Edict of Peace 53
Chapter 53: The Sound of the Qin
As the Qi (energy) within Li Guanyi began to rapidly transform, the battle in the sky reached its most intense moment. Dragons and tigers intertwined and merged, arrows and halberds clashed fiercely in a relentless barrage of attacks. This forced the hidden expert to reveal their true form: clad in black armor that resembled dragon scales, they wielded a slender sword, their face obscured by a dark gold mask.
With a single slash of the sword, a fearsome bird shrieked, its wings beating as a black wind surged. The dragon and tiger vital energies were torn asunder, forcing Yue Qianfeng and Xue Daoyong to evade.
Seeing the imposing dark gold mask, Yue Qianfeng exploded with rage: “The Chengying Sword, the Wulong缠身 Armor, and the heavy gold mask worn by Tai Ping Gong when he dominated the West—why are they in the hands of such a despicable person?!”
Clad in precious armor and wielding one of the top ten assassination weapons in the world, Xue Daoyong’s eyes were filled with icy killing intent. A Law Physique-level martial artist, wearing the Qi-concealing Wulong armor and wielding the nearly imperceptible Chengying sword… Such an assassin getting close…
A white tiger paced in the void. An old man chuckled, “Excellent.”
“Si Tu Deqing, ranked tenth among the world’s assassins, and the Chengying Sword, third among the divine assassination weapons.”
“The old man’s life is really valuable.”
“I even want to buy it myself.”
Before the words had finished, the white tiger roared, unleashing a storm of arrows towards the opponent. Si Tu Deqing’s cold gaze swept across the forest, catching sight of a young man fleeing the battlefield on horseback. He frowned slightly, feeling a sense of familiarity with the youth’s face.
Why this unsettling feeling?
Instinctively, he reached up and touched his mask. A surge of irritation and killing intent arose within him, directed at the young man.
With a gesture, over a dozen figures burst forth from the forest. Some carried arm-crossbows crafted from black gold and golden nets designed to restrain the Law Physique of martial artists. These nets were adorned with Daoist talismans, Buddhist relics, and Confucian scholar’s writing implements, soaring into the air. Others, moving with incredible speed, surpassing even galloping horses, lunged towards Li Guanyi. The old man in the sky suddenly drew his bow and loosed a hundred golden shafts.
The golden light bombarded the assassins pursuing Li Guanyi, blasting craters into the ground. Yue Qianfeng raised his hand, a crimson dragon roared across the heavens, opening its jaws to swallow a large number of the assassins.
He clenched his left fist, gathering crimson firelight before unleashing a devastating punch. The fiery light resembled a setting sun, incinerating the vital energy within a thirty-li radius (approximately 10 miles). This abruptly suppressed the various methods the pursuing martial artists used with their internal energy, previously allowing them to move swiftly through the air. Now, their speed was drastically hampered, significantly increasing the distance between them and Li Guanyi.
Xue Daoyong roared, “Return to the city!!!”
Yue Qianfeng shouted, “Don’t look back, charge forward!”
Si Tu Deqing sneered, “Perhaps you two should worry about yourselves. Without your precious armor and divine weapons, how much stamina will you have after a fierce battle lasting an incense stick of time?!” The fearsome bird echoed the thunder, and most of the other assassins moved to use the treasures of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism to suppress the vital energy of these two top-tier martial artists.
Li Guanyi galloped frantically. After entering the realm of martial mastery (入境), the Bronze Tripod vibrated violently. As Yue Qianfeng and Xue Daoyong’s battle raged, their dragon and tiger Law Physiques fully manifested. The Bronze Tripod hummed, and the Jade Liquid began to accumulate at an astonishing rate. According to Li Guanyi’s ‘research’ on the Bronze Tripod, each recognized Law Physique could be considered a significant segment of a progress bar, with the absorbed essence transforming into Jade Liquid connected to Li Guanyi’s cultivation level.
Essentially, the lower Li Guanyi’s level, the less the Bronze Tripod could absorb. Now that Li Guanyi had entered the next realm, the Bronze Tripod’s capacity increased, allowing it to absorb more essence to transform into Jade Liquid.
