Chapter 38: Another Encounter

After parting ways with the two sisters of the Yu family, Shen Changan continued on his journey.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted."

He had been walking for about five or six days, and only now did he truly feel the fatigue, deciding it was time to stop and relax. Throughout those five or six days, Shen Changan had not wanted to pause for even a moment, all to avoid the two sisters from the Yu family. Having traveled for some time, he finally arrived at a small town.

The town, called Qingyang Town, was quite a bustling place. Shen Changan hurried inside, chose a restaurant to sit down in, and ordered some food from the proprietor. Although his cultivation allowed him to forgo eating, whenever he took a break, he still enjoyed indulging his appetite.

He had just sat down, and before the dishes had even arrived, he saw a burly man walk in from the outside.

"Waiter, take my horse to be fed, and then bring me some..."

The man stopped abruptly mid-sentence. His eyes met Shen Changan’s, and a faint smile appeared on his face. Shen Changan’s expression darkened; he felt his luck was truly rotten. Having traveled such a long distance, he couldn't believe he had run into this fellow again. He kept his head low, hoping to ignore the man, but the burly figure had already walked over and seated himself opposite him.

"Daoist Shen, long time no see. I didn't expect to run into you here."

Shen Changan gave a bitter smile and said, "Chief Xue, why must you come looking for a minor Daoist like me? I’m not the one who took your sword."

The man was none other than Xue Lie, who had previously vied with Shen Changan for his blade.

Xue Lie shook his head and said, "I didn't come for the divine sword. Besides, running into you, Daoist Shen, was purely a coincidence."

As he spoke, Xue Lie signaled the waiter to bring his meal as well. He then sat down, calmly reaching for the peanuts in front of Shen Changan and chewing them one by one. "Daoist Shen, where are you headed, traveling in this direction?"

Shen Changan shook his head and sighed, "I don't know. If I knew where I was going, that would be a relief."

Xue Lie glanced at Shen Changan, assuming he was simply being coy, but he didn't press the matter. A moment later, after eating a few more peanuts, he continued, "Well, since you possess a divine sword, how about you join me in doing something today?"

Shen Changan grew wary and quickly replied, "No, no, no. I can’t handle your affairs, and don't bother telling me about the common folk or anything of the sort. Even if you told me the world was ending today, Shen Changan wouldn't join you in doing anything."

Shen Changan now suffered from a sort of post-traumatic stress regarding these types of people. They always claimed they needed help, started with talk of saving the common people, and then, the moment he followed them, they would turn around and sell him out.

Xue Lie looked at him with a perplexed expression, but seeing Shen Changan’s firm refusal, he decided not to pursue it further.

"By the way, Daoist Shen, can you tell me the name of your divine sword?"

Shen Changan raised an eyebrow. Another one asking for the sword's name—the problem was, he genuinely did not know what the sword was called.

"I don't know."

Xue Lie looked quite dissatisfied and scoffed, "Daoist, isn't your guard a bit too high? I, Xue Lie, am merely asking for the name of the sword. Look, my sword is called 'Bingxian' (Warfire)—I’ve told you that much. Surely it isn't too much to ask for you to name yours?"

Shen Changan waved his hand and said, "Yours is Bingxian, the one in Yu Qingxian’s hands is 'Zhanlong' (Dragon-Slayer), and that boy Zhang Hongyu holds 'Jiutian' (Nine Heavens). I know all of that. But as for the one in my hand, I truly do not know its name."

Xue Lie was stunned, not expecting Shen Changan to know the names of the other three swords.

"How did you know that, Daoist Shen?"

"Don't even ask. I heard it from Yu Qingxian. Asking her only brought me trouble... Dammit, is this sword cursed? I encounter you lot of monsters and spirits every single day. At this rate, will Zhang Hongyu be showing up in a moment, too?"

No sooner had his voice faded than the sound of galloping horses echoed from the street below. Shen Changan turned to look and saw, to his astonishment, Zhang Hongyu riding a white horse through the town.

"Holy hell, Daoist Shen is a master of divination! You even predicted Zhang Hongyu’s arrival."

Shen Changan nearly choked on his own breath. His cursed mouth—it never failed to manifest the bad things. He had actually run into Zhang Hongyu.

Xue Lie whispered, "Daoist Shen, keep your voice down. Let’s not draw attention to ourselves. If Zhang Hongyu investigates later and finds out the two of us were here, he will surely pursue us to the ends of the earth."

Shen Changan knew this was true, but he couldn't help but retort, "So even the great Chief Xue is afraid of that yellow-haired kid?"

Regardless of whether Zhang Hongyu held a divine sword, Shen Changan held the man in low regard. He seemed to have no real ability, and Shen couldn't fathom why he had become the master of the Jiutian sword.

Xue Lie chuckled, "Daoist Shen, do you feel that Zhang Hongyu is incompetent and unworthy of being a sword master?"

Shen Changan did not deny it, nodding directly, "In his hands, that sword is merely gathering dust."

Xue Lie shook his head slightly and said, "That may not be so. The Jiutian sword itself requires someone obedient; in the hands of Zhang Hongyu, it is just right."

A thought stirred in Shen Changan’s mind. He had previously suspected that the divine swords held some deeper meaning, but because Xue Lie held Bingxian rather than Jiutian, he had remained uncertain. Now, judging by Xue Lie's words, these three swords clearly had some significant purpose.

"Chief Xue, you seem quite knowledgeable about these divine swords?"

Xue Lie did not hide it and spoke directly, "These divine swords fell from the heavens; they represent the fate and destiny of men. Originally, I was meant to possess both the Bingxian and the Zhanlong swords, for I am destined by birth to spark wars and slay emperors."

"Hah, the Emperor of the Great Qian is known as the Dragon Emperor. The name 'Dragon-Slayer' certainly fits that claim. However, that sword doesn't seem to be in your hands, does it?"

Xue Lie did not seem to mind at all, saying, "Only I can use Bingxian; only I can incite war. But that isn't necessarily true for Zhanlong. For instance, the girl who took my sword—she has the opportunity to accomplish that very deed."

Shen Changan’s brow twitched. He understood what Xue Lie meant. Only he, Xue Lie, could lead an army to attack the Great Qian, but the one to personally finish off the Dragon Emperor might not be him. Although the Zhanlong sword descended because of his arrival, it could be used by anyone with the opportunity to kill the Emperor. Even if it was currently in the hands of Yu Qingxian, if something were to happen to her, it was not impossible for someone else to obtain it.

Thinking of this, Shen Changan could not help but ask, "Does that mean the Dragon Emperor is doomed? Is the Zhanlong sword guaranteed to take his life?"