The Sword Dynasty

Chapter 76 - All Warfare Based on Deception

This chapter has been brought to you by me, and larkspur.

Chapter 76: Killing

There were more than one woman who could walk so calmly on the waves, but only one of them liked wearing white.

Some rumors said that her actions were in memory of that person. So she used the conflict against the grey and black color of Changling to express her discontent, and was exiled overseas.

However, she had returned during a rainstorm and killed Zhao Zhan.

She naturally, was the bureau chief of the Astrology Bureau, Ye Celeng. In the span of a few breaths, she had neared Bai Shanshui and Zhao Si.

"Originally, it was a gathering of heroes, now it is three women on a stage." With a disdainful gaze,Ye Celeng looked at Bai Shanshui and Zhao Si. "The two most famous hegemons in the world are women. If the news spreads, those men who think they are extraordinary should go kill themselves."

Bai Shanshui glanced at Ye Celeng. At this time, her robes were in disarray, but she had recovered her calm and usual proud air.

"You are also here. Are you the one to kill my senior sect brother and lure me to Fish Market?" she said, coldly, her eyes slightly narrowed.

Ye Celeng glanced casually at her and said, "You and I are enemies. Why should I explain to you and why should you still be confused about this?"

Zhao Si said coolly, "We are all people in this situation, why should we be on different sides? If she had set this up, she would not be the only one here. This is all a matter of using someone else’s sword to kill. Emperor Yuanwu is in realm eight, there are so many realm seven cultivators in Changling, so many marquises, generals, and ministers, but only a woman dared to come here to meet us and fight us to the death."

Bai Shanshui thought for a moment, adjusted her clothing and said with a sneer, "They do not dare to receive any wounds due to the Deer Mountain Conference."

Ye Celeng watched as Zhao Si smiled and showed two faint dimples. "Fourth Mister Zhao, both of you are exhausted. No one here should be a match for me. How about we work together and kill Bai Shanshui? You take the Lonely Mountain Sword Hoard and I take her for reward. This is fair."

"I have stayed here a long time." Zhao Si turned to look at Bai Shanshui and said, "What do you think?"

Bai Shanshui sneered. "Even if we work together to kill her, we will be wounded, and fall for someone else’s trap. If three of the four most glorious women in the world died in one swoop, and Zheng Xiu is the only one left, she would be very happy."

When people talk about themselves, especially in praise, it will appear strange. But when she spoke, people would only find it natural.

Zhao Si smiled coolly and said, "You say that the most glorious in the world are four women. I can agree with the number four but you say Zheng Xiu ... her cultivation is high, but she relies on guile and schemes. She only resides in the palace by the power of a man. She is not glorious. If we speak of four, than the eldest miss of the Gongsun Family and the eldest miss of the Shang Family are both better than her."

Ye Celeng frowned and pouted like an innocent young girl. She laughed mockingly. "In the world of cultivators, it is reality that women are fewer than men. The number of realm seven women can be easily counted, and is less than a tenth of the men. You two find it interesting to boast about yourselves?"

"You are just the same as us, but you insist on staying in Changling and being someone else’s sword."

Zhao Si was the shortest of the trio but her gaze was the sharpest. With a glance, she seemed to see through Ye Celeng. "You are putting yourself in danger. What are your true intentions?" As a chess piece, you think you can escape the hand of the player? Besides, in Changling, there is more than one player playing the game."

Bai Shanshui laughed unrestrained. "Or maybe she wants to be empress."

Ye Celeng was not angry. Two faint dimples appeared again. "I do wish so. If it were to come true, you have my thanks."

Bai Shanshui usually roared through the woods with her sword, and would attack whenever she felt the least bit displeased. She was wilder and more arrogant than most men. But in terms of verbal debate, she did not seem to be Ye Celeng’s equal. At Ye Celeng’s answer, she grew angry and her eyes narrowed.

Zhao Si looked coolly at Ye Celeng and said, "I think that you have still not given up, you returned from overseas because you heard of the appearance of Nine Death Silkworm?"

Ye Celeng frowned and said, "You do not have to test me, or act as though you are on my side. Zhao Zhan died at my hands. I think that if we meet again, between you and I, one will die."

Zhao Si remained unfazed. She said coolly, "The person who set up this trap today may also have thought that I will kill you because the sword that the people of the Sword Furnace cultivate is the sword of death. But this person did not expect that my path to be otherwise."

"So many people of the Zhao Sword Furnace died in order to complete Teacher’s path. Teacher’s path is the path I will walk today."

After a pause, Zhao Si slowly lifted the small sword in her hand and said calmly, "Since you have come to this play today, you have to finish acting it. Let me learn from your One Sky Water."

