Chapter 17: Jianghu Battle

"Senior Brother Han, you're truly oblivious to what's happening outside! How could you not know about something this significant? Even if you were in closed-door cultivation, your master should have mentioned it," Little Abacus remarked, his tone once again tinged with suspicion.

Without a word, Han Li deftly pulled a waist token from his person and handed it to Little Abacus.

"Senior Brother Han, what are you doing? How could I not trust you! I felt a sense of familiarity the moment I saw you; we must have met before, haha!" Little Abacus quickly glanced at the token, confirmed its authenticity, and immediately plastered a fawning smile on his face.

"So, can you tell me now?" Han Li remained focused on his earlier question.

"Of course, absolutely."

*Darn it, I've probably offended this guy,* Little Abacus grumbled inwardly, but verbally, he spilled everything.

It turned out that in recent years, the conflict between the Seven Mysteries Sect and the Wild Wolf Gang had intensified. Both sides had fought over a dozen battles, large and small, over several disputed rich towns, suffering heavy losses in manpower. The Wild Wolf Gang members were trained like horse bandits; they fought recklessly, becoming even more berserk at the sight of blood. While Seven Mysteries Sect disciples possessed superior martial arts, they lacked that ruthless edge, often hesitating in combat. Consequently, the latter consistently suffered more casualties. After several consecutive defeats, the sect's senior figures could no longer sit still. They dispatched most of the sect's inner disciples to participate in the upcoming series of battles. On one hand, these territories could not be lost; on the other, it was an opportunity for the disciples to witness the cruelty of the martial world, undergo tempering, and gain practical combat experience.

As a result, the Seven Mysteries Sect gained the upper hand in the subsequent skirmishes, but the casualties among the inner disciples were also excessive. Many older senior brothers never returned after being sent out. At this point, Little Abacus sighed deeply.

Later, the sect masters changed their strategy again. They began by assigning inner disciples to less critical missions, sending them to other areas to gain experience. Once they had sufficient worldly knowledge, they would then join the battles against the Wild Wolf Gang. This approach indeed led to a significant reduction in casualties. Thus, this strategy was formally incorporated into the sect rules two years ago, mandating that all disciples must undergo outside experience after completing their training before being granted official positions within the sect.

Because of this, almost all older senior brothers on the mountain had been dispatched down. They were now either locked in combat with the Wild Wolf Gang or out gaining experience. Apart from the necessary mountain guards, the mountain was left with only these young, untrained disciples.

Upon hearing this, Han Li suddenly understood the reason for the changes on the mountain.

"Clang!" With a loud thud, a soft sword flew into the air.

Zhao Ziling, pressing his left hand against the numb tiger's mouth of his right hand, staggered back several steps, his face pale, gasping for breath. Earlier, unable to evade Senior Brother Li's rapid chain attacks, he had been forced to parry with his soft sword. As a result, the immense force transmitted through the saber had sent his weapon flying.

"Senior Brother Li, you are truly formidable. I willingly admit defeat," Zhao Ziling said, forcing a smile, and bowed.

Cheers immediately erupted from the surrounding crowd.

"Senior Brother Li, what magnificent martial arts!"

"Senior Brother Li, what superb saber skills!"

"Senior Brother Li, please give me some pointers!"

A chorus of eager shouts, unwilling to be outdone, resounded across the entire training ground, directed at their idol.

Senior Brother Li sheathed his long saber, a faint blush on his face, and was about to speak. Suddenly, his expression changed. He furrowed his brows, seemingly remembering something.

He cupped his fist coolly and said, "I have some urgent matters to attend to. I shall take my leave first."

He turned and lightly drifted out of the arena, displaying a graceful light-body technique, and vanished into the pine forest by the cliff.

"Tsk, tsk! Not only is Senior Brother Li skilled with the saber, his light-body technique is also exceptional."

"Exactly!"

"Absolutely!"

More praises rang out.

Han Li frowned slightly. This Senior Brother Li was indeed skilled, but he seemed a bit fond of showing off, probably due to youthful vigor.

He then reflected on his own thoughts and couldn't help but smile wryly. He wasn't much older than these people, yet his mindset always seemed so old-fashioned, as if he were already a little old man. It seemed his cultivation technique might have aged his entire mentality prematurely.

"This junior brother, I still don't know your name," Han Li said, looking at Little Abacus standing nearby, suddenly asking for his given name.

"My name is Jin Dongbao, but Senior Brother Han, you can just call me Little Abacus," Jin Dongbao said, immediately excited to hear Han Li ask for his name, apparently believing he had found a powerful backer.

"In the future, if you get sick or injured, just find me. I'll treat you for free." Han Li patted his shoulder, glanced at the bickering crowd in the arena, and then walked into the adjacent pine forest without looking back.

Jin Dongbao remained rooted to the spot, staring blankly in confusion, momentarily unsure what Han Li's words meant.