Chapter 31: Zhou Tian Sword Array

Su Ling cast a reassuring smile toward Mo Heng and Li Si, then turned slightly to cup his fists toward Qie Lan, "Princess."

Qie Lan held her wine cup, turned her gaze toward Su Ling, and said slowly, "Almost every soldier in this valley has had brothers, sisters, or parents die in the repeated battles against the Royal Clan. They are not saints; they are flesh and blood, with love and hate, and cannot simply forget everything with a wave of the hand. I can let go of my hatred and choose a wise path for the Jiuyi Tribe, but living in peace with the Royal Clan is not something that can be achieved overnight."

Su Ling smiled, "When the Master prompted the start of that war, he must have already foreseen this. Three years later, since the Master treats the Jiuyi Tribe in this manner, he must have his own certainty."

Qie Lan nodded. Under the bonfire opposite, amidst a sea of dark military uniforms, that man stood out, his white robes whiter than snow, transcendent and poised, possessing an inherent ease in controlling the entire situation. At this distance, neither too far nor too near, one could not hear exactly what they were saying, but through the glowing firelight, one could clearly feel the surrounding, deeply guarded martial aura loosen and dissolve, giving way to a hint of relaxation, then sinking and disintegrating, finally being gradually replaced by laughter that was either forthright or heroic. Gu Qiutong kept ordering people to bring wine, while the Eastern Emperor stood idly in the army with his hands behind his back, smiling. The lake breeze blew, causing his robes to flutter; he was truly elegant and refined. At this moment, he was speaking a few words to Shusun Yi, who stood closest to him. Shusun Yi's expression changed time and again, until finally, he stared deeply at him, stepped back half a pace, and bowed his head with cupped hands.

Qie Lan withdrew her gaze and gently poured wine into her cup. The amber-colored fine wine swirled with the starlight from her fingertips, reflecting a faint smile. He truly had a sharp eye; he must have seen long ago that although Shusun Yi was a deputy general, his actual influence in the army was no less than Gu Qiutong's. Gu Qiutong was the direct commander on the battlefield when she was away, but for all these years, every decision of the Jiuyi Tribe was something she would inevitably deliberate and discuss with Shusun Yi first before making specific plans.

In recent days, she had convened tribal meetings several times, and everyone naturally harbored concerns, which was why there had been that half-true, half-false probing just now. It was a natural probing; she had signaled Gu Qiutong to stop it because she did not want to bring the conflict to the surface. Things are easier to resolve when handled slowly; given time, everything could be arranged more properly. However, for some reason, he had not only deliberately led Lou Fan to bring up the past again but had also exposed the hatred without any concealment, which was quite puzzling...

As she thought through this, peeling back the layers, she suddenly felt a sharp burst of sword Qi. Looking up, she was shocked to see over a dozen Jiuyi female warriors, each with their swords drawn, surrounding Zi Hao in the center. Su Ling and Mo Heng were both startled, and Qie Lan stood up to stop them, "It is the sword array that Qingming and the others usually practice; stay calm."

Although she said this, she had already hurried over. The Jiuyi soldiers rose one after another, and Qie Lan swept her gaze over them, "What is the meaning of this? How can you be so presumptuous in front of the King?"

Before anyone could answer, Zi Hao turned and smiled, "I just heard General Shusun say that the Jiuyi female warriors practice an extremely formidable sword array, so I was struck by a whim and wanted to see it."

Qie Lan's gaze swept across the generals; how could she not know they were trying to test the true strength of the Royal Clan? She smiled slightly, "Since the King has such refined interest, why don't I lead the female warriors to demonstrate it for the King?" She stepped forward and raised her hand to receive a sword; Qingming and Luan Ying could not help but step aside.

Zi Hao looked at her, the smile in his eyes deepening slightly, and he gave a slight nod, "That would be excellent." Su Ling stopped at the edge of the crowd and met Mo Heng's eyes; both of their gazes fell upon Qie Lan.

Qingming and Luan Ying retreated to the sides, one female warrior withdrew, and the twelve of them stood in their new positions. Qie Lan flicked her sword blade, her white robes fluttering in the wind, "This sword array is derived from the ancient Six Calendars' numerology, corresponding to the movement of the Zhou Tian constellations. I ask the King to kindly instruct us."

Zi Hao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, "If it is derived from the evolution of the ancient Six Calendars, then besides the twelve paths, there must be the twenty-eight stars to assist. Why doesn't the Princess complete the array and use your full strength so that we may enjoy it properly?"

Qie Lan was stunned, then beamed and smiled, "I shall obey the King's command." She raised her voice and ordered, "Qingming, Luan Ying, call the generals and set the array!"

