Chapter 626: The New Hidden Official
This battle was extremely brief and swift, small in scale, with people dying so quickly it was almost like a chance encounter between border army scouts.
The Barbarian Wilderness didn't immediately launch its next offensive.
Clearly, many key military tents hadn't anticipated this outcome. There were too many surprises; they had to adjust countless details of their strategies within the established framework.
Instead, they yielded the remaining three mountains on the battlefield. The central great mountain had been completely shattered by Zuo You's fight with Yang Zhi.
As for the other mountain, two foreign sword immortals from Aiai Continent had paid with their lives to destroy its mountain foundation and water veins, after which Lu Zhi had hacked it apart with her sword-light by sheer force.
The remaining three were also in ruinous condition. One had been heavily damaged earlier by the Hidden Official lineage's Luo Shan and Zhu An sword immortals—these were probably the last battle merits of those two turncoat immortals. If they met again in the future, it would be sword challenges exchanged, life-or-death struggles with former comrades and fellow sword immortals.
On those three mountain peaks, the surviving talisman-mastering demon clan cultivators could only await their doom. Even if they fled far away, what was the point? Their lives had long been tied to the fate of the mountains. There were also those of fierce brutality and ruthless decisiveness who called friends, commanded scattered forces, reactivated mountain-guarding grand formations, and fought to the death, hoping to make the sword immortals of Sword Qi Great Wall pay for every single sword strike they delivered.
Sword immortal Zhao Ge Yi found Cheng Quan, and together they flew their swords toward one mountain. Zhao Ge Yi would guard the formation for Cheng Quan, helping him refine the mountain as much as possible and make it his own.
"Damn it, now when I leave the city, I feel like a traitor myself!" Cheng Quan said bitterly during the sword flight. "That bastard Zhu An, that cheap Luo Shan! Before today, they were friends I would have traded lives for! Zhao Ge Yi, tell me—will you stab me in the back too someday? If so, give it to me straight. When we get to that mountain, just strike without hesitation like a spineless woman, so I can die quickly."
Zhao Ge Yi cursed back, "How did Song Caiyun ever fall for a waste like you?!"
Cheng Quan's face darkened.
Sword Qi Great Wall had won this phase of the war, but atop the city walls, no sword cultivator felt any joy.
The Hidden Official had actually betrayed Sword Qi Great Wall, taking two sword immortals, Luo Shan and Zhu An, to defect to the Barbarian Wilderness.
And on the earlier battlefield, the Hidden Official had landed a single punch that gravely wounded Zuo You, who had charged alone into enemy lines and was considered invincible!
Except for those sword immortals with the purest sword hearts, almost all sword cultivators—especially the young ones—had a shadow hanging over their hearts that they couldn't shake.
Chen Ping'an tucked his folding fan into his belt and piloted a talisman boat toward the thatched hut.
Inside the small hut, which had once been the temporary residence of Wei Jin, the sword immortal of Wind Snow Temple, Zuo You sat on the bed. The hole punched through his abdomen by the punch was being mended with sword qi.
Sword qi couldn't regenerate flesh and blood, because this was essentially a second deadly battle. Senior Brother Zuo You needed to use sword qi to resist the aftereffects of the Hidden Official's punch.
Otherwise, for an upper-fifth-realm sword cultivator—whose very practice of forging swords was a tempering of the body—no matter how severe the physical injury, it wouldn't have made even Dong San'geng feel so alarmed and uneasy.
Dong San'geng stood guard at the door, furious. "Chen Qingdu, what the hell is going on?! Has that Hidden Official lost her mind?!"
Standing on a distant wall, Chen Qingdu didn't turn his head. "You're not blind. What you see is the truth."
Dong San'geng was beside himself with rage. This old sword immortal had always had a very good impression of the Hidden Official, considering her a rare kindred spirit.
And Dong San'geng's most valued grandson, Dong Guanpu—once regarded as the next candidate for carving a sword immortal's name—had gotten along remarkably well with the Hidden Official in earlier years.
Dong San'geng had already seen the young man land gracefully, stowing the talisman boat into his sleeve. Still too furious to let it go, he continued shouting at Chen Qingdu, "Then why didn't you just kill her back then?!"
Chen Qingdu sneered, "Dong Guanpu defected to the Barbarian Wilderness. When his deeds came to light, the entire Sword Qi Great Wall knew about it. Did I know? Before you all made a big fuss, did I kill him?"
Chen Ping'an pretended he hadn't heard anything.
Back then, after the sword immortals had gathered atop the city wall and the Great Old Sword Immortal personally struck down Dong Guanpu with a single sword stroke, Chen Ping'an had witnessed it with his own eyes.
But at that time, Chen Ping'an's thinking was still quite shallow. He hadn't truly understood Sword Qi Great Wall.
