Chaotic World Book
Chapter 175 - 171: Mark of the Sword Emperor

Chapter 175: Chapter 171: Mark of the Sword Emperor

The night was deep and people were silent.

Zhao Changhe lay in bed, staring transfixed at the gold leaf, which displayed the battle process with the Sword Guard.

He didn’t know if the actual images were passing through his mind or not.

In his thoughts were only the moments just passed, when he had sent Sisi back to Tang Wanju’s side and explained his thoughts to her; Tang Wanju’s face had suddenly become joyful. Such a vivid expression was rare on someone who was usually so serene.

Thinking from a diplomatic and united front perspective was not something an ordinary person from the Worldly Society would consider. This was the approach of a Prince, and furthermore, a Prince with ambitions for his country.

But Zhao Changhe knew he only wished to alleviate some of Tang Wanju’s burdens; the frailty of her shoulders seemed to carry too much weight.

It was strange how people responded; had she been more demanding, Zhao Changhe was sure he would have turned away and disappeared long ago. Instead, she had been magnanimous, leaving decisions to him, silent on her desires, which made Zhao Changhe feel indebted and that he ought to do something.

He sighed.

There was another matter... Although he was disgusted by Sisi’s actions and had no intention of continuing any interaction, his commitment to a "ruthless severance" was sincere. However, his angry emotion was actually lighter than Sisi might have imagined, devoid of the usual bouts of rage that would have overtaken him in the past.

It wasn’t about Sisi, it was still because of Tang Wanju.

He had to admit that the practice of the Blood Evil Skill had influenced his temperament to some extent. Zhao Changhe reflected on his past behavior and recognized that he was indeed prone to irritation and quick to anger.

The calming effect of that one melody still lingered after a day; his heart felt still as a calm lake, with nary a ripple to disturb it. Whether it was feelings of anger or desire, both felt insignificant.

Throughout the entire tomb exploration, and even now, Zhao Changhe had a sense of detachment, as if he were observing his own actions from the sidelines. This led to closer observation, details revealed as clearly as the moon reflected in water, yet he was less emotionally involved, almost dispassionate.

This was the true peace of mind.

Light on anger, devoid of desire, that was one thing; there was also no sense of regret—the camaraderie felt in past battles, with charming smiles and elegant gestures, was absent. Watching Sisi that night, Zhao Changhe felt as if he was regarding a stranger. He was able to make a decision from the Empire’s perspective, with the coolest of temperaments.

Though exaggerating a bit—it wasn’t quite that dramatic—the feeling was somewhat akin to this.

He wondered whether Sisi would have preferred him to be angry and confrontational, or if this detachment was preferable to her.

Might Tang Wanju’s composed nature have come from this? Had she always looked at everything around her with such a detached mindset? Hence, interaction with her always seemed too strictly professional and devoid of personal warmth.

It must be incredibly difficult for such a woman to feel impulses of love and romance; no wonder she had no thoughts of marriage or courtship, even at twenty-eight, given the state of the world.

The most significant breach of her defenses had been caused by the enigmatic Tang Buqi...

Regardless, her study of music and calligraphy held meaning and should continue.

Enough of this, he would not think about it anymore. He would talk to her when they met the next day.

The battle with the Sword Guard reflected on the gold leaf held little value for study, after all, the opponent was a "Corpse Transformation," without much sanity. Reviewing such an irrational battle offered little for self-correction or improvement. However, if it were for the study of swordsmanship, it could be worth observing, but now he had the sword seal.

Zhao Changhe took out the sword seal; it appeared to be a small sword carved from jade, its actual material unknown. It radiated an intensely rich Sword Intent. Even a slight perception could conjure various impressions in his mind, vast as an abyss and incredibly expansive—a typical mark of legacy.

It was clear that depending on the individual’s cultivation level, understanding of swordsmanship, temperament, and style, each person might gain something different from comprehending this sword seal, perceiving varied swordsmanship and Sword Intent, a fragment of the whole.

Sisi had said this could be considered the Sword Skill General of the world, perhaps an exaggeration, but fitting with its importance. If she took it back to her clan, allowing each person to apprehend their swordsmanship, the clan’s strength might truly increase. Now given to the Demon Suppression Department, Tang Wanju could cultivate more swordsman potential—the significance was profound.

But Zhao Changhe was preoccupied; he didn’t need to perceive any swordsmanship suited to him... He hadn’t even aspired to learn swordsmanship.

He took out the gold leaf and placed it together with the sword seal.

Gradually, the gold leaf emitted a soft glow, enveloping the sword seal and Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe suddenly had a sense of "Dream Entry."

The scene before his eyes transformed; he seemed to stand at the summit of a steep and perilous peak, where an elder robed in white sat cross-legged.

With a sudden gesture, an archaic Sword Shadow pierced the sky, hurtling toward a distant location thousands of miles away.

With a "Boom," a mountaintop was flattened, the landscape shattered, and waves surged sky-high.

The Sword Shadow rose again, and the raging sea parted, revealing a deep chasm. On either side, furious waves swept over, yet they could not break through the barrier of the horizontal Sword Qi; the sea was cleaved into two halves.

One sword to open mountains, one sword to part the seas.

This was merely a casual gesture, not even the elder’s full effort!

