Chapter Twenty Three: Relief
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无罪 update:2022-07-21 15:26
Most of the channels in his body had been burned up, and all his cultivation was gone. He was no different from a cripple. And yet he was still feeling the true essence of the sword stroke he had just performed. His understanding had grown closer to his master’s sword essence back then.
His vision grew blurry. In the rising steam, the sunlight shone from behind him, and his shadow fell in front of him. Dazedly, he seemed to return to the time when he had been learning the sword at the Zhao Sword Furnace, when he followed his beloved master.
Back then, Master had been like a mountain that he could not see the peak of, shrouded in mist. There was an unknown distance between them. He could not even see how high his master was. But now, his figure seemed to gradually merge with the master in his memories.
He seemed to have met his master again. This feeling was so perfect that he did not even realize the situation of his body.
“Was it worth it? Is there not still us?”
At this time, a voice of concern passed into his ears, and a pair of strong hands supported his wavering body.
This pair of hands belonged to Tang Zhefeng. He was standing to his side, frowning deeply, and his gaze was very worried.
The usually cold Zhao Ce saw his expression and laughed. He let his body press against Tang Zhefeng. Then he softly said with pride, “This is the reputation of the Zhao Sword Furnace, of course it is worth it. Also, even if I can no longer use the sword, I finally have tried out the two swords of my master. The Zhao Sword Furnace still has Zhao Yi and Zhao Si. As long as I tell what I have learned to them, it is worth it.”
Tang Zhefeng was stunned, then he shook his head and sighed. “The Zhao Sword Furnace is terrifying.”
Zhao Ce did not respond to the words, and struggled to look up. Shi Changluo’s figure appeared in his blurred sight.
Shi Changluo was standing with difficulty. His body was slightly hunched, his skin burned and cracked like scorched earth. But there was new flesh growing out of the cracks, as strange as a snake shedding its skin. Even more strange was that the flesh inside the skin was black.
This seemed to be a strange healing method. But everyone could sense that this healing was very difficult. His powerful and cold presence had disappeared.
“I think that Wang Jingmeng is not as good as my master.” Zhao Ce looked at Shi Changluo. He did not talk about the win and loss of the battle, just saying, “My master was not just strong alone, he taught a group of disciples like me.”
Shi Changluo was silent for a moment. He nodded and showed his agreement.
**
Na Jiayu looked in the direction of Tianqi City.
An enormous cloud appeared above Tianqi City, like a city was pressing down on it.
Nan Jiayu was a cultivator from the Zhuo Mountain Sword School. They were one of the cultivation places that qualified to attend the Min Mountain Sword Trials. But for many years, they did not get good results. Before being sent by the Warden’s Office to the front lines, he had only cultivated for three years in the Zhuo Mountain Sword School. As such he was a very young cultivator, and a very young soldier. In this great war that was one of the greatest in the dynasty, most of the time, he was like a secret sentry.
At this time, he was standing on a nameless hill, just half a day away from the Tianqi battlefield. He barely could make out of changes in the sky over there, and the shapes of the many troops moving around like snakes.
On the main path below his nameless hill, there was a train of carriages slowly passing by.
This train appeared northerly, but just based on the experience that he had gained during this time, he was able to judge that among these carriages, one of them would have the commander of the Yin Mountains, Sima Cuo. This train had to reach Tianqi City before dark.
Could the marquises in this train be able to lead the Qin army to victory?
Looking at the clouds in the distance, the winding troops of soldiers, Nan Jiayu felt small and helpless. Also at this time, he sensed a strange presence.
Inexplicably, three figures had appeared out of nowhere, but they came into his sight without any dodging. They appeared on the hill in front of him and were walking down the hill towards the carriages!
Such a sudden appearance meant that he had not sensed their existence. He felt his hairs stand on end. If this were a normal time, even though the others were cultivators who were much stronger than him, what he would do first was immediately send a warning. But his horrible feeling was so strong, his body felt very cold and stiff. He was unable to even move a finger. He even felt that his energies and blood would freeze in the next moment, and then he would soundlessly die.
This was an old man, a woman, and a young man.
The old man was an old monk holding a staff, so old that his skin had become weathered tree bark. The woman was beautiful, and even her profile was stunning. That young person had a black cloth masking his face and seemed very quiet.
