LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 136 - 136: Heartbeat Murderous Sword Intent
Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Heartbeat Murderous Sword Intent
Lou Xiangzhen thought for a moment and said, “You should know about Nanhua Palace, right?”
Nanhua Palace!?
Upon hearing this, An Jing began to think rapidly; he naturally knew of it.
In the Great Yan, Nanping Dao neighbored the territory of the Southern Barbarians, thereby boasting numerous majestic, towering mountain ranges with countless famous mountains, among which the most famous one was called Nanhua Mountain.
Rumors had it that this mountain soared into the clouds, ranking as the tallest under the heavens. Standing atop it, one could overlook all the realms of mankind.
During the time of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was a sect on Nanhua Mountain known as the Nanhua Sect.
This sect was considered first-rate in the world at the time, boasting a legacy nearly a thousand years old, with strength on par with the likes of the Zhenyi Sect of that era.
Later, there was great chaos under the heavens; the Nine Kingdoms vied for supremacy, the local rulers co-opted Jianghu forces to strengthen themselves, leading to the division and continuous confrontations and killings within Jianghu.
At that time, the Nanhua Sect supported one of the most significant princely states, South Shu, but the ruler of South Shu did not harbor great ambition and only wished to secure a peaceful corner defended by hard-to-surpass passes, content to rule as the King of Shu.
However, the Sect Master of the Nanhua Sect was indeed of the radical faction, wholeheartedly seeking to vie for supremacy with South Shu and thus strengthen the Nanhua Sect to dominate the entire Jianghu.
At this time, Great Yan was robust, having swallowed three nations and seemingly poised to sweep across the world. The countries formed alliances against the mighty cavalry of Great Yan.
The Sect Master of the Nanhua Sect even went personally to the allied camps, standing guard close to the Marshal of Yue Country.
This was not just a struggle among nations but also a fight within Jianghu, involving top Jianghu forces including the Zhenyi Sect, the Demon Sect, the Nanhua Sect, and the Lifeless Sect.
In one major battle, the Sect Master of the Nanhua Sect slew several high-rank experts from the Zhenyi Sect but was ultimately surrounded and severely wounded by the experts of the Zhenyi Sect and the Yu Heng Sword Sect.
Furthermore, at that time, Youfeng Valley and the Blue River Sect turned coats during the battle, and Great Yan’s unmatched iron cavalry broke into the city, crushing the military camp of the five-nation alliance.
The Five-Nation Alliance collapsed in moments, severely weakened, and their national strength gradually declined; this battle definitively showcased the momentum of Great Yan, causing other nations to tremble in fear and anxiety.
In the following decade or so, Great Yan began to recover its vitality, gradually annexing the other five nations.
The first target of the Great Yan iron cavalry heading south was South Shu.
Historical records describe the King of South Shu being so frightened by the news of the approaching Great Yan iron cavalry that he fled barefoot in the night, loudly calling for protection, even having the Forbidden Army guard by his dragon couch while he slept.
The Great Yan iron cavalry swept through like a storm and quickly besieged the capital of South Shu.
The ruler of South Shu had already given up and wanted to surrender, while the Nanhua Sect was in favor of war, waiting for aid from the other four countries. Amidst this disunity, South Shu was ultimately annihilated.
The Nanhua Sect too was completely eradicated, turned to ashes.
The books and martial arts on Nanhua Mountain were thoroughly plundered by the Great Yan Royal Family, but the architectural complex of the Nanhua Sect was still preserved on the mountain.
After the establishment of Great Yan, various sects wanted to establish gateways on Nanhua Mountain, which was full of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and widely recruit disciples. However, Great Yan had not issued a Mountain Opening Order.
It was not until over a hundred years ago that the increasingly powerful Seven Evils Sect wanted to relocate their sect gate, and the Sect Master of the Seven Evils Sect proposed this request to the Human Emperor at the time.
At the same time, the Unrivaled Palace also coveted the gateway of Nanhua Mountain.
The Human Emperor devised a plan and issued a Mountain Gate Order.
This Mountain Gate Order had only a twenty-year usage right. Representatives from the Seven Evils Sect and the Unrivaled Palace were to compete, and whoever won would gain the right to use Nanhua Mountain for twenty years.
Since then, the centuries-old struggle between the two major sects began.
However, the Unrivaled Palace won only the first time; over the past century, they had not won a single competition, so the Seven Evils Sect had occupied Nanhua Mountain for hundreds of years already.
With slight hesitation, An Jing said, “I naturally know this. What does the golden pill have to do with Nanhua Palace?”
Lou Xiangzhen slowly said, “Within a stone statue in the library of Nanhua Palace, there lies a golden pill.”
“Oh?”
An Jing raised his eyebrows, shocked.
