Heart-Stopping

The two of them walked forward hesitantly. When they rounded the bend and looked up, they froze.

They had expected a gruesome scene, with blood flowing like a river and corpses strewn everywhere. There were dead people, of course, quite a few lying scattered on the ground. But it was still far better than they had imagined.

The reason for the silence was probably that the person who had just died was rather special.

The figure collapsed beneath a tree, blood still pouring from his severed neck, was none other than Luo Yong, the "Heavenly Dipper Blade."

He had attained Innate Soul Mutation, making him far stronger than an ordinary Innate master. He was the expert the Chang'an Commerce Guild had counted on to steady their entire expedition, yet his head had been severed. His body lay beneath the tree, one hand still gripping the heavy blade that had made him famous, but his head had vanished. No one knew where it had flown.

Damn! What kind of monster is he? I thought Luo Yong was a formidable fighter. Even if he wasn't as strong as the King of Nine Mountains, He Ping'an, surely the gap couldn't be that big... But it's enormous! He brought a whole group of helpers, and they were slaughtered in no time...

No, Luo Yong wasn't weak. The King of Nine Mountains is just too strong! That leader of the Northwest Greenwood must not be an Innate master at all. He's a Real Person Grandmaster playing the pig to eat the tiger!

In an instant, thoughts raced through Pan Long's mind like scenes flickering past in a revolving lantern.

The next instant, his eyes met those of the man standing in a pool of blood, smiling as though nothing had happened.

It was as if lightning had torn through the air and struck him square in the forehead; as if a burly man had swung a hammer into his chest; as if a mountain had come crashing down and pinned him fast, like Sun Wukong after losing his wager with the Buddha.

The shock, suffocation, and crushing weight left him unable to move or breathe. Even his thoughts came to a temporary halt.

At that moment, the only thing that seemed to exist between heaven and earth was that not particularly tall figure. The man seemed to have become a giant who propped up the sky. With a single finger, he could crush Pan Long to dust.

Before this man, Pan Long was no gifted young talent, no traveler between worlds armed with the knowledge of both, no fortunate man carrying a priceless treasure. He was nothing but an insignificant ant, beneath notice!

As Pan Long stood dazed, warmth suddenly surged into his heart from somewhere unknown. It shattered the hold that awe had on his mind, freeing him from that mountain-crushing presence.

Without stopping to think, he grabbed Han Feng beside him. Han Feng had been struck by the same awe even harder and was nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Are you all right?"

Only when Pan Long grabbed him did Han Feng shake off the force of that glance and come back to his senses. "I... I'm all right now..." he said, trembling.

Seeing that the two boys had broken free of the pressure in his gaze, the man showed a faint trace of puzzlement and appreciation. He said nothing, however, and turned to the people of the Chang'an Commerce Guild.

"Do you still think you're qualified to interfere?"

Fewer than half of the dozens in the Chang'an Commerce Guild's party had actually died, but the survivors were as silent as cicadas in winter. Not one dared speak.

When they had arrived, the King of Nine Mountains had been locked in fierce battle with dozens of experts from the Nanping Trade Association. The two sides had seemed evenly matched, and many of the Chang'an Commerce Guild's people had been unable to resist charging in.

If they wanted a share of the great credit for the Miraculous Bamboo Slip, they naturally had to make a showing. With the fight going as it was, wasn't this the perfect chance to join in and throw a few punches while the outcome was all but settled?

As more people joined the fray, the King of Nine Mountains' situation seemed increasingly dire. Even more of them rushed in, hoping to beat a drowning dog.

After a while, no one else was charging into the melee. The King of Nine Mountains' expression abruptly changed. His faintly hard-pressed look became a disdainful sneer.

"Looks like that's everyone eager to die," he said.

Then he slid his blade into its sheath and drew it again.

A streak of blade light swept across the battlefield like a great river spanning the sky.

The dozens of experts besieging him were all cut down by that single stroke. Not one survived!

