Chapter Nineteen: Sword Mark
writer:
无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
Wei Wujiu’s eyes quickly dimmed. He looked at Consort Zhao Xiang. Before his death, he responded softly, “Originally, I only admired one woman. But now, you are the second.”
Consort Zhao Xiang nodded, and pulled her fist back, allowing his body to slide off her arm. Undoubtedly, her risk had paid off, but she also knew the final victory would depend on the Yin Mountain.
When she turned to look back in the direction of the Yin Mountain, right now, over in the Yin Mountain, the Qin army had finished assembling. The Qin troops surrounding the Tianqi city were preparing to start a new round of attacks.
Because Sima Cuo thought that this lone city that was surrounded was the key to victory, the order was to take this city before dark. So they quickly arranged to attack the main Chu force. This attack was not the same as any previous type, they did not care about fatalities, and the expenditure of weapons.
Countless arrows rained down on the city, the tips of these arrows were made from phosphorous. Upon friction with the air, they started to burn and turned to enormous fire balls.
The Qin archers were drawing their bows, these expensive arrows being madly used up in their hands like they were worth nothing. Because they demanded so much speed, their fingertips started to bleed and their arms were trembling.
Most of the seal weapons had been used up in the first round of attacks. At this time, within the lone city that the Qin army was attacking, most places were burning, with soaring pillars of smoke everywhere, and the smell of burning in the air.
One of the heavily armored cavalry of the Qin army was starting a charge against a part of the wall. The heavy iron hooves hit the ground, and caused the rubble on the wall to start to jump.
But at this time, a shrill sound overwhelmed all other sounds. In the next moment, the Qin army let out a ground shaking cheer.
One of the groups of heavy crossbows had been moved here. Hundreds of arrows as thick as a baby’s arm stabbed hard into the wall. Then there was another round. In a flash, three rounds were shot out. Thousands of heavy arrows turned the wall into a forest, and the terrifying power caused waves of dust to spread outwards.
But as the cheers sounded, as the heavy arrows stabbed into the walls, and dust rows, as the heavy armored cavalry was charging, a figure appeared in the break of the wall.
The moment the figure appeared, terrifying heat appeared in the dust. Then the dust seemed to start burning, turning into flying sparks.
The dancing sparks circled around an upright man with loose black hair that danced in the sparks. Yes when the Qin soldiers saw his figure, an even brighter ball of fire appeared in his hand.
He formed his sword essence, and swung the ball of fire.
There was a roar of the sword from heaven and earth. It was like an enormous furnace had crashed down, and then turned into a sword essence, cutting across.
Pang pang pang pang ……
The madly charging heavy armored cavalry saw a patch of red fire fall in front of them. These hundreds of troops collided with the fire, their bodies seeming to explode, and the pieces of the heavy armor sprayed out.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Many people struggled to swallow and were still not able to breathe freely.
Where the patch of red had fallen, there was a deep sword mark that was more than a thousand feet long, and a hundred feet deep. The limbs and armor of these heavy cavalry had fallen into the sword mark and were burning. The remaining dozen cavalry could not advance. The horses, whose eyes had been covered with cloth, felt great terror, and no matter what their riders did, they just spun around madly.
The ones most shocked were the multiple cultivators of the Qin army. Some memories, many years in the past, started to awaken. They seemed to have seen this before.
Many years ago, when the Qin army had moved stoppably through the Zhao cities, there had been a blacksmith shop in a city. There had been a grandmaster in that blacksmith shop. Then he walked with a sword to the gates of the city, and swung his sword at the incoming Qin army.
A long sword mark had appeared in front of the city. Then that grandmaster simply said, ”Anyone who crosses the sword mark will die.”
Then that entire army was gone.
Everybody in the world learned that this city had the Zhao Sword Furnace.
“Anyone who crosses this sword mark will die.”
In the fire light, Zhao Ce’s long black hair grew deep red like many small fires were dancing. He followed the orders of his dead master to follow Tang Mei. He had been away from the Zhao lands for many years. Many of the memories regarding the Zhao had faded. But he was someone who had experienced that battle back then. He and the other cultivators of the Zhao Sword Furnace had been standing in the city that day when their master had swung his sword.
Today, he looked at the sword he had swung, and at the sword mark. The swing from his master grew more clearly in his memories, and gradually merged with the scene in front of him. Only now did he truly understand the meanings in his master’s swing and spoke.
Hearing his voice burning in the flames, he sensed that he had gotten closer to his master, and felt that he had grown stronger. This feeling was so good.
