Chapter 124: Betrayal or Defense of the Dao?
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
The thrust of the sword determines its destination—where it points, there it cuts. Ji You had felt it within the forest—those repeated sword intents aimed relentlessly toward Heavenly Sword Peak, brimming with dense killing intent.
As these words fell, Qi Zheng Yang’s hand suddenly froze. His movements, always gentle while wiping the sword, never grazing the sharp blade, were interrupted as the deer hide in his hand was slit open.
Qi Zheng Yang raised his head, looking at Ji You with an unusually serious expression. His gaze was laced with a chilling ruthlessness.
“Small cleverness can be deadly. There are some things you should not know, yet you insist on guessing. Your life might not remain yours.”
Ji You remained unfazed. “Then perhaps this proves that my sword heart truly shines bright.”
Qi Zheng Yang’s brows furrowed. “When did you figure it out?”
“I sensed the killing intent in the First Layer Forest, but it wasn’t until the Third Layer Forest that I confirmed the Elder’s intent to kill. Yet, the killing intent wavered, as if uncertain of its target. Particularly, that strike of Thought Without Evil unexpectedly weakened at the end. It seemed unlikely it was meant for me.”
Qi Zheng Yang resumed wiping the sword. “That strike of Thought Without Evil was indeed meant to be slightly weaker. It had nothing to do with you.”
Ji You nodded. “Indeed, it had nothing to do with me. However, I believe Elder Qi did not want to harm Yan Shu Jing, which is why the sword intent was altered in advance. The Elder understands that the disciple is innocent, but Heavenly Sword Peak is not.”
The words fell, plunging the residence into silence. But this silence was soon accompanied by a sharp rise in killing intent, as if foreshadowing a life about to be claimed.
Qi Zheng Yang, an Elder of Heavenly Sword Peak, was being repeatedly accused by Ji You of turning his sword against his own sect. By rights, Ji You should have lost his head already. Yet, after a whirlwind of killing intent surged, it gradually subsided. No blade was drawn.
“Many who died within the ruins didn’t deserve it. My son was among them.”
“His talent was mediocre, and his aptitude for cultivation unremarkable. He loved only the way of chess. Yet, he was forced into the ruins by the people of Heavenly Sword Peak, and he perished there.”
“At the time, I was in seclusion. By the time I learned of it, I had missed my chance to act.”
“Later, a few Elders from Heavenly Sword Peak sent their sons to me, claiming they wished to serve me in filial duty. But I knew what they truly sought was my mastery of the Sword Dao.”
“By then, the Zheng Clan had been entirely wiped out. I no longer knew at whom to aim my sword.”
“But how can a father fail to avenge his child? Would that not make me unworthy as a parent?”
“When I created the Sword Forest, my original intent was to annihilate Spirit Sword Mountain entirely. Yet, in the end, I realized those people were innocent. Today, I will unleash a single sword, and it will strike the one most deserving of death.”
Qi Zheng Yang’s voice was calm, restrained. Judging from his expression, no one could tell that this Elder of Heavenly Sword Peak was about to settle the account of his son’s death with his sect.
Only those who could truly perceive the intent behind his sword would understand where his blade was aimed.
Qi Zheng Yang could only feel regret at this moment. It was a pity the one who understood his Sword Dao was a disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy. The lifetime he spent refining his art could not be passed on to this individual.
At least he had passed on four techniques, ensuring his life’s work would not be entirely in vain.
“You have already learned three of the four swords. Leave now.”
“I thought the Elder told me all this because you figured you would soon silence me, so talking was harmless.”
Qi Zheng Yang did not even glance up. “Now that my sword has left its sheath, your words will never outrun it.”
Ji You did not leave. Instead, he found a bamboo cushion and sat down. “I escaped from the ruins and saw how the people of Heavenly Sword Peak ordered their disciples not to retreat, even though everyone knew there was a conspiracy involved.”
Qi Zheng Yang remained silent for a long while before finally speaking. “Who do you think is at fault?”
Ji You pondered for a moment before responding, “No one should die because of someone else’s greed—unless they themselves are greedy.”
