Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 378 – A New Sword Style

As he watched the unconscious Chen Changsheng, Su Li raised his eyebrows in contemplation. This was because of those final words Chen Changsheng had said before falling unconscious, and because over the past few days, Chen Changsheng had said and done many things.

Over his hundreds of years of wandering the world, he had encountered many excellent youths. Amongst them, some of the youths were extremely talented, while others had exceptional willpower. Those youths which he most admired were all at the Mount Li Sword Sect.

However, he had never encountered a youth like Chen Changsheng.

He had always believed that youths had a manner that was unique to them, the so-called morning sun and dew, the newly-developed butterfly and the young chick; the aura of those youthful existences was clear and passionate. Chen Changsheng also had this sort of temperament, but it was much more tranquil and calm. This youth was also like a gust of spring wind, but it was the wind of the beginning of spring, very light, and thus clean and refreshing, causing others to feel carefree and relaxed.

Su Li watched the sleeping Chen Changsheng in silence, studiously observing him.

When an ordinary youth would wake up, they would often intentionally lower their voice and feign a calm expression, thereby being lauded by their elders as mature and admired by their peers as calm. Moreover, while they slept, they would often return to an appearance appropriate for their true age, exposing their naive and innocent side. But Chen Changsheng was not like this. His appearance was that of a youth, pure and young like a tea garden before the rain, but his expression had the same sort of calmness that it had when he was awake, even…. actually somewhat sorrowful.

Why was it that even in a deep sleep, this youth’s forehead was still creased so tightly? What was he thinking about? What was he worrying about? What was he anxious about? If he could not even escape from this pressure in his slumbering dreams, then why was it that when he was awake, he would always appear so calm and refuse to let others see the slightest hint of it?

Su Li could clearly tell that there was something wrong in Chen Changsheng’s heart, but he did not want to ask about it, nor did he want to probe it out. It was not that he was not curious, but because there were even more important things that needed to be done. He lifted his head towards the boundless mountains and plains, his face expressionless and his pupils like stars. The coldness around him gradually grew denser, and while the hand gripping the handle of the Yellow Paper Umbrella seemed slightly more relaxed, it was actually positioned more suitably to pull out the sword.

The assassin called Liu Qing was, at this very moment, somewhere amidst these mountains and plains, probably keeping a close watch over this location. To an ordinary person, the third place on the Ranking of Assassins was absolutely a very frightening existence. However, under normal circumstances, it would not even be enough for Su Li to lift his head and take a glance. It was just that these were not normal circumstances. Chen Changsheng was unconscious and he was heavily injured. No matter what angle it was viewed from, this was the assassin’s best chance to strike, unless the assassin was resolved to continue carrying out the doctrine of conservatism.

Su Li suddenly felt somewhat nervous, causing the emotion on his face to grow increasingly indifferent. It had been many years since he was this nervous, because it had been many years since anybody was able to threaten his life. He thought that he had long since gained an understanding of life and death, but after Xue He and Liang Hongzhuang appeared, he finally understood that even if his sword heart was brightly lit, his mind could no longer keep it so brightly lit in the face of death. Or perhaps it was because he had just experienced a very challenging life-or-death ordeal.

Over his life, he had encountered many life-or-death ordeals, and won countless battles against powerful opponents he should not have been able to beat. Compared to those opponents, people like Xue He and Liang Hongzhuang did not even deserve to be mentioned. However, he clearly understood that over the course of his entire life, the moment in which he had been closest to death was not on that snowy plain outside Xuelao City, nor on the banks of that cold stream in the Longevity Sect, but a short time ago on that nameless mountain, in that instant when Liang Hongzhuang’s dancing dress had attacked like fire.

The reason that was the closest he had ever been to death in his life was that Liang Hongzhuang would assuredly have killed him, because Liu Qing was definitely concealed close by. The most important reason was that he had no means of taking his fate into his own hands.

