Chapter 128 - Heartbroken For His Master
Chapter 128: Heartbroken For His Master
Snow drifted peacefully down the sky.
Outside the Vermillion Bird Gate, a commotion among the people and the gamblers started after a short moment of peace.
Over the last few days of the tournament, the Main Path Guid disciples have performed exceptionally well. They had managed to crush all their enemies, only to be beaten by the Sword Guild in the final battle!
Even though the Sword Guild managed to defeat them, An Fan was still extremely powerful and forced Fang Lang and the others to fight with all their might. However, since Li Yuanzhen and the other new disciples were utterly defeated, in the eyes of the people, it seemed as if the disciples of the Sword Guild annihilated the disciples of the Main Path guild.
The judges of the imperial court entered the court and administered medicinal pills to the Main Path Guild disciples to help them recover from their injuries. The judges also announced the end of the match, announcing the end of this exciting Qianlong Resource Battle.
An Fan’s complexion was a little pale. The Main Path Guild disciples did not say a word. They had completely embarrassed themselves by losing this battle.
This was especially true for Li Yuanzhen. His eyes wore a dazed look and he received a huge shock to his psyche.
An Fan did not console Li Yuanzhen this time because he himself needed to be consoled. He was a cultivator of the fourth-class, ninth-grade phantasm realm. Yet, he had been beaten by Fang Lang who was merely a third-class sword-wave realm cultivator. This defeat was much harsher than the one Li Yuanzhen had suffered.
However, An Fan’s state of mind was pretty decent with all things considered. He looked intently at Fang Lang on the stage who appeared incomparably weak.
This battle would be imprinted upon his heart.
This attack would be returned sooner or later.
An Fan led Li Yuanzhen and the others away from the arena. The Resource Battle was over. They did not manage to win first place. Apart from that, half of the resources that they had obtained would need to be given to the Sword Guild.
They had been thoroughly humiliated. It could be said that the Main Path Guild, who was one of the ten great sects, had been forced to eat humble pie in this year’s Resource Battle.
However, there was nothing they could do apart from enduring this humiliation.
As a genius, An Fan was very clear that since Nan Yehuo managed to obtain the Great Elixir Pill from the Main Path Guild and attacked the Emperor during the imperial meeting, An Fan could not and would not dare to pull any dirty tricks recklessly.
He dared not cry foul because perhaps… The Main Path Guild had not been treated unjustly at all. He could only try other methods to defeat the Sword Guild. It was a shame that it failed.
Hence, the Main Path Guild was defeated.
Victory belonged to the Sword Guild.
…
Donglu Demon Portal. Mount Dongling.
Flurries of snow continued to fall in Changan. However, it was completely lush and green in Mount Donglin in the far East corner.
However, even though the area was full of greenery, the entirety of Mount Dongling was shrouded in a deadly silence.
Donglu’s Sword League was situated in Mount Dongling.
The news that came from Changan City shook the entire Mount Dongling. It made the Donglu’s Sword League break into an uproar.
The sect leader of the Donglu’s Sword League, Nan Yehuo, had striked out against the Emperor in Changan City. He had committed high treason and for his crime of attempting to murder the Emperor, he would be exiled.
The elders of the Donglu’s Sword League were instantly shaken when they heard the news. Countless disciples were in a state of great terror.
A streak of blade light crossed thousands of miles to arrive here from Changan. The white haired and white robed Chao Xiaojuan landed at the foot of Mount Dongling. He looked towards the mountain entrance of the Donglu’s Sword Guild and smiled wryly.
As soon as Chao Xiaojian appeared, all the elders of the Donglu’s Sword Guild appeared on Mount Dongling wielding their swords. They all looked extremely disconcerted but they did not beg for mercy. They merely raised their swords towards Chao Xiaojian.
“Chao Xioajian! Even though the Donglu’s Sword League has committed a great sin, it should be the imperial courts who come to judge and deal with our punishment. It is not up to you to come and sentence us!” shouted one of the elders who was a nine-class sword master angrily.
Chao Xiaojian continued to slowly walk towards the moss-covered stone staircase of the Donglu’s Sword League, holding his green steel sword.
He raised his head and turned to look in the direction of Changan City.
“The youngsters of the Sword Guild must be done by now, right? Now that they have gotten first place in the Resource Battle, for the next three years, the new disciples of the Sword Guild will have plentiful resources.”
“Since they’ve won first place, I’ll destroy an entire guild in celebration of their win.”
Chao Xiaojian smiled brightly. With a wave of his arm, a golden decree shot out and floated in the sky.
It was the Emperor’s decree.
As soon as they saw the decree, the elders of the Donglu’s Sword League went deathly pale. They looked extremely ill as they froze on the spot in shock and horror.
The Emperor had sent Chao Xiaojuan to sentence the Donglu’s Sword League!?
“No! This crime was completely done by Nan Yehuo. It has nothing to do with the Donglu’s Sword League! We have been overseeing the Donglu Demon Portal, we’ve been serving the Emperor!” One of the elders cried out.