“My son was never greedy!”
“Then all the blame lies with the greed of Heavenly Sword Peak.”
Qi Zheng Yang’s gaze suddenly grew profound as he murmured, “Yes, Heavenly Sword Peak.”
Ji You looked at the sword in Qi Zheng Yang’s lap and shifted his tone. “But Elder Qi, you still have a wife and daughter, as well as other members of the Qi Clan. If you burn everything to the ground now, it will only bring greater karmic retribution. Elder Qi, you taught me three sword techniques; you are considered my mentor in the Sword Dao. I came here to urge you to reconsider.”
Hearing this, Qi Zheng Yang suddenly examined him more closely.
At that moment, Ji You was wearing the sword robe that had once belonged to Yan Shu Yi. The robe didn’t fit well, leaving his muscular chest exposed, making it hard for others to look directly at him.
“So, it wasn’t me who dragged you here earlier. You came on your own accord. No wonder you didn’t resist at all.”
“If not for realizing at the last moment the direction Elder Qi’s sword intent pointed, I would’ve run away after breaking through the forest. After all, I am a disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy. I had never thought of becoming your disciple; I followed you here only to offer my clumsy advice.”
“This clumsy advice of yours, I’ve heard plenty before.”
Qi Zheng Yang laid the sword across his knees and began to speak. “Everyone knows I have a family. Everyone says it’s all the fault of the Zheng Clan, the Chen Immortal Clan. I even pretended to agree. But in the end, I still cannot restrain my sword heart.
The Sword Dao of Spirit Sword Mountain pursues directness—clean and unyielding.
So, once an idea is born, even the wielder can hardly suppress it.
After the incident at the ruins, everyone said we should settle accounts with the Chen Immortal Clan, with the Pill Sect. But in my eyes, the ones who truly deserve judgment are those who, knowing the dangers, still sent disciples to their deaths in the tiger’s den.
Every time I think of my son, my sword heart stirs restlessly, and I cannot convince myself to reconcile with Heavenly Sword Peak.”
Ji You reflected for a long time before speaking again. “If you draw your sword now, Elder Qi, you will be branded a traitor to the sect, despised by all. Then, no one will remember your Sword Dao, and it will fade into obscurity.”
“What of it? At least I would’ve avenged him. It’s just that it would bring suffering to my clan, to my wife and daughter…”
In the Azure Clouds Dominion, Immortal Sects reign supreme, while noble clans thrive beneath them. These clans are their foundation, but also their shackles.
It was just like when they had explored the ruins. Wen Zheng Xin, Ban Yang Shu, and Pei Ru Yi knew they were walking to their deaths but could not refuse.
However, Qi Zheng Yang’s sword was too straightforward. He could hide his thoughts from his heart but not from his blade.
Over the past half month, his sword heart had nearly descended into madness, and his killing intent was impossible to contain. The only reason he had held on until now was because he didn’t know how to settle his wife, daughter, and clan.
“If you were me, what would you choose?” Qi Zheng Yang suddenly turned to Ji You.
Ji You sat on the ground and thought for a long time. “On my way here, I considered this from many angles. Placing myself in your shoes, I believe there might be a path that allows both vengeance and peace.”
Qi Zheng Yang looked at him with interest. “What path have you envisioned for this old man?”
“The Immortal Sect is powerful, and private vengeance is hard to enact without implicating one’s family. If I were Elder Qi, the only choice might be to abandon Heavenly Sword Peak and align with Mystic Sword Peak.”
“Because, in my eyes, that Little Mirror Master represents the true future of Spirit Sword Mountain, and such a move would also thwart the greed of Heavenly Sword Peak.”
“When I accompanied my sect to ask the Dao, I heard a story on the mountain. It was said that the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain once disliked being a Mirror Master so much that they threatened to sink the Spirit Mirror into the Mystic Sea.”
