The Reticent Blade-Chapter 149 - Sword That Rules Heaven and Earth (Part Eleven)

This sword shimmered with radiant light, and its blade seemed to hold flickering images of insects, birds, beasts, streams, and clouds, as if it contained a whole living world within.

Baili Gucheng took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling. The storm of sword qi that raged around him had never been so calm before. It flowed gently as if it were about to settle.

This calm unsettled Ah San even more; he felt like he was witnessing the stillness of the sea before a storm.

Ignoring the two beside him, Baili Gucheng reached out, slowly moving his hand toward the hilt of the sword at his feet.

A shiver ran down Ah San’s spine, and his hair stood on end. Without thinking, he lunged forward, trying to stop Baili Gucheng, and shouted, "Don’t let him draw that sword! Stop him!"

Yi Anzhi, already shaken, was startled by Ah San’s shout. He quickly recovered and immediately slashed his sword at Baili Gucheng’s wrist.

They were a step too late; just as they were about to reach Baili Gucheng, he firmly gripped the hilt of the sword.

In that instant, it was as if time had stopped. The terror in Ah San’s eyes and the ferocity on Yi Anzhi’s face were frozen, and their bodies seemed locked in place, as if they were forcibly stilled, like the wind that had ceased to blow.

The three-zhang cyclone of sword qi around Baili Gucheng seemed to be drawn back into him. Then, an even more ferocious aura spread outward from his body!

In the next moment, a roar echoed through the clear sky, as if the heavens themselves were crying out, or as if a celestial river had broken its banks.

For an instant, everyone around the battle seemed to see an apocalyptic vision of blazing fires and the earth collapsing. It was as if the forces of heaven and earth poured down from on high!

"Begone!" Baili Gucheng roared, spreading his arms wide.

A wave of sword qi, thousand times more violent than before, burst forth from his body, carrying the might of heaven and earth.

Waves of sword qi radiated from him, surging outward, like the waves caused by a boulder tossed in a calm pond! The entire square was blanketed with dense sword qi!

The saying that everyone within three zhang is an enemy no longer holds true. Rather the whole mountaintop was an enemy and was now filled with that roaring, omnipresent sword qi!

Ah San and Yi Anzhi were first to bear the brunt of the expanding sword qi. Ah San instantly unfurled his black umbrella, hiding his entire body behind it as he struggled to withstand the onslaught, looking for any opportunity to retreat. Meanwhile, blasts of sword qi occasionally slashed around his umbrella, leaving cuts on his sides if he failed to dodge in time.

As for Yi Anzhi, his state was even more pitiful. He lay flat on the ground, not daring to lift his head even an inch, inching slowly toward the Heavenly Divination Shrine.

He hadn’t managed to avoid the onslaught and had lost half of his right hand, his flexible sword lying abandoned nearby, but he was too afraid to retrieve it.

His left leg bore a deep wound that severed through the bone. Only a thin strip of flesh kept it attached to his body, which was covered in countless cuts. His robe had turned into a blood-stained rag at this point.

His gaze was vacant, his mouth moving soundlessly as he muttered something incomprehensible, driven only by a primal instinct to escape as he crawled toward the shrine.

Ye Beizhi wasn’t faring much better. Before the wave of sword qi surged forth, he instinctively sensed the danger and retreated along the path he had climbed up from.

After a few steps, a forceful gust of sword qi forced him to roll aside and crouch on the ground.

Looking up, he saw Old Man Fu just coming up the entrance of the mountain path. The old man held the Heavenly Sun-Moon Blade loosely, as if dumbfounded by what he saw.

His ambush on Ye Beizhi had failed, yet he did not continue his attack. Instead, he stared blankly in Baili Gucheng’s direction, his eyes gradually filling with fear.

Heavily injured and weaponless, Ye Beizhi did not have the confidence to make any rash moves. He kept a wary eye on Old Man Fu instead.

Cling-Clang—

Old Man Fu’s grip slackened, and the Heavenly Sun-Moon Blade slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground as his lips quivered uncontrollably.

Ye Beizhi frowned, wondering what had come over the old man when a clear voice called out from the mountain path behind him.

"Dummy!" Chi Nanwei hurried up the path, lifting her skirt as she ran.