When he was frozen to his spot, that young person seemed to turn to glance at him and nod. Because the movement was so small, he was not sure.
But this movement caused the coldness in his body to turn to code sweat that flowed out wantonly.
When the trio disappeared into the woods below and then reappeared on the mountain path below, he did not make a movement. For he knew that anything he did in the face of these three was meaningless. The terror that filled his body seemed to be like that of an infant deer fighting a tiger.
The train of carriages was slowly moving on the path. The sky had been sunny, but in a moment, it changed color. An enormous black cloud shrouded the sky over here, like a snowstorm was about to arrive. The path was as dark as though it was night.
Clearly, a powerful grandmaster had arrived with killing intent, but the train of carriages was strangely silent.
When the darkness came, countless fire lights silently lit up. People all over the train were holding glowing phosphorus stones that gave off pale white like that caused the surroundings to look like a dream.
Almost all of the curtains to the carriages were quietly lifted up. One of the people came out, and stood at the front.
The light shone on his body. People could see that he was Sima Cuo.
The change in energy of such a degree was enough for him to understand how terrifying the cultivators who had cock were, especially when he sensed the old monk.
His expression did not change at all, however, he had a relief like he had been waiting a long time.
Volume 5 23 - Master and Disciple Talk
After the Treasure Light Temple was the Cottage Stone Sword Workshop, and then was the Qing Mountain Sword School.
The old principal of the Qing Mountain Sword School was Nie Yinshan. His status was very special. He had been a marshal general when the Qin fought the Han. In the views of many people, had he not lost his sword-wielding arm in the battle of the Giant Wolf Mountain against the Han and forced to retire, he would have a seat among the subsequent thirteen marquises of Qin.
Nie Yinshan’s early retirement as an army general was a thing to be pitied, but as the principal of Qing Mountain Sword School he had enjoyed many fortuitous years and taught a good student.
His student was Yin Xun, the once abandoned disciple of a certain sword school. But under his teachings, among the last group of Changling’s young people, his breakthrough speed of realm seven ranked in the top five.
Yin Xun was strongest in the flying sword and it was the same after realm seven. He was recognized in Changling for being the grandmaster with the strangest and most unpredictable flying sword. He cultivated the sword, and not the path of ghosts, but all the cultivators of Changling were used to calling him the Ghost Swordmaster.
When the pillar of light from Treasure Light Temple rose, Nie Yinshan summoned Yin Xun.
The army had not arrived at Qing Mountain Sword School. The grandmaster of Cottage Stone Sword School had not yet fought Mo Shoucheng. But Nie Yinshan already knew the kind of order the empress had sent out tonight, and used a few simple sentences to tell Yin Xun about what was happening in Changling right now.
Yin Xun’s first reaction was intense. Bright sword light appeared around him, the power in his body uncontrollably leaking out.
“Do not be like them.” Nie Yinshan looked calmly at him and said, “I called you here so you will not be like them.”
Yin Xun could not understand. He took a deep breath and said, “Why?”
Nie Yinshan did not answer his question and asked, “What do you feel is the best thing to do?”
Yin Xun looked at him and said, “Flee from Changling.” After a slight pause, he went on to say coldly: “As long as there are many opposing cultivation places, she naturally cannot succeed.”
Nie Yinshan shook his head. “There will not be too many cultivation places that will resist.”
Yin Xun looked at the pillar of light that had just disappeared, and felt that his beloved teacher’s words were laughable. He thought of the three years before Yuanwu’s ascension ……
“The present Changling is not the Changling of the past.” Nie Yinshan read his thoughts and smiled with grief and joy. “You should know the present thirteen marquises are the ones left behind after the sorting out back then. Ministers Li and Yan will not object …… Spirit Void Sword Sect and Min Mountain Sword Sect have put themselves away from Changling’s matters these past few years. If Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect will not stand up, the dragon has no head. The more vicious her moves, the easier it is to succeed.”
“In the end, Changling will lose many cultivators, and even cultivation places. But the power will be gathered in the imperial city. This is something no other dynasty has ever done.”
