Chapter 56: An Even More Powerful Sword Technique
Daoist Tie Yu grabbed the Blood Slaughter Sword, walked to the furnace, and tossed it in.
A dark shadow emerged from the sword as it entered the flames, accompanied by a faint, almost childlike shriek, a disturbing sound.
Xu Xiaoyan said, “Uncle Yan, are you just going to destroy it?”
Daoist Tie Yu said, “A demonic sword like this will only cause harm. Why should I keep it?”
Xu Xiaoyan looked pained, “It’s still a famous sword. We could sell it for a good price. Besides, a sword is just a sword. It’s the wielder who determines whether it’s good or evil. A kitchen knife can also kill; we can’t blame the knife, can we?”
Daoist Tie Yu’s expression turned serious, “Don’t think that way. An evil weapon like this is different from an ordinary sword. It’s alive. People always think they can resist temptation, but few actually can.”
“Some temptations are best avoided. Some evil things shouldn’t exist in the first place.”
“The Daoist path emphasizes cultivating one’s character, unlike those demonic cultivators who resort to all sorts of heinous acts to obtain demonic essence. Don’t use what you shouldn’t, and don’t touch what you shouldn’t.”
Xu Xiaoyan stuck out her tongue, “Alright, alright, I understand.”
Daoist Tie Yu turned to Shi Hao, “You brought me the Blood Slaughter Sword. As promised, I’ll forge something for you. What do you want?”
Shi Hao said, “A sword. I want a high-quality sword.”
Daoist Tie Yu asked, “Any specific requirements?”
Shi Hao thought for a moment and said, “It should be easily concealed, preferably not too long or wide. And…”
Swish! Before he could finish, Daoist Tie Yu swung his hammer, and a red-hot sword spun through the air towards Shi Hao.
Shi Hao quickly drew his sword and deflected the glowing blade with a clang.
Daoist Tie Yu said admiringly, “Excellent swordsmanship! I understand. Come back in half a month to collect your sword.”
Shi Hao said, “But I also…”
Daoist Tie Yu said, “I said I understand! Now go, go! Don’t disturb my work!”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “He was so polite before we got the Blood Slaughter Sword. Now that he has what he wants, he’s kicking us out. How ungrateful.”
Daoist Tie Yu chuckled, “Girl, you wouldn’t stay here anyway. It makes no difference whether I chase you away or not.”
Xu Xiaoyan snorted, “Of course it makes a difference! It’s the principle of the thing.” She tugged at Shi Hao’s arm, “Let’s go. Don’t bother with this old fool.”
Daoist Tie Yu called out, “Wait! That sword you’re carrying… you borrowed it. You have to pay for it…”
Xu Xiaoyan, pulling Shi Hao away, called back without turning around, “Let him use it for now. We’ll return it when we come back for the new sword in half a month.”
Daoist Tie Yu shouted, “You two… stop! Come back here…”
Dawn broke, painting the eastern sky with streaks of light.
The barbarian youth, Shi Tu Xiong, stumbled out of the forest and reached the riverbank.
A middle-aged man sat cross-legged on a rock by the river, his figure seemingly blending with the earth. A bird that had landed beside him took flight as the barbarian approached.
The man sat facing the river, his eyes closed, a sword with a black scabbard lying across his lap.
“You lost?” the man asked without turning around.
Shi Tu Xiong gritted his teeth, “I lost. I lost to him!”
The middle-aged man asked, “Where’s the Blood Slaughter Sword?”
Shi Tu Xiong turned away, “He took it.”
The middle-aged man asked, “His power surpasses yours?”
Shi Tu Xiong said, “We’re both seventh-rank, but his internal energy is weaker than mine.”
The middle-aged man asked, “Did he have a better sword than the Blood Slaughter Sword?”
Shi Tu Xiong shook his head, “No… just an ordinary sword, mid-grade at best.”
The middle-aged man asked, “Did he use some underhanded trick?”
Shi Tu Xiong gritted his teeth, “No!”
The middle-aged man finally opened his eyes.
As he did, his entire being seemed to transform into a sword, his sword intent so powerful that the river flow momentarily stopped before resuming its course.
The middle-aged man said, “So, he defeated you with pure swordsmanship?”
Shi Tu Xiong said, “Yes!”
The middle-aged man asked, “Did you use the Blood Palace Massacre technique I taught you?”
Shi Tu Xiong said, “I did… but I still lost.”
The middle-aged man asked, “What’s his name?”
Shi Tu Xiong said, “Shi Hao… he said his name is Shi Hao.”
“I’ve never heard of him. A new face in the sword world, it seems.” The middle-aged man closed his eyes again.
Shi Tu Xiong looked at the motionless figure, “Teach me a more powerful sword technique. Next time, I’ll defeat him. Next time… next time I won’t lose!”
