Chapter 125: One Sword Breaks the Spell
Before the mansion bearing the plaque "Beautiful Water and Lofty Wind," the blind old Taoist, severely wounded, was probably aware that death was near, and began raving like a madman, speaking incoherently.
Lin Shouyi had two talismans, the Plate Bead and the Fiery Rain, pinched between his fingers in his sleeves. He could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.
Chen Ping'an silently guided the wisp of energy like a swimming dragon within his body towards the two qi mansions, ensuring that his sword aura remained intact without any mishap.
How to verify? It was extremely simple. As long as that fiery dragon, which brought a warm sensation to his meridians, dared not pause before the two qi mansions, it meant that the two "infinitesimally small" strands of sword aura were certainly coiled inside them.
This time, Chen Ping'an felt that a single strand of sword aura might not be enough to guarantee killing that bride-ghost woman in red.
So, two strands!
Afterward, he would regret the loss terribly, but it was still better than actually dying.
However, Chen Ping'an hadn't even used the sword aura yet, and he was already almost dying from heartache.
Thus, the miserly boy's face appeared somewhat stiff, brimming with killing intent.
Li Huai suddenly noticed that the white donkey beside him had been heavily stamping the ground. From its earlier restless agitation on the mountain path, it had now become somewhat joyful and delighted.
Even when that bride-ghost woman in red appeared at the top of the steps outside the gate, the donkey only slightly slowed its hooves.
The ghost woman lowered her head to look at her bright red wedding dress, which was torn in several places. Suppressing the overwhelming rage filling her heart, she gazed at the group of young boys and girls, then gracefully floated down to the ground.
The ghost woman turned sideways and performed a traditional bow of salutation, her voice soft and tender, "Welcome, everyone, for visiting our humble abode. You may call me Lady Chu. Unfortunately, my husband is away on a distant journey and has not returned, so I must entertain you in his stead."
---
On Qidun Mountain, within a small bamboo grove concealed by a formation, Wei Bo, who had seized the opportunity to fully restore his position as a mountain god, looked at the piles of broken bamboo—all green bamboos that had been sliced in half by A Liang's blade. Although the gains from this incident far outweighed the losses, when he saw these green bamboos that had absorbed the spiritual energy of Qidun Mountain for thousands of years, they appeared to him like beautiful women who had been cut in half at the waist, and he couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Wei Bo's golden earrings had already been cloaked by an illusion spell. Even when he revealed his true form in his own domain, the black serpent could not see through it. Now, he flicked his finger beside his ear, and the broken bamboos on the ground began to disappear one by one into thin air.
After tidying up, Wei Bo walked out of the bamboo grove and saw, besides the black serpent cowering tremblingly nearby, a young swordsman with a horizontal sword at his back, and a "familiar face" who was tilting his head back to drink from a wine flask. That was the Great Li expert who had been knocked back to the stone platform on Qidun Mountain by A Liang's rainbow-like charge. Wei Bo only knew his surname was Liu, and he had been carried away on the back of that swordsman. Wei Bo showed a hint of confusion. The man had been near death not long ago, but although he still seemed a bit dispirited, he had recovered enough to walk so quickly. Even if he practiced superior secret techniques for tempering the body, it shouldn't be so miraculously effective.
However, on the path of cultivation, those who had reached the latter two levels of the middle five realms all had their own hidden trump cards, so Wei Bo naturally wouldn't ask aloud. The rules of "Taoists don't speak of age, Buddhists don't speak of surnames" had been followed since ancient times.
Wiping the wine stains from the corner of his mouth, the burly and powerful man said in a deep voice, "Old earth god of Qidun Mountain, my name is Liu Yu. Even though I still find you displeasing, I owe you for saving my life and will repay you in the future. If you have an urgent request, crush this message token. As long as I, Liu Yu, am not carrying out a court mission at that time, even if I am in the farthest south of Vase Island, Old Dragon City, I will come."
The man casually tossed out a white jade token made of mutton-fat jade. Wei Bo caught it and said with a smile, "You are clear in your loves and hates, and your actions are open and above-board. And with this 'Military Family Mountain Temple' unique 'Peace and Safety Token,' are you a cultivator from the Blizzard Temple or the True Martial Mountain?"
The burly man snorted coldly, "None of your business?"
The young swordsman who had just returned from Embroidery River said with a smile, "Liu Yu is typical of having a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Don't mind him."
Wei Bo quickly waved his hand, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."
The swordsman rested his elbow casually on his longsword and said with a gentle expression, "Coincidentally, there is a temporary matter to handle in Dragon Spring County. If you don't mind, how about we travel out of the mountain together? Although I have already notified Magistrate Wu Yuan of Dragon Spring County, and theoretically there should be no trouble, you never know. After all, the area around Fallen Mountain now not only has the Imperial Observatory's Master Qingwu but also many external forces. I would not want to see the hard-won relaxation of relations between you and Great Li break down again."