Ji You’s voice softened, yet the words lingered with weight. “She once vowed to leave behind the Spirit Mirror and forsake her place on Mystic Sword Peak, but that changed when she learned of the continued humiliation inflicted by Heavenly Sword Peak. Resolute, she confined herself atop the mountain, eventually becoming the swiftest cultivator of this era to ascend to the Heaven Resonance Stage.”
He paused as his gaze darkened, adding, “Elder Qi’s daughter is on the mountain. His nieces and nephews are surely there as well, studying under the Spirit Sword Mountain Sect. Should the Daoist lineage ultimately fall into the hands of Heavenly Sword Peak…”
Ji You halted, his lips pursed tightly. Then, with a faint breath, he murmured, “All lives are destined to end. Some deaths are as light as a feather, others as heavy as Mount Tai.”
Qi Zheng Yang frowned. “The Yan Clan are all of one ilk. Don’t ask me to trust them again.”
Ji You shook his head. “And yet, no lives were lost on Mystic Sword Peak. The Little Mirror Master ordered all disciples to withdraw early, forbidding anyone from dying needlessly. As for her presence near the ruins at that time, it was because several disciples had gone missing. She personally descended to search for them.”
Fixing his gaze on Qi Zheng Yang, Ji You spoke with iron conviction. “A sword, the straightest of all weapons, should never betray the sect. It must protect the Dao.”
Qi Zheng Yang was silent, but Ji You smirked, remembering a private detail: the man had chewed the Little Mirror Master’s hoof-shaped sandal and even cradled her for an extended time. Should she one day demand to marry him, it would bar her from an alliance with the Dao Seeking Sect. “I’ll have to find a way to guard her mountain myself,” Ji You mused inwardly.
The Pinnacle Realm cultivators of the lower three stages were the strongest combatants beneath the Daoist lineage. Even the Heavenly Script Academy boasted only five.
Ji You’s thoughts shifted. When he sensed the killing intent back in the Third Layer Forest, he suspected Elder Qi was at odds with Heavenly Sword Peak. Thus, breaking through the Fourth Layer wasn’t merely for show—it was also to meet Elder Qi. A threefold objective.
After all, he was both a swordsman who had stolen swords and a disciple of the Heavenly Script Academy, driven by pride. But few would know he was also an envoy for Mystic Sword Peak.
Qi Zheng Yang studied him and, after a long pause, asked, “You know the Little Mirror Master of Spirit Sword Mountain?”
Ji You smiled faintly. “I admire her deeply.”
“A philanderer, too…” Qi Zheng Yang remarked coldly.
Ji You coughed lightly. “Admiration is one thing. Ultimately, I wish to prevent Elder Qi’s wrongful death, sparing those who care for him pain while denying joy to his foes. Though the Little Mirror Master may seem weak and isolated, she embodies the rightful legacy of Spirit Sword Mountain. For both honor and principle, Elder Qi’s future swordsmanship should be upright and unyielding.”
The elder murmured Ji You’s words—pain for loved ones, joy for enemies—before his eyelids quivered. “And how long must I wait? Until I die of old age?”
“Not long,” Ji You assured.
“Easy for you to say.”
“Elder, turbulent times are upon us. The Mystic Wilding Tribes attack Cold Iron Pass. The Demon Clan has infiltrated our borders. Heavenly Sword Peak is bound to make its move to seize the Daoist lineage.”
The ringing hum of Qi Zheng Yang’s sword cut the air, casting silence over them both. Those with a Sword Heart could discern shifts in sword intent, just as he could now.
Finally, Qi Zheng Yang looked up with piercing eyes. “You’ve come all this way, yet you don’t seek to learn the sword? You only speak of irrelevant matters. What do you truly want?”
“I seek nothing. I merely have a generous heart and enjoy meddling in worldly injustices.”
“Be honest.”
“I wish to select a fine sword as a gift for a certain woman. Yet every blade I’ve seen thus far feels beneath her.”
Qi Zheng Yang eyed the sword in his hand. “You wish to claim mine? A pity—it’s my Innate Life Spirit Sword, and I cannot part with it.”
Ji You chuckled. “No need. I’ve already found the perfect sword for her.”