Chapter 41

All of Azure Dragon Island is lit up by torches. The night patrol which was increased because of the grand tournament has somehow disappeared. The rogue cultivators become a bunch of headless flies. They shout and gossip wildly, all kinds of rumours flying all over the place. Some say demonic cultivators attacked the island. Some say the lord of the island had a qi deviation while cultivating. The weirdest speculation is that there is a real azure dragon sealed under the island, which has escaped the seal and gone out to find food, and that the cultivators on the island would only be enough as a light meal for it.

All the way, Tang Wanqiu keeps a not so large distance with Yan Zhengming and his group, as if waiting for them. Yan Zhengming sees through that, so he can’t do anything to her. The only problem is poor Puddle being carried like a luggage. Both dizzy and scared, she can’t help crying loudly. Luckily Li Yun already gave her the medicine to suppress her yao energy. Otherwise, with how she cries all the way, there would be an earthquake on Azure Dragon Island, and they would be turned into who-knows-what monster in the gossips.

Tang Wanqiu leads them through the mountain side where Lecture Hall is. She disappears for a couple of seconds in a forest, and stops in front of an area full of stone steles.

This place is called “The Forest of Steles”, where monuments commemorating the great cultivators who ascended or fell are erected, like the ancestral hall of ordinary people. Cheng Qian and his disciple brothers have heard about this place. However, they aren’t official disciples of Azure Dragon Island, but only visitors who come for learning. They have no business being here without a good reason.

Tang Wanqiu loosens her hold and throws Puddle aside. Having cried the whole way, Puddle has lost most of her fear. As only panic and anger are left, as soon as she is free, she grabs Tang Wanqiu’s hand and aggressively opens her mouth to bite her.

However, before Puddle’s teeth come down, Tang Wanqiu suddenly bends her head to look at her. This Tang Zhenren has never shown much expression when dealing with other people, but her eyes are red at the moment. Seemingly unwilling to show anything to a child, she grits her teeth and displays a fierce face. She doesn’t look like she is suppressing her tears, but more like a glaring guardian god.

She and Puddle stare at each other for a while. The little girl isn’t afraid, but with an animal-like instinct, she seemingly senses something. She closes her mouth and, as snots coming out of her nostrils, she is taken back by her terrified most senior brother.

Turning her back to them, she says stiffly, “By the lord of the island’s order, I take you out of here tonight.”

Yan Zhengming is startled. “Senior, what is going on in the island? We juniors don’t have much capability, but after all we have been under the protection of the lord all these years. If we can help with anything…”

As he mentions ‘protection’, Tang Wanqiu’s face finally becomes a little less tense. She turns to look at him and says in an even voice, “Sect Leader Yan, as long as you remember what has been done for you, it’s fine. For now, you’d better watch your own lives first!”

Having said that, she points at the ground and shouts. “Open!”

The ground of the stele forest shakes. An opening of about two square metres appears. In the darkness, there are apparently stairs made from stone. It turns out to be a secret tunnel.

Tang Wanqiu makes the hand sign, making the lightning fire concentrate on her finger tip. She points and successively lights up the lamps on the walls of the secret tunnel, making it full of light. Then she leads the way and gets down the steps, urging, “Don’t be tardy!”

Yan Zhengming quickly exchanges a glance with Li Yun. Li Yun frowns and says with a low voice, “Brother, let’s just follow her first.”

When the lord of the island appeared at the grand tournament, Yan Zhengming already sensed that something wasn’t quite right. However, he doesn’t really know what’s going on. In the present, he is completely at a loss. With Puddle in his arms, who is using his sleeves to wipe her snots, he can’t be any more confused.

Yan Zhengming hands over Puddle for his servant behind him. Unable to resist it, he turns back for a glance again. Cheng Qian walks steadily at the very end of the line. He is staring in the direction of Lecture Hall, but seemingly sensing Yan Zhengming’s gaze, he turns his head and nods at him, as if to indicate that his heart is firm even if the sky falls down.

Yan Zhengming is aware that Cheng Qian doesn’t really know what is going on either; he just disregards that. Yan Zhengming can’t help smiling ruefully, but after that smile, he suddenly feels calmer. He holds his sword and follows Tang Wanqiu into the secret tunnel.

