First Immortal of the Sword

Tao Yunchi felt his face heat up, as if he’d been ruthlessly slapped. He felt like a clown. After all that jumping around, he only managed to hurt himself.

Jiang Li was silent too.

Su Yi’s attainments in the Dao of Forging were so lofty that even Yu Shuya respected and admired him. How many in the Great Xia could say the same?

Even ignoring his cultivation, his forging skills alone were enough to warrant the Jiang Family taking him seriously!

Even in Nine Tripod City, someone with such skill could easily become the VIP guest of any of the various major factions!

When he saw that Su Yi was about to leave, Yu Wenshu suddenly said, “Fellow Daoist Su, please wait up!”

The look on Jiang Li’s beautiful face shifted.

Her companions, however, seemed excited.

Except for Qiu Hengkong, who inwardly cried out.

Before Su Yi could say anything, Yu Shuya frowned. “Yu Wenshu, can you give me face and let this matter end here?”

Yu Wenshu said, “Grandmaster Yu, please don’t put me in a tough spot.”

His massive frame was covered in hemp clothing, and his gaze was cold, resolute, and sharp as the edge of a sword. His expression left no room for argument.

“You want to fight me?” asked Su Yi.

Yu Wenshu looked directly at Su Yi and said evenly, “Fellow Daoist Su, do you dare compete with me? Regardless of who wins and who loses, I guarantee that any enmity between you and the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect shall end here.”

Su Yi swept his gaze across Tao Yunchi and Gu Tengying. “Are you stepping in on their behalf?”

Yu Wenshu shook his head. “I’m defending the sect’s dignity.”

“Oh?” said Su Yi. “Your courage is commendable, so forgive my rudeness: your current attainments in the Dao of the Sword are too paltry to interest me.”

With that, he turned and left. 

Yu Wenshu’s expression darkened. “Fellow Daoist Su, are you too afraid to face me?”

The others looked at Su Yi too. Yu Wenshu was the sword chief of the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect’s younger generation. He was a genius of the modern era famed throughout the Great Xia!

Yet Su Yi made it sound like he looked down on Yu Wenshu. This displeased the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect disciples.

Su Yi furrowed his brow, but when he inadvertently glanced at Yue Shichan, he had a sudden impulse. “Fine. Come to the banks of Goldenscale Lake tonight. I’ll ensure you’re convinced of your defeat.”

“Alright. I’ll wait for you there tonight. I actually rather hope you’re capable of giving me a convincing defeat!” As he spoke, he emphasized each and every word, his voice clanging like a sword.

Su Yi said no more. He just left with Yue Shichan.

“That guy sure is arrogant. He said he’d leave Senior Apprentice Brother Yu convinced of his defeat? Who does he think he is?” someone laughed coldly.

“Senior Apprentice Brother Yu, what will you do if Su Yi runs away?” said another, sounding a bit worried.

When he heard this, Yu Shuya was so angry that he burst into laughter. “What a joke! How could someone like Young Lord Su run in the face of battle?”

He then swept his gaze across Yu Wenshu and the others, and his expression darkened. “I solemnly swear that I’ll never refine another weapon for any member of the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect ever again!”

Yu Wenshu and the others were flabbergasted. They would never have guessed that the famous Grandmaster Yu would be so angry just because they were targeting Su Yi.

“Farewell! Forgive me for not seeing you off!” With one final swoosh of his sleeves, Yu Shuya turned and left.

Jiang Li watched him fade from view. She couldn’t help but sigh. “Senior Apprentice Brother Yu, is it really necessary to offend someone like Su Yi over ‘the sect’s dignity’? Don’t forget; even Grandmaster Yu admired his skills. Any faction would fight over someone like that, but you…”

Before she finished, Yu Wenshu said evenly, “I naturally have my guiding principles. If, one day, an outsider were to bully you, it wouldn’t matter who was in the right. I would naturally stand up on your behalf too.”

With that, he turned and left.

Jiang Li was stunned. She sighed to herself, then looked at Zhou Fengzhi. “Elder Zhou…”

It seemed he guessed what she wanted to say. Zhou Fengzhi smiled faintly and said, “Jiang Li, you need not get involved in this. Even if Su Yi’s attainments in the Dao of Forging were greater, he… He wouldn’t be able to escape certain doom.”

His tone was calm and amiable, but his words were enough to make one shudder.

When he said his piece, he turned and led Zhou Zhiqian away.

Jiang Li couldn't help but rub her brow. She felt as if her heart were tied up in knots.

Was Yu Wenshu wrong to challenge Su Yi?

Looking at it from his position as the sect’s younger generation sword chief, she really couldn’t fault him. 

Was Zhou Fengzhi wrong to target Su Yi?

There was a blood feud between his family and Su Yi. Jiang Li couldn’t say he was wrong for wanting revenge.

All of this left her heart in turmoil. She couldn’t find a reason to stop any of them.

Sometime later, she silently made a decision. Forget it! I just won’t pay this any further heed!

She suddenly glanced at Qiu Hengkong and transmitted, “Junior Apprentice Brother Qiu, earlier, did you transmit anything to Su Yi? I want to hear the truth.”

Qiu Hengkong’s heart shook. He lowered his head and transmitted back, “Senior Apprentice Sister, I won’t lie to you. I informed Brother Su of Elder Zhou’s intentions.”

Jiang Li fell silent. In the end, she said nothing at all.