Nie Yinshan looked at Yun Xin who had an increasingly bad expression. He said slowly, “Even more importantly, the gathering of power in the imperial city is what that person suggested at the beginning of the Shang Family reformation. All these years, Yuanwu and Zheng Xiu only followed his path back then of dominating the world. Both Minister Yan and Li, and those marquises …… most of them agree with this view. Those people who did not agree with his view were not able to achieve high positions in the cleansing of that revolution.”
“What!” Yin Xun finally could not control his emotions and exclaimed in disbelief.
“Gather all those people together so they would win against the old aristocrats, make a reformation until they build the powerful Qin Dynasty it is now …… those were that person’s ambitions and views.”
Nie Yinshan smiled emotionally. “Even in the time of the You Emperor, while the countries all submitted, once the You Emperor died, the dynasty collapsed, and the vassal kingdoms fought without rest. Never has any dynasty ever united the world. What that person wanted to do was not just to unite the world, it was to gather all power to the court and have one order be carried out through the world.”
After a long pause, Nie Yinshan looked at the speechless Yin Xun and said, “He thought if all cultivation places were put into the military, they could be commanded like the people and the military. So even if some cultivation places would lose their natural replacements, the integrated power will be much stronger than now. Use schools to replace cultivation places so everyone in the world can cultivate. With full schools, choose the best when the time comes. That was that person’s thought.”
Yin Xun still could not speak.
Nie Yinshan laughed emotionally. “But this is like a reformation. Zheng Xiu did not have such courage in these years.”
Yin Xun suddenly came to a complete realization. He looked at Nie Yinshan and said heavily, “It’s the Nine Death Silkworm!”
This time, Nie Yinshan did not speak.
Yin Xun continued coldly. “Min Mountain Sword Sect and Spirit Void Sword Sect together are not enough to be the head. The Nine Death Silkworm is the head of the dragon. She fears the Nine Death Silkworm and many cultivators in Changling will be gradually used by the Nine Death Silkworm. She wants to quickly turn the Qin Dynasty into iron. So no matter how strong the Nine Death Silkworm is, it will be hard to have help. How can a person fight a dynasty.”
Nie Yinshan sighed softly. “It’s a pity-”
Yin Xun was inexplicably furious. “Since she is fated to succeed, how is it a pity?”
“But she has been slow for many years.” Nie Yinshan looked at him and shook his head. “Back then, the destruction of the Ba Mountain Sword Field was the best opportunity. The cultivation places of Changling were frightened by her killings, and the court had been cleansed. The nobility that time had no other thoughts. But that person entered Changling alone with his sword and killed too many of hers and Yuanwu’s cultivators. Ba Mountain Sword Field’s Yan Xinlan chose the same method, causing her and Yuanwu to not have enough experts to use. If they forcibly continued, the Chu, Yan and Qi would have sent armies together.”
“It is many years late, and many have other thoughts. The more easily she succeeds this time, the less the people who like her will die, and the more hidden dangers there will be. This iron may not be so strong.”
“She managed to kill that person back then, but that person used his sword to kill so many of her people and left behind the Nine Death Silkworm, delaying her by many years. In my view, if this is considered as an overall situation, the two of them won a match each.”
Yin Xun knew that his master had once been a general, and his views were naturally different from ordinary grandmasters. Now, he understood that his master was telling him to accept Zheng Xiu’s orders and not resist, but he suddenly felt humiliated and confused. Nie Yinshan looked at him as he slowly hung his head and his lips trembled. He seemed to see inside.
Nie Yinshan sighed softly and looked up at the bright moon. He said softly, “Whether to stand with the greater righteousness and build an unprecedented empire that will last forever or feel injustice and fight because other people’s conduct are too despicable …… Back then, many in Changling made different choices. But in reality, the final choice is only one’s own emotions and spirits.”
“You are the student I taught by myself.” Nie Yinshan turned to look at Yin Xun. “If you fight, I hope you fight for the dynasty, for your friends and relatives. You take your own measure. It is best not to participate in her grievances with others. Life is like war, war is everywhere.”
Volume 3 24 - Present and Future
“Ding Ning, how are you?”
Seeing Ding Ning spit blood, immediately, Fu Su cried out in shock. .