The tunnel isn’t really big. It isn’t too bad for Tang Wanqiu, who leads the way, but Yan Zhengming has to bow his head the whole way. Thanks to spells, the fire in the lamps on the walls don’t flicker when someone passes by. No one talks on the way, creating an oppressive atmosphere. It’s easy to lose direction when walking on the ground. As they make turn after turn, Cheng Qian quietly calculates the distance. When he feels that they are about to leave Azure Dragon Island, a series of stone steps appear in front of them.

The steps are very steep and the opening is too narrow. Even Puddle has to stoop a little. The others are practically crawling outside. It’s as if they are going through a dog’s hole, which isn’t good for their appearance.

Li Yun finally can’t resist it anymore and asks in a low voice, “Where is she leading us to?”

Yan Zhengming shakes his head. He turns back with some difficulty and reminds his servant. “Zhe Shi, look after our disciple sister carefully.”

His words remind Han Yuan in the back of something.

Han Yuan quickly feels the inside of his robe and takes out a ‘necklace’. It has the Soul Seeking Needles that he stole a few years ago at the celestial market. The poisonous points of the needles are covered in neat wooden caps, and the needles are strung together with a string made of dried weeds. The contraption had the style of the beggars on the street.

Back then when Han Yuan just acquired the Soul Seeking Needles, he thought that he would quickly use up all of them, because there were so many bullies targeting his sect on the island. Contrary to his expectation, his disciple brothers took care of everything, so he still has all three needles until now.

Han Yuan puts the three Soul Seeking Needles on Puddle’s neck and tells her. “If someone bullies you, take off the wooden cap and stab that asshole.”

While they talk, the stone steps come to the end. Tang Wanqiu hits a rock with her palm. The two-meter thick rock breaks into piece. This senior is such a crude cannonball, that Yan Zhengming no longer has the energy to take issue with her. He only follows her in silence.

As soon as he pokes his head outside, Yan Zhengming feels a gust of sea wind fly into his face. As he looks more carefully, it turns out that this is a secret dock, which has only one boat. At first glance, there is nothing strange about the boat, but it can seemingly blend into the darkness of night. If it weren’t right in front of them, they might not realise that this place had a giant boat.

“Get on,” Tang Wanqiu says, “There is no rower, but your sect has a tradition for being good with spells. You can use spells to control the boat. Figure it out yourself. If you all could ride swords, there’d be no need for such trouble.”

Tang Wanqiu usually has the attitude of “Heaven is number one then I’m number two”. These words from her usually would be a mockery of their low cultivation level. Strangely enough, this time she doesn’t mean that.

She glances at the dark sky and the even darker sea, and whispers in a low voice, “Too fast. I haven’t…”

In just that moment, she seems to be buried by the darkness of night, her skirt and hair fluttering in the wind. The scene could make one have the impression that she is rather delicate.

After a while, Tang Wanqiu speaks again. “That day I did see Han Muchun, but I dared not greet him. I’m… not a tactful person. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to be recognised.”

Unfortunately, with her clumsiness in dealing with other people, before she made up her mind, she could no longer see him again.

Yan Zhengming is startled. He realises that she is talking about the great battle against demonic cultivator on the way to the East Sea five years ago.

Tang Wanqiu says, “You, well, look a little like your Master when he was young.”

Having said that, she hangs her head and swipe a long tress of her hair behind the ear. This is an unconscious act that many women do, but when she does it, the act seems to contain some old memory.

Having shown some gentleness, Tang Wanqiu resumes the usual stiff tone she uses when dealing with common affairs, and tells Yan Zhengming, “After you people leave here, you must not return to Fuyao Mountain again. You may join in society, or find a good place and continue your cultivation as you wish. However, don’t tell anyone that you’re from Fuyao Sect.”

Yan Zhengming probes. “Senior, hasn’t our Fuyao Sect fallen and become a trivial sect that isn’t worth talking about? Who would recognise us?”

“The irrelevant ones of course won’t know of your sect, but your allies and enemies all remember,” Tang Wanqiu says. “Don’t be tardy! Get on the boat, quick!”

Before she can finish her speech, there is a ray of light that shoots into the sky on Azure Dragon Island. For a moment, the island lights up as if it were day, blinding people’s eyes.

Tang Wanqiu’s pupils constrict. Worry shows on her face.

At that moment, Cheng Qian who has been keeping a short distance from them to guard their back suddenly stands up straight and slowly raises Shuang Ren. “Who’s there?”

There is the air-tearing sound, then a group of masked figures land on the ground like a flock of crows. In a short moment, the people from Fuyao Sect are surrounded.

