First Immortal of the Sword - Chapter 2840 - A Battle to the Death
Chapter 2840 – A Battle to the Death
The smell of incense filled the hall. The atmosphere was silent and oppressive.
Madam Qingyi sat in a heap on the floor, gazing at Heavenly Sovereign E with surprise, delight, shock, and awe.
The Blissful Heavens was the greatest assassin’s guild in the Eternal Heavens Domain, and its background had always been mysterious. Its experts typically kept a low profile, hiding themselves amongst the teeming masses.
Rosy Dew Pavilion was one of their bases. It was also their most secret base in the Literati Continent. The woman in charge of it, Madam Qingyi, hid her true cultivation base. She was actually a deeply hidden Heavenly Monarch.
Even within the Blissful Heavens, only a select handful of higher-ups knew who their backer was. Madam Qingyi was one of the few. Still, she hadn’t anticipated that Heavenly Sovereign E would come in person!
Admittedly, this was just one of his avatars of will, but this was still highly unexpected, especially since she’d received no advance warning whatsoever. What shocked her even more was that the man in red didn’t back down in the slightest, even in the face of a Heavenly Sovereign!
Madam Qingyi’s heart shook. Master called him ‘Lu Hongpao.’ Don’t tell me that’s really the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign?
Heavenly Sovereign E’s gaze was deep and intense as he looked Lu Hongpao up and down. “I can step back, but I don’t understand. How did you know that I was in the Literati Continent?”
Lu Hongpao laughed. “Because you’re the most insidious and ruthless of all those old fogies, and your hands are the dirtiest. You’re a lofty Heavenly Sovereign, yet you sure don’t act the part. You’re always up to some sort of debased, petty scheme. Is putting it that way enough to help you understand?”
Heavenly Sovereign E chuckled. “Nonsense. If you don’t want to explain, don’t blame me for standing in your way.”
He turned to look at Su Yi, his gaze playful. “Su Yi, you shouldn’t have revealed yourself so early. It might seem like Lu Hongpao is helping you, but in truth, she’s hurt you!”
Boom!
Lu Hongpao attacked suddenly. A swath of sword qi came crashing down, shattering Heavenly Sovereign E’s figure into pieces.
Only his cold, indifferent voice remained, still echoing throughout the hall. “Lu Hongpao, I’ll be interested to see whether or not you can escort him safely out of the Literati Continent all on your own!”
Lu Hongpao fell briefly silent, then laughed. “My good brother, let me give it to you straight. The true danger will arrive when we leave the Literati Continent. Heavenly Sovereign E won’t be the only one blocking our path then. Are you afraid?”
Su Yi had just sat there quietly this entire time. He took a moment to pour himself a glass of wine before responding. “First, allow me a cup of wine to calm my nerves.”
Lu Hongpao couldn’t help but laugh. She sat down across from Su Yi and poured herself a cup, too.
Madam Qingyi watched in the distance, quivering from head to toe, too terrified to speak.
“Allow me to make a guess,” said Su Yi after a thoughtful pause. “On the surface, it was the Malevolent Sword Venerate who planned the trap in the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone and joined forces with Limitless Palace, the Court of the Southern Heavens, and Sevendeaths Court, but in truth, the real threat lies with Heavenly Sovereign E and the other old-timers. Is that right?”
Lu Hongpao nodded. “I saw your expedition as a test, and I watched it all. Heavenly Sovereign E and the others were naturally capable of doing so, too.”
Su Yi pondered briefly. “The Malevolent Sword Venerate allied with three Heavenly Sovereign Factions. That naturally implies that the three Heavenly Sovereigns backing them are aware of all this. Will they participate, too?”
“It’s entirely possible,” said Lu Hongpao.
“Did you anticipate all this before arranging for me to come to the Literati Continent?” asked Su Yi.
“I did,” admitted Lu Hongpao.
Then, as if embarrassed, she rubbed her cheek and said, “I just didn’t expect such an enormous commotion. It seems I’ve dragged you into a pit.”
Su Yi had nothing to say to that. What could he even say to that?
Lu Hongpao laughed. “Hey, are you bitter that I wasn’t more careful? Relax, my dear brother! I can still escort you safely out of the Literati Continent!”
“Have you made any preparations?” asked Su Yi.
Lu Hongpao blinked. “Is that necessary?”
Su Yi couldn’t help but drain another cup of wine. “Heavenly Sovereigns’ thinking really is different.”
Lu Hongpao rolled her eyes. “Manners!”
Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not insulting you. I just really didn’t expect that you’d arranged for me to explore the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone despite anticipating that it would lead to such enormous danger. You’ve endangered yourself, too. How can I not admire someone so willing to be ruthless to themself?”
Lu Hongpao glared at him. “Are you done? Aren’t you afraid that if you keep talking like that, I’ll toss you to the wolves and leave?”
“Nope,” said Su Yi.
He took another sip of wine and said calmly, “Someone so dutiful and brave would never cast me aside. I’m sure you’d go to the ends of the earth for your good brother!”
“You sure know how to flatter!” exclaimed Lu Hongpao. “Who taught you to talk like that? Was it Cen Xinghe, that Sin Soul who calls you his grandfather?”
“No one taught me,” Su Yi said flatly. “I mastered it myself.”
Lu Hongpao clutched her belly and laughed.
Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh, too.