What confused him most was what Ning Yao had said afterward: that Little Dong's grandfather was a good man.
A sword immortal, a member of the Dong clan, had betrayed Sword Qi Great Wall—that was true. But being a good man was also true.
How did you balance that account?
Perhaps for this Great Old Sword Immortal, guarding Sword Qi Great Wall was simply about guarding Sword Qi Great Wall—nothing more.
Dong San'geng suppressed the fury in his heart, told Chen Ping'an that his senior brother wouldn't die, and then the Dong family ancestor left the place directly.
Chen Ping'an didn't enter the thatched hut. Instead, he gently closed the door.
Having witnessed such a magnificent, brutal war where both sword immortals and great demons could die, he felt more acutely his own insignificance.
Having seen the various choices made by the Great Old Sword Immortal Chen Qingdu, Chen Ping'an felt that if he were to walk the trial of heart at Shujian Lake again—even with the same cultivation realm as back then—he might truly be able to follow his heart's desire.
Chen Ping'an didn't linger at the thatched hut. He went to where Ning Yao and the others were.
Ning Yao glanced at Yan Zhuo, then shook her head at Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an nodded, indicating he understood.
Yan Zhuo's eyes were red. He clenched his fists, resting them on his knees.
The clan's chief guest elder, the immortal realm sword immortal Li Tui Mi, had died.
That old man had once been the person Yan Zhuo hated most in his youth. Many notorious, infuriating remarks that humiliated the young fatty—the laughingstock of the entire Yan family and Sword Qi Great Wall—had been spoken by Li Tui Mi, who had the least respect for him. Otherwise, given the Yan family's status and wealth on Xuanhuo Street, and Yan Zhuo's father, Yan Ming's temperament and cunning, if the family itself hadn't thrown the first stone, who would have dared to torment the sole heir of Yan so viciously?
Even after Yan Zhuo had shed his former self in later great battles, risking his life time and again to transform into a true sword cultivator and become a close friend of Ning Yao and Chen Sanqiu, Li Tui Mi had still refused to look him in the eye. Yan Zhuo had humbly begged Li Tui Mi to teach him sword arts multiple times, but year after year, Li Tui Mi only said he was a worthless old man with a cheap life—how could he dare to instruct the young master Yan? Wouldn't that be misleading the youth?
Yan Zhuo never expected that when Li Tui Mi finally agreed to teach him sword arts, was willing to put on a stern face but with a hint of laughter in his eyes, and say things to him that were either harsh or the highest praise—that old man would die like this, becoming the first great sword immortal to fall on the battlefield.
Chen Ping'an sat beside Yan Zhuo, offering no words of comfort. This was Sword Qi Great Wall, and the person beside him was Yan Zhuo. No comfort was needed.
Everyone could get through it.
The death of a close relative—who here was unfamiliar with that? Besides the dead Li Tui Mi, there were those still alive: Wu Chengpei, Tao Wen, Zhou Cheng... all of them. How were any of them different?
Even sword immortals were no exception, let alone those ordinary sword cultivators—and those whose natal flying swords had shattered, each one in greater pain than death itself.
The Great Old Sword Immortal's final words had been heard only by him.
Because the implications were too many, too vast.
For instance, back then, the Hidden Official had known Dong Guanpu was a traitor but had deliberately delayed his punishment.
Chen Qingdu hadn't said anything about it. Let it drag on. Dong Guanpu, that boy who thought too much, even if he deserved death, he lived on—one more day was one more day.
If it weren't that you, Dong San'geng, lacked sufficient sword skills and accumulated battle merits—unable to intimidate the great clans of Taixiang Street and Xuanhuo Street, incurring their collective wrath, and also unable to protect a traitorous grandson with your merits—then it was Dong San'geng who couldn't protect Dong Guanpu, which had led a group of sword immortals to come to Sword Qi Great Wall and demand accountability. Otherwise, the Hidden Official lineage's deliberate blind-eye policy, and Chen Qingdu's own turning a blind eye, would have let the Dong family simply detain their unworthy descendant Dong Guanpu, or at most throw him into Old Deaf's prison. That was all.
Ning Yao sat beside Chen Ping'an. "Are you alright?"
Chen Ping'an said softly, "Very much so."
Ning Yao had many questions, but too many to know where to start.
Chen Ping'an said tenderly, "Don't think about anything. Let me handle it all."
They both gazed southward.
Yan Zhuo suddenly asked, "Am I intruding on you two?"
Chen Ping'an opened his folding fan, but used it to fan Ning Yao. He said with a grin, "Everyone, show some consideration."
Dong Heitan, who had been about to plop down next to Ning Yao, froze mid-motion, neither sitting nor standing, in an awkward pose.
