Chapter 29: 29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Liu Yan found Bai Tian at the cliff's edge on the mountaintop.

The mountain path leading to the summit of Luofu Mountain was rugged and treacherous; even she hesitated when facing this narrow, moss-covered stone trail, and she truly did not know how Atian, a severely injured person, had managed to climb up.

The moment she stepped onto the peak, the girl's moon-white figure caught her eye. Bai Tian stood before the steep cliff, her wide robes flapping loudly in the mountain wind, her waterfall-like long hair spread out behind her like a strip of black silk.

"Junior Sister Bai," Liu Yan called to her softly.

"Senior Sister Liu." Atian turned her head at the sound, the warm morning glow hitting her profile, gilding her beautiful features with a layer of gold, making even the fine downy hairs visible.

"Is it time?" She blinked.

Liu Yan shook her head; the Life and Death wager with Fangxiandao was set for the hour of the Dragon (7:00–9:00 AM), and it was currently only the beginning of the hour of the Rabbit (5:00–7:00 AM).

"That's good," Atian turned her head back, facing the ethereal clouds and mist before her once more. "Senior Sister, do you think it's beautiful here?"

Hearing this, Liu Yan looked around, seeing only lush greenery, an endless sea of clouds churning around them, and occasionally hearing one or two clear cries of cranes; it was vaguely the image of the fairyland she had imagined in her youth.

She had to admit that among the four great immortal sects, Fangxiandao truly had the best appearance.

"I once felt that seeing such scenery was a matter of course; later, I felt that not being able to see it was a matter of course," Atian's voice was as light as ethereal immortal music drifting from afar. "Tell me, which version of me is right: the one who can see it, or the one who cannot?"

Liu Yan did not quite understand the hidden meaning in Bai Tian's words, but she would not be easily stumped. "When my husband was alive, I felt that serving my husband and raising children was the most important thing; after my husband died, I felt that seeking the Dao was the most important thing. Junior Sister, which version of me do you think is right?"

"It was right at the time, and it will be wrong in the future," Atian turned around, her back to the ten-thousand-foot abyss. "It is right according to righteousness and ritual, but wrong for you, Senior Sister, yourself."

Liu Yan smiled. "In this world, how can right and wrong be distinguished so simply?"

Atian answered earnestly: "But I want to distinguish them."

"For these past two days, I have been thinking: was drawing my Sword against Senior Brother Zhu Huang that day right or wrong?"

As if she had not expected her to ask such a question, Liu Yan's eyes widened slightly.

"I did not draw my Sword because of Senior Brother Zhu's challenge; what truly drove me was anger."

Atian's speaking pace was very slow, yet clear.

"Senior Brother Zhu crafted the White Jade Sword with the intent to humiliate our kind. I could not accept this in reason or sentiment, so anger grew within me, and thus I drew my Sword, wishing to cut him down."

"However, anger is not my Sword Cultivation, and thus I was defeated."

"By the same token, humiliating others is not Senior Brother Zhu's Sword Cultivation either. In this battle, both Senior Brother Zhu and I were losers."

"This was not a contest between the Sword Cultivator Bai Tian and the Instrument Cultivator Zhu Huang, but merely a vent between two people, Bai Tian and Zhu Huang."

The girl's voice sounded like tinkling spring water, playing in the mountain forest.

"Then, what is my Sword Cultivation?"

"I am passionate about combat and yearn for the strong; this cannot be denied. It is my nature."

"I know I harbor killing intent, but I am not obsessed with the act of killing itself."

Another gust of mountain wind blew by, lifting her long hair.

"I am one who seeks the Dao."

"To kill out of anger is wrong."

"To kill out of contempt is wrong."

"To kill out of madness is wrong."

With every sentence, she took a step toward Liu Yan; after four steps, the distance between the two had almost vanished.

"When I drew my Sword, I had no respect for Senior Brother Zhu; naturally, Senior Brother had no respect for me either."

"This is wrong upon wrong."

She spoke very earnestly, and Liu Yan listened very earnestly, so she asked: "Then are you still going to fight him to the death?"

"I will give it my all."

Atian answered decisively.

After speaking, she passed by Liu Yan and stepped onto the path down the mountain.

The winding mountain path was like a long and dangerous trial. Carrying Wanjie on her back, she walked on the path covered in moss and weeds, looking back every three steps, like an ordinary traveler worried about the difficult road ahead.

By the time she reached the end of the mountain path, the aura about her had grown stronger by a fraction.

Atian continued to walk forward; with every step she took, her aura grew stronger by a fraction. By the time she reached the spot where she had sparred with Zhu Huang that day, her aura had climbed to its peak.

There was still some time before the hour of the Dragon, but the other protagonist was already waiting there.

Zhu Huang was not wearing the uniform purple Daoist robes of Fangxiandao, but instead a gray hemp garment. Compared to the dashing, romantic air he had forced that day, he now had a touch of reality.

He had not had a good time these past two days.

Falling from a rising star surrounded by everyone to a coward whom everyone shouted to beat was a matter of a blink of an eye. His master, Fang Luo, was utterly disappointed in him, the junior brothers and sisters who usually fawned over him had disappeared, and the Life and Death wager promised by the leaders of the two sects was more like a death warrant. In the eyes of many, he, Zhu Huang, was likely already a dead man.

