Chapter 208: The Cut That Split Waves
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Looking far into the distance against the banister, Meng Qi saw the Shangshui River surge and twist its way out of the city. It was called Wave-viewing.
Standing inside the Wave-viewing Hall, Meng Qi looked at the undulating river water and watched the lights under the darkness of night, only to find that the sky was far away and beautiful. Looking at all the mist on the river, he felt that the mortal world and the immortal world were exactly a unified ent.i.ty at the moment.
“The Ancestor of the Tang family is precisely an expert of the Exterior. He really picked an excellent place for cultivation… ” Meng Qi looked over the river and glanced inside in a good mood.
In front of Tang Mingyue, he had just deliberately said with very cruel and profound words that he would kill Tang Shu. If he did not inform her in advance, it would cause Tang Mingyue to doubt his purpose. As a result, Tang Mingyue would suspect his own ident.i.ty and would possibly not help him. Thus, Meng Qi chose to gain momentum and make use of it. After he had controlled the situation well, he told Tang Mingyue immediately. That would only make her feel that Meng Qi was indeed a successful and unpredictable prodigal son who had endured a lot, with a far-reaching plan and the bravery to not follow the rules of law.
Of course, pretending to be profound and cold made him so cool. “Haha, haha!”
Meng Qi laughed in his heart, quite complacently. The only purpose of killing Tang Shu was for revenge. And one should never let their hatred pa.s.s through the night!
I’m such a vengeful person!
Of course, before killing Tang Shu, he should ask Tang Shu what he knew.
Therefore, the reason that he changed into white clothes and pretended to be profound and cool was not only for his own preference but more importantly, to lure some true information from him. In this way, he could create momentum and psychologically suppress Tang Shu, so that Tang Shu would be honest. Hence, when he killed Tang Shu, he would not need to use his most well-known tricks, which could possibly expose his ident.i.ty.
Still, Tang Shu had opened his Nine Apertures a long time ago, and with powerful Inner Qi Force and infuriating Genuine Qi, his defense and attacks were extraordinary. Even if he did not fight back, a normal Enlightened Master Pro who was eager to break up the Upstanding Qi would fail. And when faced with danger, he would definitely burst out his potential. If Meng Qi did not expose Tang Shu’s spiritual flaws to cause his potential failure, only with Meng Qi’s bladesmans.h.i.+p of Enlightening the Apertures, and without using his sword or the Exterior movements, it would be difficult to kill Tang Shu.
As Meng Qi was thinking that over, Tang Mingyue walked in, stepping lightly with a white robe in her hand. Her complete admiration for her brother was shown in her countenance and her words. “Second brother, Grandfather Ren will come after he arranges grandpa’s guard.”
“Okay.” Meng Qi stepped into the East Warm Pavilion of the Wave-viewing Hall to remove the hardcover and put the white robe on.
A mirror made of a special copper material stood in front of Meng Qi, which was as tall as several people. He glanced at it and could see his figure very clearly. He did not how it was made.
The person reflected in the mirror in the plain white robe was cold and majestic, coupled with a Long Knife on his waist. His angular lines had a strange charm that was different from a cool and sober swordsman, but also different from the ease of a monk who was free from the mortal world. It was the masculine and strong charm of one who used a knife.
“Nice, not bad… ” Meng Qi was very satisfied with this style. If he could roughly sense the world, he would also be compatible with the surroundings and impress others with a perfect sensory experience.
He coughed and restrained his complacency. Restoring his calm state, he stepped out of the East Warm Pavilion.
“My Second Brother… ” Tang Mingyue beamed, then calmed herself down. Out of concern, she asked, “Second Brother, what on earth have you suffered outside?”
“It’s a long story,” he said. “I have yet to make up a good story… “
“I’ll tell you when I recover,” he said. “I ‘ll not be found at that time… “
Meng Qi answered in a husky voice. At the same time, he looked at the Wave-viewing Hall’s layout and wanted to find something to inquire about to “kill” the time, lest he exposed himself out of more talks.
“Okay.” Tang Mingyu knew that his throat had been injured by an a.s.sa.s.sin and speaking was hard for him. He tried his best to shout in the hall just now, so he naturally had to rest.