Ding Ning did not respond to him, and first tried to regulate his breathing. Then he bent down, grabbed a handful of dry earth and threw it hard in front of him.
The dirt spread apart in the mist in front of the formation door and became absolutely still. The grains of dirt were surrounded by the mist, turning into lines just like the trees and grass, before charging back towards Ding Ning.
Ding Ning’s clothes were unusually dirty, covered in mud and water mixing with his blood.
“Chaos Thicket?”
Forefather Zhou did not care about Ding Ning’s wounds. When the dirt had become still in the mist ahead, and turned into chaotic lines just like the grass and trees below, he immediately thought of something.
Ding Ning was silent.
All things in the world had their own energies, but the essence energy of all things flowed inside, and could not be recklessly expelled.
The floras at the formation door, once touched by presence not usually at the formation door, would immediately expel their own essence energy. As a result, the numerous flora here was like rash assassins. Their cultivation was low, but the chaotic presence they expelled formation was an enormous chaotic formation.
This was the legendary “chaos thicket.”
The ultimate “sword cemetery” formation of the dynasty after Emperor You originated from this very “chaos thicket.” However, this kind of formation essence was hard to understand for even those above realm seven. It had long been lost and even though he had never seen it, he had not expected it to appear here.
“How to breach this?”
Forefather Zhou turned to Ding Ning who did not seem to be deep in thought or moving. He said with a sneer, “Since you have been attacked by the formation door and threw up blood, then you must have sensed the true essence of this formation door. Do not tell me you are unable to think of any solution.”
“It is not possible to find a solution to the true chaos thicket quickly.”
Ding Ning adjusted his breathing, looked at him calmly and said, “But this chaos thicket is maintained by the entire formation …… the person who set up the formation back then, wanted it to exist for countless years, so it has a fatal shortcoming.”
Forefather Zhou’s eyes flashed with heated flames. “What shortcoming?”
Ding Ning said calmly, “Its power comes from the sun truefire. You are not capable of blocking the solar truefire from the entire formation, but you may be able to block off the solar truefire of this formation door.”
Forefather Zhou immediately frowned deeply. He said coldly, “It is not so simple. It cannot be so simple.”
Fu Su also understood Forefather Zhou’s meaning. He looked at Ding Ning and shook his head, saying, “The entire formation is like a bowl filled with water. When there is less water in one part of the bowl, water from other places will naturally gather, and come with momentum. The place with less water will experience the impact of the entire formation.”
“I understand this.” Ding Ning nodded and turned to look at Forefather Zhou. “So you must be very quick.”
Forefather Zhou stilled, but his eyes glimmered with light. He understood.
“When there is less part in a part of the bowl, water will naturally come from other places. But if one is fast enough, they can pass through before water from other places gathers.” Ding Ning took a deep breath. Then he continued, “We also need to clear the way in order to pass through quickly enough. You have to open some passageways as soon as possible and let the energy inside pour out.”
“Ding Ning, I have to admit you are a true genius.” Forefather Zhou looked profoundly at Ding Ning, with a hint of a snarl on his face.
He looked up. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the golden pillars of light. The cold fiendish energy in his body was slowly released. His almost frozen energy sea could not withstand hard battle, but it was not difficult for him to slowly release the cold fiendish energy inside his body to block the golden light from the formation door.
Threads of black energy spilled from his fingertips like cold poisonous snakes and rose upwards.
The threads of pleasure in his heart seemed to rise like these energies.
He had waited for thirty years. Also, his body and cultivation status meant he could not force his way in through the formation door like he had three decades ago. But the performance of the wine shop youth today had caused him to come alive like a withered branch in spring. All of the waiting had been of value.
But at this moment, he sensed something unusual.
He suddenly turned his head, his slightly black face turning pale white.
What was happening?
Ding Ning and Fu Su also felt that unusual presence at the same time and turned around in unison.
The trio looked up at the sky where multiple white clouds were floating in the air. The rays of the sun gilded the edges of the white clouds gold, but at this moment, a ball of black light was rising below these white clouds.
Soundlessly, the rays of golden light landed on the pitch black ball of light. No light appeared underneath the black ball. Cold black curtains of light came from where the golden rays of light and the black ball of light were in contact and spread outwards.
