Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Killing Chen Wu, Young Master Wang?

"What your Sword Technique lacks is life-and-death combat. This Demon Mist Mountain Range is a treasure trove. Use the Demon Beasts here to gain more combat experience and improve your Sword Technique."

In the frozen space, only Ning Jiang’s voice rang out unhurriedly.

"Why are you here in the Demon Mist Mountain Range?" he asked.

"It’s not just me. My grandfather and the Twelve Golden Guards are here too," Liu Xianyu did not hide anything. "We found traces of the Iron-Armed Demon Ape. Grandfather and the Twelve Golden Guards are hunting it now, but the Demon Beast is cunning and difficult to deal with. It’s hiding everywhere. It will probably take a few more days to find and kill it."

The Iron-Armed Demon Ape, a Peak Innate Demon Beast.

The most troublesome ingredient for the elixir Ning Jiang needed to concoct was the Demon Core of an Iron-Armed Demon Ape.

Liu Xianyu’s strength was of no use in hunting the Iron-Armed Demon Ape, so she was acting on her own.

"I see. Once you have everything, come find me. I can perform the alchemy at any time. That’s all. I have other business to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first."

He was always like this—he left the moment he said he would.

Seeing him leave, Liu Xianyu did not linger either.

’Life-and-death combat.’ She, too, felt she was lacking in this regard.

"Miss Liu." Zhou Lingwei suddenly called out to Liu Xianyu.

"Do you need something?" Liu Xianyu asked.

"I don’t understand. With your abilities, Miss Liu, why would you need to learn Sword Techniques from him? You’re a genius of the Sword Dao who has mastered Body Sword Control. In all of Luoyang City, shouldn’t the only person qualified to instruct you be that senior from Wenhua City?" Zhou Lingwei was completely baffled.

’Ning Jiang is so young. What gives him the right to teach Liu Xianyu Sword Techniques?’

"Do you truly know Mr. Ning?" Liu Xianyu countered.

Zhou Lingwei was taken aback. "Perhaps I don’t know him very well," she said, "but some of the things he’s said reveal his arrogance. He claimed it wouldn’t be long before he ruled over Luoyang and dominated its entire younger generation!"

Dominating Luoyang’s younger generation meant that even Liu Xianyu would fall under his shadow.

Every genius is proud.

’As a genius herself, how would Liu Xianyu react to hearing such words?’

"Is that really so arrogant?"

Liu Xianyu’s calm question left Zhou Lingwei stunned on the spot.

’Doesn’t this mean that Liu Xianyu agrees with what Ning Jiang said?’

Unwilling to give up, Zhou Lingwei pressed on. "That’s not all he said. He also claimed that the senior from Wenhua City and Sword King Chu Bai are nothing special, and that the Nine Great Young Masters aren’t even worth mentioning."

"Did he really say that?"

"He did. Now, Miss Liu, surely you also think he’s too arrogant..."

"That’s nothing," Liu Xianyu cut in nonchalantly. "He has every right to say those things."

Zhou Lingwei’s eyes instantly widened, filled with disbelief.

She was starting to think Liu Xianyu had lost her mind.

The senior from Wenhua City, Sword King Chu Bai, the Nine Great Young Masters—every one of them was a legendary figure in Cyan Cloud, yet Liu Xianyu actually claimed Ning Jiang had the right to say such things?

"I know you can’t understand."

Taking in Zhou Lingwei’s incredulous expression, Liu Xianyu said calmly, "I can only tell you that you know far too little about him. If you truly knew him, you would understand that nothing he says is mere arrogance."

"There’s no use saying more. On the fifteenth of the first month, at the annual gathering, you will see for yourself what he can do."

With that, Liu Xianyu turned and left.

Zhou Lingwei’s eyes glinted with determination. ’The annual gathering? Fine. Just fine. I’ll be there. We’ll see then if I’m the one who’s wrong, or if you, Liu Xianyu, have completely lost your mind.’

She admitted that Ning Jiang was strong—strong enough to sweep through the candidates for the Ten Great and earn the moniker "White-haired Ghost."