The Wave-viewing Hall’s layout was elegant. Aside from incense burners and antique pavilions, there were just a few rows of bookshelves and desks and chairs. Meng Qi was about to appreciate these antiques, but suddenly his eyes shone, for he saw some words under a horizontal board of the Wave-viewing Hall.
There were nearly one hundred words that were written like dragons and snakes. Hanging there up high, they reflected the water with a slight sense of floating.
“Wave-viewing Invitation… ” Meng Qi read out the name and slowly walked toward it. Standing under the invitation, with his hands behind his back, he raised his head and read it carefully.
The words were not superior, nor was the speech outstanding. However, they were smooth as a whole and made the reader fully delighted. They were impressive.
“Hitting the water against the banister… ” Reading carefully, Meng Qi’s eyes suddenly froze. It seemed that the words became constant flashes of waves and overwhelmingly “flowed” toward him, which almost made him suffocate.
They were like monstrous and turbulent waves. Up to the last few words, there was a Knife Energy that suddenly lit up before Meng Qi’s eyes. It was so sharp and quick, beyond his expectation. The waves were split with only one cut, which destroyed the natural momentum!
After the soul-stirring hallucinations of Knife Energy, Meng Qi saw a new red word appear at the end of the “Wave-viewing Invitation”. It read, “Pochen.”
That was the name of Tang family’s ancestor, “Splitting the River Knife” Tang Pochen.
With his eyes closed, Meng Qi rethought the Knife Intent of the “Wave-Viewing Invitation”, and words came into his mind.
“River-splitting Bladesmans.h.i.+p.”
Neither the impartation of the Gist of Trueness nor a Kung Fu script, the “Wave-viewing Invitation” was written when the Tang family’s Ancestor acquired the consummate bladesmans.h.i.+p and the Qi was burning in his heart. He had included all of his Knife Intent in it. It fully showed “momentum” and “swiftness”, the two kinds of Essence of the Knife Dao.
The constant waves and strong momentum could split the river when they were swift enough!
“Our ancestor had said that if one could imitate 70-80% of the “Wave-viewing Invitation’, then his River-splitting Bladesmans.h.i.+p could be strong enough to disdain some places and break through the Exterior. Second Brother, do you want to try it?” Her brother had returned and changed the situation, so Tang Mingyue was in a good mood and joked with him.
“If I had the time for River-splitting Bladesmans.h.i.+p, I would rather practice Seven Purple Thunderstrikes and Nine Annihilation at Heavenly Nights…” Meng Qi sneered in his heart. But he gently said to Tang Mingyue, “I have successful bladesmans.h.i.+p, thanks to my other adventures. As for River-splitting Bladesmans.h.i.+p, I’m not strong enough.”
Tang Mingyue saw Meng Qi’s chop at Master Ye, so she knew that his knife could be fierce, different from their own River-splitting Bladesmans.h.i.+p. Thus, she did not doubt him but smiled and answered, “Understanding one move might give some hints to other skills. Second Brother, your bladesmans.h.i.+p is strong and successful. If you read ‘River-splitting Bladesmans.h.i.+p’ again, you might naturally know the elementary essence of it.”
“It makes sense.” Meng Qi was happy because this could help him avoid discussing stories of the past.
Moreover, the Knife Dao Essence of the derivational Knife Intent of the “Wave-viewing Invitation” was similar to that of the “Outline of the Heavenly Knife”. Meng Qi had practiced and tried to understand it before, but with only a few benefits. Since there was great work in front of him, how could he let the chance go of appreciating and “imitating” it?
Soon after, he was immersed in the realm of constant waves and the knife energy that Split the River, trying to ponder and take in its essence. With the relevant exposition of “Outline of Heavenly Knife” as the foundation, and the changes of Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmans.h.i.+p, Coldwind Knife Technique, and Five Tiger-like Bladesmans.h.i.+p in addition, he quickly absorbed the momentum and swiftness of the “Wave-viewing Invitation” into his own bladesmans.h.i.+p.
In this state, Meng Qi totally forgot the outside world. Nothing could bother him now.
When Tang Ren, Second Master Tang, and Master Tang the Seventh walked in, they all focused their eyes on Meng Qi. They felt that Meng Qi, who read the invitation carefully with his hands behind his back, had an unexplainable quality. He seemed to be free from the mortal world and was compatible with their surroundings. He also seemed to wield his blade at any time to split nature and return to the mortal world.