But then Chen Sanqiu sat beside Yan Zhuo, Fan Dache sat beside Dong Huafu, and Diezhang sat beside Chen Sanqiu.
Finally, everyone looked into the distance together.
They waited quietly for the next battle.
Pang Yuanji stood in a long, dazed silence.
The young sword cultivator, considered the designated next Hidden Official of Sword Qi Great Wall, had a darkened sword heart, dead as ash.
Gao Youqing, the sword immortal seed who had been staying by Pang Yuanji's side, sat beside him, wanting to speak but hesitating, too afraid to say anything.
Gao Yehou came and sat next to Pang Yuanji, only saying two words: "Bear it."
Pang Yuanji's gaze was unfocused.
Gao Yehou was silent for a moment, then said, "If you really want to know the answer, don't wallow like this. Strive instead, one day, to personally challenge the Hidden Official with your sword, and make her tell you the answer herself!"
Pang Yuanji murmured, "You're not me, and I'm not you. I can't do it."
Gao Yehou sneered, "Fine. Then the Hidden Official lineage ends today, truly dead."
But behind them, a young girl who had quietly arrived crossed her arms and said, "I'll take over the lineage. Consider it settled."
Pang Yuanji gave a bitter smile and turned around. "Lü Duan, why didn't you leave Sword Qi Great Wall back then? Both Guo Jia the sword immortal and Chen Ping'an wanted you to leave."
Guo Zhujiu's eyes were bright. She shook her head. "Even if I deeply respect and admire my father and my teacher, those are their thoughts. As a sword cultivator, shouldn't I have my own way of living and dying?"
Pang Yuanji smiled bitterly.
He understood the reasoning. So what?
Gao Yehou gave a thumbs up and laughed, "Lü Duan, well said!"
Guo Zhujiu looked at Gao Yehou helplessly. "Why praise me? You should praise my teacher for teaching well. That way you praise two for the price of one. You're not very savvy, huh?"
Gao Yehou was momentarily speechless.
Dealing with Lü Duan, the only ones who could gain the upper hand were probably Ning Yao and Dong Bude.
Gao Youqing couldn't help it—she broke into laughter through her tears.
Guo Zhujiu glanced at her with pity. "Crying and laughing like that, must've broken your little brain. You're a little watermelon rind."
Gao Youqing tugged at Gao Yehou's sleeve. Gao Yehou said with exasperation, "Now you know to look for your brother?"
Guo Zhujiu shook her head, imitating her teacher by clasping her hands in her sleeves and walking away, muttering to herself, "Little watermelon rind, little watermelon rind, a little girl who never grows up, water that can't be poured out. Worrying."
Gao Youqing's face flushed red.
Gao Yehou felt he had his own worries, saddled with a sister whose elbow always pointed outward.
Pang Yuanji's smile was strained. He continued to look southward—farther south—as if he still hoped to catch one last glimpse of his teacher.
On Sword Qi Great Wall, all the Aiai Continent sword cultivators who were familiar with the two sword immortals Zhang Shao and Li Ding were filled with infinite sorrow.
Those two beloved sword immortal friends, who had been the most carefree and aloof in their homeland of Aiai Continent, renowned for their detachment from worldly affairs, had died on the battlefields of Barbarian Wilderness.
Aiai Continent valued merchants above all. Simply put, there were many businessmen. In fact, these thirty-two sword cultivators, of varying realms, were considered oddballs in Aiai Continent.
The two highest-realm ones, Zhang Shao and Li Ding, who had both died heroically, were Jade Pu realm sword immortals.
On Sword Qi Great Wall, they—as the fewest in number among foreign sword cultivators—had never been looked at differently. But deep inside, they didn't feel good about it.
Bei Ju Lu Continent needed no elaboration; it was the continent with the most sword cultivators in the entire Haoran World. No comparison could be made. Nan Posuo Continent was closest to Daoxuan Mountain and Sword Qi Great Wall, with several hundred sword cultivators—also no point in comparing. But besides these, Fu Yao Continent, Liu Xia Continent, and Jin Jia Continent all had far more sword cultivators than Aiai Continent.
Only two continents had fewer sword cultivators than Aiai: Bao Ping Continent, the smallest in Haoran World, but they had Wei Jin of Wind Snow Temple, a young sword immortal who could rival native sword immortals in talent and cultivation achievement, and then Chen Ping'an, who wasn't a sword cultivator yet had earned their respect.
The last continent was Tong Ye Continent, notorious for not wanting dealings with other continents.
Bao Ping Continent was plagued by internal strife; Tong Ye Continent was ravaged by great demons.
But Aiai Continent had always been peaceful, with cross-continent ferry boats to Daoxuan Mountain running thriving businesses.
Now that Zhang Shao and Li Ding had died in battle, it should have been a moment for the younger sword cultivators of the continent to hold their heads high.