The two female warriors beside her accepted the order in unison and passed it down. Twenty-eight more armored women from the army stepped out, each taking their place with sword in hand. Qingming held her sword with both hands and offered it to Zi Hao. Zi Hao smiled, "No need, if I have need of one, I shall take it myself."

In the field, the sword array was perfectly circular, with seven stars guarding each of the four directions, and the twenty-eight stars connected; the momentum was suddenly vastly different. Zi Hao stood quietly with his hands behind his back in the center. The two layers of the sword array rotated rapidly, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise. After several interweaving movements, the sword circle expanded instantly. The surrounding soldiers, forced by the sword Qi, retreated one after another, clearing a larger space.

Under the blazing firelight, the Jiuyi female warriors held their sword seals, their battle robes flying, their steps in unison. As their figures moved, they became indistinguishable, leaving only two circles of rapidly drifting sword light, with a clear, flowing radiance within three paces of the array.

Waves of sword Qi drifted from all directions. Zi Hao's robes moved without wind, yet he stood like a mountain before an abyss, appearing to ignore all things in heaven and earth, giving a strong sense of absolute stillness and emptiness. The surrounding sword Qi could not affect him. The formation changed instantly; the sword light suddenly burst forth, like falling stars under the night sky, flashing incessantly. Suddenly, the sky was filled with silver light, weaving and intertwining, abruptly transforming into an incomparably brilliant galaxy, shooting inward toward the center of the array like lightning.

The sword Qi whipped his sleeves and robes, blinding the onlookers. Just as everyone thought the dozens of longswords were about to pierce Zi Hao, the white figure in the array flashed suddenly. All the women were stunned, their lethal strikes missing simultaneously. The sword light lost its target, and as it retracted, the radiance scattered, revealing countless sword shadows. Unexpectedly, as the light faded, they saw that Zi Hao was still standing in the center of the array, as if he had never left.

Amidst sharp shouts, the sword array was activated again, its power even greater than before. Zi Hao closed his eyes slightly, and a vast starry sky was reflected in his heart. The star-patterned sword light flowed and alternated, endless and ceaseless. Its form and momentum were as clear as the palm of his hand. Suddenly, he put his hands behind his back and stepped in a reverse seven-star pattern, moving with ease amidst the sword shadows. Although the attacks from all sides were fierce, they could not touch even a corner of his clothing.

Seeing him act so arrogantly, a clamor arose all around.

After several rounds of this, a faint, light arc appeared on the corner of Zi Hao's lips. His star-like eyes opened suddenly, and he let out a clear, hearty laugh, "Lou Fan, after three moves, I will borrow your sword. Be careful!"

These words were deliberately delivered with internal energy, shaking the entire field; everyone in the valley heard them clearly. Lou Fan's thick eyebrows stood up upon hearing this. Although he was straightforward by nature, his martial arts were among the best in the Jiuyi Tribe. Most of the soldiers here had seen with their own eyes Zi Hao snatching a sword empty-handed outside the Wang Cheng that day. If that had been a surprise attack, this time he had given prior warning, making it a fair contest.

How could the Jiuyi female warriors allow their opponent to easily leave the array to take a sword? They all unleashed their sword techniques with full force. Unexpectedly, Zi Hao's figure was elusive, advancing and retreating suddenly. He stepped on the Jiao Star and entered the Dragon Abyss. After three moves, he suddenly shot backward from an incredible angle, and the two swords blocking his path missed him entirely.

Lou Fan was on full alert, and his reaction was not slow; with a clatter, his sword left its sheath!

But just as his wrist exerted force and the sword momentum rose, a slender finger had already landed on the back of his hand! With a burst of palm force, Lou Fan's five fingers shook violently; he could not hold on, and the longsword flew out of his hand, while he himself let out a muffled groan and fell backward.

Gu Qiutong, who was closest, reached out his palm rapidly, trying to help Lou Fan steady his footing. Unexpectedly, as their bodies touched, a strange, cold true Qi suddenly leaked from Lou Fan's body, shaking him back a full step. He had to use a heavy-weight technique to barely stand firm.

At this moment, Chu Rang and Sikong Yu shouted in unison, both rushing out from the sides to seize the longsword flying in mid-air!

A hand was faster than them!

A white shadow flashed, and the longsword seemed to have been in that hand all along. As the two forces attacked from both sides, the descending sword tip suddenly tilted slightly, and the two hands reaching for the hilt rapidly collided with the blade.

