Jiang Chen dropped.
The moonlight shining through the ceiling seemingly froze the rising dirt and flames on the floor.
Huang Yuzao exhaled slowly. Scarlet droplet after scarlet droplet trickled down from his right arm that resembled the remains of a beast’s dinner.
The risk taken for the decisive exchange was unnecessary. Howbeit, the broadsword discipline Jiang Chen employed at the end was designed specifically for Punished. The discipline was designed with only one goal in mind – to kill whoever was in front. The damage Huang Yuzao sustained in the exchange demonstrated how much lethal potential it was built into it.
“It’s over.” Huang Yuzao concentrated his golden energy to his injured zone, staunching the blood. “Any last words?”
Mayhap Jiang Chen had become a corpse from the day he chose to learn “Drought Demons”, but his heart was well and truly alive. “Should’ve been a dragon.”
“What?”
“Should’ve been a dragon.” Jiang Chen kept his eyes shut. “Isn’t the Enlightenment that Daren Art practitioners manifest a dragon?”
The leader of Confucianism was considered the messiah of mankind and a former sovereign of the martial world. In Chinese culture, a common term for a leader was a “dragon head”. Without doing it purposely, Daren Art practitioners would manifest qi in the form of a dragon once they were considered a true master of Confucian arts.
“Indeed,” answered Huang Yuzao. He transformed the head of the golden python behind him into that of a dragon’s head. “To avoid His Majesty having qualms, I’ve never shown this form.”
Through the last half of their clash, Huang Yuzao had figured out how to work with the impact of “love is pain”, so he could utilise his Enlightenment again.
“You care so much for that wretched Emperor.”
“He’s a good Emperor… You should get to know him better.”
“That will be unnecessary. I’m soft hearted; if he’s truly good, I won’t bear to kill him.”
“… You’ve tried. While you’re formidable, this is all you’re capable of.” Huang Yuzao had his colossal golden dragon howl, violently dispersing the flames as though it breathed them. Rather, it appeared as though the flames were fleeing from the dragon. “Leave.”
From the ground, Jiang Chen enunciated, “Executioner.”
A third qi source burst from within the room, almost erasing Huang Yuzao’s dragon. Shitou vaulted up, armed with his usually plain cudgel that now resembled a pillar from heaven. The purple energy shrouding him put Huang Yuzao’s golden dragon to shame. Huang Yuzao had no time to show shock for death was already descending from above.
Jiang Chen exhaled slowly, then finally opened his eyes. “Farewell, Confucian’s leader. Your profound skills are no more.”
Jiang Chen stood up after the long rest to recover enough to not hobble. He certainly needed more than three days to recover from the attack Huang Yuzao caught him with, but time wasn’t a luxury he was afforded. Although his arms felt limp, he still had to pat down himself to maintain his appearance. “The poison you wrapped up has started to spread. Soon, they’ll take your life.”
Huang Yuzao, lying in his own blood had more to worry about than just the poison. His viscera were damaged from the venoms. His arm was cut. His shoulder had an open sword gash. He had burns all over from the blood bombs. Shitou’s strike at the dragon connected to him gave him an internal injury. All of these ailments beset him simultaneously.
”… That… was also calculated,” Huang Yuzao barely managed to say from his puddle of blood. “It was always part of your plan.”
Jiang Chen held his hands up in salute and bowed the way a disciple would when meeting the head of Confucianism. “I feel bad for defeating you the way I did.”
Maybe Huang Yuzao didn’t have anything to say. Maybe he was unable to speak.
Maintaining his bowing posture, Jiang Chen continued, “You’re too strong to fight fair against. Twenty years ago, I was no match for you. Today, the gap has widened even more. Thus, I had to be tactical. I hurt your shoulder first to beat you at Principle of Six Swordplay once, which opened the opportunity to use ‘love is pain’ and so forth, which eventually allowed me to disable your right arm.”
Jiang Chen’s plan was actually at risk of falling on its own face when Ming Feizhen’s blood bombs didn’t go off as intended. Ming Feizhen carried around a stash of them for self-defence, but, owing to the exorbitant cost of obtaining them, he kept a few duds. In reality, if you just threw one of them, people would duck or run. That was why only a third of them were actual explosives. The bombs were supposed to have done more damage for Jiang Chen’s final attack to have floored Huang Yuzao. Had Huang Yuzao shown no mercy in the final exchange, Shitou wouldn’t have been able to drop Huang Yuzao.
