Sword Among Us c1-1268

by Black Swordsman Online

  'The plate belonging to Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's leader?

  'Stolen two years ago?

  'There's no way there's such a coincidence, right?!

  'Is the master of Purple Bamboo Forest a thief?'

  "Don't attack me. I'll meet with your faction leader, and you can take this plate away. I'll explain things to him face to face." Happy might not mind being surrounded by four Inaction Realm martial artists, but it was not appropriate for him to attack either, so he could only dodge while he spoke.

  Since he had to meet with Sword of Heavenly Faction's leader either way, this was perfect.

  "Hmph."

  When the four girls saw that the sword technique they executed after they were in formation was useless against Happy, they felt a little dejected as well, because they knew that Happy was extraordinary. They put their swords away, looked at each other, and nodded.

  "Alright, we'll have the faction personally capture him."

  Happy could only laugh wanly.

  'It seems like this Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate is not a good item to have. Let's hope that no troublesome quest will appear before I finish with Heavenly Crystal.'

  Chapter 776 - Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction’s Leader

  'Everything that can go wrong will go wrong…'

  The system notification rang in his mind.

  "Ding!

  "Triggered Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate Quest."

  The general gist of the quest was that Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's faction leader plate was stolen by a mysterious woman who hid herself in Purple Bamboo Forest. Right now, its whereabouts were unknown.

  Happy had been dragged into a bizarre incident!

  The quest required Happy to follow the female disciples and meet the Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's leader so that he can tell them exactly what happened to prove his own innocence.

  Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction was located at the summit of Heaven Mountain. Its building was not as grand as the other sects, but it gave off a lofty presence, making them appear noble, unsullied, and had completely become one with the world.

  On the way to meet the faction leader, NPC disciples of Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction will continuously cast curious glances at him.

  To avoid the people from seeing his face, Happy put on a Bamboo Hat over his head and covered his real face while he followed the four to hurry into a big hall in the faction.

  "Wait here. The faction leader will be here immediately."

  The four female disciples stared at Happy with the gaze that they were wary of thieves. Every one of them occupied one of the four cardinal directions, as if they were afraid that Happy was about to run away, and Happy found himself having nothing to say about this at all.

  But Happy really wanted to know just what sort of profound secret the master of Purple Bamboo Forest had when she handed the plate to him, and what sort of abstruse secret was contained inside this Sword of Heavenly Faction Plate.

  Just when Happy touched the warm plate in his hands, he suddenly sensed that the light behind him had dimmed, and the female disciples around him wrapped their hands around their swords and saluted a person.

  "Faction leader!"

  Their voices were orderly, and they were very respectful.

  When Happy turned his head around to look, he was instantly dumbfounded.

  'Master of Purple Bamboo Forest!

  'But she's the thief!

  'And now she's the faction master?!'

  "You may leave now." The master of Purple Bamboo Forest moved about elegantly. With light footsteps, she walked into the hall, and her eyes wandered about Happy's stunned and bewildered face before a faint smile appeared on her lips. She ordered the disciples in the hall to leave.

  "Y-you're Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's leader?"

  "Indeed." The master of Purple Bamboo Forest walked past Happy.

  Happy turned around in a flabbergasted manner and cried out at her back, "But you're also the master of Purple Bamboo Forest?"

  "That is true as well." The answer from the master of Purple Bamboo Forest completely threw Happy into a loop.

  "But you're the one who gave me this plate."

  "I know."

  The master of Purple Bamboo Forest finally stopped walking and turned around. "At that time, you're just a young boy who has not even entered Gate Realm yet, but you managed to receive three attacks from my sword servant. You have great potential, and you are a genius with amazing talent in martial arts. At that time, I did indeed want you to come back with me to Heaven Mountain, but unfortunately, the journey back here was long, and the environment around Heaven Mountain was bad. You are just a child as well…"

  "Urk…" Happy had nothing to say about that. When he listened to the master of Purple Bamboo Forest speak freely to him, he felt various emotions churning in his heart.

  "But this plate—"

  "Is something I created spontaneously. It's fake." One single sentence that was spoken lightly by the master of Purple Bamboo Forest was enough to strike Happy dumb again. "If you had come to me at Heaven Mountain after overcoming various difficulties, perhaps I would have given you a chance to inherit Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's legacy, but I didn't expect that in the end, you would still have joined the Murong Clan completely."

  She remained silent for a while. Then, the master of Purple Bamboo Forest changed her tone. "But you still didn't let me down. In just a short two years, you managed to rise to fame in the world of martial artists, and you have also inherited the entire legacy of the Murong Clan. As expected of the person I chose."

  Happy's mind was still in a mess, but he still answered humbly, "You praise me too much. But I'm curious. Since you gave me a fake plate, why did you mention that a thief stole your plate?"

  This was indeed something that he could not understand, perhaps…

  Right when he figured something out, just as he expected, the master of Purple Bamboo Forest sighed. "In truth, when I made the fake plate, it's because I can no longer retrieve the real plate. It's true that the real authenticating token for Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction's leader was stolen by someone two years ago. That's why I brought my sword servant to chase after the thief into Jiangnan. But unfortunately, that person is very good. Every time we find a clue about him, he will manage to run away."

