HEART PROTECTION: CHAPTER 62
Qing Qiu's king didn't have any reaction towards Tian Yao's reply. There was just a brief silence before the king spoke: "Your aura is overflowing, yet you struggled to retain inner breath within. Have you not regained your body?"
"I'm still missing my dragon tendons and heart," calmly replied Tian Yao. Since the king already knew what happened to him, Tian Yao had no reason to hide it. It saved him from explaining from the very beginning, and he also didn't want to dance around the subject.
"Before I found my dragon horns, it already was absorbing spiritual energy. However without my dragon tendons to pair with it, I can't gather the energy to cultivate. Thus, I can't contain my aura. It leaks out. The day before yesterday, we passed over Qing Qiu's border. By chance, I discovered my dragon tendons are sealed in San Chong Mountain. To be honest, before that, I wanted to ask you the whereabouts of my tendons."
The king slightly muttered to himself when he heard Tian Yao's words: "San Chong Mountain is located at Qing Qiu's borders. There's countless amounts of seals of all sizes. It's very likely your dragon tendons are sealed there." His eyes took on a distant look. "San Chong Mountain's largest spell is the Sky-Splitting Heavenly Jian spell."
Yan Hui was stunned when she heard that name. As a cultivator of Chen Xing Mountain, she couldn't be more familiar with those words, Sky-Splitting Heavenly Jian spell.
50 years ago, after the battle between Zhenren Qing Guang and Qing Qiu's king, the land was split into two. Zhenren Qing Guan took his heavenly jian and sealed it in San Chong Mountain. He called it the Sky-Splitting spell; it was to cower the demon races. From then on, San Chong Mountain became the boundary that split the two nations.
After the war came 50 years of peace until now. Since the war, Zhenren Qing Guang had been meditating at Chen Xing Mountain. He hadn't grasped a jian since.
And the heavenly jian that was left at the border became a symbol of military might in the minds of practically all xian cultivators. It represented the xian cultivators' victory and boosted the moral of so many cultivators. It represented people sticking fast to righteousness to drive out evil.
Back when Yan Hui first heard the story in a classroom at Chen Xing Mountain, she was still very young, but she still felt her blood getting fired up. She couldn't help but rejoice over the xian cultivators' victory.
Although later when the xian sects became increasingly polarized, Yan Hui had already early on discovered the demons weren't evil as always she had always been taught. However, she had never changed how she felt about the heavenly jian.
"20 years ago, Qing Guang came again to the border. His movements were very secretive. No one knew he went there," said Qing Qiu's king. "And now I think it may have to do with the seal."
That's right, when Su Ying betrayed Tian Yao, she invited Zhenren Qing Guang along.
Su Ying was cautious. With her strength alone, it wasn't completely certain she would be able to handle Tian Yao. That's why she asked Zhenren Qing Guan for assistance.
50 years after Zhenren Qing Guang secluded himself in Chen Xing Mountain to focus on teaching the disciples, the xian cultivators in the jianghu had practically forgotten that matter. It wasn't until when those disciples got older and were able to travel independently that the news was spread. Now Qing Guang had practically delegated all power to Ling Xiao.
Zhrenren Qing Guan slowly faded away from managing the xian sects 20 years ago. But if Su Ying approached him for help to attack a demon dragon protecting demons in a vallet at the edge of Central Plains, then he probably didn't have a reason to refuse.
Comparing that with the current time and place, there was a very high probability that Tian Yao's dragon tendons were pressed under the Sky-Splitting seal.
Then retrieving the dragon tendons would be extremely difficult.
The Sky-Splitting seal was already really hard to break. And putting that aside, it was currently a very hostile climate between the two countries, which had just declared war on each other. As the border, San Chong Mountain was bound to have a military force guarding it. Getting close to seal would be difficult, let alone breaking it.
Yan Hui frowned in thought.
Compared to now, them breaking into Heavenly Fragrance to get the dragon horns was as easy as eating a steamed dumpling.
"If I wanted to go to San Chong Mountain to retrieve my dragon tendons, would your majesty lend a hand in assistance?" calmly asked Tian Yao. He carefully watched the king.
That's right, how could she have forgotten about this opportunity. Yan hui hurriedly regained her senses. They had a strong partner now. There was great assistance right in front of them!
"What are you waiting for?"
"Now that I'm at the border, the dragon tendons and I already have resonated with each other. The night of the full moon is when my senses and strength are at their peak. Even though the tendons are in the seal, I already can accurately sense where they are."
While talking, Tian Yao didn't blink even once. Yan Hui couldn't help sneak a glance at him. She wanted to say that wasn't the night of the full moon also when he was in the most pain..........
However when she saw how determined he was, Yan Hui gritted her teeth and swallowed her words.
He had been living like that for 20 years. He knew more clearly than anyone else the enormous pain he would feel on a full moon night, but he was still able to harden his heart to that. He calculated his body into his plan.........
But was there anything that one couldn't harden their heart to? Yan Hui thought about it. If she were Tian Yao, she would probably hate herself more than anyone else.
"Now that the five phases seal is broken, I have the strength to control my dragon tendons. When the time comes, I'll used them to disrupt the Sky-Splitting seal. Although it'll be small, it'll be enough to disturb the xian guarding the seal. Lend me some powerful demons. In a single wave, they will break the seal. I'll retrieve my tendons, and the demon clans can inflict heavy damage on San Chong Mountain's guards. What do you think of that, King?"
The king was still silently thinking about Tian Yao's words when Zhu Li, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke out: "No!" After he broke the silence, Zhu Li immediately bowed in apology to the king, but his face was still filled with youthful anxiety. "San Chong Mountain still has so many xian there, and the sky-splitting seal is extremely dangerous. How could I allow my soldiers face that danger?!"