The two of them laughed and chatted, perfectly at ease. Madam Qingyi couldn’t help but feel conflicted just watching them. Why aren’t they concerned about Heavenly Sovereign E’s death trap? How are they in any mood to laugh and converse?
Before she could give the matter any further thought, someone poked her in the head, hard, and consciousness fled her.
Lu Hongpao straightened her spine and said, “Let’s get down to business. I’ve already planned for the worst when we leave the Literati Continent, but I’m sure I can help you leave safely. Don’t worry about that.
“But I won’t be able to guarantee anything after you leave the Literati Continent,” she said softly. “I’d originally planned to escort you to the Southern Sea to lie low and take it easy for a while, but now, it seems I’ll have to give up on the idea.”
Su Yi was stunned. “The Southern Sea? Why?”
Lu Hongpao said casually, “There’s a stretch of ocean called the Sea of Fate. It’s been there since the Devastation. There’s an Eternal Throne hidden inside, but even after all this time, no one’s ever found it. I wanted you to test your luck.”
She paused. “Of course, it would have been totally fine if you’d failed; the big thing is that it was a place to lie low. The incident in the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone is sure to shake the world and bring you back into the public eye. There’s no telling how many storms will result. Lying low in the Southern Sea would naturally do you good.”
Su Yi finally understood, but he quickly shook his head. “Even without this storm, I wouldn’t go to the Southern Sea.”
Lu Hongpao blinked. “Then what do you plan to do?”
“I need to take a trip to the Heart-Tempering Sword House,” said Su Yi.
Lu Hongpao’s expression shifted. “The Heart-Tempering Sword House is like a firepit. It’s no longer the place you were once familiar with!”
Su Yi said casually, “I can just take on a new identity and infiltrate their ranks. After all, this is the faction my past life established himself. Now that I’ve returned, I can’t abide anyone else taking my rightful place.”
This wasn’t an impulsive decision; Su Yi had other goals. He’d long since known that his identity would inevitably come to light sooner or later; he couldn’t hide forever, nor was he willing to hide in the shadows and scuttle away from the light like a rat. In that case, better to change his approach entirely and find a way to establish a firm footing in the Eternal Heavens Domain. Then, he could challenge his enemies forthrightly and openly.
Jiang Wuchen founded the Heart-Tempering Sword House and turned it into one of the world’s leading factions of the Dao of the Sword. Why couldn’t Su Yi do the same?
His task was actually even easier than Jiang Wuchen’s; he just wanted to reclaim what was rightfully his. That was far easier than building a sect from the ground up.
Of course, he’d need to take a long-term view and act slowly and carefully. But that was still better than drifting aimlessly and hiding all the time!
“Do you realize that the Malevolent Sword Venerate is colluding with experts of the Far Shore of Destiny?” asked Lu Hongpao.
Su Yi’s heart stirred. “I’m aware.”
He then told her what he knew about Hei Ya, the traitor of Sword Sovereign City, and his involvement in the death trap in the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone. It was Hei Ya who’d given the Malevolent Sword Venerate the Endless Expanse Hidden Realm.
After hearing the full story, Lu Hongpao’s expression was noticeably more solemn. “Over the past several years, no small number of experts from the Far Shore of Destiny have appeared. All of them are furtive and mysterious, acting behind the scenes. Most of the populace knows nothing of their involvement.
“Logically speaking, this Hei Ya person must have become the Malevolent Sword Venerate’s backer a long time ago. And it’s highly likely that another, mightier faction stands behind Hei Ya! Given the circumstances, going to the Heart-Tempering Sword House will be even more dangerous than I initially anticipated.”
Su Yi laughed. “All the better. I can take this opportunity to root out and cleanse all of the latent threats hidden in the Heart-Tempering Sword House.”
He then set the topic aside and asked, “You said you’re planning for the worst. What specifically do you mean?”
Lu Hongpao drained a cup of wine and said casually, “I’m prepared for a fight to the death.”
Su Yi didn’t say anything. He could tell that she wasn’t kidding. But that only made him increasingly cognizant of how dire the situation was!
If Lu Hongpao was prepared to fight to the death, leaving the Literati Continent would surely be extremely perilous! Could he lie low in the Literati Continent a while longer?
Su Yi immediately rejected the idea. Doing so would only give his enemies more time to plot and gather power. He’d ultimately wind up no more than a fish encased in ice, unable to escape.
After a lengthy silence, Su Yi asked, “When do we set off?”
Lu Hongpao leisurely poured herself a cup of wine. “Whenever. Do you have any questions to ask before we leave? Or anything to say? If so, why not take this opportunity to lay it all out in the open? We, good brothers, ought to bare our hearts to each other!”
Su Yi said irritably, “Are you trying to leave behind your last words? Is that really necessary?”
Lu Hongpao couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s take advantage of this rare moment of peace to link arms, rejoice, and reminisce!”
At the mention of reminiscing, Jiang Wuchen’s memories of Lu Hongpao rose to the forefront of Su Yi’s consciousness. The memory that left the deepest impression on him was the one and only time he saw her true, female form.
Her red robes flowed around her like lotus petals, and her skin was as fair as snow. Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, and she stood beneath the dome of heaven, slender and graceful. Her smile was so radiant that the light of the heavens dimmed by comparison.
She was enchanting to the extreme and beautiful as could be.
Su Yi recalled Jiang Wuchen thinking, “My ‘best brother’ is actually my ‘big chest brother!’”
