nycdaug Chapter 59 No Sword is Better Than a Sword!
Chapter 59 No Sword is Better Than a Sword!
The cave was littered with corpses.
Only Xiao Bieli and Ning Wanqing are alive.
Xiao Bieli turned to look at Ning Wanqing and said:
"Aren't you going to check if what you're looking for is in that wooden box?"
Ning Wanqing seemed to wake from a dream, staring at Xiao Bieli for a long while before finally speaking:
“Xue Zhou is not like Liu Jun. If you kill him now, the Cangyuan Sword Sect will definitely not let it go.”
"You come back to Yongzhou with me, so that the experts of the Cangyuan Sword Sect will not have a chance to attack you!"
Xiao Bieli asked in surprise:
"Didn't you say that the Ning family was unwilling to be enemies with the Cangyuan Sword Sect?"
Both Ning Wanqing and Xue Zhou had previously stated that the Ning family was unwilling to be enemies with the Cangyuan Sword Sect. Otherwise, even though Ning Wanqing's brother, a prodigy on the Dragon and Tiger Ranking, had one of his hands crippled by Zhuo Qingyun, the Ning family hadn't made a move.
Would they really stand against the Cangyuan Sword Sect just because he's an outsider?
Ning Wanqing shook her head and said:
"We're going to Yongzhou, not to the Ning family!"
“My elder brother is the disciple of Senior Linghu Baiwan, the head of the Zhenwu Hall in Yongzhou. The reason why the people of the Zhenwu Hall here can cooperate with me is because I carry Senior Linghu’s token. Otherwise, without the support of the Ning family, I would not be able to command the people of the Zhenwu Hall in Dongjiang County.”
"Although Senior Spirit Fox is bound by the rules of the Zhenwu Hall and cannot directly attack the Cangyuan Sword Sect, he has been targeting the Cangyuan Sword Sect for the past few years."
"As long as you go to Yongzhou, Senior Linghu can definitely protect you."
"Moreover, with your talent, joining the Zhenwu Hall is a good choice. Once you join the Zhenwu Hall, you will be a member of the imperial court, and the Cangyuan Sword Sect will not dare to use those underhanded tricks against you!"
"In this way, you can focus on your cultivation. Within five years, you will surely be able to slay Zhuo Qingyun!"
Xiao Bieli shook his head and said calmly:
"Joining the imperial court would be too restrictive!"
"I yearn for a life of chivalry and adventure, living a life of freedom and adventure!"
"Wherever there are people, there is a world of conflict; wherever there is a world of conflict, there are grudges and grievances!"
"The Zhenwu Hall may not be so simple!"
"I trust the sword in my hand more than the imperial court!"
His talent was only average. Although he had improved his aptitude by practicing the Yi Jin Jing, he was still far inferior to the top geniuses in the martial arts world.
If he really went to the Zhenwu Hall in Yongzhou and was properly protected, how could his cultivation progress compare to directly adding experience points?
Moreover, if Linghu Baiwan were really as powerful as Ning Wanqing said, then Ning Wanqing's elder brother wouldn't have ended up like this.
Ning Wanqing's heart skipped a beat, and her gaze towards Xiao Bieli's retreating figure was filled with complex emotions.
Indeed, they all thought that even if their eldest brother lost the battle against Zhuo Qingyun, Zhuo Qingyun would be mindful of Senior Linghu and the Ning family's power and wouldn't go all out.
But it turned out that they were wrong!
At this time,
Xiao Bieli leaped lightly and landed on the stone platform in the center of the cave.
The wooden box in the center of the stone platform, made of an unknown material, had shifted from its original position during the intense fight, and several dents had appeared on it, though it hadn't broken open.
Xiao Bieli raised his hand and pulled the Changhong Sword out of the stone platform.
Clang!
A cold light flashed!
The sword is three feet and seven inches long, with a red stripe down the middle.
Xiao Bieli used his sword as a knife and gently slashed out.
Swish!
The sharp sword energy shot towards the edge of the cave, leaving a long mark on the cave wall.
"What a sword!"
Sheathing his sword, Xiao Bieli tossed it gently, and the longsword landed in Ning Wanqing's hand.
