Chapter 13: Slaying the Serpent with One Blow

Sword Dynasty

Volume 1: Great Rebel

Chapter 13: Slaying the Serpent with One Blow

The tall, thin man with thick jointed fingers under the umbrella did not know what Ding Ning was thinking at the moment. He methodically followed the two foreigners, calm and cold.

The Fish Market was still shrouded in rain. The water in the pond was almost overflowing, and the green grass on the shore swayed with the waves.

The thick-browed young man and the handsome young man walked out of the city. Soon, the enormous towers standing in the wind and rain disappeared behind them.

There were many wooden pavilions along the road outside the city. One of them happened to be called the Autumn Rain Pavilion.

This was an old and dilapidated pavilion covered in dried vines.

Looking at this dilapidated pavilion and the pedestrians hurrying past, a mist appeared in the handsome young man's eyes. This small pavilion was built to provide shelter for pedestrians from the wind and rain. However, the autumn wind and rain were extremely fierce. In weather like this, when travel was difficult, pedestrians were in a hurry, and no one had shelter from the rain.

Life was the same. The path taken was usually not the same as first expected.

The thick-browed young man holding the umbrella for him did not have such feelings. Even since leaving the Fish Market, his brows had been slightly furrowed, and the murderous look in his bright eyes had only intensified.

Seeing the handsome young man in front of him stop at this pavilion, he lowered his voice and asked, "Is it here?”

The handsome young man nodded. “Yes.”

The thick-browed young man began to get excited. “You want me to fight?”

The handsome young man glanced at him, his expression as calm as still water. “The other is strong. This is Changling. We can't waste too much time here, so it's more suitable for you to fight.”

The thick-browed young man grew even more excited. His left hand, the one not holding the umbrella, rubbed his clothes as if he was already sweating.

The handsome young man seemed to be in a better mood, smiling and walking to a small pavilion to wait quietly.

The thick-browed young man thought for a moment and did not follow, standing under the umbrella outside the pavilion.

In the distance, on the path they were walking along, a yellow canvas umbrella slowly emerged like a dried lotus leaf in a pond.

Seeing the thick-browed young man and the handsome young man stop at the pavilion ahead, the tall, thin man under the yellow canvas umbrella frowned slightly. However, he possessed great confidence in himself, so he did not pause in his steps. He walked until he was nearly ten meters away from the thick-browed young man before he stopped.

The thick-browed young man’s eyebrow raised. He became even more excited. However, countless lessons and battles had taught him not to attack until he heard the command coming from behind him.

“You're not a Qin person,” said the handsome young man standing in the pavilion coldly.

The tall, thin man under the umbrella did not argue. He said calmly, "It seems you're not a Qin person either."

The handsome young man said calmly, “If we're not Qin people, and the person who's going to be killed isn't Qin either, then it has nothing to do with the laws of the Qin Dynasty. No one will invest any energy in an investigation. You've planned well, and I see you're fearless. I'm afraid this isn't the first time you've done this kind of business.”

Was this person fishing?

The tall, thin man under the yellow canvas umbrella frowned. He glanced suspiciously at the surrounding roads. After confirming that there were no Qin carriages hidden in the rain, he looked at the calm and handsome young man with even more confusion. He asked, “Foreigners usually use intermediaries when doing business at the Fish Market and don't dare to flaunt their wealth. You don't follow the rules, and now you know what my specialty in business is, yet you're waiting for me here. Are you also involved in this kind of business?”

“I'm not interested in the business of killing and robbing.” The handsome young man shook his head. “We will only fight back if people target us; that's our way of acting. But you are very brave for daring to follow after realizing this. You are a fearless and lawless person.”

The tall, thin man under the yellow canvas umbrella smiled. He said, “I am originally a serpent of the water, not a small fish or shrimp at the Fish Market. Of course, I am different. Since I've made the effort to follow you, I must see it through.”

His laughter was sincere, and his words were also very arrogant. In the next moment, before he finish speaking, he turned around without hesitation. The yellow canvas umbrella in his hand aimed at the thick-browed young man in front of him as he fled into the rain like a wild stallion out of control.

“You're indeed clever. You understand how to advance by retreating.”

The handsome young man looked at the tall, thin man who was furiously fleeing through the rain and mist. He sighed and and shook his head, lamented, “Since you've already come, it's not up to you to decide whether you can advance or retreat.”

After saying this, the handsome young man said to the thick-browed young man, “Do it.”

As he said the words, the tip of the spinning yellow canvas umbrella was less than an inch from the eyes of the thick-browed young man.

