Chapter 17: His Bottom Line
Yin BiYue’s famous sword ‘River’s Reliance’ had been passed down to him on behalf of his cheaply obtained Master, when Jun Yu substituted their Master to receive him as a disciple.
In the last three years he spent on Cang Ya Mountain, he had practiced the Cold Water Sword Arts at least ten million times. The forms had long been engraved into his bones, becoming instinct.
However, after leaving the Lan Yuan Academy, he no longer practiced the Cold Water Sword Arts.
When the first rays of dawn broke the horizon, Yin BiYue put away his sword.
Behind him, a big tree so thick that it would take two people to wrap their arms around its trunk toppled over with a loud rumble.
A breath later, the trees in the surrounding ten zhang1 all collapsed, startling countless birds into leaving the forest.
Yin BiYue just stood in the middle of the severed trees and demolished branches. A sword aura that had not yet scattered lingered around his entire body. He looked back, feeling quite apprehensive.
However, he only saw Duan Chatterbox yell in excitement, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen fourth senior-apprentice brother practice his sword! So it turned out your Sword Arts has advanced once again! Congratulations, senior-apprentice brother!”
Standing beside him was Luo MingChuan, who nodded while smiling gently.
The weight in Yin BiYue’s heart finally dissipated.
If even Luo MingChuan couldn’t tell there was something off, then at the very least it meant that anyone within and below the Revelation stage would be unable to tell.
In fact, because Luo MingChuan practiced the Jia Lan Spiritual Pupil Arts, his eyesight for things like this should exceed a normal person’s. Perhaps, even someone from a higher cultivation realm than the Revelation stage wouldn’t be able to see through his trick.
It seemed like the opponents he would meet during this trip to Zhong Ming Mountain wouldn’t have any suspicions.
His true essence was unable to enter this sword. However, after taking a walk through the Academy, he had reached enlightenment and thought up a different kind of method.
He could cover the surface of his sword with his true essence, wrapping up this sword. This kind of method must have already been attempted by others in the past, but if someone did this, their true essence would quickly dissipate.
In addition, this required an enormous amount of true essence. With Yin BiYue’s current true essence, he wouldn’t be able to last for more than the time it took to brew a cup of tea.
However, his state of mind was very strong. Thus, he thought of using his state of mind to condense his divine consciousness. Then, he used his divine consciousness to lock his true essence onto the surface of his sword.
The drawback to this method was that the stronger his opponent, the faster his divine consciousness would be consumed. Fortunately, with his cheat-like, compacted state of mind, recovering his divine consciousness was also a quick matter. And for his current cultivation realm, it was more than enough.
Yin BiYue had already made a firm decision. This time, he would deal with his current situation in the best manner he could. And after the Flower Picking Festival was over, he would return to Cang Ya and study whilst in closed-door cultivation.
And although changing swords halfway through their cultivating was something to dread for many sword cultivators, in the event that he still couldn’t get his sword to work, he would have no other choice but to substitute this sword.
Yin BiYue turned around to nod his head in greeting, “Let’s go.”
Duan Chatterbox happily followed after him.
Today, the orthodox cultivators truly gave the biggest show of the year, providing a comedic spectacle like always.
By the third time, Luo MingChuan didn’t even wait for Duan ChongXuan to stand out and say, ‘are you guys still not kneeling and calling him daddy’. Instead, he made a move first.
Yin BiYue noticed that Luo MingChuan always controlled himself very well.
No matter how arrogant his opponent’s attitude was, no matter how many filthy curses the other would yell, he had never gotten angry. He had also never injured someone to the point they would lose their life.
If Luo MingChuan’s thoughts were really as undisturbed as his serene expression, then the teenager truly had a frightening degree of self-control.
With that thought in mind, Duan ChongXuan must have also wanted to feel out Luo MingChuan. Or perhaps it was better to phrase it as, he had wanted to clearly see exactly what kind of person Luo MingChuan was.
When he was faced with opponents that were as weak as ants and was pelted with the most vulgar of curses, what would he do?
The outcome was that Luo MingChuan truly lived up to expectations. He did what every Holy Mother type of character did.
The red of spring had already withered, and the shade of summer flourished.
The loose soil beneath one’s feet and the leaping spots of light in between the swaying shadows of trees all made one feel quite carefree.
Just when Yin BiYue had believed things would continue like this, a variable swept out the grand gates of a new world.
Because this time, Luo MingChuan killed someone.
Scarlet red blood bubbled from that person’s neck, seeping into the brown mud. The corpse was separated from its head, and the expression on the person’s face had frozen on one with widened eyes and fear.
Yin BiYue stared blankly.
Holy Mother Luo MingChuan……he unexpectedly killed this smoothly?
Only then did Yin BiYue began to belatedly think back to what had just happened.
This group of people hadn’t been completely composed of mountain bandits. They were rogue cultivators, some martial cultivators who had learned a bit of foreign martial arts, and others were in the Qi Condensation stage. These rogue cultivators wandered the Pan Long mountain range. Their goal didn’t consist of hustling randomly, but rather to act when there was an opportunity. Thus, they deliberately picked caravans that had weak security.
Originally, Luo MingChuan had wanted to reason with them. However, Duan Chatterbox was still a step ahead of him and stole the first lines of the scene, ending with a ‘kneel down and call daddy’. Hearing that, their opponents began spitting out profanity like an unstoppable wave.
