Book 59: Chapter 10: The Heart of the Sword Brightly Lit

All along Xu Ziling’s spirit has been maintained at the Moon in the Well state, leaving life and death outside the sphere of his consideration, perfect and effective, without any obstruction.

Compared with any previous confrontation with Shi Zhixuan, the sharp difference was that not only he had to save his life, but he also had to throw out all personal factors, to kill Shi Zhixuan for the sake of the overall situation and break his unparalleled-in-the-world Bu Si Yin Fa.

‘Bang!’

Xu Ziling no longer care about what kind of Yin Fa [hand-image method] he was using in sealing and blocking of the opponent’s sudden and invincible attack under the coordination of the Huan Mo Shenfa, which was impossible to defend effectively. The true qi within his body was condensed to a certain wondrous natural state, he sent it out of his finger, completely targeted at Shi Zhixuan’s finger attack.

Qi power clashed.

Xu Ziling deflected half of the opponent’s power, while borrowed the other half’s true power to leave the stern, and flew at an angle toward the lakeside off the right shore.

Even with Shi Zhixuan’s reserved character, his face still revealed a look of surprise.

It should be noted that this seemingly simple and direct kick, hidden within it was a secret sucking power, forcing Xu Ziling to fiercely staking everything to fight it, so that he would injure his five viscera and six bowels, and thus greatly weakened his fighting power. Who would have thought that Xu Ziling’s counterattack finger deflected his sucking force and discharged it to both sides first, and then it met his subsequent follow-up energy head-on; unexpectedly he was able to escape unscathed? The way he applied his power was amazing, it was greatly beyond his expectation.

Letting out a cold snort, Shi Zhixuan said, “Good!’

Soaring into the air, rapid, swift and fierce he leaped over Xu Ziling’s head, both legs closed together, he dropped straight down to stamp the top of Xu Ziling’s head.

Xu Ziling felt that his whole body was locked tightly by Shi Zhixuan’s qi power. If he focused his mind to escape, as long as he seized the opportunity to sink into the water of the lake, the possibility of escape could be greatly increased, however, the situation before his eyes would never allow him to make this choice.

Laughing calmly, the qi pierced through his whole body, and then, with him as the center, it exploded in four directions. At once he felt his whole body lightened, he promptly reversed the flow of his true qi, he evaded Shi Zhixuan’s not-just-in-name-only, but-also-in-reality huge vortex of qi power about to befall him with just a hairsbreadth difference, and flew toward the lake shore.

Shi Zhixuan let out a long laughter and said, “Ziling made another progress; it’s certainly hard to come by.”

Just by borrowing Xu Ziling’s qi breaking and boring into his stream of power, like a dead leaf blown by the wind, he flew like a shadow attached to the form, to chase after Xu Ziling, not giving Xu Ziling, who has fallen into the inferior position, any chance to take a breather or equalizing his qi.

Xu Ziling did not sense any pressure coming after him; however, his superhuman efficacious and acute senses clearly and unmistakably was telling him that starting from the time Shi Zhixuan made his sudden move on the boat, Shi Zhixuan’s spirit, formless, yet real – has locked him tightly, like a spider’s web, so that he and Shi Zhixuan were linked together, so that via this invisible spider web, Shi Zhixuan was able to sense all his supernatural power changes.

Know yourself and know the enemy, and you will never be defeated.

This was precisely the core and the essence of the Bu Si Yin wonderful power.

Thanks to his own progress and breakthroughs, Xu Ziling has risen from the true-qi-coming-in-contact-and-know-the-situation level to the down-to-the-smallest-detail of being-able-to-understand-Shi-Zhixuan’s-spirit-in-knowing-the-enemy level.

Through this mystery within a mystery connection and reaction, he could also conversely master the changes in this terrifying opponent’s spirit.

The wild wind suddenly arose, it struck over from four sides, eight directions like a violent storm.

This was simply impossible. The moving qi could only be released by Shi Zhixuan from behind, however, that was how he sensed it.

Bu Si Yin Fa was some kind of illusion, to confuse the enemy, to deceive the enemy to the ultimate goal of controlling the enemy, of subduing the enemy.

Being fooled was his low-level senses, but it was not his sparkling and translucent, penetrating mind at all.

For the first time, he accurately grasped how the invading true qi was making him hallucinating, while at the same time he knew how to fight back.

