Chapter 115
Swoosh!
As more fuel was added, the bonfire, which had been faltering for a moment, began to burn even more fiercely.
Xi Xichang looked up at Jiang Ziya, looking at the burning wooden sculptures.
It didn't seem like he was carving with any kind of craftsmanship, and although they were all sculptures of the same shape, he said he didn't like them, so it was impossible to understand.
Jiang Ziya looked down at the sculptures that had become flames and then sat down on the spot again.
Xi Xichang looked at the sculptures that were gradually losing their shape and becoming charcoal, as if it were a pity.
She had heard a rumor of an unbelievable story that the essence of martial arts was contained in a single piece of calligraphy and painting drawn by a peerless master.
Although it was not that Jiang Ziya was a peerless master, the sculpture that he was carving also had something that caught her eye.
"Let's eat. It's a greasy food after a long time."
"...Here."
"..."
What Xi Xichang handed over was the fish meat that had been separated after removing the burnt parts.
As Jiang Ziya looked at her as if it were unexpected, a deep wrinkle was drawn on Xi Xichang's forehead.
"Why are you looking at me with such strange eyes?"
"No... I just thought you would divide it in half, but you are more meticulous than I thought."
"If you don't like it, don't eat it."
As Xi Xichang tried to snatch the fish meat again, Jiang Ziya quickly protected it from Xi Xichang's hand.
"It's a compliment. A compliment."
Xi Xichang, looking at Jiang Ziya who was hurriedly stuffing the fish into his mouth, twitched her lips and then quietly began to eat the fish that she had left for her share.
"It's a habit."
"What?"
"It's because it became a habit to pick out the bones for my younger brother when he was young, as he couldn't eat fish well."
"I see."
As Xi Xichang, who had not been asked, went on and on with her excuses, as if something was bothering her, Jiang Ziya propped up his chin and answered indifferently.
Xi Xichang, thinking that she had said something unnecessary, hurriedly ate the remaining food and threw the remains into the fire.
Crackle, crackle...
Although it was not satisfactory, an awkward silence fell between the two, whose conversation had been cut off after the meal.
"You must have a really good relationship with your younger brother."
"He's like everything to me."
At her unhesitating answer, Jiang Ziya turned his gaze and looked at Xi Xichang.
Xi Xichang could not take her eyes off the bonfire.
Although her two eyes were clearly looking at the flames, she was clearly thinking of something else beyond the fire.
"Don't you want to go back?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, don't you want to go back to the Qingcheng Sect... rather than the Sichuan Alliance?"
At Jiang Ziya's question, Xi Xichang could not answer easily.
It was as if he had said the part that she had been trying hard not to think about until now.
"There are still... a lot of things to do."
"Isn't it what you want to help your younger brother who is alone in Qingcheng?"
"If the Black Contemplation Fortress were to destroy the Sichuan Alliance, in the end, we won't be able to avoid the disaster of the sect's destruction. When that time comes, who can protect Qingcheng?"
"The Sichuan Alliance has now become the sword that protects Sichuan in name and reality."
At Jiang Ziya's answer, Xi Xichang put her hand on the scabbard without answering.
Swoosh!
The sword that came out of Xi Xichang's waist shone silver in the moonlight.
Swoosh!
Xi Xichang cut the rising bonfire with that sword in one go.
At her quick sword strike, the head of the flame fell off and flickered on the sword for a moment.
Xi Xichang swung it as it was and scattered it in the wind.
The flame flickered pitifully in the air and then soon disappeared, becoming smoke.
Crackle! Crackle!
Although the momentum of the bonfire had decreased after being cut in half, the fire burned again and regained its original size.
"The Black Contemplation Fortress is fire... even if the Sichuan Alliance is the sword that protects Sichuan, is it possible to cut fire?"
"That's..."
"The Sichuan Alliance needs... a more overwhelming power, not just a simple sword."
A bright light began to bloom on Xi Xichang's sword.
The sword, which was imbued with sword qi, reflected the flickering of the flames in the darkness and faintly illuminated Xi Xichang's skin.
Spot!
The sword strike, which contained sword qi, cut the bonfire in its entirety.
The wound that the sword qi had scratched reached the place where the firewood had been, and the ground was deeply dug, and the half-burnt firewood and embers were scattered in all directions.
Jiang Ziya looked at Xi Xichang with a troubled expression.
He had once again clearly realized her intention.
As the bonfire went out, darkness soon fell between them.
Looking at Xi Xichang, who was putting the sword back into the scabbard, Jiang Ziya lightly pressed the scattered embers with his foot and extinguished them.
Jiang Ziya's eyes, which had extinguished all the embers, were fixed on the ground where the bonfire had been burning until now.
A great force that had been swung to cut the flames.
As a result, the bonfire had disappeared, but who could predict the scars and embers that it had left behind?
Moreover, this was just a bonfire, but if the Black Contemplation Fortress were a karma fire that could burn the world.
In order to subdue the madly burning fire, one had no choice but to approach the fire.
If Xi Xichang were to try to subdue the fire, she would not be safe either.
The back of Xi Xichang, who was leaving her seat to go to sleep, looked precarious.
* * *
'What on earth are these people...'
Xi Xibal and Liu Yezhi, who had followed the mysterious giant to the pavilion, shuddered at the enormous pressure they felt as they entered the pavilion.
Although their clothes were similar, they were strange clothes that they had never seen before.
