Chapter 234: Chapter 144: The Celebration Spirit Wine Is Ready
’Ten would have been acceptable.’
"Very well. Lu, please see yourself off Xuanjian Peak. I must be going."
Li Xuance smiled, then cupped his hands and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Lu Maozhi’s expression soured, but he couldn’t say anything more.
However, just as Li Xuance was about to depart, a streak of light shot in from the distance. It closed the gap in the blink of an eye, landing before the two men. A figure emerged, calmly gazing at them.
"Disciple Li Xuance pays his respects to the Sect Leader."
Upon recognizing the newcomer, Li Xuance hurriedly bowed in greeting.
Not daring to be disrespectful, Lu Maozhi, who stood to the side, also quickly bowed.
"This junior, Lu Maozhi, pays his respects to Elder Lu."
The Iron Sword Sect’s Leader, Lu Qingsong, was dressed in loose-fitting robes. His gaze was calm, yet it carried an air of authority as he stared at Li Xuance.
"Xuan Ce, regarding that past challenge, the Iron Sword Sect’s prestige was utterly shattered. This slight cannot go unanswered. Since Lu has come to request your help, you will issue a formal challenge to Chen Sheng.
This time, you must erase this shame and restore the honor of the Iron Sword Sect."
Li Xuance was stunned. He had never imagined the Sect Leader would personally order him into this fight; it completely blindsided him. Beside him, Lu Maozhi’s eyes were also wide with astonishment.
’He never thought Lu Qingsong would even know about this, let alone issue a direct order to Li Xuance.’
But his surprise quickly gave way to a rush of delight.
’With a command from Lu Qingsong, Li Xuance would have no way to refuse.’
"Yes. This disciple accepts the command."
Though Li Xuance didn’t understand the Sect Leader’s motives, he knew it wasn’t a simple matter. ’There are probably political dealings involved.’ He immediately bowed and accepted.
After all, he had long wanted to challenge Chen Sheng himself; he just hadn’t been willing to do it on Lu Maozhi’s behalf.
And Li Xuance’s suspicions were correct. Lu Qingsong had learned of the situation because the Manor Master of Luoyun Manor had personally paid a visit to the Iron Sword Sect. The two had conversed and come to certain arrangements.
The price the Iron Sword Sect had to pay was Li Xuance’s victory over Chen Sheng, a move to humble the Jingwu Bureau.
"Hn."
Lu Qingsong gave a slight nod. Without another word, he turned and departed by Flying.
...
"Li, about this..."
The moment Lu Qingsong was gone, Lu Maozhi couldn’t hold back any longer.
Li Xuance smiled, but his expression then turned serious.
"With the Sect Leader’s command, I can hardly refuse. However, there are a few things I must ask you."
Though he was confident in his ability to defeat Chen Sheng, anyone who could beat Lu Maozhi was clearly no pushover. There was too much riding on this battle; he absolutely could not afford any mistakes.
Therefore, he had to get a thorough understanding of Chen Sheng’s Divine Techniques.
Lu Maozhi naturally held nothing back. He recounted the details of their battle, as well as his own post-fight analysis, and made a point to emphasize that Chen Sheng’s Evil Qi was far from ordinary.
He urged Li Xuance to be extremely careful.
After a long while, a grave look flickered in Li Xuance’s eyes.
’Chen Sheng is indeed even more formidable than I imagined.’
’I can’t be careless in this fight.’
"Tomorrow, I will send someone to the Jingwu Bureau to deliver the challenge."
"When the time comes, I will be there to cheer for you, Li."
"Thank you."
Li Xuance nodded, preparing to return and contemplate the upcoming battle.
But Lu Maozhi suddenly stopped him, his expression serious.
"Xuan Ce."
"Is there something else, Lu?"
Li Xuance turned slowly to face Lu Maozhi, assuming he had some last-minute advice to give.
"Li, the Spirit Wine for your celebration is already prepared. Don’t let your guard down too early. You must win this fight..."
Lu Maozhi said, looking at Li Xuance with utmost seriousness.
"Of course."
Li Xuance gave a slight nod.
’Of course he would fight it well.’
’Otherwise, how could he face the disciples and elders of the Iron Sword Sect?’
’He would completely wash away the shame of the past!’
"If you win this battle, Li, don’t forget to attend my and Zhilan’s engagement banquet. I will be sure to treat you as the guest of honor."
"Agreed."
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