Chapter 42: The Deathbringer’s Tribulation, the Rejoicing Sw

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nThe Huang Family.

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nThere were only two people within the clan’s great hall—Huang Yunchong and Huang Qianjun.

nWhen Huang Qianjun finished telling his father everything that had happened today, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.

nHuang Yunchong sank into a lengthy silence. Then, he burst into laughter.

nHis gratified, delighted laughter came straight from the heart, and it echoed throughout the hall for quite some time.

nHuang Qianjun instantly relaxed. Only then did he dare ask, “Father, you think I did okay too?”

nHuang Yunchong walked right up to him and pounded him on the shoulder, hard. “‘Okay’? You didn’t do okay; you couldn’t have done it any better! You’ve got guts, kid! I’m surprised!”

nHuang Qianjun rubbed his aching shoulder and grinned. “Father, I’ve only followed Su Yi for two days, but you were right; I’ve already learned a lot. I feel like I was wasting my life before.”

n“That means you’ve chosen the right person to follow.” Huang Yunchong couldn’t help but sigh. “Su Yi is a hidden talent, but he’s sure to reveal his true brilliance and ascend to the heavens sooner or later. If you follow him, you’ll rise to prominence along with him!”

n“Father, I didn’t think about any of that,” said Huang Qianjun sheepishly. “I just think that when I spend time with Brother Su, I often feel my horizons expanding.”

nHuang Qianjun burst into laughter. “My child, having an attitude like that is for the best! Blind flattery will only make him think less of you, and you’ll only lower yourself. Treating him with sincerity is the best policy!”

nHe couldn’t help but be delighted.

nAs the head of the Huang Family, how could he miss the strength of Su Yi’s network or his transcendent methods?

nHis attainments in medicine made even the famed Wu Guangbin sigh with admiration.

nHis skill at swordsmithing convinced even Wang Tianyang to call him ‘grandmaster’.

nAnd he even knew how to?exorcize?ghosts!

nAdd all that to the mighty figures standing behind him: Fu Shan and the Spiritjade Marchioness, among others….

nSu Yi was like a hidden dragon! For his son to serve at his side was a blessing!

n“You needn’t worry about Wen Jieyuan’s murder. Between Nie Beihu and Fu Shan, there’s no way Wen Changqing will discover Su Yi’s involvement.” Huang Yunchong smiled. “On the contrary, it’s entirely possible that Wu Ruoqiu’s death and his connection to the Deathbringer’s Gate will implicate the Wen Family. If so, it’ll be a real headache for both Wen Changqing and Family Head Wen Changjing.”

nHuang Qianjun couldn’t help but ask, “Father, have you heard of the Deathbringer’s Gate?”

nHis father paused, as if trying to recall something. “It was about a hundred years ago. The Deathbringer’s Gate was the top heretical faction in the Great Zhou, with vast numbers of disciples spread throughout the entire nation.

n“They sacrificed countless innocent lives in the name of cultivating their heretical arts, inviting the wrath of god and man alike. They were universally despised.

n“In the end, the imperial family of the Great Zhou sent a group of Earthly Immortals from our number one holy land, the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect, to join forces with the nobility and root them out. It took three years, but in the end, the Deathbringer’s Gate fell, vanishing into thin air.

n“That incident was called ‘the Deathbringer’s Tribulation’.

n“From that day forth, the Deathbringer’s Gate ceased to exist. Although numerous evildoers survived and scattered throughout the empire, it’s difficult for them to gather in any meaningful way.

n“Nowadays, I’m afraid that few people have ever so much as heard of them.”

nHuang Qianjun finally understood. “So you’re saying that Wu Ruoqiu was a survivor of the Deathbringer’s Tribulation? Or perhaps one of the remnant’s disciples?”

n“Most likely, yes.” Huang Yunchong nodded, then laughed coldly. “The Deathbringer’s Gate has been gone for over a hundred years. There’s no way of knowing just how this heretical faction recovered its vitality.

