Chapter 60 - 59: "Wicked Scoundrel" Chen Tian
Chen Yuan had his eye on the opportunity within the Zhenwu Hall of Ning Province for a long time.
Even back when he was in Lianshan City, Chen Yuan had already calculated that he would come to Ning Province after escaping You Province.
Therefore, before the opportunity became available, Chen Yuan had to make arrangements to join Zhenwu Hall in advance. It would be best if he could attain a sufficiently high position within it.
And it wasn’t just about Zhenwu Hall. Ning Province was a chaotic place, a land of constant conflict where good and evil intermingled. In the original story, it was home to many opportunities and treasures. If Chen Yuan had the chance, he could take them all for himself.
Although Ning Province was chaotic, for Chen Yuan, it was a good place.
He had been delayed by the matter in Sealed Demon Valley, but fortunately, there was still plenty of time.
Grabbing his luggage, Chen Yuan bought a horse in Ancient Tree Town and prepared to head for the heart of Ning Province.
He rode on, and when the sky began to dim, Chen Yuan stopped by a town, planning to get something to eat and find an inn to rest.
He entered a tavern, which was bustling with noise and activity. It was almost full of traveling merchants and Jianghu People.
Although Ning Province was a land of constant conflict, it was indeed more prosperous than You Province.
To get to the Central Plains from the Northern Provinces, one had to pass through Ning Province. Likewise, merchants from the Central Plains had to go through Ning Province to reach the Northern Lands.
At the same time, Ning Province also bordered a part of the Hachal and Lin Khanate, so many merchants traveled to the Grassland to trade for horses.
His food and wine arrived. Chen Yuan was halfway through his meal when he suddenly stopped his chopsticks.
Someone in the tavern was watching him.
Chen Yuan’s five senses were sharp. He could clearly perceive that this person’s gaze had been fixed on him the entire time.
This wasn’t just a casual glance; it was hostile surveillance.
Chen Yuan gave a cold smile, stood up, and walked over to the table of the man who was watching him, then sat down.
The man was in his forties, with a cultivation around the Meridian Passage Realm. He was dressed like an ordinary Jianghu person, his long sword resting on the table.
Seeing Chen Yuan sit down right in front of him, a flash of panic crossed the man’s eyes.
He then suppressed his panic and frowned. "What can I do for you, friend?"
"Who sent you to watch me?"
"Friend, what are you talking about? Who’s watching you?"
The Jianghu man sneered. "Everyone’s just eating in this tavern. Who would go out of their way to watch you? Besides, you’re not some young maiden. Are you that afraid of being looked at?"
As soon as he said this, the people around them burst into laughter.
Chen Yuan shook his head lightly.
’It’s true I have no proof.’
’But do I need proof?’
Before the Jianghu man could react, Chen Yuan grabbed one of his hands and slammed it onto the table. He pulled a chopstick from the container and viciously plunged it through the back of the man’s hand, the force driving it through the tabletop!
The Jianghu man let out a bloodcurdling scream and tried to grab his sword with his other hand.
But Chen Yuan’s hand shot out, moving faster despite starting later. The Grasping Power of his Silk Binding Jade Hand erupted, instantly twisting and shattering the man’s arm.
He then pinned this hand to the table as well, took out another chopstick, and slowly, deliberately, pierced it through until it had completely skewered his palm!
The eyelids of the many Jianghu People present twitched.
An expert!
An absolute expert!
It wasn’t surprising that Chen Yuan could subdue his opponent in an instant. What was shocking were the two chopsticks.
They were just ordinary bamboo chopsticks that could be easily broken. Yet Chen Yuan had managed to stab them through flesh and bone, even piercing the table beneath. Just how powerful was his control over his power?
Chen Yuan pulled out another chopstick and pressed its tip against the Jianghu man’s eye. "Now," he said coolly, "can you tell me who sent you to watch me?"
The Jianghu man was scared witless. Snot and tears streamed down his face as he wailed, "Don’t kill me! I’ll talk! It was Master Zuo Feiyu of the Nine Swords Alliance who wants you dead.
