The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 26 Arriving at An Island, Missing the Sword Immortal vs. the Knife-wielding Swordsman

After sailing at sea for several days, the fishing boat arrived safely at An Island. No one saw Qi Yuan secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Just as they disembarked, they heard someone shout, "Hurry to the East Gate! Xu Guan's son, Xu Xiaohong, is challenging the Sword Immortal!"

"Xu Guan's son?" Luo Yifei asked, puzzled. "The son of the Liang general who slaughtered the entire Yan royal family?"

"Judging from the reactions of those around us, it seems so," Bi Li replied to Luo Yifei, noticing the gossipy expressions on their faces.

"Want to take a look together?" Luo Yifei became interested.

"The Sword Immortal will definitely win," Qi Yuan said. "There's no harm in watching. Let's enter the city from the east gate."

When Luo Yifei and his group arrived at the East Gate, the battle had already ended, and Xu Xiaohong's knife had fallen to the ground outside the city gate.

All that could be heard was Xu Guan's son, Xu Xiaohong, calling out to the sword immortal Duan Xiuzhang, "Senior, I will definitely come back to fight again in ten years." However, he received no response.

Seeing that the crowd was growing, Xu Xiaohong picked up the knife from the ground, used his light-footed skills to leave the city gate, and disappeared without a trace.

The crowd gradually dispersed, some leaving the city and others entering.

Luo Yifei and his group also entered the city with the crowd.

The city at the center of An Island is Sword Immortal City, named after the sword immortal Duan Xiuzhang who guards it.

Despite having eaten dry rations on the ship for several days, the group didn't rush to find food. Instead, as usual, Qi Yuan led them to an inn to stay in.

This inn was naturally the one Qi Yuan stayed at when he traveled the world. The innkeeper was still the same one, but time had passed and the innkeeper did not remember that Qi Yuan had come here many years ago.

In this bustling world of martial arts, Qi Yuan didn't leave a deep impression on the innkeeper back then.

The inn only allowed two people per room, so the group had to rent three rooms. Qingwei and Huaxi shared one room, Bili and Luo Yifei shared another, and Qi Yuan had a room to himself.

The fishing boat trip over the past few days had left the group of five somewhat exhausted. After having a simple meal on the first floor of the inn, they went back to their rooms to rest.

Luo Yifei suffered from severe seasickness, and the strong winds and waves in the last few days of the trip were really too much for him. He went to bed early after lunch.

……

Let's rewind to this morning, at the east gate of Sword Immortal City on An Island. Xu Xiaohong brandished his long saber at Sword Immortal Duan Xiuzhang, but it was actually a sword move he was using.

Sword Immortal Duan Xiuzhang did not draw his sword, but moved his figure on the city wall as if strolling in a garden, yet he easily made Xu Xiaohong's knife pierce the air.

Below the city gate, in a place far from the crowd, a man dressed in a black robe, wearing a bamboo hat, with a sword at his waist, dressed like a swordsman from the martial arts world, was also watching the battle from afar.

The knife in Xu Xiaohong's hand contained supreme sword intent in the eyes of the swordsmen of the martial world, which must have been the result of guidance from a master. It was a pity that his opponent was a sword immortal in this world.

Sword Immortal Duan Xiuzhang had not yet made a move, but was leisurely "strolling" on the city wall, while Xu Xiaohong had already completed a set of sword moves, but every strike landed in mid-air.

The crowd below the city gate mostly thought Xu Xiaohong's challenge to the sword immortal was like throwing an egg against a rock. But the swordsmen in the distance saw that Xu Xiaohong was actually using a knife to display his swordsmanship to the fullest extent, and if he grew up, he would definitely become a regional overlord.

As Xu Xiaohong finished his final move, Sword Immortal Duan Xiuzhang lightly flicked his sleeve, unleashing a surge of powerful true energy. Xu Xiaohong's blade flew from his hand, landing outside the city gate, while Xu Xiaohong himself staggered backward, landing below the city wall.

The sword immortal's true energy rendered him speechless for a moment, leaving him stunned on the spot for quite some time. The sword immortal also vanished during this time, followed by Xu Xiaohong shouting that they would fight again in ten years.

Xu Xiaohong used his lightness skill to disappear at the city gate. The swordsman who had been watching the battle from afar, along with Qi Yuan and his group who had arrived late at the city gate, were about to head towards the city gate when they saw Qi Yuan and his group following the procession into the city. They turned around and followed the spot where Xu Guan's son, Xu Xiaohong, had disappeared, using their lightness skill to leave.

The swordsman had given chase for quite some distance, almost reaching the east coast of An Island. Xu Xiaohong stopped, turned around, and looked at the pursuing swordsman, asking, "May I ask who you are? And why are you following me?"

The swordsman drew his sword and replied, "Song Han of the Tang Clan, I've come to kill you."

Then the two engaged in a fierce sword fight.

Xu Xiaohong suffered internal injuries from the sword immortal's true energy and gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

Just as Xu Xiaohong was about to be stabbed in the neck by the Tang Clan swordsman named Song Han, a surge of sword energy arrived with the wind, causing Song Han's sword to fall to the ground before it could pierce Xu Xiaohong's neck.

A swordsman in white robes arrived on the wind and said to Song Han, "I am a disciple of the Sword Immortal. My master has ordered that Xu Xiaohong must not die on An Island. I hope you will show mercy."

The Tang Clan swordsman bowed respectfully to the white-robed swordsman from the Sword Immortal's sect and said, "Since the Sword Immortal has given the order, I will naturally obey." Then he took his sword and turned to leave.

After watching Song Han leave, the white-clad swordsman also rode away on the wind, without saying a word to Xu Xiaohong.

Xu Xiaohong saw that the swordsman from the Sword Immortal's sect had saved her, and only then did she realize that the difference between them might not be just a decade.