That a golden pill was hidden within a stone statue of Nanhua Palace—who could have expected that?
Lou Xiangzhen continued, “This golden pill was concealed by a master of Nanhua Palace, originally prepared for his progeny. However, the Great Yan iron cavalry arrived too quickly, and he never managed to retrieve the golden pill…”
An Jing suddenly realized, “So that’s how it is.”
“My junior brother instructed me to retrieve this golden pill for you.”
Lou Xiangzhen looked at An Jing, his eyes bearing a trace of depth, “But I want to see your strength and tactics.”
Now, Nanhua Palace was managed by the Seven Evils Sect.
What kind of force is the Seven Evils Sect!?
In the Great Yan Martial World, the Seven Evils Sect is a sect whose strength surpasses its fame. Additionally, because the experts of this sect are exceptionally low-key, few in Jianghu mention this sect.
But among the true masters of Jianghu, this Seven Evils Sect is a sect no weaker than the seven major sects.
In their sect, they cultivate the Seven Evils and breed various toxic gu, incredibly sinister and ruthless, not in the least inferior to the Five Poison Sect. It is rumored that the Seven Evils Sect originated from the Southern Barbarians and even today maintains myriad connections with the large clans of the Southern Barbarians.
This is also the reason the Human Emperor is on guard against the Seven Evils Sect. Initially, he wanted the Unrivaled Palace to act as a check against the Seven Evils Sect, but the Unrivaled Palace was not a match for the Seven Evils Sect and had always been suppressed by them.
To date, the Unrivaled Palace had only managed the usufruct of Nanhua Mountain for twenty years, and if not for the support of the Court, the Unrivaled Palace might have been eliminated from Jianghu long ago.
Latterly, the Seven Evils Sect has been behaving properly, exceptionally restrained. Generations of Human Emperors have gradually lost their wariness, yet the Seven Evils Sect has quietly grown vastly in strength, already not inferior to the other major sects overtly.
Others might not know these secretive messages, but both Lou Xiangzhen and Jiang Sanjia were well aware of them.
In a letter that Jiang Sanjia sent to Lou Xiangzhen, he mentioned retrieving the golden pill for An Jing to help his cultivation reach the Heavenly Flower Realm.
However, Lou Xiangzhen was not willing to make his move so easily; he wanted to gauge the strength of the Ghost Swordsman.
“Is the Seven Evils Sect very dangerous?”
An Jing inquired.
Lou Xiangzhen indifferently responded, “For me, it’s merely like reaching into a bag to retrieve something.”
An Jing nodded slightly without uttering a word.
Lou Xiangzhen was at the Grandmaster Realm, and with extremely high swordsmanship and profound strength, there were very few in the world who could match him.
Nanping Dao was next to Jiangnan Dao, and going there might delay some time, which was why An Jing was hesitant.
But enhancing his strength was also of paramount importance at the moment.
With a hint of amusement in his eyes, Lou Xiangzhen thought that although the Seven Evils Sect was quite powerful, it naturally couldn’t compare to the Zhenyi Sect. If the Ghost Swordsman was afraid of this challenge, how would he face the overwhelming power of the Zhenyi Sect?
“Since it’s something in the bag, let’s make a trip then,”
An Jing softly said.
Hearing this, Lou Xiangzhen couldn’t help but smile.
“Good.”
…..
The next day, at the Daoist Mansion in Lijiang City.
The corpse of Chu Huai was laid out in the main hall, covered with a brand-new white cloth.
“Huai’er!”
Chu Nanying hurried in and upon seeing the body under the sheet of white cloth, felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his body trembling violently.
Following behind him was a middle-aged man clad in armor, none other than Qiu Dekun, the commanding officer of the Jiangnan Dao army.
By the side of the corpse, Cui Yong’s complexion was as white as ghost; he couldn’t believe that in just a brief moment he had been away, Chu Huai had been murdered so silently, with no traces of Qi mechanism to be found.
Chu Nanying, trembling, lifted the white cloth, and Chu Huai’s face came into view.
Streams of old tears flowed down his cheeks.
“Cui Yong…”
“Your subordinate is here,”
Cui Yong hastily replied.
Chu Nanying in a low voice asked, “What exactly happened here?”
Hearing this, Cui Yong quickly recounted the events of the previous night, naturally omitting the real purpose Chu Huai had sent him out for, and mentioned just buying some pastries and items instead.
Chu Nanying’s voice sounded slightly hoarse, “Cui Yong, tell me the truth.”
Although he rarely interfered with Chu Huai, he knew his son’s character well—why would he suddenly crave pastries in the middle of the night?
“This…”
Cui Yong immediately hesitated.
“Speak.”
Chu Nanying’s words were not forceful but carried a hint of weariness.
“Sigh.”
