Chapter 239: Opening the Path of the Martial World, Equal to the Masters

In the lore of martial arts, those who had transcended the Master Realm and shattered the barriers ahead—throughout the vast realm, how many had dared to challenge them? In all the turbulent ages, only four had ever earned such legend.

Now, Elder Murong Longtu had shattered the invincible war god's body and walked away calmly; outside the palace gates, thousands of imperial guards, clad in armor and wielding weapons, dared not advance a step further.

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang said: "Stop here, all of you."

The Emperor smiled and said: "Today, only two of you came to drink with me."

"I, too, have drunk myself into a stupor."

The armored guards halted. Li Li Guanyi, carrying Jiangnan's "One Branch of Spring," leapt from the Star-Taking Tower into the air; the young man's deep blue robe billowed, his hair fluttered slightly, the aura of the Fire Qilin swirling through the sky before he landed firmly on the ground.

Li Li Guanyi touched ground, left hand holding a wine flask, right hand reaching out to grasp his battle halberd.

He lifted it.

With a flick of his wrist, he spun it once—the halberd's tip pointed to the earth. The youth tilted his head back, and amid the encirclement of thousands of armored soldiers, let the wine pour down his throat, drinking deeply, then strode away with effortless grace.

Yet as he passed the spot where the Sword Madman had walked, Li Li Guanyi appeared calm.

But his wrist moved—his Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd swept across the ground, and one by one, the mysterious weapons rose into the air. His own spiritual essence emerged and, barely managing it, used the "Jiangnan Mist and Rain Multi-Tiered Art" to command the swords.

Though this youth governed an entire province, he had fifty thousand mouths to feed; Li Li Guanyi felt he wasn't poor, yet his days were still tight. These swords—his great-grandfather had attained enlightenment and let them go—but he could not discard them.

Mysterious weapons!

These damn things were mysterious weapons!

Li Li Guanyi feigned drinking to gather them all, and from the Star-Taking Tower came a roaring, unrestrained laugh—Jiang Jiang Wanxiang climbed out the window and shouted: "Attendants! Bring a large barrel!"

"Can't you see? Don't you know to pick up the swords for Marquis Marquis Qin Wu?"

"And then send them away?"

"Hahahaha, Li Li Guanyi."

"You're such a miser!"

Li Li Guanyi grinned and laughed: "You've got money—give me one of these mysterious weapons?"

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang waved his hand, fingers closing—suddenly, a sword's chime rang out. Among the thirteen mysterious weapons carried by the Sword Valley's master, one suddenly glowed brilliantly and flew forth, landing before Jiang Jiang Wanxiang.

The blade was long and narrow, its front engraved with intricate Fire Qilin patterns.

Its back bore auspicious clouds.

"This sword was forged personally by the Sword Valley's master when I was still a wandering swordsman. Its name is Fire Qilin—its frost-edged sharpness allows even one with little internal qi to cleave through thirteen layers of heavy armor, slicing iron like mud."

"It's yours!"

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang swept his sleeve—and the mysterious weapon landed squarely before Li Li Guanyi.

"Take this sword."

"Then come challenge me again for the realm!"

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang laughed loudly, but his gaze flickered toward Ji Ji Yanzhong.

The Sword Madman Elder Murong Longtu paused. Li Li Guanyi gripped the Jiangnan sword, turned his fingers—and the blade shimmered with light. He tapped it lightly with his finger; the sword spun, passed from here to there, and vanished into the Star-Taking Tower.

Li Li Guanyi, with his back turned, said: "If you're truly a great hero, truly capable—"

"Then take this Jiangnan sword, and tread Jiangnan!"

The youth showed no hesitation—he seized the Fire Qilin sword, accepted the massive sword chest sent by the Ying state's imperial guards, counted each one, and stuffed the remaining fifty-odd mysterious weapons inside.

Then, one hand holding the halberd, the other the sword chest, he walked out from the encirclement of countless troops—no grand lord, no heroic aura—just a frugal, penny-pinching fellow, walking alongside the Sword Madman.

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang held the sword, knowing Li Li Guanyi gave it to him out of youthful spirit, unwilling to yield—but he also knew this gesture concealed the unspoken pact between them.

It was a performance, the two of them.

And it was swift.

