Chapter 636: The Reappearance of the Sword Formation of Slaying Fairies
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“No need for such formality. Have you thought about why I came here?”
Yin San’s voice sounded as amiable as his smile, exceedingly pure and pleasant.
Gu Qing said, “Back when Green Mountain attacked the West Ocean, the Great Formation of the West Ocean Sword Sect was suddenly dismantled. The Senior Master was drinking tea on the Shaoming Island at the time…To think about it now, I think it was because you had possessed the spiritual soul of Tian Jinren.”
Yin San said while looking at him appreciatively, “No wonder that guy chose you as the candidate for the next sect master. You’re indeed very good. How about the matter I asked you to take care of?”
“I’ve sent out the message a few days ago. It should be taken care of,” said Gu Qing.
According to Tong Yan’s plan, at the Green Mountain Meeting the imperial court, the Fruit Formation Temple, the Water-Moon Nunnery, the One-Cottage House, and the Drifter would pressure Fang Jingtian.
What Yin San wanted Gu Qing to do was to stop these sects and the Drifter from pressuring Fang Jingtian.
Gu Qing said, “I can influence the imperial court, and the three sects in the name of the Emperor; but I can’t influence Shenmo Peak.”
Even though he was a teacher of the Emperor and the Governor of the State, he was still a regular disciple on Shenmo Peak; so it would be impossible for Zhao Layue to listen to him.
“You have probably heard that Zhao Layue was severely wounded in the snowland and has almost died because of it.”
Recalling the young girl who pursued him to the precipice all the way from the Fruit Formation Temple, Yin San let out an indescribable sigh.
After a moment of pause, Gu Qing asked, “What else does Senior Master want me to do?”
In the restaurant a few days ago, Yin San bade him to do three things. He had done one, and there were two more things for him to do.
Yin San took out a paper slip and handed it to Gu Qing.
Gu Qing unfolded it and shook his head after skimming the content, “No, I can’t do any of them.”
Yin San said while looking at him with a small smile, “In comparison to the sect master of Green Mountain, these two matters are extremely trivial; why can’t you do them?”
“Though they seem to be trivial matters,” said Gu Qing, “they will have serious repercussions. If I did what you asked me to do, I wouldn’t be able to stay out of your control, and I’d be trapped deeper and deeper in your plot. I can’t imagine how much harm I will inflict on Yuan Qü and the others.”
“Now I have a better idea why that guy chose you,” said Yin San.
Gu Qing folded the paper slip and handed it to Yin San, saying, “Let’s us talk about this after today’s Green Mountain Meeting.”
Yin San reached for the paper slip with his left hand.
No sooner had his fingers touched the edge of the paper than a clanking sound broke out in the nunnery.
It was not the sound of flowing water; it sounded like an iron chain used in the prison was being dragged on the ground.
The blood red sword light came out, reflecting amid the smoke and fog; it appeared quite eerie.
The sword bracelet on Gu Qing’s wrist turned into a sword rope.
One end of the rope was tied to his right hand, and the other end was tied to Yin San’s left hand.
“The Thoughtless Sword?” Yin San’s countenance changed slightly before he calmed down quickly enough. He said to Gu Qing, “I’m a very cautious person, but you extended your right hand…If you wanted to bind me, why didn’t you reach out your left hand?”
In his current Cultivation state, there wasn’t that much difference between using left and right hand; but the original habit was hard to be abandoned no matter how many years one was isolated from the outside world. The habitual thought would be: the right hand was more important than the left hand for a right-handed person.
Gu Qing’s left hand had gripped the hilt of the Sword of the Universe wrapped in the cotton cloth over his shoulder. “I’m a right-handed person. I was afraid that if I extended my left hand, Senior Master would be suspicious.”
No matter what forms it had, the sword bracelet, the sword rope and the Thoughtless Sword were the one and same thing.
The paper slip unfolded, turning into countless paper crumbs, flying into the red smoke and mist like origami cranes.
The cotton cloth wrapping the Sword of the Universe had also broken to pieces, turning into innumerable b.u.t.terflies, drifting in all directions in the air.
The desolate and cold sword wills filled the nunnery hall.
In the next moment, countless sword wills came over from outside of the nunnery hall, creating a shapeless formation.
These sword wills hailed from the footprints Gu Qing left in the plum forest and on the lakeside when he walked there.
It was the Sword Formation of the Inherited Heaven.
…
…
Yin San couldn’t help but laugh out.
He didn’t do so to scoff at himself. He did so because he thought it was rather hilarious.
It was not so interesting to have everything under control. Only the unexpected occurrence made him feel intrigued.
He didn’t expect to see the Thoughtless Sword in Zhaoge City that day.
Zhao Layue was severely wounded and was near death. She should have gone back to Green Mountain by now. But unexpectedly, she had sent the Thoughtless Sword here.
The most unexpected was Gu Qing’s choice.
“Don’t you fear that you will be disgraced afterwards?” asked Yin San with a faint smile.