Cui Yong sighed, then eventually revealed the recent actions of Chu Huai.
“It’s my fault, I knew his nature was unchangeable.”
Chu Nanying, upon hearing this, heaved a heavy sigh, “Dekun, do you think I’ve been too indulgent with him?”
Qiu Dekun spoke softly, “Young Master Huai lost his mother at a young age, and the time spent with the Daoist Master was also sparse, making some eccentric behaviors somewhat normal, yet not deserving of death…”
“Not deserving of death?”
Chu Nanying muttered to himself sarcastically, then looked at the sword wound on Chu Huai’s neck.
The sword mark was only as thin as a line; the blood on it had been completely wiped clean, and without extremely keen eyesight, one would not have noticed it at all.
The next moment, Chu Nanying felt his heart begin to pound rapidly, and then his complexion turned flush red.
“Thump!” “Thump!”
His heartbeats grew even more intense, and his blood crazily surged throughout his body.
Chu Nanying stepped backward repeatedly, then clutched his chest tightly with both hands.
“Thump, thump, thump, thump!”
The heartbeats became increasingly fierce, like the beating of a drum, and Chu Nanying’s complexion also turned the color of liver.
“Be careful!”
Qiu Dekun, seeing this, shouted out.
Hearing the shout, Chu Nanying slowly came to his senses, then began to gasp for air heavily.
At that moment, he felt as if he had walked out from the Ghost Gate itself, harboring a sense of surviving a calamity.
“Sir, are you alright?”
Qiu Dekun hurriedly asked.
“What… what is this?”
Chu Nanying pointed at the wound on the neck.
“Don’t look, this might be residual Sword Intent!”
Qiu Dekun hurriedly said.
“Sword Intent!?”
The surrounding crowd’s expressions dramatically changed, and they dared not look further at the fine lines on Chu Huai’s neck.
Sword Intent, only the top swordsmen can leave behind traces of residual Sword Intent when they strike.
Chu Nanying knew about Sword Intent and had seen many swordsmen’s Sword Intent, including Lin Yiyang’s, but he had never seen such a bizarre Sword Intent before.
It could even control his heartbeat, causing his blood to boil. If it weren’t for Qiu Dekun’s loud shout just now, he might have become a corpse by now.
Chu Nanying muttered to himself, “Dekun, is there a Sword Intent in this world that can control others’ heartbeats?”
“Control the heartbeat?”
Qiu Dekun heard this and shook his head, “Such a bizarre Sword Intent, I have never heard of it.”
Cui Yong and the other experts also shook their heads repeatedly.
Sword Intent is not Sword Skill; it’s just the true essence of Sword Dao left behind by a swordsman, and it has no lethal force. Even the Sword Intent left by Lin Yiyang, one of the five great Sword Immortals, only carries a magnificent momentum and cannot harm a person.
Chu Nanying did not speak; he knew that whoever had silently killed Chu Huai must be a master.
Just then, the sound of gongs and drums and the cracking of firecrackers came from outside, generating a lot of noise.
“What’s going on?”
Chu Nanying asked.
“I’ll go out and check.”
Cui Yong hurriedly went outside.
Qiu Dekun asked, “Sir, should we start searching Lijiang City now? I feel the murderer hasn’t gone far…..”
Chu Nanying silently stared at the body in front of him, and after a long while, he said, “Dekun, do you think I should search for the murderer?”
Qiu Dekun’s eyebrows were tightly furrowed as he said, “Murder to repay a life, debts to be paid; these are only natural.”
“Murder to repay a life?”
Chu Nanying gave a bitter laugh, “Then how many people did Huai’er kill? How can I repay so many people’s lives?”
“This….”
Chu Nanying continued, “The one who actually killed Huai’er is not someone else; it’s me. If not for my poor parenting, how could he have ended up this way?”
“Sir…..”
Before long, Cui Yong hurriedly ran back in.
Chu Nanying, staring at the body, numbly asked, “What happened?”
Cui Yong swallowed and said, “It’s the people of Lijiang City; every household is celebrating…”
“Celebrating?”
Chu Nanying was stunned and asked, “Celebrating what?”
Cui Yong cautiously said, “Celebrating the young master’s death…”
Upon hearing this, Chu Nanying suddenly froze, then burst out laughing after a long pause.
“Hahaha!”
“Pfft!”
The laughter stopped abruptly as a jet of blood spurted out; Chu Nanying’s body heavily fell to the ground.
“Daoist Master!” “Master!”
……
East Lin Road, Sky Cave Mountain, Sky Scraping Cave.
Sky Cave Mountain, one of the five famous mountains of Great Yan, is known for its rugged, steep trails as sharp as swords, a place rarely visited for leisure.
However, it is very famous in Jianghu.
It is because this place conceals a peerless master, the Sky Scraping Hermit.
