Chapter 22: 21 Sword Like Frost and Snow, Spirit Like a Rainbow

21 Sword Like Frost and Snow, Spirit Like a Rainbow

Something is wrong!

Tang Zhao stepped into the inner room and his heart instantly tightened.

A thick fragrance rushed toward him. It was the scent of sandalwood, dense and pungent. Tang Zhao was almost choked by the stimulation for a moment and hurriedly covered his mouth and nose.

Even with the sandalwood so thick, Tang Zhao faintly smelled another scent hidden beneath the fragrance—

The smell of blood!

Tang Zhao's hair stood on end, and he looked around in alarm. The inner room was a reasonably spacious warm chamber; a kang was built on the south side, and Lord Xing sat cross-legged on it. A burner of incense was burning in front of him, smoke filling the air, and through the haze, the contours of his face were blurred in the mist.

Aside from Lord Xing, there was no one else in the room. He felt even more nervous, and following the masked scent of blood, he naturally looked toward the floor.

The floor was clean, without a trace of anything unusual.

But Tang Zhao always felt something was strange, as if... it was excessively clean?

The more he thought, the colder his heart grew. Tang Zhao raised his head again to look at Lord Xing. Through the smoke, one could vaguely see this lord with his head slightly lowered, appearing to be in low spirits.

Feeling that things were increasingly wrong, he hurried to the opposite side of Lord Xing and asked in a hushed voice, "My Lord, you didn't... eat Wei Zhangle, did you?"

Lord Xing suddenly raised his head. For a moment, he seemed to want to laugh, but immediately after, he regained his sternness and suddenly said, "Have you ever killed anyone?"

Tang Zhao was stunned and said, "Kill... kill someone? What killing someone?"

Lord Xing stared into his eyes with a piercing gaze, smiling yet not smiling, and said, "Killing someone, crack—"

He chopped his palm downward, "Like this."

Tang Zhao was even more bewildered and said, "Of course not. Why would I kill anyone?"

Lord Xing nodded and said, "Looking at your small frame, you couldn't lift a sword for killing. Do you know how to use poison?"

Tang Zhao was full of oddity and said, "Use poison? Poisonous medicine? Like arsenic or something?"

Lord Xing shook his head and said, "Arsenic? That stuff isn't enough."

Tang Zhao did not speak. He felt the person before him was truly strange and could not help but let his imagination run wild, thinking: If not arsenic, then what? Potassium cyanide? Pufferfish toxin?

Lord Xing watched him for a while, then lowered his head again and said nonchalantly, "Looking at your silly appearance, you really don't look like someone who would use poison. Using poison is a profound branch of learning. Those who use poison are even more sharp-minded and devious, because the most important tenet of using poison is the four words: 'indefensible and unpredictable'."

Tang Zhao naturally knew what he said made sense, but why talk about this out of the blue? Was Lord Xing's train of thought too strange?

Lord Xing said unhurriedly, "The so-called 'indefensible and unpredictable' means thinking of places people wouldn't think of. For example, there are two things in front of you: one is fresh fruit, and the other is prepared snacks. Where should one put the poison? Most people would definitely think snacks are made by people and fruit is picked from a tree, so it's easier to poison the snacks. However, someone who knows how to use poison would do the opposite and put it in the fruit..."

The more Tang Zhao listened, the more wrong it felt. When he thought about it carefully later, his face turned green, and his hand shook so hard he almost threw away the peach pit.

Then he heard Lord Xing laugh, "So we must be very careful with every move we make in this poisonous Spider Villa. For instance, I have carefully checked the fruit on my table, and there is absolutely no poison..."

Tang Zhao let out a breath, feeling his neck damp; he had actually broken out in a cold sweat from fright.

Immediately following that, as he ruminated on it, he felt a surge of stifled anger—

What was the meaning of this guy saying such a long string of words? From the moment he entered the door, he had been jumping from the sky to the ground, rambling on and on, leaving people confused. Was it just to toy with him?

Was this person too malicious and too bored?!

