Chapter Ninety-Four: The Art of Rebirth-Divine Treasures Across the Realms(Kapok Tree 2016)

The soul-form Tiancrow Wind, his face blank, flailed his hands wildly, trying to catch his own softening body as it slumped, yet his hands passed straight through it; when he reached to touch his soul-form body, his hands passed through that as well.

At this moment, Tiancrow Wind looked dreadful indeed: a black pall clouded his brow, deathly aura coiled about his upper body, and a lurid, obscene miasma wound around his lower half. That miasma was pink, yet within the pink lurked a blood-red hue, and in the dim depths of everyone’s souls there seemed to rise the mournful cries of ghosts.

"In our Great Bright Empire, the Cheng and Zhu teachings rule the world, honored as orthodox Confucianism. They uphold the preservation of heavenly principle and the eradication of human desire. A woman’s chastity is greater than the heavens themselves. Linghu Chong, Great Hero Linghu, look and see: your so-called upright and honorable Brother Tiancrow Wind has seduced how many innocent maidens and respectable women? He has brought them to shame, left them unable to face the world, and forced them to their deaths so they would not have to endure the cold stares of all beneath heaven."

"When you and your Brother Tiancrow Wind were drinking wine by the bowl and eating meat by the mouthful, did you ever think of those people your Brother Tiancrow Wind had driven to death? Did you remember Junior Brother Chi Baicheng, who just now died saving your so-called innocent and lively Sister Apprentice Yilin?" Yang Xin said coldly.

"Those are all one-sided claims of yours. It’s all just tricks and sleight of hand. I firmly believe Brother Tiancrow Wind is nothing like the rumors say. He’s a truly open and upright hero!" Linghu Chong still shouted with his neck stiff.

"Just as I thought. No matter what you say, what I think is right is right, and everything else is garbage."

Yang Xin understood Linghu Chong’s thinking perfectly, so he gave a light pat and sent Tiancrow Wind’s soul back into his body, then waved to Lin Pingzhi.

"Senior Uncle says to capture Tiancrow Wind. Looks like he wants him taken alive, so I’d better not use the Blood Drink Mad Saber, lest I accidentally kill him with one slash." After thinking it over, Lin Pingzhi sheathed his blade and took the opening stance of the Heavenly Frost Fist.

Once his soul had returned to his body, Tiancrow Wind did not wait for the crowd to react. He immediately unleashed his lightness skill and fled.

Just as Lin Pingzhi was about to strike and capture him, Linghu Chong blocked Lin Pingzhi’s path. Enraged, Lin Pingzhi no longer cared about Linghu Chong’s status as senior brother and struck out without mercy.

"Flying Frost and Snow!"

Two figures were sent flying, one of them Linghu Chong, struck by Lin Pingzhi.

Linghu Chong had not expected Lin Pingzhi to attack so abruptly. Caught unprepared, he had no time to draw his sword when the move came; he could only sweep his sword sideways to block the line of attack. Even so, after taking Lin Pingzhi’s fist, his injuries were not light. Moreover, Linghu Chong knew Lin Pingzhi had shown restraint, or else that blow would have shattered his bones and sinews outright.

The other figure was Tiancrow Wind.

The crowd had been drawn by Yang Xin’s words, but only Lao Denuo kept his eyes fixed on Tiancrow Wind. He was an old hand at the martial world, and he also wanted to earn some credit and cling to Yang Xin’s favor. So the moment he saw Tiancrow Wind trying to flee, Lao Denuo immediately used Wind-Catching Shadow-Tracking, blocked the escape route, and then gathered all his strength to unleash the third form of the Heavenly Frost Fist, "Flying Frost and Snow!"

Inwardly, Lao Denuo could not help admiring Yue Buqun. Tiancrow Wind was famed as the Lone Rider Across Ten Thousand Miles, and his lightness skill was truly formidable. If Yue Buqun had not forced everyone every day to spend large amounts of time cultivating that Wind-Catching Shadow-Tracking technique, Lao Denuo might not have been able to intercept him at all.

Tiancrow Wind was blasted back into the main hall by Lao Denuo’s strike, coughing up a large mouthful of blood. Terror filled his eyes. He had not expected a second-generation Mount Hua disciple to possess such terrifying strength, so fierce and vicious. If he had not held his blade across his chest, that punch might well have killed him.