Chao Xiaojuan pursed his lips. “If you want someone to blame, you should blame Nan Yehuo. He shouldn’t have angered me.”
“As for the Donglu Demon Portal… It’s just a small demon portal. I, Chao Xiaojian, will take responsibility for it,” said Chao Xiaojian lightly.
He ascended the staircase step after step. The entirety of Mount Dongling was trembling.
After that, Chao Xiaojian raised his arm and with an abrupt gesture, the multitude of clouds in the skies above Mount Dongling gathered. It seemed to transform into a giant sword with its blade tip pointed towards the ground!
With a sudden move by Chao Xiaojian, the large sword swung downwards!
In an instant, it engulfed the whole of Mount Dongling.
The waves of air rippled out in all directions. Chao Xiaojian’s body shuddered as the faint sound of his laughter filled the air. Countless ghostly figures were dragged out of the skies and raced into Mount Dongling.
On that day, Mount Donglin flowed with blood.
The white-haired Sword Demon, Chao Xiaojian, had received the imperial decree and destroyed an entire sect. The Donglu’s Sword League elders were not willing to sit and await death, hence they all fought to the very end. However, the end result was a sea of blood flowing down the steps of Mount Dongling.
It was the destruction of an inner sect. As for the outer disciples of the Donglu’s Sword League, Chao Xiaojian did not kill them. He merely disbanded them.
On that day, the entire earth was shaken. The Donglu’s Sword League was wiped out of the Tang Dynasty.
The fearful name of the white-haired Sword Demon, Chao Xiaojian, spread far and wide across the world.
…
Blood covered the ground and the stench of blood permeated the air.
A flight sword landed on the peak of Mount Dongling.
Chao Xiaojian sat on top of a limestone. His robes were stained red. As he stared up into the blazing sun among the sea of clouds, his white hair gently rippled in the breeze.
The ground surrounding him was littered with the corpses of the Donglu’s Sword League elders.
He stood up and stretched, then he picked up his sword as he walked towards the Donglu Demon Portal. He rushed into the demon portal, shocking the warriors inside.
Chao Xiaojian had destroyed an entire guild under the orders of the Emperor and took over the Donglu’s Sword Guild’s resources for the year. However, in the same vein, the Sword Guild had inherited the task of defending the Donglu Demon Portal. This task had fallen upon Chao Xiaojian.
Even though the Donglu Demon Portal would be a weak point for the short term, with Chao Xiaojian overseeing it, it would not be a huge problem.
Chao Xiaojian took out his green steel sword that was covered in scratches and held it in front of the Donglu Demon Portal. He guarded the demon portal with a single sword.
Inside the Donglu Demon Portal, the two clashing forces continued to reverberate. A powerful aura lingered in the air. However, it did not dare to make any odd movements before it rushed back in retreat.
Chao Xiaojian smiled.
After that, he left Donglu Demon Portal. A trace of blade energy gushed out of his lungs and shot him up into the clouds, turning into a stream of light that looked as though it would crush the earth with one strike.
…
Chao Xiaojian returned to Changan City.
He had received the news that Fang Lang and the others had won the Resource Battle. Chao Xiaojian smiled freely.
Since today was the birthday celebration of the Emperor and the Minister of Rites, Zhou Yiyuan, was dead, Old Man Gao personally took over Zhou Yiyuan’s unfinished jobs and organised a dinner banquet in the palace.
Many warriors from the various large sects were invited to this banquet. The palace was filled with people and the atmosphere was lively. Everyone was chatting and drinking happily.
Even though numerous things had happened in this year’s Resource Battle, no one discussed these events at the banquet.
The disciples of the Main Path Guid had left earlier with their leader. Hence, they were not present at the banquet.
Fang Lang sat in front of a table, drinking wine and eating. He watched the dance and vocal performances while listening to the musical instruments play. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
However, Fang Lang had toned down his behaviour at the banquet compared to his crazy arrogance at the arena.
Fang Lang’s mind was currently full of the things that his master had entrusted him with.
He needed to retrieve the Withering Lotus Sword from the Meridian Guild. Head to the All-Seeing Buddha Sect for the Circle Lotus Sword and get the Reincarnating Lotus Sword from the Main Path Guild.
Chao Xiaojian suddenly barged over, reeking of alcohol. He looked as drunk as a skunk. He had dragged Wen Ting along with him who continued to drink only wolfberry tea at the banquet.
However, Fang Lang and Wen Ting were both aware that with Chao Xiaojian’s cultivation, no wine on earth would be able to make him drunk.
“Lang’zi, you must be thinking about how you’re going to get all the swords, right? I knew that there was something fishy going on when you managed to get the Blooming Lotus Sword from the Sword Guild. At the time, my senior sister told me that the person who retrieved the sword would be Wen Ting. Hence, I’ve been paying attention to this fellow the whole time. In the end, you appeared mid-way through.”
Chao Xiaojian leaned against the table in a wanton and unrestrained manner. He took a sip of wine then said, “Regarding this matter, it’s time to head out to get the other three swords. I feel as though the situation in Changan City is not quite right. There are storms brewing. My senior sister should return quickly.”
