The Great Heavenly Sword Emperor - Chapter 36

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#036. Echo of Gui Gu (2)

The ship turned, its bow angling toward the Harbor in a slow, steady glide.
On Bei Gong Dan Ya’s face as he waited for it to arrive, anticipation and satisfaction were plainly visible—at last, evidence in hand.
Tian Wu Jue had done the crucial work, but the mere fact that they could move forward now kindled something larger in Bei Gong Dan Ya’s chest.
It was just as the ship drew near the Harbor.
Wheeee!
A night wind rose.
Bei Gong Dan Ya’s brow furrowed at once.
The wind had stirred an unpleasant memory.
‘That day, too—the wind was blowing.’
He recalled the day he faced the second trial at Mo Lian.
Then, too, the night wind had blown, and the moment it passed, the first assassin had appeared.
The memory made him smile faintly.
It had been desperate and frightening then, but now he could look back on it almost tenderly—and that oddly amused him.
But it was only a moment.
Bei Gong Dan Ya’s face went rigid.
In an instant, killing intent thick as fog enveloped everything around him.
Tian Wu Jue sensed it too; his body lifted from the deck before the ship even came to rest.
Shhhk!
A sharp whistle cut the air, and Bei Gong Dan Ya jerked his sword up in alarm.
Clang!
A vicious metallic ring, and a tremendous vibration shot through his hands.
But he saw nothing.
The killing intent grew thicker by the moment, and though an attack had just come, there was no body to see.
Yet Bei Gong Dan Ya was certain.
The space around him was already teeming with enemies.
‘Not Hei Wai Dang. Mo Lian? That makes no sense.’
The movement was different from Hei Wai Dang’s.
The killers’ tactics called to mind Mo Lian, yet Mo Lian had no reason to strike at them.
It was then that Tian Wu Jue landed beside Bei Gong Dan Ya and spoke tersely.
“Gui Gu.”
At his words, Bei Gong Dan Ya’s eyes widened.
Gui Gu?
Ignorant of the history between Gui Gu, Mo Lian, and Tian Wu Jue, Bei Gong Dan Ya’s face twisted in disbelief.
While Bei Gong Dan Ya stood bewildered, Tian Wu Jue vanished, and in that same moment Bei Gong Dan Ya’s vision went black.
The hidden assassins rushed out in unison.
Though the undergrowth around the Harbor was thick enough, there was no way to tell how so many killers had managed to hide and slip so close without detection.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Tian Wu Jue, now invisible, had already begun cutting down the Gui Gu assassins.
Bei Gong Dan Ya drew a breath and yanked his Internal Force upward.
“Hah!”
With an eager shout, Bei Gong Dan Ya swung his blade.