For a brief moment, the room fell silent. The leaves above the room swayed in the light breeze, creating a dazzling puzzle of shadows on the floor.
"I can't guarantee success, but I"m gambling on this chance." Tian Yao bluntly replied. "From what I've seen, it's possible the demon clans don't have the strength to face the xian sects head on. A Guang Han sect alone might not be feared, but Guang Han sect's Su Ying and Chen Xing Mountain's Ling Xiao might have come to an agreement."
Yan Hui slightly tensed at those words.
"As for Qing Qiu, I have a speculation --- even if Qing Qiu didn't use their princess as a reason to declare war, that time still wouldn't be far off. Perhaps the xian sects will make the first move and attack Qing Qiu."
When Tian Yao brought this up, everyone in the room was silent.
Qing Qiu's king slightly lowered his gaze. His eyelashes lightly trembled.
Everyone knew the nine-tailed fox demons highly valued their bloodline. However, Su Ying still dared to act in such a manner. In addition to her selfish desires, her ambition might be enough to swallow the world.
It implied Su Ying and Ling Xiao planned to upheave the current peace, start a war, and wipe out the demon clans along with the southwest region. Qing Qiu's king looked at Tian Yao with a deepening gaze:
"I grant your request."
The corner of Tian Yao's mouth quirked upwards at those four, light and easy words. On the other hand, Zhu Li's face was filled with disbelief: "Your Majesty!"
The king didn't pay attention to Zhu Li. Instead, his body turned into white mist and disappeared without a trace.
When he disappeared, Yan Hui could no longer sense his aura, let alone where his body went.
Tian Yao glanced at the flustered Zhu Li. However he didn't say anything and instead turned to leave the tree.
Yan Hui followed Tian Yao down the mountain peak and towards the Third Prince's residence. They walked together along the long path, but neither said a word. Each were thinking over their own matters, but in the end, it was still Yan Hui who couldn't hold it in anymore. She absentmindedly spoke:
"When we left Central Plains, many xian cultivators went to ask Zhenren Qing Guang to take charge over the situation. Yet even now, I haven't heard of him leaving his seclusion." Yan Hui dazedly looked at Tian Yao. "I thought about it. Although Zhenren Qing Guan seldom leaves, his only completely secluded himself after the big meeting at Chen Xing Mountain three months ago. Zhenren Qi Yun also disappeared after that.........."
Yan Hui looked down: "Tian Yao, could it be that Su Ying and.........Ling Xiao are holding Zhenren Qing Guang prisoner........"
Tian Yao slightly raised his eyebrows and looked at Yan Hui: "If he were that kind of character, then he would have his own plan in response. There's no need for you to worry."
Yan Hui was silent. Then she turned to look at Tian Yao: "20 years ago, Zhenren Qing Guang and Su Ying defeated you. Do you not hate him?"
"In my life, I never feared my opponents, and I never held a grudge against those that defeated me." Tian Yao's eyes grew cold. "What I hate are those who trick me, deceive me, and with a vicious mind take my life for their own personal gain."
That's why he hated Su Ying. But also if you looked deep down, it was also because he once truly and deeply loved her.
Yan Hui wasn't able to fully understand Tian Yao's hate because she's never experienced something like it before. However the despair he felt, Yan Hui felt like she that was something she had also experienced-----The one she liked, turns out........wasn't as good as the image she held in her heart.
Tian Yao no longer stopped on the path. He continued to walk as he talked: "There's still a little more than half a month until the full moon, but that's still not much time. I can teach you a little more magic while I'm arranging the plans. You can also cultivate yourself, so you'll be ready when the time comes."
Yan Hui's footsteps slightly faltered. "You already got helpers from the king. You still want me to go this time?"
Hearing that, Tian Yao stopped walking. Yan Hui had already guessed how Tian Yao would reaction and stopped before he did. Thus now there was a gap of three strides when before they were walking side-by-side.
"You're not coming?"
Yan Hui shook her head: "Back then when Ling Fei and a group of Chen Xing Mountain disciples entered the inn near the border, Head Senior Disciple advised against Ling Fei because they had "original business." I'm guessing they also were going to the border. If it's not that group, then other people from Chen Xing Mountain were stationed at San Chong Mountain. After all, the sky-splitting seal was left by Zhenren Qing Guang. No other sect has a greater sense of responsibility than Chen Xing Mountain."
Yan Hui dropped her gaze: "I don't want to fight with Chen Xing Mountain's people again and implicate myself."
Tian Yao didn't expect to see a powerless and hopeless expression on Yan Hui's face. She had never revealed such a disappointed expression in front of him before. She would verbally spar with others, rascally irritate others until they gritted their teeth, and also heroically protect the weak. But her current expression was seldom shown.
It appeared like Yan Hui had already completely lost all faith in her shifu although she did not say it.
For a moment, Tian Yao unexpectedly felt a childish urge. He actually wanted to grab Ling Xiao and ask him, what kind of shifu are you, how could you left Yan Hui show such a sorrowful face, how could you..........let her lose faith.
However all the urges that Tian Yao felt only revealed themselves in a slightly wrinkling of his eyebrows. He simply had no skill in comforting others. It was to the point that he didn't understand what one should say in this kind of situation. Thus, he said:
"I need your heart's blood to break the seal."
When he said that, he also fell silent.
He somewhat stiffly turned his head, but he secretly slanted his eyes over and sized Yan Hui up. She didn't react and only responded: "When you go that day, I'll draw out some blood myself. You bring it with you. Don't suddenly get a sword and stab me."
Saying that, she paid no more attention to him and walked on. Tian Yao stood behind her. He made no sound.