Chapter 514: 468 Wings

Tang Zhao and Zhang Rong listened from outside, both speechless for a moment.

They hadn't expected this "Sun-Holding Envoy," who had come to the Human World with the Disciple of Clouds Return, to have such a temperament; it was quite a surprise.

The two pushed open the door and entered the room.

This room was much like the one belonging to the Disciple of Clouds Return, originally a cellar of the Training Camp that had been converted; aside from a transparent fence in the middle, it had no special "prison" furnishings, and like any ordinary room, it contained a table, chairs, and a bed.

Outside the transparent fence of the room stood two soldiers, one on the left and one on the right, like stone pillars; inside the fence sat a young man who was truly bright-eyed and imposing, a rare and handsome man.

This was Tang Zhao's first time seeing this Sun-Holding Envoy, and his heart stirred: although he couldn't tell if the other party was still human, there was indeed a feeling of "sunlight" rushing toward him.

He saw that this person was only slightly surprised, but upon seeing Tang Zhao, the man was greatly alarmed, jumping up all at once with a blank stare, as if he had seen a living ghost.

Tang Zhao asked curiously, "Have we met?"

The man did not answer, only studying Tang Zhao intently, until he finally said bitterly, "So... it is actually you. That makes sense then."

What kind of statement was that? Why did it sound like something out of a melodramatic play?

Tang Zhao confirmed once more that it was indeed his first time seeing him, and repeated, "Have you seen me before?"

The man said, "Although I haven't, I have long wanted to. Originally, I thought I had a slim chance, but it seems fate was not with me, though it seems fate did not choose the wrong person either." He straightened his clothes, composed himself, and bowed, saying, "Sun-Holding Envoy Zheng Yun greets the Jinwu Sword."

This turn of events was truly abrupt, but upon reflection, it was within reason.

Tang Zhao realized, smiling, "No need for formalities, you have mistaken me for someone else."

That Zheng Yun stood up and said, "Sir, there is no need to deny it. I am a Sun-Holding Envoy who has received the feather of the Jinwu Spirit; how could I fail to recognize the aura of the Jinwu Sword? When I was at the Qianxian before, I felt a trace of the Jinwu Sword's aura by chance when I approached the Jianmu, and I wanted to get closer. Otherwise, I would not have persuaded Du Xiaoyi to come to the Human World together."

He shook his head and said, "It's just that at the time, I thought the Jinwu Sword had emerged but had no Sword Guest yet, so I intended to try my luck, not expecting that I had only sensed a new Jinwu Sword Guest. Seeing you are such a talent, I have no more doubts. Truly, what is meant to be will be; what is not meant to be cannot be forced."

He added very solemnly, "You don't need to worry that I won't submit; I have long been prepared. If I can be the Jinwu Sword, I will be; if I cannot, I will assist the Jinwu Sword and become the wings of the Jinwu Sword. This is my fate, and I am very willing. Unless you are even worse than the people of Clouds Return."

Zheng Yun smiled and said, "Being worse than Clouds Return is not easy, is it?"

Just as he said, his attitude was very peaceful at this moment; from shock to regret to acceptance, this turn was incredibly smooth, with nothing getting stuck, just as his bragging earlier had been very smooth.

Perhaps he was just that kind of broad-minded person who didn't make things difficult for himself.

To be able to continue living among that group after serving as a "Sun-Holding Envoy" in Clouds Return, one must either be a broad-minded person like him, or one would likely be assimilated by Clouds Return and become a madman.

Zheng Yun was not a madman; he was open-minded: if he could become the Jinwu Sword, that would be good, but if he couldn't, there was another Jinwu Sword before him, so he could leave Clouds Return and find a new boss, changing to a more promising job—wasn't that also a good thing?

Tang Zhao could actually feel his optimism, thinking that he was worthy of being a Sun-Holding Envoy, someone recognized by the legacy of the Jinwu Sword, and also sunny and cheerful.

If he had truly been given the chance to obtain the Jinwu Sword in his youth, perhaps he really could have been recognized and become a Jinwu Sword Guest?

It was a pity he had no such opportunity.

Tang Zhao explained, "You really have misunderstood. Actually, like you, I also obtained a portion of the Jinwu Sword's legacy, which is why I am stained with the aura of the Jinwu Sword. However, I inherited more, so I look more like the Jinwu Sword, but in fact, I am not the genuine one."

Zheng Yun was half-doubting, when Zhang Rong suddenly waved his hand, letting the two soldiers who had been standing there leave; the door was closed, and only three people remained in the room. He spoke, "Actually, we do have news of the real Jinwu Sword, and nowadays the Jinwu Sword likely has no Sword Guest. Do you want to go and try? Perhaps you still have a chance to become the Jinwu Sword?"

Zheng Yun's eyes lit up, and Tang Zhao was silent for a moment.

The Jinwu Sword indeed had no Sword Guest, but Zheng Yun was certainly not destined for the Jinwu Sword; that had been determined the moment he became a Sun-Holding Envoy.

Zhang Rong saying this was naturally using empty words to lure him into doing things, and this could not be called wrong; after all, for the sake of all living beings in Yunzhou, let alone deceiving a stranger, even threatening him with a blade at his throat would be justifiable.

But Tang Zhao's cultivation was not enough; he could not deceive an already unfortunate person without changing his expression.

Immediately after, Zheng Yun said, "You're bluffing me, right? Even if the Jinwu Sword were right here, would you ask me to take it? Why not let this brother go?" He pointed at Tang Zhao and said, "Isn't he the heaven-chosen Jinwu Sword?"

Tang Zhao said, "I am already a Sword Hero; why would I need to take the Jinwu Sword?"