“Thankfully, everything played out the way I hoped for, and you lost.”
“You… were so confident you… could beat me with your… Principle of Six Swordplay?”
Yu Sihe’s teacher paled in comparison to him with Principle of Six Swordplay. Huang Yuzao hadn’t reached Yu Sihe’s level. Nevertheless, he was easily on par with the other top Confucian adepts. Nobody would ever believe Jiang Chen could beat Huang Yuzao at something the latter dedicated two decades to researching with his heart and soul when Jiang Chen joined Fiends’ Genesis.
“Every system starts from one small thing. Everything with a form cannot be comprised of smaller parts than its large form. As such, everything with a complete form cannot be exceeded.”
Looking at Huang Yuzao’s forlorn expression, Jiang Chen bitterly smiled. “Why not? My Gongsun family’s swordplays are innumerable. Principle of Swordplay was created by us and has been passed down since. Do you really think… I haven’t worked out all of its possible variations after a hundred years of exposure to it?”
Huang Yuzao went from disbelief to shock and then to disappointment, causing him to feel another jolt of pain from “love is pain”. He asked, “… Shitou…”
Shitou was as sound asleep as an infant.
Jiang Chen responded. “He’s incredible, which is why my son took him under his wing. Unfortunately, due to someone’s ill will, he can only stay awake for an hour a day, and expending too much energy will shorten that one hour. He likely would’ve fallen asleep mid-fight if he fought you from the start.”
Jiang Chen went through Huang Yuzao’s shirt to take the pouch that Nine Dragons Fire Jade was stored. “I will have to kill you now. Nothing that comes after this is your problem.” Once he physically examined the piece of jade through the pouch, though, his hand froze. He hurriedly pulled it out of the pouch. Indeed, it was crimson, had some fire energy flowing through it and a pattern on it, but it was definitely not the same one from memory.
“Ha… ha… I, too, have learnt… your deceitful ways… Why would I bring the real thing… when it’s so important…? Ha, haha… Kill me, and you’ll never get your hands on the real one… Ha…”
Jiang Chen slowly turned to Huang Yuzao. Huang Yuzao, needless to say, knew Jiang Chen was furious enough to kill him. Howbeit, he couldn’t ask for anything else when his skills had been erased.
“Good boy.”
Huang Yuzao opened his eyes to look at Jiang Chen. Instead of scowling, Jiang Chen was smiling from the bottom of his heart.
“Well done. Now, I can’t kill you.” Jiang Chen sounded as though he had a weight lifted from his shoulders. “You did the right thing. That’s how you’re supposed to combat villains, or you’ll forfeit your life. You’re a good boy. I should feel proud of you.”
Huang Yuzao felt the look in Jiang Chen’s eyes was the same way his eyes looked when he watched his students.
Huang Yuzao: Why…
Jiang Chen sealed Huang Yuzao’s accupoints, sleeping the latter. While he was at it, he applied the antidote and a drug to help with healing wounds onto Huang Yuzao despite himself still bleeding. “Hehehe… Hehehe… I spared no efforts in designing a strategy. Yet, I can’t kill you after crippling you. Heh, well done. Why didn’t I have a disciple as superb as you back then?” Jiang Chen gazed up at the moon. “The heavens take no sides. Destiny is not set in stone. He who wishes to wear the crown knows his destiny. Is it my penance for defying destiny…?”
Jiang Chen suddenly gasped up blood, yet he started chuckling afterwards. “Heh, I couldn’t even handle this much? Haha, cough, cough, cough, hahaha. I have to do better… I have someone waiting for me… Shitou, let’s get moving.”
***
“Just kill him.”
“Kill who?” A gentleman in a blue robe came through and saluted everyone immediately. “I apologise for the long wait.”
“Oh?” Mr. An scanned the gentleman as the gentleman surveyed him.
“Mr. An.”
“Mr. Jiang.”
“Long-time no see.”
“Long-time no see.”
It didn’t sound as though there was any enmity between them despite Mr. An just suggesting they kill him.