Whether facing off against the Demon Lord’s shadow and tens of thousands of demon soldiers outside Xuelao City, or confronting around a dozen Longevity Sect elders with unfathomable levels of cultivation on the banks of the cold stream, he had always had a sword in hand that he could brandish.

As long as a sword was in his hand, the world was Su Li’s. Even if the god of death stood in front of him, he would not be afraid. But… in that previous moment, he could not do anything. He could only place his fate in the hands of that youth called Chen Changsheng.

Fortunately, this youth had proved that he was very worthy of his trust.

“This time, I really do owe you a life.”

As he gazed at the youth’s wrinkled forehead, Su Li shook his head.

The assassin continued to conceal himself in the wilderness. For some reason, he never chose to strike. Perhaps it was because Chen Changsheng’s performance or status had made him fearful, or perhaps it was because Su Li’s hand had never once left the Yellow Paper Umbrella.

With the arrival of dusk, Chen Changsheng finally woke up. His face was pale as snow, his eyes not as clear and bright as they usually were, like he was recovering from a hangover. Thankfully, it seemed like his sea of consciousness had finally calmed down, so it seemed like he was out of danger.

He looked at Su Li, but before he had time to say anything, Su Li emotionlessly asked, “Do you have anything you want to say?”

After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng said, “On matters of the past, as a junior, I don’t know the stories behind them, so it’s not right for me to determine right or wrong. Perhaps Senior truly did not kill wrongly, but a son avenging his father’s death is also not wrong. If everyone is not wrong, and yet goes killing back and forth, there must something wrong with this situation.”

Su Li replied, “As expected, you’re still lecturing.”

Chen Changsheng said, “On the snowy plains, Senior was always saying that you weren’t a good person, because you’ve killed too many people. From this, it can be seen that Senior also knows that killing too many people is not too good of a thing in the end, so why not change?”

Su Li creased his forehead, then gave a smile that was not a smile. “But when did I ever say that I wanted to be a good person? Since I don’t plan to be a good person, why do I need to change? Why should I kill people less?”

Chen Changsheng was struck speechless. Finally, he helplessly asked, “Senior, is there any need to compete over every matter, to dispute every little thing?”

“Courageously advancing, but not being able to express one’s thoughts through words, not competing and not debating. what sort of way to live life is that?”

Su Li said this very calmly and serenely. Chen Changsheng fell into a long period of silence. From the moment he became self-aware, he had been reading books. After he found that his body was not healthy, he had thought about how to live a little longer. He felt that life was indeed the best thing about life, that living was the most beautiful thing. He had very rarely thought about which way to live could be considered living.

He thought and thought, then decided to no longer think about this question.

He understood that in the aspect of life, he was a rustic youngster who could not even eat to a full stomach, while a person like Su Li was a person who had feasted lavishly for many years. Now that he began to pursue lighter meals and take care of his health, he began to search for inheritance and spirit in his food. He had never been a person of the world, but this did not mean that he had some sort of conflict or resentment to the people of the world. On the contrary, he envied the people of the world. This was because the people of the world made up the vast majority of the people on this world. Living had originally been to live in that sort of manner. At the very least, it was more meaningful to live that way than the way some other people lived.

“The Mount Li disciple called Liang Xiaoxiao…”

The things that he had encountered in the Garden of Zhou, the matters that he was willing to talk about, had mostly been said to Su Li. He had also spoken of Liang Xiaoxiao, but it was only today that he finally filled Su Li in on the finer details of what had happened by the lake.

He thought that since the gate to the Garden of Zhou had once again opened, then as long as Qi Jian and Zhexiu were still alive, Liang Xiaoxiao would have definitely already been punished for his crimes. It was just after going through this battle with Liang Hongzhuang, he had become much more sensitive to the family name of ‘Liang’. Thus, he explained everything so that Su Li could analyze it, but he had not imagined that Su Li’s response would be so huge.

When he heard that Liang Xiaoxiao had stabbed through Qi Jian’s abdomen, Su Li’s face grew very dark, like a torrential rain was gradually forming around his face, like thunderbolts could stab out at any time.