You and that Luo the Thirteenth Lang framed numerous Martial Artists in Sealed Demon Valley, causing over a thousand of our Jianghu brethren to die tragically.
Master Zuo put out a warrant for your arrest half a month ago, gathering Jianghu People from several cities along the Youning Border. He wants to seek justice for the thousand Jianghu People who died, as well as for Wei Guangming of the Iron Armor Sect and Elder Qi’s Dao of the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts.
A portrait of you has been circulated throughout the surrounding cities. Anyone who provides information has a chance to join the Nine Swords Alliance."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly. ’The Nine Swords Alliance? Zuo Feiyu?’
In the original story, the Nine Swords Alliance was a new power that rose in Ning Province after Zhenwu Hall met with disaster.
Its Alliance Leader, Zuo Tianyuan, was forthright and treated talented subordinates with great respect, so he managed to recruit many Jianghu experts into the Nine Swords Alliance. It rose to prominence with incredible speed.
His son, Zuo Feiyu, was one of the most outstanding young heroes in the Jianghu.
In the original story, he obtained the final legacy of a Hidden Sect and later married into the Shangguan Family of Unrivaled City, one of the Eight Great Noble Families. For a time, his fame was unparalleled.
At this point in time, the Nine Swords Alliance should have just been formed, with Zuo Feiyu helping his father recruit Jianghu experts from all over.
In the original story, Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao definitely died in the array, so Zuo Feiyu naturally would have had no interaction with them.
But now, it was obvious that both Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao had pledged their allegiance to Zuo Feiyu, and the condition was his own death.
Chen Yuan also guessed that Zuo Feiyu wasn’t gathering so many people to kill him just to win the loyalty of Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao, but also to build his own reputation.
In the original story, Zuo Feiyu often did things like this, rallying people under the banner of slaying villains and Evil Demons.
Once successful, his own prestige would be enhanced.
Over time, his reputation as Young Hero Zuo Feiyu would spread beyond just Ning Province, reaching all the way to the Central Plains Martial Arts world.
’Looks like I’ve become a tool for this Zuo Feiyu to farm his reputation,’ Chen Yuan thought.
Seeing Chen Yuan remain silent, the Jianghu man with his hands nailed to the table begged bitterly, "I was just blinded by greed for a moment! Please, I beg you, spare my life! I won’t join the Nine Swords Alliance! I swear I’ll never appear before you again!"
The Jianghu man was filled with immense regret.
Everyone said that the Loose Cultivator from You Province, Chen Tian, was incomparably vicious, having killed four of the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts by himself.
He originally thought that just watching and providing information would be safe, but he never expected to be so easily detected.
Chen Yuan glanced down at him, and the chopstick in his hand instantly plunged into the man’s eyeball, bringing with it a spurt of red and white fluid.
The many Jianghu People present jumped in fright.
’Not only is this man incredibly powerful, his methods are truly ruthless.’
Just then, a sharp cry came from outside. "Chen Tian! You villain! You tricked and killed over a thousand of our Jianghu brethren in Sealed Demon Valley! Your heart is truly venomous and cruel!"
"Today, at the behest of Master Zuo of the Nine Swords Alliance, we have come to take your life! Surrender now!"
Outside the tavern, five Martial Artists of the Qi Casting Realm stood in a line, glaring at Chen Yuan.
They had rushed over as soon as they received the news, but they hadn’t expected to be too late. The Jianghu brother who sent the message had already been killed.
"It’s the Dongjiang Five Swords! They’ve joined the Nine Swords Alliance too?"
"With the Dongjiang Five Swords attacking together, this Chen Tian probably won’t last long."
"Not necessarily. I heard four of the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts died at his hands."
"The Yin Mountain Five Ghosts were best at using strange and devious tricks. Only ’Blood Hulv’ Han Gang cultivated an orthodox Body Refining Technique. In a direct confrontation, they’re no match for the Dongjiang Five Swords."
The many Jianghu People present discussed amongst themselves, all shrinking back into the corners of the tavern, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.