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang wore a faint smile as he reached out to grasp the "Jiangnan Sword," yet with a sigh, the lament of an aging elder: "The Fire Qilin child is fierce. The younger generation cannot match him."

I have a Fire Qilin—I give you a Fire Qilin.

Take this Jiangnan, and tread Jiangnan.

In this moment, the old and the young, their grandeur, ambition, stance, and calm—all were contained here.

Yet Ji Ji Yanzhong, clutching the Crimson Xiao sword's chest, found even the Crimson Xiao within it unusually still. He remained silent for a long while, holding the chest, thinking of the royal clan in Zhongzhou still lost in power struggles—for the first time, he felt exhaustion.

When Emperor Ji Ji Zichang of Zhongzhou had, in one breath, granted Li Li Guanyi the title of Marquis—

Ji Ji Yanzhong had been pleasantly surprised.

This kind old man rarely drank himself into a stupor; Ji Ji Zichang's display of spirit and boldness here was exceptional among the Chi Emperor lineage in a hundred years. In Ji Ji Yanzhong's eyes, Ji Ji Zichang, transformed under immense pressure, surpassed Chen Chen Dingye.

Even Ying's second prince might not have shown such noble righteousness.

In that drunken dream, he had nearly believed he saw hope for the royal clan—but today's sight shattered it all. Perhaps, in times of peace, Ji Ji Zichang would be a fine steward of the realm—but in this chaotic age—

Only the supreme hero can end it all.

Ji Ji Yanzhong sighed wearily. His dream had shattered.

………………

Jiang Su's injuries were not severe, but his cultivation base had been affected; he swallowed a top-tier spirit pill to recover, changed into his court robes, and went to seek Jiang Jiang Wanxiang to apologize. He saw Jiang Jiang Wanxiang still holding the Jiangnan sword, as if he greatly favored it.

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang rose at once upon seeing Jiang Su's appearance and smiled: "Grand Tutor, what fault do you have?"

Jiang Su said gravely: "I failed to block the Sword Madman Elder Murong Longtu's momentum."

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang laughed: "Fault lies only in lack of effort, or disobedience to orders. You committed neither. Moreover, the Sword Madman's momentum was overwhelming—I heard he secluded himself for ten years, then came here to sever karmic ties."

"It's like a vast army advancing, holding heaven's timing, earth's advantage, and human harmony."

"To block it head-on is wrong; to avoid it is the right path. You, Grand Tutor, understand martial arts better than I do—yet you still stood before the Sword Madman. That's unlike your cunning, composed military strategy. Perhaps it was the warrior's pride… hah…"

"I truly cannot understand what warriors think."

"Besides, even I know that martial combat is like farming—it's not just paper theory. Many factors determine the outcome."

"A true man with ambition must not deem himself weak because of one defeat, nor grow arrogant because of one victory. The victor who grows arrogant falls to defeat—how can that be a true hero?"

"The weak who refuse to yield will one day avenge themselves—that is the true hero."

"The realm is vast; victory and defeat are endless."

"Before I die, I will never lose, Grand Tutor—will you not say the same?"

The aged dragon smiled. Jiang Su lowered his eyes. As a martial legend, he still bowed to Jiang Jiang Wanxiang, willing to follow the dragon toward the future—but now Jiang Su said: "I, too, will go to the Academy."

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang was startled: "Is today's battle not enough?"

Jiang Su fell silent for a long while, then answered: "This battle was merely his first sword drawn—but, Your Majesty, have you ever heard of the Sword Madman drawing his blade and stopping after only one strike?"

"Once drawn, the sword never returns—it will ultimately reach its peak."

"In the Academy's ancient Confucian path, the Sage King is like the first Master."

"The Academy's battle will be the most brilliant martial clash in eight hundred years."

"I cannot miss it."

Jiang Su looked earnestly at Jiang Jiang Wanxiang. Jiang Jiang Wanxiang looked back. Jiang Su was the culmination of all military schools—he knew full well that Zhongzhou's inspection of the Academy would be the beginning of the realm's great upheaval.

A great general should know: seizing this opportunity to swallow Chen Guo is the optimal strategy.

A step ahead means the difference between heaven and earth.

Yet his warrior's soul still burned—he could not bear to miss this battle.

The realm's greatest general might use any means for victory.