Zheng Yun was clearly taken aback. Although he could sense the Jinwu aura, limited by his own cultivation, he had failed to perceive Tang Zhao's realm, and hearing "Sword Hero" now, he couldn't help but look him up and down repeatedly.

Even at the Qianxian, a Sword Hero was a mid-to-high-level power within a large faction; those Sword Immortals remained high and mighty, rarely appearing before people, and the experts charging on the front lines were merely Sword Heroes.

Zheng Yun looked for a long time and muttered, "So young and already a Sword Hero? The differences between people are just too great. If you are a Sword Hero, it is indeed not easy to go and wield the Jinwu Sword; if you were just a Sword Guest, it could still be discussed."

Even he believed that giving up one's sword to try for the Jinwu Sword was worth it, which showed that Clouds Return had a significant influence on him.

After sighing, Zheng Yun became spirited and said, "If this sir is not going to wield the Jinwu Sword, then it should be my turn. If not me, who? Do you really know the whereabouts of the Jinwu Sword?"

Zhang Rong said, "We know it, but why should we take you? You say you are suitable for the Jinwu Sword, but we also have suitable people, and they are our own, while you are a person of Clouds Return."

Zheng Yun said, "I am not... it is impossible for there to be anyone more suitable than me... heh."

He was no fool and had already realized what Zhang Rong meant. Especially since he had just chased the others out, and now there were only three people left, wasn't it time to speak of things that could not be told to outsiders?

He said slowly, "What do you want me to do? I don't have anything valuable on me, and I am still controlled by Clouds Return; what value do I have to you?"

Zhang Rong smiled and said, "Relax, think about it yourself. You were both captured together and have fallen entirely into our hands. If we wanted to forcibly extract something, why be so polite to you? And why reveal such important intelligence about the Jinwu Sword to you? Of course, you are prisoners, so ordinary good things certainly won't fall to you, so your suspicion of us is also correct."

"Only because the Jinwu Sword is of great importance, for the sake of the common people, would we abandon small gains and join hands with an outsider. But this matter also has requirements: first, the person chosen must be suitable. Second, they must be one of our own."

Seeing Zheng Yun thoughtful but not yet fully grasping it, Zhang Rong said, "To be our person, one cannot be a person of Clouds Return."

Zheng Yun shook his head and said, "I understand. Is it because you couldn't get information from Du Xiaoyi, so you came to probe me? Anyway, she isn't here, so I'll tell the truth: if I could betray Clouds Return, I would do it even without any benefits. But I cannot betray them. My life is in the hands of the Jinwu Spirit. If I do anything out of line, the moment the Jinwu Spirit moves, I will be reduced to ashes."

Tang Zhao asked from the side, "Does this Jinwu Spirit pay attention to your actions every moment? Does it say you are betraying if you betray?"

Zheng Yun said, "Not exactly. If it watched us every moment, could I have snuck down to the Human World? I've tried that thing a few times; it's actually a bit stupid. But it is controlled by Clouds Return. If Clouds Return finds you displeasing, they can make you turn to ashes without any reason."

"However, Clouds Return should only be managing it on behalf of others; after all, the Jinwu Spirit still belongs to the Jinwu Sword. If the real Jinwu Sword emerges, the Jinwu Spirit will either submit or dissipate. So, of course, what I want most is to be a Jinwu Sword Guest; if that doesn't work, letting an outsider wield the Jinwu Sword is also fine, as long as it's not a madman from Clouds Return."

He sighed, "So I hope you work hard. Whoever becomes the Jinwu Sword Guest will not only obtain a peerless sword but also gain all of us Sun-Holding Envoys. The Sun-Holding Envoys are the wings of the Jinwu Sword, with the Jinwu Sword as our lord; after so many years of accumulation, there are quite a few talents, enough to make a new Sword Guest the master of a major power overnight."

Zhang Rong smiled and said, "Instead of hoping for others to work hard, why not try it yourself? Wouldn't it be better if you became the Jinwu Sword Guest yourself? Do you think we are using the Sword Guest as bait to trick you? Of the two conditions I just mentioned, the first is the most important. Only if you are suitable can we talk about the second. If the first is not met, there is no need to talk about whose person it is. There is a small test here; if you pass, we will continue talking. Do you want to try?"

Without waiting for Zheng Yun to answer, Zhang Rong gave Tang Zhao a look.

Tang Zhao raised his hand, and a beam of light passed through the transparent wall.

Even with the wall between them, Zhang Rong still felt the temperature rise significantly, and before his eyes, it was bright and glaring, as if looking directly at the sun.

Tang Zhao asked, "Can you get close?"

He did not give Zheng Yun room to react, directly slapping this beam of light a few feet in front of him, not worried that he would be burned by the light and flames. If a Sun-Holding Envoy couldn't even withstand a beam of light, what kind of sun were they holding?

Sure enough, Zheng Yun, with an expression of "Is this it?", gently raised his hand and caught the light.

Of course, it wasn't really catching it, just a grasping motion, merging with the light, and the light seemed to grow on his hand.

Just this one grasp surpassed ninety percent of the Sword Guests in the camp.

Tang Zhao praised him inwardly and reminded, "Zhang Xiansheng."

Zhang Rong turned his back, no longer looking at Sunlight. Tang Zhao said to Zheng Yun, "You also step back."

Zheng Yun was somewhat indifferent, clearly not feeling that he needed to step back, but he still gave Tang Zhao some face and retreated two steps.

With a movement of his mind, Sunlight condensed and transformed into a single point.

Intense light! High heat! Mass expansion! Spatial distortion! Gravitational tearing!

In an instant, Zheng Yun suddenly retreated rapidly and shouted, "It is the sun... but this is not the Jinwu Sword of yours!"