“The only way to do so is to retrieve the other three swords and allow ‘Life and Death to circle round’. This will awaken the spiritual sense left behind by my senior sister and possibly bring her back,” said Chao Xiaojian as he smacked his lips together.
“Tomorrow, I’ll bring you back to Luojiang City so that you can properly meet up with your father. After all, this time we’ll be heading to three sects and it’s uncertain if we’ll return alive. Ultimately, in this world, there are many people who do not want my senior sister to return.”
“If you’re afraid, you should remain in Luojiang City. If you’re not, come along and experience the excitement as we head to the three top sects among the ten great sects.”
Chao Xiaojian patted Fang Lang on the shoulder as he said, “Little fellow, are you scared?”
Fang Lang could not help but smile when he heard Chao Xiaojian’s words.
Of course, he was not afraid.
If Xuanyuan Taihua returned to the Tang Dynasty, Fang Lang would have someone powerful that he could cling to. He would become someone who was difficult to mess with in the Tang Dynasty.
In that case, Fang Lang would be able to fully commit himself to cultivation until he was able to bind to geniuses or even anyone that he desired.
Hence, it was extremely beneficial for Fang Lang to retrieve all three swords to bring Xuanyuan Taihua back.
‘Ding!’
‘Mission task activated.’
‘The road of cultivation is long. How can one not have someone to rely on? Go ahead and retrieve the three swords from the three sects. With each sword retrieved, you will receive a Silver Reward Egg. A Gold Reward Egg will be obtained when you’ve managed to guide Xuanyuan Taihua back.’
The System’s prompt rang out in Fang Lang’s mind.
He swept his eye over it and the smile on his face brightened.
He had already decided to embark on a journey to the three sects before this. Now that there were so many rewards to be gained, Fang Lang was even more motivated to go.
However, Fang Lang understood that since the System had activated a mission, it meant that this task… would not be an easy one!
Despite that, Fang Lang raised his wine cup and downed it. In response to Chao Xiaojian’s question, he said, “Scared? What’s there to be scared of? My master left her hometown alone in order to travel to the realm of the demons. As her disciple, it’s only expected for me to guide her back. It’s an obligatory duty as her disciple.”
Of course, he was not doing this for the rare Gold Reward Egg prize. He was doing this out of the heartbroken sensation he had for his master who had spent the last ten years drifting in a foreign land.
As soon as Chao Xiaojian heard his words, the drunken look in his eyes disappeared completely. He looked deep into Fang Lang’s eyes as a complicated look flashed across his eyes.
His senior sister had not made a mistake in accepting this disciple. He turned out to be more reliable than Wen Ting.
However, Chao Xiaojian did not utter the thoughts in his mind. Instead, he continued to toast and drank with Fang Lang throughout the night.
…
Inside the palace, the night banquet continued in a grand and lively fashion. In contrast to the festivities of the banquet, it was extremely quiet and still within the Cold Palace of the Royal City.
The sound of a traditional chinese instrument could faintly be heard from the other corner of the Royal City. Under the dim lighting of the oil lamps, the figure of a person could be vaguely seen.
The third prince, Li Liancheng, was not dressed in his finery. Instead, he wore plain clothes and sat quietly on the futon.
He calmly raised his head. A strand of hair hung over his forehead. He looked towards the lively part of the palace and almost seemed to be able to visualize the debauchery and lavishness of the partying there.
He gently stroked the small dagger in his hand.
The sound of light footsteps rang out. A eunuch hung his head so that his face could not be clearly seen as he took tiny steps over.
“Your highness… everything is ready,” said the eunuch.
Li Liancheng stopped stroking his dagger. His lips curved up gently as a crazy gleam filled his eyes.
When he recalled the death of Li Tianlin whom he had hated with all his heart, his heart could not help but fill with terror and gloom. In his daze, he seemed to see his older brother’s corpse being enveloped by the Tang Code. It was like watching an orange being juiced…
He could not stop himself from shivering.
He seemed to see the Tang Code above Fang Lang’s head, shooting arrow after arrow to end up killing Nan Yehua.
Li Liancheng’s heart beat rapidly. He shut his eyes. A long time had passed before he slowly opened them once more and let out a huge sigh.
“Fang Lang…”
As he uttered this name, a complicated gleam flashed across Li Liancheng’s eyes which turned into a killing intent.
After he suppressed the intent to kill, Li Liancheng changed into the robes of an eunuch. He could not remain in the Cold Palace.
“Your highness. This is the strength talisman provided by the warriors of the Main Path Guild. If you activate it with your Blood Essence, you’ll be able to disguise your identity as your highness.”
“The single-use space rune is also ready. The destination is the Western Region Demon Portal.”
“Very good.”
Li Liancheng strode out of the Cold Palace dressed in eunuch robes. He turned his head back to look at the lively atmosphere inside the Royal Palace. He then turned and left with a swish of his robes.
Inside the Cold Palace, the figure of the third prince remained sitted quietly on the futon, looking quietly at the lights under the clear moon-lit sky.