Shakingly, Tiancrow Wind lifted the blade in his hand. He saw that it was covered with frost; with only a slight tremble, the entire long saber snapped into seven or eight pieces.

"What a savage martial art!" Tiancrow Wind said. Then he let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and awaited death. "I, Tiancrow Wind, have roamed the martial world for decades and disgraced many a young woman. Still, my life has been worth it. Kill me or flay me, as you please!"

"Linghu Chong, this is the hero you speak of; Yilin, this is the Brother Tiancrow whom you said treated you so graciously. Bah!" Lin Pingzhi no longer even addressed him as senior brother, but called him by name instead. Coldly speaking, he stepped forward, seized Tiancrow Wind, sealed his acupoints, and dislocated his jaw so he could not bite his tongue to death.

"Pingzhi, biting the tongue cannot bring death. Only if the blood from the bite blocks the throat can it possibly cause suffocation." Yang Xin said lightly. Then he lifted Tiancrow Wind and, once again as though climbing stairs, stepped through the air up to the second floor, where Chi Baicheng lay.

Yang Xin took Tiancrow Wind’s hands and pressed them against Chi Baicheng’s chest, then activated the art of transmigration. At the same time, he opened his pale eyes. Within their sight, streams of energy flowed from Tiancrow Wind into Chi Baicheng, and the sapling of the sacred tree inside Yang Xin’s body seemed to stir restlessly.

A thought flickered through Yang Xin’s mind. He suppressed the sapling of the sacred tree and canceled the pale eyes. With normal sight, no flow of energy could be seen at all; only Tiancrow Wind growing visibly older by the second, while Chi Baicheng’s halted breathing resumed in the faintest measure and his long-stopped heart began to beat again.

The moment Chi Baicheng showed the signs of life, Tiancrow Wind’s death was also at hand.

In the end, Yang Xin extended a branch from his palm, which drank up Tiancrow Wind’s flesh and blood until nothing remained. Then, before everyone’s eyes, Tiancrow Wind turned to flying ash and vanished, while Chi Baicheng slowly opened his eyes.

"Greetings, Master Yue." After opening his eyes, Chi Baicheng looked confused for a moment. Seeing Yue Buqun, he quickly tried to rise and bow.

"Good child, lie back down at once, lie back down!" Yue Buqun hurried to support him, helping him settle down while feeling for his pulse.

Since antiquity, medicine and martial arts have never been separate. Though martial artists are hardly great physicians, they know some medical skill. Yue Buqun could clearly feel Chi Baicheng’s pulse beating. Though weak, it was unmistakably alive.

A great uproar rose again among the martial world.

"Immortal arts!" someone suddenly shouted, and at once everyone rose to their feet and bowed. "The Black Tiger Hall of the Central Plains greets the Mount Hua Immortal Elder."

"The Thunder Hall of Jiangnan greets the Immortal Elder."

"The Iron Sword Sect of Hebei greets the Immortal Elder."

All manner of people hurried to pay their respects. This was immortal art! If one could establish a connection, perhaps even after death one might be brought back to life. As for Tiancrow Wind, reduced to flying ash, everyone deliberately chose to ignore him. Replacing one life with another had only ever been a saying before, but now it had truly appeared before their eyes.

"Of course, of course." Yang Xin gave a perfunctory clasp of the hands, then pointed at Lao Denuo. "This is my Mount Hua External Affairs Elder, Lao Denuo. All of Mount Hua’s external affairs are handled by him. Denuo, greet our martial friends."

Having said that, Yang Xin no longer bothered with those people. With a sweep of his right hand, heaven and earth turned upside down, and he drew Yue Buqun and Chi Baicheng into the mirror-like space.

To the eyes of the crowd, Yang Xin simply vanished in an instant. One person disappearing could perhaps be explained by some bizarre lightness skill, but three people disappearing together, including Chi Baicheng, who had just been brought back from the dead, left everyone utterly shocked. They cried out in wonder at immortal arts, and with a rustle surged around Lao Denuo, paying respects while cautiously probing for answers.

As an old hand in the martial world, Lao Denuo naturally knew what could be said and what could not; he also knew how to say what ought to be said. He was deft and worldly, smooth as silk, neither offending others nor fearing offense himself. Of course, with the miraculous means Yang Xin had displayed, none of them dared to offend him anyway, for they were still depending on him to save their lives.

At this time, within the mirrored space...