But a martial legend yearns to witness the radiant pinnacle of martial combat. Contradictory traits coexisted in Jiang Su—that was why he came here personally, to apologize as Ying's Grand General.

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang sheathed the Jiangnan sword and said calmly:

"The most radiant pinnacle of battle?"

Jiang Su answered frankly: "Elder Murong Longtu is different from us."

"The four of us—so-called martial legends—seek the Dao."

"Elder Murong Longtu—"

"Walks the Wu."

"We four, from different paths—military, Daoist, Yin-Yang, and eclectic schools—glimpsed the ultimate path: absolute mastery over spirit, qi, and flesh, pursuing the Jizhi of life."

"Elder Murong Longtu walks Wu—he himself is the sharpest blade."

"Military Wu seeks to end war, unify the realm; but the swordsman's Wu seeks victory and defeat, hierarchy and life and death. For a blade, its most brilliant peak lies in the clash of warriors."

"Without a heart devoted utterly to the pinnacle of sword killing, Elder Murong Longtu could never have reached this realm. And if one clings to this path, immortality is impossible."

"Yet his mind likely never entertained such thoughts."

"He was cut through by a single sword."

"I must witness his final, ultimate battle."

Jiang Su raised his head, gazing at Jiang Jiang Wanxiang before him.

At this moment—

The realm's greatest general forgot the realm.

Jiang Jiang Wanxiang stared at Jiang Su, then laughed loudly: "Good! I'll go with you. You witnessed my great dream of the realm—I wish to witness the scene you crave. After we return, we shall tear this world apart!"

Li Li Guanyi and Elder Murong Longtu returned to the Fire Qilin Army's encampment.

On the way back, they met the frantic old Master Siming and Xiang Yaoguang.

Xiang Yaoguang saw Li Li Guanyi and seemed to exhale a breath of relief.

The aged Master Siming stared at the Sword Madman, his lips moved, then he sighed. Master Siming shouted in praise: "Such sharpness!"

Elder Murong Longtu smiled calmly. As they returned to the Fire Qilin Army, Li Li Guanyi saw the Tiger Barbarian cavalry still perfectly assembled, disciplined and unshaken, not a single ripple caused by the Sword Madman's passage.

Gao Xiang, clad in armor with a battle robe draped over it, smiled at him.

The gentle Crown Prince's gaze was calm: "Marquis Marquis Qin Wu, what a fine mood."

This, surely, was the son Jiang Jiang Wanxiang truly valued.

Li Li Guan said: "Let us drink a cup with His Majesty of Ying Guo, and by the way, he's a terrible chess player."

Jiang Gao paused slightly, sensing from his tone that the matter was safe, and replied:

"My father is occupied with matters of state; naturally, he does not expend much energy on trivial pursuits like chess. If Marquis Qin Wu has an interest in the game, perhaps one day you and I may play a few rounds."

Li Li Guan smiled and waved his hand.

They then returned to their respective camps.

The news spread rapidly, and by the time it reached every corner of the land, Ling Ling Pingyang had fulfilled his promise to Li Li Guan, easily bringing Xu Xu Yunxia, Xu Xu Huilan, and others back to the Jiangnan region.

Because they had to consider the physical condition of Xu Xu Huilan and the others, the cavalry slowed their pace—first riding hard, then switching to waterways, where ships of the Fire Qilin Army had already been waiting, informed of the news.

They sailed downstream; traveling by boat along the river, they no longer needed to worry about Xu Xu Huilan's condition, and their speed increased greatly.

Xiao Zhi, though departing later, arrived nearly at the same time.

Xu Xu Huilan paid no mind to the fatigue of the long journey on horseback; she only wanted to see Yuan Zhi. Yuan Zhi had already learned through falcon-message that his mother had been brought back. Though he still managed state affairs, he was restless and uneasy.

Yan Yan Daqing said coolly: "Go."

"With you like this, what can you possibly accomplish?"

"You might as well take leave and wait."

Yuan Zhi, pushed out by Yan Yan Daqing's taunts, mounted his horse and galloped off. When he saw his mother, he found the mother of his memories now white-haired, her hands rough and calloused, and his uncle missing a leg. Even Yuan Zhi's heart ached—he dismounted, grasped his mother's hand, and before he could speak, tears streamed down his face.

After a long, heart-wrenching reunion, they caught up, and learned of Li Li Guan's deeds.