“I’m going to die anyway; why should I fear disgrace?” returned Gu Qing earnestly while staring at Yin San. “Senior Master, what do you think a person who is destined to die fear?”
Yin San replied with a faint smile, “If you were not afraid of anything, you wouldn’t come here today by yourself, meaning that you don’t want others to know your love affair with that devil vixen, the Royal Dowager, even though you’re going to die.”
“You’re right. I don’t want her to be harmed even though I’m going to die,” said Gu Qing. “But if I’m dead, I won’t care so much about what will happen to her.”
Yin San commented sentimentally, “I didn’t expect his disciples not to fear death. Worst of all, you’re not the only one. I simply can’t tell if this is his success or failure.”
It was indeed a strange thing; Jing Jiu was the person who feared death the most in this world, but he had taken on some disciples who didn’t fear death.
Liu s.h.i.+sui hadn’t been afraid of death since he was young. Zhao Layue couldn’t have walked out of the expansive snowland if she was afraid of death. Now, Gu Qing was another one who was not afraid of death.
“But I can tell you this: You won’t be able to succeed today,” Yin San said with a smile. “Using the Sword Formation of Green Mountain to kill me is a very interesting endeavor, but it’s also very boring.”
He was the true grandmaster of the Green Mountain Sect, having full knowledge of the sword styles of the nine peaks. To put it more precisely, he was the one who had pa.s.sed down many versions of the sword scripts of the nine peaks.
Many people didn’t know that he was very good at the Nine-Death Sword style of Shenmo Peak, which was a fact Jing Jiu had to admit.
In addition, he had been the sect master of Green Mountain for a great many years, so his knowledge of the Inherited Heaven Sword style was exceedingly profound.
As for how profound his knowledge was…it was perhaps as profound as Tianguang Peak.
To trap Yin San in the old plum garden by employing the Sword Formation of Inherited Heaven was a bit preposterous, and yet the expression on Gu Qing’s face was as calm as usual. “Senior Master, if you think you can leave, do it then,” he said.
The smile on Yin San’s face abated. “Do you think you can keep me here by using this sword rope?” he exclaimed.
The sword rope was lying on the table, linking their hands.
Zhao Layue had guessed what Gu Qing intended to do before sending the Thoughtless Sword to Zhaoge City; but unexpectedly, Gu Qing changed his plan on the spot.
It was of course hard to tie up the Immortal Taiping with a sword rope, even though it was the sword rope of the Thoughtless Sword. If he were put in an absolutely dire situation, Yin San would be able to escape by breaking his own arm.
Of course, he had a better option.
Kill Gu Qing or break his arm.
An elegant bone flute appeared in Yin San’s hands. The b.l.o.o.d.y line on the bone flute was more visible under the sword light and the red clothing, exuding a faint lethal intent.
A sound came out after the wind went through the holes on the flute. An invisible small sword came out along with the music, piercing toward the center of Gu Qing’s brows.
…
…
Ping Yongjia was sitting in the middle of the square of the royal palace. If he were a bit fatter and taller, he would look more like a Buddha statue.
Countless sword wills drifted out of his body, cutting the ground, flying in the air, and scattering in every direction of heaven and earth.
The scene looked like the surface of water was disturbed by a stone thrown into it.
All of a sudden, the sword wills in heaven and earth seemed to have found their target, disappearing soundlessly.
In the next moment, the First Child Sword as desolate as water vanished from his sight.
…
…
Those sword wills scattered among heaven and earth after having left the royal palace. They didn’t turn into the intangible objects since they had merely concealed their traces. The sword wills brushed past the streets and valleys throughout Zhaoge City, but they didn’t fling up one catkin.
Liu s.h.i.+sui arrived in the old plum garden, standing on the other side of the lake, sensing the formation surrounding the old nunnery, showing a grave expression on his dark face.
As he was to cross the bridge and take part in the battle, he suddenly felt a gentle breeze ruffling his cloth. The breeze entered his sleeve and landed on the sword bracelet on his wrist.
The Lone Sword let out a faint sword sound. Even though it was unwilling to do so, it had transformed back to the small silvery sword, flying away with the wind. In an instant, the Lone Sword broke through the Sword Formation of Inherited Heaven set up by Gu Qing and entered the nunnery hall.
…
…
Ding!!!
The broad Sword of the Universe fell in front of Gu Qing, its tip inserted deeply into the floor, blocking the small invisible sword.
He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The thick blood dripped down to the ground along the smooth shaft of the Sword of the Universe, forming a straight line on the floor.
Gu Qing grabbed the Sword of the Universe the same way as he was holding an iron slab, raised it up and hacked down at Yin San’s head.
Nearly at the same time, the First Child Sword and the Lone Sword came in through the window, piercing toward Yin San while emitting desolate sword lights.
The Thoughtless Sword locked Yin San’s wrist, and the other three famous swords were slas.h.i.+ng at him.
The four swords connected to each other through some kind of instinctive communication, creating an exceedingly formidable sword formation.
It was the same Sword Formation of Slaying Fairies faced by the Fairy Lady, Bai Ren, one hundred years ago.