A Sword's Light Chilled Fourteen Provinces

Chapter 35: A Sword's Light Chilled Fourteen Provinces

Zhuzi had lost count of how many times he'd been to Meng City. He knew the place like the back of his hand. Since the blacksmith's shop often had good bows on consignment, he headed straight there as soon as he passed through the city gate. The moment he stepped inside, he spotted a tall longbow hanging on the wall.

"Boss, how many shi can that bow draw?" Zhuzi was captivated at first sight. His own bow was one he'd made himself from fine hardwood, but this one was made from a composite of animal bone, hardwood, and horn. It was more than a little better than his hunting bow. Even the Three-Clawed Eagle circling in the sky surely couldn't escape a bow this powerful.

"Four shi." The boss was a burly old man. He glanced at Zhuzi when he heard the question, and, seeing a strong-looking hunter, answered him. Apparently, plenty of people were curious about the bow.

"Four shi..." Zhuzi judged that he could just about draw a four-shi bow. If he passed up this chance, he might not get another. He hurriedly asked, "Boss, how much is it?"

"How much? Ten strings of cash!" The boss seemed to sneer. What ordinary hunter could afford ten strings of cash for a bow? That was why it had been hanging there for half a year without selling.

"Ten strings of cash!" Zhuzi was stunned. Ten strings of cash amounted to ten taels of silver. He was a hunter; even after working hard for half his life, he couldn't save that much. At that moment, he was truly glad he hadn't killed the White Fox for its pelt. Even sold at a high price, the fox fur would fetch no more than three taels of silver.

Now all he could do was try what Zi Bofeng had suggested and ask whether any rich family's young lady wanted an unusual pet. There were plenty of wealthy households in Meng City. Surely someone could afford a White Fox worth ten taels of silver...

But at the thought, Zhuzi's heart grew uneasy.

He was a simple hunter. He'd never gone door to door, knocking on the gates of rich households and officials' homes to hawk a Little Fox. But for his mother's sake, he could only steel himself and do it.

He knocked on two doors. When the families heard he was selling a Little Fox, they all wanted to see it. But once they learned the fox was still outside the city, they grew displeased and kicked Zhuzi in the backside, sending him out. "You've got nothing to show for it, so what the hell are you talking about?"

After getting nowhere with wealthy officials and merchants, Zhuzi had spent a long time running back and forth and was exhausted. He trudged back with his head bowed, when a sudden clap of thunder split the sky. He looked up to see the cliff atop the hill beyond Meng City's southern gate burst in two. Its upper half came rumbling down the mountainside.

"The immortals are enraged!" someone screamed in anguish. Panic spread like a plague. Countless people rushed out of their homes, shoving one another and scattering in every direction, as if the end of the world had come.

The bold went out of the city to see the spectacle; the timid hurried inside to avoid trouble. Zhuzi sweated buckets squeezing through the crowd around the city walls. When he finally made it out, he saw Zi Bofeng standing beneath a tree, head lowered in silence, while Little Stone looked utterly crestfallen.

Zhuzi jumped in fright. He summoned all his strength, shoved past several people, and dashed to the tree in three quick strides. "What happened? Is my mother all right?"

"Uncle Zhuzi..." The moment Little Stone saw him, he burst into tears. "The Little Fox... The Little Fox ran away..."

"You!" Zhuzi's eyes widened, and his hand rose before he could stop himself. That wasn't just a fox—it was his mother's life!

"Zhuzi!" Zhuzi's Mother, lying on the bed and weak as a kitten, called softly. "Zhuzi, don't blame Little Stone. He's still young... I'm not afraid of dying. This is my fate..."

"Mother!" Zhuzi cried out and dropped to his knees before her. He wasn't really angry with Little Stone. He was angry with himself. Even if Little Stone hadn't let the fox escape, what could he have done?

Could he have sold the Little Fox? Could he have gotten ten taels of silver for it, enough to buy that powerful bow? And even if he'd bought the bow, could he have hunted a Three-Clawed Eagle? And even if he'd caught one, could he have found its egg?

"Mother, I'm useless!" Zhuzi, a grown man built like a bear, wailed aloud.

Heroes did not shed tears easily; they simply had not yet reached the depths of sorrow.

"Uncle Zhuzi, I'm sorry... You... You can sell this..." With tears in his eyes, Little Stone held out the strange egg in his hands. "Uncle Zhuzi, don't cry. You can hit me instead..."

"What good would hitting you do? What's the point of talking about this now? I..." Zhuzi cried as he wiped his tears. Then he looked up and froze.

"Th-this egg... Where did it come from?"

The egg was a little smaller than a goose egg, with intricate patterns on its shell. Look closely, and they resembled a three-lined pouch coiled around it.

"It's an egg from the big eagle on the mountain. It's really tasty." Little Stone wiped the egg liquid from his head and licked it.

"Ha ha ha ha! My mother can be saved!" Zhuzi suddenly burst into laughter. "The immortal must have answered our prayers! The immortal answered them! Little Stone, thank you! Thank you!"

Zhuzi hugged Little Stone and kissed him. After a few kisses, he smacked his lips. "Huh, it really is tasty!"