But there was no pride to be had—only more gloom and frustration in their hearts.
Somewhere on the city wall, a group of Confucian scholars in robes stood.
Among them, Chen Chun'an wore a grave expression.
Chen Shi stood with his best friends Liu Xianyang and Qin Zhengxiu. Chen Shi was deeply worried, speaking softly, "If we hold, many will die—more and more. If we don't hold, we betray all those who have already died, right before our eyes: the native sword immortal Li Tui Mi, and Aiai Continent's Zhang Shao and Li Ding. If I were that Great Old Sword Immortal, I'd have long since collapsed."
Liu Xianyang squatted down, chewing on a blade of grass he'd pulled from somewhere, mumbling indistinctly, "Sword immortals and cultivators are too used to the Great Old Sword Immortal presiding over Sword Qi Great Wall for far too long. It's hard for anyone to truly imagine what this senior feels inside."
Qin Zhengxiu said solemnly, "In ten thousand years, including this current one, there have been ninety-six great battles. None have been lost."
Liu Xianyang said, "The battlefield is on the southern plains, but also in the hearts of the north. So we keep winning, and we keep losing."
Chen Chun'an suddenly spoke, "We of Haoran World are inexcusable. Our error is great."
This old man, who held the sole title of "pure Confucian" in Haoran World, didn't use heart-voice but spoke aloud.
Except for Liu Xianyang, even Chen Shi, a member of the Chen clan, and Qin Zhengxiu, a Confucian gentleman, changed expressions.
---
The Hidden Official, along with Luo Shan and Zhu An, swaggered up to the Jiazi command tent.
The gray-robed old man stood outside the tent, smiling. "Don't worry about not having fights here. Anyone at the Flying Ascension realm who hasn't contributed to this siege—kill them all. If anyone complains, kill them too."
The Hidden Official nodded, grabbed one of her twisted goat-horn braids, and gave it a little shake. Grinning, she said, "When I get to Haoran World, give me half a continent. Let me slaughter every Upper Five Realm cultivator there. Turtles in their shells, shells and meat—all smashed to pulp!"
The gray-robed old man didn't refuse. Why would he? This little girl was simply the best Dao seed Barbarian Wilderness had ever seen—an unparalleled fit for the Great Way. Staying by Chen Qingdu's side had been torment for her every moment. Sword Qi Great Wall was never a place for her cultivation, but a cage that imprisoned her true nature. As a sword cultivator born and raised on Sword Qi Great Wall, how could she lack a natal flying sword? But in almost every major battle, she rarely used it. At most, she'd pick up a common sword from the forge, and when it broke, she'd switch to fists.
The gray-robed old man rarely had regrets, but one of them was that this Hidden Official, who had grown up on Sword Qi Great Wall, hadn't been born in Barbarian Wilderness and sent early to Mount Tuyue to cultivate. Otherwise, the seating order in the fourteen seats atop the ancient well would have been completely different.
This Barbarian Wilderness Patriarch had only one companion at his side: the big-bearded man with a saber at his waist and a sword on his back.
Luo Shan looked at this sword immortal, famous even in Barbarian Wilderness, and asked, "Why didn't you draw your saber or sword, and let Dong San'geng rescue Zuo You?"
The big-bearded man said indifferently, "For your sake, as a sword immortal and a woman, I'll waste a word: who I kill and who I don't kill is none of anyone's business."
Luo Shan was about to retort when Zhu An reached out and grasped her wrist.
The gray-robed old man smiled. "No need to be so formal. According to the rules set by Mount Tuyue, you are first-class honored guests of Barbarian Wilderness. No watering down for a thousand years. If Liu Cha draws his sword on you, that's a challenge to Mount Tuyue itself, isn't it?"
He looked at the big-bearded man as he spoke.
Liu Cha remained silent.
Then the gray-robed old man spoke lightly, addressing both the man named Liu Cha and Luo Shan and Zhu An, and more importantly, the many great demons in the Jiazi tent: "Our Barbarian Wilderness is indeed an uncivilized barbaric land. It's neither Sword Qi Great Wall nor Haoran World. My rules aren't many—just a few—but each one bites. Anyone who disobeys dies."
The Hidden Official said with mock seriousness, "By the way, if my stupid disciple Pang Yuanji throws himself at death's door, don't you kill him. I still want him to challenge me with his sword again and again."
The gray-robed old man smiled helplessly. "Don't bother me with such trifles. Have Luo Shan and Zhu An visit the Jiazi and Wuwu tents; they'll get a sense of things."
The Hidden Official asked, "And what should I do?"
The gray-robed old man said, "That place Chen Qingdu jokingly calls a 'rat's nest'—at the bottom of the well, there are still a few great demons who deserved to die but somehow survived. If you're bored, go kill them all. It might let you break through your bottleneck sooner."
