Chapter 842: A Sword Comes from the West, an Immortal Flies from Beyond the Heavens

Before the hour of the Rat arrived, the area outside the Forbidden City was already teeming with people; rows upon rows of lanterns illuminated the surroundings bright as day.

Martial artists naturally possessed strong night vision, but no one would complain that the light was too bright.

Moreover, for the rather lofty "Purple Forbidden Peak," this bit of light was barely enough to see by.

The visual situation was much like those grand scenes in stories that deliberately take place at night to save money.

Furthermore, the heavens seemed uncooperative; the sky was overcast with dense clouds, the moon nowhere to be seen.

There was the Purple Forbidden Peak, but no night of the full moon.

Heavy hoofbeats sounded once more, and Lü Bu and his cavalry, who had been resting outside the city until the appointed time, arrived.

They still maintained an incomparably full state of readiness.

The cavalry did not draw too close; Lü Bu rode forward alone on a single horse, the crowd parting to clear a path for him.

Arriving beneath the city tower, Lü Bu looked up, did not see Jia Rong's figure, and frowned slightly.

But he did not say much; he dismounted and leapt up.

His body soared skyward at extreme speed, then abruptly halted at the top of the city tower. There was none of the carefree, drifting grace many martial artists display when performing lightness skills; instead, it brought to mind a giant siege crossbow bolt.

For many people, Lü Bu was known only by reputation; this now counted as the first time they had seen Lü Bu "make a move."

Just like his appearance, it was simple and decisive.

A typical battlefield martial artist, a super fierce general.

This type of martial artist was comparatively more common in the Great Cauldron.

"Hm?" Arriving at the "Purple Forbidden Peak" decisive battle site, Lü Bu's eyes narrowed slightly.

The top of the city tower was a hip-and-gable roof, but the slope was very low; the angle formed by the two sloping sides was around one hundred fifty degrees, and the four corners of the surrounding gallery curled up slightly.

Although Jia Rong had not come, a chessboard had already been set up here.

Not the Go that those resourceful, near-demonic strategists and advisors — the ones with plans within plans, I see through your plan, I see through you seeing through my plan, I see through you seeing through me seeing through your plan — often play.

But a Xiangqi board, with the pieces already arranged, one side black, one side red.

Lü Bu did not understand why Jia Rong would set up a chessboard here; even if he did set one up, shouldn't it be a black-and-white Go board?

Many strategists and advisors, including Chen Gong in Lü Bu's own camp, had chessboards and Go endgame positions set up at home.

Including but not limited to places like studies, corridors, courtyards, and the like — all had Go boards.

Lü Bu had once asked Chen Gong: "You clever people, why do you have Go boards everywhere?"

Chen Gong smiled without speaking.

Although Lü Bu was not very good at Go, he understood the meaning of Chen Gong's smile; without a second word he gave Chen Gong a beating, then asked afterward: "Where's your board?"

Later, only one Go set remained in Chen Gong's house, kept in the study, unseen by outsiders.

If a Go board had been placed on the roof, Lü Bu would have flipped it without a second word.

But Xiangqi — Lü Bu looked at it with considerable interest for a few more glances.

Just as Lü Bu was looking, the dense clouds that had blanketed the sky suddenly dispersed, and a full moon hung in the heavens; for some reason, everyone felt tonight's bright moon was exceptionally large, and the moonlight it cast exceptionally bright.

Moonlight plus candlelight — even ordinary people could clearly see Lü Bu atop the city tower.

"He's here!"

Lü Bu's gaze shifted from the Xiangqi board; he raised his head and looked toward the sky in the direction of the imperial palace interior.

There, a white-clad figure was stepping through the void, approaching.

Moonlight fell on the newcomer, making him look like an immortal among men.

Utterly different from the domineering air revealed in Lü Bu's crisp, clean manner, the Jia Rong who appeared displayed carefree, drifting elegance — and lofty superiority.

Yes, the moment they saw "Jia Rong," everyone's feeling was that this person had descended from the heavens, like a celestial being.

