rustycol | Liu Yao - Chapter 47

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 Many thanks and hugs to MrMissMrsRandom for editing!

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As the area Zhou Hanzheng explores gets wider, the toad liquid Li Yun brings with him quickly runs out, while they dare not use their mind to scan the enemy. While helping Li Yun maintain the array, Yan Zhengming orders Han Yuan to carve many simple wooden bird talismans using the wooden pieces they brought with them. This is a type of basic talisman that Li Yun improved because he liked small animals. It doesn’t take up much energy, while the wooden pieces turn into life-like birds that can spy for them without attracting attention.

The problem is Han Yuan’s skill isn’t very good. The birds he makes all have two extra legs. They can fly, but if they walk, they’d all stumble.

Li Yun dares not relax for a second for the whole night. All of his mental and physical strength is soaked up by the array. Seeing that the eastern sky has brightened, he can’t resist asking, “How long is this going to last?”

“Not much longer,” Yan Zhengming replies with certainty. “This asshole has schemes everywhere. He won’t waste his time dithering here.”

Sect Leader Yan is right again. When the sun rises, Zhou Hanzheng can’t delay anymore.

By this time, the sky is clear and the sunlight is warm over the sea. One of the masked figures watches Zhou Hanzheng’s face and suggests. “Your Excellency, it’s no use staying here. Let’s go back before there is more trouble?”

Zhou Hanzheng clasps his hands and considers for a moment. He too feels that it’s meaningless to waste the time with this person in hiding, whose agenda is a mystery. All of his goals for this trip have been accomplished; they can withdraw in satisfaction. So he nods. Glancing around the small island, which seems to be covered in fog and clouds because of the illusion, he raises his voice. “Daoyu, I don’t know who you’re. I only want to rest here and have no ill intent. If I’ve offended you, please forgive me.”

Hearing that, Li Yun lets out a long sigh in relief, nearly losing control over his energy. He wipes the cold sweat on his forehead and says in a low voice, “Oh god, he finally leaves.”

They are only a short-ish distance away from Zhou Hanzheng at this point, hidden by a small mountain. Even without their spies, they can hear what Zhou Hanzheng says.

Yan Zhengming says nothing. He has been using spells and talismans to support the array the whole night. Having given the only burin to Han Yuan, he had to use his sword. Carving spells and talismans using a specialist knife or a random sharp object are two different levels of skills. This is the first time Yan Zhengming crosses this threshold. From time to time, he couldn’t maintain his control, causing the energy on the spell to act up. As a result, his hands are full of small cuts. A shadow is on his face. He isn’t happy at all to hear that Zhou Hanzheng wants to leave.  

When can he have a proper fight in the open with that Zhou asshole like a real person?

Zhou Hanzheng doesn’t seem to mind that the person on the island doesn’t reply. He just says, “Let’s go.”

Then he leads the masked figures to fly up on their swords. However, as soon as he is in the air, Zhou Hanzheng senses something is watching him. He has decent cultivation level so his senses are naturally good. He instinctively reaches out to those watching eyes and catches… a four-legged bird.

Zhou Hanzheng frowns, not knowing what kind of strange animal this is. An idea sparks in his head. He squeezes the bird’s neck to kill it. The struggling small bird turns into a rough talisman.

Zhou Hanzheng breaks the talisman without much force into two. The energy inside it disperses. Anyone observant will know that the cultivation level of the creator isn’t that high.

Yan Zhengming’s heart drops as he thinks. “Shit.”

Zhou Hanzheng sniffs the broken talisman like a hunting dog. As if he remembers something, his face changes and the frown disappears. A vague smile appears with a touch of cruelty. “And here I thought this was some stranger. It was worth a trip here after all.”

Before that, he dared not sweep the island with his mind, because he was afraid the cultivator on here was more powerful than him. Once his mind was detected and suppressed, he would suffer from a backlash. Using whatever method, he now knows that the people on the island are Yan Zhengming’s group, so he has nothing to worry anymore. As soon as those words come out, Zhou Hanzheng’s oppressive mental power sweeps across the island. Li Yun’s illusory array is only good for scaring people; it’s unable to withstand one hit. There is no way to hide where they are.

Standing on his sword in the air, Zhou Hanzheng casually smiles. “Sect Leader Yan, however you look at it, I gave you a lesson at Lecture Hall. What’s the saying, teacher for one day, father for life? Why are you hiding there instead of meeting me here?”