However, this time, something awfully strange happened. The one targeted wasn’t Duan Chatterbox, who had first provoked their opponents, nor was it Luo MingChuan, the one Duan Chatterbox had spoke so highly of.
“Bah! What do you mean by Cang Ya Mountain? Look at that one in the back. He’s actually covering his face and being so secretive like a delicate wife! It’s obvious he doesn’t even have the face to meet people!”
Yin BiYue hadn’t even reacted to this unjust ridicule when the roaring laughter came to an abrupt stop. This was because Luo MingChuan had already made his move.
He only killed a single person, while the rest were only heavily injured.
However, the power and strength that was normally restrained very well had instantly burst forward. An incorporeal pressure surged in the air.
Unconsciously, Yin BiYue took two steps back.
Luo MingChuan snapped out of his daze.
Had he scared junior-apprentice brother? That’s right, when could junior-apprentice brother have seen this kind of thing in the past?
When he thought of this, the haze surrounding Luo MingChuan’s mind immediately scattered.
He looked at the teenager, and even his voice unconsciously became more gentle, “Junior-apprentice brother Yin, you had entered the Academy when you were but a child. Your worldly experience is not deep, and naturally do not understand the dangerous ways of the world. However, the cultivators of my generation have already travelled the world, and naturally we cannot let others disgrace us for no reason. There would inevitably be a moment we must draw our swords……”
It wasn’t clear whether Luo MingChuan was explaining all of this to Yin BiYue, or if he was explaining it to himself. “Besides, these are all wicked people. If I do not injure them today, they will harm others in the future.”
Yin BiYue was already stupefied!
He—He—Was he being taught how to be a real man by the Holy Mother protagonist?!
Where could he even put his Villainous Honour now?!
With that in mind, Yin BiYue couldn’t stop his expression from cooling down.
“Ding——the villain’s expression ‘gaze like a knife’ has appeared! The conditions are fulfilled, so the Halo has activated!”
By now, Yin BiYue didn’t have much expectations for the Halo’s effects.
Minus points! Bad review!
What a fraudulent seller! He didn’t even need to give others a meaningful look to scare them into crying!
Luo MingChuna saw the teenager stare blankly without moving, looking somewhat dazed.
In his heart, he felt a bit helpless. He felt annoyed at himself for losing control. In addition, Luo MingChuan felt that as expected, junior-apprentice brother had a soft, simple and kind personality.
Ah, forget about it. In any case, he would be there to watch over junior-apprentice brother.
And if junior-apprentice brother didn’t like it when he injured others, that was not hard to solve. Next time, it will be fine as long as he doesn’t let the younger boy see him doing it.
Luo MingChuan had just made this decision when he realized the younger teenager was already walking forward. Duan ChongXuan also rushed to follow him.
By now, Luo MingChuan didn’t dare to let Duan ChongXuan walk in front. Thus, he said, “I’ll go scout ahead,” before he used some true essence and disappeared in a flicker.
Yin BiYue was still roasting that seller with no conscience when he heard the Chatterbox ask softly, “Fourth senior-apprentice brother, are you angry?”
“……”
“Fourth senior-apprentice brother, don’t be angry. I know I’m wrong.” The Chatterbox’s tone was rather cautious and solemn. “I’ll change back my clothes tomorrow.”
“……”
What happened to the promised sharp-eyed audience? Which eye of yours saw that I was angry because Luo MingChuan killed someone???!!!
Since this concerned a villain’s dignity, Yin BiYue felt that he had better explain. “I’m not angry.”
Duan ChongXuan was very touched. After all, even though he gave them so much trouble, fourth senior-apprentice brother would still forgive him!
“Fourth senior-apprentice brother, what do you think Luo MingChuan’s bottom line is?”
“……”
How did their conversation topic change so quickly?!
But for this question, Yin BiYue truly didn’t know the answer. Originally, he thought that a Holy Mother’s bottom line was the same as having no bottom line.
For the previous few bandit groups, Luo MingChuan had controlled himself so well. There was no explanation for why he had suddenly exploded now, ah!
The Chatterbox’s voice sounded a bit faint in the wind, but Yin BiYue still heard him clearly. “Luo MingChuan’s bottom line is you.”
What! Did! You! Say!?
Say! It! Again!
Yin BiYue was so shocked, to the point he didn’t even hear the Chatterbox’s next, slightly gratified mutter. “If it’s like this, I can consider handing you over to him. Perhaps if senior-apprentice sister knows too, she would also think it over……Nevertheless, it’s better if I observe him for a bit longer. It’ll depend on his performance……”
Instead, Yin BiYue only heard his own somewhat sluggish voice, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Immediately, Duan ChongXuan stopped talking.
There was no time for Yin BiYue to think about this more, because he could already see Luo MingChuan’s back.
But what was even more eye-catching were the ten-or-so people standing across from Luo MingChuan. Wearing cyan robes and with their hair bound in wooden crowns, these people had icy cold expressions on their face.
It was evident that this group of people were the ones who blocked Luo MingChuan’s path.
Or perhaps, they weren’t blocking him, and they were actually enemies who met face to face.
However, the path on the gap between the mountain forests were truly too narrow, so there had to be a party who made way for the other to go first.
Yin BiYue walked over. Suddenly, he noticed that there was an eight-trigram battle array sewn onto the robes of the people across from them.
Bao Pu Sect.
Immediately, Yin BiYue knew that this was no longer just a matter of giving way and letting them go first.