The Hidden Official blinked. "Are you afraid I'll collude with Chen Qingdu and bust your ass from the inside?"
Going to that rat's nest and slaughtering those surviving Flying Ascension great demons would steadily raise her realm, but it was also a mystical kind of union with Barbarian Wilderness. From then on, her life would be tied to the fate of the entire world.
To break through the Flying Ascension bottleneck and become an immortal existence at the same level as the old blind man—that was the price she needed to pay. The world was a furnace? Cultivation was the act of theft? Even Flying Ascension cultivators couldn't escape this shackle. To truly break through this barrier, one needed a grand feat—to refine part of the great world with one's own small world! If you refined it all, you'd become the Confucian Sage, the Buddha Patriarch, the Dao Ancestor!
The gray-robed old man laughed heartily. "Just say whether you'll go or not."
The Hidden Official grinned radiantly, shot into the air, and transformed into a rainbow heading straight for the rat's nest.
On Sword Qi Great Wall, what world could she refine? Sword Qi Great Wall? Sword Qi Great Wall was Chen Qingdu; Chen Qingdu was Sword Qi Great Wall!
But Barbarian Wilderness was different. Because that gray-robed old man hadn't truly refined the entire world, she still had a chance—perhaps even a chance to wrestle with this Great Ancestor of the demon clan one day.
Liu Cha frowned. "Do we have to give her such an open path?"
"One in sword Dao, one in learning—the two biggest shares of profit. Enough for you and Zhou Mi to feast. Good fortune can't all go to you two."
The gray-robed old man smiled. "Once Chen Qingdu dies again, when I reach Haoran World, Li Sage should come out of seclusion."
"I'll see for myself whether those Confucian scholars' saying is true—that in times of chaos, heroes will rise to hold up the sky."
Liu Cha asked, "And Bai Ze?"
The gray-robed old man sneered. "He's about like the old blind man—deeply disappointed, taking neither side."
Liu Cha suddenly said, "When darkness is deepest, light appears."
The gray-robed old man asked with a smile, "And have you considered which world this saying applies to best? Speaking purely, which world has the purest minds?"
He spread his hands. "In Haoran World, people's hearts are sinking. But we are rising. This is the most unstoppable trend."
He clenched his fists and said softly, "When we reach Haoran World, it'll be your turn to draw your saber and sword."
Liu Cha nodded. "It shall be so."
The gray-robed old man suddenly patted the big-bearded man's shoulder. "When you get there, make them feel the pain. Then you'll have a chance to meet A Liang again. Settle your score. I'll allow you to use one continent of Haoran World as the wager for your sword duel."
A Liang had traveled to many places in Barbarian Wilderness, killing countless demons, but he had also become true friends with a certain swordsman hero—this man, Liu Cha.
After returning to Sword Qi Great Wall, A Liang had once told a bunch of children that Liu Cha never disappointed.
A great frame, rugged features, chivalrous and righteous, bold and unrestrained, capable of composing poetry.
Of course, after finishing these polite words, A Liang soon returned to his true nature—spitting in his palm, smoothing down his hair, and "divulging heavenly secrets" to the wide-eyed children. Having set the stage, he got to the real point.
"That guy, no matter how remarkable, was overwhelmed by my charm. Without a word, he wanted to take off his sword and give it to me. I refused, so he wanted to use his saber as a brush to write me a poem. Who am I? A proper scholar! Liu Cha, you're asking for humiliation. When I didn't nod in approval, he just kept writing. 'A river of ancient water flows into my palm, a fierce aura crystallizes for a thousand li, wearing down the ancient blade, do not bother with petty grudges...' Huh? You've never heard a single line? Never mind, it's mediocre anyway. If you can't remember, forget it. But if any of you ever face Liu Cha on the battlefield, don't be afraid. If you can't win, seize the chance and yell that you're friends of A Liang."
But that self-proclaimed scholar A Liang—gambler, drunkard, and vagabond—had stayed on Sword Qi Great Wall for over a hundred years. He never wore a blue scholar's robe or a jade pendant, never truly looked like a scholar.
When he left, the swordsman had no sword, only a saber at his waist and a bamboo hat on his head.
No one knew that when Chen Qingdu saw him off, he said gravely, "Go. Don't come back. An outsider staying this long on Sword Qi Great Wall—even if you didn't leave, I'd have to kick you out."
The man just rubbed the Great Old Sword Immortal's shoulder, grinned, and said, "If there's good wine, save it for me. Whether I drink it depends on my mood, but whether you save it—that's a matter of brotherhood."