Everyone realized at once that they had been played. Luo Yong, the "Heavenly Dipper Blade," gave a mighty shout and charged.

One-on-one, he still had some confidence.

Sure enough, though Luo Yong's martial arts fell short of the King of Nine Mountains', he managed to hold out for a while. But just as the other Innate masters were about to join the fight, the King of Nine Mountains spoke again.

"Forget it. This is boring."

As he spoke, his blade technique changed, turning incomparably swift and fierce. With a single stroke, he killed Luo Yong.

This time, everyone was utterly stunned, unable even to speak.

Was the King of Nine Mountains truly that powerful? Even an expert with Innate Soul Mutation could not withstand one serious stroke from him?!

What were they doing here, then? They were walking straight to their deaths!

That was why the silence Pan Long and Han Feng had heard had been so deathly.

When the two reached the Chang'an Commerce Guild's group, they saw only Zhao Lin. A quick question revealed that Pan Ying had tried to kick a man while he was down and seize an advantage. He had joined the attack on the King of Nine Mountains, then died beneath that single stroke.

"...And that's what happened." Zhao Lin sighed, helpless and rueful. "This great figure of the Greenwood is far stronger than we knew, even stronger than we imagined. People like us have no right to contend with him for anything."

Only then did Pan Long understand the whole story, and his heart quailed.

So the King of Nine Mountains was hiding his strongest move too, just like Father!

He could imagine how the Six Fairies of Purple Cloud Palace had felt when they launched their sudden attack and killed three of Pan Lei's companions. They must have thought victory was in their grasp, only for Pan Lei to reveal his Left-Hand Sword and send their heads rolling.

What kind of world is this? Why do all the experts like hiding their ultimate moves...?

He grumbled inwardly, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

The King of Nine Mountains paid the Chang'an Commerce Guild no attention. Unhurriedly, he wiped the blood from his blade on a nearby corpse, sheathed it, then looked toward the Nanping Trade Association's steward with a cold smile.

The fat steward's heart hammered under his gaze. He hurriedly shouted toward the Chang'an Commerce Guild, "Everyone! Are you going to stand by and watch? There's no guarantee he'll spare you!"

The already frightened guild members jolted. Summoning his courage, their steward asked, "Senior He... what do you mean to do?"

The King of Nine Mountains smiled and gave them a mocking look. "What? Do you still want a share of my prize?"

"No! No, no! We absolutely don't!" Every hair on the steward's body stood on end, and he denied it over and over.

"If you don't want a share, why are you still here?" the King of Nine Mountains asked mildly.

The steward shook his head at once. "We're leaving! We'll leave right now!"

He turned to run, but in his panic his left foot caught on his right. Despite being a capable martial artist, he tumbled onto flat ground and struck his forehead on a rock. Blood streamed down his face, and he passed out on the spot.

Pan Long stared, dumbfounded. He had never expected that.

Han Feng's eyes, meanwhile, shone with admiration.

"No wonder he's the leader of the Northwest Greenwood! What presence!" he murmured.

More than one person rolled their eyes inwardly at that, but none could argue.

"If I could command that kind of presence just once, I could die content!" Han Feng added.

This time, many looked as though they agreed.

What did people roam the Martial World for, if not fame and fortune? With a single sentence, the King of Nine Mountains had terrified the steward of a major Yong Province guild so thoroughly that the man had tripped over his own feet while fleeing and knocked himself unconscious. Who wouldn't want to wield such authority?

But they were seasoned veterans of the Martial World. Even if they agreed, they would not say so as Han Feng had. Instead, they crowded around to help the steward up, cleaned and bandaged his wound with strong liquor, and tried to wake him.

The King of Nine Mountains ignored the Chang'an Commerce Guild. He walked straight up to the Nanping Trade Association's steward and, without a word, flashed his blade. The fat steward's fur robe split in two, and a roll of bamboo slips fell from inside it. At a beckon from the King of Nine Mountains, it flew into his hand.

