Chapter 340: Discussion of the Demon Sword

For a moment, the four directions were in an uproar. Seeing Pei Ye charged down with his sword in hand, but Gan Zifeng, who had been sitting in the corner, was a step faster. He had already brandished his token and crashed into the inner circle: "Only two people may remain at Xianqiao Peak; no one else is to come within three zhang!"

He immediately turned his head and pointed: "Zhao Cheng, stop them! No one is allowed near Zhang Jingbi—Peak Master Xu!!"

The woman seen earlier was shouted to a halt three zhang away, and a young man had already blocked her path.

Gan Zifeng looked around and said coldly: "There is something suspicious about this. The Law Enforcement Hall is taking over; do not make things difficult for your fellow disciples."

The Law Enforcement Hall personnel, who had been hiding in the shadows, arrived one after another. Xu Shang stood where she was, her body trembling slightly, her face pale and vacant, her hand gripping her sword tightly.

Seeing Pei Ye walked up and watched the scene without saying a word.

Thanks to Gan Zifeng's quick reaction, no unnecessary people had approached. At this moment, the Qi in this area had been isolated. Yan Caiyue had not yet lost consciousness; his severed arm and abdominal wound had both been sealed, but blood was still trickling out in two shocking pools. His face was pale, and both pain and bewilderment appeared on his face; he seemed unable to accept the scene before him.

The man kneeling beside him was likely an elder relative. He kept his head lowered, making his expression impossible to see, but Seeing Pei Ye, standing two zhang away, could still feel a deep, chilling coldness.

On the other side, Zhang Jingbi had not moved since being knocked to the ground by a palm strike. He looked at the youth surrounded by the crowd with blank terror, and three Law Enforcement Hall members stood around him with cold faces.

"The... pulse tree is indeed shattered." The medical hall member stood up at this moment, his voice grave, "The injury is very severe... I fear..."

"Impossible!" Xu Shang stepped forward and shrieked, "How could Jingbi possibly shatter his pulse tree!"

The kneeling man turned his head abruptly, his eyes glaring fiercely at her.

Gan Zifeng moved two steps, using his body to cut off their line of sight: "The medical hall will not make mistakes in such simple judgments. As for what actually happened, the Law Enforcement Hall will conduct a fair investigation. There is no need for you all to say anything more."

Gan Zifeng dropped these words, turned to look at the people watching in panic from the four platforms, and said with authority: "Zhang Jingbi of Caiwu Peak has maimed a fellow disciple on the sword-discussion stage due to personal grievances. He is to be taken into custody by the Law Enforcement Hall. Once the full story is clear, he will be dealt with according to sect rules. Yan Caiyue is not in mortal danger. The sword discussion will resume after a half-hour pause. Swords have no eyes; disciples should take extra care."

The medical hall and the Law Enforcement Hall took the two away respectively. Zhang Jingbi's face was deathly pale, and he stammered in panic: "I, I didn't... I don't know... Mother, I didn't!"

Xu Shang rushed forward in a panic, but Gan Zifeng frowned and shouted to stop her again, having already raised his arm to hold his sword horizontally before her: "Peak Master Xu!"

Xu Shang stood still with a pale face.

Gan Zifeng said sternly: "You must also accept investigation. Be mindful of avoiding suspicion."

"..."

"It seems like a coincidence." Gan Zifeng walked out of the medical hall, and the young man beside him said in a low voice.

Gan Zifeng was noncommittal. He returned to the side of the stage and looked at it; two disciples had already resumed their duel.

Gan Zifeng watched for a while: "Do you see any signs of loss of control?"

"... No—everything was normal just before the incident."

Gan Zifeng sighed: "But I didn't react in time, and neither did the seniors from the various peaks."

Zhao Cheng was silent.

This was the most bizarre part of this bloody affair. Martial competitions always had winners and losers, and turning defeat into victory was not rare. But the masters of the Mystic Gate were sitting here specifically to look after the disciples, not to mention the suspicion that the Huan Si Lou might be lurking, for which the Law Enforcement Hall had arranged extra personnel.

Yet that sword strike was so abrupt and fast that it had already caused a tragedy before any of the masters could react.

Gan Zifeng turned his head: "Does Young Hero Pei have any sharper insights regarding the sword path? Do you have any thoughts?"

