Lü Beisheng did not understand the meaning behind Shen Xingzhi’s words.
Yet he did not press further.
Because he sensed an aura.
An aura so faint it was like a candlelight on the verge of being snuffed out in a gale.
Almost simultaneously, he and Shen Xingzhi turned their heads.
Their gazes pierced through the layered mists shredded by sword qi, settling upon the rocky shoals closest to the battlefield.
Standing there was a young man.
The clothes on his body had been torn to shreds by the aftershocks of sword qi, revealing the lean, firm muscle beneath and a crisscross of old scars.
One hand leaned upon a long spear, its butt driven deep into the reef, while his other hand wiped away a mixture of seawater and blood from his face as he panted heavily for breath.
Lü Beisheng raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
“To think he is merely at the Second Rank Mountain-Viewing Realm. For him to reach this point is truly remarkable.”
One had to realize that although he and Shen Xingzhi had not gone all out in their exchange just now, the mere residual shockwaves of sword intent scattering outward were enough to tear any Martial Arts Grandmaster who drew too close into shreds.
Even the martial artists watching from atop the city walls several li away were pressed flat against the battlements by the oppressive weight of sword qi.
Yet this young man had actually managed to reach a point less than two li from the battlefield all on his own.
And he was still standing.
This in itself was a miracle.
Shen Xingzhi’s gaze lingered for a moment on the spear across the youth’s shoulder, and he nodded slightly.
“This boy surely possesses some life-saving measures. Still, what could be worth paying such a price just to draw near the two of us?”
Lü Beisheng lowered “Sheiru,” dipping the sword tip into the water, and the boiling sea gradually settled.
He recalled Lu Yang mentioning in passing when bringing the sword to Wangchao Pavilion that a young spearman in Luoyan City had received an entrustment from Gu Yiyou to deliver a message to Sword Immortal Shen.
He hadn't paid it any mind back then, but now the pieces suddenly clicked into place.
“This young man is likely here looking for you, Senior.”
“Looking for me?”
Shen Xingzhi was slightly taken aback, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
He looked down at his empty hands, then looked back up at the youth standing supported by his spear upon the rocky shoals, his eyes filled with perplexity.
Throughout his life, his whereabouts had been elusive and his circle of acquaintances scarce, with only a handful of people he could call friends.
He certainly did not recall having any ties to anyone who practiced the spear.
The two sword immortals had ceased their clash.
The stretch of water upon the Eastern Sea that had been overturned by sword intent finally gained a moment of respite.
The exploded pillars of water came crashing down, the billowing mists slowly dispersed, and the rift torn through the clouds by sword qi gradually closed.
The dying rays of the setting sun leaked through the gaps in the clouds, laying down a path of dark gold light across the sea surface.
Chen Zui could finally catch his breath.
He pulled the spear out from the reef fissure and stood upright, leaning against the shaft.
Looking down at the tattered remains of his robe, a bitter smile crept onto his lips.
On his way here just now, he had pulled out nearly every last card up his sleeve.
He did not even know how many times the passive life-saving Trait, 【Unmoving Like a Mountain】, had been triggered.
Moreover, the defensive sword qi left by Liu Yinsheng in his left shoulder had automatically activated when he was locked on by three shockwaves of sword intent simultaneously with no way to dodge; it had formed a pale green sword shield that blocked the fatal blow for him before dissolving into specks of teal light in the air.
Of the three strands of sword qi, only the binding one behind his heart remained.
He slowly raised his head, meeting the gazes cast toward him by the two Earthly Sword Immortals upon the sea.
Those were the gazes of the world's number one and number two.
A gaze sufficient to strike sheer terror into the heart of any martial artist.
Were anyone else to be swept by such a gaze, they likely would not even be able to stand steady.
Yet Chen Zui merely looked back with calm composure.
In his eyes, there was neither awe nor fear.
He was simply looking at two people—two very, very strong people.
“You two.”
He cleared his throat.
“I am only here to pass along a message. Once I finish speaking, I will leave. You may continue.”
Lü Beisheng and Shen Xingzhi exchanged a glance, an imperceptible trace of intrigue flashing in both of their eyes.
With their status and cultivation, what martial artist in the world would not tremble with fear and tread on thin ice before them?
Even those Grandmaster figures who dominated entire regions would be utterly respectful in their presence, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Yet this young man, despite his lowly cultivation and being less than an ant before them, was so completely fearless.
Interesting.
The corner of Shen Xingzhi’s mouth curved slightly.
He had seen too many trembling people in his life; encountering someone who did not fear him for once felt quite novel.
Withdrawing his two fingers behind his back, he appraised the battered yet straight-backed youth upon the rocky shoals with great interest.
“I hear you came looking for me?”
Chen Zui nodded.
He then laid out the entire account of meeting Gu Yiyou in that ruined temple outside Luoyan City, sparing no detail.
He told how Gu Yiyou had later journeyed alone to Grand Shuo to keep an appointment delayed by decades with the saber expert who had once been equally famous as Shen Xingzhi years ago.
At this point, Chen Zui paused for a beat, his gaze meeting Shen Xingzhi’s straight on.
“Senior Gu asked me to pass a message to Sword Immortal Shen.
He said that you, Sword Immortal Shen, do not owe the Grand Zhao martial world a single shred.
And even if anything is owed, he, as your servant, will simply repay it in your stead.”
As the words fell, the sea suddenly fell quiet.
A few breaths later, Shen Xingzhi actually threw his head back and burst into hearty laughter.
That laughter rang as clear as a dragon’s roar, carrying a vast sword intent straight into the heavens and once again blasting apart the clouds that had just closed above.
The laughter echoed far across the sea.
The martial artists watching from the city walls looked at one another in confusion, not knowing why the dueling sword immortal had suddenly laughed with such carefree abandon.
“Good, good, good!”
Shen Xingzhi said “good” three times in a row, his voice shaking the sea and sky.
“That boy, Gu Yiyou, truly has grown into a man.
After drawing my sword for me for over thirty years, he actually dared to say in the end that he would repay debts on behalf of me, his master.
I never realized before that he had such backbone.”
He turned his head, his gaze settling on Chen Zui.
Within those eyes that had seen all the world's vicissitudes, a rare trace of appreciation emerged.
“Junior, what is your name?”
“Chen Zui.”
“Chen Zui.”
Shen Xingzhi repeated the name and nodded.
“Throughout my life, I, Shen Xingzhi, have rarely owed anyone a favor, and I am even less willing to owe one.
You brought me Gu Yiyou’s message.
He and I are master and servant of many years after all; the bond between us cannot be summed up in a few words.
That you could deliver before me these magnanimous words spoken prior to his march toward death means you have done me a favor.”
He paused, his tone suddenly turning solemn, each word ringing with resolute weight.
“Speak.
What is it you desire?
Cultivation manuals, divine weapons, a Way of the Sword legacy, or perhaps you want me to strike once on your behalf?
As long as you ask, I, Shen Xingzhi, will never be stingy.”
The moment these words were spoken, all of Jinyang City erupted in an uproar.
Rate on N.U.