* * *

Tian Wu Jue cut through the assassins with an impassive gaze.
The Tian Shen Sword, brimming with the Internal Force of the Tian Xu Wu Ji Heart Method, flashed brilliantly, and the Tian Yun Wu Ai Step swept across the enemy ranks.
The power of the Tian Mie Twelve Sword far exceeded what Gui Gu assassins could bear; their assault never reached Tian Wu Jue, and all fell.
[These ones have another purpose.]
The Tian Shen Sword’s voice sounded in his mind.
And Tian Wu Jue was thinking the same.
‘Their real target is…’
His gaze shifted toward Bei Gong Dan Ya.
Even a cursory glance showed that more assassins were converging on him.
In the thick of it, Bei Gong Dan Ya was struggling hard, but it looked like he wouldn’t hold out much longer.
A roar tore from his throat!
Tian Wu Jue drew upon his Internal Force more deeply.
His first priority was to sweep away the assassin clinging to him.
Screech! Screech! Crash-crash-crash!
The techniques of the Tian Mie Twelve Sword—Luo Xing Fei Guang, Pa Yun Jue Mai, Guang Xia Shui Tian—poured forth in torrents.
The world that had gone dark cleared suddenly, and Tian Wu Jue kicked off the ground, moving with sharp precision.
Screech!
Tian Wu Jue drew close to Bei Gong Dan Ya, his blade flashing.
Three assassins had their limbs severed and fell away simultaneously.
“Their target is the young master of the Bei Gong Clan.”
Tian Wu Jue’s voice drove home to Bei Gong Dan Ya’s ear.
There was no time to wonder why.
The assassins pressed their attack relentlessly—nothing like the onslaught from Mo Lian.
Bei Gong Dan Ya alternated between the Xuan Zheng Sword Method and the Tian E Sword Formula, meeting Gui Gu’s assault.
Tian Wu Jue stayed close, sweeping the perimeter around him, dispersing the attacks that converged on Bei Gong Dan Ya.
With breathing room granted, Bei Gong Dan Ya drew deeper on his Internal Force, methodically cutting down the assassins one by one.
Yet bearing such numbers between the two of them was far from easy.
Even one as skilled as Tian Wu Jue could not defend every angle.
And as time went on, the assassins of Gui Gu began targeting Bei Gong Dan Ya directly and openly, regardless of Tian Wu Jue’s presence.
So the brief respite Bei Gong Dan Ya had found soon gave way to renewed, brutal pressure as he swung his blade.
Screech! Screech! Screech!
The sound of the sword cutting through assassins rang out through the night air.
And then.
Splash! Splash!
Blood began spraying from Bei Gong Dan Ya’s body with increasing frequency.
Tian Wu Jue recognized the moment it had gone too far.
He deepened his draw on his Internal Force.
In the corner of his vision, he caught sight of dark figures approaching the vessel he had sailed in not long before.
They too were assassins of Gui Gu.
Only then did Tian Wu Jue grasp what they were doing—a feint.
They were focusing their assault on Bei Gong Dan Ya, the relatively weaker target.
While Tian Wu Jue’s feet were bound to protecting him, they would destroy the evidence on the ship.
‘The Dong Fang Family.’
Tian Wu Jue clenched his teeth.
The connection between Gui Gu and the Dong Fang Family snapped into perfect alignment.
Tian Wu Jue found himself at a crossroads.
Should he save Bei Gong Dan Ya, or prioritize recovering the evidence?
If he saved Bei Gong Dan Ya’s life, he would lose the proof that could expose the Dong Fang Family’s connection.
If he seized the evidence, Bei Gong Dan Ya might well be killed.
Though Tian Wu Jue had always been swift in judgment and bold in choice, hesitation gripped him now.
“Young Master Tian!”
Then came Bei Gong Dan Ya’s voice.
Tian Wu Jue looked toward him.
Despite the blood streaming from him, Bei Gong Dan Ya swung his blade with desperate fury.
“The evidence! Don’t let them take the evidence! Never!”
Even in the thick of battle, Bei Gong Dan Ya had seen the assassins infiltrating the ship.
The moment he glimpsed it, he cried out toward Tian Wu Jue.
Not his life, but the evidence—it was more important.
This chance could not be lost.
Bei Gong Dan Ya’s will was clear and absolute.
Hearing his cry, Tian Wu Jue shed his doubt and moved at once.
He surged toward the vessel carrying the evidence.
Seeing Tian Wu Jue head for the ship, Bei Gong Dan Ya steeled himself.
Evidence mattered more, he had said—but he had no intention of dying here.
“Hah!”
Bei Gong Dan Ya drew deeper on his Internal Force, his blade blazing forth.
The Zhen Wu Jing Xin Formula and Tai E Zhen Jing bolstered each other, lending power to his sword.
The Xuan Zheng Sword Method took root solidly at his center, while the Tian E Sword Formula unleashed a crushing edge.
The movements of the Gui Gu assassins grew more subtle, swifter, keener.
Each assassin moved like a shadow, ceaseless in their weaving, thrusting and withdrawing in rapid succession.
Yet Bei Gong Dan Ya held firm with the Bei Gong Clan’s distinctive temperament, weathering the assassins’ assault.
His focus sharpened, and each of his sword strikes grew deeper, richer in substance.
The flow of Internal Force, the mastery of swordcraft, and the distilled essence of Bei Gong martial arts.
These three elements merged into one.
Even in dire straits, the light in Bei Gong Dan Ya’s eyes did not die—if anything, it burned deeper.

