Battle Against Jian Wu Dao

"System, didn't you say Father still had half a year before he completely lost control?"

"With the help of the host's Soul Absorption Art, he can indeed hold on for half a year."

Li Chen Zhou fell silent... It seemed that obtaining Shaolin's Buddha Relic had to be put on the agenda as well.

Early the next morning, Li Chen Zhou arrived at the Brocade Guard.

On the bluestone steps before the Brocade Guard yamen, four burly men stood like iron towers. Crippled Foot's iron boots sent pooled rainwater splashing everywhere, Iron Arm Arhat's bronze skin gleamed with a bluish luster in the rain, Soul Severing Blade picked his teeth with the tip of his blade, while Heartless Sword stood with his sword in his arms, gazing at the heavens—the famed Earthly Fiends Four of Listening Rain Pavilion.

"My lord!" At the sight of Li Chen Zhou, all four dropped to one knee in perfect unison, sending ripples through the water on the ground.

After all these years, these past three days had been the most carefree days of their lives. Crippled Foot, Iron Arm Arhat, Soul Severing Blade, and Heartless Sword had served their three days in prison and were now preparing to bid Li Chen Zhou farewell at the gate.

Li Chen Zhou said, "I'm short on men. You'll only go back to killing people anyway, so why not kill for me instead?"

The four men were overjoyed. They had had enough of living by the blade's edge, without even a guarantee to show for it. If they followed Li Chen Zhou, the rest of their lives would finally be settled.

A sudden crack sounded through the curtain of rain as Li Chen Zhou crushed the green jade token in his palm. By the time the fragments hit the ground, four gilt waist plaques had already been tossed into the four men's arms.

"From today onward, every person you kill..." The hem of Li Chen Zhou's Flying Fish Uniform swept through the puddles, his voice drifting from deep within the rainy mist. "...will have the court backing you."

"Hey! What about me?" A clear female voice pierced the rain. Qian Shisan clung to the iron bars of the prison gate, her almond eyes wide open. The copper coins pinned in her hair had long since rusted, yet they only made her eyes shine all the brighter.

Li Chen Zhou looked puzzled. "Why haven't you left yet?"

Qian Shisan immediately felt as though the whole world had gone wrong. "Didn't you say that without your orders, I wasn't allowed to leave?"

Li Chen Zhou suddenly understood. He had forgotten to tell her. "Then you can leave too."

Qian Shisan suddenly asked in a low voice, "Can I join the Brocade Guard?"

Li Chen Zhou's expression darkened. "The Brocade Guard doesn't take just anyone."

Qian Shisan's little face flushed with anger. "Don't look down on me."

Bookworm beside her also said, "She's merely from Blood Shadow Hall. She really can't be put on any grand stage."

"Bullshit!" Qian Shisan suddenly flung three copper coins through the gaps in the bars. They formed a character-shaped formation in midair. "Look carefully! This is the technique of Silent Night Rain!"

Bookworm was startled. "The divine thief Ye Wuhen?"

Qian Shisan rubbed her nose smugly. "Hmph, now do you know how formidable this young lady is?"

Bookworm said mildly, "You are quite formidable. You even dared steal the night-luminous pearl from the imperial palace. The bounty on you is absurdly high now."

Everyone immediately turned toward Qian Shisan, their eyes gleaming.

Qian Shisan hurriedly explained, "Nonsense! My master was framed. She only went in to steal a little wine that time, then happened to run into someone stealing from their own watch. That was how she got saddled with the blame."

Bookworm casually flipped through the dossier in his hands. "It wasn't much, really. It was only that the jar of wine she stole had been brewed by Illusion Truth Palace after exhausting the strength of the entire sect and gathering precious treasures from across the realm. It was meant as tribute for His Majesty. Its value surpassed even ten night-luminous pearls."

Everyone's eyes fixed on Qian Shisan and lit up once more.

Li Chen Zhou suddenly thought of something. "Contact your master and have her steal something for me. Once it's done, I'll let you join the Brocade Guard."

Qian Shisan asked timidly, "What is it?"

Li Chen Zhou bent down and whispered into her ear, "Shaolin Temple's Buddha Relic."

"That's guarded inside Damo Cave..." She suddenly bit her tongue, then her eyes rolled toward the chest of silver. "You'll have to pay more!"

"Bookworm... how much money did we still have from raiding the Chen Residence last time?"

"My lord, twelve thousand taels of silver and eight hundred taels of gold." Bookworm pulled a gilt ledger from his robes. "There are also three hu of South Sea pearls and two chests of Shu brocade..."

"Give it all to her." Li Chen Zhou turned to Qian Shisan. "Is that enough?"