Many sharp military orders sounded. The many troops that had been flooding behind the heavy cavalry started to retreat.
“Back then, none of you Qin dared to directly face the sword of the Zhao Sword Furnace. Do not let it be, that after many years, there still is not a person who dares to come out.”
Zhao Cuo looked coldly at the Qin army and said, “In terms of invincibility, who had been invincible back then?”
Suddenly, a strange roar sounded in the sky where the clouds were moving. The sound was like the call of a crane, but had a dark and eerie air.
Everybody instinctively looked up at the sky.
One cloud, as black as ink, was roiling and flying in the sky. There seemed to be a crane in the clouds, but there was no flesh or feathers, just bones. The skeleton burned with black flames that surpassed people’s imaginations.
“Some things, you do not understand.” A ghostly voice came from the sky.
The black clouds retreated, and the black boned crane also disappeared. Not far behind the sword mark, there was a cultivator covered in a ghostly air.
This cultivator was dressed in a black robe with a very high collar. When he looked up and spoke to Zhao Cuo, blooms of black energy flashed around him, forming black plum flowers, and then quickly disappeared.
“Wang Jingmeng once agreed to a battle with your master, but the Zhao Emperor was too stupid. Because of some rumors, he feared that your master would take his position. He set up a trap to kill your master first.”
This cultivator said quietly, “While Wang Jingmeng and I are enemies, I must speak the truth, and not tar all Qin people.”
Volume 2 14 - This Is Not A Matter For Children
This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.
Chen Chu’s bones were shattered, and his organs crushed, but shockingly, he did not immediately fall down and die.
He still stood upright, and looked oddly at Forefather Zhou’s swollen abdomen.
"What meaning is there?"
He was the loser of this battle. As a grandmaster of the Chu Dynasty, he was about to die on Qin soil. Yet, as he looked at Forefather Zhou, his thin voice contained a quaint sympathy.
The words were hard to understand but Forefather Zhou knew the meaning of the words — his energy sea was so solidified, his organs were so incomplete, and his body was so old. He would need to consume large amounts of precious materials each day. Living like this was not pleasurable. What was the meaning in a person, that should have died before Emperor Yuanwu’s ascension, still living with an incomplete body like this?
Because he understood, Forefather Zhou’s expression grew dark.
"Even dead wood can grow in spring, much less when one is just a step away from heaven," he said, looking coldly at Chen Chu.
"Centipedes die, but do not grow stiff. You want to reach the heavens?" Chen Chu said scornfully. Then his sympathetic gaze landed on Fu Su and Ding Ning. "When an insect on the verge of death is travelling, it is naturally poisonous. You have to be careful."
Forefather Zhou smiled coldly, but said nothing.
With a soft poof, the last trace of strength supporting Chen Chu disappeared, he collapsed to the ground. It was impossible to connect his soft body to the realm seven grandmaster that had killed his way through the Xie Family caravan.
With his head slightly bowed, Ding Ning stood in silence.
Even some enemies were worthy of respect.
"What do they want to do?"
Fu Su’s gaze was focused on the distance where the dozen of Xie family hostages were.
While the Xie Family’s plan had succeeded, using two cultivators disguised as the Chen elder and child to put Chen Tuntian and this Chu Dynasty realm seven cultivator at odds, they had not expected the Chen Family to have such a realm seven in their midsts. As a result, the Xie Family had paid a great price with three dead and two wounded cultivators above realm five. The two cultivators disguised as the Chen old woman and child, had been exposed and killed. The Xie Family had nothing else that people had to be worried about. In his view, the remaining Chen family members would likely kill all the Xie family members being held hostage.
Yet, the Chen family members, disguised as horse bandits, did not do so. They also did not immediately flee. They seemed to be waiting.
"They want to talk."
Ding Ning looked up at Fu Su and Xie Lianying, saying, "Chen Tuntian is dead, but the Chen Family has many other family members. The people here hope the Xie Family will spare them."
"The key to doing business is to do business in peace. One should not steal the other’s last morsel."
Xie Lianying nodded and looked at Ding Ning with a satisfied gaze. He had seen countless young talents, but none of them were as satisfying as Ding Ning.
"Who among you is in charge now?" Taking several steps forward, he spoke calmly, in a clear voice as he looked at the dispirited and miserable members of the Chen family.
An ordinary middle-aged man with short hair dismounted his horse, took several steps forward and bowed to Xie LIanying.
"Release our people, return our wares. The Xie Family will not directly attack the Chen Family."
Xie Lianying nodded slightly in return and said meaningfully, "Your horses should be very quick."
