Chapter 163
Chapter 163
He was a handsome middle-aged man. He exuded a certain aura.
*To have no enemies is lonely. Life is so desolate!*
"Are you not the esteemed Shen Lang, son-in-law of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate?"
The man spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to echo in Shen Lang's ears.
"I am Shen Lang!"
"Are you the one who unraveled my Meteor from Beyond the Heavens Sword Art?"
Shen Lang shuddered. He knew who this was. A master among masters, a man of astonishing power—the Sword King of the South Sea, Li Qianqiu, who was rumored to have murdered his own wife!
Most people say you cannot definitively rank martial prowess. Thus, if you were to ask who was the greatest master in the world, or even just in the State of Yue, no one could easily answer. Supreme masters rarely showed themselves in public. Besides, it wasn't as if they competed like athletes in the Olympic games, vying to show off their martial arts and skills.
All martial arts in the world had their counters and weaknesses. Each had its flaws, making it difficult to predict a winner. Still, if one were forced to name the single strongest master in the world, it would be the former Grand Emperor of Qian. And in the State of Yue, no matter how you ranked them, the Sword King of the South Sea was acknowledged as having reached a sublime, perfect realm in martial arts, followed by Zhong Chuke, Yan Nanfei, and Bian Xiao, all said to have reached the level of grandmaster.
Zhong Chuke had once dueled Li Qianqiu, attempting to unravel the Meteor from Beyond the Heavens Sword Art, but he had failed. Yan Nanfei was the sect leader of the South Sea Sword Sect, while Li Qianqiu was the master of the Way of the South Sea Sword, hence his title, Sword King of the South Sea. Since both shared the name 'South Sea' and were based in the south, a contest of superiority was inevitable. The two had fought, but out of a warrior's pride, neither wished to publicize the result. They dueled in secret, so no one knew the outcome. The victor never said, "I won," and the loser never admitted, "I lost." However, most people speculated that Yan Nanfei had lost. Yan Nanfei had a wild temperament; he was the type of man who couldn't wait to boast about himself. Had such a man won, he would have immediately proclaimed his victory to the world. That much was certain, even without witnessing it.
Li Qianqiu, on the other hand, was an enigmatic figure. This was a vicious man, one capable of even killing his own wife. He originally came from a poor family. If his father-in-law hadn't taken him in and raised him, how could he have become a grandmaster? Li Qianqiu would likely have spent his life as a beggar on the streets. His wife, by contrast, had been a peerless beauty who had caused a stir throughout the land. Countless young men had adored her.
But that wasn't the only remarkable thing about Li Qianqiu. The previous generation of Sword Kings had relied solely on the Meteor from Beyond the Heavens Sword Art. But this Sword King of the South Sea had abandoned that technique ten years ago, no longer practicing it, and had instead mastered a new move called Falling Stars. No one knew how powerful this technique was. At least, after he earned the title of Sword King of the South Sea, no one had dared to challenge him directly to find out. Thus, a saying circulated among the masters of Yue: you could provoke Zhong Chuke and Yan Nanfei, but you must never provoke the Sword King of the South Sea, Li Qianqiu. And now, Shen Lang had provoked this final boss.
Li Qianqiu asked Shen Lang once more.
"Did you unravel my Meteor from Beyond the Heavens Sword Art?"
There was no trace of anger in his tone.
"Yes!"
"Then let's go."
*Go? Where? Is he taking me to the Way of the South Sea Sword to kill me?*
It probably wouldn't come to that. While martial arts masters existed in this world, they were still bound by the authority of the crown. They could kill common folk, but to openly murder the son-in-law of a count's estate would be a direct challenge to the authority of the State of Yue. Jin Hui and Thirteen knew they were no match for Li Qianqiu, but they stood firm in front of Shen Lang anyway.
"Let's go. I have already spoken with Count Xuanwu."
Hearing this, Shen Lang was startled. A man of Li Qianqiu's stature wouldn't lie about such a small matter. If he said he'd spoken to his father-in-law, then he truly had. He walked toward Shen Lang without hesitation, and Jin Hui immediately dashed off toward the estate to confirm the story.
Then, Thirteen looked to Shen Lang for his decision.
"Master."
"It's alright. I'll go."
Shen Lang boarded the carriage, and Li Qianqiu followed, donning a coarse robe. In that moment, the grandmaster's aura vanished without a trace, and he looked like an ordinary carriage driver. Even his face seemed to have changed. It was as if it had transformed into the face of a man who had endured all manner of hardships. And so, the Sword King of the South Sea personally drove the carriage, taking Shen Lang south.
***
After fainting and being rescued by onlookers, Zhu Nanzheng awoke in a state of near madness. His face was gaunt and grim, his eyes completely bloodshot.
*A century of work. The family's great undertaking, lasting over a hundred years. It's all ruined! It must have been Shen Lang! But how did he do it?*
Zhu Wenhua screamed beside him.
"Father, report him! Let's go to the Governor-General's office and report him. It was definitely Shen Lang! Let's go kill him!"
Report Shen Lang to the Governor-General? What evidence was there? Besides, when the levee broke, Shen Lang was still at the Raging River hunting grounds, hundreds of miles away. Viscount Zhu Nanzheng cried out hoarsely.
"I've lost everything. Shen Lang, you've driven me to this! Don't blame me for crossing the line. I'll go to the Autumn Wind Tower and commission Shen Lang's assassination, no matter the cost! Men! Keep a constant watch on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. The moment Shen Lang is alone, report to me immediately!"
The Autumn Wind Tower was the most powerful assassin organization in the State of Yue. And behind that organization was Yan Nanfei of the South Sea Sword Sect.