But the one thing that was consistent was the fact that they were all covering their faces with veils or hats.
As about ten people lined up on the left and right and looked at them, Liu Yezhi could only realize that he had entered the tiger's den, avoiding the wolf.
"I have brought them, my lord."
"Hmm!"
The man sitting in the center of the pavilion was an ordinary middle-aged man, and on both sides of him were two people who looked like women.
Judging by his splendid clothes, he seemed to be a person of the Black Contemplation Fortress or a powerful person who was participating as a guest from the outside.
"Were you not surprised that I suddenly asked to see you?"
"No. For what reason did you call us, my lord?"
Despite the intimidating atmosphere around him, Xi Xibal calmly received his words and answered.
"I am the master of the So family manor. My name is Su Hu. Who are you?"
The So family manor was the richest in Sichuan.
It was unlikely that Xi Xibal and Liu Yezhi did not know his name.
It was strange that the master of the So family manor had come to the Black Contemplation Fortress.
Although the question of whether he was really the master of the So family manor flashed through his mind for a moment, the suspicion soon disappeared after seeing the numerous mysterious masters around him. Who could command such people if not a rich man like the master of the So family manor?
"I am a mere merchant, my name is Ge, and this person is the great hero Liu, who is in charge of my escort."
"A merchant..."
As Su Hu's two eyes sparkled, Xi Xibal felt a tightness in his chest as if it were blocked.
It was a gaze that seemed to pierce his lungs and to turn his insides out.
"Although it doesn't look like that to my eyes... if you are really a merchant, isn't it a pity?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Even in the broad daylight full of the sun's light, you cannot cover my eyes that see the stars. Although you may not know, I am looking at you with eyes that are different from ordinary people."
Su Hu, who had come to the Black Contemplation Fortress with his remaining subordinates, was greatly surprised there.
The Ziwei and Pojun stars floating high in the sky.
This was because the two stars, which could never coexist, were floating in the same sky at the same time.
As the demon star revolved around Ziwei and its light became turbid and strong, it was clear that the Ziwei star was Jeshin's star.
But the Pojun star next to it...
Although it was a star with a faint power that could never be discovered if not for King Seong, Su Hu could by no means sit idly by.
And after entering the Black Contemplation Fortress, he could be more certain of its existence.
It was for that reason that he had called Xi Xibal, risking the danger of being heard by Jeul.
"I don't know what you mean."
Xi Xibal and Liu Yezhi, who were hiding their identity, were in a state of extreme tension.
The So family manor had no grudges with the martial world, so it was a place that would neither help nor be hostile to the Qingcheng Sect.
But the fact that the master of the So family manor had appeared in the Black Contemplation Fortress could mean that there was some kind of cooperation between them.
"If you are a merchant, you must have something to sell. What kind of merchant are you?"
Xi Xibal could not understand this man's intention at all.
It was as if snakes were crawling up his legs from all sides, and every word of his voice and every glance of his eyes were examining every single strand of his hair.
Xi Xibal spread out the swords that he had been carrying on the floor.
"As you can see, only shabby goods are left, so there is nothing that the master would be interested in."
"I have something that I am interested in. How about selling that?"
"What..."
"The price will be everything you want..."
Su Hu's gloomy voice tickled Xi Xibal's ear.
Xi Xibal, without realizing it, tensed his whole body and raised his internal energy.
The shabby swords that were scattered on the floor all trembled and made a metallic sound.
A smile appeared on Su Hu's lips as he heard the grating metallic sound.
"Here, they say that the sword is the king of all weapons. The one who is followed by kings is the king of kings, the emperor."
"My father is a merchant, and I am doing business for the first time today..."
"Where in the world is there a merchant who has the appearance of an emperor?"
As Su Hu lightly raised one hand, a tremendous murderous intent flew towards Xi Xibal.
Swoosh!
As Xi Xibal swept the five swords that were lying on the floor with his palm, the swords that were in the old scabbards all revealed their appearance and soared into the sky.
Unlike their shabby appearance, the blades were full of edge and were sharp, so they were surely famous swords.
As Xi Xibal flew his body as it was, the swords revolved fiercely around Xi Xibal. It was as if they were resisting an invisible force and protecting him.
"Ugh!"
Liu Yezhi was also surprised by the sudden change and tried to draw his sword, but his two feet were stuck to the floor, and his whole body was as heavy as a thousand pounds, so he could not move his body at all.
Xi Xibal did not seem to have the time to pay attention to Liu Yezhi.
He just rushed forward as if he were possessed by something. The swords that were revolving around his body spread out in a fan shape towards Su Hu.
The number one sword in the world.
The court of ten thousand swords.
The king of five swords.
The peerless swordsman born of Qingcheng.
The peerless master who was called the number one in the world.
The life-threatening journey of Xi Xichang for the perfect sword manual of the Ten Thousand Sword Master in the past had returned in vain.
Although it had produced the great achievement of the Sword Immortal joining the Sichuan Alliance, it could be called a tragedy for Qingcheng.
But it was unlikely that they had just left the remaining sword manual of the Ten Thousand Sword Master.
The root of the Ten Thousand Sword Master was also the Qingcheng Sect.
As a result of the research that had been passed down to the generation of Xi Xichang's grandfather and his father, the number one sword in the world had revealed its light again with the sword manual that had been restored by half.
(End of Chapter)