That patch of sky was growing black at a visible rate into something like a black seal. It was not like black night, because there would be moonlight and star light in the night sky.
This thick black color was suffocating. Fu Su finally reacted. Looking at the black sky that had almost covered half of the mountain valley and the border of where the golden light and black color met, he said in shock, “There is someone else here?”
Ding Ning did not speak.
Forefather Zhou did not speak.
At this moment, with a muffled explosion, someone seemed to move an enormous mountain and threw it unreasonably onto the surface of the serene lake.
At the same time the sound occurred, the ground under the trio’s feet started to vibrate.
Then a wild wind rose.
The energy and the lake-like mist in the mountain valley split to the sides.
Ding Ning’s clothes flapped in the wind. His thin body appeared to be almost blown away by the wild wind and mist. But he still tried to narrow his eyes and look towards where the black ball of light was rising.
There was light underneath the black sky.
He saw an old figure that seemed to be burying with clean white flame.
A wide path appeared in front of this old figure. All of the weeds and trees on the path were cut down and fell to the sides of the path.
Forefather Zhou’s body was soaked in sweat.
This was the exact solution that Ding Ning had spoken of.
However, this person was even more vicious. He had not opened, but forced open the door when the power of the formation ran out.
This kind of method meant this person was far stronger than him.
Who could possess such power?
Who could have discovered the formation here, and intended to enter today?
The mist in the mountain valley was expelled out by the explosion of power. While they were many miles away, when Ding Ning and the others saw the old man, the old man also saw Forefather Zhou, Ding Ning, and Fu Su.
The old man’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.
This old man was the king of Chu. He had arranged and schemed for the Deer Mountain Conference to be held at this time at Deer Mountain. After obtaining what was here, he would return to Deer Mountain, and confirm with the strongest people in the world. Of course, he had not expected someone else to discover the secret here. Also, they appeared to have entered the formation before, and had come today preparing to enter.
But even if there were countless people that had discovered the secret here, only the first person who entered would obtain what was inside.
First come, first served. The one step was fate.
So, the king of Chu looked without any murderousness at Ding Ning, Fu Su and Forefather Zhou. He smiled gently before he started to step onto the wide path that had appeared in front of him.
The wind rose again.
The mist that had parted to the sides of the mountain valley rushed back with a stronger wind.
“Who is it?”
The half-fish half-bird spirit beast was hovering over a white cloud in the windy sky. On top of the beast, the beauty in palace attire had a grim expression.
“The king of Chu.”
The man with the white hair, the Qin Dynasty’s imperial tutor, whispered emotionally, “No wonder it is Deer Mountain, no wonder it is this time.”
The beauty in palace attire looked at the walking king of Chu and coldly said, “What do we do?”
The emperor’s tutor said peacefully, “Stop him from entering the formation.”
The beauty in palace attire said, “You stop the king of Chu. I will deal with Forefather Zhou.”
The emperor’s tutor shook his head, looked at her beautiful eyes, and said, “You should know that I cannot face the king of Chu alone.”
The beauty in palace attire stopped breathing.
She knew the other spoke the truth. But this choice meant abandoning Fu Su and Ding Ning.
This meant that Fu Su and Ding Ning would die.
“The Deer Mountain Conference is the Qin Dynasty’s present, the crown prince is the Qin Dynasty’s future. One side is the present, the other is the future. Without the present, there is no future.” The white-haired old man turned to look at the king of Chu who was stepping into the formation door. He said, “Both the Holy One and the empress would choose the present. We have no choice.”
As he spoke, his body gave off an extremely serene and faint presence. His body seemed to swell without limits.
There seemed to be a standing giant appearing between the sky and the earth that was looking in the distance. Numerous stars outside the world seemed to dim.
In the sky, an enormous presence suddenly formed and then landed.
The king of Chu suddenly looked up.
The moment he lifted his head, that enormous presence was already landing on the black ball of light in the sky.
Translator Ramblings: The emperor’s tutor (帝师) is usually translated as the imperial preceptor but the thing is, the position only appeared formally during the Yuan Dynasty, which is about 1000 years after the Warring states. So it is the “emperor’s teacher/tutor” and not the imperial preceptor.
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