Qian Shisan cried out in delight, "Enough... more than enough!"

"An imperial decree has arrived—" A shrill voice shattered the stalemate. The eunuch bearing the decree entered the courtyard with a roll of bright yellow silk in his hands. Behind him, a young eunuch carried a gilt tray, upon which a Hundred-Household Commander's bronze seal glittered beneath the morning sun.

"...You are specially promoted to Hundred-Household Commander of the Brocade Guard, and bestowed a python robe and jade belt..."

As Li Chen Zhou knelt to give thanks, the corners of his mouth twitched. The emperor's generosity was even more miserly than tossing scraps to a beggar!

Inside a warm chamber of the Forbidden City, the emperor gritted his teeth at a portrait of the princess. The girl in the painting had bright eyes and pearly teeth, yet a blood-red short blade identical to Li Chen Zhou's hung at her waist.

"That little bastard..." His vermilion brush poked a hole through the memorial. "He dared pluck my pearl, and he still thinks the reward is too little?"

The eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial knelt and presented a secret report. "Your Majesty, the young Celestial Master Zhang Xuanling of Dragon Tiger Mountain has entered the capital with the Five Thunder Ritual, while Wudang Sect's Mad Daoist has reached the Meridian Gate carrying the True Martial Sword..."

"Pass down my decree." The emperor suddenly sneered. "Today's arena will be rebuilt with black tortoise stone. I want to see just how mad that little devil can become!"

Brocade Guard Hundred-Household Office. At this moment, White Cat entered and reported to Li Chen Zhou, "My lord, today's arena has opened. There are many martial artists here today. I heard that Dragon Tiger Mountain's young Celestial Master and Wudang Sect's Mad Daoist have both come to watch your duel against Jian Wu Dao."

Li Chen Zhou changed into his newly issued Hundred-Household Commander's uniform. "Let's go meet that pack of heavenly prodigies."

Before the Meridian Gate, the Black Tortoise Arena shone with a cold blue gleam under the blazing sun. Crisscrossing blade marks and sword scars covered the stone surface, writhing like living things in the sunlight. Minister of Rites Zhou Yanru held a hammer of golden-thread nanmu wood and struck the bronze sundial heavily. Nine bell chimes rang out, making the bronze bells beneath the eaves tremble and jingle.

"For today's judging, Heavenly Secrets Pavilion will take the lead, with the rest of us assisting. The Brocade Guard, Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and Six Doors will maintain order at the venue."

Brocade Guard Commander Wei Wuji, Eastern Depot Governor Liu Xi, Western Depot Governor Cao Shaoqing, and Six Doors' God Hunter Leng Wu She were all peak third-rank experts, standing guard over the scene.

"The final battle of the Earth Ranking begins—"

The master of Heavenly Secrets Pavilion took his seat on the judges' platform unwillingly, his aged eyes beneath his bamboo hat sweeping over the crowd below. When his gaze passed over Li Chen Zhou, the "Heavenly Secrets" jade plaque at his waist suddenly gave off an eerie blood-red glow.

"First match: Li Chen Zhou of the Brocade Guard against Jian Wu Dao of Sword King City!"

Li Chen Zhou tapped off with the tips of his toes, streaking onto the arena like a blood-red startled swan. The Blood Demon Blade gave a hungry hum within its sheath, while the third eye of the taotie pattern on its hilt had opened completely.

"The top spot on the Earth Ranking is mine." He pushed open the blade guard with his thumb, exposing three inches of scarlet edge. "Anyone who refuses to accept that, come up here."

Jian Wu Dao stepped onto the arena in flowing white robes. The jade plaque at his waist, marked "Hidden Dragon Seventeen," struck against his scabbard and gave a clear dragon's cry.

"Lord Li and I still had an unfinished battle yesterday. Today, I'll open the proceedings."

The instant he slowly drew his sword, the entire arena suddenly shook violently!

"An Earth-tier Divine Weapon—Seven Kill Sword - Po Jun!" Below the stage, the Mad Daoist sprayed out a mouthful of wine. "Sword King City even brought out its sect-defending divine weapon?"

At the instant the sword left its sheath, seven streaks of blood-red starlight fell from the sky, condensing into the pattern of the Northern Dipper upon the blade.

Jian Wu Dao's entire aura changed abruptly, and the murderous intent of mountains of corpses and seas of blood surfaced between his brows.

"Brother Li." He lightly tapped his sword tip, leaving star trails in the air that lingered for a long while. "Please enlighten me."

Jian Wu Dao opened with a killing move. The Seven Kill Sword traced a profound trajectory, and fine cracks appeared in space wherever its edge passed!

"A Sword Dividing Lifetimes!"