The hiss of the umbrella tip cutting through the air and rain told people of the power it contained. However, the thick-browed young man stood motionless, staring eagerly at the tall, thin man who was running backwards.

Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out in the air. A thin, light sword, so red it looked almost black, flew out of the thick-browed young man's sleeve like lightning.

On its way, the sword cut through the handle of the yellow canvas umbrella. In the next moment, the yellow canvas umbrella screamed and collapsed completely, shattered by the terrifying force.

The tall, thin man's pupils constricted. His skin felt tight as if being pricked by needles.

He was not an ordinary cultivator. He was an experienced dragon that crossed the river. This was why he dared to do something like this. But in his conversation with the handsome young man, he had been rebuffed at every turn. Especially now, his tactic of advancing by retreating, which the other party had immediately seen through.

Although he felt nervous and retreated, the yellow canvas umbrella was a test. If his opponent was not as strong as he imagined, then he would advance rather than retreat.

But at this moment, the thick-browed young man’s strength was more terrifying than he imagined!

Pew! A cracking sound was heard.

The flying sword, which was already traveling at a terrifying speed, accelerated. Accompanied by a burst of white energy, it appeared before him!

The tall, thin man roared ferociously. A dozen finger-thick lines of fire appeared in the space around him, incinerating the mist surrounding him.

That small sword, which had disappeared from his sight, suddenly appeared behind him and stabbed three times in row towards his back.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Three violent explosions!

The dozen crisscrossing lines of fire blocking the flying sword were torn apart. The immense force caused the tall, thin man to be thrown forward uncontrollably.

The thick-browed young man pursed his lips and took a step forward.

With one step, he appeared directly in front of the tall, thin man who was flying backward.

The large, worn umbrella in his hand flew into the air. He drew a large black sword from the umbrella's handle.

The tall, thin cultivator's face was deathly pale. He knew he was on the brink of death. Oppressed by the presence of death, he had finally reached the limit of his strength. All the vital energy in his body exploded out of the countless meridians in his body.

Countless sparks of true fire appeared in front of him. The sparks seemed to form the shape of a red serpent that leapt towards the thick-browed young man.

He was right. He was not a small fish or shrimp in a pond, he was a serpent.

The serpent created from true fire was even more terrifying than a real serpent. The droplets of rain pouring down were incinerated in the flames.

The thick-browed young man’s wet clothes were instantly dry. He did not even blink. He pulled out a large black sword from the umbrella handle and simply swung it forward.

There was an enormous boom.

The large black sword, carrying countless terrifying primal energies of the universe, shattered the serpent made from true fire and then hit the tall, thin cultivator.

This did not seem like a sword, but a giant hammer!

A giant hammer that could even shatter a mountain in one blow!

“One…”

The tall, thin man only uttered a single urgent sound before the terrifying force shattered all the meridians and bones in his body. Like a weightless bag, he was thrown out.

The moment the sword struck him, he only had time to utter a single urgent word.

He felt distraught.

The word "one" represents a lot of meanings.

 

Of the seven disciples of the Zhao Sword Furnace, the first disciple was called Zhao Zhi. It was said that he wielded two swords: one ‘Crimson Fiend’, and the other ‘Mountain Breaker’. However, cultivators of all dynasties commonly called him Zhao Yi.

Unlike other sword masters who also use two swords, his two swords, one a flying sword, the other a close-combat sword, were not used for defense and offense. He used both for offense.

He cultivated only one sword move. Regardless of the opponent he faced, he would only draw one flying sword and then strike with the other.

It was rare for anyone to withstand one of his strikes.

The tall, thin cultivator coincidentally encountered a cultivator of the Zhao Sword Furnace in Changling, and one of the seven direct disciples. He felt that he had not died in vain as he fell to the ground.

His shock and amazement even overcame his distress and the terror of death.

So the First Mister Zhao was so young. So that was Fourth Mister Zhao.

His bones completely broken, he summoned strength from somewhere unknown and slightly raised his head. He wanted to see the handsome young man in the pavilion again.

So that was Fourth Mister Zhao.

The legendary Fourth Mister Zhao was actually so young and handsome.

All the cultivators in the world knew that, while Fourth Mister Zhao was the fourth disciple that grandmaster of the Sword Furnace took on, Fourth Mister Zhao possessed the highest cultivation among all the direct disciples. All the disciples of Sword Furnace took orders from Fourth Mister Zhao.

Even First Mister Zhao respected and followed Fourth Mister Zhao like a servant, listening to his every command.

This tall, thin cultivator finally caught sight of the handsome young man in the pavilion.

He died with a hint of confusion, a hint of surprise, and a hint of satisfaction.

Notes:

This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a Chinese web novel written by Wu Zui

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