At the end, Su Li declared, “He will die.”

Chen Changsheng thought to himself, this is an affair for your Mount Li. In addition, he really should die. He could never have imagined that Liang Xiaoxiao had already died, and that he had used his death to leave behind a great deal of trouble.

Su Li already understood why Liang Xiaoxiao would join with the demons. It was just that the matter involved the good name of Mount Li. Crucially, it involved that bloody affair more than ten years ago concerning the Longevity Sect and the north which he had caused, so he was unwilling to say too much to Chen Changsheng.

“In the end, how did you see through it?” He looked at Chen Changsheng and changed the subject.

This question was naturally asking about what method Chen Changsheng had used to break through Liang Hongzhuang’s Star Domain. If the first strike was a guess, what about the following seven strikes? Blow after blow had struck true, so naturally it could not be a mere guess. Could it be that he actually finished learning the Intellectual Sword?

Chen Changsheng very carefully thought about his answer, confirming the circumstances at the time, then replied, “It really was a guess.”

Of course, Su Li did not believe him, but Chen Changsheng’s expression was one that said he was absolutely not lying. Most importantly, Chen Changsheng had no reason to deceive. And even more important than that was that there truly was no basis for Chen Changsheng to have learned the Intellectual Sword so quickly.

To guess which star amongst the vast sky of stars would move was already an inconceivable matter. To guess where the gap in the Star Domain of a Star Condensation cultivator would appear was even more unimaginable, let alone doing it seven times in a row.

“If you really are relying on luck, then your luck is already so good that it exceeds luck.”

Su Li looked at him and said, “You are a person with a lot of good karma.”

Chen Changsheng did not understand, so he asked, “Good karma?”

“What is the most important thing for cultivation?”

“Willpower? Comprehension?”

Su Li shook his head. “No, it’s luck. Every single expert that managed to dominate a region, the so-called Saints, all possessed extremely good luck, and so were able to escape many dangers. Of course, luck is only momentary, but good karma is for a lifetime, so they are all people that have a lot of good karma. That includes me.”

Chen Changsheng thought about it, then asked, “How is good karma decided?”

“Of course, it’s fate.”

Su Li looked into his eyes and said, “So in other words, your fate is really good.”

Hearing these words, Chen Changsheng could not find any words to respond—from the moment he was born, he had felt that his fate was bad. Who could have thought that there was someone that told him his fate was actually very good? This made him feel somewhat ridiculous, somewhat comforted, and somewhat saddened.

As they continued their journey south, the two people and two deer finally drew close to Tianliang County. His education in the sword had also reached a new stage.

After experiencing that battle with Liang Hongzhuang, Chen Changsheng clearly understood where his weak points were.

The first was that he required an even more powerful spiritual sense and willpower. He finally understood why Su Li had said, “Only after experiencing it will you have the qualifications to understand using the Intellectual Sword requires sufficient strength.” This was because the Intellectual Sword required an even more extraordinary strength, or else the swordsman would find themselves simply incapable of bearing the massive amount of calculations. They might even fall unconscious before they even managed to take out their sword.

Secondly, to defeat a Star Condensation expert, he needed to increase his output. Only this way could he grasp those fleeting opportunities and deliver a heavy blow to his opponent. Only this way could he avoid the situation where he could land eight consecutive blows and still not be able to kill Liang Hongzhuang. That sort of situation was very dangerous. If Liang Hongzhuang had been a little bit stronger, if he could have held on for a moment longer, Chen Changsheng would have collapsed from the shock to his sea of consciousness and he and Su Li would have undoubtedly died.

Thus, at twilight by a stream, Su Li began to teach him a second sword technique.

“The output of your true essence is too awful. It’s just like a little kid wielding an embroidery needle. Even if you were faster and you pricked three-thousand-six-hundred holes on your opponent’s body, you still wouldn’t be able to poke him to death. So in the past few days, I’ve thought of a sword style.”