Even he himself thought so.

Zhu Huang did not regret ambushing Bai Tian, nor did he regret accusing her in public of being a "Demon Seed." His jealousy and hatred for Sword Cultivators had become a Heart Demon, and the Imitation Wuwu Sword was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Zhu Huang's Heart Demon was, in fact, also the Heart Demon of his master, Fang Luo, or rather, the shared Heart Demon of the Instrument Cultivator lineage.

In Zhu Huang's eyes, this group of high-and-mighty Sword Cultivators was like a great mountain pressing down on his head, constantly mocking them, the Instrument Cultivators, as nothing more than a group of self-righteous imitations, pressing him until he could not breathe.

Therefore, when he judged that Bai Tian might harbor Demonic Thought, he attacked without hesitation. At that moment, the psychological satisfaction even overcame his reason and fear.

However, he was now nothing more than a man waiting to die.

The beginning of the hour of the Dragon had passed; it was now the hour of the Dragon.

Atian took out a hair ribbon to tie up her loose hair, lowered her head to straighten her collar, which had been ruffled by the wind, unslung Wanjie, held it in her hand, and walked before Zhu Huang, bowing solemnly.

"Bai Tian of the Beihai Sword Sect, wishes to learn from Senior Brother Zhu's exquisite Sword Technique."

"Tell me, is this some new way of humiliating me?" Zhu Huang asked with a mocking laugh. "I say, Junior Sister Bai, stop playing these games. If you want to kill or carve me up..."

His voice stopped abruptly. Facing Bai Tian, who had straightened her body again, Zhu Huang could not utter a single word.

Her face was still pale from the injuries she had sustained, but her eyes were startlingly bright. He could feel that her words just now were not the humiliation and sarcasm he had expected, nor were they the anger and contempt he had felt that day; at this moment, she truly, from the bottom of her heart, felt that his Sword Technique was exquisite.

A Sword Cultivator thinking an Instrument Cultivator's Sword Technique was exquisite.

Zhu Huang was stunned, completely and utterly stunned; he could not even find his own voice.

He instinctively felt that this was a ridiculous dream, yet his reason was beating drums and gongs to tell him this was reality.

"... What is this," after a long while, he covered his face and said hoarsely, "how am I supposed to curse you in Avici Hell like this?"

Atian continued to look at him.

"You said you wanted to experience my Sword Technique, right?" Zhu Huang took his hand away and drew the White Jade Sword from his waist, "Then step back a little."

Atian retreated a few steps as requested, not worried in the slightest that the other party would take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

Zhu Huang glanced at her, then slammed the Sword in his hand into the ground with a fierce force!

"Crack!"

The White Jade Sword, which had withstood many slashes from Wanjie, was covered in cracks from being smashed in its master's hand; shattered jade fell from the blade, revealing the dark cyan inner core inside.

"Crack!"

Zhu Huang smashed it again, completely shattering the outer shell, and took out an unremarkable iron sword from within.

"When I reached the age of twenty, my bones had grown and I was able to formally cultivate; my master gifted me this sword and taught me my first sword manual."

He skillfully performed a sword flourish.

"Junior Sister Bai, please."

Atian gripped the hilt of Wanjie with her right hand; she could even feel its pulse. As the blade left its scabbard, overwhelming fire lotuses attacked Zhu Huang, only to be blocked by the latter.

Then she once again experienced that airtight Sword Technique; Zhu Huang's sword momentum was like rolling mountains and rivers, and like a murmuring stream—while flowing like clouds and water, it was filled with killing moves at every turn.

Atian was far inferior to Zhu Huang in technique and experience; the last time she broke his Sword Technique, she took the path of using brute force to overcome skill, and this time, she chose the same.

Fierce flames coiled in circles around the black blade, the enchanting fire lotuses hiding murderous intent. Atian slashed hard against the impenetrable sword net, and before her strength was spent, she followed up with an upward strike!

"Clang!"

The sound of the two swords clashing echoed over the open ground; she took a step forward and began to press the attack.

The sound of the swords clashing became increasingly dense, until the loudest sound yet rang out; the iron sword in Zhu Huang's hand spun in the air and plunged into the ground.

The same process, the same ending.

What was different was the state of mind of the parties involved and Wanjie, which was thrust into Zhu Huang's chest.

"Senior Brother's Sword Technique is exquisite; I am far inferior," Atian said.

"What you say doesn't count," blood trickled from the corner of Zhu Huang's mouth, "The world knows that Sword Cultivators are far superior to my line of Instrument Cultivators; you are the darlings of the Heavenly Dao."

Atian blinked, "But the one who forges the sword is you, the one who learns the sword is you, and the one who wields the sword is also you; why bother with the cold remarks of others?"

"On the path of Sword Cultivation, walking alone is enough."

Zhu Huang was stunned for a moment, his legs went weak and he knelt directly on the ground, then he began to laugh in a low voice.

"Indeed... indeed it is..."

Then, he closed his eyes.