The ringleader emerges from the group and speaks from behind the black cloth that covers his face. “There is curfew on Azure Dragon Island. From now on, no boat is allowed to depart.”

Tang Wanqiu grabs Cheng Qian’s shoulder and pulls him to aside forcefully. Then she walks up herself. “The lord of the island hasn’t said anything about a curfew. Who are you?”

The masked man laughs coldly. He clasps his hands and says to Tang Wanqiu, “Zhenren, no need for you to get angry. Even if you get on the boat, you won’t be able to get away.”

Having said that, he raises his head as if to signal something. In the night sky, countless dots of light appear. From afar, they look like fireflies.

Puddle opens her mouth to cry, but Zhe Shi stops her in time. Li Yun asks in a low voice, “Brother, what are those?”

Yan Zhengming glances at them then replies, “Flares from sword blades from the energy used for sword riding.”

Li Yun can’t help feeling scared. “What? So many? Who are they targeting? It can’t be us.”

Li Yun forever belongs to the category of people who are extremely intelligent normally, but whose brain skids to a halt in critical moments.

As soon as he says these words, Yan Zhengming knows what he is thinking. He has a point. They are only mediocre disciples of a tiny, mediocre sect. They never got out of Fuyao Mountain. As soon as they left there, they lived on Azure Dragon Island. The most notorious thing they’ve done is only picking a fight with the gangs of rogue cultivators. When the enemies mobilise such a force, it’s mostly to target Tang Wanqiu. She has the talent of pissing off people. Maybe this is some old grudge against her from somewhere.

Li Yun asks in a low voice, “Most senior brother, if they aren’t targeting us, then…”

Yan Zhengming grabs Li Yun’s elbow and shakes his head. He feels that it’s not so simple. Why doesn’t Tang Wanqiu stay to protect the island in time of crisis, but secretly lead them to get away?

He instinctively feels this is related to Tang Wanqiu’s warning “don’t tell anyone you’re from Fuyao Sect.”

Suddenly, Cheng Qian, who has been silent, raises his voice. He speaks with certainty. “That’s Zhou Hanzheng.”

Yan Zhengming is surprised. “What? How do you know?”

Not changing his expression, Cheng Qian stares fixedly at the eyes of the ringleader, which aren’t covered by the mask. He says with a soft voice, “He? I can recognise him even if he turns to ash.”

Yan Zhengming, who was the actual victim back then, has probably forgotten. He has been like that since childhood. No matter how big the fight is or how angry he is, he doesn’t hold a grudge. Even if he can remember clearly how he fell from the platform and was humiliated, he doesn’t hold any hatred or desire for revenge. In any case, even if Zhou Hanzheng wants to throw him from the platform again in the present, the incident won’t be easily repeated. He’d rather spend his energy dreaming about the happy times on Fuyao Mountain of his childhood.

Cheng Qian is totally different. Whenever he has problem with practicing swordplay, or is stuck in a bottleneck period that seemingly has no end, he will recall Zhang Dasen’s gang and Zhou Hanzheng. With his quick progress, he gradually considers the likes of Zhang Dasen beneath his attention. Therefore, all of his hatred is aimed at only Zhou Hanzheng.

Cheng Qian sweeps a glance at his surroundings, then steps forward and speaks to Tang Wanqiu with his voice slightly raised, “Tang Zhenren, this junior is grateful for the lord’s protection all these years. However, I don’t understand why he would allow someone with such a shady history get into Lecture Hall?”

Tang Wanqiu is startled. She turns her head at him. “What did you say?”

Hearing that, the masked ringleader fixes his gaze at Cheng Qian and Shuang Ren in his hand and laughs slightly. “The one the human-detecting bird sensed that day was really you. You little rascal sure have some tricks in you. It was a mistake to let you get away.”

Before that, he intentionally lowered his voice. For this line he uses his usual voice. Even if her hearing were worse than it is, Tang Wanqiu can recognise it. Incredulity that can’t be hidden shows on her face. “Zhou Hanzheng?”

Seeing as he can’t trick her anymore, the masked man takes off the cloth without any fear, revealing the scholarly face behind the fan with the ‘think carefully’ motto. He smiles. “Tang Daoyu1, may I invite you to go back to the island to greet the guests with the lord?”

Tang Wanqiu is still stunned at first. Then she immediately gets angry. “What the lord has done for you is as heavy as the mountain, but you dare to collude with another side?”