"You flatter me." Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a moment, "I was indeed watching this bout at the time... Is this sword strike part of your sect's basic sword techniques?"

"It is the 'Three-Story Sword' from the mountain gate's introductory level," Gan Zifeng said. "This strike is very simple; its only advantage is that it is light and fast. The vast majority of Kongdong disciples have learned it."

"Hmm." Seeing Pei Ye nodded. After being quiet for a while, he said softly, "The feeling this strike gave me was... abrupt."

"... Sudden?"

"Abrupt," Seeing Pei Ye said. "I think this is the fundamental reason why everyone was caught off guard. It wasn't fast in terms of time, but in terms of sword momentum, it had no buildup and no trend. It rose abruptly and quickly, yet it was terrifyingly precise, perfectly cutting into that fleeting weakness. It was as if someone had inserted a sword strike that didn't belong to the swordsman at all."

Gan Zifeng was silent for a moment: "Are you saying that someone might have controlled Zhang Jingbi's mind at that moment?"

"Mind-spirit techniques, I fear, would find it very difficult to achieve this level," Seeing Pei Ye said. Having stepped onto the path of cultivation for two months, his knowledge was actually quite meager, but regarding "mind-spirit" and "sword," he had indeed come into contact with their limits. "Moreover, I—the Zhanxin Liuli did not perceive it."

This term made Gan Zifeng nod in agreement: "Then what does Young Hero Pei think..."

"... Sometimes swordsmen do indeed use such swords," Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a moment. "Either through long accumulation leading to a breakthrough, or through a flash of spiritual enlightenment, they erupt with power far beyond their own in an instant—this is the privilege of those with excellent sword talent."

"... So Young Hero Pei also thinks it's a coincidence?"

"On the contrary," Seeing Pei Ye said. "I think Zhang Jingbi could not have used such a sword."

"Why?"

"Such a sword requires very dazzling spiritual light, and Zhang Jingbi had not shown such a level of sword path skill before."

"... But didn't you just say that 'spiritual light' is exactly like that?" Zhao Cheng couldn't help but ask.

"... Not exactly the same. Such a sword is not so easily attained." Seeing Pei Ye was quiet for a moment, looking into the distance. "Some people can use it, while others can never use it in their entire lives. Moreover, it relies not only on the swordsman's own talent and level, but also has requirements for the external situation—usually in a desperate predicament, during a moment of spiritual enlightenment... and so on."

"Zhang Jingbi, looking at him just now, was also under heavy pressure?" Gan Zifeng said at this time.

Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a moment: "I think... it was far from enough."

"So, you think this is not a sword that Zhang Jingbi could use himself?"

"At the very least, not so purely."

Gan Zifeng nodded slowly: "We will make a note of this. Does Young Hero Pei have any deeper thoughts?"

Seeing Pei Ye furrowed his brows and shook his head: "It stops here."

Seeing Pei Ye looked at the stage: "I think some kind of power was at work, but under the eyes of everyone, the stage was clean. And although this sword strike was far beyond his level, its direction was completely in line with Zhang Jingbi's own will—he was indeed aiming for that slight haste before the 'Bai Hong Chapter' sword strike."

Zhao Cheng frowned abruptly: "When he was on stage before, Xi Tianji mentioned this weakness of Yan Caiyue! Zhang Jingbi's position should have heard it."

"That is not a secret..." Seeing Pei Ye glanced subconsciously at the sword in his hand. "Many people can see it. 'Knowing' is not important; 'doing' is what is difficult to understand."

"..."

"If it was the Huan Si Lou's doing, what was their purpose?" Gan Zifeng said suddenly. "I remember the letter from Inspector Wuhe said that the Huan Si Lou steals souls and swords with soul beads. What is the use of crippling Yan Caiyue?"

"Perhaps, to fish in troubled waters." Seeing Pei Ye said in a low voice, "Your sect gathered disciples in one place and stopped the Mystic Gate from entering the mountain..."

Gan Zifeng narrowed his eyes: "After a martial artist's cultivation is crippled, is there still value in stealing their soul?"

"As long as the mind-spirit is not destroyed, it is possible."

Gan Zifeng nodded slowly: "I understand."