Having said that, he waves his arm. Lightning immediately appears on his fan and charges at Li Yun’s array. In a second, the illusory array that has style but not substance is destroyed.

As if suffering a heavy hit, Li Yun collapses onto the ground. He can’t stand back up even after a good while.

With a face that looks even worse than Li Yun, Yan Zhengming catches him and places him to a side. Then he wordlessly stands up and draws his sword, obviously with the intent to walk outside.

Han Yuan blanches. “Most senior brother, what are you doing?”

His face cold as ice, Yan Zhengming doesn’t even stop. “Don’t follow me.”

Even at this age, Han Yuan has never taken on any responsibility. Looking at Li Yun and then Puddle, he is initially at a loss about what to do. He stays dazedly where he is for a while, then takes a deep breath and runs after Yan Zhengming.

Zhou Hanzheng looks at Yan Zhengming appreciatively. “Long time no see, you’ve changed a lot. This old friend is glad.”

Yan Zhengming suddenly Cheng Qian’s sentiment of ‘drawing the sword without wasting his breath’. He has never hated anyone like this. The sensation of hatred may scare a person, but may also be a boost to their mind, being an endless source for their power.  

Under the clear sky over the wild island, the heart of the young sect leader is full of killing intent.

His disciple brothers and little sister are right behind him. Yan Zhengming has no choice but to fight. Not wanting to waste his breath talking, Yan Zhengming draws his sword and charges forward.

However, Zhou Hanzheng doesn’t meet his attack. The two masked figures that accompany him surf forward on their swords and block Yan Zhengming’s path.

Zhou Hanzheng leisurely watches from outside the fight, still finding the time to comment. “Fuyao. Back then, countless powerful cultivators filled the endless mountains that reached the clouds. A stomp of their feet could shake both heaven and earth. Such charisma and power! Yet in the present your sect is in exile in the wilderness. The turns of fortune are indeed unpredictable.”  

With a strike, Yan Zhengming breaks the barrier of the two masked figures that blocks him. He turns into a ray of light that charges directly at Zhou Hanzheng, whose robe flutters in the wind of the sword. However, Zhou Hanzheng doesn’t seem to have any regard for his opponent. The fan has not even opened, but there is a ringing sound that comes from the handle, then a ray of lightning flies out and chips a piece from the blade of Yan Zhengming’s sword.

“Sect Leader Yan, if it was like before, with your cultivation level, you wouldn’t even be an official disciple of your sect,” Zhou Hanzheng smiles. “Isn’t that sect leader seal on your neck too heavy for you? Why don’t you let me share the burden?”

His fingers curl up into claws; a black cloud swirls in his palm. The claws charge from high at Yan Zhengming.

Yan Zhengming turns his body to aside to avoid the attack, then immediately makes a horizontal strike. Yet he feels as if his wrist was hit instead.

Zhou Hanzheng’s claws are reinforced with the quality of diamond. Yan Zhengming’s strike doesn’t even break a nail. On the contrary, those claws get even bigger and press on Yan Zhengming’s head as if to cover the sky.

At this moment, Yan Zhengming hears Han Yuan shout. “Come and get a slap from your grandpa!”

His heart beating like mad, Yan Zhengming turns his head and sees that Han Yuan and Li Yun, whom he left behind, have both emerged. The two masked figures immediately target them. Li Yun can only fight a little and Han Yuan is a complete amateur. They are besieged with danger.

In just a second of distraction, Zhou Hanzheng’s giant claws have come close to him. Yan Zhengming can’t evade anymore. He has to risk injury and use an all-or-nothing move from “Not according to wish”, with the intent to sacrifice himself along with his enemy.  

Yan Zhengming is willing to take that risk, but Zhou Hanzheng is worried for his own life. He reluctantly withdraws his attack and falls back, thinking, “How strange. As it turns out, a desperate rabbit will bite too.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he steps back, a sword flash cold as frost attacks him from behind. Zhou Hanzheng shudders; the fan is finally opened, giving out a flash of lightning fire.

As the lightning hits the sea, a fierce wave rises like a water dragon, making seawater fall on the island like a rain.

Zhou Hanzheng carefully takes two steps back. His eyes widen as he sees the person who just appears. It turns out to be Cheng Qian.

When Cheng Qian fell on the great rock, he already looked like a beggar, with his hair completely messed up. After the training by Wen Ya Zhenren’s shades, his clothes became tattered rags that couldn’t get any worse. However, seeing this absurd appearance of his, all of the killing intent in Yan Zhengming’s chest dissipates.