“Huang Quan, it took you long enough.” His voice overrode all other sounds in the dark chamber.
Jiang Chen lit up a fire roll in his hand, illuminating the freaky interior. There were seven “people” sitting in the nine seats. They would be perfectly normal people if they didn’t have empty eye sockets, a trial of blood left from either socket, skin comparable to tree bark, limbs that were crippled and minds that were empty. Instead of worrying about them, Jiang Chen took out a long stem pipe to light up for a puff. Once he was done, he saluted the person who just spoke out. “Jiang Chen’s respects, Grand Demon.”
The body in the eighth seat scoffed, “How arrogant.”
The others agreed, yet one person voiced, “Whoever killed Confucianism’s leader is qualified to speak. Did you succeed?”
“Yes,” answered Jiang Chen.
“Have a seat.”
Nobody dared to say another word as Jiang Chen went to assume his place in the fourth seat from the top – left-hand side. He kicked the body out of the seat and sat down.
Grand Demon questioned, “Huang Quan, are you sure you want to solo?”
“Of course.”
“I have never questioned your abilities. As long as you are confident, it is fine. You can select an executioner for the Jiangnan area.”
Jiang Chen put his palm and fist together in salute. “Thank you.”
“This is an era of turmoil. We shall correct this world’s course. There is no need for thanks as comrades who share a common goal.”
The eerie phenomena in the chamber disappeared, and the seated messengers fell silent once Grand Demon finished, indicating everyone had departed. Only then did Jiang Chen feel relieved. He knew better than anyone that Nine Nethers had no mercy to spare. The moment they found out about his weakness, they would eliminate him before he could become a problem.
“Jiangjiang.” Mr. An appeared adjacent to Jiang Chen out of the blue and draped his arm over the latter’s shoulder before he could react. He only needed a casual two taps to diagnosis Jiang Chen’s condition accurately.
Still, Jiang Chen smiled. “How can I help you, Anan?”
Mr. An tapped Jiang Chen’s shoulder again. “Careful. The path is slippery on tall mountains.” With that warning, Mr. An strutted off with his swordsman, laughing hysterically on the way out.
Jiang Chen exited the dark chamber once he was certain nobody was left. As soon as he stepped outside, he couldn’t resist the urge to gasp another mouthful of blood. He cast his gaze from the blood stains up to the apex, where the argent orb overlooked the capital. “Hahahaha.”
A man may be born with a hard hand, but that challenge puts him at ease. How dull is life if a man doesn’t challenge what is considered impossible?
Jiang Chen fired an arrow into the ether, where it exploded as fireworks. Now, the capital would find out that Confucianism’s leader had been captured alive. Today a firework decorated the sky above the capital. Tomorrow, anarchy would conflagrate the capital.
As he heartily descended the mountain, Jiang Chen sung, “Born a madman, I leisurely take the long road. The phoenix rises against the odds. What reason is there to laugh at Confucius?”
Glossary
Singing Satire on Confucian Ideals – I kept the literal translation so that we can gain some insight into the meaning of this line. The line comes from Li Bai’s poem “To the Royal Inspector Lu Xuzhou: An Idyll on the Mount Lu to a Folk Song”. During the Spring Period, a citizen of Chu State, Lu Tong (courtesy name: Jie Yu), grew disappointed with the political forecast, so he was called “Madman of Chu”.
Lu Tong wrote lyrics (not this poem) to dissuade Confucius from serving the imperial court of Chu State because he believed Confucius would only get himself in trouble. In the poem that this line derives from, Li Bai inserts himself as Lu Tong to express his dissatisfaction with the state of politics, as well as his desire to explore famous mountains and live the life of a recluse as Lu Tong did.
The last section Jiang Chen reads as he descends the mountain is a modified version of the original poem’s lines as an answer to the original.
Grand Demon – This name may be subject to change. If I translated on auto pilot, I’d translate it as something along the lines of “Heavenly Demon”. Considering the netherworld is hell, it makes no sense to translate it as so. They’re unlikely Buddhists, so “Mara” wouldn’t be the meaning here. “Heavenly” likely means the same thing in English when we say, “This tastes heavenly”. To that end, I’m rolling with “Grand” for now.