This middle-aged short-haired man that had replaced Chen Tuntian as the person in charge understood Xie Lianying’s meaning well.
If the Xie Family did not attack the Chen Family, even if the events here spread, everyone would know that the Chen Family had been a pawn that the Chu Dynasty had placed in Guanzhong. They had enough time to take their family members and flee.
"Thank you, we owe the Xie Family a favor."
The middle-aged short-haired man bowed deeply again and then mounted his horse.
Today, he and the Xie Family were enemies that fought to the death. But now that victory had been determined, they were truly grateful due to the Xie Family’s promise.
The thunder of horse hooves sounded again. All the members of the Chen family started to flee.
Looking at the dozen Xie family members now safe in the distance, Xie Lianying turned to Ding Ning and said in a soft but serious voice, "Today, the Chen Family owes us a favor, but the Xie Family owes you a favor."
Ding Ning said calmly and softly, "Xie Changsheng is my friend."
Xie Lianying stilled slightly and laughed. He said, "This unaccomplished boy finally got a good friend."
Having said so, he turned around and solemnly bowed to Forefather Zhou. "The Guanzhong Xie Family thanks Elder Zhou for your help."
Forefather Zhou’s dark expression had faded, its benevolence and friendliness restored. "This is just a coincidence."
Xie Lianying said seriously, "This is just a coincidence to Elder, but it is a matter of life and death to us."
Forefather Zhou looked at Chen Chu’s corpse and said, "Obtaining the Chu weapons makes this worthwhile."
"What is the Xie Family transporting?" As Xie Lianying and Forefather Zhou talked, Ding Ning looked at Xie Rou and asked softly.
Xie Rou hesitated for a moment before whispering. "Armaments."
Ding Ning frowned and asked, "Very big?"
Xie Rou did not speak, but nodded.
Ding Ning whispered. "To Deer Mountain?"
Xie Rou did not speak or nod. To Ding Ning, this naturally was a tacit agreement.
Ding Ning frowned and said, "Why are they not worried in having the Xie Family transport these?"
Armaments were usually transported by the armies themselves. Those that could not be transported were usually things that could not accompany the army, in great numbers, or extremely heavy that would delay the movement of an army.
The armaments that had to be transported to Deer Mountain naturally would represent the power of a dynasty and would be enormous and deterrents.
Xie Rou took a deep breath.
This matter was extremely secret. But the Xie family had escaped the ordeal due to Ding Ning. Since he had guessed it correctly, there was no meaning in keeping it a secret.
"We are only transporting some spare parts of the armaments, not the crucial parts." Xie Rou looked at Ding Ning and whispered, "Even if the Chen Family steals our wares, I fear they will only obtain a part of an armament."
When the same words fell into Ding Ning and Fu Su’s ears, they created different ripples in their minds.
"Other than the Golden Crow Flame, what other powerful armaments does Changling possess?" Ding Ning frowned, feeling deeply anxious.
Fu Su was even more shocked.
The dozen Xie family members who had been held hostages galloped over on their horses. Xie Rou went over immediately to ask them questions. When she returned to Ding Ning and Fu Su, Ding Ning asked with a small frown, "Are there problems with the cargo? Even someone like Chen Chu was not able to see anything?"
"There are no problems."
Xie Rou’s eyes flashed with unspeakable joy. "Fortunately I asked. Chen Chu did inspect, but found no problems. He just thought that they are shafts for making arrows."
Ding Ning frowned deeply, threads of cold filling his body.
Ordinary arrow shafts were naturally round but narrow and long items. If the army could not transport them, then they must be astounding in number.
For him, this meant that a certain idea from the former Ba Mountain Sword Field had become reality.
If it were as he said, then Emperor Yuanwu’s throne had become even stronger.
The Xie family members started to clean up. The members that had been held hostage were extremely tired but had not received serious injury.
The Xie family members collected the Worryfree Horn, the Silver Rakshasa Thumb Ring, and Chen Chu’s lifebond item to deliver them to Forefather Zhou.
Chen Chu’s lifebond item had been compressed into multiple droplets in his body, but it was in the form of a purple jade at the moment. The jade was the size of a fingernail, and not in the shape of a crescent moon. Its edges were irregular, appearing as though it had a piece that had broken off another item.
With a casual glance, Forefather Zhou called out gently for Ding Ning and Fu Su to return to him.
"Your sword is extraordinary, but is damaged. In the future, it will be hard to fit you. This Worryfree Horn is perfect to the White Goat Cave’s White Goat Sword Manual, but cannot be used rashly. If revealed, this Chu weapon of import will be the target of robbery by the Chu Dynasty cultivators." As he looked at him benevolently, Forefather Zhou handed the Worryfree Horn to Ding Ning.
