Chapter 24: Regardless of Favors and Grudges, Just for Pleasure

Sword Dynasty

Volume 2

Chapter 24: Regardless of Favors and Grudges, Just for Pleasure

Nangong Shang's usually proud eyes were now filled with intense fear. With a cry of terror, he instinctively struck out with his sword, unleashing all the vital energy within his body.

The sword in the hands of this stunningly beautiful woman took on a perfect shape and revealed its true form.

The color of the sword was so deep that it seemed to blend between deep seawater and the darkest night. The color was so intense that one would be drawn into it, as if there were an endless abyss within the blade.

A glimmer of anticipation and excitement appeared on the stunningly beautiful woman's face. She swung the sword forward with a simple motion.

The sword was more than a hundred feet away from Nangong Shang's body, but as she swung the sword forward, countless sky-blue ice shards fell onto Nangong Shang's body.

Nangong Shang trembled in fear.

The cold energy contained within each tiny shard of ice caused the flow of vital energy in his body to stagnate. His vital energy was unable to flow.

How could he fight?

Only now did he understand why his opponent was so bold.

The legends about this sword were indeed true.

One who could wield this sword would possess the power of realm seven!

Watching the sword essence approaching him, he thought of many more things.

He became even more shocked and incredulous.

He mustered all his strength to whimper like a bullied child, as if he had discovered some astonishing, earth-shaking secret. “You are the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family! How could you make this Nine Hell King Sword into your lifebond sword!”

The Nine Hell King Sword was a ferocious sword left behind by the You Dynasty in the past.

This sword was said to be made from from nether jade in the coldest part of the pole, the coldest and most fiendish material in the world. In some legends, the weapons made from nether jade were not weapons intended for mortals, but weapons of the hell emperor and his hell generals.

For cultivators, excessive, strong, cold, and fiendish energies would damage the five energies of the cultivator. So, even though the sword was one of the strongest in the world, wielding it for long periods would be detrimental to its wielder, let alone turning it into a lifebound sword.

However, this sword had been forged into a lifebound sword. It was truly beyond comprehension!

But, compared to this sword, Nangong Shang was more shocked and confused by the identity of this stunningly beautiful woman before him.

Currently in Changling, there was almost no members of the Gongsun Family remained.

But in Changling in the past, before Emperor Yuanwu's bloody reforms, the Gongsun Family was the most famous and prestigious family in Changling.

Nangong Shang was a former disciple of the Ba Mountain Sword Field and held a status within the sect far higher than Feng Qianzhuo. Emperor Yuanwu, the empress, and the two ministers wanted to erase the Ba Mountain Sword Field and "That Person" completely from the history of the Qin Dynasty. Anyone who mentioned his name would likely have their entire family exterminated. "That Person" was the strongest supporter of the reforms and its greatest backer.

So Nangong Shang knew more than most of the current Changling officials about what happened during that time. He knew even better what kind of path Emperor Yuanwu had taken to ascend the throne.

 

Hearing his exclamation, the stunningly beautiful woman's expression turned cold. She put away her sword, but blue ice suddenly gathered in the winter forest, hitting Nangong Shang's body with a popping sound.

A layer of sky-blue ice instantly formed on the surface of Nangong Shang's body and rendered him completely unable to move.

“Why do you want to kill me? Since you're the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family, you shouldn't have any reason to kill me. Why?” Feeling the strong murderous intent from his opponent, and also because he realized he could not even move his sword, Nangong Shang mustered all his strength to squeeze out a sound from his throat, and shouted.

Because he knew the story, he became even more confused.

When Emperor Yuanwu used the Shang Family for reforms, he had not officially ascended the throne yet, but he already firmly controlled the court. However, these reforms damaged the interests of too many prominent and prestigious families, and he faced intense resistance.

Conflicts between powerful prominent and prestigious families and the court could threaten an emperor's throne and even cause a dynasty to decline rapidly.

At that time, several powerful prominent and prestigious families began to borrow the power of other dynasties to oppose Emperor Yuanwu.

In the eyes of most people at the time, as well as the officials loyal to the emperor in the court, the reforms seemed impossible to succeed.

But Emperor Yuanwu was truly extraordinary. Or perhaps, “that person” and the many who stood with “that person” were truly extraordinary.

In a situation like this, they did not hesitate at all. They acted with the swiftest speed and the most bloody tactics.

Emperor Yuanwu started by targeting the most powerful and influential Gongsun Family.