"Right? My head smells delicious now." Little Stone puffed up with pride and turned his head toward Zi Bofeng. "Brother, you should lick it too."

"Honestly!" Zi Bofeng smacked Little Stone on the head.

The feast at Mengcheng Prefecture went on for two hours.

Delicacies were carried in one after another, then cleared away just as quickly.

Feijianzi had cultivated for thirty-two years. Though he was nowhere near the point of dispensing with food, he had long since lost much of his appetite for fine flavors. No matter how many dishes were served, he only sampled them. The Prefect watched his expression closely and felt that none of the food suited his taste. Afraid the immortal might take offense, the Prefect was naturally uneasy.

But more than the immortal's appetite, he worried about the reason for his visit. All banquets had to end eventually. Once the food and wine were gone, it would be time to get to the heart of the matter.

"May I ask what brings you to Meng City this time, Immortal?" the Prefect asked cautiously.

"Of course, I've come to collect jade," Feijianzi replied.

"Jade?" The Prefect's face paled, and his heart sank even further. "The Bird-Mouse Temple guards the lands around Bird-Mouse Mountain and keeps them safe. Every thirty years, Meng City supplies the temple with three thousand pieces of jade. That rule was established long ago. But... it's only been ten years since the immortals of Bird-Mouse Mountain last collected three thousand pieces of jade. Why come to collect it again so soon?"

Feijianzi's face grew warm. He had gone up the mountain to cultivate when he was young and was still thin-skinned. Before coming down the mountain, he had asked his senior brother for advice on how to gather enough jade.

His senior brother's words still rang in his ears.

Don't concern yourself with what the Prefect does. Just demand the jade from him, and he'll find a way to gather it for you.

What if the Prefect refuses?

Then make sure he doesn't dare refuse.

Thinking of this, Feijianzi smiled and lifted his head.

He sat facing south. When he looked up, he could see the cliff beyond the city, that solitary blade of rock that had stood there for thousands upon thousands of years.

"Jade is a small matter. Why don't I perform a little trick for you, Prefect?" Feijianzi said with a cold smile, pointing to the cliff outside the city gate. "I say I can make that cliff disappear. Do you believe me or not?"

The Prefect's face changed, but he didn't have time to say a word.

Feijianzi raised his right hand, extended two fingers like a sword, and cried, "Go!"

A streak of light shot out from somewhere on his person. It transformed in midair into a beam of swordlight and flew toward the cliff outside the city. It circled the cliff once, then abruptly returned.

The swordlight moved so fast that even the eye couldn't follow it. The Prefect saw a flash, then heard an explosion. The solitary cliff that had stood there for thousands upon thousands of years burst in two and came crashing down the mountain.

The hall was full of three thousand guests; one sword's light chilled fourteen provinces.

The sun was already sinking, and the banquet had ended. The immortal was weary from his journey and had gone to rest in the guest rooms. As several attendants cleared away the leftovers, Luo Qianshan intercepted the Prefect in the corridor.

"My lord, are you really going to impose the Jade Tax?" Luo Qianshan grabbed the Prefect and asked in a low voice.

"What else can we do?" The Prefect frowned.

He knew Luo Qianshan was unwilling. He was even less willing himself.

But what could he do? Some things in this world could be settled through reason. Zi Bofeng could convince him not to collect taxes from Lower Yan Village, and he could convince Quzhou Prefecture not to collect taxes from Mengcheng Prefecture. But could he convince an immortal not to collect the Jade Tax?

The Prefect raised his head without thinking and looked south of the city.

The enormous rock that had stood atop that hill for millennia had turned to countless fragments in an instant, scattering down the slope.

All it had taken was one sword.

One man, one sword. Who could withstand him? Who could stand against him?

"My lord, I am willing to give my life!" Luo Qianshan pressed a hand to the long saber at his waist and spoke each word distinctly.

He knew the Prefect's ambitions, understood his character, and knew his ideals. The Prefect was born into nobility, yet had been willing to start at the bottom. He wanted to accomplish something great, to live according to his heart.

He had already crushed so many obstacles in his path. Was he really going to fall at the final hurdle now?

The Prefect was unwilling to give in, and Luo Qianshan was even less willing.

So what if he was an immortal? He was still only a man, with only one life. If they could kill the immortal...

The Prefect opened his mouth as if to speak, but not a single word came out.

"My lord, you don't need to give an order. Just nod once. Whether I succeed or not, Qianshan will never breathe a word of it." Thinking the Prefect didn't want to give the order, Luo Qianshan gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, I'll disguise myself as a bandit tonight and break straight into the guest rooms..."

"Th-this..." The Prefect raised one finger.

"My lord, you..." Luo Qianshan started to speak again, but the Prefect grabbed his hand and pointed toward the wall.

Luo Qianshan turned his head and was immediately startled.

The sky was growing dark. Shadows lay beyond the wall. He couldn't make out who it was from here, but he could clearly see someone climbing down from the top.

Speak of bandits, and a bandit appeared. What sort of petty thief dared to climb into Mengcheng Prefecture? Did he think Luo Qianshan was a pushover? Where were the guards outside? Were they all dead?

Record of Raising Monsters