His foot tapped the edge of the shore, Xu Ziling soared again, he spun rapidly, both hands were transformed into hundreds and thousands of handprints, not one was the same as the other. His spirit merged with each handprint, fusing into one entity, with myriad of variations.

This sudden change broke off the invisible connection between the two, suddenly Shi Zhixuan was no longer able to tightly thread on his spiritual changes.

Xu Ziling shouted the incantation, “Lin!” while at the same time sending out a head-on punch.

The refined light in Shi Zhixuan’s pair of eyes flaring greatly, he pushed forward with both hands put together, and soared into the air to meet Xu Ziling’s full-powered punch.

‘Bang!’

Metting the punch, Shi Zhixuan made a somersault and landed behind Xu Ziling.

At first glance, it appeared like a stake-it-all hard-on-hard clash, without the least bit of fancy, feign move, but actually, Xu Ziling had made seven changes in succession, before he was barely able to block Shi Zhixuan’s exhausting all his strength in this one strike.

By the time Xu Ziling turned around to face Shi Zhixuan’s landing point, the surging-over qi and blood in his body calmed down in an instant, the positive and negative true qi within his body engendered each other. Suddenly the momentum turned, just like that he pounced forward as fast as lightning. His right palm was extremely cold, his left palm was burning hot. When his pair of palms was pressing on Shi Zhixuan’s back, it rolled and spun into a vortex of qi power where cold and heat intertwined, and in the Treasured-Vase Image form it hit straight at Shi Zhixuan.

This was something that not even Shi Zhixuan’s Bu Si Yin would be able to deflect and dissolve, borrow or transfer. It was highly concentrated qi power, combined with two kinds of extreme characteristics. There was only one such an expertise in the world, there was no other name. It was the pinnacle of Xu Ziling’s achievement since his debut. Up to this moment, from the completely passive, inferior position, he succeeded to snatch back the controlling power of the battle! It was not easy to obtain, how could he dare to make any mistake?

Like a whirlwind Shi Zhixuan spun his imposing body, both hands closing in, a wall of qi condensed in front of him.

When the vortex of cold and heat energy hit, he brought his two palms together in front of his chest, his eyes looked at his nose, his nose looked at his heart, his face revealed a tender, pretty blush, his manner was like a holy monk entering a meditative state. The scene was weird and indescribable to the extreme.

The sharp and shrill whistling sound of qi power grinding against each other, like a sudden storm, which had been going on for quite half a day, suddenly stopped.

It came very abruptly, it disappeared even more suddenly.

Xu Ziling suddenly felt like he was struck by lightning; not only his qi power disappeared without a trace, he felt like he was unable to hold on. The unbearable feeling was frightening. Even more horrifying was the dreadful feeling of being pulled forward to fall face down in front of the opponent, like he was falling into the abyss.

Overwhelmed with shock, he staggered sideways, well aware that Shi Zhixuan finally unleashed the skill he kept at the bottom of his trunk. Using the external wall of qi, instead of the meridians within the body, not only he neutralized Xu Ziling’s earth-shattering blow, but also dissipated part of his true qi.

If he immediately counterattacked, it would be akin to Shi Zhixuan and he, Xu Ziling join forces to attack himself.

In that instant, Xu Ziling shifted away for nearly two zhang, the pretty blush in Shi Zhixuan’s face was beginning to disappear. Like a giant bird soaring into the air he swept across toward him. But before the person arrived, his qi power had already enveloped him.

Xu Ziling inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that in order to neutralize his swift and fierce strike, not only Shi Zhixuan had to stake it all and risk injuries to attack with all his strength, also, because Xu Ziling used image method to cut off the spiritual link, he miscalculated the formidable power of the vortex of cold and hot qi power, hence he failed to use the momentum to attack and gave him a chance to free himself.

If Shi Zhixuan’s move could be made within ten paces, he, Xu Ziling would undoubtedly die. At this moment, he still had a chance to save his life. The only way was to avoid a head-on confrontation with him, since for him, Xu Ziling that would be the last day approaching.

Xu Ziling’s spirit fit together, it became clear and bright like a clear lantern, not only the situation of the enemy and us fully appeared in his mind, even the surrounding environment, the ice and snow beginning to stir in the woods and on the soil, and all kinds of life ready to sprout up, it seemed like he could feel it in his heart. He had never experienced this kind of realm before.