But to say he could dominate the entire younger generation of Luoyang, she still didn’t believe it.

"Sister, why do you always doubt Brother Ning?" Zhou Chuchu complained. "He saved us twice. By all rights, we should be grateful to him, shouldn’t we?"

Zhou Lingwei froze. ’She’s right... why do I always question Ning Jiang?’

She couldn’t quite put a name to the feeling in her heart.

’Perhaps it’s because I once declared that if Ning Jiang could truly dominate Luoyang’s younger generation, I would become his maid. Maybe that’s why my stubborn heart refuses to concede...’

...

"Senior Chen Wu, you’re an expert of the Innate Realm. Don’t you think bullying a few of us juniors is beneath you?"

In the forest, a group of six people stood with grim expressions.

Chen Wu sneered. "Beneath me? In the world of Martial Artists, the weak are prey for the strong, and might makes right. Don’t you understand that yet? Cut the crap. Hand over the Upper Grade Treasure Artifact, and I won’t make things difficult for you."

Hearing this, the six of them looked conflicted.

The Upper Grade Treasure Artifact was an axe, and they had risked life and limb to obtain it.

They never thought they would be targeted by Chen Wu so soon after acquiring it.

Chen Wu was notorious in the Demon Mist Mountain Range, known for frequently robbing weaker Martial Artists.

Of course, Chen Wu wasn’t stupid; he only ever targeted Martial Artists who had no powerful backing.

"Senior Chen Wu, please, we beg you to be lenient just this once."

"Shut up." Chen Wu’s expression darkened. "I don’t feel like wasting any more words on you. It’d be easier to just kill you."

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His Gang Qi crackled as Chen Wu struck out with his palm. A wave of Innate Gang Qi, solid as an iron plate, shot toward the six people.

He was a frequent presence in the Demon Mist Mountain Range and was long accustomed to being ruthless; he was not one to show mercy.

BANG.

With a loud crash, the six were sent flying backward, spitting up blood.

They were just ordinary Postnatal Realm Martial Artists. Even if they joined forces, they were far from being Chen Wu’s match.

"Let’s fight him to the death!"

The six were filled with boundless rage, their eyes bloodshot.

"You think you stand a chance?" Chen Wu taunted.

"Chen Wu, you’re not wrong at all. In this world, the weak are prey for the strong."

Suddenly, a voice drifted out from the woods, as clear and crisp as a mountain spring. "But in this world where the weak are prey for the strong, some choose to use their power to bully others and run rampant, while others choose to uphold justice and fight for the wronged."

"Two paths: one of good, one of evil; one of righteousness, one of corruption. Good and evil are always repaid in kind, for the cycle of the Celestial Dao is just. You enjoy committing evil—have you ever considered that there would be retribution?" Ning Jiang said, stepping out from the trees.

"It’s you. You actually walked out of the Demon Fog." Chen Wu’s eyes widened, and he said contemptuously, "Retribution? I don’t believe in that nonsense. I didn’t expect you to dare show your face in front of me again. Let’s see where you can run today."

As he spoke, he lunged. Like an eagle striking the sky, or a hawk diving into the woods, he shot toward Ning Jiang.

He had witnessed Ning Jiang’s Body Technique, so he took the initiative to attack, to prevent Ning Jiang from escaping a second time.

Ning Jiang’s sleeves fluttered, his posture as straight as a sword.

"I have a sword that exists to slay the wicked."

Ning Jiang whispered, slowly uttering the words.

’One sword in hand, to purge the world of all injustice. This was his Sword Dao.’

He raised his right hand, just as Chen Wu lunged close.

SHK!

It was as if a bolt of cyan lightning had flashed past, bathing the entire area in a sudden azure glow.

A three-inch-long cyan Sword Aura erupted from his right sleeve.

This was a sword strike capable of killing an Innate!

PFFT.

The Sword Aura was like lightning, flashing past in an instant, easily piercing Chen Wu’s throat.

Chen Wu’s eyes were full of disbelief.

"You see? This is your retribution. If the heavens won’t kill you, then someone else will," Ning Jiang said, his voice as placid as still water.

