The Heavenly Wandering Sword
Chapter 29
The two Thousand Sword Sect powerhouses looked at Li Jian calmly walking up to them and laughed. “And just who is this that is so eager to seek his own death?” Wan Yu chuckled and lifted up his sword. “Boy, this is Crimson Death Sword. You think you can even stand a single strike from this? Go practice for another hundred years or so.” Zhen Yi Mu chuckled at whom he perceived to be an idiot walking to his death. “Kill this one for me.” He signaled to the more than fifty disciples of the Thousand Sword Sects that were on the battlefield. The many Elders and Sect Masters from the other sects could only stare at this. “This boy’s life will be snuffed out too soon.” They all thought. Only Sect Master Tang Bo laughed out loud. “Sect Master Tang, what do you find so funny in this situation?” Chen Muyang of the Bloody Fist Sect asked him, his eyes looking at the chuckling Spiritsword Sect Master with suspicion. “Brother Chen, we have been saved.” He said in response. The Hidden Elder Fang Wu just stroked his beard lightly.
“Lambs to the slaughter. Ling Xin.” Li Jian ignored the charging disciples, striding past them as Ling Xin appeared swiftly behind him, her twin daggers igniting with a black flame. She rolled past their attack and appeared in the middle of them, her movements unfathomable by those who were even able to see her movements. To everyone else, she was simply a blur. Every attack aimed at her, she simply flexed her elegant body slightly out of the way before returning the attack with a lethal strike. Arteries were cut open and throats were slashed. When she had killed enough of the disciples, she disappeared and appeared out quickly using the Shadow Steps of her assassin martial arts. “Such a young girl with such power. Who is she?” Jing Wu Die laughed, coughing up blood as he did so. “Honoured Elder, she is his servant.” Ling Xin was beyond the realm and power of almost everyone present except for Wan Yu. To imagine that she was still a servant spoke volumes of who Li Jian was.
“Your disciples are dead. Now, the two of you must answer to me.” Li Jian kept walking forward, his eyes now flowing with excess energy. “The two of you have succeeded in ruining the life I have tried to cultivate ever since I stepped into this city. I demand full payment.” Wan Yu narrowed his eyes and attacked, the Crimson Death Sword flashing in the air. “You dare swing a sword at me you amateur.” Li Jian growled and grabbed the sword by the blade. His hands showed not a single sign of a cut, the sword itself not daring to strike him. He yanked the sword away from the Hidden Elder and threw it into the sky. “Sword Seal.” A ball of light appeared around the Crimson Death Sword, a multitude of seals appearing around it before the sword disappeared. “What? What did you do with my sword.” Wan Yu yelled out as he sent spiritual essence into his fists. “Go find it on Sword Mountain.” Li Jian said before stepping in and appearing suddenly in front of the Elder.
“Just an Ancient Immortal and you dare speak to me on equal terms.” With a single strike of his index and middle finger, Li Jian turned the Thousand Sword Elder into a mist of blood sprayed across the arena. At seeing the sight of an Ancient Immortal reduced to such a degree, Sect Master Zhen could only stare with disbelief in his eyes. “Impossible! He was in the Ancient Immortal realm. You’re a demon, a monster!” Li Jian narrowed his eyes. “Thousand Sword Sect. Reduced to using force to bully others. If the First Patriarch saw you today, I wonder what punishments he would levy on you.” He walked towards Zhen Yi Mu, the latter staring at him at the mention of the First Patriarch. “How do you know who he is? Who are you?”
Li Jian kicked him in the stomach once, breaking his spine and sending him onto his knees. He leaned in close to his ears. “My name is Li Jian, the First Sword Apostle of the Thousand Sword Sect. Ascended to the Deity of Sword in the Heavenly Palace four thousand years ago.” At this, Zhen Yi Mu began to wail with despair. He had offended one of the most revered persons of the Thousand Sword Sect and for this, his life was about to be destroyed. “Zhen Yi Mu, there will never be a place for you in Sword Mountain.” With that, he sent a single blast of sword force from his fingertips that blew the Thousand Sword Sect Master into another bloody smear on the marble arena.
He looked around him and Ling Xin was standing amongst a spread of corpses, her two daggers still in her hands while she stood without a single injury on her. The Thousand Sword Sect members still remaining could only stare at him in shock. Remembering their look of vicious triumph only moments ago, he drew his blade and held it to the sky. “Thousand Sword Sect, all those that set a single foot on the arena with ill intent, this is the result of it. He slashed his sword down towards them, the force of the single slash turning the group of over one hundred disciples into simple motionless chunks of meat as body parts fell to the ground, their life forces taken from them in a single strike. Yet amongst them, there were survivors who only fell to the ground on their knees in shock at what just happened. “Those who lived, I saw no evil in your hearts only misguidance. Leave now and consider what your sect has done.”
All around the stadium, everyone was silent. Tang Bo the Spiritblade Sect Master was stunned. Never had he imagined that a single man would possess so much power. For the Crown Prince, this was an eye opener. He knew that Li Jian was powerful but to stop a first grade sect in its tracks with only a few moments of time. His hands shook as he stared at the scene of carnage in front of him. Li Jian walked over to the three of them still on the ground and sighed. “Lady Bai, I hope you are satisfied with what you have asked of me.” Lady Bai was stunned, staring up at him in a mixture of both fear and awe. Li Jian just shook his head sadly. Retrieving three divine grade healing pills, he gave each of them a pill and sighed. “I will return.”