If the current situation developed, definitely it would be hard to avoid the tragic ending of staking-it-all in a hard fight against Shi Zhixuan, unless he had a wonder move that could confuse Shi Zhixuan.

The qi piercing through his meridians, Xu Ziling flew up at an angle, appearing to be slow but was actually fast, throwing himself toward the sparse forest area closest to the shore of Lake Qujiang. Even someone as strong as Shi Zhixuan, he was at a loss to deal with his seemingly silly move, simply because Shi Zhixuan’s Huan Mo Shenfa would be able to unleash its greatest effectiveness in the dense forest, and make the most of favorable location.

As expected, Shi Zhixuan’s speed immediately changed. Although his refined qi power was still locking him firmly, yet he was still slowing down a hairsbreadth, so that only after he entered the forest that he caught up with him and force him in hard battle. The subtleties within it, only Xu Ziling was aware of.

The moment when he was only half a zhang away from the closest two old trees, when it looked like Xu Ziling was going to pass through the gap between the two trees to enter the forest but he was flying barely a bit more than half a zhang off the ground, Xu Ziling’s originally straight, piercing flight suddenly made a strange change, he began to turn toward the lake shore.

Under the pull of his qi intention, Xu Ziling, without a sliver of error, sensed that Shi Zhixuan’s refined qi field, which was about to lock him tightly, lock him dead, was struggling hard to follow him shifting direction. Also, because he was following him continuously turning around leaving the sparse forest, it was weakened. Obviously, because of his strange shenfa, which he comprehended from Yun Shuai, Shi Zhixuan was caught off guard with such an unexpected turn.

A touching feeling of being blended with the nature into one entity grew in Xu Ziling’s heart; no life, no death. Life was just a little blip that happened by accident in the universe.

Suddenly his entire body relaxed.

Without needing to turn around to look, his superhuman’s spiritual sense was telling him that Shi Zhixuan, under pressure and helpless, had to change his shenfa’s direction, in an attempt to, relying on his Huan Mo Shenfa, moving later but arriving earlier – reach the point where he was going to land and attack.

Shi Zhixuan was finally forced to change his moves, allowing him to grab the initiative again. This nearly-impossible-to-appear-flaw-and-gap in Shi Zhixuan’s current condition, he finally succeeded in winning it over. However, the opportunity only flashed once and immediately passed. If he was unable to immediately grasp and use it, by the time Shi Zhixuan was locking him tight again, the flaws would turn into a talisman hounding him to death. The profound mystery in this could only be sensed, but difficult to convey in words.

The true qi reversed direction.

Xu Ziling was like a bird out of the cage, he rose high into the emptiness and reversed his true qi, positive and negative engendered each other, new energy pierced through his body. With a ‘Swish!’, he threw himself back into the depths of the forest. When his feet landed on the ground, he turned around and sent a punch out.

Shi Zhixuan’s shenfa changed again, he bored through the forest and out. Although his speed did not diminish, he no longer had the astonishing momentum he originally had when he pursued over to carry out his killer hand. He gathered the true power that he borrowed from Xu Ziling and combined it with his own demonic power, which was at its peak before the decline, while Xu Ziling was storing up his momentum to wait.

The divine light in Shi Zhixuan’s pair of eyes flaring greatly, his fingers gather together into a palm chop, he jabbed straight toward the opponent’s face.

Xu Ziling’s punch followed Shi Zhixuan’s subtle techniques, it was changing continuously.

‘Bang!’

Like a kite with cut string, Xu Ziling was thrown into the forest, and then ‘Crash!’ his back finally solidly hit an old tree, which terminated his flying-back momentum, and he spurted a mouthful of fresh blood.

Shi Zhixuan staggered three steps backwards, another burst of blood red flitted through his face, but disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Xu Ziling’s hand formed an image method, not only he ignored the serious injuries in his body, but his spiritual realm was unexpectedly rising to the next level; that kind of stepping back from the battlefield, while at the same time being even clearer about the whole situation from a more detached perspective – feeling, was filling his heart.

A feeling of nothing-he-did-not-know, nothing-he-did-not-understand, mysterious-and-dark-to-the-extreme-point – about Shi Zhixuan grew in his heart.