Tang Luo stood with hands clasped behind his back, step by step; he seemed slow, but in just a few breaths he arrived before Lü Bu.

Between the two of them was that Xiangqi board.

"The hour of the Rat has arrived," Lü Bu said, slowly reaching for the Sky-Piercing Halberd strapped to his back.

In the current world, there were few who could make him directly employ the Sky-Piercing Halberd; without a doubt, the Jia Rong before him absolutely counted as one.

Unrelated to those rumors, merely seeing the other party step through the void toward him, Lü Bu knew this was a rare opponent.

The battle flame in his eyes was about to ignite.

"Wait." Tang Luo stopped the eager Lü Bu. "Before we begin, how about you and I play a hand-talk game?"

The audience below all held their breath in silence; hearing these words, they thought: Hand-talk?

Could it be there's also a Go board on the roof?

Sharp-eyed people had already noticed the chessboard between the two; only, that one didn't seem to be Go, did it?

They hadn't seen any boxes for black and white stones.

Lü Bu was silent for a short while, then said: "Only Go is called hand-talk."

"Starting today, Xiangqi is too." Tang Luo waved a hand, domineering beyond compare, daring to be the first under heaven.

Just used in the wrong place, making Lü Bu a bit unaccustomed.

He had come to fight, not to play chess; he knew Go, he also knew Xiangqi, merely neither was he skilled at.

"Why play chess?" Lü Bu asked, feeling his temper had never been this good before.

He was originally a domineering, proud man, yet he had run into someone who appeared reserved but was equally proud to the bone.

So Lü Bu lowered his temper a little.

Not because he bullied the weak and feared the strong, but because a kindred spirit is hard to find, and a good opponent even harder.

The Five Elite Generals, the Five Tiger Generals, the Xiahou brothers — these could only count as half an opponent — added together they count as half.

The Jia Rong before him was a complete one.

Lü Bu did not want this battle to leave regrets; he also hoped for more exhilarating battles in the future, to climb to the peak of the Martial Dao.

"For publicity," Tang Luo said.

"What?" Lu Bu didn't quite understand.

"Anyway, play chess first. The fight after we finish, I won't let you down," Tang Luo said.

"Fine."

Lu Bu nodded and sat down straightforwardly.

Tang Luo also sat down.

"You first," Tang Luo said.

Lu Bu didn't say another word and played a Central Cannon opening, a very classic start.

Tang Luo naturally mounted his horse in response.

"What's going on?"

"They actually started a match?"

"It's not a match, it's playing Xiangqi."

The audience outside the palace discussed animatedly: we came to watch a fight, oh no, to watch the Martial Dao Contention, the battle for the title of World's Number One Expert, and you're actually playing chess?

And it's Xiangqi at that — if you've got the skill, play Weiqi!

The two played at a decent pace; Lu Bu's level was average, Tang Luo's was also quite average.

They soon entered the piece-trading phase — you take mine, I take yours — eating away until they were practically down to bare kings.

Finally, with the maneuver of "General flying straight across to take the opposing General," the game ended — a match that would make geniuses like Zhuge Liang unable to look straight at it, wanting to gouge out their own eyes.

Tang Luo won by a hair.

"Can we start now?" Lu Bu said to Tang Luo; his patience was basically exhausted.

Tang Luo nodded, stood up, and Xuan Bian appeared in his hand; with a casual sweep, it turned into a sword.

Lu Bu was somewhat surprised by Xuan Bian's transformation, but he didn't take it to heart.

At this moment, in his heart, there was only the word "Battle."

"Boom!"

The promised Forbidden City peak, the night of the full moon — the "peak" inside it instantly collapsed by half.

The city tower's roof collapsed by more than half under a single stomp from Lu Bu.

Lu Bu then appeared before Tang Luo amid howling gales, the Sky-Piercing Halberd in his hand sweeping horizontally.

Sweeping Away a Thousand Armies!

Tang Luo held Xuan Bian horizontally, blocking at his side.

"Dong!"

A massive bell-like clang rang out, directly shaking many people into covering their ears in pain, bending over.