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He knew that he had to leave someone behind who was able to hold onto Sword Manor and maintain order. This, he was obligated to do after his display of power. In his heart, he was saddened as now after displaying such might, he would no longer be able to speak with Prince Jing or Lady Bai as a mere friend. No matter what, he would have power of the hearts of those who had seen this display. Looking up towards the Heavens, he flew straight up, picking up speed as he went. In just mere seconds, he would arrive at the Heavenly Gates themselves.
“Supreme Sword Deity.” The Twelve Zodiacs got to their knees once they saw him. “Will you grant me entry?” Li Jian asked. Shen Leung the Captain of the Zodiacs could only bow his head. “We are only the Zodiac. Even if we wished to, we are unable to stop you.” Li Jian nodded and stepped through the Heavenly Gates. The Heavenly Gates themselves were unable to deny him entry and he appeared once again in the Heavenly Palace. From there he went straight to the Mystic Forge of his friend Tan Tie. At the gates of the Divine Steel Palace, the guards of Tan Tie could only bow their heads.
Tan Tie was sitting in his courtyard, drinking the spirit wine that his friend Li Jian had always preferred, wondering how his friend was doing. When he looked up and saw Li Jian standing there, he almost turned into a ghost from fright. “Brother Li you are here? Have you returned to stay finally?” Li Jian sighed and shook his head. “Brother Tan, I need a favour from you. We are friends but know that I will replay this favour anytime you ask.” Tan Tie paused and looked at him, Li Jian was known as a deity who never asked for favours. “Brother Li, whatever is in my power to grant you, I will never hesitate.”
“I need that sword from you. I intend to give it to a mortal servant of mine.” Tan Tie looked at him and paused. “Brother Li, are you sure?” Li Jian just nodded. Tan Tie sighed and opened a small portal with a wave of his hand, pulling forth a longsword in a black sheath. The scent of death seemed to permeate from the sword. “The Reaper Empress. The sword that would only accept a female wielder.” Li Jian took the sword and bowed towards Tan Tie. “Brother, have you found what you were seeking? In the mortal world?” Tan Tie asked with great concern for his friend. “Brother Tan, I felt that I was close but I was mistaken. I can only go back and try again.” Tan Tie nodded and sighed as he poured himself another cup of wine and drank from it. Li Jian smiled at him before leaving.
“Brother Li, are you back?” Li Jian found himself blocked by the Divine Emperor as soon as he stepped out of Tan Tie’s palace. Li Jian shook his head. The Divine Emperor could only sigh. “Brother Li, I can only wish for you to come back. The Portfolio of Sword, it will accept no one.” Li Jian looked at the Divine Emperor and bowed. “Your Divine Majesty, I can only say this. The Portfolio of Sword was what I sought my whole life. When I finally achieved it and sat on the peak of Sword Mountain, I realized that I had forgotten how I got here. I have lived for over five thousand years and I don’t even remember how many years of my life I had spent just living.”
The Divine Emperor nodded and stepped aside. Li Jian walked past, going quickly to the Heavenly Gates where the 12 Zodiacs bowed to him as he stepped out from the Heavenly Gates once again.
Ling Xin could only stare at the carnage that had been caused. Perhaps out of everyone there, she was the least affected. She had already seen what Li Jian could do. While this was more powerful than she had expected, she also knew that Li Jian hid much of his powers. She was sure that this was not even close to the true extend of his abilities. Just as she thought about where he had gone to, he appeared beside her. “Ling Xin. Sword Manor is yours. The 13 Swords will acknowledge you as their master.” He held the Death Empress sword out to her. “Ling Xin, the rest is up to you. Please keep the peace in Baiyang. And keep Lady Bai safe.” He would turn to leave when he saw that Lady Bai, Jing Hong and Jing Wu Die were all standing there. “Are you leaving? Just like that?”
Li Jian sighed to himself. It was a harsh lesson in many ways, in that he should have stepped in sooner and in the background instead of letting things fester to where they are now. “Crown Prince, please remember the things I have taught you. Be a Prince in all things.” Jing Wu Die bowed, he was unsure of what to say. Lady Bai stared at him, her eyes tearing up. “Bai Zi Hua, I will return one day. Perhaps one day when you stop fearing me and can see me as just your friend.” Lady Bai nodded, in her heart she knew that he was right. She couldn’t help but feel a shiver of fear when she saw him. Jing Hong however looked at him. Li Jian expected her to bow but when she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his waist, he was surprised. “Please come back one day.” She said in a small voice. It was unexpected and perhaps one of the most surprisingly warm things he had ever heard in his life. He could only nod. “Princess, I will return one day. I hope on that day, you are able to draw the sword.”
A few days later, Li Jian was at the port of Baiyang, looking out to see where each ship was heading. He saw a merchant ship that was going to the nation of Tianchao, a nation north of Huaxia next to the coast. He paid his fee of 10 silvers and soon the boat was under way. He leaned up against the side of the ship and stared at the port becoming smaller and smaller as the wind picked up. He felt an odd pang in his chest when he thought of Lady Bai and Princess Jing. He felt a sense of loss to not see Ling Xin behind him anytime he turned his head. It was a feeling that had long disappeared in his heart but now he felt the sensation of emptiness once again. Even when he thought of Prince Jing Wu Die, he felt a kind of loss when he thought of the many conversations they had shared under a bright moon with a bottle of fine wine.
As the port finally disappeared, he felt a more profound sense of aloneness. He had gotten used to being close to them. Perhaps one day he might be able to return the same look that Lady Bai often had in her eyes when she looked at him.