Knowing how he is going to turn out in the future, Sect Leader Yan nearly cries when he sees Cheng Qian, his mouth opening with no word coming out.

Glancing at Yan Zhengming’s awkward appearance, Cheng Qian suddenly feels what it is like to have someone’s attention. He knows that it isn’t the right time, but he can’t help crinkling his eyes.

Isn’t what a person longs for all of their life is to have someone angrily open the door and yell ‘Which ditch did you die in this time?” when they comes home, tired from travelling, on a moonless night?

Zhou Hanzheng didn’t see Cheng Qian before, but he didn’t really take note of that. In his eyes, besides their sect, these kids struggling to stay alive had nothing worth paying attention to. Yet, he nearly paid for his oversight.

Back then, Zhou Hanzheng already had some regard for Cheng Qian when they first met at Lecture Hall. In the present, the youth had grown up. He has better control of his emotions, while his heart doesn’t change at all, which fits the will of that frosty blade. However, now matter how appreciative Zhou Hanzheng is, he still looks down on Cheng Qian’s cultivation level. He smiles. “Young Daoyu, do you want to take part in this discussion too?”

“You’re mistaken, Senior Zhou. I have no intention to do that at all,” Shuang Ren in hand, Cheng Qian politely greets Zhou Hanzheng. Then he immediately activates the Spirit Collection Jade Wen Ya Zhenren gave him.

Zhou Hanzheng can already tell that something is wrong when his body feels heavy. Then he realises that his energy base has been frozen, the circulation is stagnant, and his cultivation level has been reduced at least six out of ten.  

Zhou Hanzheng is terrified, thinking, what kind of accursed technique is this?

Cheng Qian doesn’t give him any time to react. Bringing with it the force of the sea tide, Shuang Ren strikes at Zhou Hanzheng’s head.

The Zhou one has to do the humiliating of falling back for a good distance. Because his cultivation is suddenly suppressed, the diamond-like energy shield around his body disappears. Shuang Ren’s sword energy has no pity on him and tears off a piece of his robe at the front, revealing the flesh.

“I’m not here for discussion,” Cheng Qian finishes his speech in a soft voice, “But to silence you forever.”

This turn of events startles everyone. Having been let off by a masked figure, Han Yuan coughs as he cranes his head to watch, muttering, “That’s my Third Brother? Is he possessed or something?”

Puddle gapes, letting the seawater in her mouth and having to spit it out.

“It’s not that Xiao-Qian becomes powerful. It’s Zhou Hanzheng,” Li Yun quickly reacts. “He suddenly couldn’t even stand. His protective energy isn’t there either.”

On one hand, Yan Zhengming worriedly thinks, “Did he meet someone shady when he went missing? What kind of improper tricks did he learn?”

On the other hand, he fearlessly blocks the masked figures that are trying to help their boss.

Under the power of the Sea Tide Sword, water vapour on the island flies in the air and freezes into white frost. Zhou Hanzheng fearfully says, “Wait, that’s the killer sword Shuang Ren? Why do you have it?”

Cheng Qian doesn’t bother to reply him. With a wave of his hand, he turns the frost into a whirlwind, the bottom of which is sharp as an ice knife, and aims it directly at Zhou Hanzheng’s forehead.

Zhou Hanzheng doesn’t at all expect Cheng Qian to deliver a killing blow with no hesitation like that, despite his young age. Zhou Hanzheng roars as the fan shakes in the wind; the power of lighting fire on the fan is obviously suppressed by the frosty fog in the air. He uses all his might to wave the fan, to the point that he nearly can’t continue again, and manages to summon a strong wind that carries lightning to smash the ice blade aiming at him. A second later, the ice pieces that are gone return like the sea tide and combine with each other again, attacking with even more power than before!

Zhou Hanzheng keeps having to fall back. He helplessly attacks the strange binding on him using his spiritual energy, while glaring at Cheng Qian. “You brat, don’t force me into a corner, else you’ll regret it.”

Cheng Qian nearly bursts out laughing to hear that, thinking, why didn’t you take your own advice when you bullied other people?

As he makes the hand sign for sword riding, Shuang Ren pursues Zhou Hanzheng like an arrow released from its bow. The vapour swirling in the air is half real half not, its power causing everyone to gape out of awe.

Zhou Hanzheng fights back with difficulty, as lightning and frozen fog clash with each other in the air, making the ground shake. At this point, Cheng Qian has more energy than Zhou Hanzheng, who is under the suppression of the Spirit Collection Jade. With this newfound understanding of Sea Tide Sword, he doesn’t leave his enemy a moment to breathe.

