Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 391 What a Fine Wang Po of Tianliang (I)

(TL: This chapter title, 天凉好个王破, is referencing a famous line from the poet Xin Qiji, 天凉好个秋, which has been translated as “What a beautifully chilly autumn”. In the original line, 天凉 means chilly, but in the title, it is the county from which Wang Po came. Wang Po has taken the place of autumn.)

A clear cry resounded through the inn. Liang Wangsun finally took action, sweeping in front of the other man.

His movements were honorable and guileless, strong and disciplined, like a crouching tiger or hidden dragon. He seemed to float over, and yet he was as heavy as a mountain.

His hand held the Vajra Pestle, which emitted a boundless radiance. It was like the spring sun, warm and mellow.

In brief, his movements and techniques all possessed a princely air, like there was no need to avoid them whatsoever.

This was the first time that Liang Wangsun genuinely and meaningfully took action. His eyes shone with incredible light and his expression was incredibly dignified. He had actually used his most powerful technique.

Because he clearly understood just how powerful his opponent was.

Chen Changsheng felt his heart turn cold. Previously when he had been on the emperor’s carriage, if Liang Wangsun had used such a mighty technique, would he have had the chance to pierce through this light and return to the inn?

With his current level of cultivation, it would be simply impossible for him to oppose Liang Wangsun’s light attack, because this attack was far too radiant, strong and disciplined beyond compare. It was impossible to break and impossible to respond to. One could only endure the pain and stubbornly hold on, and then die. This was because this was Liang Wangsun’s most powerful technique. Even that person still wouldn’t be able to avoid it or shatter it.

The method that person chose was to firmly receive it.

A palm broke the falling rain and, before Chen Changsheng’s and Su Li’s eyes, noiselessly yet swiftly moved in front of them, blocking Liang Wangsun’s Vajra Pestle.

This palm was very slender, well suited for holding a blade. However, the hollow of the palm was rather thick, making it very obvious that it had held the blade for too long. Perhaps for precisely this reason, this palm very easily grasped the point of the pestle. It gripped it just like it would grip the hilt of a blade.

The boundless light completely vanished, encased within those five fingers.

Two powerful Qis, two nigh-perfect Star Domains, collided where the palm grasped the pestle.

Just at this moment, an angry cry came from the other side of the street. Xiao Zhang shot out like a flying rock. His body caked with dust and rain water, he brought a sky full of gravel with him as he rushed into the inn. His spear seemed to harbor the strength of a thunderstorm as it pierced out once more!

The injured Xiao Zhang had grown even more insane. The white paper that covered his face was speckled with drops of blood. In contrast, his eyes seemed exceptionally serene and frightening, and seemed even more like they possessed the violent Qi of a blazing and victorious sun.

The newcomer stood in front of Su Li and Chen Changsheng, his left hand clutching the Vajra Pestle. He calmly and attentively gazed at Liang Wangsun, as if he had not even taken notice of Xiao Zhang’s tyrannical and barbaric return.

Yet the instant the spear descended, his sleeve moved.

In the rain and wind, the blue sleeve lightly rose up and rippled, and then the blade energy surged up once more.

The man brandished the blade and chopped down at Xiao Zhang. His movements were abnormally simple and could be described as unconstrained and free, or as very low-key, even giving an observer the feeling that they should pay no mind to them.

That metal spear had still come out first, and the blade energy had still risen up after, but the edge of the blade still was not aimed at the spear—rather, at Xiao Zhang behind the spear, that pale sheet of paper. This was because this seemingly ordinary and unremarkable blade was just that much faster, much swifter, than the tyrannical spear!

Xiao Zhang was furious, unwilling, pained, crazed…yet he still had to swing his spear horizontally to block it.

In this world, there were not many people that could block Xiao Zhang’s spear. In this world, there was also only this man that would never block his spear, only forcing him to use his spear to block. As a consequence, Xiao Zhang loathed this man. Every time he saw him, he would get incredibly irritated and pained.

Boom!

The metal spear clashed with the blade in the inn once again.

Presently, Liang Wangsun’s light was still being held in that person’s hand. It was still burning, still spurting out energy.

These three people’s names were the world’s most resounding names.

After a long time, they had finally met in Xunyang City.

Three terrifying Qis met in this place.

Three powerful domains met in this place.

