Chapter 1053: The Drinking Old Man

Chapter 1053: The Drinking Old Man

The appearance of the two old men gave the dying Du Xuan a brief chance to catch his breath.

The Sword Tomb warriors had some skill, able to withstand several blows from him. If it were any other Immortal without a defensive formation, they would be finished after one or two strikes.

The sword formation separated the battlefield, trying to surround Lin Nuo, but he swiftly retreated, avoiding being trapped within the swords.

“Du Xuan, I only went into seclusion for a bit, and you almost caused a disaster. Your alliance preparations are insufficient; it’s truly reckless.”

The Sword Tomb’s leader, a white-haired elder named Lu Yi, recalled when the Sword Saint first entered the Sword Tomb, he still had a head full of black hair. But as time passed, over a decade flew by, and the hardships were etched on his face.

As for the other old man, he was from Zifeng Valley, holding a wine gourd, taking sips every now and then, with a beaming smile.

His exact name was unknown; everyone just called him a character, Yui, which sounds like the word for wine. The character was engraved on the wine gourd.

When Lin Nuo first saw this character, he thought it was a character that signified enmity and wondered how deep this man’s grudges were.

Typically, those wandering around with a wine gourd, appearing out of nowhere, were usually big shots.

He resembled the wine-sword immortal from the tales of Xianjian.

How strong Yui was, that remained a mystery. Lin Nuo needed to test the waters.

But first, he had to dodge Lu Yi’s multiple Spirit Sword attacks. His swordsmanship was on par with the Sword Saint’s; if they truly fought, the outcome was uncertain.

But at this moment, if they fought, the Sword Saint would unquestionably kick the bucket, only to be reincarnated as the next saint.

“Senior Yui, is that really you? It’s… you’ve been away from Zifeng Valley for almost ten years; we thought…”

Dong Xiyan was quite surprised, as if in a dream. The immortal holding the wine gourd reappeared before her.

Almost ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Where had he been during this time? What had he been doing? What level of power had he achieved?

All of it was uncertain.

Just like Lin Nuo, filled with unknowns.

But Lin Nuo, being a newcomer, was even more intimidating.

“Ha, it’s Xiyan! Long time no see! I just went somewhere for a nap; I don’t even know how many years have passed, haha.”

Yui laughed heartily, took another swig of wine, which was quite fragrant.

On the surface, he appeared carefree, enjoying his wine, but Lin Nuo understood that typically, this kind of person was a hidden master.

Like the squinty-eyed monsters, squinting their eyes, but in reality, they were true beasts.

Caution was key; don’t act recklessly.

Those whom he hadn’t fought before were still unknowns, especially this carefree type.

If these two old men combined forces to attack, the mountain behind them might truly suffer, and Ruo’er and the others wouldn’t be able to escape.

Lu Yi waved his hand again, providing healing to the fallen Du Xuan, and his injuries slightly improved.

“Thanks, Master…”

“Du Xuan, you should refrain from speaking; rest well.”

With that, Lu Yi’s gaze shifted to the Sword Saint ahead.

“Li Sheng. I don’t blame you for leaving the Sword Tomb recklessly; after all, everyone has their aspirations. But how did you end up assisting demons? I truly cannot understand this.”

“You don’t need to understand.”

The Sword Saint coldly replied.

The Sword Saint’s real name was Li Sheng; many people used to call him that before he became famous and was known as the Sword Saint, with very few aware of his real name.

Even Lin Nuo hadn’t probed into his true name; after all, cats and dogs were addressed the same way, what did it matter?

Yet, it surprised him; he also had the surname Li.

Considering this, Ruo’er had reunited with her brother, both sharing the surname Li.

If we go by the unkind words, Ruo’er didn’t need to change her name; she could simply keep using the Li surname.

One day, he should tell Ruo’er to change her surname to Ni, so she wouldn’t share a surname with this Sword Saint.

Logically speaking, Ruo’er shouldn’t be a Li either, since she had always been cared for by her adoptive mother, but her adoptive mother was of the virtuous and nurturing type, so it was impossible for Ruo’er to take her name; she naturally followed her father’s surname.

Seeing the Sword Saint posturing again, still clinging to life, Lin Nuo thought, what’s he pretending for?

Hey, Master Lu, why not finish him off quickly and let him stop showing off?

However, Lu Yi showed no intention of attacking; instead, his gaze shifted to Lin Nuo.

“Lin Nuo, you once saved the Immortals of Zifeng Valley, noted as the Young Hero among the multitude of Immortals. How is it that you’ve allied with demons now? This old man truly finds it hard to understand.”

“If you can’t understand, then don’t try. Think too hard and you might lose more hair.” Lin Nuo retorted.

“Very well, there’s no need for me to ponder further. I just witnessed your strength—it is indeed impressive, but what a pity.”

“What’s the pity? That I didn’t join your side makes it a pity?”

“Everyone has their aspirations; I shan’t dwell on it. I too am quite injured today; let’s leave it at this. You wouldn’t want that mountain behind you to be destroyed, would you?”

“So why aren’t you two scramming?” Lin Nuo countered.

“Wait, this young man is interesting.”

Yui took another sip of his wine and laughed heartily,

“I’ve also heard that there was turmoil in Zifeng Valley once, and you saved them. Back then, you weren’t a demon. Of course, the world is unpredictable, and I’ve grown accustomed to such things. Your choice to ally with demons must have your reasons; it reminds me of my youth, haha.”

“Alright, enough reminiscing. I’m not interested in your youthful days.”

“Alas, young man, listen to some wisdom from the elders; it will benefit you. Well, well, now that I’ve awoken from this sleep, what a good harvest it is to meet you.”

Yui was laughing heartily, feeling as if he had met an incredibly interesting young man after so long.

He loosened his joints; this old man couldn’t just drink without exercising, and he had put on some weight.

Ah, just one more sip.

“Alas, all gone; too little.”

Having finished his wine, Yui felt drained, too little.

“Young man, how about we have a little spar? Just a friendly match, nothing too serious.”

Yui squinted and smiled, his harmless demeanor making Lin Nuo even more cautious.

“Since you say so, I shall oblige.”

Lin Nuo replied, choosing not to use his sword but going straight for a punch.

Let’s test him out, probe his limits, while ensuring he doesn’t probe mine.

This was the first time he would face off against this wine-loving fellow, but judging by his corpulent figure, he thought it might slow him down; if his strength was great but speed lagged, he would be the one getting toyed with.

“Alright, here I come.”

Yui’s squinted eyes suddenly opened wide, then he swiftly rushed toward Lin Nuo.

This speed…

Lin Nuo couldn’t help but be surprised; it was hard to imagine that this stocky body could move so quickly. If he wasn’t careful, he would end up taking a punch from that fat old man.

If he were a bit slimmer, he might even be faster.

Though Lin Nuo dodged, this old man had the Wind Spirit Root, and his speed and reactions were exceptionally quick; his outward appearance was totally deceptive. If he wasn’t careful, he would suffer a hit.

The opponent didn’t enhance his punches with Spirit Techniques, so Lin Nuo felt he didn’t need to either.

Just a normal standoff was good.

When it came to speed, Lin Nuo slightly had the upper hand.

Yet, while this old man’s punches weren’t fast, his dodging reactions were extremely quick, and Lin Nuo’s punches soon landed in the air.

He found himself facing a worthy opponent.