But finally, before leaving the thatched hut, the man adjusted his bamboo hat, turned his back to the old man, and said, "If Sword Qi Great Wall turns its sword tip inward, I won't come back. No matter how good the wine, who would I drink it with?"
---
After the bone-demon Bai Ying and the former Yeluoluo River master Yang Zhi, the role of commanding the demon army was now filled by the great demon with a thousand palaces, halls, and jade towers, going by the name Huang Luan.
Huang Luan sat alone on the railing, as if placed within an ethereal celestial city filled with drifting mists and the constant calls of divine cranes.
Within the city, there were all twenty-four seasonal climate changes. Some immortal residences were filled with the sound of autumn cicadas; other courtyards had newborn willow leaves like tiny eyebrows; above a Daoist temple, "jade seeds" fell endlessly, covering the ground in snow. There were also many graceful talisman women—some applying makeup to their hair, others fanning themselves at fireflies.
And in the mansion where Huang Luan sat on the railing, there was a Ruoye Stream that he cherished most, with clear flowing water, an old white-haired fisherman manifested from talisman paper, and year after year pretty silk-washing girls and lotus-picking girls doing the same things.
Beneath this cloud-borne city, the demon army marched steadily forward, fully assembled. All were cultivators, none of too low a realm—fifty thousand troops, the lowest at the Cavern Realm, each equipped with spiritual tools and dharma treasures.
Thus, this time there was no need to break through Sword Qi Great Wall's three sword formations or swarm the walls.
On the Sword Qi Great Wall side, there was a torrent of flying swords pouring south.
This time, Barbarian Wilderness would also raise a river no less grand—countless spiritual tools and dharma treasures gathered together, their precious light soaring to the heavens, flowing grandly toward the northern city wall.
You have a river of sword qi; I have a river of treasures.
A head-on collision of rivers.
Since they had decided to spend half the world's strength to attack this solitary Sword Qi Great Wall, how could they not bring some impressive firepower?
Using dharma treasures and spiritual tools to exchange blows with natal flying swords—let's see who flinches first.
No schemes, no clever strategies—just a contest of attrition.
If that woman Yang Zhi had been slightly more capable, not so useless and spineless, and had been able to stabilize those five mountain peaks as a base, the war damage on Sword Qi Great Wall would have been greater.
But Li Tui Mi and Zuo You's sword strikes had disrupted all their plans. Not only had they failed to kill more Immortal Realm sword cultivators, they had almost suffered a total loss. It even affected Huang Luan's own siege, making it more difficult. If the battlefield had been closer to the city walls, the death rate on the demon side would have been much higher—but so would the loss of natal flying swords on Sword Qi Great Wall.
Five Upper Fifth Realm mountain lord spirits, thousands of talisman cultivators giving up their lives and families to refine the mountains, with Chongguang moving entire mountain peaks and suddenly dropping them onto the battlefield—every expense was meticulously recorded in the military tents.
If not for the Hidden Official's defection, which helped a lot, Yang Zhi would have been in serious trouble.
After all, sieges these days were no longer the crude affairs of the past. They were beginning to keep close accounts, and the many military tents were not just for show. Even cultivators in the tents who were not high in realm—including many young children—according to the Great Ancestor and Mount Tuyue, any military order issued from the tents, even Huang Luan, Yang Zhi, and Bai Ying had to weigh carefully.
Huang Luan raised his hand high and waved it forward lightly.
The demon army unleashed their treasures all at once.
In the night sky, it was as if a resplendent galaxy had suddenly appeared.
Even an ancient existence like the great demon Huang Luan had to admit the scene was magnificent—novel enough. He just didn't know if he'd have the chance to see it a few more times. Once they reached Haoran World, based on earlier calculations and deductions, it seemed unlikely such opportunities would come again.
Huang Luan let out a surprised sound, actively opened the restrictions, and turned his head with a smile. "Rare guest, rare guest."
It was Yang Zhi, her immortal soldier robe mostly ruined and tattered. In the great battle, this nostalgic woman had gathered most of the fragments. But if she wanted to repair it, not only would it be troublesome, it wouldn't be worth it—better to just go to Haoran World and take a few pieces by force.
Today, Yang Zhi appeared in the guise of a plain-clothed woman with a wooden hairpin. She sat beside the railing, her expression gloomy.
Huang Luan smiled. "What, trying to steal my credit?"
Yang Zhi said, "Just playing a supporting role for you, earning some merit. The Great Ancestor didn't say anything harsh, but he's clearly not happy. After this battle, as a gesture to the ancestor, I'll have to return to Barbarian Wilderness and personally intercept those sword immortals who are running amok everywhere."
Huang Luan glanced at a certain spot on Sword Qi Great Wall, somewhat regretful. To be honest, the Hidden Official's defection had caught even him off guard. He hadn't known about this change beforehand.
