Chapter 80: The Old Road of the Snowy Mountains, The Xiao Clan's Redemption Stele

The Kunlun Ancient Road was harder to traverse than anyone had imagined.

Above the snow line, the wind was like a blade.

The horses could go no further; they had to be abandoned and the journey continued on foot.

Half of the sleds prepared by the Wan Tong Merchant Association were damaged by the third day.

Many Sword Cultivators possessed cultivation, yet their lips still turned blue from the cold.

Among the commoners, Lin Xiaoman found it the most difficult.

Every few steps, he panted like a broken bellows.

Yet he clung tightly to the History Box, refusing to let anyone else carry it.

Xiao Cheng'an walked ahead, holding the Old Imperial Family records in his hand.

It was the Kunlun Ancient Road Map he had compiled from the Old Imperial Family Archives.

The map recorded that the founding emperor of the Old Dynasty had once ascended Kunlun along this road to establish a Covenant with the Heavenly Gate.

At regular intervals along the path stood a Redemption Stele.

The so-called Redemption Steles were monuments erected by the Xiao Clan Imperial Family when they sacrificed to Heaven in those days.

Buried beneath the steles lay the bones of the "Donated People."

When the first Redemption Stele appeared, the group fell silent.

In the wind and snow, a black stone tablet leaned diagonally against the cliffside.

Carved upon it in Ancient Seal Script were the words:

"Three thousand people from the western frontier were donated to exchange for the Snow Road granted by the Heavenly Gate."

Xiao Cheng'an stood before the stele, his face deathly pale.

He had long known the Xiao Clan was guilty.

But this was the first time he saw the crime carved into stone with his own eyes.

A flash of cold light passed through Xie Tingxue's eyes.

"Three thousand common people, exchanged for a single mountain path?"

Jiang Che said nothing.

He looked down at the base of the stele.

The snow was deep.

Yet it could not conceal that ancient grievance.

Xiao Cheng'an suddenly knelt.

He did not kneel to Heaven.

He did not kneel to Jiang Che.

He knelt to the dead bones beneath the stele.

He drew his Short Dagger, cut open his palm, and smeared his blood onto the stele.

"Xiao Cheng'an of the Sinful Clan Xiao, sees this stele."

"The old debt is not yet cleared; I record it today."

Having spoken, he stood up and said to Lin Xiaoman:

"Write it down."

Lin Xiaoman nodded; his fingers were frozen stiff, yet he still raised his brush.

For the rest of the journey, they encountered six more Redemption Steles.

"Eight hundred boys and girls were donated to exchange for the Fire Talisman."

"Ten thousand northern slaves were donated to exchange for the Golden Armor Method."

"Three thousand criminals were donated to exchange for the National Fate Technique."

Each stele was like a slap, striking the so-called founding achievements.

The group grew more silent with every step.

Every time Xiao Cheng'an saw a stele, he cut his palm once more.

By the seventh stele, his palm was a mess of flesh and blood.

Jiang Che stopped him.

"Enough."

Xiao Cheng'an shook his head.

"Not enough."

"Even if you bleed dry, you cannot repay it."

"I know."

Xiao Cheng'an looked at the Redemption Stele amidst the wind and snow.

"But at least let me remember the pain."

Jiang Che fell silent.

In the end, he did not stop him again.

On the eighth day, the group reached the old Sacrificial Platform halfway up Kunlun.

The platform was massive, half-buried in the snow.

In the center lay a deep sword scar.

The scar slashed from one end of the platform to the other, nearly cleaving the entire structure in two.

Jiang Che stepped forward, his heart trembling slightly.

These are the sword scars of Wine Sword Senior.

A hundred years ago, he slashed the Heavenly Gate here.

The Green Bamboo Sword hummed softly.

From deep within Snow Mountain, an extremely faint chime of a Wooden Sword also sounded.

Xie Wuya sighed with emotion: "A hundred years and the Sword Intent has yet to scatter — truly unrivaled."

Jiang Che reached out and brushed his hand across the sword scars.

In the next instant, a remnant Shadow surfaced before his eyes.

A hundred years ago.

Kunlun's sacrificial altar.

The Heavenly Gate swung wide open.

Countless Golden Armor angels stood behind the Gate.

A swordsman in blue, drunk and reeking of wine, staggered up onto the altar, holding nothing but a Wooden Sword in his hand.

From behind the Heavenly Gate, someone roared in fury:

"Mortal, kneel."

The blue-robed swordsman let out a wine burp.

"Kneel to your grandpa."

Then, a single sword slash was unleashed.

The altar split apart.

The Heavenly Gate crumbled.

The remnant Shadow dispersed.

Jiang Che couldn't help but laugh.

Xie Tingxue asked: "What did you see?"

Jiang Che said: "When Senior was young, his temper wasn't all that great either."

Xie Tingxue said coolly: "You're not much different."

Jiang Che was about to retort when he suddenly looked up.

From the direction of Kunlun Mountain's peak, a streak of golden light shot skyward.

Within the golden light, the Shadow of an enormous gateway slowly emerged.

Unlike the Remnant Gate of before.

This Gate had a frame, had door studs, had heavenly patterns, had a real, weighty solidity.

The True Gate.

It was taking form.

At the same time, a cold, indifferent voice drifted down from the peak:

"Jiang Che of the Lower Realm."

"Sky Patrol Hall has been awaiting you for some time."