Then he heard Lord Xing laugh heartily, clearly becoming happy, and said, "How is it? Feeling much better now, right?"

Only then was Tang Zhao certain he was truly toying with him, and he said angrily, "My mood has always been good. I think it's you, My Lord, whose mood is not good. Is it because Zhangle didn't pass the test just now that you are like this? You are a noble of the Imperial Court; you wouldn't make things difficult for a child because of this, would you?" By the end, he felt a bit helpless, after all, thinking that his own life was in the other's hands.

Lord Xing did not mind and said, "This office will not blame him. If one must blame someone, one should blame this world—"

"This goddamn world!"

He cursed lightly and resentfully.

"I told him to go back first."

Tang Zhao relaxed again and said, "He really didn't pass? If this student were lucky enough to pass, could you let him go?"

Lord Xing said, "Whether I let him go or not doesn't matter. He said himself he had nowhere to go and wanted to wait for your results before making plans. Anyway, the Spider Villa is taking care of his food and clothing here, and he isn't eating my family's rice, so let him be."

Thinking about it, that was true. Tang Zhao said, "Please set the test, My Lord."

Lord Xing leaned back, resting his head against the cushion in a very comfortable posture, and said, "Do you see that box behind you?"

Tang Zhao turned his head and indeed saw a box about four feet long placed on the table. Then he heard Lord Xing say, "Open it and bring the thing inside over."

As soon as he opened the box, a sword was placed inside.

The sword was four feet long, the Sword Sheath was pitch black, and it was engraved with silver patterns. The pattern looked like a one-horned divine beast, the fine lines almost flowing like mercury. The divine beast's eyes were bright and its demeanor majestic; looking at it inspired awe.

Tang Zhao felt respect and did not dare to reach out to touch it, saying, "Do you want me... to take this sword?"

"Bring it over."

He cautiously reached out his hand and gripped the sword hilt. He only felt it was slightly heavy in his hand. He gripped the Sword Sheath with his right hand and looked back at Lord Xing again.

Unexpectedly, Lord Xing was also staring at him, his gaze heavy and anxious.

Tang Zhao was already a bit nervous, and being watched by him made him even more nervous; his fingers loosened.

Lord Xing opened his mouth, his voice so hoarse it was almost silent, leaving only the lip movement—

"Draw the sword!"

With a flick of his fingers, the sword body slipped out of the sheath—

"Good sword!"

It could be said that Tang Zhao had always studied literature and only played with paper and brushes; he had never played with knives or swords and should not be able to distinguish between good and bad, but everyone could appreciate the charm of a good sword.

The sword body was snow-white, bright as frost and snow. The sword hilt was simple and unadorned, pitch black and dense.

The blade and the hilt were clearly divided into black and white, like the separation of yin and yang.

At the same time, Tang Zhao's whole body shook—

This is...

Power!

Power from nowhere was gushing within Tang Zhao's body.

First like a spring, then like a mountain torrent, and finally like the Milky Way falling from the nine heavens!

Surging power filled every inch of Tang Zhao, inside and out, like mercury spilling onto the ground—it was pervasive, penetrating deep into his Bone and Spirit, from head to toe, from inside to out, radiating endless energy as if he had been reborn and become a new person!

This power was so formidable, yet it did not harm Tang Zhao in the slightest; he felt perfectly comfortable all over, at most experiencing some psychological imbalance because his mind could not adapt to the fact that he possessed such power.

In an instant, he gripped the sword in his hand tightly, feeling that he was invincible; the table and chair before him... even that person, could all be severed with a single sword strike!

Calm down...

He took deep breaths desperately, suppressing the restlessness in his heart, struggling to emerge from the wanton desire for destruction; this was exhausting, and he spent all his Heart Power to control himself.

With great difficulty, his body and mind lightened, and he was considered back to normal, though that surging power still remained within his body, feeling very pleasant.

"Were you just thinking about hacking me?"

Lord Xing suddenly said.