Both were shocked and withdrew their palms simultaneously. Zi Hao's lips curled slightly, and as he retracted the sword, his wrist flicked imperceptibly. He did not stop, but retreated suddenly.

The exchange between them lasted only a blink of an eye. The two female warriors who had blocked Zi Hao in the sword array had not even had time to return to their positions. Before their eyes, the white robes fluttered again, and Zi Hao had already appeared in the center of the array. With a smile and a slight shift of his feet, he brushed past Qie Lan and entered the fleeting gap in the shifting formation, somehow replacing her to stand at the central star position of the entire array.

Chu Rang and Sikong Yu only then landed on the ground, both seeing obvious shock in the other's eyes. On their palms, which no one knew about, a tiny, thin bloodstain was slowly seeping out, and the cold sweat soaking into it brought a sharp, stinging pain.

With the sword in hand, Zi Hao no longer wished to waste time. Because his left shoulder was injured and movement was inconvenient, one hand remained behind his back. At this moment, holding the sword with one hand, he suddenly drew an empty circle three feet in front of him.

The moment the sword tip was extended, the longswords in the hands of the Jiuyi female warriors stalled simultaneously. Immediately after, a humming sound of swords rose one after another; the swords in everyone's hands trembled for no reason, as if shivering under some kind of oppressive aura. An unrivaled sword Qi emanated from the center of the array, forming a perfect circle. The surrounding longswords were drawn by this sword Qi, no longer under the control of their owners, and flew together toward the center of the circle. Dozens of longswords nailed into one spot with a uniform, metallic clang, and the original wielders, including Qie Lan, had already fallen to one knee involuntarily, a feeling of being unable to resist surging in their hearts.

Only Zi Hao remained standing in the center of the array, a sword in his hand, his robes fluttering lightly. Not only the women beside him, but all the soldiers in the valley felt as if they were meeting their King. Even though they knew it was incredible, they had an urge to bow and kowtow; a sense of submission rose forcibly from the depths of their souls, causing the ten thousand people in the field to fall silent, holding their breath.

Jiuyou Sword Realm, King's Sword.

No one dared to speak. Under the night, only the light crackling of the bonfire could be heard. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something, looking at that cold, lonely figure by the lake.

Zi Hao stood alone with his hands behind his back, his gaze cast far toward the vast, boundless starry sky under the night. After a moment, he closed his eyes slightly and smiled faintly, "The Zhou Tian Sword Array is commendable. General Shusun, have you ever thought that by moving from the four-part division to the Great Expansion, there might be more potential?" As he turned, he looked at Shusun Yi. Those clear, bright words melted the ice and snow, suddenly bringing this strategist back to his senses.

Shusun Yi looked around and found that everyone was as if awakened from a dream; the momentum in the valley had been completely controlled by the other party. He took a deep breath to steady his mind and deliberated, "The ancient Six Calendars use the four-part method to define the twenty-eight stars, establishing the Zi, Yin, Chou, and Hai branches. The twelve middle-Qi points arise in accordance with the calendar, and the chapter-year cycle can form an array. However, the Great Expansion Calendar begins with the middle five; three subtleties give birth to four images. The two seem difficult to reconcile."

Zi Hao smiled, "In the Great Expansion Calendar's discourse, what is taken as the number of heaven and earth?"

Shusun Yi was startled and replied, "The number of heaven and earth is taken from the I Ching. The number of heaven is five, the number of earth is five. The five positions correspond to each other and have their own unions. The number of heaven is twenty-five, the number of earth is thirty; the total number of heaven and earth is fifty-five. Therefore, it completes changes and moves ghosts and spirits."

Zi Hao nodded slightly and asked again, "What is meant by 'three subtleties give birth to four images'?"

Shusun Yi said, "Numbers and images are subtle at three and four, and manifest at seven and eight. The hexagrams have three subtleties, and the stalks have four images; thus, the union of the two subtleties lies at the beginning and middle. The milfoil stalks are completed at seven, and the hexagrams are completed at eight; thus, the union of the two chapters lies at the middle and end. The middle pole resides between five and six; from the intersection of opening and closing, that which lies at the intersection of the chapter and subtlety is the ultimate of human spirits."

"With three subtleties and four images, how are the sun and moon recorded?"

"The stalks record the days, and the images record the months. Therefore, the stalks of Qian and Kun are three hundred and sixty, serving as the standard for the days. The use of Qian and Kun is forty-nine images, serving as the check for the moon's phases. One degree of the sun does not fill the full stalk; one phase of the moon does not fill the full use. The remainder of the stalks is fifteen thousand nine hundred and forty-three, which is the surplus of the twelve middle points. The difference in use is seventeen thousand one hundred and twenty-four, which is the void of the twelve new moons."