Ye Beizhi was shocked, quickly raising his hand to try to tell her to stay put. The path outside was filled with howling sword qi, and he couldn’t risk Chi Nanwei coming into danger.

He heard a thud nearby and turned to see that, at some point, Old Man Fu had collapsed to his knees, trembling uncontrollably as if he had seen the most terrifying sight in the world, mumbling to himself.

Ye Beizhi tilted his head slightly to listen and heard Old Man Fu murmur, "It’s him... it’s him..."

Ye Beizhi furrowed his brow, concentrating to listen further.

"He’s back... he’s back..."

Who was this man? The more Ye Beizhi listened, the more puzzled he became.

"No, it’s impossible... he was already dead..."

"Could it be... that he’s back for revenge?!"

At this point, Old Man Fu’s face twisted in a vicious expression, as if he had suddenly realized something.

He shouted hysterically, "He... he’s back for my life! No! I can’t die yet, I won't die... I have to save Yan’er!"

With that, he picked up the Sun-Moon Blade and charged through the raging sword qi toward the Heavenly Divination Shrine!

Watching Old Man Fu’s disappearing figure, Ye Beizhi’s mind swirled with questions. Who was the man that terrified Old Man Fu? Impending Sword Baili Gucheng? Who was Yan’er? Revenge for what? Did Baili Gucheng have a grudge with this Yan’er?

Ye Beizhi couldn’t make sense of it, so he simply stood at the mountain path entrance, gazing out toward the square. At the shrine’s entrance, Qi Zongbi sat on the ground, seemingly stunned with fear.

A man holding a black umbrella was dragging a man with a broken leg in one hand and carrying an unconscious woman under his arm. He entered the shrine and quickly returned, grabbed Qi Zongbi by the collar, and pulled him inside.

Meanwhile, Old Man Fu, braving the storm of sword qi, swung the Sun-Moon Blade as he advanced toward the shrine, shouting and slashing at the incoming sword qi.

He was grievously wounded by the time reached the shrine, and looked as if he had been pulled from a vat of blood. Without sparing a glance at the others at the entrance, he ran straight into the tower and disappeared.

When Ye Beizhi turned to look at Baili Gucheng again, he couldn’t help but feel a jolt of fear. Baili Gucheng stood proudly in the center of the square, holding his sword and quietly watching the people near the Heavenly Divination Shrine.

What made him so terrifying was his blood-red eyes. Without a hint of white to his eyes and his entire body drenched in blood, Baili Gucheng looked like a demon that had crawled out of hell, ready to devour anyone in his path.

Step—

Baili Gucheng took a step toward the shrine, the sound of his footfall echoing in everyone’s hearts.

Ah San swallowed involuntarily, his hand gripping the umbrella’s handle was slick with sweat. He couldn’t remember the last time his palms had started to sweat.

"He’s coming." Qi Zongbi’s voice was somewhat low. Even though he had long held a position of power and was practiced at outwardly projecting his calm, the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Shut up, I can see," Ah San replied irritably, deeply troubled as he scanned the surroundings. Old Man Fu had long since fled upstairs to find his master, leaving only himself, the defenseless Qi Zongbi, the crippled Yi Anzhi, and the unconscious Yang Lu here.

Did he have to face Baili Gucheng alone? Thinking of that horrifyingly oppressive aura, Ah San shuddered uncontrollably... That was practically a death sentence!

As Ah San hesitated, Qi Zongbi suddenly pointed at Baili Gucheng and exclaimed, "Look, he seems... hurt?"

Ah San glanced at Qi Zongbi in exasperation. Wasn’t that obvious? He had already injured Baili Gucheng and Yi Anzhi had gotten in a few sneak attacks too. There was no need for Qi Zongbi to state the obvious.

As if sensing Ah San’s thoughts, Qi Zongbi continued pointing at Baili Gucheng, saying, "No, look at him. It seems... it seems like he’s barely holding on."

Following Qi Zongbi’s gaze, Ah San’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Meanwhile, Chi Nanwei tugged on Ye Beizhi’s sleeve and said, "Dummy, look at him... he’s losing so much blood!"

Ye Beizhi had already noticed. At some point, Baili Gucheng’s skin had been covered in a layer of blood, seeping from every pore and turning him into a bloodied figure.

