Chapter 53: Bamboo Grows from the Demon Well, Southern Border Rain Ceases

The Demon Well began to tremble.

Black mist surged wildly from the well's mouth, coalescing into countless demon faces that shrieked piercingly.

That drop of Patrol Angel Golden Blood was the root of the Demon Well's corruption.

Jiang Che plunged the Green Bamboo Sword Intent into it, like planting a seed into poisoned blood.

The poisoned blood tried to swallow the seed.

Yet the seed took root within the poisoned blood.

One inch.

Two inches.

Countless fine green roots spread along the cracks at the well's bottom.

From deep within the Demon Well came the furious voice of the Patrol Angel:

"Jiang Che!"

"It's you again!"

Jiang Che closed his eyes and did not answer.

He could not afford to divert his attention now.

This was not about overpowering the enemy with force, but about erasing corruption with life.

Slower than swinging a sword.

And harder.

His face grew paler by the moment, sweat pouring from his brow like rain.

Xie Tingxue stood before him, the Clear Snow Sword's light never ceasing.

The Demon Well continuously spewed out Demon Puppets.

Half-demons forged from villagers, beasts entirely woven from black mist, and lingering souls cast down from the Upper Realm Demon Domain.

The Green Blade Camp held the well's edge with unyielding defense.

The one-eyed swordsman cleaved one demon beast in two, yet his shoulder was torn open by another demon claw, ripping away a large chunk of flesh.

He cursed: "Damn it, these Southern Border ghosts are uglier than the Northern Border Barbarians!"

A young Wu Clan man thrust his spear: "Ugly or not, kill it!"

The two laughed back-to-back.

Aba Luo raised his Bone Staff and chanted an ancient Wu song.

Wu Clan women and children rushed from the village, handing bowls of medicinal decoctions to the wounded and planting torches into the rain.

The flames swayed but never went out.

Lin Xiaoman hid behind a rock, taking notes, when he suddenly saw a young Wu Clan girl stumble while carrying a medicine jar.

A black mist demon shadow lunged at her.

Lin Xiaoman's mind went hot—he drew his short sword and charged out.

He knew no martial arts.

Only a few self-defense sword stances.

His short sword struck the demon shadow—no effect.

The demon shadow's claw came down.

At that moment, a blade of light from a Green Blade Camp Sword Cultivator slashed through, shattering the demon shadow.

The Sword Cultivator cursed: "Little historian, you wanna die?"

Lin Xiaoman scooped up the girl, face ashen: "She'll die."

The Sword Cultivator paused, then laughed and cursed: "Fine. You're human."

After returning the girl, Lin Xiaoman's hands shook so badly he could barely hold his pen.

Yet he still wrote:

"Lin Xiaoman of the History Camp, left post to rescue one young Wu Clan girl, nearly died. This act shall not be exaggerated; one demerit recorded."

The wounded one-eyed swordsman glanced over and nearly spat blood laughing.

At the well's edge, Jiang Che's Sword Intent finally touched the core of the Patrol Angel Golden Blood.

Within that drop of Golden Blood, a blurred face of the Patrol Angel emerged.

He spoke coldly:

"You think planting a single bamboo seed can corrupt my Heavenly Blood?"

Jiang Che slowly opened his eyes.

"You're wrong."

"I am not corrupting your blood."

"I am making this land remember what it should grow."

As his words faded, countless faint responses echoed from deep within the Southern Border earth.

Grass.

Vines.

Ancient trees.

Mountain springs.

The poisoned earth veins began to resist alongside the Green Bamboo Sword Intent.

A tender bamboo shoot broke through the soil beside the Demon Well.

Then a second one.

The third.

Countless green bamboos grew from the black mud, piercing through the vines, absorbing the black mist, turning the demonic Qi into fresh green.

The Patrol Angel Golden Blood let out a scream.

"Impossible!"

"How dare the plants of the Lower Realm devour Heavenly Blood!"

Jiang Che said softly:

"Because this is not your Upper Realm."

"This is the Southern Border."

The green bamboo became a forest.

The Demon Well collapsed.

The giant eye at the well's mouth was pierced through by bamboo roots, turning into black smoke and dissipating.

The rain stopped.

Long-awaited sunlight pierced through the dense forest, falling upon the green bamboo covering the ground.

The Demon Puppets fell one after another.

Some died completely.

Some regained human form, lying dazed in the mud and water.

The Wu Clan people were first silent, then burst into weeping and cheers.

Apo Luo knelt beside the Demon Well, stroking the newly grown green bamboo, tears streaming down her aged face.

"The Southern Border lives."

Jiang Che tried to stand, but his vision went black.

Xie Tingxue supported him.

This time, she did not scold him.

Because she knew that without this sword strike, the Southern Border would have become an entrance to the Demon Realm.

Jiang Che leaned against her, his voice faint: "Is the well sealed?"

Apo Luo said: "Sealed."

Jiang Che breathed a sigh of relief.

Apo Luo looked at that Green Bamboo Forest, then suddenly said: "Jiang Che, the Southern Border owes you a favor."

Jiang Che shook his head: "You don't owe me."

He looked at those fallen Green Blade Camp soldiers, Wu Clan warriors, and Lin Xiaoman who had saved people.

"It was you yourselves who held the Southern Border."

Apo Luo was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Three days later, a stele was erected at the Southern Border Demon Well.

No swords were buried beside the stele.

Bamboos were planted.

Lin Xiaoman wrote on the stele:

"The Heavenly Patrol Blood defiled the Southern Border; the Demon Well sought to open."

"Sword Master Jiang Che planted his sword as bamboo; the people of the Southern Border defended it together."

"Henceforth, this place shall be named the Green Bamboo Well."

Jiang Che finished reading the inscription and smiled: "Nicely written."

Lin Xiaoman looked a little embarrassed.

Jiang Che added: "That record of demerit can be crossed out."

Lin Xiaoman's face reddened: "Young Master saw it?"

Jiang Che smiled without a word.

The rain over the Southern Border stopped.

But Jiang Che knew the Patrol Angels would not let it rest.

The severed crown at Tian Duan Cliff.

The blood devoured at the Southern Border.

These two debts, the Upper Realm would surely settle.