Although the quality of this Rainbow Sword is even higher than that of the Red Sleeve Blade.
But he still prefers the knife to the sword!
Moreover, all his martial arts skills are based on the knife. If he abandons the knife and learns the sword now, wouldn't that be a pure waste of experience points?
Ning Wanqing caught the Changhong Sword steadily, and wanted to say something more.
But Xiao Bieli had already opened the wooden box. Inside lay a paper manual. The wooden box had been specially treated.
After being placed on the stone platform for so many years, there is not a trace of insect damage, and even the secret manual inside is only slightly yellowed.
"Rainbow Sword Technique!"
"This name... could it be that the Long Rainbow Swordsman Luo Su came up with it himself?"
He shook his head and opened the manual.
The first few pages contain sword techniques, while the later pages contain a lot of Luo Su's own insights into the way of the sword, including many annotations on the sword techniques.
"Huh?" Xiao Bieli exclaimed softly as she turned to the back.
"The realm of swordsmanship? According to Luo Su, when one has mastered a superior sword technique to its peak, making it as easy to use as an extension of one's own arm and change at will, one has reached the first realm of swordsmanship, where the moves are subtle and precise?"
"Beyond the subtlety of the moves, one must have an understanding of the sword, constantly refine it, and generate sword intent?"
"Comprehending the sword intent means that one has entered the inner sanctum of the sword path... Even though many fifth-rank and even grandmasters have reached the level of skill, without this intent, they have less chance of winning against those who are truly masters of the sword!"
"The same applies to the sword, and the same applies to the saber!"
Ning Wanqing glanced at Xiao Bieli in surprise and said:
"You don't know these things?"
"Once a swordsman comprehends the essence of swordsmanship, his swordsmanship will be elevated to a higher level!"
"Those who can make it onto the Dragon and Tiger Ranking are all beings who have comprehended the essence!"
"And some of the sword masters on the Grandmaster Ranking are not limited to the sword; everything in the world can be a sword!"
Xiao Bieli nodded.
That must be the realm where having no sword is better than having a sword!
I wonder if, if the Dugu Nine Swords were revealed and mastered to the maximum level, one could reach that realm!
Xiao Bieli put the manual back into the wooden box, tossed the box to Ning Wanqing, and said:
"I don't use a sword, I don't need one!"
"Take them all back with you!"
He needs to max out the Yi Jin Jing first, and the Avici Hell Three Knives is also a bottomless pit!
If you do the math, he's seriously lacking in experience!
Where can I find extra experience to hone my swordsmanship?
Ning Wanqing said sincerely:
"I owe you a favor!"
"When I get back, I'll see if I can steal the Wind-Breaking Moon-Chasing Blade manual from the Ning family's library for you!"
Are you sure you don't want to come to Yongzhou with me?
"If you're not going, you'd better leave Manzhou as soon as possible, otherwise it will be very dangerous if the Cangyuan Sword Sect comes!"
"If you kill Xue Zhou, the next person to come will probably be Zhuo Qingyun, or even a fourth-rank expert from the Cangyuan Sword Sect!"
Xiao Bieli nodded and began to search the corpse.
Unfortunately, apart from Xue Zhou's sword, the 'Autumn Rain Sword,' which is a famous longsword, all they had were some silver notes.
But Xiao Bieli is not short of money now; he still has several thousand taels of silver notes on him.
In addition to the silver notes found during the search, he now has over ten thousand taels of silver notes on him.
Even for a well-known escort agency in Dongjiang County, the only way to come up with ten thousand taels of silver at once was to sell off its assets.
Indeed, murder and arson bring wealth and honor!
"Let's go!"
Seeing that there was nothing of value left, Xiao Bieli casually found a clean and well-fitting piece of clothing to put on and strode toward the entrance of the cave.
Ning Wanqing followed closely behind.
Just as the two were about to leave the cave, they bumped into a group of disciples dressed in Cangyu Sect robes. The leader of them was Ding Yuan, who had met Xiao Bieli once before.
When Ding Yuan saw Xiao Bieli and Ning Wanqing come out, he was also stunned for a moment, but then he reacted and shouted loudly towards the cave entrance:
"Master, Xiao Bieli has come out!"