.

“Miss Rong is the young mistress behind the Heavenly Fragrance Tower. At most, he might meet a maid. Does he really think she’d receive him personally?”

Though Feng Yu looked down on Xu Feng, her possessiveness was intense. She couldn’t accept Xu Feng meeting other women in secret.

Xu Feng was too lazy to argue. He tossed the repaired broken sword to Feng Yumian.

Seeing the sword, Feng Yumian looked somewhat disappointed.

“Tch, this is too plain. It feels no different from some swords I treasure. Could it be that the Hidden Armory Pavilion only stores such mediocre weapons?”

Xu Feng’s expression turned strange. Though the repaired broken sword lacked visual appeal, its sharpness was unparalleled.

Feng Yumian’s comment showed a lack of appreciation.

“Heh, the Hidden Armory Pavilion’s collection is indeed filled with divine weapons, but not everyone qualifies to receive them. The right sword goes to the right person. This sword suits him perfectly.”

At that moment, Feng Yu’s heart finally found some balance. No matter how good one was at poetry, it still couldn’t compare to the young master of the Zuo family.