The Sword Emperor!

An entity worthy of the title "Emperor" with a sword, in an era where God Demons roamed the previous epoch!

This was the legacy he left within the sword seal, now vividly realized by the Heavenly Book. There was no need for perception or analysis—the Sword Emperor himself would demonstrate it!

The Sword Shadow returned, and the elder stood up, holding the longsword. He slowly began to demonstrate the simple slashing motions of the Heavenly Slaughter Sword.

Zhao Changhe had given this swordsmanship a cursory glance before bedtime, had even attempted to use it to bluff the Sword Guard in the tomb. He captured its shape but not its essence. The rudimentary nature of the Evil Sword demonstrated through it seemed simplistic, crude, and straight-forward, lacking any value for learning.

But at this moment, with the Sword Emperor personally executing it, Zhao Changhe felt his heart skip a beat.

What simplicity of horizontal and vertical lines...

That horizontal stroke was like a line connecting the heavens and the earth, severing the boundary between sky and humanity.

That vertical line was the interval between mountains and seas, slicing through the continental shelves of various lands.

Infinite and endless mysteries were all within it, all variations ultimately merged into the most primal forms of horizontal and vertical.

Is this merely a sword?

The saber too, you see!

The great path is simplest at its core, returning to the pristine and true—could it be just so.

Zhao Changhe suddenly remembered the initial training back in the stockade years ago, countless times of turn-around slashes, countless times of chopping at wooden stakes, over and over again, yet always the same.

Regrettably, this was no longer a basic saber technique, but a highly condensed essence of infinite Sword Dao that Zhao Changhe knew he could not learn, comprehend, nor use.

He lacked too much accumulation; this would at the very least require him to thoroughly master a thousand types of sword skills and defeat ten thousand kinds of enemies to be able to refine and summarize.

The Sword Emperor’s figure changed, starting from simple sword moves and diverging, gradually demonstrating countless different sets of swordsmanship, from beginner to advanced, all the way to high-end techniques, myriad and numerous, hundreds upon thousands.

Zhao Changhe silently memorized them; he felt that the process of organizing these sword techniques was itself a process of substantially learning the principles of martial arts, as well as a period of significant advancement in his saber technique, to great benefit.

...

The next morning.

Tang Wanju arrived at the guesthouse, where Zhao Changhe was already practicing his saber, as had become his custom.

Tang Wanju quietly watched for a while, then suddenly asked, "Have you ever thought about practicing swordsmanship as well?"

Without stopping his saber, Zhao Changhe responded while continuing his practice, "Maybe it’s because swords have a higher status in the Worldly Society? The people who could guide me, like Yue Hongling and you, are all sword practitioners. My saber skills have always been self-taught without guidance, including this time; the sword seal inheritance is really good, but pity I can’t use much of it."

"That tone, you still have no intention of learning the sword?"

"Mhm, biting off more than one can chew is not wise. I started late and already lack so much time compared to others; I can’t afford to waste it on learning another weapon."

Tang Wanju nodded, continued watching for a while, and then said, "Sisi is currently below the tomb, guiding the Demon Suppression Department’s explorations and has put forward very helpful suggestions on how to re-seal—it’s just that she’s too familiar with the stuff from the last epoch."

"She’s not causing any trouble, is she?"

"No, she’s being honest."

"Don’t be too trusting; she’s too good at acting."

Tang Wanju turned her head to look at Zhao Changhe’s expression, but he was focused on his saber practice and showed no expression.

Tang Wanju couldn’t help but laugh, "Are you really cutting all ties with her?"

"Of course, I’m not that self-deprecating. After she tricked me, should I still consider her a friend? A professional relationship is sufficient. Her knowledge and the unique items of the Ancient Spirit Clan are useful to you."

"Just to me?" Tang Wanju’s expression almost spelled out: This is your empire.

Zhao Changhe didn’t respond to that but instead asked, "What kind of restriction did you place on her?"

Tang Wanju smiled, "My Spring Water Restriction. Do you want to learn? Later, you could use it on other girls."

Zhao Changhe felt that Tang Wanju’s attitude was somewhat odd today; he finally put away his saber, stepped forward to get closer to Tang Wanju, and looked her over from left to right.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking to see if you’re Sisi in disguise."

"I’m just in a good mood," Tang Wanju said with a slight smile. "I always want to reward you with something, but I don’t know what you want."

Zhao Changhe glanced at her for a while, then suddenly said, "Do you know what irritates me the most about you?"

"Hmm?"

"It’s this tone and attitude of an elder looking at a junior, a superior to a subordinate. It makes me really want to break it, to see what you look like when you’re shy and embarrassed."

Tang Wanju appeared somewhat helpless, "That’s not a chivalrous thought at all; it’s rather mean-spirited."

"Who said I was chivalrous? I’m a bandit too," declared Zhao Changhe unabashedly. "If you want to reward me, then I’ll ask for a reward."

Tang Wanju braced herself with a foreboding sense, unintentionally stepping back, "What?"

"Help me learn to play the zither today, the hands-on kind," Zhao Changhe said, even adding with certainty, "I’m not sure I won’t deliberately touch."

Tang Wanju stood there with a quirky expression.

Are you... teasing me?