It was the ultimate realm of ‘the Heart of the Sword Brightly Lit’ that Shi Feixuan was talking about.

To strike and injure, so much so to strike and kill Shi Zhixuan, this was the only chance against his Bu Si Yin Fa, he had at least half the confidence.

The initiative was completely in his hands.

Yet he was unable to make a move.

Shi Zhixuan also surprisingly did not attack. He stood silently about two zhang away from him for a long time, before he asked in a heavy voice, “Why didn’t you make your move? You know that if you miss this opportunity, you will definitely die tonight?”

Xu Ziling took a deep breath, he stood firm, both hands were hanging down, he smiled wryly and said, “It has nothing to do with, and not important to, Xie Wang. Xie Wang, please continue to impart your wisdom.”

Shi Zhixuan’s eyes were burning, he looked him up and down, but the tone of his voice was surprisingly calm; as if he was unconcerned, he said, “Were you thinking of Qingxuan?”

Xu Ziling said, “Xie Wang does not need to care about what thoughts are turning in my head, just go ahead and make your killer move! I won’t sit and wait for death.”

As if he did not hear him at all, Shi Zhixuan sternly shouted, “Is it because of Qingxuan that you let off the chance to strike back and gain the upper hand?”

Xu Ziling was silent and did not speak.

Shi Zhixuan put both hands behind his back, he looked up at the sky, his pair of eyes emitted none-could-express sorrow, he sighed and said, “Destroying you is the same as destroying Qingxuan, the same as destroying me, Shi Zhixuan, and all these are for what? It is only this moment that I believe firmly that you are willing to sacrifice everything for Qingxuan, including your own life. Why can’t I, Shi Zhixuan, make the same sacrifice for the woman that I loved the most?”

Xu Ziling could no longer feel his murderous intent.

Shi Zhixuan cast his gaze at him, he spoke dejectedly, “It’s finished! It’s finished! Ziling, you may go, about Yun Shuai, you can leave it to me, as long as I release the rumor to An Long, to Yin Zuwen, that I am going to kill Yun Shuai, I guarantee that he will immediately run away back to beyond the Great Wall. What I said, I will definitely get it done for Ziling.”

The torrential rain fell rapidly.

In the continuous spring rain, Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and Hou Xibai, three men swiftly flew along the south bank of the Yellow River, giving back the touching wilderness with thanks to the mother earth, flowing at great speed in the direction of the Great River in the east, making their hearts wide open.

Taking the lead, Kou Zhong ran to the tall grass along the shore, cast his gaze far and wide to both banks, suddenly swayed his big head, and let out a long laughter, looking extremely happy.

Hou Xibai and Xu Ziling separately came to his two sides, left and right. Stunned, the former said, “If I did not know how you conduct yourself, I would think that you, Shaoshuai, suddenly got wildly drunk. Xiaodi has not sobered up from the hangover last night, currently my head is heavy, my feet are light; in my floating state, I can’t tell whether this moment is a reality or a dreamland.”

Xu Ziling recalled the lively scene of the not-intoxicated-not-stopping drinking party at the Feng Ya Ge last night. Qingqing and Xi’er displayed their true color as talented girls of the pleasure house, singing songs and playing drinking games: wasn’t it a joy? Lei Jiuzhi, who had regained his confidence, abandoned all restraint even more. Even Tongtong, who had always been shy, dared to provoke laughter. All these things left a rich aftertaste to him, made him greatly felt that in life, one must occasionally be unbridled.

However, what Kou Zhong was thinking about was something completely different. He pointed to the opposite bank in the distance, and spoke in a voice brimming with longings, “The allied armies from beyond the Great Wall will invade from Taiyuan, passing through prefectures and over the provinces straight toward the Guanzhong Plain on the north bank of the Great River, and Xiaodi is going to lead the most elite joint forces of the north and south of the Central Earth, stationing the army on the south bank of the Great River, waiting in tight formation. This will be the most decisive battle since the Tang replacing the Sui. Not one side can afford the price of defeat, furthermore, it will be my, Kou Zhong’s last war; either I die on the battlefield, or pull back and return to my hometown and live in seclusion to enjoy family love and joy.”