Looking closer, Ye Beizhi saw that the hand Baili Gucheng used to wield his sword was trembling slightly, and this trembling gradually spread through his entire body.

Eventually, each step he took seemed to require immense effort, and every footprint he left behind was soaked in blood.

"What’s happening to him?" Chi Nanwei looked up at Ye Beizhi.

"He..." Ye Beizhi hesitated, then said, "He’s fighting with everything he has."

By now, Baili Gucheng had reached a spot close to the Heavenly Divination Shrine. He stopped and locked eyes with Ah San, who stood at the entrance.

"Impending Sword, you will die," Ah San uttered gravely.

Eyes blood red, Baili Gucheng didn’t respond but slowly raised his sword instead, pointing it straight at Ah San. The sword qi in the square grew even more intense, filling the mountaintop with piercing howls.

Seeing air around him beginning to stir with sword qi, Ah San gripped his black umbrella tightly, bracing himself. In the blink of an eye, Baili Gucheng vanished from sight!

Before he could even process this, a fierce sword qi attack struck from behind. Ah San instinctively raised the umbrella over his shoulder, confident in its protection, but a massive force hit the umbrella and sent him flying.

Sword qi whirled all around, and Ah San, not wanting to be swept too far, twisted his body to control his landing. Just as he tried to do so, a radiant sword blade shot up from below.

In a moment of panic, Ah San tilted his head, narrowly dodging the blade, only for Baili Gucheng to strike him in the back, sending him soaring again.

Baili Gucheng landed gracefully, immediately leaping up again to pursue Ah San. In an instant, he was above Ah San, his sword raised high.

The blade was enveloped in swirling sword qi, gathering power like an immortal ready to unleash divine lightning. At the peak of its strength, he brought the sword down in a mighty slash!

Ah San’s eyes widened in terror, but with nowhere to dodge in mid-air, he could only grip his umbrella tightly and raise it in a last-ditch attempt to block the blow.

Boom!

The black umbrella bore most of the impact, but its impenetrable surface was torn in half! Ah San plummeted like a meteor, crashing into the ground and leaving a huge crater in the square. Dust swirled around his motionless body.

The battle ended in just a few moves. The victor was clear.

Baili Gucheng landed lightly, as if the fight had barely phased him, even as the blood on his body flowed even more freely. He ignored Ah San and turned his gaze back toward the Heavenly Divination Shrine, locking eyes with Qi Zongbi.

Qi Zongbi’s heart pounded as Baili Gucheng’s blood-red eyes bore into him, forcing him to retreat instinctively.

Baili Gucheng’s whole body trembled violently as if he couldn't take another step. His legs shook uncontrollably as he struggled to stand straight.

Sword qi from all over the square converged around him, forming a massive whirlwind that connected earth and sky. In the center, Baili Gucheng stood tall, like a lone, defiant sword piercing the heavens.

"My... my god... what on earth is that?!" Qi Zongbi’s mouth hung open, and his legs gave way as he sank to the ground.

A faint moan came from beside Qi Zongbi. He turned to see that the woman who had come with Impending Sword Baili Gucheng was slowly regaining consciousness.

Take her hostage! The thought flashed in Qi Zongbi’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He had seen her fight Ah San earlier and knew he was no match for her.

Yang Lu rubbed her forehead as she sat up. The first thing she saw was a blood-stained figure outside. She gasped in shock when she realized who it was.

"B-Baili... Gucheng." Yang Lu covered her mouth, as she stared at his drawn sword and blood-red eyes.

His body was on the verge of collapse. Many parts of his skin had started to split open, revealing the deep crimson flesh beneath.

Yang Lu seemed dazed, sitting there as she stared dumbly at the blood-soaked man outside.

"Enough..."

Qi Zongbi heard the woman beside him mutter softly.

"It’s enough..." Yang Lu supported herself as she stood up and staggered toward Baili Gucheng.

"You’ve done more than enough... Please, don’t go any further..." Her hair was disheveled, lending a sense of distressed beauty to her appearance.

"Gucheng..." Her voice choked with a sob.

"You... you’re going to die!" Yang Lu cried out mournfully as she stood in the doorway, looking at Baili Gucheng outside.