In his cool white robe, he was straight as an arrow. Not strong, but he was impressive and huge.
This was also the first feeling Tang Shu had, when he entered the Wave-viewing Hall. The rest of the elders remained outside the door, waiting for the result.
“Second Young Master… ” Shocked by Meng Qi’s momentum, Tang Shu only valued Meng Qi, totally forgetting that Master Tang the Seventh was the current Master.
Meng Qi recovered his mind and closed his eyes again to reflect on what he had learned. He did not turn around, but said in a hoa.r.s.e voice,
“Why did you a.s.sa.s.sinate the Manager of the Huanhua Swords Sect and his relatives? Did Second Uncle know about it before?”
Tang Shu looked at Second Master Tang and saw him gently shake his head, so Tang Shu affirmatively said, “No.”
Second Master Tang was relieved. He did not know what his brother had suffered. Nor did he know why his brother had become so violent. His brother, with his strong and fierce bladesmans.h.i.+p, had reactions and decisions that were also quick and terrifying like his bladesmans.h.i.+p, which did not give his enemies a chance to rest. After a series of confusing actions, his brother had controlled the largest part of the family. He and his blademans.h.i.+p were both frightening!
Tang Shu continued to say, “The Fifth Master did a favor for me and adopted me into the Tang family. Since he asked me to a.s.sa.s.sinate them, I obeyed him absolutely.”
Tang Shu, whose original surname was not Tang, was a famous master in Huan Province. But afterward, he committed a crime. Luckily, he was saved by Lord Tang the Fifth and lived under the shelter of the Tang family. Later on, he took the tribe name of the Tang family. Relying on the Tang family’s support, he finally opened his Nine Apertures and fully improved his Inner World.
“Why did the Fifth Uncle want to kill the Manager of the Huanhua Swords Sect? Didn’t he think about the aftermath?” Meng Qi still looked at the “Wave-viewing Invitation” with his back facing everyone. The night breeze made his white robe flutter a bit.
Tang Shu honestly replied, “The Fifth Master had not intended to do so, but after he secretly met Master Ye later, he said that in order to fight for status in the royal family, he must be the first one to launch an attack. Anyway, he would just deal with the relatives of the Huanhua Swords Sect’s Manager. With Manager Lin, who he had bribed before, it would not be serious. By that time, everything would be fine since the “missing” I would be blamed for it. Who knew that even Manager Lin also died later.”
Tang Mingyue listened quietly, with her mouth shut tightly. She did not believe Master Ye was also involved in such a big matter.
“Was there anyone else, when my Fifth Uncle met Master Ye?” Meng Qi pretended to be calm, but actually, he was shocked. He had thought that Master Ye was truly a playboy who could only conduct small crimes for his own strength and was not capable of such a big a.s.sa.s.sination. But now, it seemed that Master Ye played an important role. “Was he the same Master Ye who knelt down with one attack of my blade?”
Tang Shu shook his head and then looked at the back of Meng Qi. He felt that Meng Qi was like the Master of the family and Meng Qi was confident.
“The Fifth Master secretly met him, so I didn’t know whether there was anyone else.”
Meng Qi asked a few more questions. Seeing that Tang Shu confessed all he knew, Meng Qi opened his eyes to look at undulating waves of “Wave-viewing Invitation”, with both hands behind him. Then he solemnly said,
“You conducted such a crime without the Master’s permission. That’s the first sin.”
“Regardless of the situation, you brought our family into a dangerous state because of your own contradictions with others. That’s the second sin.”
“You didn’t take the responsibility after making a mistake and made our family become the target of others. You didn’t live up to our favor to you. That’s the third sin.”
“Tang Shu, do you admit your crimes?”
He acted like a Master and judge. But after a series of situations, the momentum of Master Tang the Seventh and the others had disappeared. Thus, they felt that it was reasonable.
Tang Shu said without any expression, “I admit it.”
“Uncle Shu has already admitted his crimes, and he is a Nine Apertures Master. Would it be better to just sentence him to some heavy penalties, but leave him to serve the family?” Second Master Tang suggested.
Meng Qi read the “Wave-viewing Invitation” again, feeling the surging waves and the splitting-river Knife Intent. He ignored Second Master Tang and coldly said, “Well, since you admit to it, I’ll not punish your relatives.”