n“But there’s one thing I dare say with certainty: the survivors only dare operate under the cover of darkness and behind closed doors, hiding away like mice for fear of discovery. If found, everyone would unite against them.”

nHe paused, then continued, “If Wen Changqing has really known about Wu Ruoqiu for years, that’s tantamount to colluding with the survivors of the Deathbringer’s Gate. A crime like that is enough to invite disaster upon the entire Wen Family!”

nHuang Qianjun’s eyes shone, and he gleefully rubbed his hands together. “Father, when Fu Shan finds out about this, will he seize the opportunity to teach the Wen Family a lesson?”

nHuang Yunchong fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. “In the past, such a discovery would have indeed dealt an enormous blow to the Wen Family, but it’s different now.”

n“Why is that?”

n“Because the Wen Family is about to have a ‘Grandmaster’s disciple’ among them!” Despite himself, Huang Yunchong’s voice revealed a hint of jealousy.

nNot even he could have guessed that Wen Lingzhao would win Zhu Guqing’s favor so shortly after entering Heaven’s Origin Academy, much less become her disciple!

nSuch a lofty status was enough to intimidate even the city lord.

nWaves of emotion coursed through Huang Qianjun’s heart, and he couldn’t calm down.

nHe finally understood just how weighty the title “Grandmaster’s disciple” really was!”

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nThe city lord’s estate.

nWhen he heard Nie Beihu’s report, the scholarly City Lord Fu Shan couldn’t help but nod.

n“You handled this incident well. Wen Changqing and his son knew about Wu Ruoqiu, yet kept it secret. They’ve invited disaster upon their entire family!” Fu Shan laughed coldly.

nHe naturally knew of the depraved organization “the Deathbringer’s Gate” too. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝑙．𝑐𝘰𝘮

n“City Lord, shall we seize this opportunity to put the Wen Family in its place?” Nie Beihu whispered, his eyes flashing.

n“It’s not the right time.” Fu Shan shook his head. “Young Lord Su already disposed of Wu Ruoqiu, which means we have no witnesses. Besides, a grandmaster’s disciple only just emerged from within their ranks. No matter what, we have to treat them with respect. We can’t be reckless.”

nHe paused, then asked, “What did Young Lord Su have to say about this?”

nNie Biehu froze. “He actually didn’t say anything about it.”

nFu Shan muttered, “We cannot take this matter into our own hands. Our next step is simply to search the city for Ghoul Worms, that’s all. Remember: once you’ve completed your investigation, you are to report to Young Lord Su.”

n“Yes, sir.” Nie Beihu nodded in acknowledgment.

n“Right, there’s something else.” Fu Shan suddenly recalled something. He took out a gold-embossed invitation he’d clearly prepared in advance and passed it to Nie Beihu. “This is an invitation to the Dragon’s Gate Banquet. Please find the time to deliver it to Young Lord Su.”

nNie Beihu accepted it, but he couldn’t help but say, “Sir, given Young Lord Su’s bearing, I’m afraid he’ll?disdain?to participate in such a competition.”

nFu Shan smiled and shook his head. “Who says I’m requesting his participation? I’ve invited him as a VIP guest. He can spectate and comment on the youths’ martial prowess alongside us.”

nNie Beihu instantly understood; City Lord Fu Shan was planning to use this as an opportunity to bridge the gap between him and Su Yi!

nSuddenly, a guard approached and reported, “City Lord, Family Head?Wen?Changjing and Second Elder Wen Changqing have come requesting an audience.”

n“See them in,” said Fu Shan offhandedly, then laughed. “Commander Nie, why don’t you guess why they’re here?”

nNie Beihu laughed too, then answered without hesitation. “They’re undoubtedly here to absolve themselves of any connection with the Deathbringer’s Gate. After all, if the accusation sticks, disaster might strike at any moment.”

nFu Shan nodded approvingly. “That aside, they’ll most likely strongly request our support in bringing Wu Ruoqiu to justice. After all, they can’t let the death of Wen Changqing’s?son?go unpunished.”