Yang Zhi asked, "The northern city and Daoxuan Mountain—when will our pawns act?"
Huang Luan laughed. "How would I know about that?"
The army beneath them was not standing still. As they hurled all kinds of chaotic natal objects from afar, the entire formation advanced continuously.
The torrent of sword qi collided with the river of dharma treasures, producing a magnificence like ten thousand sparks from an ancient god forging a sword. They splashed everywhere, like fire rain falling upon the world, illuminating both Sword Qi Great Wall and Huang Luan's celestial city, making them shine at the same time.
In addition, like the opening battle, there were "ants" charging madly on both flanks of the army. It wasn't just for show—they were genuinely throwing their lives into the battlefield. This was what Yang Zhi had called "playing a supporting role." Because these ants were Yang Zhi's vassal forces and direct troops. A peak great demon atoning for major faults with minor merits was not just sitting beside Huang Luan watching the scenery or taking a few shots at the sword qi torrent. Many ants would die. They would burn through several major old forces that had been painstakingly cultivated.
There was one best thing about Barbarian Wilderness.
Under the fist, you accept your fate and obey.
If you don't want to die, you die first.
Besides, it wasn't always just dying. The various military tents would record in detail each battlefield's losses and merits. Dying wasn't too much of a loss; surviving meant doubling the profit. Haoran World had vast territory and abundant resources—they could just pillage freely. Once past Sword Qi Great Wall, they could earn money everywhere every day, countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures, immortal sects ripe for slaughter, piles and piles of immortal money, all waiting for Barbarian Wilderness to take.
Huang Luan suddenly said with a hint of amusement, "Since when did Sword Qi Great Wall's sword immortals become so orderly when they draw their swords?"
This handsome man, full of immortal elegance, tapped on the railing, lamenting, "We're doomed like this. Their losses will surely fall short of the military tents' expectations. Yang Zhi, is it because your bad luck is so heavy that it's dragging me down? Look—Yue Qingmi, Mi Hu, and others—sword immortals who supposedly weren't on good terms—are all drawing swords in such a disciplined formation. Those unruly sword immortals fighting in small-scale skirmishes perfectly in sync is normal. But tonight's scene, maximizing the overlap of almost all sword immortals' natal abilities—isn't that both eye-opening and infuriating to us?"
Yang Zhi's face darkened. She sneered, "Knowing they'll die, they fight to the death."
Huang Luan watched for a while and sighed, "Withdrawing the line, all sword cultivators pulling their swords back three li? Is this the same Sword Qi Great Wall I've heard of?"
Yang Zhi asked, puzzled, "Since it's troublesome, why are you still watching?"
Huang Luan grinned. "Let those young ones in the military tents get some practice. This was always meant as a drill for later. Besides, I don't think this battlefield will lose too badly. If we want to stalemate Haoran World in the future, we can't rely on just a few of us throwing our weight around."
Yang Zhi turned to look at a distant point—a much larger battle formation that hadn't yet entered the battlefield.
They were all native sword cultivators of Barbarian Wilderness!
Even a sword cultivator's life was precious, but you couldn't just keep them idle as decorations.
A true sword cultivator was one who could challenge Sword Qi Great Wall, use it as a whetstone to refine their swords, and survive.
---
On Sword Qi Great Wall, a very strange small hill had been assembled—about a dozen people, about half of them foreigners.
They had gathered as the latest sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, the first time in history that the Hidden Official lineage had recruited foreign sword cultivators.
As for the duties of battle overseers and record-keepers, those were still given to the old sword cultivators and Confucian students of the Hidden Official lineage, but the former had lost their Hidden Official lineage status.
After gathering these people together, Lu Zhi quickly left, leaving behind two scrolls sent by a Daoist saint.
Two enormous scrolls were spread out on the horse path. One scroll depicted the collision of the sword qi torrent and the dharma treasure river.
The other showed the area farther south on this battlefield—the distribution of the first-line demon military formations in Barbarian Wilderness. The image was relatively blurry, but the closer it got to the north, the clearer it became, as if there were a watershed divided by the natural conditions of time and place.
Lu Zhi only said that for now, no one needed to wield swords to kill enemies. They were all considered part of the Hidden Official lineage. After that, this formidable female great sword immortal said no more.
Most sword cultivators looked at each other in confusion.
First, many didn't know each other. Second, they were completely in the dark about what they were supposed to do.
Mi Yu was the most awkward, because he was the only Upper Fifth Realm sword cultivator among them.
They couldn't just stare at each other. As the highest realm among them, Mi Yu said, "Let's introduce ourselves first. I'm Mi Yu, Jade Pu realm."
A handsome young man in white robes smiled. "Lin Junbi, Central Earth Divine Continent, just entered Dragon Gate realm."
One by one, they spoke.