Wei Bo said seemingly nonchalantly, "Judging from the previous battle's commotion, could it be that one of Great Li's Five Marchmounts' righteous gods has unfortunately fallen? What, could it be that I, Wei Bo, can also get a small share of the spoils this time? That temporary mission you mentioned, it really doesn't have anything to do with me, does it?"
Liu Yu, who looked rough and reckless, squinted his eyes.
The young swordsman remained as calm as ever, smiling cheerfully, "Don't worry, I won't do something like burning the bridge after crossing it. As for this trip to Dragon Spring, how it ultimately turns out still depends on your personal will, Wei Bo. The Great Li court will absolutely not force you. As for the specific matters, to be honest, I am not too clear. I only know that after the Emperor heard about this matter, he attached great importance to it, and finally added the four words 'treat with courtesy.'"
Wei Bo sighed, "I have always had a temperament of yielding to softness but not to hardness. Since it's like this, do I still have the face to refuse? I'm really scared of you people."
Liu Yu sneered, "You yield to neither softness nor hardness, right?"
Wei Bo said with a beaming smile, "You flatter me, you flatter me."
The young swordsman glanced at the docile and obedient black serpent and teased, "You have good eyesight. Remember, when you get to Fallen Mountain later, don't cause trouble. There's a fellow of your kind residing in a mountain lake on a nearby peak. Even if you want to fight, it's best not to harm mortals. Other than that, there's nothing much to note. Now that you have the status of a Great Li mountain spirit, at least you don't have to worry about being randomly killed by passing cultivators."
The black serpent nodded its head heavily. After swallowing that pouch of serpent gallstones from the Bead Grotto Heaven, its body size had decreased rather than increased, but its dragon-like four claws had become thicker and stronger. Its pitch-black, ink-like scales were shiny and bright, and a barely noticeable golden line had appeared on its belly.
This trip to Dragon Spring was through a sparsely populated area, so even with the black serpent, there was no need to travel by night and rest by day.
After entering the Iron Talisman River, with the young swordsman's nod of permission, the black serpent carefully slid into the river water. Although it was extremely joyful, it still tried its best to suppress its instincts and dared not shake its body wildly or slap the water. The three of them stood on the black serpent's body, like travelers on a boat, leisurely heading north along the Iron Talisman River.
Wei Bo frowned slightly, gently flicked his sleeve, scooped up a handful of water in his palm, shook it as if weighing its mass, and asked in surprise, "I know that a river can be elevated to a larger river, but..."
The young swordsman explained for him, "After this river god successfully integrated into the Iron Talisman River, she encountered another opportunity. This alarmed one of the Masters Qingwu, who hastily reported it to the court. The Emperor was overjoyed and, on the premise of two consecutive promotions, gave her another rank."
Wei Bo gently shook his hand, letting the water of the Iron Talisman River spin slowly in his palm. He clicked his tongue in amazement, "This lucky one who has newly attained godhood has already reached the pinnacle of the earthly landscape registers? Interesting. Very interesting. In just a few days, she has traveled the journey that her colleagues take hundreds or even thousands of years. Such talent and fortune—it's practically destined by heaven! Most importantly, this river god's ascension does not seem to have encroached upon the fate of other waterways. I have to say, the fortune of your Great Li is truly remarkable."
For the first time, the young swordsman showed a solemn expression. "Wei Bo, are you certain that her elevation did not steal the fate of this thousand-li landscape? But was entirely derived from the former small Iron Talisman River itself?"
Wei Bo smiled without speaking.
As the former righteous god of the North Marchmount of the Divine Water Kingdom, his insight was naturally far superior to that of the Imperial Observatory's Masters Qingwu, these "outsiders among insiders."
In the previous battle, the Great Li court had suffered upheavals in its landscape, and for a time, the national fortune wavered. Three of the Five Marchmounts' righteous gods had suffered severe damage to their primordial spirit, so the matter was temporarily handed over to the Masters Qingwu for investigation.
The young swordsman said in a deep voice, "Wei Bo, I believe that this matter alone will earn you a heavy reward from the court."
Wei Bo lifted his head, letting the breeze caress his face. This made the "young man," who already looked like an exiled immortal, seem even more ethereal. With a soft gaze, he smiled and said, "Can it be exchanged for a small opportunity? For example, letting a newly entered disciple of the Eternal Spring Palace, who already has the aptitude for the middle five realms, walk more smoothly on the Longevity Bridge for the next hundred years?"
The young swordsman laughed, "What's so difficult about that?"
Wei Bo murmured, "I have wronged the Liu family of Divine Water."
Liu Yu said impatiently, "That's ancient history from who knows how many years ago. Even landscape deities who share the lifespan of a nation aren't as fussy as you. Dynasties change. It's already tremendous luck if your statue doesn't collapse. If you get to choose an enlightened master to attach yourself to and continue enjoying incense and offerings, that's a good thing you could only dream of. Even if the Liu family of Divine Water State had kindness towards you back then, it's been several hundred years. Those who should have died and those who shouldn't have are all dead. What nonsense are you, Wei Bo, making a fuss about?!"
