On the third day of the sixth lunar month, the group finally arrived in Yangzhou City.
Along the way, Li Xiangyi and Shan Gudao had made a detour to visit the Qi Family. Qi Tianhu was delighted to see them. Upon learning they were headed to Yangzhou for the grand martial arts assembly, he did not press them to stay longer, merely sighing that Qi Yun was still away on his travels and could not join them, though they could certainly meet up in Yangzhou later.
Yangzhou City is a place of gentle comfort and romantic indulgence. Whether one is a young knight-errant looking to champion the weak or a scholar brimming with ambition, everyone loves this place. Even the grand martial arts assembly was held here, for there is no place more renowned for its dashing elegance than Yangzhou.
As they entered the city, the air was thick with the clamor of the crowd. Shan Gudao looked toward Li Xiangyi and Sesshomaru, raising his voice with a smile: "Fragrant scents seep into the bones, flowers touch the soul; ten miles of spring breeze on the Yangzhou road, and all the hanging bead curtains are but a pale comparison. The grace and beauty of Yangzhou—hahaha! Xiangyi, Brother Sha, you must truly take in the sights!"
Hearing his senior brother’s playful remark, Li Xiangyi rubbed his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed as he glanced at Brother Sha. But seeing Sesshomaru looking as composed and unruffled as ever, Li Xiangyi felt his own reaction made him appear too unsophisticated. He cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and looked around the city—long praised as the "famed capital of the Huai River and the best of the bamboo groves"—with newfound curiosity.
As a Great Yokai, even with his demonic power sealed, Sesshomaru’s senses of smell and hearing were far keener than any human’s. The cacophony of the bustling city caused his brows to knit; he had to filter out the useless noise. Hearing Shan Gudao’s words, he found them utterly ridiculous. In four hundred years of life, what flowers had the heir to the Western Country not seen? Why would he need to "gain experience" here?
*Cold and heartless, unromantic, barely literate in human arts, and indifferent to women*—that was how Young Lord Sesshomaru felt.
After the start of summer, the lotus flowers in Yangzhou began to bloom one after another, filling the air with their fragrance for miles, while the weeping willows lined the banks. It was the first time Li Xiangyi had witnessed such beauty, and the young man couldn't help but feel a spark of genuine interest in the celebrated elegance of the city.
Because of the upcoming martial arts assembly, a ceaseless stream of scholars and young knights poured into Yangzhou. Inns, guesthouses, and even the brothels were packed full.
The trio settled into "Ruyi Lodge," which Shan Gudao had booked in advance. The atmosphere in Yangzhou was too murky for a powerful yokai like Sesshomaru. He had no intention of immersing himself in the laughter and chatter of humans. Besides Li Xiangyi, who was the only one capable of holding his attention in this mortal world, everything else was merely a nuisance. Consequently, while Li Xiangyi followed his senior brother daily to visit friends and colleagues from various sects, Sesshomaru rarely left his room, except for the occasional walk through the city with Li Xiangyi.
The young man was at an age full of vigor and a love for excitement, making friends and exchanging martial techniques with glee. Yet, Li Xiangyi never forgot to bring back delicious food for Brother Sha whenever he was out.
Within half a month, the name of Li Xiangyi of Yunyin Mountain had already caught the attention of every sect. Gifted with extraordinary talent and astonishing martial arts, he remained undefeated in the sparring matches leading up to the assembly, and none of his opponents could withstand more than three moves against him.
By the third day of the seventh lunar month, they had been in Yangzhou for a full month. Li Xiangyi had faced techniques from the Kunlun sect, Wudang swordplay, Shaolin fists and staves, the Nanshanshen Sect, and the Fengling Sword School. He had remained undefeated in both one-on-one duels and when facing multiple opponents. In this world where martial arts were king, the name Li Xiangyi was beginning to shine with brilliance.
In the past few months, Li Xiangyi had grown taller, standing nearly eight feet. The childishness in his face had vanished, replaced by the sharpening, cold edge of a man who had handled many injustices. He was strikingly handsome. Furthermore, his deeds in championing the weak had gradually become known. The young man was full of spirit, his eyes clear, never looking down on others. Whether his opponent was male or female, he treated them with respect. When he won a match, he never grew arrogant or prideful, nor did he mock the loser; he would simply offer a warm, sincere bow with his fists joined.
Thus, this handsome, chivalrous, and righteous young man gradually gathered a group of like-minded young warriors around him—all in their late teens or early twenties—spending their days sparring and having fun.
Occasionally, they would venture into the famous pleasure houses of Yangzhou. However, Li Xiangyi’s words and actions always showed deep, innate respect for women. He never stayed the night, and he treated the courtesans as equals. When he encountered women with extraordinary talent or skill, his eyes and words lacked any trace of playfulness, containing only genuine admiration. Hearing of such character, the martial artists in Yangzhou all nodded in approval.