"Deng Liang from Aiai Continent, Nascent Soul realm."
"Song Gaoyuan from Fuyao Continent, Golden Core realm."
"Cao Gun from Liuxia Continent, Dragon Gate realm."
"Xuan Shen from Jinjia Continent, Golden Core realm."
In addition, from Sword Qi Great Wall's side, there were Pang Yuanji, Dong Bude, Si Tu Weiran, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, and Guo Zhujiu.
And Chen Ping'an.
The happiest one was Guo Zhujiu, because her teacher was there too.
She squatted beside her teacher—one big, one small, both with hands in their sleeves—clearly family.
And the most nervous one was, of course, Gu Jianlong.
When her teacher announced his name and realm, Guo Zhujiu started clapping vigorously.
"Chen Ping'an, Lower Fifth Realm."
Chen Ping'an turned to his disciple and said, "Steady."
Guo Zhujiu nodded emphatically.
Lin Junbi said, "Even if these demon beasts retreat now, there's definitely another wave of sword cultivators coming to challenge us. That's probably why we're gathered here. We need to think about as many possibilities as possible, and our countermeasures. The situation is extremely tight. Aside from Sword Immortal Mi, none of us are high in realm, so our responsibility is really just to fill in the gaps. We can't help with the big things, but if we pool our wisdom, we might be able to help a little."
While Lin Junbi was speaking, Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged at the edge of the scroll, holding his folding fan, lightly tapping it against his palm, staring at the battlefield depicted on the scroll.
Lin Junbi looked at Mi Yu, who actually felt quite uncomfortable but still smiled and nodded.
Mi Yu was no more at ease than Gu Jianlong.
Then Lin Junbi looked at the Second Manager.
Chen Ping'an didn't look up. He smiled. "Let those who can do more work. Junbi, give the orders."
Lin Junbi was a bit unaccustomed to it.
But he didn't hesitate unduly. Matters had their priorities. Right now, Lin Junbi felt like he was seated beside the chessboard, playing against the entire Barbarian Wilderness. Every bit he could help Sword Qi Great Wall win was a gain for himself and the Shao Yuan Dynasty.
So Lin Junbi didn't hesitate. After thinking briefly, he started assigning tasks to everyone.
He had Pang Yuanji and Dong Bude be responsible for cataloging and categorizing all the natal flying swords and abilities of their sword immortals. Si Tu Weiran and Deng Liang would record the enemy cultivators' half-immortal soldiers and key dharma treasures. Xuan Shen and Song Gaoyuan would keep track of the losses and gains of both sides' flying swords and treasures. Cao Gun and Wang Xinshui would pay attention to changes in the demon cultivator battle formations. If they could spare the attention, they should also look for high-level enemy cultivators who might be hiding their cultivation...
Chen Ping'an looked at Gu Jianlong and greeted him, "Brother Gu, what a coincidence. Life is full of unexpected reunions."
Gu Jianlong scampered over to squat beside Chen Ping'an, full of righteous spirit. "Are you kidding? How dare I let the Second Manager call me Brother Gu? Call me Little Gu!"
On the city wall's horse path, low tables were set up one after another. Everyone sat cross-legged. Mi Hu was responsible for copying documents that had been gathered once and handing them to Guo Zhujiu to distribute, so everyone could read and share information.
As for crucial intelligence, since they weren't far apart, they could just speak directly.
Only Chen Ping'an had no substantial task.
The reason was simple. After Lu Zhi sent people to bring the tables and writing materials, she had said one thing.
"From this moment on, Chen Ping'an is the new Hidden Official of Sword Qi Great Wall."
Mi Hu was quite helpless.
Pang Yuanji felt relieved. As long as he wasn't the one succeeding the Hidden Official, he didn't care who it was. That it was the Second Manager was the best possible outcome.
Lin Junbi's expression was complex but fleeting. His conjecture grew firmer—the recent changes in how sword immortals drew their swords and adjusted formations were undoubtedly this man's advice.
Gu Jianlong had to force a smile.
Guo Zhujiu's solitary applause sounded like thunder.
And the youngest, lowest-realm Hidden Official in the history of Sword Qi Great Wall stood up, accepted the ancient jade token symbolizing the Hidden Official's identity, shook his sleeves, and sat back down, hanging the token at his waist, flanking his Sword-Nurturing Gourd on either side. On his desk, besides brush and ink, there were stacks of blank ledgers waiting for his pen, and the closed bamboo folding fan.
Chen Ping'an interlaced his fingers, looking at the familiar arrangement on his desk. He smiled slightly, feeling excellent—as if he hadn't even unleashed his natal flying sword, yet was already seated in his own small world.
What new Hidden Official?
It was nothing more than turning from an honest little traveling stick-peddler into an even more adept accountant.