The Jade Liquid from the dragon and tiger Law Physiques flowed into the tripod. Due to Yue Qianfeng and Xue Daoyong’s all-out efforts, the Jade Liquid filled the tripod at a visible speed. At that moment, Li Guanyi heard a sound of wind. He hung his bow on his horse and picked up his spear from the hook.
Without looking, he flung the spear, its blade flashing as it collided with a short sword. The spear’s weight, combined with the horse’s momentum, created a fiery explosion. Li Guanyi’s tiger’s mouth (the area between the thumb and forefinger) throbbed with pain, but the assassin was also thrown back, landing in a tree.
Li Guanyi remained calm. His goal was achieved, now it was time to escape. A third-party force would never act alone—he learned that from Yue Qianfeng’s initial tutelage.
Yue Qianfeng’s punch dispersed the surrounding vital energy. Regeneration takes time, and what is regenerated would be quickly consumed by the fight between Yue Qianfeng, Xue Daoyong, and the assassins. Initially, the assassins pursuing Li Guanyi were all high-level martial artists who had entered the realm. But now, their strength was suppressed to a level below what they should be capable of, rendering their advanced techniques unusable.
They lacked the resources to use their full potential. Yet, they weren’t worried about pursuing Li Guanyi—a mere youth. Not everyone was like Xiao Wuliang, who could charge into battle at thirteen. Even without their advanced skills, their physical strength and combat experience far surpassed a boy.
A crossbow bolt shot out. Li Guanyi reacted as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He lunged forward, crouching on the horse’s back to avoid the bolt. His spear thrust forward, meeting the crossed arms of a large man whose forearms were protected by Xuan Tie (black iron) bracers. The spear was stopped, but Li Guanyi squeezed his legs against the horse, adding extra force to the thrust. The man grunted and was flung into the air. The assassins were skilled in using vital energy, not brute physical strength.
Four assassins pursued Li Guanyi. Even with their vital energy suppressed, their physical abilities exceeded those of normal men. They moved with great speed, leaping and bounding, and while Li Guanyi discarded his saber, he wielded his spear like a dragon, using it for defense and offense while he rode. He held off the initial wave of attacks from the assassins.
Another volley of crossbow bolts flew. Li Guanyi deflected them with his spear, then spun it, pressing the spearhead against one assassin’s sword and the butt against another. He braced himself, using his strength to block a descending heavy blade. He was holding off four attackers, his brow furrowed, his meridians aching.
Yue Qianfeng’s suppression of vital energy prevented Li Guanyi from completely entering the next realm, stopping the refinement process. His internal energy was contained, seemingly at the threshold but not quite there. This energy, unable to connect with the outside world, was forging his body. This fierce battle caused the star power within him to intertwine even more closely with his physique, building up intense pressure, causing his meridians to ache. The relentless attacks of the assassins acted as external force, breaking apart the concentrated Qi.
The scattered Qi directly merged into his body, giving Li Guanyi an unprecedented feeling of exhilaration. This concentrated Qi was then replenished by the essence absorbed by the Bronze Tripod as it drew Jade Liquid.
Anyone faced with multiple assassins of higher ranks would feel fear, but Li Guanyi’s eyes remained calm. Having faced the might of the world’s number one martial artist, he felt no fear, he thrust his spear forward. Perhaps it was an illusion, but because the energy within his body had dispersed into his form, his strength surged. He moved his body and the spear as one, and swept it outward, forcing back the assassins.
“Get lost!!!”
The assassins retreated, their expressions grim. What incredible bravery!
The oldest assassin had already felt a sense of familiarity when he first saw Li Guanyi. Now, watching the youth charge into battle, spear in hand, with his determined gaze and flying hair, and noticing the small mole at the corner of his left eye, the assassin’s memory was stirred, his face changing dramatically. He blurted out:
“It’s you!!!”
“It’s the…”
“It’s the child from ten years ago!!!”
His face was filled with terror, as if he saw an escaped tiger cub or a nightmare. He hesitated, losing the assassin’s composure, and shouted:
“Kill him! Kill him at all costs!”