* * *

Tian Wu Jue moved across the ship like wind.
The assassins did not engage him directly with their blades.
Since their only purpose was to obliterate the evidence, they hurled themselves at the cargo with concentrated ferocity.
Crash!
The ship began to splinter in every direction.
For every assassin Tian Wu Jue cut down, they demolished another section of the vessel, hurling evidence overboard and scattering it across the water.
The ship tilted and began to sink.
Even in a state where most would struggle to find their footing, Tian Wu Jue moved without constraint.
Slash!
Even as he cut down an assassin, he reached out toward the evidence scattering in all directions.
After several reaches, his robes held several Ledgers and a handful of Documents.
It was impossible to secure all the evidence in such circumstances.
For now, all he could do was hope that what he’d managed to save would prove useful.
Tian Wu Jue focused entirely on the Gui Gu assassins.
Even as he moved to seize what evidence he could, his blade extended with a resolve to leave none of them alive.
The Tian Yun Wu Ai Step exerted its power even aboard a rapidly sinking ship.
So long as there was anywhere to plant his feet—railings, masts, the tilting deck—nothing could hinder Tian Wu Jue’s movement.
The ship had nearly finished its descent.
And the evidence it carried either sank into the depths or was swept away by the current.
Though Tian Wu Jue had secured some of it, he seemed to judge that this would suffice for his immediate purpose.
The assassins began to withdraw rapidly.
Using the exposed portions of the ship as footholds, they moved swiftly toward Bei Gong Dan Ya, who barely maintained his position.
Tian Wu Jue’s gaze sank deeper.
Crack!
Boom-boom-boom!
Tian Wu Jue launched himself from the ship’s remains, hurling his body into the fray.
The last of the vessel vanished rapidly beneath the surface.

* * *

Bei Gong Dan Ya’s body was nearly in tatters.
Whether it was the assassins’ blood or his own, his entire frame was drenched crimson.
One thing was certain: Bei Gong Dan Ya was severely exhausted.
Though his face bore the marks of blood, weariness was unmistakable.
Yet the assassins’ numbers had dwindled proportionally.
And the moment Tian Wu Jue, having secured some of the evidence, joined the fray, the tide of battle shifted.
Tian Wu Jue’s expression remained constant.
But the Killing Intent emanating from his body was extraordinarily savage.
A sign that he was enraged.
Even Bei Gong Dan Ya, standing so close, was startled by how emotionally transformed Tian Wu Jue had become.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
An enormous torrent of Internal Force exploded outward from Tian Wu Jue’s body.
The surrounding air, unable to withstand it, shattered violently, and the very ground trembled as if the earth itself were twisting.
Even the flowing water surged as if caught in a tempest.
“Ugh!”
Bei Gong Dan Ya could not endure it.
In his current state—grievously wounded from the start—it was far beyond what he could withstand.
Bei Gong Dan Ya collapsed with a groan, dropping to one knee, while the Gui Gu assassins retreated hastily.
And a moment later.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
The Gui Gu assassins moved as one.
Toward Tian Wu Jue? Or toward Bei Gong Dan Ya?
It was not.
They chose retreat instead.
All of them scattered rapidly in different directions and vanished.
Whoosh!
Tian Wu Jue disappeared.
Thwick! Thwick! Thwick!
Some of the Gui Gu assassins who had been retreating swiftly met their end.
Yet there were assassins who did not retreat but seized this opening instead.
Poisoned darts flew toward the crumpled Bei Gong Dan Ya.
But Bei Gong Dan Ya, once broken, could not respond to this attack properly.
Bei Gong Dan Ya’s life hung in the balance.
Thwick!
The assassin’s neck fell before the dart could pierce through Bei Gong Dan Ya.
Tian Wu Jue had appeared at Bei Gong Dan Ya’s side without warning.
He gazed with impassive eyes toward where the assassins had vanished.
There was no pursuit possible now.
“Are you unharmed?”
“I… yes….”
Bei Gong Dan Ya answered with difficulty, then coughed blood.
He had sustained not only external wounds but internal injuries as well.
Tian Wu Jue helped him up, steadying him on his feet.
“What of the evidence…?”
“We secured some of it.”
“Thank heavens.”
Bei Gong Dan Ya managed a weak smile, then finally let his head fall.
Tian Wu Jue had no choice but to hoist the blood-soaked Bei Gong Dan Ya onto his back and disappear from that place.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————