What made Li Xiangyi’s reputation truly soar among the youth was when the lead courtesan of the Xiuyue Pavilion issued a challenge through poetry and chess. The young man dueled her in chess and linked poems, finally using rouge as ink to write thirty-six lines of "Song of the Transient Ties of the World" upon the wall.
*Fair beauty like a flower, fleeting as the years, thick mist and perfume, why the endless attachment...*
*In the Jade Capital of the heavens, three thousand miles away, there is a guest who can wield a sword in flight...*
*I am but a guest at the world's edge, one sword stroke turns thirty thousand miles...*
"Only a great hero can stay true to his nature; only a true scholar is naturally free-spirited." His unique, dashing, and bold demeanor was plain to see. Who could help but admire such youthful spirit, even if it had a touch of arrogance?
Thanks to his connection to Li Xiangyi, Shan Gudao also managed to gather a circle of young martial friends, spending his days drinking, toasting, and engaging in social climbing—a different circle entirely.
As for the human-like, ethereally handsome Sesshomaru, few people knew him. After arriving in Yangzhou, he spent his days in his room, testing the limits of invoking his demonic power in this world. And it was precisely because of this that he felt a blade beginning to take form within his own body.
Within Ruyi Lodge, Sesshomaru was probing his internal power little by little. Thunder occasionally flashed within the room, an anomaly that no one else could perceive.
When he heard familiar footsteps, Sesshomaru closed the breach he had opened in the barrier of his demonic realm. The power dissipated, and the faint, flickering lightning vanished instantly.
Li Xiangyi heard the room go quiet before pushing the door open and walking in.
Sesshomaru looked at the daylight outside; it was nearing the hour of the rooster. Usually, this was the time they were in the middle of sparring and drinking. He glanced at Li Xiangyi, who walked to the table, poured water for them both, and said excitedly, "Brother Sha, I've just gained insight into four more styles! I'm going to the outskirts to practice them for you to see!"
Sesshomaru looked at him, recalling the snippets of talk he had heard about the young hero Li Xiangyi, and found a rare spark of playfulness. "Are the names of these moves 'Fair Beauty Like a Flower' or 'Three Thousand Miles of Jade Capital'?"
Li Xiangyi didn't know why, but while he felt his poetry expressed a dashing, scholarly air when among his friends, hearing it recited by Brother Sha—who remained calm but whose eyes held a hint of amusement—made him blush to the roots of his hair. He coughed softly and turned away to hide his embarrassment.
Seeing this, Sesshomaru took a sip of water to mask a smile and continued, "Oh? Perhaps it's 'Naturally Free-spirited,' 'The Carefree Traveler,' or 'Li Xiangyi of the Moonlight and Wind'?"
Li Xiangyi was blushing crimson now. Afraid that Brother Sha might misunderstand, he hurried to say, "Those are just rumors spread by others! I was only appreciating the poetry and the arts..."
Watching his flustered reaction, Sesshomaru could no longer suppress his smile. The anxiety that had built up over the past few days because the blade-embryo within him had shown no reaction vanished entirely. "It is not just humans; even in our Yokai lands, places of pleasure are not rare. This is not your first time going there, why so nervous?"
Seeing Brother Sha’s calm demeanor, a strange feeling flashed through Li Xiangyi’s heart, though it vanished in an instant. He mumbled, curious, "Then, Brother Sha, how many times have you been?"
Upon hearing this question, Sesshomaru raised his right hand and caught him off guard with a tap to the head, then stood up. "Let's go!"
Seeing Brother Sha wouldn't answer, Li Xiangyi grew even more curious. He was now only half a head shorter than Sesshomaru. He hurried to keep up, blocking Sesshomaru’s path, and while walking backward, he tilted his head with an innocent expression. "Brother Sha, you're over four hundred years old—surely you haven't never been close to a woman?"
*Truly indifferent to women*—Young Lord Sesshomaru paused at these words, his eyes narrowing, his right hand lifting slightly...
Seeing Brother Sha’s expression, Li Xiangyi knew he had guessed right. He turned and took off running, using his Samsara Pace, and in a few bounds, he had vanished from sight.
Young Lord Sesshomaru sneered. With a flicker of faint demonic power coating his feet, he flew to catch up. The moment they left the city, accompanied by a flash of thunder, Sesshomaru silently teleported behind Li Xiangyi and grabbed the collar of the increasingly daring human.
Seeing the Great Yokai had actually used his power, the great scholar Li dared not resist any further and allowed himself to be carried, quite obediently.
Sesshomaru carried him, sensing the human presence nearby, and headed toward a deserted lake in the distance. Finding the shore, he raised his hand, ready to toss the human into the water. He hadn't expected this human to become increasingly thick-skinned as time went by.
The young man was becoming more concerned with his image, but with no one around, he could afford to discard it. The "great scholar" turned and, acting like a rogue, used both his limbs and his internal energy to cling tightly to Sesshomaru. He wouldn't come off, and looking up with his peach-blossom eyes blinking, his face was full of ingratiating charm.