Zhou Hanzheng shakes his head and sighs. “Tang Zhenren, you’re wrong. I’m originally not a member of Azure Dragon Island. All these years I haven’t joined anyone else. I only temporarily had the Guardian post thanks to the lord of the island’s grace. Oh? It can’t be that my memory is so bad. Aren’t you yourself a disciple of Mulan Mountain, and not a disciple of Azure Dragon Island?”

Being unable to stand his nonsense, Tang Wanqiu doesn’t bother to reply. She draws the large sword on her back and sweeps it to create a gust of sharp sword wind. Not caring about the sword riders above, she aggressively slashes her sword at Zhou Hanzheng’s head as if it were a rotten gourd.

Zhou Hanzheng lightly jumps into the air. He spins the fan in his hand, creating the elusive energy of lightning fire and aiming it at the sword energy of Tang Wanqiu. There is a loud explosion. The two energies destroy each other, leaving a black burnt spot on the ground.

Zhou Hanzheng is cruel in both words and deeds. Just observing the fight scares Yan Zhengming. He realises that his conclusion that he ‘wouldn’t be thrown off the platform by that asshole easily’ was made too early. Furthermore, Zhou Hanzheng had lots of tricks up his sleeves, on top of being completely dishonourable. Right from the beginning, he has no intention of fighting one on one with Tang Wanqiu. He raises his fan and tells the masked figures that block the sky and the group. “Capture her!”

Tang Wanqiu growls. “Try me!”

The masked figures land on the ground from their swords like a flock of crows, crowding up the tiny dock. Yan Zhengming’s sword flashes as he rides it up in the air. He makes the hand sign and forms several illusions of a figure riding the sword like him. It costs a lot of spiritual energy to divide his mind like that, as he has to handle all of the enemies on the sky alone.

Cheng Qian really wants to let the Zhou asshole taste Shuang Ren. However, as he sees the pale faces of Li Yun and the others, he pours a bucket of cold water on his own temper, and moves to keep watch next to Zhe Shi, who is holding Puddle close to himself.

Two of the masked figures sneakily land and approach Cheng Qian’s group from the other side. Obviously thinking that he is useless, they raise their swords with obvious intention to kill the witnesses.

Fearlessly stepping forward, Cheng Qian silently uses the “Strong waves smash the shore” move to directly meet that attack.

At this point, Cheng Qian finally sees the difference between this famous sword that has bathed in the blood of many people and his old chipped wooden sword. As soon as Shuang Ren moves, an indescribably cold aura fills the dock. As the weapons clash each other, Cheng Qian vaguely hears the shouts of thousands of people in front of him, in hatred or anger. A visible layer of frost covers the blade, and one hit breaks the weapons of the two masked figures. The spiritual energy of Cheng Qian is stirred up wildly. He feels as if he is about to explode and die.

Right, that piece of paper said “don’t use it rashly”…

Cheng Qian is terrified. He instinctively wants to throw this sword away. However, as soon as he steps back, the masked figures press forward. One of them even tries to take Puddle. He recklessly thinks. Whatever. Let’s kill these fuckers first and deal with that later.

Right away, he doesn’t stop or even change the move. He deals out ‘Strong waves smash the shore’ again. The two masked figures must be thinking that Cheng Qian can’t even concentrate his mind yet, that his cultivation level is limited, and thus he can’t fight one against two. They don’t know that his swordplay has been forged using a wooden sword. Wooden swords are very flimsy and can only contain a limited amount of sword energy. The wielder has to be both in control of the force dealt out and extremely precise. Yet Cheng Qian dares to combine the powerful Sea Tide Sword with the flexible Fuyao Wooden Sword to defeat the cultivators attending Lecture Hall. He has certainly reached the level beyond what is required for concentrating the mind and ride the sword.

And in the present, what’s in his hand is the legendary sword that always thirsts for blood, “Shuang Ren”.

The glare of the sword is like lightning in winter, as if to show the intent to kill of its owner. The sword wind flares up, and the sound like silk being torn can be heard. With one strike, Cheng Qian cuts the throats of both masked figures. Blood splashes everywhere. As the blood falls on the chilly blade of the “Sword of Terrible Death”, it freezes into a layer of bloody frost.

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1. Daoyu 道友: Literally 'friend of the Way'. Title used to address a fellow cultivator that's one's peer.