Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Long Fanyun arrived with 200 cavalrymen and saved Dragon King and his troops who were about to be wiped out.
Originally, he had been following orders and carrying out another mission, but on his way back to camp, he had run into Han Wuxian and the others who told him that the Dragon King might be in danger. So, he immediately began to search for the Dragon King and eventually managed to arrive just in time, right before everything was about to fall apart.
They merged their troops together, yet they still had less than 500 men in total. With this number, they could barely defend themselves against the pursuers’ attack, let alone wipe them out. Like before, when the cavalrymen ran out of arrows, they would become defenseless again.
It was right at this moment that the giant red-crowned roc appeared, just a moment after Long Fanyun.
A cavalryman was the first to notice the shadow in the sky, which caused him to start yelling in the Norland dialect. Then, Gu Shenwei raised his head and whistled.
It was very rare for the giant roc to kill humans now, but this whistle meant that the human being that it was the most intimate with was in danger.
The giant black bird descended from the sky, inspiring the fleeing army while astounding the pursuing one. They had only heard of the existence of this evil bird and this was the first time that they could behold it with their own eyes.
Numerous arrows shot into the sky and the pressure on the Dragon King’s army was somewhat lightened.
Gu Shenwei whistled out in various tones and timbres, sending a stream of messages to the giant red-crowned roc. It never got too close to the pursuing army, circling just out of range of the cavalrymen’s bows. It flapped its wings to generate strong gusts of wind that blew all the approaching arrows down to the ground. Sometimes, in a high speed rush, it swooped down, grabbed an enemy, then returned to the sky and dropped him.
The giant, red-crowned roc was doing this all by itself, and under the threat of the rain of arrows, its fighting capability was considerably restricted. Yet its presence still greatly disturbed the momentum of King Rizhu’s troops.
Gu Shenwei and his surviving troops had successfully thrown off their pursuers, and the giant roc was the greatest contributor to their success.
After more than ten miles, King Rizhu’s troops finally retreated. Before long, an army of more than 10,000 had come to Gu Shenwei’s aid and he and his men were finally safe.
Their troops went on to pursue that army of King Rizhu’s, while the Dragon King returned to camp.
News of the Dragon King being ambushed stirred the camp, and there was a brief moment of panic. To comfort the troops, Gu Shenwei walked around half the camp with the giant roc.
Fang Wenshi was terrified and he almost sent soldiers to demand an explanation from King Shengri. After being told that it was the surviving troops of King Rizhu who had ambushed them, he was even more surprised than the Dragon King. “Are you sure they weren’t King Shengri’s troops, just disguised?”
The 10,000-men army hadn’t caught up with King Rizhu’s troops, but they had managed to bring back more than a hundred corpses, many of whom were identified as King Rizhu’s soldiers by multiple witnesses.
Liman then came to meet the Dragon King. His father, Zhe Su, was now the commander of King Rizhu’s army and he couldn’t believe that his father would provoke the Dragon King without caring for his life. “Your Majesty, if you still have any faith in me, please let me go and investigate this. There has to be something fishy going on behind the scenes.”
Gu Shenwei gave his consent. After Liman left, Fang Wenshi shook his head repeatedly. “Your Majesty, you now have more than 10,000 cavalrymen at your disposal, which makes you invincible in the Royal Court. Even if you return to the Western Region, you’d still be a formidable force to be reckoned with. So it’s really unnecessary for you to take such risks. And this Liman is not trustworthy. He’s from the Naihang Tribe and used to serve King Rizhu. If you let him go, then his father will have nothing to worry about and will only act more brazenly.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t take risks. And in regards to Liman, the surviving troops of King Rizhu had already declared war against us, so it’s unnecessary for us to keep him here. If by any chance there really is a hidden plot behind all this, he might be able to spare us from making an extra enemy.”
“Alas, there’re too many uncertain variables, which makes it impossible to formulate a long-term plan. Shulitu and Azheba are still in the Court Attendants Army’s camp, which is another unpredictable situation. Did you bring the Khan’s body back, Your Majesty?”
“Yes, and his head as well.” Gu Shenwei and Mo Lin had been playing the role of distractions at the palace while Long Fanyun had led his men and dug out the head which was now properly preserved. Only a small number of people knew about this.
Fang Wenshi felt anxious. Although he was among the few who were allowed to know this confidential intelligence, the Dragon King still had a growing tendency to make decisions by himself, which broke the unspoken agreement between them. “Your Majesty, there’s one issue that I’d like to know the truth about.