Just as Tang Shu and the others felt relieved, Meng Qi suddenly said, “The Fifth Uncle was right that someone should be the scapegoat to alleviate the anger of the Huanhua Swords Sect.”
“Our family should not do whatever we want, but should struggle to live among the aristocratic families and big sects.”
Tang Shu and the others were afraid, not knowing what he would do. “Would he break Tang Shu’s hands or put Tang Shu at the mercy of the Huanhua Swords Sect?”
Meng Qi released his hands and pressed his right hand under the handle. He said in a cold voice,
“So, you have to die.”
His voice was not loud, but it was like sudden thunder, which boomed inside their hearts.
Meng Qi finally turned around and drew out his Evil Ordeal.
“As long as you die, your family and the whole family can survive!”
Upon finis.h.i.+ng his words, he drew his Long Knife, which had long been building up its momentum. The flashes of Knife Energy were changing and strange. Each change seemed to violate the natural laws and touch their innermost feelings. Seeing it, they seemed to hear an unbearable noise, which reminded them of the unforgettable past.
After all, it was difficult to cool down his anger!
This bladesmans.h.i.+p was unexplainable and terrifying. It was the essence of the Knife Dao of Peace Quietude Split derived from the “Outline of the Heavenly Knife”.
Until this moment, Tang Shu just saw the appearance of “Tang Jing”. Like Old Master Tang’s appearance, he had a straight nose, thin lips, and sharp edges and corners. In white robes, he was callous, overbearing, and imposing. So, Tang Shu naturally felt that he was inferior to him.
The image of standing with his hands behind him, the solemn performance, the confidence that Meng Qi had shown, and the power when Meng Qi inquired of him were like a picture that Meng Qi carefully drew. The picture abruptly emerged in Tang Shu’s heart and made him lose the confidence to fight.
“As long as you die, your family and the whole family can survive!”
That last shout, along with the strange changes and shocking bladesmans.h.i.+p, confounded Tang Shu. It was hard for him to choose between the lives of his relatives and his own life.
When Masters fought, their moves changed very fast. A slight mistake could bring about defeat. How could Meng Qi tolerate Tang Shu’s hesitation?
His hesitation cost his decisive opportunity. Evil Ordeal had fallen in front of him!
Second Master Tang and Master Tang the Seventh just gathered themselves and hurried to aid Tang Shu.
“No!” Tang Shu roared. The intention of struggling for life controlled him, so he strengthened his palms. His palms’ strength of mixed coldness and hotness formed a cloud of Qi and defended against Evil Ordeal.
But just at the same moment, Evil Ordeal pointed upward. The Knife Energy changed and attacked Tang Shu with the strength of constantly roaring waves.
Tang Shu concentrated his vision, knowing that he was in such a hurry that he misjudged Meng Qi’s blade’s direction and fall into Meng Qi’s trap. Thus, he had to use his left palm, but he failed and broke his left hand. And then, he escaped.
Seeing Meng Qi’s attack, Tang Ren was surprised.
Suddenly, a bright brilliant knife energy shone, splitting a lot of waves and severing all the chances to escape.
“Clank!” Meng Qi put his Long Knife into its sheath. He had stood in front of the “Wave-viewing Invitation”, but now he stood behind Tang Shu.
Second Master Tang and Master Tang the Seventh just hurried to get close to Tang Shu, only to see a stream of blood flowing from Tang Shu’s mid-brows to his throat. Tang Shu was unreconciled. “Pang!” He fell down to the ground.
“Send his body to the Flower-was.h.i.+ng Rice Shop.”
Not even turning his head around, Meng Qi pushed the door open and stepped out of the Wave-viewing Hall and calmly spoke.
The Elders outside were really shocked, because just as they noticed there was fighting inside, Tang Shu had died. “He is a Nine Acupores Master, Nine Acupores Master!”
Meng Qi was confident. During the battle, Tang Shu was unable to exert 30% of his strength and was not focused. That was a big taboo in a fight. After Meng Qi knew the derivative essence of Peace Quietude Split, any of his bladesmans.h.i.+ps could kill Tang Shu. So, he just gave those two Knife Dao essences a try!
With his clothes as white as snow, he pressed his hands on the blade handle and slowly walked in the darkness.