Baili Gucheng seemed not to hear her. His raised sword had reached the peak of its power, and he slowly lowered it, pointing at Qi Zongbi in the doorway. Blood trickled down his arm.

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"No..." Yang Lu’s eyes widened as she shook her head desperately. "You can’t release this sword... you can’t..."

Baili Gucheng ignored Yang Lu, focusing his sword intent. Qi Zongbi, under the pressure of his aimed sword, felt as if a giant hand were gripping him, rendering him immobile. He was even struggling to breathe.

"Qi Zongbi..." Baili Gucheng, who had remained silent after drawing his sword, suddenly spoke up. His voice was hoarse and grating.

Baili Gucheng’s voice rang out, hoarse and resolute. "This sword attack, Seeking Immortality... seeks where righteousness lies in this world. If... if you cannot answer, then go to hell and ask the people on the border you condemned to die!"

Clang!

Baili Gucheng took a step forward, and blood spurted from his body. Ignoring it, he released the strike he had been gathering, the sword flashing forward!

At that moment, a figure suddenly leapt toward the blade!

Sssht!

The sword pierced through the body, and the raging sword qi wreaked havoc inside.

A pair of delicate hands firmly grasped Baili Gucheng’s sword-wielding wrist. The gentle inner strength of Spring Zephyr Art flowed through those hands and into his body.

The blood-red color in Baili Gucheng’s eyes receded like the tide. Regaining his usual clarity, he looked at the person before him and murmured, "Yang... Yang Lu..."

Cough— Blood trickled from Yang Lu’s mouth. She raised her head slightly, smiling at Baili Gucheng. "Don’t move... I... I’ll heal you..."

The sword had pierced through Yang Lu’s abdomen, emerging from her back. The violent sword qi rampaged within her, yet she ignored it as she stubbornly held onto Baili Gucheng’s wrist, sending her inner qi into him to calm his chaotic sword qi.

"You... don’t..." Baili Gucheng, as if shocked, released the sword and broke free from her grip, stepping back two paces and staring blankly at the woman in front of him, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Yang Lu took a step forward, but her legs gave out, and she collapsed. Baili Gucheng rushed forward, catching her in his arms. His lips trembled, but no words could escape them.

Yang Lu’s lips curved slightly, and she gave Baili Gucheng a gentle smile. "I’m sorry, Gucheng... I might be breaking my promise... I might... I might not be able to heal you..."

"No, don’t... don’t..." Baili Gucheng frantically tried to wipe the blood from her clothes, but it kept flowing at a rate that made it impossible to clean. His eyes were filled with panic as he shook his head unconsciously.

"Impending Sword! Baili! Gucheng!"

Not far away, Ah San forced himself to his feet, his eyes bloodshot with fury as he shouted!

"I’m going to kill you!"

Ah San leapt into the air, clenching his fists and bringing them down on Baili Gucheng’s head! The punch landed directly, causing Baili Gucheng’s body to sway, yet he neither fought back nor dodged, gently trying to wipe the blood from Yang Lu.

"Ahhh!" Ah San screamed as he went berserk, raining punches on Baili Gucheng, whose figure swayed back and forth like a banana leaf in the rain.

From afar, Ye Beizhi took in the entire scene, while Chi Nanwei beside him covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears.

Ye Beizhi patted Chi Nanwei’s shoulder and said, "Go back and wait for me... Take the scholar with you." With that, he limped toward the square.

Retrieving his blade from the square, Ye Beizhi approached Ah San. Ah San continued to weakly strike at Baili Gucheng, his fury was the only thing keeping him standing after his severe injuries.

Not wanting to prolong things, Ye Beizhi punched him in the stomach, sending him flying several feet away. Ah San tried to get up but finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Yang Lu had closed her eyes by this point, and Baili Gucheng was barely holding on, his body swaying as if he might fall at any moment.

Standing beside Baili Gucheng, Ye Beizhi said nothing.

In a daze, Baili Gucheng looked up at Ye Beizhi, then at Yang Lu in his arms. He looked back at Ye Beizhi, his mouth opening slightly as he spoke with difficulty, "Save her."

Ye Beizhi nodded.

Baili Gucheng, seeing Ye Beizhi nod, smiled softly and looked toward the northern sky. "Take me home."

That was the direction of North Watching Pass.