The blade edge cleaved through the sky, the spear energy directly desired to expose the heavens, and the light enveloped all.

Waves of Qi burst out of the inn and a great gale suddenly rose up in Xunyang City.

And yet the ruins of the inn were abnormally peaceful. There was no wind, nor was there even the smallest sound.

Liang Wangsun’s eyes glowed like stars, but the hair on his temples was already wet.

The white paper on Xiao Zhang’s face was like an unmoving mountain, but blood traveled across it like the trails of earthworms.

The other person stood in front of Su Li and Chen Changsheng, one hand gripping a blade, one hand holding the pestle. It was like he stood in front of the threshold of a door, yet whether he wanted to open the door or close it was still up in the air.

Finally, his blade descended.

He had come to close the door.

The guests that came uninvited were escorted out the door.

The metal blade descended, its energy incapable of being blocked.

It turned out that not even Xiao Zhang could block it.

The master of the metal spear began to shudder and incessantly buzz.

Xiao Zhang was once again forced backwards.

That blade continued to accompany him.

The white paper danced in the air, and the kite had disappeared somewhere. Xiao Zhang continued to retreat backwards, smashing through many courtyards.

The blade edge descended, accompanied by peals of thunder continuously booming out, resounding through all of Xunyang City.

All over there were houses collapsing, dust rising up, stone fragments flying. One would be barely able to make out Xiao Zhang’s figure.

Finally, Xiao Zhang succeeded in suppressing this single strike’s blade energy and was able to stand firm.

At the moment, he was in the western part of the city, seven li from the inn.

He stared at the distant inn and let out an enraged roar.

“Wang Po, you’ve gone mad!”

The blade had been sent flying, so that person had no weapon.

He did not need a weapon, because his left hand still held the Vajra Pestle.

Liang Wangsun’s boundless light had been encased in his left hand.

He gazed at Liang Wangsun, his eyes carrying an unconcealed sense of ferocity.

Retreat, or lose.

Liang Wangsun’s eyes grew even brighter, as if those stars were on the verge of destruction.

As a descendant of emperors, his glory and pride meant that he would not retreat a single step.

That person understood, and so he said no more and clenched his palm.

To grip was to grip the blade, and to grip the blade was to form a fist.

That person formed a fist, gathering up the light in the center of the fist and then shattering it.

There was a rumble that seemed to come from far away, like a clap of spring thunder from a thousand li away, like a gushing spring at the bottom of an abyss.

In reality, it was the annihilation of the energy within those fingers.

Liang Wangsun’s face suddenly paled and the radiance in his eyes swiftly dimmed, as if the stars had been robbed of their splendor.

He looked at that man, completely mystified. In a shocked voice, he asked, “Have you gone mad?”

As the blade descended, there was thunder.

As the fist shattered the light, there was thunder.

Countless peals of thunder rang throughout Xunyang City. The final boom of thunder, the most resounding thunderclap, originated from within that man’s body.

With the crazed energy of the wind and the crushing power of the Qi, the inn finally collapsed.

Shattered fragments of stone and tile sprayed everywhere, striking many people and causing them to tumble.

The dust erupted, and was soon after soaked by the rain into settling.

As the building collapsed, the people that were originally inside the inn had already appeared in the air, while the people that were originally on the second floor had already come to the ground. Su Li still sat upon his chair as if he wasn’t even aware of what was going on.

Xiao Zhang walked out from one end of the street. A corner of the white paper on his face had been torn, exposing the dreadful wound beneath.

The hand holding his spear continuously shuddered.

Liang Wangsun’s face was pale as snow. The hand that gripped his Vajra Pestle was similarly shuddering.

The final person was still silent as usual, calm as usual.

That person was dressed in blue, his figure somewhat tall and thin. He was calm and silent, his eyebrows seeming to droop down slightly. He seemed to give off a lonely aura.

For some reason, he seemed to give the impression that he was extremely impoverished.

This wasn’t an ordinary type of poverty, but the poverty that could only come after losing riches and honor, a desolation that could only come after the blossoming of flowers.

He did not look around, nor did he seem proud. He just stood in front of Su Li and Chen Changsheng. But even when Painted Armor Xiao Zhang and Liang Wangsun joined hands, they still could not pass him.

Because he was Wang Po.

First ranked on the Proclamation of Liberation, Wang Po of Tianliang.