Sesshomaru looked down at the Li Xiangyi clinging to him, a smile slowly blossoming on his face.
Though he knew Brother Sha was tricking him, Li Xiangyi couldn't help but be stunned by the rare, breathtaking sight of the noble, cold Great Yokai smiling.
Sesshomaru saw the familiar look of awe on the human’s face and felt his mood improve instantly. Then, with a flick of his right hand, he took advantage of the human’s daze to rip him away and toss him into the lake.
By the time Li Xiangyi leaped out of the water and used his internal energy to dry his clothes, he was still lamenting in his heart: *Beauty misleads the mind; beauty truly misleads the mind. How true those words are...*
Sesshomaru had already leapt gracefully into the bamboo grove by the lake and sat in a flat, comfortable spot. Seeing Li Xiangyi was ready, he took the sugar pouch he had snatched from Li Xiangyi before tossing him into the water, picked out a piece of candy, popped it into his mouth, and glanced at him, signaling him to begin.
Li Xiangyi smiled dashingly. Shaoshi was unsheathed, and he proclaimed clearly, "Brother Sha, watch closely! The second style of the Xiangyi Sword Technique: 'The Hall Full of Drunken Guests'..." *A frost of sword light chills fourteen provinces.*
In the crisp bamboo grove, Li Xiangyi turned and looked back, the sword’s brilliance slicing through the sky. Where the tip pointed, the air seemed torn asunder. He spun, his sword style shifting. The youth’s voice was clear and bright. "The third style: 'A World Apart, Not of the Mortal Realm'!" As he swung the sword, the light flew out like a bolt of silk, sword flowers blooming in its wake.
"The fourth style: 'Long Wind as a Song'!" The wind rose, clouds flew, the sword energy was like a song—solitary, roaming heaven and earth, wild and unbridled...
"The fifth style: 'Ascend to the Nine Heavens'!" The sunset was like blood, staining half the sky. The long sword broke through the air with a whistling wind. Where the tip pointed, it would erase the world's injustices and rise to the nine heavens with you.
Li Xiangyi stood in the grove, white-clad and silver-crowned, his robes fluttering. His eyes were firm and clear, the sword in his hand glinting with cold light.
Sesshomaru did not understand the meaning of these poems, but through the protection seal, he could feel Li Xiangyi’s conviction: to eliminate the injustices of the world and restore the path of righteousness!
Li Xiangyi sheathed his sword and looked at Sesshomaru with a smile. The setting sun cast a golden glow upon him.
Sesshomaru watched him quietly. A thought crossed his mind: the sunlight in the human world is just right, and this young man is brimming with power, in the very prime of his youth...
Sesshomaru suddenly remembered the teachings Li Xiangyi’s master occasionally gave him: *Conviction is a power far greater than martial strength alone!*
Conviction? This was something he had never considered. He had always wanted to obtain the Tessaiga. He felt a powerful blade should be held by a more powerful self. He didn't understand why his father left the Tessaiga to that hanyo, while leaving him only a sword that could do no harm. He had been chasing the power to become as strong as his father!
Until he walked through a spring season in the human world with this human, and felt the blade that belonged to him stirring within his own body.
For the first time, the Great Yokai pondered what conviction was. Li Xiangyi said he wanted to be famous throughout the world, to become a great hero standing tall. He said he would use his sword to speak for the weak and advise the strong. He said he would rectify the martial arts world. He was always doing things to protect the weak, and he felt happier receiving their meager thanks than he did gaining gold or silver.
This was his conviction. But what about me, Sesshomaru?
The blade-embryo within him trembled slightly. Sesshomaru froze. How long had it been since he had thought of the Tessaiga? Since he had longed for his father’s legacy? *So, this is... a power that belongs to me?*
Li Xiangyi jumped in front of Sesshomaru and waved his hand slightly. Seeing Sesshomaru finally return to his senses, he asked proudly, "Brother Sha, you were surprised by my sword moves, weren't you? Am I not truly gifted and extraordinary?"
Sesshomaru looked at him, feeling the blade within him gestating and growing. Seeing the brilliant smile on the face before him, his brown eyes narrowed. Li Xiangyi sensed something and retreated rapidly. Sesshomaru followed close behind, the Tenseiga at his waist unsheathed, and with a wave of his hand, he executed the "Long Wind as a Song" move!
Li Xiangyi’s eyes lit up. With Shaoshi in hand, he unleashed the same sword technique. The sharp sword light reflected on their handsome faces, dark hair flying. As their sword moves crossed, it was the most beautiful scene in the grove.
As they withdrew their swords, Li Xiangyi carried his on his back, his face full of exhilaration. He looked at the sun, which had now completely set, and even in the dimming light, his smile remained brilliant. "Brother Sha, it seems we'll have to climb the city wall today! Let's go out!"
Hearing the sound of the blade within him growing furiously, a smile touched Sesshomaru’s face. He said, "Very well."