The conversation ended there, and the three continued to watch the two disciples testing their swords on the stage without a word, until their sparring ended, and no more blood was shed.

"I will go and make some inquiries." Seeing Pei Ye said, "Farewell for now, Deacon Gan, Brother Zhao."

"Farewell, Young Hero Pei. I am also returning to the Law Enforcement Hall to interrogate those involved."

On the lotus platform, Kong Lanting, Guan Qianyan, and the others were still sitting in their original places, but their faces were all a bit pale, and there was no more laughter.

Seeing Pei Ye did not go over. He waved at the little youth who felt his gaze from afar and beckoned him over.

Kong Lanting ran over: "Brother Pei, what is it—how is Brother Yan?"

"There is no mortal danger." Seeing Pei Ye said, "But in terms of cultivation, it may be cut off here."

"How could this happen..." The youth was stunned.

"How is Zhang Jingbi's talent?" Seeing Pei Ye asked directly.

"Talent... it has always been quite good. Now that he can learn the 'Fengshan Ming' by himself, he should be among the first-class in Kongdong."

"Compared to you?"

"A little worse—what's wrong, Brother Pei?"

Seeing Pei Ye nodded and told him his thoughts: "I feel Zhang Jingbi could not have used this sword strike, but I also cannot find where he was influenced—judging from this bout, he did indeed want to strike like that at the time, but he shouldn't have really been able to use it."

Kong Lanting looked at him blankly, his face suddenly turning a bit pale.

"What's wrong?"

The youth's voice became a bit hoarse: "Brother Pei, are you saying this sword strike wasn't used by Brother Zhang himself?"

"... What's wrong?"

"Could, could it be his sword?"

"... What?"

Kong Lanting hesitated: "I feel, could Brother Zhang have touched a 'living sword'?"

Seeing Pei Ye froze his brows: "What did you say?"

Kong Lanting had been looking blank, but under the youth's solemn gaze, he seemed to break free and return to reality: "Ah, it's just, a story... It is said that in Kongdong Mountain, there are some living demon swords hidden. They master Kongdong's sword techniques and wander in places no one can see... If, if you don't practice your sword well, you will be sought out by the demon sword that masters the corresponding sword technique... If you can't beat them..."

Kong Lanting's voice got lower and lower as he spoke, and he gradually felt that he was being silly, so he touched his head in embarrassment.

"... Then what happens?"

"... I don't know." Kong Lanting was a bit ashamed.

Seeing Pei Ye immediately understood that this was a necessary factor for an "educational story"—the fear of the unknown was the only thing that lasted long enough.

"Who told you this?" Seeing Pei Ye did not want to give up any clue.

"The sword-teaching instructor." Kong Lanting said, "However... it definitely wasn't made up by him. Many people heard it when they were young."

Seeing Pei Ye still did not give up: "Then have you been sought out by a living sword?"

Kong Lanting was immediately surprised and aggrieved: "I practice my sword hard every day."

"..."

——

Seeing Pei Ye arrived in front of the Law Enforcement Hall, and the sky was already darkening.

Bright candles had been lit early. Seeing Pei Ye walked straight in with his sword, his elongated shadow climbing over courtyard walls, garden trees, and eaves... and then disappearing.

Muffled, echoing footsteps began to sound; this was a tunnel leading underground.

But it did not go deep into a dungeon, because this was a mountain peak. After passing through this passage, the space before him suddenly opened up. The exit was on a cliff face, and outside was a patch of dark clouds and mist, from which many disconnected stone pillars broke through the mist, connected only by iron chains to the cliff face.

One could imagine that after the prisoner was sent up, this chain would also be disconnected.

"The disciple can calm his heart and repent on this," Zhao Cheng made a joke that wasn't very funny and laughed to himself, "This case is at Pillar Jia-Nine."

Seeing Pei Ye followed his guidance to a rather spacious peak pillar, where a wide stone cave had been carved out, and candles flickered inside.

Zhao Cheng brought him into the cave to the end, where a stone prison leaning against the peak appeared before them.

As soon as Seeing Pei Ye looked, he saw the youth sitting blankly inside. His limbs had been shackled with unknown magical artifacts, and every movement appeared difficult.