On one side was the newly risen Nine Swords Alliance of Ning Province, represented by the renowned Dongjiang Five Swords.
On the other was the ruthless man said to have trapped and killed a thousand Jianghu People in Sealed Demon Valley and slain four of the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts all by himself.
They couldn’t afford to offend either side. They just hoped they wouldn’t get splattered with blood when the fighting started.
Chen Yuan tilted his head slightly, sizing up the five swordsmen before him.
The group consisted of four men and one woman, all at the Qi Casting Realm. The leader was even at the Peak of the Qi Casting Realm, his True Qi potent and dense.
The Dongjiang Five Swords were famous swordsmen of their generation. The five of them were active around the nearby Dongjiang River, and they had become sworn siblings due to their compatible spirits.
The five were: the eldest, ’Celestial Star Sword’ Han Dong; the second, ’Giant Gate Sword’ Qi Ze; the third, ’Flying Blood Sword’ Situ Ming; the fourth, ’Yin Yang Dual Swords’ Song Qian; and the fifth sister, ’Floating Light Sword’ Gu Xinru.
Strictly speaking, the five of them actually had a good reputation. They had killed many river pirates and bullies on the Dongjiang River and would help those they saw in distress. They could be considered chivalrous heroes of the Jianghu.
But now, Chen Yuan had become the villain they sought to eliminate.
"What do you mean, I trapped and killed a thousand people in Sealed Demon Valley?"
Chen Yuan sneered. "Sealed Demon Valley was a trap set by the Three Extremes Evil Venerable and the Three Sealed Demon Races. I was a victim too. How have I suddenly become the main culprit?"
"But you knew it was a trap and didn’t stop them! You sat by and watched them walk into danger. How can you say you didn’t cause their deaths?"
Han Dong, the leader of the Dongjiang Five Swords, stepped forward and shouted sternly.
He was in his early forties with a full, curly beard, and he radiated an aura of righteousness.
"A joke! They chose that path themselves. What has it got to do with me? If I hadn’t been there, wouldn’t they have died all the same?"
Chen Yuan retorted with a cold laugh, "If the Three Extremes Evil Venerable had truly broken the seal, would you dare go looking for trouble with him? But now you’re trying to pin the blame on me. How ridiculous!
Besides, you should know why Zuo Feiyu wants to kill me. Isn’t it just because the Iron Armor Sect and Elder Qi’s Dao from the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts have pledged their loyalty to him? He has to stand up for his subordinates.
The Yin Mountain Five Ghosts committed every evil imaginable. Didn’t I do a service to the people by killing them?
Since you’re now trying to kill me to avenge the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts, who are you putting on this righteous act for?"
Han Dong was momentarily speechless, his expression turning ugly.
Zuo Feiyu had shown them great respect and personally invited them to join the Nine Swords Alliance, so they had naturally been willing.
However, the five of them were honorable and upright in their actions. They truly didn’t want to associate with the likes of the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts.
Their reason for coming to kill Chen Yuan this time wasn’t to avenge the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts. It was because Chen Yuan had watched a thousand of their Jianghu brethren fall into a trap in Sealed Demon Valley without offering help, a truly malicious act.
But now that Chen Yuan had conflated the two matters, it made him feel rather awkward.
He didn’t want outsiders to think that the Dongjiang Five Swords were acting to avenge scum like the Yin Mountain Five Ghosts.
At that moment, the fifth sister, Gu Xinru, snorted coldly. "Eldest Brother, why are you wasting your breath on this villain? What’s there to explain to someone with such a venomous heart?
Master Zuo already said that Elder Qi’s Dao has seen the error of his ways. Now we are all part of the Nine Swords Alliance, so what’s wrong with avenging his brothers?
Besides, upon joining the Nine Swords Alliance, Master Zuo gave us many Elixirs. He also promised to have weapons forged for us and to have the Alliance Leader guide us in our Swordsmanship.
Master Zuo has treated us with such respect. We have no way to repay him. Killing this villain will serve as a gift from my siblings and I to Master Zuo!"