***
The last time Shen Lang had traveled south with Mulan, it had been a beautiful and happy time, as if colored by roses. But this journey south was bleak enough to crumble. Grandmaster Li Qianqiu seemed less than human; he was constantly meditating. He meditated while driving the horses, while walking on the road, even while eating. After preparing a meal, he wouldn't eat any himself. As if trying to become an immortal, he would go two or three days without a single meal and never slept. Moreover, he didn't say a single word to Shen Lang.
With anyone else, Shen Lang would have tried to start a conversation, find some clue, and analyze their ultimate goal. But the man before him was the infamous Sword King of the South Sea, so he didn't dare. Shen Lang thought he was like a robot. It was impossible to predict what he would do next.
On the second day, they reached the edge of the land and took a boat out to sea. After a day's journey, they finally arrived at an island. Was this the world-renowned Way of the South Sea Sword? Why was it so desolate? The island had only a few houses, stones, and pieces of wood. Not far away on a cliff, some fool was standing blankly, holding a sword. Looking closer, Shen Lang saw that the fool was Tang Yan. He just stood there, staring blankly, and staring blankly. Just as Shen Lang began to wonder if he was about to perform some incredible sword technique, he stabbed the ground once with his sword and immediately jumped into the sea.
*What on earth is he doing?*
But Sword King Li Qianqiu acted as if he hadn't seen a thing and continued leading Shen Lang forward. Passing countless scattered stones, they arrived at a cave in the mountains.
"Come in."
Li Qianqiu said. Shen Lang's curiosity grew even stronger.
*What is the Sword King planning? Why did he bring me to a cave? I truly cannot fathom his intentions.*
Though filled with questions, Shen Lang dared not refuse the man's command and had no choice but to follow him inside. The cave was very deep. As they walked on, soon not even a speck of light was visible. They soon reached the end of the cave. Suddenly, Shen Lang smelled a terrible stench and heard ragged breathing.
"My wife..."
*Is... is that Li Qianqiu's voice?*
Shen Lang's skin crawled. The voice was jarring. It was a voice filled with deep affection. A complete departure from the utterly cold Li Qianqiu of moments before. Li Qianqiu spoke with infinite tenderness.
"My wife, I'm here. I've brought someone."
"Go away, go away, go away..."
An incredibly hoarse voice came from within. It sounded like a toad's croak, or perhaps the sound of a burned throat. Li Qianqiu asked her in a trembling voice.
"My wife, please don't stay in seclusion any longer. Why not come out and live with me?"
The hoarse voice replied.
"Go away! I must write it down. I must fully record the secret manual of the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art. I'll write down both the obverse and reverse sword arts. It's our family's only treasure; it cannot be lost on my watch."
Li Qianqiu's voice grew emotional.
"Our treasure isn't the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art. You are my treasure. Ten years ago, I gave up that sword art. I won't practice it, so there's no need to lament its loss."
The hoarse voice spoke, filled with resentment.
"That bitch, not only did that bitch steal our family's sword art, she poisoned me and ruined my mind. That vicious bitch. She tried to destroy the hundred-year legacy of our Gu Clan of the Way of the South Sea Sword. Go away. Get out of my sight. You were the one who saved her and brought her here. It's all your fault."
Li Qianqiu pleaded.
"You're right. It's all my fault. I was blind back then. One day, I will kill that woman with my own hands and tear her body to shreds. My wife, please don't torture yourself. I've brought someone. He has perfectly deciphered the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art, both the obverse and the reverse. His wife recently unraveled it, so our family's sword art will not be lost."
Standing beside them, Shen Lang was completely stunned. This was the man rumored to have killed his wife? This was the insidious and vicious Sword King of the South Sea? He was completely, utterly bewitched by his love for his wife. Hearing their conversation, Shen Lang immediately grasped the whole story.
The woman was Li Qianqiu's wife and the daughter of the previous Sword King of the South Sea. The two had been living happily until Li Qianqiu rescued another woman. With masterful acting, that woman deceived the couple and earned their trust. As a result, she successfully stole the secret manual for the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art and even poisoned Li Qianqiu's wife, damaging her body and mind. Li Qianqiu's wife, now almost a specter, had locked herself away in this deep mountain cave, determined to recall and record the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art by any means necessary so that her family's legacy would not end with her.
To console his wife, Li Qianqiu had abandoned the Meteor from Beyond the Heavens Sword Art and mastered another powerful technique, Falling Stars. Thus, he maintained his fearsome reputation as the Sword King of the South Sea even without it, but his wife could not let go of the sword art. She remained hidden in the mountain cave, tormenting herself daily as she tried to recall the techniques.
Someone might ask: Since Li Qianqiu himself knew the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art, why didn't he just recall and write it down himself? The Way of the South Sea Sword had a rule: each generation, they would take in a son-in-law who married into the family. The husband would learn the Yang sword art of *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens*, and the wife would learn the Yin sword art. The Yin sword art was used solely to defeat the Yang sword art. Furthermore, the art was taught entirely by the wife to the husband, so the husband was never even allowed to touch the secret manual.
Not only that, but to master this sword art, one had to ingest a special metal that would settle in the man's bloodstream, creating a unique magnetic force. The resulting centrifugal force allowed for a storm-like flurry of sword strikes. The special metal was also a top-secret formula known only to the wife. The husband only had to drink it. Therefore, only the wife could grasp the true secrets of the *Meteor from Beyond the Heavens* Sword Art. Even if Li Qianqiu could grasp the contents of the obverse sword art, he knew nothing of the reverse sword art.
So, who was the woman who stole the manual and poisoned Li Qianqiu's wife?