The Reticent Blade-Chapter 139 - Sword That Rules Heaven and Earth (Part One)

In the base level of the Heavenly Divination Shrine, Qi Zongbi wore a grayish-white robe, looking just like an ordinary elderly scholar. He had just lit a stick of incense, and had his eyes lowered with a solemn expression.

In the plaza outside the Heavenly Divination Shrine, guards wielded swords and remained highly alert. Their grave expressions indicated that the commotion on the mountainside had already spooked them to some extent.

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The guards were not permitted to enter the Heavenly Divination Shrine, so they could only remain outside. Accompanying Qi Zongbi inside was a man who wore plain white robes and cloud-patterned black boots. The most striking thing about his outfit was the exceptionally ornate golden jade belt at his waist. The man's face was like jade, and his prominent sword-like eyebrows radiated a heroic spirit. He stood behind Qi Zongbi with his hands behind his back.

After quietly watching Qi Zongbi place the incense into the burner, the man stepped forward and told him, "The fighting on the mountainside has stopped."

"Hmm." Qi Zongbi nodded impassively. "Who won?"

The heroic-looking man chuckled disdainfully. "I couldn't say for sure. I haven't fought Stormqueller, so I don't know how strong he is. But rest assured, even if he comes up, I can protect you."

Qi Zongbi glanced at the man. "Are you even stronger than Frozen Daybreak Lin Jiulao? If Stormqueller could kill Frozen Daybreak, what makes you so certain you can handle him?"

The man tutted disdainfully. "That idiot Frozen Daybreak is just a brainless martial fanatic. Otherwise, he wouldn't have refused to join me in ambushing Stormqueller. I, Tranquil Stream Yi Anzhi, am nothing like him."

The man pointed to his own head.

"Head-on confrontation isn't my strength. My head has uses other than getting chopped off."

At the top of Heavenly Divination Shrine, Qi Zongbi's junior brother nodded as he recounted Yi Anzhi's background.

"Tranquil Stream Yi Anzhi, who wields a flexible sword with insidious and cunning techniques that are nearly impossible to defend against."

Ah San, looking towards the mountainside, replied without turning his head, "Stormqueller is straightforward, just like the straight blade he carries. In some ways, Tranquil Stream's techniques are indeed the bane of someone like him."

"Haha, not necessarily." Qi Zongbi's sinister junior-apprentice brother chuckled. "Isn't there also a saying that brute force can overcome any technique?"

"You mean... Tranquil Stream can't defeat Stormqueller?" Ah San turned to look at the man in the shadows. "How do you know?"

The shadowy figure shook his head. "I don't know. I'm just saying that strength and weakness are variables, not constants. I'm not an immortal. How could I possibly know everything?"

Ah San sneered. "Heh, I thought you really had all the answers."

The man in the shadows wasn't bothered by Ah San's attitude and simply shook his head.

"These are all trivial matters that don't change the final outcome. Even if Stormqueller kills Tranquil Stream, he won't be able to kill Qi Zongbi as long as Uncle Fu is here. He will still die... so I have all the answers."

"You scholars like to overcomplicate things..." Ah San looked downstairs when he suddenly furrowed his brow. "Wait... someone's coming."

The man in the shadows also showed a puzzled expression. "How could that be? Even if Stormqueller could fly, he wouldn't reach here so quickly."

"No, it's not Stormqueller, it's..." Ah San squinted in a particular direction, then his expression suddenly changed dramatically! "They... they actually came!"

***

Baili Gucheng and Yang Lu ascended the steps to the Heavenly Divination Shrine along an eastern path leading up the mountain.

"You didn't need to come along." Baili Gucheng's intricate sword hung at his waist and another sword was strapped to his back.

Walking side by side with Baili Gucheng, Yang Lu held her umbrella upside down.

"I'm not some helpless damsel~ When it comes to martial arts, I'm nearly a Grandmaster myself. Are you really afraid I'd slow you down?"

Baili Gucheng pursed his lips, but chose not to say anything.

Yang Lu continued, "We have a better chance of winning if I come along, don't we?"

Baili Gucheng remained silent, continuing up the path, though he knew in his heart that if he could kill Qi Zongbi, he could do it by himself. If he couldn't, then Yang Lu's presence would only add another body to the final count.

Suddenly, a loud clash echoed from the other side of the mountain. Baili Gucheng frowned and turned to look at Yang Lu, who was also glancing back in confusion.

"What happened?" Yang Lu's eyebrows furrowed.

Baili Gucheng shook his head and quickened his pace. "I don't know. Things may have changed... we need to hurry."

The two of them rushed toward the summit without any obstruction, and the end of the path was soon in sight. The mountain's peak lay open before them.

Baili Gucheng emerged onto the plaza from the path first, and before him stood the seven-story Heavenly Divination Shrine.

"Who goes there!"

The guards in the plaza immediately spotted him as soon as he appeared. With their hands on the hilts of their swords, they shouted, "The External Prime Minister is conducting official business here. Leave at once!"

Just as the guards finished their lines, Yang Lu emerged from the path as well. She glanced at the guards in the distance and nodded to Baili Gucheng.

"Looks like we found the right place."

Baili Gucheng nodded, unfastened the strap across his chest, and drew the sword from his back.

No matter how slow the guards were to realize it, they could tell that the visitors did not come for a friendly visit. The guards unsheathed their swords and charged forward menacingly.

The moment Baili Gucheng gripped his sword, his aura transformed.

The wind began to stir.

The lead guard suddenly felt a light breeze brush across his face, followed by the sensation of warm liquid trickling down his cheek. He reached up to touch it, and his hand came away wet. Looking down, he saw that his hand was covered in blood.

By this time, the guards had closed the distance to get within five zhang of Baili Gucheng, with several of the faster ones reaching within three zhang. Nevertheless, Baili Gucheng remained standing with his sword at his side, head slightly bowed, motionless.

A sudden sense of danger arose in the guard's heart. He raised his hand quickly, intending to warn his comrades to stop. The words were on the tip of his tongue, just about to come out...

Bang—

A powerful pressure exploded out from Baili Gucheng!

The strong wind tore through the plaza, and the guard felt several parts of his body suddenly growing numb before he was thrown back by force. Then, the searing pain from all over his body reached him all at once.

The guard bent over and looked down in disbelief. He saw that both his arms had been severed at the elbows, and his right thigh was hanging by a flap of skin!

His body was covered in countless wounds as if he had been slashed a thousand times. Looking around, he saw that everyone who had come within three zhang of Baili Gucheng had suffered similar fates.

Some were still writhing and crying out in pain, while others had already breathed their last. One unfortunate soul had been sliced cleanly in half at the waist, his upper body a mess of flesh and gore.

It was as if the area around Baili Gucheng had become a living hell on earth.

The guard's vision gradually blurred as he belatedly realized that there was no way he was going to survive his heavy injuries. He struggled to lift his head for one last look at the man.

Through his hazy vision, he saw only that man confidently striding forward. Then countless winds converged around him, slowly forming a visible whirlwind!

It was as if that man was a sword about to pierce straight into the heavens.