Those with weaker strength even felt a dizzying sensation, unable to stand steady, collapsing on the spot.

"Stronger than me?" Lu Bu maintained his sweeping posture.

The roof tiles under his feet nearly shattered.

You should know, the tiles here aren't those black tiles that shatter at a touch. Specially refined tiles are extremely thick and solid, not light either — even if thrown from here to the ground, they wouldn't shatter.

The tiles under Lu Bu's feet shattered, but the tiles under Tang Luo's feet remained completely intact.

This meant that when their forces collided, Lu Bu had unloaded some force, venting a thread of power outward.

Tang Luo, on the other hand, completely and thoroughly blocked Lu Bu's force entirely with his own power alone.

Don't forget, Lu Bu was the one attacking actively, holding the advantage.

This was the first time Lu Bu had encountered an opponent who, in a head-on contest of strength, didn't lose to him — even surpassed him.

The battle intent in his eyes blazed even higher, like burning flames; the heavy, massive Sky-Piercing Halberd rotated, and Lu Bu thrust a halberd strike at Tang Luo's chest.

A seemingly simple thrust, its follow-up containing countless variations.

Tang Luo's horizontally held Xuan Bian likewise rotated, meeting the Sky-Piercing Halberd.

In an instant, "ding ding dang dang" sounds connected into a continuous stream; only sword light and halberd shadows flashed, completely enveloping the space between the two.

Among those present, not a single person could see the two's movements clearly, let alone count how many times they had actually exchanged blows.

Dazzling, sword light and halberd shadows floating!

The sprinkled moonlight seemed to be swallowed by the dark Sky-Piercing Halberd and the black Xuan Bian sword.

The sword light and halberd shadows between Tang Luo and Lu Bu had already vanished, completely turning into a patch of darkness that couldn't be seen through.

Suddenly, the darkness shattered; Xuan Bian rotated as it flew upward.

"Is it decided?!"

Everyone's hearts jumped, watching Lu Bu's Sky-Piercing Halberd swing down, violent qi surging in all directions.

The Sky-Piercing Halberd hovered in place, only qi spreading outward; Lu Bu raised his head to look at the sky.

This strike missed; at the moment Xuan Bian was knocked flying, Tang Luo's figure simultaneously vanished — so fast that Lu Bu's Sky-Piercing Halberd had already swung halfway out.

Couldn't pull it back.

"Did he do it on purpose?" A thought flashed through the upward-looking Lu Bu's mind.

"Boom!"

Another sound of collapse; as this thought flashed by, Lu Bu had already leaped up.

The incomplete roof under his feet, along with half the city tower, thoroughly collapsed.

The crowd saw "above" the full moon hanging high in the sky.

Lu Bu raised the Sky-Piercing Halberd, thrusting diagonally upward; black qi coiled around his body, winding around the Sky-Piercing Halberd, like a god or demon.

And in the air above him, Xuan Bian was gripped in the hand of the vanished Tang Luo.

Time seemed to freeze in this instant.

No, not seemed — it truly froze in this moment; Lü Bu's figure, halberd raised in a diagonal thrust, stagnated in midair.

Tang Luo, gripping the Xuanbian Sword, turned blurry, dispersed, transforming into illusory shadows filling the sky.

Those illusory shadows displayed different sword-wielding attack postures in the night sky, then simultaneously formed black streams of light surging toward the motionless Lü Bu.

Black sword light gathered on the full moon, devouring the moonlight; darkness descended completely.

Like a lunar eclipse.

The darkness receded.

Lü Bu's incomparably towering figure fell from the sky; the Sky-Piercing Halberd in his hand shattered, his armor crumbled.

His helmet split into two halves, revealing the two red tassels exploding into flying blood-colored fluff.

In the moonlight, a glint flashed by.

Lü Bu fell into the ruins he had trampled out beneath his feet, vanishing without a trace.

"Above" the full moon, Tang Luo held Xuanbian, looking down on everyone from a commanding height.

On the night of the full moon, atop the Forbidden Palace, a sword comes from the west — a celestial immortal flying from beyond the heavens!