"When numbers and images are combined, what is meant by the change of the escaping path?"

"The escaping path is calculated by multiplying the hexagram rate by the lunar remainder, which is one hundred and forty-nine thousand seven hundred, using the forty-nine uses and twenty-four images to void it, and then reducing it by the hexagram rate, which is four hundred and ninety-eight, with a differential of seventy-five and two-thirds; this is the middle rate of the chapter and subtlety."

The two asked and answered each other regarding the calendar. The questioner was certainly at ease, and the respondent was also accurate and swift, without any hesitation, showing that he was extremely proficient in this. The surrounding soldiers did not understand and were all confused, but they saw Shusun Yi's expression change from thought to stupor, from stupor to shock, and from shock to joy, changing several times until he could hardly contain himself. Zi Hao led him to recite the calendar and calculation classics, while the tip of the sword in his hand tilted slightly, pointing out several array diagrams nearby. Shusun Yi's gaze fixed, staring at the ground for a long time without raising his head, muttering to himself, all of which were the deduction algorithms of the Great Expansion technique. A look of ecstasy slowly appeared in his eyes. When he finally looked up, his tone already contained a hint of seeking instruction, "May I ask the King, how does the four-part lunar establishment of the twelve earthly branches combine with the number of the middle five?"

Zi Hao was about to answer when he suddenly felt a palpitating pain in his heart meridian, stabbing like a sharp blade. His body stiffened, and he hurriedly used his longsword to support himself on the ground, his lips pressed tightly together, unable to speak for a moment. He concealed it in time, so even Shusun Yi in front of him did not see anything unusual, thinking only that he was lowering his eyes in thought, and waited patiently from the side. After a while, a suppressed, low cough was heard, and Zi Hao said slowly, "The number of heaven has five yang and ten yin; the number of earth has fifteen yin. The five resides in the middle of the yang numbers. Abandon the heaven five and hide it in the secret, combining twenty-five pairs. Therefore, the number of the Great Expansion is fifty, and its use is forty-nine..." As he said this, he paused slightly and retracted his sword, turning around, "Fifty is complete, and all things return to their original positions, silent and inactive. If one is emptied, the remaining forty-nine images and the number of thirty-six thousand will circulate and flow without end. The Dao of Heaven takes change as the unchanging; numbers begin from one and also end at one. Yin and yang transform, and there is only one. The ancient Six Calendars take the four-part method, while the Great Expansion is established on the middle five of heaven and earth. In reality, all methods return to one; all changes do not depart from their origin. This is the foundation of the array."

A trace of deep thought appeared in Shusun Yi's eyes, "No wonder just now, no matter how the array changed, the King was as if in an empty space, acting ahead of its path everywhere."

Zi Hao smiled slightly, "Correct. Breaking the array is like this, and establishing the array is also like this. The path of the Great Dao permeates all things, travels through heaven and earth; the vast sky, the boundless sea, the dust, and the grass are all the same. Knowing the one and guarding it, one returns to the perfection of the mysterious yellow chaos before it was opened. Obtaining the one and using it, there is nothing in the world that cannot be established, and nothing that cannot be broken."

Shusun Yi was shocked upon hearing this, as if he had realized something. After a long while, he suddenly stepped back half a pace and bowed deeply to the ground.

Zi Hao stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged. After the severe pain, his mind felt weak, and he suddenly felt exhausted. His brow tightened slightly, and he brought his right hand down. The wound on his left shoulder suddenly tore with pain, but his consciousness became a bit clearer, "Can you deduce the changes after these three arrays?"

Shusun Yi thought for a moment, "Taking the number of the thirty-six Zhou Tian of the Great Expansion, this subordinate understands."

Zi Hao said calmly, "Although this array is powerful, it lacks flexibility when used on the battlefield. Tomorrow, deliberate on it and select forty-nine soldiers from the army who are skilled in sword techniques for me to use." This was already an order, but Shusun Yi did not ask why and immediately accepted it respectfully. After a pause, he asked, "Does the King intend to use small arrays to assist the large array, taking the strengths of the four-part and Great Expansion methods to complement each other?"

Zi Hao nodded with appreciation, walked slowly toward Lou Fan, returned the sword to him, and smiled, "Thank you, General, for the loan." As he spoke, he looked slowly at the surrounding generals. Gu Qiutong, Chu Rang, and Sikong Yu were all silent, but almost simultaneously, they lowered their gazes and, like Shusun Yi before them, cupped their fists and bowed.

(End of chapter)