“What is it?”
“Are you still willing to get rid of the Court Attendants Army? Because it seems like you’re growing soft-hearted.”
Gu Shenwei had no idea what it was like to be soft-hearted, but he did not ever hesitate. Especially during the battle last night, the Court Attendants Army had shown strength far greater than common soldiers’. And if it hadn’t been for them, the 500 cavalrymen most likely would not have made it to see the dawn.
“This’s Shulitu’s opportunity. If he succeeds, then he will become more than just a puppet.”
“This is another issue that I’m trying to figure out. What good does it do us to groom Shulitu into a true king?”
“In any case, we need a reliable ally in the Norland.”
“Yes, but isn’t there a Prince Duodun in the Western Regions? Both the woman he loves and his friends are in your camp, and he himself has probably already taken control of the Shule Kingdom, which makes him the perfect ally.”
“Don’t you think that we need a substitute?”
Fang Wenshi pondered for a while and nodded reluctantly. “We do, but Shulitu is only twelve years old… Alas, well, I agree that we should give him a chance, but if the Court Attendants Army refuses to come to their senses…”
“It’s said that the civil wars are all over, so the Court Attendants Army shouldn’t have any trouble finding enemies to fight.”
Fang Wenshi wished that everything could be handled in an orderly and methodical manner, but the Court Attendants Army was a source of such instability that he was suffering from anxiety and insomnia. He had no idea whether Shulitu would be able to get rid them of the deceased Khan’s influence.
And he had two more subjects to discuss. “Also, Your Majesty, about the archery contest with King Shengri’s army, and the kung fu competition with people from the Central Plains… Have you found a way to ensure our victory?”
“Not yet, but I will soon.”
Fang Wenshi didn’t leave completely satisfied, but he still trust the Dragon King. Especially so when it came to kung fu competitions; so far the Dragon King had never lost.
Gu Shenwei still held the same desire to never lose. But this time, he wasn’t so sure.
Lu Mian from the Qingcheng Sect had demonstrated a very bizarre swordsmanship. Although he didn’t display all of his strength, that transient moment was more than enough to prove his status as a peak swordsman. But what surprised Gu Shenwei the most was that he sensed a slight familiarity with that swordsmanship. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall where he had seen it before.
Gu Shenwei quickly put these thoughts aside and summoned Chu Nanping and Tie Linglong. Ever since these two teenagers had returned to the camp, he hadn’t had any in-depth conversations with them yet.
First, Gu Shenwei reproached Chu Nanping. “You are the tenth lieutenant of the Immediate Army and Long Fanyun is your commander, but last night you deserted your post without permission and went on an wild adventure with Han Wuxian.”
In order to treat his poisoning, Chu Nanping had drunk the fresh blood of the Waning Moon Hall disciple, and he still looked a little weary. Before he could reply, Tie Linglong spoke up, saying, “I made him go.”
“If you still want to be my guard, then stop giving any orders to other people.”
“I didn’t…” Deeply aggrieved, Tie Linglong put on a cold face before she finished her statement. “Yes, Your Majesty. I won’t.”
Gu Shenwei then told Tie Linglong to leave and asked Chu Nanping to stay. “You’ve changed significantly.”
“Yes, I’ve changed significantly.” Chu Nanping repeated perplexedly, though he didn’t seem to have understood what the Dragon King had said at all.
“Where’s your sword?”
“It snapped. It was grabbed by Han Qin of the Waning Moon Hall and it snapped.”
“That shouldn’t have happened. I didn’t expect that your swordsmanship would decline so dramatically.”
Chu Nanping had been making remarkable progress in his swordsmanship in recent years, and after he started practicing the Sumeru Mustard Divine Power, he saw another great leap in improvement. As a disciple of the Waning Moon Hall, Han Qin was not that skilled at kung-fu, and yet she had snapped Chu Nanping’s weapon apart. There was only one plausible explanation: the teenage swordsman had failed to fight with his full strength.
Chu Nanping’s face flushed with a timid look, which made him look more like a common sixteen-year-old teenager than a experienced swordsman. “I didn’t expected it to happen either. My power hasn’t declined – actually, I’ve made progress in it, but I can’t wield my sword as fast as I used to. Besides, I constantly feel distracted and can’t concentrate either.”