"Young Hero Pei, feel free to ask your questions." Zhao Cheng gave instructions and turned his head: "Zhang Jingbi! Remember, if there is anything incomplete or untrue, the crime will be increased by one degree!"

In fact, there was no need for him to intimidate the youth at all; the youth's lips and face were already the same color, like a cold, shivering quail in the rain, and there was no possibility of him putting up a desperate fight.

For a youth raised in his mother's doting, this was indeed the other side of the sect's cruelty that he had never come into contact with.

Seeing Pei Ye watched him quietly and said softly: "Don't be afraid, just tell the truth—you didn't intend to harm Yan Caiyue, right?"

"... I, I wanted to defeat him." Zhang Jingbi was a bit flustered, sobbing in a low voice, "... It, it is my fault..."

Seeing Pei Ye couldn't help but smile: "Did you want to injure him?"

"I, I didn't think that much..."

Seeing Pei Ye asked more clearly: "Look at me. At that moment, did you want to sever his arm, pierce his dantian, and make him a cripple from then on?"

Zhang Jingbi's face turned pale: "No! I didn't think that way."

Seeing Pei Ye nodded: "I think so too."

"..."

"Some swords require strong desire to support them." Seeing Pei Ye said in a low voice, "Then the second question, how did you use that sword strike?"

"Which, which sword strike?"

"'Three-Story Sword', one strike shattered Yan Caiyue's 【Guanri】, and also pierced into his dantian."

"... I just thought of his weakness at that moment..." Zhang Jingbi lowered his head in shame again, "I really wanted to win this match. I secretly investigated him and knew he had a flaw here, so I stabbed over..."

"Just like that?"

"... Just like that." Zhang Jingbi said in a low voice, "I don't know how I..."

"Did you feel any other power interfering with your sword strike, or anything wrong?"

Zhang Jingbi was stunned: "... No, I just felt this sword strike... was very smooth. If you give me another chance, I definitely won't be able to stab it out."

Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a while, rubbed his brows gently, stood up, and looked at the dark mist outside the peak.

Even though his intuition had been denying it, all the visible signs indicated that it was indeed Zhang Jingbi who had stabbed out this sword strike in a moment of spiritual light.

Seeing Pei Ye certainly did not want to believe in such a coincidence. He believed that the accident happening to Yan Caiyue at this moment must have been pushed by the Huan Si Lou behind the scenes. They had used means that no one could guess to create this incident, and what purpose did they intend to achieve through it?

Seeing Pei Ye lowered his head and thought about all this. A thousand threads could not be sorted into a single result, and his lips gradually pursed.

Finally, he sighed. The lamp light dimmed, and the chill of the autumn night permeated. Moreover, this was an isolated peak with thick fog, and the lonely cold stuck to his skin through his clothes.

He would put this aside for now and planned to go back to finish reading the 【Zhaoyou】, perhaps he could get some clues.

When leaving this lonely prison, his lowered gaze was suddenly drawn by something, landing on the lonely table under the lamp.

It was a sword, the Kongdong standard issue, the one belonging to Zhang Jingbi. After the Law Enforcement Hall imprisoned him, they put the removed weapon here for the time being. It would be handled more properly sooner or later, but not yet.

Seeing Pei Ye remembered the "Big Bad Wolf who eats children who don't sleep" story told by Kong Lanting, lowered his brows, and smiled, thinking that if there really were such a sword, it could indeed solve this problem.

He turned his head and was about to leave, but suddenly froze in place.

A chill rose from his heart.

He slowly moved his gaze back and examined this long sword carefully.

As a swordsman, Seeing Pei Ye was accustomed to sweeping his gaze over the other party's sword during their first meeting.

Many times, one glance was indeed enough to see and remember.

Only Zhang Jingbi's sword he had looked at twice, because a pink peace buckle was conspicuously hanging on the hilt. For a seventeen-year-old youth, such maternal care was obviously already a bit embarrassing for him, so after going on stage, that buckle could no longer be seen on his sword—Seeing Pei Ye naturally thought he had removed this cumbersome thing that made him the subject of ridicule.

But it was not.

On this sword that was still stained with blood, not only was the peace buckle gone, but at the end of the hilt... there was no iron ring for tying the tassel at all!

This was simply not the same sword.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 341 =====