He inspected the slips, gave them a squeeze, and nodded in satisfaction before turning away.

But the fat steward found courage from somewhere. With an angry roar, he pulled a short blade from his boot and charged.

"I'm a dead man anyway!" the fat man bellowed, throwing himself at the King of Nine Mountains.

And so he died.

Having killed the man and seized the treasure, the King of Nine Mountains walked toward the Chang'an Commerce Guild.

Each time he took a step forward, the guild members took a step back. Yet they retreated far more slowly than the King of Nine Mountains advanced, and in moments he stood before them.

"Do you want to fight me to the death too?" the King of Nine Mountains asked.

Up close, the leader of the Northwest Greenwood really was short. He was roughly half an inch shorter even than Pan Long, let alone the burly men around them, and about Han Feng's height. He was not broad-shouldered either. His fur robe gleamed with oil, as did his face, giving him the look of a prosperous man.

Honestly, if Pan Long had met him on the streets of Jade Gate City, he might have mistaken him for an ordinary rich man.

At his question, everyone shook their heads repeatedly. No one dared say another word.

The King of Nine Mountains had no reputation for slaughtering innocents, but he had killed so many people today. Heaven knew whether he might casually cut down anyone who shook his head too slowly!

"My, what a lack of adventurous spirit you have!" the King of Nine Mountains sounded almost displeased. "If I were you, I'd take my chances no matter what. There must be a heaven-shaking secret in this bamboo slip for the Great Xia emperor to offer such a reward. How many chances like this does a person get in a lifetime? Even if it means dying, you ought to try!"

No one dared answer. They all wished they were mute.

The King of Nine Mountains shook his head, looking thoroughly bored, and strolled past them.

Just as he was about to disappear into the distance, Han Feng suddenly asked, "King of Nine Mountains, how can I become as strong as you?"

The moment Han Feng opened his mouth, Pan Long knew trouble was coming. He rushed to cover it, but he was a step too late.

The King of Nine Mountains stopped and looked back at Han Feng with interest, then turned his gaze to Pan Long.

This time, there was none of the earlier pressure in his eyes. Instead, they held a hint of goodwill.

After a moment, he said, "Talking won't make you as strong as me. You need to train hard every day, at least eight hours a day. Then you need to fight other people often and face death ten or twenty times. Finally, you need just a little luck... That should about do it."

Han Feng froze, then muttered, "That's exactly what my father says..."

The King of Nine Mountains burst out laughing. "That's how most experts under heaven got where they are. If your father told you something different, you wouldn't be his son by blood!"

After laughing, he let his gaze rest on Pan Long's face for another moment.

"You two boys. What are your names?"

"I'm Han Feng, and he's my big brother, Pan Long."

The King of Nine Mountains nodded. "I'll remember your names. I hope that when I've gained some understanding of these bamboo slips and return to Great Xia's Nine Provinces, I'll hear them again."

With that, he did not look back. He walked straight into the nearby forest and vanished among the trees.

Pan Long watched him disappear before finally letting out a long breath. The pressure on his heart lifted, and he promptly gave Han Feng a furious scolding, almost wanting to hit him.

That damned brat! The King of Nine Mountains' blade had not killed Pan Long today, but Han Feng had nearly scared him to death!

Deep in the woods, however, the King of Nine Mountains suddenly stopped walking.

"Did you notice anything?" he asked.

Someone answered from the shadows among the trees. "Those two boys seem to be hiding a great secret."

"People who roam the Martial World tend to have a secret or two. What's strange about that?" the King of Nine Mountains said carelessly. "Don't you and I have secrets of our own?"

The other person did not answer.

"I'm about to flee to the ends of the earth, beyond the Nine Provinces. Are you coming with me?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go. Perhaps by the time we return, those two boys will be more famous than either of us..."

This chapter was painful to write. I wrote four versions of it. This version was revised and rewritten at around ten tonight... I'll have to adjust a lot of what comes next so it doesn't contradict what happened here...

(The end of this chapter)