Xu Xu Huilan said: "Though our family was poor, we always knew the principle of repaying kindness. A-Zhi, you must give your all to help that young master."

Yuan Zhi exhaled slowly and replied softly:

"A scholar dies for one who understands him."

"My lord has shown me such trust—I would give my life without hesitation and never betray him… I vow to spill my blood and marrow, to serve with all my strength, until death."

This was the highest loyalty of a civil minister and strategist.

Yan Yan Daqing and Pang Pang Shuiyun noticed that the young strategist had suddenly become a workaholic, as if fueled by fire. Pang Pang Shuiyun, the seasoned veteran, quietly withdrew from Yuan Zhi's work sphere.

But Yan Yan Daqing seemed ignited by the youthful fire of defiance.

He sneered and pushed himself to keep up.

He stubbornly matched Yuan Zhi's work efficiency.

Just as efficiency surged upward, Xiao Zhi arrived.

After meeting Yuan Zhi and spending several days learning the current state of the Jiangnan clans, he nodded: "Virtuous governance is neglected; punishments are not stern. The clan sons, relying on their martial prowess and wealth, oppress the people. They deserve severe punishment—to strip the clans of their wings."

"But you say the clan sons not only refuse to cooperate, but constantly cause trouble, incite the people, stir public opinion, and slow the implementation of your edicts?"

"Yes. I'll handle this."

Xiao Zhi began drafting new criminal laws.

His goal: law and ritual together, authority and virtue in tandem.

He formulated Eight Duties, Seven Prohibitions, Six Fears, Five Dreads. But the clan sons, already resentful of the Fire Qilin Army's peasant origins, looked down on them with contempt. Though they still held their secrets in Li Li Guan's hands and dared not confront him directly, they refused to cooperate.

They resisted the Fire Qilin Army's edicts with passive hostility.

Xiao Zhi quietly recorded it all.

Then he began his operation.

First, he established basic laws.

He erected steles of law at the city gates, ensuring everyone entering or leaving could see them, and had literate Fire Qilin soldiers loudly recite the simple statutes, questioning the people as they passed.

Xiao Zhi said calmly: "Ancient Confucians said, 'If punishments are unknown, authority becomes unfathomable.' But if laws are not made clear, the people won't know what they may or may not do—and if all interpretation rests with the clans, that is wrong."

"The ancient Legalists were too harsh, rigid for eight hundred years—that is foolish."

"We, the later generations, must surpass them."

For seven consecutive days, the clans paid no heed, laughing that the Fire Qilin Army's scholars were merely putting on a show—peasant soldiers, what could they possibly do?

On the seventh day, after consulting Pang Pang Shuiyun and securing Li Li Guan's approval, Xiao Zhi led a detachment to crash into the wedding hall of a clan at noon, seizing their eldest legitimate son for violating the law.

Dragged away still in his crimson wedding robe, he was publicly denounced before the law stele and the gathered people. The crowd watched, understanding he had earned his fate—multiple crimes, one sentence: *crack*.

His head fell. It was hung at the East Gate for three days.

Thus, the people understood the severity of the law—even the clans' power could not defy it.

And so, in Jiangnan, the **Law** was established.

The previously lax legal order vanished. Though not yet perfect, it halted the old decay. The people feared the law; the clans were stunned and furious at the Fire Qilin Army's ruthlessness.

Though they cursed behind closed doors, they had no choice but to obey the edicts.

The efficiency of all edicts rose immediately.

Yan Yan Daqing approved of this efficiency—until one day he saw the stoic young man flipping through a small notebook, crossing out the name of the beheaded clan son with vermilion ink.

Beneath it, a line was written:

【When my lord departed Jiangnan, the clan sons sent him off with ill intent】

【I enforced the law and mocked them to their faces】

【On such-and-such day, at noon, he stepped into Changfeng Tower with his left foot first】

Yan Yan Daqing, whom his father called reckless and too rigid, said:

"Huh???"

Xiao Zhi seemed to sense someone watching. He tucked the notebook away, turned to Yan Yan Daqing, and the stoic youth's lips curled into a "kind" smile.

For the next few days, the Jiangnan gentlemen all avoided him.

They entered doors stepping with their right foot first.

Xiao Zhi had written the names of clan sons who cursed him in their ancestral graves across three thick notebooks, then sighed: "Too bad Wen He isn't here."