“It’s useless,” the middle-aged man said slowly, “The Blood Palace Massacre is the strongest technique you can currently use, and even that requires the Blood Slaughter Sword. I do have more powerful techniques, but you can’t learn them.”
Shi Tu Xiong said angrily, “Teach me a more powerful sword technique! I have to defeat him! Next time, I will win!”
The middle-aged man said calmly, “I told you, even if I taught you, you couldn’t learn them. You don’t have the strength.”
Shi Tu Xiong’s face contorted, his body swaying, “His power is weaker than mine. His sword is inferior to mine. But I still lost, lost in swordsmanship. The techniques you taught me are no match for his. So, it’s not just me who lost, but you as well. Number ten on the Blacklist, the ‘Sword Demon’… just like when you lost to Zhao Gucheng, he is the true number one swordsman in the world.
“And you… you’re nothing!”
The middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes again, “You’re that desperate to learn a more powerful technique?”
Shi Tu Xiong said, “I want to defeat him, defeat him fairly. Next time… next time I will win!”
A mocking smile appeared on the middle-aged man’s lips, “With your current abilities, I can’t teach you anything stronger, and no one in the mortal world can either. If you truly desire power, I can teach you a demonic ritual. You can learn a more powerful sword technique that way, a technique that shouldn’t exist in this world… Do you really want to learn it?”
Shi Tu Xiong said, “Tell me how. I have to win. I will win!”
“Hmm,” the mocking smile faded from the middle-aged man’s face, “I admire your desire for strength, but it’s a pity. If you were patient, with your talent, you could become a truly exceptional swordsman. But you’re too impatient. I’ll ask you one last time. Do you truly desire power… the fastest way possible?”
“I want power! I want to learn a more powerful sword technique! I have to win… next time, I will win!”
“These are all Jing’an Monastery’s fields?” Shi Hao stood on a cliff, looking at the vast expanse of wheat fields, “All of this?”
“What did you expect?” Xu Xiaoyan said, “Those damned Daoists, with the backing of the barbarian court, they can do as they please. They use the barbarian court’s policies, natural disasters, bandit attacks, and wars to force the local farmers to sell their land and even their children, expanding their wealth and influence.”
“This isn’t like West Shu. West Shu is remote, and the smaller landowners band together, forcing the barbarians and the wealthy to show some restraint. But here, even a small landowner with a few dozen mu of land can’t resist the encroachment of the barbarian families and the Chongxian Sect. They can be ruined in an instant.”
Shi Hao shook his head… No wonder there were so many refugees.
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.
But as the “royalty” and their allies used such simple methods to ruin countless families, they were also unknowingly walking towards their own destruction.
Like a gluttonous beast, they devoured everything around them, their insatiable hunger driving them forward, unable to stop.
That’s why Fu Shiyuan’s rebellion in the Changbai Mountains had shaken the land, unsettling both the court and the common people.
On one side, the rebel army grew stronger with every passing day, while on the other, the barbarian court and its allies desperately tried to suppress the uprising.
“That’s Jing’an Monastery!” Xu Xiaoyan pointed, “The Chongxian Sect has temples in every prefecture of the eight provinces, but their size varies. In places like Chu Yin and Lingnan, where the barbarian court’s control is weak, the temples are smaller and fewer. But here, it’s different.”
Shi Hao looked at the sprawling, opulent temple complex and shook his head, “It’s at least three times larger than Ming Kun Monastery in Jin Prefecture.”
Xu Xiaoyan smiled, “Even so, the layout of all Chongxian Sect temples is similar. According to my investigation, the medicinal pills Jing’an Monastery supplies to the barbarian army are usually transported in crates, each containing at least ten thousand pills. A single carriage can carry two or three crates.
“We don’t need much, just one crate. That would be worth at least a thousand taels of silver, even if we sell them cheaply. The elixirs refined by the Chongxian Sect aren’t always available on the market.”
Shi Hao said, “But there’s a problem. The Chongxian Sect claims to be the orthodox leader of all Daoist sects. Even this Jing’an Monastery must have several sixth and seventh-rank experts, and probably twenty or thirty eighth and ninth-rank martial artists, plus a large number of outer disciples who act as guards.
“Do we really have a chance of sneaking in, let alone stealing a crate of pills?”
Xu Xiaoyan smiled, “Don’t forget, I infiltrated even Ming Kun Monastery and stole important documents.”
Shi Hao said, “Don’t forget, Jing’an Monastery is even larger than Ming Kun Monastery.”
Xu Xiaoyan giggled and tugged at his arm, “That’s why I have you now. If something goes wrong, to ensure the success of this heist, you’ll have to cover my escape.”
Shi Hao said, “So, if we’re discovered, I’ll hold them off while you run away?”
Xu Xiaoyan pulled him along, “Let’s go!”
Shi Hao asked, “Where are we going?”
Xu Xiaoyan said, “To steal a carriage. We’ll need it tonight.”
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