This teenager held a special meaning to him in his heart. Chu Nanping’ was not just his bodyguard and subordinate, but he was also a companion who practiced the same swordsmanship as him, someone who was in some ways like his brother. “You have to make a choice.”
“Make a choice? I can’t…” Chu Nanping understood the meaning of the Dragon King’s words. Tie Linglong had taken up most of his heart, which was the fundamental reason for the decline of his kung-fu. He didn’t have the space for them both.
The Emotionless Swordsmanship was one of the kung-fu skills of the Essence of Perceiving Passion, and for a disciple of the Essence Pavilion, all emotions were redundant. they fell in love with someone, then their strength would decline dramatically.
The Sumeru Mustard Divine Power had assimilated the small remaining amount of Daoless Divine Power and shattered the shackles of the Essence of Perceiving Passion. Chu Nanping had regained his freedom but also lost his mastery of the sword.
Gu Shenwei looked at Chu Nanping. What had happened to Chu Nanping was the very consequence he feared the most for himself, because the Sumeru Mustard Divine Power was affecting him in a similar way as well. Although he hadn’t detected any signs of decline in his kung-fu skills yet, he was undoubtedly not as ruthless as he used to be. By comparison, Fang Wenshi, who had used to constantly advise him to give up the killer’s mindset, was the more ruthless one now.
In the past, he probably would have callously made the choice for Chu Nanping, but now, he believed that the teenager had the right to choose for himself. “You and Tie Linglong shouldn’t have come back. Take her and leave this troubled place. Go back to the Land of Fragrance or the Central Plains. That is where you really belong.”
“That’s where I really belong?” Chu Nanping seemed to grow even more confused. “I don’t know what ‘real’ means. I feel that a part of me is missing, a large part.”
Gu Shenwei didn’t know much about comforting and the words he had said just now was all he was capable of. “You’ll get used to it eventually. Anyway, you have to choose, and choose quickly, because if you don’t, it’ll land both you and Tie Linglong in a dangerous place.”
Chu Nanping nodded in gratitude and left the tent. Gu Shenwei had a premonition that he was going to lose another two trustworthy companions.
This was a paradox for him. On this arduous journey, he was in desperate need for companions, but after all his emotional investments, he was beginning to feel that he shouldn’t have led them on this path.
He was undoubtedly not as callous as he used to be.
The Sumeru Mustard Divine Power could reveal people’s true nature, but Gu Shenwei clearly knew that his true self was a pampered teenager less than fourteen years old who couldn’t even defend himself, let alone take revenge.
Old Man Mu returned. After bragging about his escape skills for quite a while, he began to discuss the swordsmanship of the two Sect Leaders of the Qingcheng Sect with Dog Butcher and Mo Lin.
“Liu Qingpu’s swordsmanship’s pretty good. A worthy sect leader of a famed sect.” Dog Butcher knew a thing or two about the kung-fu of the Qingcheng Sect, and praised it accordingly. “His fast sword was particularly skilled. It’s safe to say that I’m no match for him.”
“If he fights me, then I’ll kill him ten times,” Old Man Mu said with a sneer. “In terms of speed, nobody is His Majesty’s match.”
Mo Lin had fought Liu Qingpu himself. Although he was not as sure as Old Man Mu, he held a similar opinion. “He hid a part of his strength, but he’s no match for His Majesty.”
Speaking of Lu Mian, the opinions of the three slightly diverged.
“I can’t figure out his swordsmanship. It seemed both fast and slow. Although he only made one strike, it went far beyond my expectations. To tell you guys the truth, I’m not sure if I can defeat him or not. With regards to His Majesty, I heard that your swordsmanship is better than your sabersmanship.” Mo Lin made it clear that the Dragon King was no match for Lu Mian if his chosen weapon was a saber.
“Lu Mian’s swordsmanship is not like the kung-fu of the Qingcheng Sect. Rather, it is more like an internal martial art. I think that his fast movements are not something to be worried about, but his slow movements are potentially fatal.”
Old Man Mu didn’t interrupt, which was very rare. After the former two finished their talking, he still continued pondering for a while. “No. In the end, it is the fast sword that he is the most proficient in. It’s very quick. I’ve seen the swordsmanship of His Majesty. If you haven’t made any progress recently, then you’re better off not competing against him.”
All of a sudden, it occurred to Gu Shenwei why Lu Mian’s swordsmanship seemed so familiar.