Ye Celeng stopped speaking and looked up at the sky.

There seemed to be a mountain that flew through the sky. A glowing droplet of water appeared in her hand and transformed into a sword.

When fighting Bai Shanshui previously, Zhao Si always moved last. Even at Bai Shanshui’s strongest moment, she had still been slightly stronger than Bai Shanshui and managed to win over the other. But now, she made the first move.

Power exploded out of her body to pour into the small sword in her hand before gathering at the sword tip. Her body was like an enormous furnace, and a crimson red star formed at the tip of her sword.

Ye Celeng stabbed.

Her sword suddenly disappeared as she moved.

Her sword had manifested out of nothing and disappeared into nothing.

A gentle force wrapped around the crimson sword in Zhao Si’s hand, stopping this sword that seemed to contain a star from moving forward.

Zhao Si frowned slightly.

"So Bureau Chief Ye’s strongest is not a storm of rain, but a soft flow of water to subdue to the strong." She shook her head as she spoke.

Then she released her hand.

After fighting with Bai Shanshui and losing much energy, her murderousness had faded. Since she could not defeat Ye Celeng’s sword and advance, she retreated.

She let go and the small crimson sword vibrated. It moved back and flew into the sky. In a breath, this small sword flew into the sky to another place. Her figure, like a flying sword, also flew backwards through the air.

Zhao Si took a step back. Bai Shanshui threw the green longsword down.

With this simple throw, Bai Shanshui coughed up blood.

The water of half of the river immediately disappeared. But unlike before, the fish and prawns had swam far away. Only the water grasses on the riverbed lay powerlessly on the damp sand.

The green longsword disappeared but an enormous spinning whirlpool was about to envelop Ye Celeng.

Ye Celeng roared. Her body broke through the whirlpool like a heavy stone, and released multiple flows of vital energy.

With a boom, a torrent of rain unleashed above the river.

However, the rain droplets did not fall down from the sky, but flew from the river into the sky. The glowing water droplets that formed around her cut the spinning whirlpool that turned into more streams of water that flew into the sky.

In a flash, the glowing water droplets had turned into millions of glowing swords that formed a sword formation.

Ye Celeng took a deep breath and hollered again.

Bright blood dripped down along her tightly pressed lips. The millions of small swords stabbed outwards, deep into the blue whirlpool. The whirlpool was like a serpent nailed down by the millions of swords, no longer able to create wind and rain.

In the next moment, the whirlpool turned into flows of water that charged along the riverbed.

Plop!

Ye Celeng was washed away by a powerful wave of energy that came from the bottom of the river.

As she descended from the sky, the water came back together and Bai Shanshui could no longer be seen among the surging waves. On her white dress, crimson blossoms of blood burgeoned. There was a faint stream of blood dissipating in the muddy river water, like the trail left behind by a fleeing injured serpent.

Ye Celeng coughed softly. No one knew if her soft gaze was of regret or rejoice.

—

At this time in the depths of the Qin imperial palace, inside a square hall, the strongest emperor in the history of the Qin, Emperor Yuanwu, his robes and hair slovenly, raised his head.

Realm eight and above had wondrous abilities that realm seven could not imagine.

Countless stars seemed to move through his eyes.

Zhao Si’s sword falling through the sky like a meteor had been very powerful, but as it now returned to the sky like it was being re-sheathed, he caught its tracks.

He took a deep breath and lifted both of his hands, unable to resist responding.

Yet, after a hesitation that other people can not sense, that was deemed extremely long to cultivators of his level, he let his hands fall down. His fingers twitched slightly.

In the empress’ study, countless clean lines of light suddenly shot out of the skylight above the spirit spring. The countless lines of light criss-crossed and grew brighter at their intersections, like countless small stars floating above the many lotuses in the spirit spring.

A hint of coldness appeared on the empress’ perfect face. She raised her right hand, her fingers emitted innumerable glittering rays of light.

In the sky, the crimson red sword was about to return to its floating orbit.

But at this time, multiple lights like those of a comet’s tail appeared in the cold space. They turned into a pale white and absolutely freezing pillar of fire that swept the little crimson sword.

Zhao Si had landed on a mountain peak at this moment. Her gaze was filled with shock and fury. She suddenly threw up a mouthful of blood, and fell to the ground, unable to control her body.

The light of the crimson red sword’s seal scripts was extinguished. The sword was burnt black and flew somewhere unknown, like a rusty piece of metal.

Translator Ramblings: There is a common Chinese phrase which is "When two women are together, there is drama (a play on stage)". This is what Ye Celeng is referring to at the beginning of the chapter. Ironically, despite Zhao Si kicking Zheng Xiu out of the top four, Zheng Xiu is the one striking down Zhao Si’s sword.