Translator: CKtalon
“What sword technique is this?” Zhou Wen asked the white-robed man.
Previously, he hadn’t been interested in the white-robed man’s sword technique. He only wanted to memorize the sword technique and get the white-robed man to tell him the way to leave. Therefore, he didn’t even ask for the name of the sword technique.
Now, Zhou Wen had no choice but to take this unassuming sword technique seriously. This was because he couldn’t confidently tell the white-robed man that he had memorized the sword technique.
“It doesn’t have a name. Whatever you think it is will be its name,” the person in white said.
Zhou Wen frowned as he looked at the white-robed man. He didn’t say a word for a while. Although he had long imagined that the white-robed man wouldn’t tell him the way to leave so easily, the strangeness of the sword technique exceeded his imagination.
“Do you want me to demonstrate it to you again?” the white-robed man asked Zhou Wen with a smile.
“There’s no need.” Zhou Wen shook his head and gestured with the sword in his hand. At the same time, he kept recalling the white-robed man’s thirteen-move sword technique.
The white-robed man’s sword technique seemed to contain infinite changes. Every time Zhou Wen recalled something, it was different. For the next few days, Zhou Wen kept recalling and gesturing with his sword, but there was no result.
Now, Zhou Wen’s eyes were bloodshot as though he was possessed.
Under the pure moonlight, the white-robed man sat under the peach blossom tree. As he watched Zhou Wen practice his swordplay, he fiddled with the wine cup in his hand and muttered to himself, “Why try to fix something that was not broken in the first place?”
As he spoke, the white-robed man downed the wine in his cup.
The stream under the moonlight reflected the figure of the white-robed man, but the reflection wasn’t that of a handsome man, but a skeleton in ragged clothes.
After another two days, Zhou Wen felt as though he had been possessed. He sat under the peach blossom tree in a daze, his eyes turning blood-red. He was in a terrible state.
Ya’er continued following Zhou Wen obediently. She didn’t say a word or disturb him.
Night descended upon the valley again as the white-robed man appeared under the peach blossom tree. He looked at the bedeviled Zhou Wen as a strange glint flashed in his eyes. Then, he looked at Ya’er, who was sitting beside Zhou Wen. “Young lady, do you want to learn sword techniques?”
Ya’er looked at the white-robed man expressionlessly without any reaction. It was as if she couldn’t understand him.
“Is he your father? It looks like your father doesn’t have a good memory. He can’t even remember such a simple sword technique after learning it for so many days. I find you smart. If it’s you, you should be able to learn it quickly. When the time comes, you can leave with your father,” the white-robed man said to Ya’er.
Ya’er continued looking at him expressionlessly without any reaction.
“Forget it. You are still young. I’m afraid you still don’t know what a sword is. It’s fine if you don’t learn it. Let me personally deliver you to freedom. Just like your father, you will forever stay in this carefree place,” the white-robed person muttered to himself.
With that said, the white-robed man stood up. He held the bamboo flute in his hand as he walked towards Ya’er.
Just as he was about to reach Ya’er, the bamboo flute in his hand stabbed at Ya’er’s heart like a blade.
Clang!
A saber beam flashed as the bamboo flute in the white-robed man’s hand was instantly sliced into two. Zhou Wen held the Bamboo Blade in his hand as he stood up and stared coldly at the white-robed man.
“How is that possible?” The white-robed man looked at Zhou Wen in shock as though he had seen a ghost.
“I’ve already memorized your sword technique,” Zhou Wen said as he held the Bamboo Blade and stared at the white-robed man.
“Impossible. It’s impossible for you to memorize it.” The white-robed man didn’t believe Zhou Wen at all.
“Why?” The blood vessels in Zhou Wen’s eyes slowly receded as he pointed the Bamboo Blade in his hand at the white-robed man.
“Because...” The person in white was speechless.
“That’s because it’s not a thirteen-move sword technique at all. It’s a combination of three thousand sword intents. Every time I recall it, I will sense a different sword intent. No matter how good my memory is, it’s impossible for me to memorize all three thousand sword intents, right?” Zhou Wen said.
“That’s right. It’s a sword technique that humans can’t master to begin with. You actually didn’t fall into the endless cycle of sword intent. You do have some ability. Unfortunately, you failed to learn my sword technique, so you naturally can’t leave this place. You will ultimately die here. It’s just the difference between early and late death,” said the white-robed man.
“Who said I didn’t master it?” Zhou Wen said indifferently.
“It’s useless no matter what you say. It’s impossible for you to master it,” said the white-robed man.
“Then watch carefully.” Zhou Wen used his saber as a sword and stabbed at the white-robed man. It was the first move the white-robed man had demonstrated.
The white-robed man was slightly surprised as he quickly retreated. However, Zhou Wen kept unleashing an endless stream of techniques. In a moment, he used all of the sword techniques demonstrated by the white-robed man. It was identical to the sword technique used by the white-robed man.
“Is that all? Then I’m sorry to tell you that you didn’t master my sword technique,” the person in white said with a sneer.
However, Zhou Wen didn’t say a word as he continued delivering the sword technique. One sword strike after another surged out like a river. At times, it was ferocious, but at times, it was brisk. After every thirteen moves, the style of the sword technique would change.
“No... Impossible...” The person in white seemed to have thought of something, but he couldn’t believe it. The expression on his face was mixed with fear, suspicion, disbelief, and other emotions.
However, Zhou Wen’s sword technique continued. He used all the sword techniques he had once recalled, and he used them in perfect order.
“How can there be such a thing... Impossible... Three thousand sword intents... How can you memorize all of them...” The expression on the white-robed man’s face had already become ferocious and twisted. He no longer had the elegance and confidence from before.
“I don’t have any other strengths; my only strength is that I’m sufficiently focused. I can remember things that others can’t. It’s indeed difficult to remember three thousand sword intents, but I still memorized them.” Zhou Wen constantly used sword moves.
As Zhou Wen’s sword moves changed, the surrounding space seemed to distort and change. The originally beautiful valley gradually turned into ruins filled with withered branches and charred wood.
The elegant white-robed man gradually turned into a ragged skeleton.
After Zhou Wen demonstrated all his sword techniques, the skeleton collapsed and leaned against the tree which looked like it had been struck by lightning. The tree no longer had any leaves and was charred black.
“Impossible... It’s impossible for anyone to memorize... Impossible...” The skeleton was still muttering to itself as though it was possessed. In the end, the soul fire in its eyes gradually extinguished, becoming lifeless.
Zhou Wen looked around and realized that the valley was completely different from the one he had seen before. There was scorched earth everywhere. It was no peach blossom spring, but a dead zone.
There was no longer any water in the stream. There were bones everywhere, like a river of bones from hell.