Li Guanyi felt a jolt in his heart, demanding: “Ten years ago?!”
People from that time? Were they not the Ye Chi cavalry? His certainties were suddenly shaken, revealing something beyond his expectations. The youth’s bold actions uncovered a hidden secret he cared deeply about.
The assassin who recognized Li Guanyi seemed to regard this as even more important, and without hesitation, abandoned his teammates, Li Guanyi, and even Xue Daoyong, turning to flee. The other assassins exchanged glances, creating a diversion, while Li Guanyi gave chase. An arrow shot out, the White Tiger arrow hitting the assassin in the back. He thrust his spear forward, then heard a snapping sound. His combat instincts kicked in as he swung his spear, striking the assassin’s weapon. He felt a tug on his spear as a chain wrapped around it, and the other end sunk into the rocks.
There was an ambush. Without Yue Qianfeng’s disruption of vital energy, these assassins, clearly among the best, could have used their full potential. They were here to exploit a weakness left by old Xue Daoyong.
A cold gleam flashed as an assassin pounced. Li Guanyi threw his spear, then leaped from his horse. The gleam struck, the horse let out a mournful cry, falling to the ground, black blood flowing from its seven orifices. The horse trembled, then lay still. The youth’s eyes blazed with fury.
A large man retracted his right hand, revealing a massive spiked mace covered in blood. With one swing, he smashed the horse, preventing Li Guanyi from using it for momentum. As Li Guanyi rolled, he grabbed his bow and drew it. The dragon and tiger Law Physiques whirled—though vital energy was suppressed, their power remained. The arrows blazed with light, striking their target.
An assassin of the third tier above the realm of martial mastery (入境) raised his hand to block an arrow. The fiery explosion knocked his weapon away. The second arrow struck him in the throat, pinning him to a tree. But there was more than one enemy.
A sharp blade flashed, and Li Guanyi could only raise his bow. His wrist stung as his Su Ni bow (worth over a thousand guan) was cleaved in two. A sharp blade descended, reflecting in Li Guanyi’s eyes. He reacted swiftly, his right hand twisting, the bowstring wrapping around the assassin’s wrist. He used the bowstring like a knife, slicing off the wrist. Blood flowed freely. Five assassins remained, surrounding Li Guanyi, who exhaled slowly. Though he had entered the realm, he couldn’t connect with external vital energy. The energy within his body circulated, raising his temperature.
He dropped the bow, holding his black sword, calmly looking at the five assassins. They were five martial artists of higher rank. But for a moment, the assassins felt a strange sensation, as if they were the ones being held back. The sword’s edge whistled. The assassin who killed the horse attempted to break Li Guanyi’s spirit, saying indifferently: “You cannot escape. Surrender, and we will spare your life.”
“Even if we cannot use our skills as those who have entered the realm.”
“Our combat experience is not false, it is not something you can match.”
“Having lost the momentum of your horse, how much can you really use your battlefield martial arts?”
He spoke slowly, trying to break Li Guanyi’s spirit.
By chance, or perhaps because people instinctively flee towards familiar places, Li Guanyi was near the Xue family’s secret location. He scanned the stream where the waters converged, knowing that Yao Guang was behind the rocks; his mind at ease—he wouldn’t have to only eat steamed bread.
He held his sword, raising an eyebrow like General Xue, and softly said:
“I’ve only learned to ride for seven days, what I excel at…”
The assassin didn’t hear the full sentence, for the words were only a lure. The youth pounced like a tiger, his black hair flying, his powerful blade descending.
“Is ground combat.”
The assassin who had discovered Li Guanyi’s true identity fled, to report his discovery. He was certain that, even without today’s incident, the youth would eventually be found out. But he was lucky that he was the one to discover him—it meant he could make amends for his mistake.
He breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly feeling that the arrow wound wasn’t so bad. The forest he’d thought inescapable now appeared exceptionally beautiful—the sun shone brightly, the flowers were fragrant, the wind rustling through the treetops.
The sound of the leaves… sounded like a qin.
Harmonious and beautiful.
?!?!?
“Qin music?!?”
He stopped abruptly.
(Chapter End)
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter
0 Comments