He touched his newly grown beard and said calmly: "There are too many clan members. A momentary shock won't last a lifetime."

"I was still too gentle."

Yan Yan Daqing shuddered.

He didn't know what kind of person Wen He was, the one spoken of by the two academy geniuses—but he felt that great talents from the Academy never carried psychological burdens.

If Wen He had come, he would have been harsher.

This Wen He seemed to uphold the moral bottom line of all Academy talents.

He promptly wrote a letter detailing everything to Li Li Guan. Li Li Guan replied with approval. After the Fire Qilin Army had stationed long, and after a final meeting with Emperor Jiang Jiang Wanxiang, Li Li Guan stepped back, deciding to take the water route into Zhongzhou.

The Sword Madman Elder Murong Longtu was teaching Li Li Guan martial arts.

News from the Jianghu spread fully: Elder Murong Longtu's sword had not only shattered Jiang Su's invincible body, but also shattered a greater truth—that a pure martial artist, devoted solely to swordcraft, could reach the realm beyond the Master.

One could ascend beyond the Master by cultivating only martial skill and sword technique.

In a small town in Ying Guo,

the fishing old man had become the traveling merchant Bai Bai Yuanfu.

Even though the Sword Madman had left a vast aura within the sword, Bai Bai Yuanfu dared not gamble. The Jianghu was in turmoil. Since the Chen and Ying Dukes declared themselves kings three hundred years ago, few in the world still respected rules.

Strength alone decided everything.

He had even taken down his sect's plaque and sold it for travel funds, keeping only the mysterious weapon and the white cat. The old man knew: if he carried the plaque, he'd lose it—and possibly the weapon too. His sect would vanish entirely.

But if he carried the cat and the sword, one day the cat might awaken the hidden sword intent within the blade—then even without the plaque, the sect would still exist.

One day they arrived in a small town. Bai Bai Yuanfu drove his donkey cart; the little one sat atop the hay at the back, gripping a straight, smooth wooden stick, slashing at the grasses on either side.

*Swish-swish-swish*—the tops of the grasses were cleanly severed.

He was delighted.

Bai Bai Yuanfu watched, amused, drank some water. He wanted wine—but the money saved must be spent wisely. Suddenly, he heard commotion: many martial artists gathered beneath a building, shouting loudly.

Bai Mao'er said: "Grandpa, Grandpa—are those swordsmen over there?"

Bai Bai Yuanfu snorted:

"Swordsmen? Maybe. But so noisy…"

"What's there to shout about?"

As the donkey cart passed, Bai Bai Yuanfu saw a sharp-eyed swordsman posting a list: the ranking of the Heaven's First Tower. Bai Bai Yuanfu had memorized every sword Master on the Jianghu's Master List—but today, the top name was no longer the Sword Madman.

It was the second Master, promoted.

Bai Bai Yuanfu froze, glanced quickly.

A new name had appeared in the Master rankings.

【Great Chen · Blood King Qíqí · Chen Chen Chengbi】

Blood King?

Bai Bai Yuanfu muttered: "What kind of name is that? It just keeps getting worse."

"Better than the Mad King from decades ago—madness was wild, but Blood King sounds like a villainous sect."

"But where's the Sword Madman? Even if he fell, he shouldn't vanish from the Master List entirely!"

Other martial artists shouted, demanding to know where the Sword Madman was.

The sharp-eyed swordsman bowed, then unfurled a golden scroll and hung it above the Top Ten Masters list. Bai Bai Yuanfu stared at the characters, then burst into loud laughter.

The old man laughed heartily.

Rarely generous, he bought a jar of wine.

A jar of Jiangnan's Yizhi Chun. He raised it, took one sip—and got drunk instantly. He lay down on the donkey cart, his face a tangled mix of emotion—was he crying? Laughing? All feelings dissolved into the wine, swallowed down.

"Elder Murong Longtu…"

"I hate you utterly—and yet, I revere you…"

"I hate you for severing the sword arts of all sects for sixty years."

Yet I respect you, for paving the way for us martial wanderers!

Jianghu swordsmen are no less than the Hundred Schools of Thought!

Sword Madman, Long Tu, defeated Jiang Su, the realm's foremost divine general.

The supreme title atop the world's greatest tower.

Known as the Sword God!

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