……

“Brother Su, it seems to me that if Yu Wenshu knew that you were the one who killed Huo Tiandu at Cloudcomb Late, he wouldn’t dare to challenge you,” said Yue Shichan with a laugh after they left Treasure Trove Tower.

In her eyes, Yu Wenshu was effectively inviting his own humiliation.

She could see it now: after tonight, the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect’s younger generation’s sword chief’s reputation would be in shambles.

“It’s fortunate that they don’t know,” said Su Yi with a somewhat strange glint in his eyes. 

Earlier, Qiu Hengkong sent him a transmission, revealing Zhou Fengzhi and Zhou Zhiqian’s identities and informing Su Yi of their desire to kill them.

It was for this very reason that he agreed to Yu Wenshu’s challenge; he planned to seize the opportunity to deal with the two of them.

“What do you mean?” asked Yue Shichan.

“A wine lover’s heart is not in his cup,” said Su Yi. “Come with me to Goldenscale Lake tonight. Then, all shall become clear.”

….

Late that night.

It was pouring rain, and a piercing chill hung in the air.

Bean-sized raindrops clattered against the surface of the lake, creating countless ripples. The sound was like beans in a hot wok, echoing repeatedly throughout the darkness of this chilly autumn night. 

Autumn rains and autumn chills.

The rain was so intense that the lanterns had long been extinguished, and the streets were all but deserted. A few bedraggled pedestrians remained, bravely facing the rain.

The lamps around Goldenscale Lake were out too. Typically, the shores were packed with tourists, and the sound of splashing paddles and the light of lanterns made for a glorious scene. Tonight, all of that had been washed away by the pouring autumn rains. 

Plip plop plop!

The rain battered the trees along the shore, rustling their leaves. It clattered against the roofs of the pavilions, producing loud splashes on impact.

Yu Wenshu and company stood beneath a gazebo. They’d been waiting for quite some time.

It was late at night. The rain was coming down in buckets, and the winds were piercingly cold.

As far as the eye could see, Goldenscale Lake was shrouded in mist. It looked unusually chilly.

“It’s already getting late. Why isn’t Su Yi here yet?” Tao Yunchi furrowed his brow. He was starting to run out of patience.

Despite their cultivation bases, the piercing chill, darkness, and raging downpour were uncomfortable for them too.

“Do you think that Su guy has long since run away?” someone muttered.

The group was somewhat uncertain.

I actually rather hope he doesn’t show up… Jiang Li thought to herself. 

If Su Yi didn’t come, Yu Wenshu could only let this go.

Even Zhou Fengzhi and Zhou Zhiqian would have no choice but to temporarily give up on killing him and wait for another chance.

In that case, there’d be no need to worry about anything unexpected happening to Su Yi tonight. 

“Junior Apprentice Brother Qiu, earlier today, at Treasure Trove Tower, you… You didn’t secretly transmit a message to Su Yi and urge him to flee, did you?” Tao Yunchi suddenly turned his icy gaze on Qiu Hengkong.

When they heard this, the others looked at Qiu Hengkong too, a trace of suspicion in their eyes.

If Qiu Hengkong had really passed on such a secret message, how could Su Yi possibly show up for tonight’s duel?

Qiu Hengkong stiffened up, but it was then that a carriage appeared in the distance, approaching from beneath the heavy curtain of rain. It immediately drew the group’s attention.

Two figures emerged from the carriage. Su Yi approached carrying an oil paper umbrella. Yue Shichan followed him, carrying a similar umbrella. 

“Su Yi actually dared to show up?” exclaimed Tao Yunchi.

The other Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect disciples were stunned too.

And here they were starting to suspect that Su Yi was afraid and that he’d long since fled. They’d even gotten angry over it.

But now that he was really here, they almost dared not believe he’d actually shown up…

Su Yi, oh, Su Yi. You know Zhou Fengzhi wants to kill you, so why did you come? Jiang Li furrowed her brow and sighed to herself.

Qiu Hengkong’s expression shifted dramatically. Even he wouldn’t have guessed that Su Yi would show up even after his warning. 

“Hah, the kid’s actually got guts,” laughed Zhou Fengzhi.

“Perhaps he thinks that even if he loses to Senior Apprentice Brother Yu, he’ll still leave this place alive?” Murderous light flashed through the depths of Zhou Zhiqian’s gaze.

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“Fellow Daoist Su, regardless of the outcome of this fight, in light of your courage, I, Yu Wenshu, shall not trouble you again,” said the large-framed, sharp, imposing young man in hemp clothes.

“If you please!” With that, Yu Wenshu walked into the rain and onto the surface of Goldenscale Lake.

Sword intent surged around his stalwart frame. Before the raindrops even drew near, his sword intent burst them apart. Even just standing there, his momentum threatened to devour the entire landscape.”

His sectmates’ eyes lit up. All of them looked eager.

Su Yi walked over, his gait leisurely and unhurried.

He glanced at the distant surface of the lake, where Yu Wenshu stood, and said casually, “Don’t be in such a rush. Wait until I’ve resolved a past enmity. Afterward, if you’ve still got the courage to draw your blade, I wouldn’t mind teaching you the true meaning of despair.”

Resolved a past enmity? Yu Wenshu furrowed his brow, while Tao Yunchi and the others were stunned.  What does this guy mean by that?

It was then that Su Yi looked at Zhou Fengzhi and Zhou Zhiqian. He said calmly, “Didn’t you two want to kill me? What are you waiting for? Attack already!”

This declaration left everyone present stunned.

It coincided with a burst of rain and austere chill.

What a lovely cold autumn!