"You saw the capabilities of the Silver Rakshasa Thumb Ring just now. You also have to be careful in using this." Saying so, he handed the Silver Rakshasa Thumb Ring to Fu Su.
These two items were truly important, and even surpassed the Snow Dandelion Sword that Li Lingjun had once given to Mo Chen.
As Ding Ning expressed his thanks, an unusual emotion flashed through his eyes.
Translator Ramblings: I don’t think there’s been a single thing Forefather Zhou has done recently that Ding Ning doesn’t view with suspicion
Volume 3 15 - Adapt
As Xie Lianying looked at Chen Tunyun who had collapsed slowly to the ground and died, he asked in a sympathetic tone, “The Chen Family was established in Guanzhong since the last generation. I really want to know why he is a member of the Chu?”
The grey-robed cultivator said coolly, “The son is the own son, but the mother is not the own mother.”
Xie Lianying was surprised. “Adoption?”
The grey-robed cultivator did not refuse to answer and coldly said, “A Chu orphan was adopted by a benevolent mother of Guanzhong, treated as one of her own, so he naturally is grateful.”
Xie Lianying said in scorn, “I think it must be your arrangement that a Chu orphan could enter the Chen Family.”
The grey-robed cultivator raised an eyebrow. To him, a matter like this did not need to be explained.
Xie Lianying sneered. “Any person knows to repay favors, much less their mother that raised them? It is normal for Chen Tunyun to be filial to his mother. Even if you had other intentions, you could have waited until he traded the hostages. If this time you failed, the next time, you could speak of honor. You could say that you feared we would scatter and flee after he had released the hostages. However, your conspiracy will see the light, as you cannot kill all of us. You killed Chen Tunyun out of haste to accomplish your goal. A person like you is a beast and doesn’t qualify to be a grandmaster.”
The grey-robed cultivator was not angry. Nonchalantly, he said in scorn, “Our failure came from underestimating the Xie Family’s abilities.”
“You are stronger than other people’s opinions of you ……” The grey-robed cultivator raised his head slightly, glanced coldly at all the people around. Eventually, his gaze landed back on Xie Lianying. “But do not think to use lowly tactics to stir chaos among the people around me with your speech. You should understand that since I have displayed my strength, everyone around me knows; if anyone attacks me, they will immediately die.”
Xie Lianying did not speak and narrowed his eyes slightly. He was fat, but he was like a tiger that had just awoken.
“I will not kill these people. They will stay here. I think you will not leave them and flee.”
The grey-robed cultivator turned slightly to the side and nodded towards the dozen Xie family members surrounded in the distance. Then his body moved slightly as he floated off the carriage. He started to walk slowly towards the Xie Family caravan. At the same time, he looked at Xie Lianying and Xie Rou, saying calmly, “While I killed Chen Tunyun out of helplessness, right now, the situation is simple. Either the Xie Family has enough power to kill me, or I kill you all.”
At these words, Xie Rou felt an inexplicable wave of emotion and instinctively turned to glance at the three black carriages behind her.
Ding Ning suddenly grew nervous.
His gaze remained on Xie Lianying and Xie Rou. Just from this small action, he realized that while the Xie Family were prepared. In order to make the Chen Family less wary, they had not brought realm sevens.
The Xie Family probably had not expected such a powerful Chu Dynasty cultivator hiding among these horse bandits. In other words, the Xie Family might not be able to withstand this cultivator’s strength.
Forefather Zhou should be a match for this Chu Dynasty cultivator. He also wanted to use this matter to form a relationship with the Xie Family, but he seemed to only desire to try against the Chu Dynasty cultivator.
This showed that the Chu Dynasty cultivator likely had the ability to assassinate his enemy at an extremely long distance. If that were true, Forefather Zhou might not be in time even if he acted. Also, he was certain that Forefather Zhou would not be in a hurry to act and against such a cultivator, may not be able to come out completely unscathed.
Even if Forefather Zhou could defeat this Chu cultivator without any harm, based on his understanding of Forefather Zhou, the other would not act before the Xie Family used all his power. He would wait until the Xie Family was in dire straits and at a dangerous time before he acted. In this battle with the Chu Dynasty cultivator, he would go so far as to feign serious injuries even if he was not injured.
This way, naturally, the Xie Family would feel more indebted to him.
Ding Ning was almost certain that he would only act after Xie Lianying was killed.