Cheng Qian certainly didn’t joke about ‘killing Zhou Hanzheng to shut him up’. He doesn’t even care that nearly all of his energy reserve has been consumed by the three strikes. Relying on the Spirit Collection Jade, he gathers all his might once more and jumps up, catching Shuang Ren again. Concentrating all of his suppressed hatred all these years into the blade, he is prepared to kill Zhou Hanzheng in the next strike.  

Zhou Hanzheng’s pupils constricts to the size of a needle point. In this state of emergency, he throws the fan away, then grits his teeth and makes a series of very complicated hand signs. The clear sky suddenly turns dark, black clouds gathering like a threatening pile of smoke. Risking his precious fan, Zhou Hanzheng delays Cheng Qian for a short while with difficulty. There is a tearing sound. The fan of thunder and lightning is no match for the legendary killer sword. It is torn into two by Shuang Ren and drops in pieces on the ground.

Unable to break the binding on his body, like a cornered animal, Zhou Hanzheng uses his own flesh and blood as the conductor to summon lightning from the heavens!

Even with the might of heaven threatening over his head, Cheng Qian doesn’t bother to look up. Killing intent filling in his eyes, all he cares about is finishing off Zhou Hanzheng. He spares no mind for anything else.

As Yan Zhengming beats the two masked figures into the ground, he hears the strange sound. As he turns his head, what he sees scares his soul out of him.

He rides his chipped sword as fast as possible like a wind into the battle, and stops Cheng Qian in his path. Using the momentum, he immediately changes the direction, as the lightning from the sky seemingly grazes his back. Yan Zhengming feels goosebumps spread all over his body because of the thunder and wind.  

The wild island shakes. Even the sea is disturbed too. A black hole appears on the ground, giving off the burnt smell.

The thunder and lightning make Yan Zhengming unable to hear or see anything. Using his sense of touch, he finds Cheng Qian’s robe and clutches at it, growling, “What the fuck are you doing?!”

Cheng Qian isn’t in a much better state than him. He only feels his most senior brother’s chest rumbling without hearing anything, so he yells back. “What’re you screaming about? I can’t hear anything!”

Yan Zhengming gives him a rap on the head. Cheng Qian nearly lost control of his energy because of his strike, so his defenses are temporarily down. Because of that rap, his head collides with Yan Zhengming’s shoulder.

However, before he can raise his head, the hand that just hit him presses the back of his head in a gesture that tolerates no argument. Yan Zhengming has embraced him tightly.

In that moment, Yan Zhengming squeezes his arms so tightly that they shake, as if he just woke up from a nightmare. Or rather, he just survived an accident.

Nothing else in this world can bring him so much comfort like this dirty body.

Suddenly his heart are full of words struggling to get out, but he doesn’t know where to start, as if he has grasped something, but he hasn’t fully understood what it is yet. Before he can get to it, the thunder is over. This wet blanket Cheng Qian rubs his own head and pushes him away, then declares to Yan Zhengming, whose hearing has recovered. “I haven’t killed that Zhou bastard yet. Talk later.”

Yan Zhengming: “…”

Although he isn’t sure what he wants to say, the feeling of being stunned speechless is really “soul numbing.”

Zhou Hanzheng was already suppressed by the Spirit Collection Jade, then repeatedly sustained injuries. After he used his body as conductor for the lightning from the sky, nearly all of his meridians are destroyed. Even if Cheng Qian has lost his control and Spirit Collection Jade is no longer effective, he keeps lying in a heap on the ground, unable to stand up.

His mouth is full of blood as he glares to the point of all the white in his eyes showing at Cheng Qian, who is approaching. His throat can only give off scratchy sounds. He repeatedly tries to stand up but keeps falling down. His hands claw at the muddy ground, leaving streaks of blood behind. It is a terrible sight.

Unfortunately, Cheng Qian has a heart of iron. Facing that sight, he feels neither pity nor fear, but keeps walking forward with the intent to deal Zhou Hanzheng the killing blow.

At this moment, Zhou Hanzheng’s mouth curls up in a devilish smile. Something buzzes in his sleeve. Cheng Qian frowns, as he is startled by the realisation that something is not right. Just a second later, he hears the sharp ripping sound of the wind.

Cheng Qian knows he has to run away. However, his body doesn’t obey his will, as his energy is already used up.

Pain surges