"Young Master Wang... will not let you go!"

Chen Wu gasped out his last words, his speech slurred. The life quickly faded from his eyes, his face a mask of regret and resentment. Even at the moment of death, he had no idea how Ning Jiang had killed him.

"Thank you."

The six of them stared at Chen Wu’s corpse. Though shaken, they were also immensely grateful to Ning Jiang.

If Ning Jiang hadn’t intervened, they would certainly be dead.

With Chen Wu dead, countless people throughout the Demon Mist Mountain Range would rejoice. Over the past several years, he had robbed a great many people.

"But who is the Young Master Wang that Chen Wu mentioned?" one person wondered.

"His surname is Wang, and for Chen Wu to address him so respectfully as ’Young Master,’ it could only be one of the two from the Wang Family, a First-Class Noble House," a slightly older and more worldly youth replied.

The others’ expressions changed instantly.

"Now I remember! Last year, Chen Wu supposedly offended a second-tier family from Luoyang City. That family sent two Innate Realm Middle Stage experts to kill him, but in the end, the matter was simply dropped. Could it be...?"

The man trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

If it were true, the implications would be staggering.

’Was someone from the First-Class Noble House, the Wang Family, backing Chen Wu?’

That would explain how Chen Wu could commit so many evil acts yet remain free and unfettered for so long.

"Sir, you saved the six of us today. We are eternally grateful. We will keep what happened here today a secret for you," the worldly youth quickly said to Ning Jiang.

"It doesn’t matter. If someone wants revenge, let them come."

Ning Jiang nonchalantly left these words behind and turned to leave.

As he left, he also took Chen Wu’s Storage Ring.

After searching Chen Wu’s ring, Ning Jiang was surprised to find only a little over ten thousand Primordial Stones, along with some secret manuals and elixirs.

’Interesting. Chen Wu robbed Martial Artists in the Demon Mist Mountain Range year-round, yet he only has a little over ten thousand Primordial Stones on him. It seems he gave most of what he stole to this Young Master Wang who was backing him.’

Ning Jiang was sharp; with a moment’s thought, he understood the dynamics at play.

Although the Wang Family had risen to become a First-Class Noble House, their foundation was weak. They didn’t even possess a large Primordial Stone Ore Vein of their own and had resorted to trying to seize the Liu Family’s.

Martial Artists required vast sums of Primordial Stones for their cultivation and for purchasing elixirs and Treasure Artifacts.

This Young Master Wang probably felt his own resources were lacking. Due to his status, it was unbecoming for him to do the dirty work himself, so he had Chen Wu plunder resources on his behalf.

’The Wang Family has two members in the Ten Great. I wonder which one Chen Wu was referring to.’

Ning Jiang didn’t dwell on it. If he dared to kill, he didn’t fear any reprisal.

’With the Sword-Hiding Gourd, ordinary Innate Early Stage Martial Artists pose no threat to me at all. An Innate Middle Stage opponent, however, might be a bit of a problem.’

The Sword-Hiding Gourd was Ning Jiang’s current trump card.

The cyan Sword Aura that had killed Chen Wu was the power of the Sword-Hiding Gourd unleashed.

Even without unleashing a tenth of its true power, this Innate Spiritual Treasure was a devastatingly lethal weapon.

’I’ve been out for more than half a month. It’s time to go back, otherwise Sister An will worry.’

When he came to the Demon Mist Mountain Range, Ning Jiang was only at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, unknown, and the people of the Zhou Family Guard Team all looked down on him.

Now, as he left the Demon Mist Mountain Range, he was unrivaled in the Postnatal Realm, had swept through numerous candidates for the Ten Great, and had made a name for himself in a single battle, earning the moniker "White-haired Ghost."

The transformation was nothing short of a complete rebirth.

「Three hours later.」

Ning Jiang’s figure appeared at the Drunken Moon Pavilion.

"Zhao Peng?"

Just as he arrived at the Drunken Moon Pavilion, Ning Jiang was surprised to see an acquaintance.