Chapter 233: The Greatest Knifesman
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The school leader was indeed different. None of the elders had dared to talk about the Realm of Beasts around Jiang Chen, since they were afraid he would blame the school for not rescuing him.
“Leader, it sounds like you weren’t confident enough in me,” Jiang Chen joked.
Su Xiuyi smiled and asked, “Do you blame the school for having done nothing to rescue you?”
“It wasn’t the school’s fault that I didn’t come back in time. It would have been a great favor if the school had rescued me, but it makes sense that you didn’t.” Jiang Chen said.
Su Xiuyi looked surprised. He invited Jiang Chen to sit down.
“Do you know why I called you over?” Su Xiuyi asked.
“I’m guessing you’re going to teach me the most important martial arts techniques and methods of the Natural Law School,” Jiang Chen joked.
“No. There are no martial arts techniques or methods. I called you over to denounce you.”
Su Xiuyi became serious and said in a stern tone, “The Natural Law School is located in the territory of the Xia Dynasty. The dynasty even changed its capital for the sake of the Natural Law School.
“The engagement between Ning Haotian and Princess Crimson Moon represents the alliance between the Natural Law School and the dynasty.
“The Board of Elders has appointed Ning Haotian as the successor to the school leader’s position. It’s fine if you want to compete with him, but you killed the Third Prince. Are you going to have a war with the dynasty if you become the school leader?!”
Jiang Chen hadn’t expected the blame at all. He was too surprised to put his cup down.
He was surprised to know the Natural Law School had already internally decided the next school leader. He was even more surprised that Su Xiuyi had told him about it.
What did he mean? Did he want Jiang Chen to recognize the obstacles and quit the compet.i.tion?
Was the Natural Law School on the Black Dragon City’s side? Was it going to get rid of him before he went to the Sacred Inst.i.tute?
Jiang Chen was a smart guy, but he didn’t know what to do at that moment. He was completely lost.
“Haha.”
Su Xiuyi burst into laughter. His abrupt laugh sounded bleak.
“Alright. Don’t be nervous. You’ll be fine, but it’s impossible for you to become the school leader,” Su Xiuyi said.
Jiang Chen thought for a while and asked, “Does Ning Haotian know I’ve lost my chance?”
“Good question. He isn’t sure yet,” Su Xiuyi said.
Jiang Chen took a sip of liquor and said, “Leader, why did you call me over here today?”
“The Board of Elders is in favor of Ning Haotian, but I’m in favor of you. What do you think I told you such an important thing for?” Su Xiuyi said, as if it mattered.
“Why are you in favor of me, leader?” Jiang Chen hadn’t cleared his doubt.
“Do you think this is a conspiracy?” Su Xiuyi squinted. He was always casual about things, but at that moment, he became quite serious, with hidden aggression. Jiang Chen felt quite pressured.
“Yes. I don’t know what I’ve done to put myself in your favor,” Jiang Chen said.
“Because we have the same goal.”
“What’s that?”
Su Xiuyi didn’t rush. Under Jiang Chen’s impatient gaze, he said after a slow sip of liquor, “Are you sure you’re going to rescue your father at all costs?”
“Certain.”
“Did you know that the Southwind Ridge and the Black Dragon City aren’t the only parties interested in your father? The dynasty is going to use your father as a bargaining chip to threaten Taoist Priest Skywind.”
“This…”
Jiang Chen was shocked. If he wasn’t quick-minded enough, he would have been unable to digest such important information.
He didn’t care whether the leader was telling the truth or not anymore. He didn’t want to continue pa.s.sively defending, so he asked, “Do you mean the dynasty is your enemy too?”
“You’re smart,” Su Xiuyi admitted. He said, “If you go against the Black Dragon City, the dynasty will go against you. Now that you’ve killed the Third Prince, they have a more solid excuse.”
“I’m aware of that,” Jiang Chen nodded, but he kept staring at the leader, since this hadn’t been the answer he was expecting.
“Do you know anything about the Breeze Villa and the Palace of the Empress’s Brother?” Su Xiuyi understood him. He was going to tell him everything.
Jiang Chen frowned. He tried very hard to recollect any information regarding them.
The Breeze Villa had been an official force of the Xia Dynasty, famous for swordsmans.h.i.+p and comparable to the Sword Sect of Returning to Oneness.
It was easier to imagine what the Palace of the Empress’s Brother was, the palace of the emperor’s uncle.
Jiang Chen held his breath when he put things together.
Dozens of years ago, someone had eliminated both the Breeze Villa and the Palace of the Empress’s Brother.
It had been a knife master. He had killed all of the powerful men from these two forces by himself.
This knife wielder was still the number one wanted criminal in the Xia Dynasty. The dynasty had put the highest bounty on his head, but no one knew who on earth he was.
Jiang Chen laid his eyes on the knife on the table. He hadn’t paid any attention to it, but by then he had realized it wasn’t a simple knife.
“That’s right. I’m that knife user, the number one wanted criminal in the Xia Dynasty. Now, do you believe me?” Su Xiuyi said.
“I believe you, but I don’t understand. Please tell me what happened,” Jiang Chen said.
“Alright.”
Su Xiuyi shrugged his shoulders helplessly. He took another big sip of liquor and said, “It’s a long story. Do you want to hear it?”
“Of course,” Jiang Chen nodded and said.
So, Su Xiuyi told him his story.
He had been the eldest young lord of an aristocratic family before becoming the leader of the Natural Law School.
“I didn’t know my family was a member of the Board of Elders, which is to say, my ancestors started the Natural Law School.
“When I was young, I didn’t understand why my father forced me to practice. I knew it was important to be powerful, but why couldn’t I enjoy any leisure time except eating and sleeping?”
He smiled as he spoke, as if he had gone back to his past.
People won’t realize what a wonderful period youth is until they look back, no matter how they hated it when they were young.
“I didn’t even have time to relax when I gained my great achievement. My father immediately forced me to recognize the Knife Saint of the Fire Field as my master. I couldn’t accept my fate being controlled and manipulated by others, so I started to resist my father secretly. I stopped using my right hand and started to use my left hand to study knife methods from the Knife Saint.”
He glanced at Jiang Chen’s left hand, apparently aware that Jiang Chen was a left-handed swordsman.
“My master was called Knife Saint, but he was actually a bad-tempered old man. I was his first apprentice.
“Soon, my apprentice brother came. He was an extremely stubborn youngster.
“He wanted to recognize the old man as his master, but the old man said he wasn’t talented enough and refused to teach him. I knew it was only because my apprentice brother was poor. He was wearing shabby clothes.
“Then it was the same old stuff. He knelt down and refused to stand up, in the hopes of moving the old man with his sincerity.
“It certainly didn’t work. Six months pa.s.sed. He was living there, sleeping there, eating there, and kneeling there.”
“I knew sincerity meant nothing to the old man. It was bullsh*t to him. It just didn’t work.
“So, I tried to persuade my apprentice brother to go back, but he refused.
“He looked so persistent, so I told him I would teach him knife methods. I can still recall his face at that moment.
“I thought the old man was ignorant of what was going on, but he had actually given us his unspoken permission.
“I started to practice hard, since my silly apprentice brother had great talent; if my knife movements weren’t good enough, he wouldn’t be satisfied. It didn’t take him long to catch up with me and my left-handed knife movements.
“I asked him why he was working so hard. He told me he wanted to be the greatest knife wielder ever.”