On the grounds that the Gongsun Family's horses had run over and destroyed farmland, they were severely punished according to the new regulations. When the Gongsun Family put up stubborn resistance, he mobilized army and numerous cultivators uprooted the entire Gongsun Family from Changling overnight.

“That person” and the many renowned swords from the Ba Mountain Sword Field were the reason why the Gongsun Family was unable to resist.

The strongest cultivators of the Gongsun Family perished at the hands of “that person” overnight.

That night was the night when the entire Changling nobility bowed under the power of that single sword. The rumors said that the only surviving member of the Gongsun Family was a miss of the Gongsun Family.

That miss was somewhat at odds and unhappy with her family and had traveled abroad for some time.

The Nine Hell King Sword was originally in the hands of the Gongsun Family. It was said that she took it with her when she left the Gongsun Family.

The rumors also said that the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family was unhappy with her family because she had a romantic relationship with “that person”.

The Gongsun Family was a leader in the resistance to reform. They would never have approved of her close relationship with “that person”.

However, despite the unhappiness, family was still family.

“That person” and Emperor Yuanwu had destroyed the entire family. The eldest miss of the Gongsun Family should have hated “that person” and Ba Mountain Sword Field, which had contributed to the effort.

In the subsequent process when Emperor Yuanwu destroyed the Ba Mountain Sword Field, although Nangong Shang could be considered a traitor to the Ba Mountain Sword Field, if this stunningly beautiful woman was indeed the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family, then she should have no reason to hate him, let alone want to kill him.

He had helped Emperor Yuanwu destroy the Ba Mountain Sword Field. He should be considered one of the people who helped avenge the Gongsun Family.

“Are you the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family? The Nine Hell King Sword is in your hands. Are you really the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family?”

In his utter confusion, Nangong Shang shouted repeatedly as if he had gone mad, “When the Ba Mountain Sword Field destroyed the Gongsun Family, I was only an insignificant figure in the Ba Mountain Sword Field. Furthermore, at that time, I wasn’t even in Changling. Later, I helped in the destruction of the Ba Mountain Sword Field. So why do you want to kill me, why?”

“There’s no need for so much nonsense.”

The stunningly beautiful woman said coldly, “I will kill you to offer your blood to my sword precisely because you helped destroy the Ba Mountain Sword Field.”

Nangong Shang still could not understand.

But before he could speak again, the stunningly beautiful woman continued, “How can one possibly resolve past favors and grudges? Emperor Yuanwu himself was also the main culprit. You helped him destroy the Ba Mountain Sword Field; does this give me any reason to be grateful to you? Besides, my desire to kill you is for reasons unrelated to this… I want to kill you because even though I hate the people of the Ba Mountain Sword Field, I at least respect them. At least they never changed their Path; and what they were determined to do, they would never change… I want to kill you because you are truly lowly scum. Just like Emperor Yuanwu, who initially walked the same path as them before suddenly stabbing them in the back, you are lowly scum. I feel your actions are unjust, and I am displeased.”

“I want to kill you simply because it displeases me.” The stunningly beautiful woman said coldly, with an incredibly stubborn manner, “For many people who have reached realm seven, how can one possibly resolve the countless old favors and grudges in this world, especially in a place like Changling where the two are intertwined and difficult to unravel? I don't care about the favors and grudges, only my own personal pleasure.”

Nangong Shang's entire body was stiff and unable to move as he stared at the stunningly beautiful woman in a daze.

Could someone truly disregard both favors and grudges and act solely for their own personal pleasure?

Was it because his own realm was insufficient, his experience insufficient, rendering him completely incapable of understanding? Or was it because “that person” and the many swords that once stood shoulder to shoulder with him had been broken and no longer existed in this world, that this woman cared nothing for both favors and grudges, and acted solely for her own personal pleasure?

He could not fathom what this woman was truly thinking, but he was certain that she was more stubborn and unyielding than anyone he had ever met, and could not be manipulated.

Therefore, his eyes filled with a pleading expression.

“I’ll tell you the recipe for the Five Goat Pill, Please, don’t hurt my family members,” he forced the words out, pleading.

“I never intended to kill anyone in your family. However, Ding Ning said that this could force you to speak,” Zhangsun Qianxue thought to herself. However, her expression remained unchanging and maintained its coldness. She nodded and agreed to Nangong Shang’s request.

 

Notes:

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

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