"Why consider the ’what ifs’? What could you do?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire place fell silent for a moment. All eyes turned once more to Chen Yi and Qian Anning before him.

The Old Heavenly Master turned around and recognized Qian Anning as the Master of the Yellow Bamboo Sword Mansion. Though young, he was already renowned. His father died early, and he inherited the mansion at the age of twelve. At fifteen, he broke the Miaojiang Witch King’s Golden Silkworm Gu Formation with three swords, and most notably at twenty, he slew a giant snake on the Huainan Road, cutting it open to save people trapped inside for three days, which became a legendary tale, marking him as a heroic prodigy of his generation. Otherwise, he could not have ascended Dragon and Tiger Mountain, becoming a respected and revered figure in the martial arts world.

Qian Anning ascended Dragon and Tiger Mountain with a close friend, who was a silent swordsman with a knife.

The aggressive momentum was abruptly interrupted. After receiving a response, Qian Anning said, "...Since this matter is true, I hope to get an explanation on what methods Battalion Commander Chen used to force the Heavenly Official to kneel."

He raised his voice slightly towards the end.

Faced with Qian Anning’s questioning, Chen Yi didn’t have much of a reaction and lazily asked, "By what right must I give you an explanation?"

Anyone could see his disdain, yet Qian Anning, as the Mansion Master of the Sword Mansion, wasn’t angered. Instead, he chuckled lightly and said, "It’s not I who demand an explanation from the Battalion Commander, but all the heroes present here demand one. Everyone scales the clouds and reaches the sky, but Battalion Commander Chen simply fails to convince the crowd."

After speaking, he paused before changing his tone, saying:

"However, since I’m not the host here, I cannot chase away guests on behalf of the Heavenly Master. But coming next, we heroes must define the rules of the righteous martial world for the Jianghu. Since Battalion Commander Chen does not deny the controversies surrounding him, silence then would be golden."

Jianghu heroes from all over traveled miles to attend the Hero Conference, not just to toil for the Dragon and Tiger Mountain. Since all the righteous figures had gathered, they might as well set new rules for the righteous martial world backed by the Taoist Ancestral Court. There had been many rumors before ascending Dragon and Tiger Mountain, but Chen Yi felt it was none of his business and didn’t care.

If Qian Anning indeed subdued Chen Yi, he would have significant influence when setting the rules.

Everyone in the Qilin Hall looked at the two of them. It was evident someone was exploiting the situation, but no one accused them. Among the heroes, Chen Yi was the most controversial, with achievements almost unbelievable, "To mend the heavens and save the world," yet the heavens were still intact. This scene at the Hero Conference was like throwing the largest cheat on the most expensive gambling table.

Chen Yi looked up, smiling strangely, "Are you using me to establish your authority?"

Qian Anning said, "Just addressing the issue at hand."

Inside the hall, the tension spread, triggering a clamorous discussion.

At this moment, a rough voice interjected, "Master Qian, is there perhaps some misunderstanding here? Speaking of notoriety, who among us has a great reputation in the court? We all know what the government is like.

As far as I know, Battalion Commander Chen is a righteous man. I have also benefited from his kindness. We’re all heroes here, so why harm our camaraderie?"

The voice was familiar; it was He Taixiong speaking.

After he finished, the Old Heavenly Master also stepped forward a couple of steps to mediate, "All of us have scaled the clouds to assess the good and evil; we’re all heroes. The Heavenly Official was invited by Dragon and Tiger Mountain. Even if something went wrong, it would be Dragon and Tiger Mountain’s fault, not Battalion Commander Chen’s..."

"It’s my fault though," Chen Yi suddenly spoke.

The Old Heavenly Master’s words ceased, and a hint of joy flashed across Qian Anning’s face before he quickly restrained it.

Chen Yi squinted and smiled, "We’re all Jianghu people who speak with our fists; may we remain well."

Qian Anning said, "Well, then plainly, let Jianghu matters be settled by Jianghu. As the Mansion Master of Yellow Bamboo Sword Mansion, I seek your expertise!"

"Go ahead, come on."

Chen Yi, holding a teacup, sat comfortably on the chair, sipping slowly, as if he was afraid it might burn, blowing on it lightly.

As his words fell, Qian Anning waited for a while. Seeing Chen Yi still seated without moving, he squinted and made a fierce move.

In Jianghu, people fight for respect, gamble with courage. The bold thrive, the timid starve. By shedding all the superficial courtesies, the quicker one makes a move to gain the first advantage, the more likely they are to survive till the end.

When Qian Anning made his move, the fires in the Qilin Hall suddenly dimmed.

The Yellow Bamboo Sword Mansion naturally uses a bamboo sword.

The bamboo sword was only three feet and seven inches long, yet when drawn, it resonated with a dragon’s roar, like a sudden clap of thunder in clear daylight.

However, when it truly came down, the bamboo sword cut through the air silently. Only when the sword tip came within three inches of your throat did the sound of tearing silk emerge. As Chen Yi leaned back, the sandalwood chair back cracked with a "crack," and he whirled into the air as his drawn Hou Kang Sword radiated a black gleam.

"Ding!"

The clash of metal echoed, shaking dust from the beams. Qian Anning flicked his wrist, and the bamboo sword coiled around the heavy sword’s spine like a spirit snake, the nine-section bamboo patterns flickering. Chen Yi felt nine waves of force transmitted through the sword, one stronger than the last, numbing his tiger’s mouth.

Chen Yi countered with a reverse strike, using pure force to break skill, yet Qian Anning moved like a leaf in the wind. His green robe fluttered as he shifted to the left, aiming a thrust at Chen Yi’s ribs.

This strike was incredibly fast, and half the people in the hall didn’t even see how he changed his move.

It was too late to defend, yet Chen Yi neither dodged nor let, chopping down with his left palm as if it were a blade toward the sword’s body. Qian Anning’s brows twitched slightly, and the bamboo sword suddenly retracted like a spirit turtle withdrawing its head, reversing to slice the wrist.

Missing the target, a fierce light sparked in Chen Yi’s eyes, and suddenly his long sword flew from his hand, heading directly for Qian Anning’s face.