Xie Lianying had showed a powerful ability to judge and respond that others could not imagine. Compared to Xie Lianying, a greenhorn like Xie Rou was easier to fool and control.
When Xie Rou turned to look at where Ding Ning was, the grey-robed cultivator from the Chu Dynasty also glanced at the three black carriages in the distance.
These three black carriages that had been following the Xie Family caravan all this time had long been in his sights.
When he saw Xie Rou look back but the three black carriages remain motionless, the wariness in his gaze faded slightly. A wave of vital energy silently poured into the ground through his feet.
In the world of cultivators, life and death were only just the difference of a moment.
Fu Su’s breathing grew faster. He could sense the carriages that he was on, and the ones around him were not moving. He couldn’t help but open his mouth, wanting to say something.
Ding Ning’s gaze flashed.
He decided what he needed to do.
Just as Fu Su opened his mouth, he shouted urgently at Fu Su. “Do not be rash!”
Fu Su stilled. He did not understand why Ding Ning would yell like this.
Even if he did not want a relationship with Xie Rou, was he not concerned about Xie Rou’s life?
But during this moment, he suddenly felt an erupting volcano appear next to him. His eardrums rang slightly. Before he could react, vital energy exploded out of Ding Ning’s body.
Ding Ning turned into a gust of wind that surged out of the carriage.
Zzt zzt.
Two sharp sounds of the wind tearing.
Two black sword lights flew out of the fingers of his hands and cut through the tack on one of the carriage’s horses. Without any hesitation, his foot tapped on this horse’s back. The horse whinnied in pain, and in a frenzy, along with him sprinted forward.
This series of movements was absolutely a smooth flow. By the time Fu Su realized that Ding Ning had only shouted for him not to move, the horse had already crossed dozens of meters with Ding Ning.
When the carriage suddenly lost one of its two horses, the black carriage could not avoid tilting. The Zhou Family driver at the front was naturally an extraordinary cultivator. His body remained steady as a nail at the helm of the carriage. Yet even he had not been able to stop Ding Ning in time and couldn’t help but shout.
What does he want to do?
Fu Su looked at Ding Ning who was standing on the back of the horse rushing towards the Xie Family carriage. He could not grasp Ding Ning’s intentions.
In his view, with his level of strength, Ding Ning was charging to his death.
In the carriage at the centre, Forefather Zhou’s expression suddenly grew dark.
His hands rose slightly. Two terrifying presences seemed about to come out of his arms. But then his gaze flashed. He seemed to think of something, smiled coldly and then, without a word, his hands landed back on his knees.
He did not speak, and the three black carriages naturally did not move.
Xie Rou looked with shock at Ding Ning who was charging up the path. She could not understand what use was there in Ding Ning charging up by himself. As she saw Ding Ning’s calm but burning gaze, the hoofbeats seemed to hammer at her body.
The grey-robed cultivator paused slightly.
He was already attacking, yet was unable to understand the two strange black sword lights that Ding Ning had shot. So he stopped.
Ding Ning was not an ordinary cultivator. He was certain where the hesitation of the grey-robed cultivator came from.
So, he immediately raised his hand, with a hiss, another black sword light charged towards the sky in front of him.
Before him were the Xie Family caravan and the grey-robed cultivator.
The black sword light tore the air from such a long ways off. Countless possibilities flashed through the grey-robed cultivator’s mind. The names of numerous powerful cultivation methods and sword manuals appeared in his mind.
He couldn’t help but look up and narrowed his eyes at this black sword light that seemed to melt under the sunlight. He feared this black sword light having some astounding change.
Yet as the black sword light came closer; in his perception, the power of this sword grew weaker. It started to fly slower, and then he sensed the great coldness.
“Star fiend condensing method.”
He could not help but murmur to himself, his brows furrowed.
He was sure of what method this was and also certain that Ding Ning’s cultivation was very weak in comparison to him. But he was still slightly anxious …… this youth who was approaching on horseback seemed to be able to read his mind and control the rhythm of this battle.
Of course he did not hope that anyone would control the rhythm of the battle.
He took a deep breath and did not hesitate; two surges of vital energy swelled under his feet. Two light blue jade pieces appeared under his shoes.
These light blue jade pieces were completely transparent and thinner than a hair. They seemed to have been cut and sanded with an unknown method where they were so thin, but also had so many dense seal scripts on the surface.
As his vital energy was injected in, with a pop, two rays of blue light surged under his feet.
His body disappeared into these two pillars of blue light.
He truly disappeared.
In this moment, he had vanished from everybody’s sight.
Translator Ramblings: Poor Chen Tunyun …… being a spy is not fun.
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