Su Li gazed at Chen Changsheng in the waters of the stream. “Do you want to learn it?”

Chen Changsheng did not answer, because this question did not need an answer. Amongst all the people who used swords, there was no one that did not want to learn the sword from Su Li, let alone the fact that it was very obvious that this sword style had been especially developed by Su Li for him. And finally, at the moment, he was incredibly shocked.

Staring at the middle-aged man standing on the shore, Chen Changsheng opened his mouth, but he could not even make half a sound. According to these words, did that mean that Su Li realized that day that there was a problem with the output of his true essence, began to think about this problem, and designed a completely new sword style in just a few days? What was a true genius? What was a master of the path of the sword? This was it.

Su Li acted like he hadn’t even seen Chen Changsheng’s appearance and continued to talk. He calmly introduced this newly developed sword style, and as for whether he felt somewhat proud inside, one could detect it a little from the way the ends of his brows perked upward.

This sword style was called the Blazing Sword. Although it only consisted of one move, it was more accurate to say that it was a method for moving the sword. If the Intellectual Sword could assist the swordsman is seeing through the weak points of a Star Condensation expert, the Blazing Sword would assist the swordsman in exploding forth with his sword energy and true essence. In a short time, one could obtain extraordinary benefits, and thus be more of a threat to Star Condensation opponents.

The two sword styles that Su Li had taught him were all very relevant, as if they were meant for helping upper level Ethereal Opening cultivators successfully surpass cultivation levels and kill Star Condensation opponents. Chen Changsheng had trouble with outputting true essence, so the Blazing Sword assisted him in solving this problem.

The catch was that if one wanted to solve a problem, a price had to be paid. The Intellectual Sword which had not even taken shape had almost turned Chen Changsheng into an idiot. This Blazing Sword that could solve his true essence output problems would require him to pay even more.

“Similar to the demons’ Body Release Art, although you won’t die, you’ll definitely be very miserable.” Su Li continued, “As I said before, the sword styles I pass down to you are for protecting me until I return to Mount Li, not out of any good intentions for you. So learning or not learning is all on you.”

Chen Changsheng walked out of the stream, the tree branch in his hand piercing through a fat and tender whitefish. As his bare feet stamped through the blazing sun reflected on the surface of the stream, he laughed, but didn’t say anything.

Su Li teased, “So stubbornly honest and straightforward, not making a person happy in the slightest. He’s far inferior compared to my family’s Qiushan.”

Chen Changsheng thought, Senior obviously wants to teach me this sword style, and yet he needs to find so many excuses. It’s because he doesn’t want there to be any feelings between us. That is what it means to be truly stubbornly honest and straightforward. Only it’s actually rather interesting.

Su Li looked at him and said, “The sword energy comes from the Burning Heaven Sword, while the sword move comes from the Secrets of the Golden Crow Sword. However, the absolutely most crucial point is that in the instant that you ignite your true essence, I need your manner to be exactly in line with the imposing manner of the last move of the Mount Li Sword Style.”

Chen Changsheng was just using his dagger to slice open the fish, but when he heard these words, he stopped and turned his head in shock. “The Mount Li Sword Style?”

“Correct, this is the Blazing Sword’s most difficult point.”

Su Li explained, “The Burning Heaven Sword increases the sword form, the sword move increases the radiance, and when the true essence explodes, you need a daring attitude that does not care for life.”

Chen Changsheng was silent for a while, then said, “I understand.”

Su Li stared into his eyes. “When you attack, you must have the resolve to die; do you really understand?”

Chen Changsheng lifted his head and said, “Senior, I’ve used that move before.”

Su Li was very surprised. He stared silently into his eyes for a long time, then finally said, “How could this little guy completely not understand cherishing his own life? Remember, don’t think that because your fate is so good, you can act wantonly.”

Chen Changsheng answered, “Senior, you know that I’m not that sort of person.”

Su Li lapsed into silence, then replied, “Right now, I really don’t know… what sort of person a kid like you is.”