This individual has extremely high cultivation, ranking fifth on the Dragon List in Jianghu, and he keeps a unique exotic beast, the Spirit Seeking Mouse.
The Spirit Seeking Mouse can locate a person’s tracks through their Qi mechanism.
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, led his two disciples and arrived in front of the Sky Scraping Cave at Heavenly Cave Mountain.
“Master, does this Sky Scraping master really live deep in these mountains?” asked Song Nian, who was standing by his side.
Song Nian was originally a disciple of the Infinite Daoist Temple but had later been taken in by the Great True Master Yu Huai.
“I’m not sure.”
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, shook his head, “I’m not very familiar with this Sky Scraping master either.”
Song Nian muttered quietly, “Such deep forests with no village ahead and no shop behind, how could someone without great perseverance cultivate in seclusion here? It seems this Sky Scraping master is indeed a distinguished individual.”
“Who goes there!?”
Just then, a cold shout rang out.
Shortly after, a graceful and seductive woman appeared before the three of them.
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, clasped his hands together and said, “I am Yu Huai from the Zhenyi Sect, here to visit Master Sky Scraping.”
“The Great True Master Yu Huai of the Zhenyi Sect?”
The beautiful woman’s brows relaxed slightly, and then she said, “Please come inside.”
As she spoke, the beautiful woman twisted her slender waist and walked toward the cave with lotus steps, every movement radiating charm that irresistibly ignited desire.
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, kept his eyes straightforward, whereas the two disciples beside him blushed and began to experience rapid heartbeats.
Walking into the cave, they discovered it was brightly lit; the three of them realized the cave was luxuriously decorated with tables, chairs, paintings, bookshelves, flower vases, among other items.
Moreover, several beautiful women stood to the side, each with a spring-like look in their eyes and smiles on their lips.
“Please come inside,” the beautiful woman gestured as she moved forward.
The cave meandered and was divided into several rooms, each arranged and decorated meticulously and tastefully.
This was hardly a cave; it was clearly a mansion inside the mountain.
After a short while, the group arrived at the entrance of a quiet room.
“Master, Yu Huai, the Great True Master from the Zhenyi Sect has arrived,” the beautiful woman said respectfully to the quiet room.
“I know,”
came a dry and unpleasant voice from inside.
“Click!” “Click!”
Shortly after, the stone door rose, and a figure appeared before the three of them.
Not tall, about the size of a seven- or eight-year-old child, with an ugly face, the person wore a white robe that seemed completely out of place.
It was a dwarf!
Song Nian was greatly surprised in his heart, never expecting the Sky Scraping master to be such an ugly dwarf.
Yu Huai, however, remained composed and clasped his fists, “Yu Huai pays respects to Master Sky Scraping.”
Master Sky Scraping said with a forced smile, “No need for formalities, I received Brother Ling’s letter. Before I consider leaving the mountains, I have a few questions.”
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, nodded, “Please ask, Master Sky Scraping.”
Before coming, he had already learned about Master Sky Scraping’s temperament from Ling Yuanjing.
Master Sky Scraping asked, “Has the Ghost Swordsman reached the Grandmaster Realm?”
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, clasped his fists, “His strength is inconsistent, but at most, he is at the Half-step Master Realm, certainly not a Grandmaster.”
“That’s good,” Master Sky Scraping nodded slightly, then continued, “Since that’s the case, how are your preparations going?”
Due to the Spirit-Seeking Rat, many people in the Martial World had sought his intervention, but his first condition was never to confront anyone from the Grandmaster Realm, and the second was that he must receive benefits beforehand.
Without these two conditions met, he would not make an effort.
“Here are three Hundred Yuan Pills.”
Yu Huai, the Great True Master, took out a porcelain bottle and then threw it to Master Sky Scraping.
“Good.”
Master Sky Scraping took the porcelain bottle, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.
Hundred Yuan Pills were renowned for being potent healing holy medicines that could regenerate flesh and mend bones, rumored even to revive the dying.
This elixir, crafted by the Zhenyi Sect, required a massive amount of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, with only two batches produced every thirty years, making a single pill exceedingly difficult to obtain.
Master Sky Scraping chuckled, “In that case, I will accompany the Great True Master Yu Huai to Jiangnan Dao.”
Seeing this, the beautiful woman beside him squat down, her eyes showing a hint of reluctance, “My lord, how long will your journey be before you return?”
Gently stroking the beautiful woman’s jade leg, Master Sky Scraping, his ugly face contorted into a grimace more pained than a cry, said, “Don’t worry, as soon as I find the Ghost Swordsman’s whereabouts, I will return immediately.”
“Then I will wait in the cave mansion for my lord to return triumphantly.”
Her eyes filled with allure, the beautiful woman teased with a playful smile.