Hou Xibai was infected by his confidence and fervent longing. Laughing aloud, he said, “Although Xiaodi does not like to fight, yet this time I will not to be shirked without dishonor; I have no choice but to risk my life to accompany the gentleman to see how formidable and unequalled is the intimidating-everything-under-the-heavens Tujue allied armies.”

The great earth was hazy with drizzling rain, the Great River traversed the mother earth, the river waves were rolling, the as-far-as-the-eye-can-see plains extended in four sides, eight directions, with no end in sight.

Kou Zhong said, “Does Ziling know, after returning to Liangdu, what is it that I want to do the most?”

Xu Ziling smiled and said, “Your head is yours, how can I guess?”

Kou Zhong spoke cheerfully, “You are just shying away from work, unwilling to guess, otherwise, with your brilliant, divine comprehension, I am sure you can guess spot on.”

Xu Ziling spoke indifferently, “Is it you are going to see Chuchu?”

Kou Zhong nodded and said, “That’s why I said there is no reason why you can’t guess correctly. This is the matter that gnaws at my mind, the more Chuchu does not say half a sentence, the more she does not blame me for not explaining to her, the heavier my guilty conscience is. She has been silently waiting for me, enduring my indifference and heartlessness, now is the time for me to make it up for her.”

Hou Xibai spoke in delight, “Turns out Kou Zhong is unexpectedly such a passionate person.”

However, in the lake of Xu Ziling’s heart, it was Ling Longjiao’s jade countenance that floated into appearance, but he only sighed that under the current circumstances, Ling Longjiao was not like Chuchu and Kou Zhong’s deep relationship, there was no possibility for her to be together with Kou Zhong, furthermore, she could not possibly reveal her love toward Kou Zhong to Kou Zhong.

Life is not always completely in accordance with people’s expectation; there are gains, then there must be losses, why should he be an exception?

Kou Zhong said, “Right now I really wish my flanks could grow two wings, so that I can fly to Chuchu’s side, to tell her how I missed her, what kind of helplessness and pain I have in my heart, and all these things will become the past.”

Hou Xibai said, “I hope that the suffering of all the people in the world will become the past. Not only will peace be restored in the Central Earth, but from now on the peoples inside and outside the Great Wall will live together in peace. Hatred and war will only cause destruction, without the slightest bit of meaning.”

Kou Zhong said, “When we succeed and retreat, the heavy burden will fall on Li Shimin’s shoulders, he will not let us down, right?”

Hou Xibai said, “I suddenly have a strange thought, when we succeed and retreat, we are going to be scattered to the east and west, why don’t we set a certain number of years to meet again in Chang’an, to see what happen to each of us and see if Li Shimin has lived up to our expectations. That feeling will be very touching.”

Kou Zhong happily said, “Good idea! How about a ten-year reunion? Ha! It would be better for us to explore the source of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, two great and long rivers [reminder: in Chinese Yangtze River is literally ‘Long River’] together; it will be an unforgettable experience.”

Emotionally moved, Xu Ziling said, “It’s another good proposal.”

Kou Zhong hurriedly reminded him, “Don’t even think of scattering to the east and west without me. We already said that we are going to be neighbors. You also have half responsibility for Little Lingzhong, right?”

Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling said, “Being entangled by you, this kid is really troublesome.”

Kou Zhong said, “However, after getting out of the Pass, we do have to part ways and scatter the goods temporarily [referring to goods sent under the protection of an armed escort]. Hou kid and I will go back to Liangdu, you will go to Luoyang to see Li kid. After everything is arranged properly, we are going to strike the gongs and beat the drums again, to spiritedly [idiom: extraordinary vigor, or completely impressive appearance] coming to Chang’an, to face our biggest challenge.”

Hou Xibai said, “I want to go back to Bashu for a visit first. Hey! Why are you looking at me like that?”

Xu Ziling laughed and said, “We are observing appearance and discerning countenance, to see whether you are going back to meet a beautiful woman.”

Hou Xibai laughed aloud and chanted, “Mountain of beans, beating the drum on the roof tile, spreading mountain flat, scattering white rain. Under the white rain, marrying the dragon girl, weaving the thin, tough silk fabric, two and a half zhang long. Half belonging to Luojiang [lit. Luo River], half belonging to Xuanwu [Black Tortoise, the seven mansions of the north sky, God of the north sky]. This is Xiaodi’s answer.”

Amidst the happy laughter, the three men continued on their journey.

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