Chapter Twenty-Five: Those Who Approach This Beast Shall Perish!
“Ye Liangchen! Take my Hao Finger Strike!”
“Zhao Ritian! You’ve gone too far!”
“Damn it! My name is Zhao Hao! Hand over the Mountain and River Map Fragment, and I’ll spare your worthless life!”
“You think you have what it takes?!” Ye Liangchen flicked his alpaca-like hair with a flourish. “Brothers of the Feizhu Willow Sect, where are you?!”
“Here!”
With a swish, a group of men with the most peculiar, rainbow-colored, Renaissance-inspired hairstyles leaped out from the thicket.
“Heh! You think you’re the only ones with numbers? Where are the brothers of the Grand Hao Sect?”
“Senior brother, we’re here!”
A dozen or so more men sprang out from behind Zhao Hao.
“For the Grand Hao Sect!”
“For the girls!”
“Charge!”
In an instant, people on both banks of the stream rushed at each other. The scene erupted into a whirlwind of blades and swords, the shallow creek sending up sprays of water, the sounds of battle echoing ceaselessly from the brook.
Not far away, hidden in another thicket by the stream, Jiang Lin and a pure, adorable-looking friend lay prone, silently observing the chaos.
It had been nine days since they entered the Maze Secret Realm, which meant the boundaries had closed in three times. Jiang Lin still remembered the first day, when a flying bear crashed into their hut, and Chen Jia had exchanged blows with the great black bear. From then on, Jiang Lin had teamed up with Chen Jia.
More people meant more chances to look out for each other. Admittedly, Chen Jia was always eager to wrestle wild beasts, but thanks to him, Jiang Lin got to feast on all sorts of game…
This was the first group Jiang Lin had encountered since the boundaries had closed in.
From what he overheard, it seemed the disciples of the Feizhu Willow Sect had, by chance, acquired a fragment of the Mountain and River Map.
Jiang Lin had read about it in books before: the Mountain and River Map was an artifact of divine caliber, divided into seven pieces scattered across various worlds. Four fragments existed in this world—two in the hands of the Empire, two with the sects—and with the one in this Secret Realm, that made five.
Although the fragments were useless on their own, each was worth a fortune.
After all, it was a symbol of prestige.
Imagine, even if you couldn’t gather all seven Dragon Balls to summon Shenlong, just fiddling with them like walnuts would be impressive enough, wouldn’t it?
Moreover, each piece of the Mountain and River Map was a work of art—a perfect accessory for the cultured and refined.
Jiang Lin’s goal was the classic “the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.” He would swoop in and snatch that fragment.
He didn’t really want to do such a thing—he was, after all, an upstanding young man—but the system left him no choice. If he refused, the system would force him to strip Chen Jia’s pants—what if Chen Jia retaliated with a punch? Who could withstand that?
“Jiang Lin, do you want that Mountain and River Map fragment?”
Lying beside Jiang Lin, Chen Jia’s bright eyes blinked at him. Truth be told, men like this really made one want to commit a crime.
Jiang Lin shot him a glare. “Obviously! Why else do you think we’re here?”
“But why are we hiding? Why not just snatch it?”
“Do you think we can beat them?”
“Jiang Lin! Don’t look down on me!”
Suddenly, the fellow stood up, hands on his hips, huffing indignantly at Jiang Lin, a camouflage grass nest—woven by Jiang Lin—perched atop his head.
“Damn it! Stay down! I’m just lacking confidence in myself.”
Jiang Lin urgently pulled at his hand, but Chen Jia yanked away as if shocked, shouting, “Pervert! What are you doing?”
“???”
Jiang Lin was dumbfounded, but Chen Jia’s cry had already rung out.
“Who’s there!”
Suddenly, the Grand Hao Sect’s Qi Strike and the Feizhu Willow Sect’s Myriad Leaves Flower shot toward their hiding place.
Bang!
Chen Jia punched, Jiang Lin slashed with his sword, dissolving the attacks, but their cover was blown, the thicket scattered.
“Flower Thief Jiang Lin!”
At the sight of him, everyone yelled in surprise.
“You’re the flower thief! Your whole family are flower thieves!”
Jiang Lin shook off the leaves and dirt from his body, a blade of grass in his mouth. “Hand over the Mountain and River Map fragment, and I’ll let you live!”
Sword in hand—as a sword cultivator, everyone had a life-bound flying sword. Jiang Lin’s was named First Snow, its blade as clear as if forged from ice and snow, adorned with exquisite patterns; when Lin Qingwan had first seen it, she’d exclaimed, “So beautiful!”
Seeing this man, all looks but frivolous at heart, possess such a pure and lovely sword, Chen Jia sighed, shaking his head in regret for the sword’s poor fate…
Jiang Lin transmitted his thoughts: “Hey! Brother Chen! Whose fault is it we’re in this mess, and what are you sighing for?”
A pure martial artist couldn’t transmit thoughts, but could compress sound into a thread. “I’m just lamenting that this sword followed the wrong master…”
“…”
“What a fine sword! Flower Thief Jiang Lin, sever your bond with your life sword and hand it over. If you do, the disgrace you brought upon us in the Black Tortoise Square—we of the Feizhu Willow Sect can let bygones be bygones. Otherwise…”
“Damn you! You’re the disgrace! Stop calling me ‘flower thief’! To insult me is to strike me! To strike me is to steal my Dao companion, to steal my Dao companion is to shatter my Dao heart, to shatter my Dao heart is to kill me! If I do not avenge this, I am no gentleman!”
Jiang Lin leveled his sword, its cold light shining across nineteen provinces.
“Unlimited Sword Works—I am Sword Bones!”
“Careful! The flower thief is about to unleash a big move!”
Ye Liangchen and Zhao Hao shouted in warning, and everyone took two steps back.
“Hmm???”
A spring breeze rippled across the lake, carrying the scent of flowers. Birds chirped in the woods; squirrels darted to and fro. By the creek, thirty-odd men faced two, one holding his sword ready while the others waited for him to unleash a devastating technique…
But nothing happened.
Even the simple-minded Chen Jia stared at Jiang Lin, speechless, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Was this all just for show? And why insult himself as “Sword Bones”? Was he an idiot?
“Damn it! You scared the hell out of me! Brothers, cut this flower thief to pieces!”
“For Sister Lin!”
“For the girls!”
The Feizhu Willow Sect and the Grand Hao Sect joined forces and charged at Jiang Lin and Chen Jia, while Jiang Lin still held his sword horizontally before him.
“Anyone who approaches this beast dies!”
Chen Jia took a deep breath, shielding Jiang Lin, his entire body radiating the aura of a true martial artist.
Just as everyone closed in and Chen Jia readied his fist, in an instant, the sun and moon dimmed; heaven and earth changed color.
In the blink of an eye, everyone found themselves in a forest of countless swords and blades—an iron sword grove, barren, brimming with sword intent.
“A red moon is the best time for slaughter…”
As everyone gaped in confusion, Jiang Lin stood atop a hill bristling with swords, hand gripping First Snow, gazing up at the moon, every bit the paragon.
“Now, who just called me flower thief?”