Wei Bo turned a deaf ear, hearing only the sound of the river water in his ears.
Liu Yu, with his fiery temper, was furious. "A stubborn stone in a latrine! To think I, Liu Yu, would owe you a favor. Count it as my eight lifetimes of bad luck."
The young swordsman laughed heartily, "A bad fate is still fate. You two should just accept it and make the best of it."
Liu Yu casually asked with a smile, "I wonder if that old lantern on his journey south will end up in conflict with that Lady Chu? If they fight, I reckon the old lantern will be in big trouble."
The young swordsman shook his head, "Hopefully no trouble will arise. Lady Chu's importance to Great Li is immense. Besides, Lady Chu has that fierce temper of preferring to smash jade rather than be a whole tile. If not for the fact that you were severely wounded and she needed to urgently return to the Eternal Spring Palace to receive that Imperial Consort, I would not have had Doctor Han be responsible for escorting her south. Doctor Han is outwardly smooth but inwardly stubborn; in fact, his temper is worse than yours."
Liu Yu laughed heartily, "It's fine, it's fine. Since there's no elegant scholar among the group with her, Lady Chu won't take a liking to anyone. As for the old lantern—if he were thirty or forty years younger, he might just be kept in that mansion as a hostage husband, right?"
The swordsman teased, "Say that in front of Lady Chu if you have the guts."
Liu Yu grinned slyly, "If she dares to step out of that landscape of hers, then I'll dare to say it."
The young swordsman sighed with emotion, "The reason sages are called sages is that they possess their own small world. Sitting in charge within it, they can take full advantage of favorable timing, geographical position, and harmonious human relations."
Liu Yu said regretfully, "Pity, sir, that you are a swordsman. Swordsmen have no such saying. Otherwise, being foremost in attack and killing, and if added to a sage's small world for balanced offense and defense, then sir, you..."
The young swordsman raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Having one sword, is that not enough?"
Only at this moment did the young swordsman, with his unremarkable aura, give off a blinding sensation.
Liu Yu smiled sheepishly.
Wei Bo suddenly stood up and looked ahead. He saw a willow tree stretching horizontally over the water on the bank, and a woman draped in a green robe with a face plate sitting on a willow branch.
She had a rare head of golden hair, which lay spread on the water of the Iron Talisman River beneath her feet, gently swaying with the current.
For some reason, Wei Bo was inexplicably reminded of a well-known line of poetry.
"Willow catkins upon the water, ten thousand floating duckweed."
Seeing that woman, the young swordsman softly explained, "She is the righteous god of the Iron Talisman River. She was just recently enshrined with a golden body, and the court has not yet built a temple for her, so she still shows some signs of unstable spirit."
Wei Bo did not turn his head and asked, "What is her name?"
Liu Yu snorted coldly, "This girl's name is wonderful—Yang Hua. Willow catkins—Yang Hua! 'Yang Hua' as in 'Water Willow and Floating Heart'—'watery' and 'fickle'! All the way, she's had unbelievable luck that makes people green with envy. Born in the countryside, she was discovered by a Master Qingwu for her bone structure, was recognized by the famous Taoist sword 'Talisman' in our Great Li capital, and now she's become one of the few top-tier river gods. With such a fortunate life, she's practically bound to ascend to heaven."
Wei Bo said "Oh," and his expression returned to normal. He sat back on the black serpent's back, "She has the appearance of a Rain Master. No wonder she's had such smooth sailing. Having such a powerful being as a close neighbor, crossing paths all the time—who knows if it's a good thing or a bad thing."
Although the young swordsman found it somewhat strange, he couldn't figure out why.
But the appearance of a Rain Master was indeed rare in a hundred years.
As Wei Bo and his party rode the black serpent past the weeping willows, the river god Yang Hua remained motionless.
In the former Divine Water Kingdom, poets abounded, especially known for their farewell poems. When sung by courtesans, they often became popular across an entire continent.
And "Yang Hua" meant willow catkins.
But as the rough man Liu Yu said, it was all ancient history.
If Wei Bo didn't speak of it, who would care? And even if he did, who would be willing to listen?
Only a Confucian sage once explained: "Yang [poplar] means that which rises and flies; those that rise and fly are willow [catkins]."
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Wei Bo suddenly turned his head, but not to look at that water god named Yang Hua.
Instead, he looked towards a region even farther south than Qidun Mountain.
There, a large red lantern was slowly rising into the sky.
The young swordsman pressed one hand on the sword hilt at his waist, his face solemn, "It seems I'll have to go there personally."
But at that moment.
Amidst a towering mountain on the border of Great Li, a white light broke through the mountain peak and sped swiftly northward, like a comet trailing an extremely long, snow-white rainbow of light.
It was actually just the sword aura of a flying sword!
And the sword's master was nowhere to be seen.
The sword aura was long and heavy.
This sword landed not far from the bank of the Embroidery River.
It precisely struck the powerful formation that was nearly a sage's domain, landing right in front of a white donkey.