I have to say, Li Ninth Master's trick really caught Ye Tianfan off guard, but Ye Tianfan was prepared for this. As the saying goes, "Don't attempt porcelain work without diamond skills," since Ye Tianfan had made a move, Li Ninth Master could forget about drawing his short sword from its sheath.

"Li Ninth Master! Isn't this a bit underhanded?" Ye Tianfan chuckled wickedly, flicked his finger sharply, and felt a chill streak shoot forth. Next, there was a humming sound, and the Ye Family's leaf blade, thin as a cicada's wing, had already pierced through Li Ninth Master's sword sheath!

At this moment, only the tip of Li Ninth Master's short sword was unsheathed, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't draw it out. Despite its small and thin appearance, the Ye Family's leaf blade was exceptionally sharp. It pierced through not only the sword sheath but the blade itself, pinning the short sword into the sheath like a nail.

Li Ninth Master's eyes suddenly flashed with astonishment. The short sword in his hand was no ordinary item. Its blade had been refined in the furnace by Li Ninth Master for over ten years, making it incredibly hard and sharp enough to slice through iron like mud. Yet, such a sword was pierced by a tiny leaf blade as thin as a cicada's wing!

As a master swordsmith, how could Li Ninth Master not be shocked?

He lowered his head for a closer look, and his pupils suddenly contracted, filled with shock as he spoke, "This... is Ye... Ye Qingxuan's leaf blade!"

Before his voice fell, Li Ninth Master lifted his head abruptly, couldn't resist sizing up Ye Tianfan, and asked, "Who in the Ye Family are you?"

Upon hearing Li Ninth Master's words, Ye Tianfan's expression changed involuntarily. Ye Qingxuan was Ye Tianfan's grandfather, who had been in seclusion for a long time, and few in the Huaxia Ancient Martial Realm knew his name. Since Li Ninth Master could recognize the Ye Family's leaf blade at a glance and call out the elder's name, he certainly wasn't an outsider and at least had some interaction with the Ye Family.

Ye Tianfan hurriedly cupped his hands towards Li Ninth Master, respectfully performing an ancient salute. After all, Li Ninth Master was considered a senior and had interacted with Elder Ye. Moreover, the Huaxia Ancient Martial Arts, passed down through the ages, emphasized the importance of manners above all else, no matter the level of martial arts skill. Ye Tianfan had even teased Li Ninth Master earlier; if Elder Ye knew, he would probably face another scolding.

"Junior Ye Tianfan, Ye Qingxuan is my grandfather."

Li Ninth Master was suddenly startled, looked at Ye Tianfan, squinted slightly, and said, "Ye Qingxuan's grandson? The young generations are to be feared, indeed!"

As his words fell, Li Ninth Master couldn't help but glance twice at the leaf blade pinned to his sword sheath, still showing a hint of longing in his eyes. The obsession with swords seemed ingrained in him. Despite extending his hand several times to touch the leaf blade, he ultimately refrained.

Seeing the reluctance and hesitation in Li Ninth Master's eyes, Ye Tianfan generously said, "Li Ninth Master, if you want to touch it, just go ahead. You won't damage it anyway."

As soon as Ye Tianfan finished speaking, Li Ninth Master's mouth twitched. He looked up at Ye Tianfan and said, "You rascal, you're quite devious! If I really touch it, it's not the leaf blade that will be damaged, but my old bones!"

As a renowned swordsmith and a famed sword fanatic in the Ancient Martial Realm, Li Ninth Master might not know all famous weapons, but he had seen the Ye Family's leaf blade thirty years ago! That year, to catch a glimpse of the leaf blade, Li Ninth Master knelt in front of the Ye Family's ancient mansion for an entire month!

Eventually, the Ye Family elder allowed him a look. At that moment, Li Ninth Master couldn't resist touching the leaf blade, but little did he expect it to be extremely cold. In an instant, the cold surged through his fingertips into his body. If not for Elder Ye's timely rescue, Li Ninth Master might have died at the doors of the Ye Family's ancient mansion.

"If you don't want to touch it, I'll take it back," Ye Tianfan said with a faint smile. He walked up to Li Ninth Master, gently pinched the leaf blade, and pulled it out from the sheath. The flash of cold vanished without a trace.

Observing how deftly Ye Tianfan executed the hidden blade technique, Li Ninth Master couldn't help but feel inferior, sighing, "With a hand ruling life and death, and the other cradling beauty, the Ye Family remains unchanged."

As he spoke, Li Ninth Master couldn't resist casting a glance at Qin Ruomeng, who had been standing on the villa's second floor. He reminisced about when Elder Ye entered the world; he was also a dashing romantic. Now it was Ye Tianfan's turn, with a beauty by his side. If a person could live this way, it would truly be graceful.

"Li Ninth Master praises too much." As he spoke, Ye Tianfan also glanced at Qin Ruomeng and said, "The elder is here, aren't you going to serve tea?"

Serve tea?

With so many servants in the villa... Ye Tianfan actually asked her to serve tea? And the tone, why did it sound so much like the master of the house?

Despite feeling a tinge of anger, Qin Ruomeng couldn't disgrace Ye Tianfan in front of outsiders. She had to smile faintly and slowly descended from the second floor to serve the tea.

"Li Ninth Master, please enjoy the tea."

Seeing Qin Ruomeng so obedient, Li Ninth Master glanced at Ye Tianfan with a knowing smile and said, "Well taught."

"Not bad," Ye Tianfan replied with an air of nonchalance and a smile.

Listening to their exchange, Qin Ruomeng felt a surge of anger, restrained only by the presence of an elder. Even if she was upset, she had to endure it. Otherwise, she really wanted to splash the tea on Ye Tianfan's face! This guy was always thinking of other women, flirted outside, and yet treated her like a maid when he returned to the villa. Did he really want the family flag unfurled at home while colored flags fluttered outside!

At this moment, Ye Tianfan reversed his hand to take out the Soul-Guarding Sword, gave Li Ninth Master a look, and said, "Li Ninth Master, you're a master swordsmith; could you help me see if there's anything special about this sword? I've tried several times, but I can't draw it from its sheath."

Ye Tianfan knew that Li Ninth Master, unlike other groups and forces vying for the Soul-Guarding Sword, wasn't driven by ulterior motives. As a renowned swordsmith, Li Ninth Master merely wanted to appreciate and assess it! Ye Tianfan took the opportunity to let Li Ninth Master examine what mechanism the Soul-Guarding Sword might have, as he couldn't draw it from the sheath despite his power.

"Quickly, let me see!"

Upon hearing that Ye Tianfan offered him an ancient sword to assess, Li Ninth Master's eyes lit up, staring intently at the Soul-Guarding Sword, eagerly taking it from Ye Tianfan's hand.

But as soon as the Soul-Guarding Sword was in his hand, Li Ninth Master's expression suddenly changed! Just a moment ago full of excitement, Li Ninth Master was now grim-faced in an instant.

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