"Yes," Tang Zhao did not deny it; for one, he had always liked to tell the truth, and for another, it seemed that after gaining power, his speech became more direct and flamboyant, "Not just you, I almost swung it to sweep across a thousand troops just now. This sword is so strange... what has happened to me?"

Lord Xing's smile was brighter than ever, as if he had suddenly cast off a thousand-pound shackle, feeling more relaxed from the inside out: "This sword does not urge people to kill or destroy. Your desire to swing the sword is merely your instinct. To carry a sharp weapon is to awaken the heart of a killer; that is also common."

Tang Zhao said: "So my instinct is like this?"

Lord Xing said lazily: "It is already good that you can restrain yourself; even if you had really hacked me just now, I would have forgiven you."

Tang Zhao said: "Then I might not forgive myself. Why does this sword..."

Lord Xing did not answer directly, but instead said: "How does it feel to have power?"

Tang Zhao said candidly: "Exhilarating."

Lord Xing said: "Do you want to possess this power forever?"

Tang Zhao said with surprise and joy: "Can I?"

"Of course not."

"..."

Lord Xing became slightly more serious: "How could you keep power that isn't your own? If you want reliable, long-lasting power, you can only cultivate it yourself, one step at a time. Do you like Sword Technique?"

Tang Zhao blurted out: "Of course I like it!"

Lord Xing said: "Really like it? More than reading?"

Tang Zhao said: "Reading is also good... but learning the sword is the coolest!"

If asked why he wanted to learn martial arts in normal times, he would surely say it was for safety, for survival, for grasping his own destiny...

Those were real, rational, and immediate reasons, but when he possessed abundant power and the heavy stone pressing on his heart was moved aside for a moment, revealing his true heart, what he blurted out was—

It's cool!

That was the original intention he had cherished since childhood for learning the sword!

Lord Xing smiled, gave a thumbs up, and said: "Well said. Full of Spirit! I just like young people like you; it feels like there is still hope for the living."

Having said that, he sat up straight, suddenly full of vigor, with no trace of the lingering depression from before, and said: "If you like the sword, then learn the sword, starting from the beginning—practice the arts, practice the moves, practice the sword! Then ride the wind and control the sword, like thunder moving above the nine heavens, roaming between Bilu and Huangquan, holding up the sky with one hand to turn the tide when it is about to fall; it would not be a waste of your young hero's face and your generous Knight-Errant's heart."

Tang Zhao was lost in pleasant reverie and said: "If that could be..." Suddenly, he reacted and asked in surprise: "Are you willing to teach me Sword Technique?"

Lord Xing said: "That depends on whether you want to learn."

Tang Zhao said with even more surprise and joy: "Of course—"

Immediately after, he realized again: why would someone teach him Sword Technique when they were neither related nor acquainted?

Let alone Sword Technique, even for the most rudimentary fist techniques, one would have to spend dozens of taels of silver and pass an examination to learn them in a martial arts school.

There must be a price to pay for gaining something.

So that means...

Tang Zhao steadied himself and asked: "Does this count as passing the test?"

Just picking up the sword counts as passing the test? That is too simple.

In stories, one still needs to pull it out from a stone.

Then how did Wei Zhangle fail? Was he unable to pull it out?

Xing Ji said: "Don't be impatient. Hold the sword and stand still, one-handed. Feet apart, one in front and one behind—"

He directed Tang Zhao to change his posture, approximating the starting stance of a Sword Technique. Tang Zhao followed his instructions, feeling very relaxed due to the strength in his whole body, only the long Sword Tassel was dragging under the sword, so he had to hold the sword a bit higher to avoid it dragging on the ground.

"Just keep this posture, and let's chat. You can ask about your doubts. I am in a good mood today, and I will tell you everything I know; once this village is passed, there will be no such shop."

Tang Zhao was startled and began to ponder; he indeed had a belly full of doubts, but since Lord Xing told him to ask openly, he didn't know where to start.

After thinking it over, Tang Zhao, as if possessed, blurted out: "My Lord, the person hiding in the bushes shooting arrows that day... was it you?"