nAs expected, when Wen Changjing and Wen Changqing arrived and announced their intentions, it was exactly as Fu Shan expected.

nFu Shan had long since made up his mind. He’d restore their reputation and cooperate with them in their efforts to capture Wu Ruoqiu.

nThat night, both the city lord’s Old Guard and the Wen Family guards took action, scouring the city for anything suspicious.

nThis threw the whole city into uproar and attracted an enormous amount of attention.

nBut none of this had anything to do with Su Yi.

nA night breeze blew past, and the moonlight was as clear as water.

nSu Yi stood in the courtyard, and after drilling the Pine and Crane Body Refining Technique several times, he raised Mortal Edge and began practicing his sword arts.

nWhoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

nHis tall, lean figure was suddenly as ethereal as an immortal. His sword moved with him, streaks of sword light scattering like shooting stars, sparks flying when they intercrossed.

nHe was fast as lightning, a fleeting shadow.

nThe tranquil night sky rippled like water, as if the longsword were slicing the very moonlight itself. Beneath its gentle glow, an indistinct shadow appeared and disappeared, like a flickering flame.

nFast! Too fast!

nIllusory swords overlapped, and sword light shifted gracefully. Even Su Yi himself looked fleeting and ethereal, difficult to discern.

nThis was the “Rejoicing Sword Sutra.”

nBy fully taking possession of your heroic spirit, you could breathe out a joyous wind!

nThe essence of this sutra was becoming free and unfettered as the wind, unrestrained and everywhere at once, with no height you could not reach or place you could not go.

nThe Rejoicing Sword Sutra only included six moves.

n“Pulling Galaxies”, “Plucking Suns and Moons”, “Splitting Mountains and Seas”, “Severing Melancholy”, “Demarcating Purity”, and “Wandering the Ten Directions.”

nThe night before, Su Yi had relied on “Pulling Galaxies” to slaughter over a hundred Ghoul Worms in one fell swoop.

nThis was one of the ultimate sword styles Su Yi had created in his past life. Its sheer power and the profundity of its Great Dao were enough to place it near the top even among Imperial Realm sword styles!

nUnfortunately, due to the limits of his cultivation, the current Su Yi could at most practice the sword sutras’ stances and movements. He couldn’t realize its essence or profundities.

nWithout its essence, without the Grand Dao or profound truths, it was at best a sword art of the Martial Dao.

nIn the cultivation world, the secret techniques of the Martial Dao could be divided according to the following basic principle:

nArts were inferior to laws, and laws were inferior to the Dao.

nWhen it came to “magic arts”, “magic” came first and “art” came second.

nBut in “Daoist magic”, the “Dao” took precedence over “magic”.

nThe Four Realms of the Martial Dao represented a gradual shedding of mortality, and the martial arts its experts could use had yet to fully extricate themselves from the mundane. At the end of the day, they were merely “arts” or “techniques.”

nThe techniques of the Martial Dao were graded according to power. There were four classifications: yellow, profound, earth, and heaven.

nYellow grade was at the bottom, while heaven grade was at the top.

nEach grade was subdivided further into high, mid, and low.

nOrdinarily speaking, Blood Circulation Realm cultivators could at best practice yellow-grade martial arts.

nFrom this, you could infer that Qi Accumulation, Inner Furnace, and Anāsrava cultivators corresponded to the profound, earth, and heaven grades respectively.

nEven if you tossed a profound-grade martial art to a Blood Circulation Realm Cultivator, with their cultivation, they’d have a hard time realizing its full power.

nIn short, when it came to martial arts, higher-grade martial arts weren’t always better. They had to suit your current cultivation.

nOf course, there had always been a handful of monstrous geniuses who broke these rules and broke past the limits of their cultivation to master higher-level techniques.

nFor instance, the Rejoicing Sword Sutra Su Yi was practicing. Although it was merely considered an “art”, if you really tried to appraise it, you’d find it was far beyond ordinary techniques!

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Chapter end