Volume 1, Chapter 31: My Sworn Brother Who Shared the Zodiac with Me, Was You All Along

Long Zhan wanted to take advantage of the fact that no one was left to stop him to finish off Zhao Wujiang once and for all.

Li Yunyi noticed Long Zhan’s murderous intent and shouted, "Long Zhan, what is the meaning of this? This brother is my savior; had it not been for him, I would have suffered a great disaster earlier!" Li Yunyi stepped forward, using his status as a prince to block Long Zhan.

"Sixth Prince, take a good look at who he really is before you speak." Ling Qingxue, her disguise now gone, wore a cold and murderous expression as she sneered, "This savior of yours is none other than the Zhao Wujiang you have been searching for!"

Li Yunyi, who had only recognized Zhao Wujiang from the back earlier, was stunned as he clearly saw his true face. Years ago, when Zhao Wujiang was betrothed to Li Yunrui, the Prince of Zhenbei had brought him to court, and Li Yunyi had seen him from afar. Although Zhao Wujiang was a dissipated drunkard back then and likely had not noticed him, Li Yunyi certainly recognized that face.

"My good brother, with whom I shared such camaraderie... it was you all along?" Li Yunyi’s mind reeled.

Long Zhan glanced at the bewildered Sixth Prince, too indifferent to care, and swung his royal sword toward Zhao Wujiang. He intended to strike fast and decisively before they could react. His master had once told his fortune, claiming the Heavenly Sword was destined to be his. Why should it be split in two, leaving him with only half? And to make matters worse, the other half had been given to his most despised enemy, Zhao Wujiang! Both swords should belong to him; what right did Zhao Wujiang have to lay a finger on what was rightfully his?

"Today, I will slaughter you, you eyesore of a piece of trash!"

But Zhao Wujiang had already sensed the killing intent. He was not one to be easily captured. Ever since the Chief of the Sword Casting Division was killed, he had been on constant guard against a sudden strike from Long Zhan. Now, he swung his sword with all his might, the blood-red sword qi forming ripples that clashed with the water-blue sword qi unleashed by Long Zhan.

The red and blue energies collided, exploding in mid-air. Shockwaves of sword qi rippled outward in all directions, tearing through the cliffs behind the Sword Casting Division, sending debris flying and carving deep ravines into the ground of the Sword Pool as the earth began to collapse. The entire area around the pool began to shake, and rocks showered down. The survivors, awestruck by the power of the Heavenly Sword, scrambled to avoid the falling rubble. Even the foundation of the Sword Casting Division was fracturing.

Long Zhan refused to give up. In his mind, the only reason Zhao Wujiang could resist his assault was because of the power granted to him by the other half of the Heavenly Sword! Otherwise, a single strike from him would have left Zhao Wujiang with no bones remaining.

"You stole what should have belonged to me!" Long Zhan’s eyes burned with ferocity. Ignoring the tremors and the impending collapse of the mountain, he struck at Zhao Wujiang again. Zhao Wujiang countered, blocking him once more.

"Damn it! Why can’t I kill you?" Long Zhan’s heart churned. He had never imagined that this stepping stone he had always looked down upon could withstand two strikes of his Heavenly Sword qi. He had investigated Zhao Wujiang, and the man was supposed to have no martial arts training at all. Yet, not only could he fight, but his foundation of internal energy was clearly solid, and his physical prowess was immense. Was he not supposed to be a hollowed-out piece of trash?

"Senior Sister, help me kill him!" Long Zhan called out.

But Ling Qingxue did not move. Feeling the unusual tremors, she said, "The space beneath the Sword Casting Division must have been hollowed out by Jian Donglai for an escape route. It can no longer withstand the power of the Heavenly Sword—it’s collapsing! We must leave!"

It wasn't just her; Zhao Wujiang had realized this long ago. He took the opportunity to grab the bewildered Li Yunyi and head toward the exit. He had no time to play games with Long Zhan; he knew the priorities, and survival came first.

"Don't think you can escape!" Long Zhan tried to pursue, but Ling Qingxue held him back.

"The Sword Casting Division is collapsing; this is no place to linger." Seeing that he could not take down Zhao Wujiang, Long Zhan’s brow darkened. Frustrated, he had no choice but to follow his senior sister and flee. Neither of them wanted to be buried in the ruins.

Soon, everyone retreated from the division. Zhao Wujiang saw a tunnel beneath the ground, likely leading to the outside world, but it was now sealed tight by layers of rubble.

Once they were safe, Li Yunyi asked, "Brother... are you really Zhao..."

"That’s right." With things having reached this point, Zhao Wujiang stopped pretending and laid his cards on the table. "I am Zhao Wujiang."

Li Yunyi’s expression grew increasingly complex. He had been looking for that detestable Zhao Wujiang for so long, never realizing they had already met.

"Where is Yunrui?" he asked, frowning.

"Don't worry, she is in a safe place and wasn't involved in this."

Li Yunyi let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good." He looked at the devastated ruins of the Sword Casting Division. Many from the martial arts world and the imperial court had been caught in the disaster, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. He felt a headache coming on. "How am I to explain this to the Emperor? This is a massive disaster."

As Li Yunyi spoke, Zhao Wujiang saw Ling Qingxue and Long Zhan emerging from the rubble.

*Ling Qingxue is with Long Zhan—perfect! This woman killed Cao Xiaolan’s family and was caught in the act by the Patrol Battalion. If I bring Li Yunyi forward and expose this, Long Zhan will inevitably be implicated.*

Zhao Wujiang glanced at the pair; it was the perfect time to corner Long Zhan. But as he pondered, Ling Qingxue suddenly looked over. They had been too busy fighting for the sword to notice earlier, but if Zhao Wujiang were to report her as a murderer to Li Yunyi while she was standing next to Long Zhan, wouldn't that drag him into it? No, she had to leave immediately!

Ling Qingxue whispered a few words to Long Zhan and then darted away, skimming lightly over the grass. Zhao Wujiang frowned; that woman moved fast. It was as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. Furthermore, she was fleeing in the direction of the inn where Li Yunrui was staying.

"Li Yunyi, it’s time for you to clean up the mess," Zhao Wujiang urged.

"What about my sister?" Li Yunyi demanded. "Where is this 'safe place' you mentioned? I will go get her myself."

"You shouldn't go there; I will bring her to you." Watching Ling Qingxue enter the inn, Zhao Wujiang gave Li Yunyi one last instruction: "You deal with the aftermath first. Remember, you must keep Long Zhan occupied. If you manage that, I’ll give you the latest edition of the Erotic Manual next time."