  Happy finally had a look of understanding appear on his face. He had a vague idea of what was going on now.

  The master of Purple Bamboo Forest had been dispirited, and when she was prepared to leave, she casually handed over the fake plate as an authenticating token for Happy.

  "I see." Happy instantly breathed a large sigh of relief.

  "By the way, you must have a reason why you came to Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction this time, yes?" The master of Purple Bamboo Forest used a gaze that made her seem as if she could see through everything, and there was a ghost of a smile on her face.

  "That is true. I wish to enter Heavenly Lake, and I hope that you will approve of my request."

  "Heavenly Lake?" The master of Purple Bamboo Forest smiled softly. "Heavenly Lake is an important place for Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction. It is the place to understand the essence of Sword of Heavenly Lake Technique, and it can be considered as the sacred ground for the faction. Based on faction rules, all outsiders are not allowed inside."

  "I do indeed have something I need to attend to, and I have no other choice but to complete it in Heavenly Lake. Please allow me to enter, faction leader." Happy requested earnestly.

  "Just what is it that requires you to enter our sacred ground, Heavenly Lake?" The master of Purple Bamboo Forest smiled and asked, "Even I, the faction leader, cannot release anyone I like into that place as I please, unless…"

  "Unless?" When he heard the master of Purple Bamboo Forest dropping a hint, Happy quickly asked.

  "Unless he or she is a person who has provided great service to the faction or is a person the faction owes a debt of gratitude to. Those are
the only outsiders who are allowed to enter my faction's sacred grounds." The answer from the master of Purple Bamboo Forest caused Happy's heart to instantly become heavy.

  'Great service?'

  A quest that will let the player provide a great service to a faction was definitely not any normal quest.

  But Happy will not miss the chance to nurture Heaven Crystal.

  "Please tell me the details, faction leader."

  The master of Purple Bamboo Forest answered, "We don't have anything that is of great urgency lately, so I cannot help you in that regard as well. Our faction keeps a distance from the Chinese world of martial artists, and we have always held ourselves aloof from worldly conflicts so that we can live freely. Our only regret is that Sword of Heavenly Lake's plate is currently outside somewhere in the world."

  The master of Purple Bamboo Forest had already said her subsequent words. "If you want to help me retrieve the authenticating token for Sword of Heavenly Lake's leader, and by that, I mean the real Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate, I will not mind letting you enter Heavenly Lake."

  "Ding!"

  Right when she finished speaking, the system quickly gave him a notification to ask whether Happy will receive the quest.

  Happy instantly smiled wanly.

  With his current experience, it was not difficult for him to tell that the master of Purple Bamboo Forest should already be at Myth Realm.

  If someone as powerful as the master of Purple Bamboo Forest cannot even retrieve Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate, he can just imagine just how difficult the quest was!

  Happy s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath, and he still braced his courage to agree to this. "I will try my best. Please tell me who stole Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate."

  The master of Purple Bamboo Forest was delighted.

  "Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate has left Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction for more than two years, and if you can help me retrieve this item, I promise you, I will let you enter Heavenly Lake as many times as you please!"

  "That's a promise!"

  "But this person's identity is a little tricky. He doesn't belong to any sect, and he doesn't have any worries tying him down. He is also very powerful, which is why many people are not willing to provoke him." The master of Purple Bamboo Forest slowly mentioned a person's name, and Happy's pupils shrank.

  Chapter 777 - Ximen Chuixue

  Once he received the quest from the master of Purple Bamboo Forest, Happy hurriedly left Sword of Heavenly Lake Faction and left Heaven Mountain.

  When he came in search for the method to nurture Heaven Crystal Heavenly Lake, he had been prepared for a long, drawn-out battle with the faction leader in the form of a string of quests, and he was even prepared to carry out quests near Heaven Mountain, but he did not expect that the quest from the master of Purple Bamboo Forest would not even be in the area.

  What made him feel even more resigned was that the person who stole Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate was a peerless elite Happy would never have imagined. He was even an elite to whom many martial arts maniacs had gone crazy over in the past!

  He was a swordsman who symbolized loneliness and noble character!

  He always appeared in white.

  His clothes were as white as snow, his sword was as white as snow, his side profile was as white as snow, and his loneliness was as white as snow. He was a man who cast himself entirely on the path of the sword, and he was someone who was close to godhood.

  Ximen Chuixue!

  But based on Happy's understanding of Ximen Chuixue, he was a man who would regard stealing something like Sword of Heavenly Lake Plate with scorn, because this man did not have anything he regarded as important which could form any sort of ties with him in his heart. Everything about him was the sword, and when it came to the moment he killed, most of the time, that moment was equal to the moment he drew his sword, that was all.

  But since the clue was Ximen Chuixue, Happy can only search for the plate based on this clue.

  Even though this matter might involve other powerful martial artists such as Lu Xiaofeng, Ye Gucheng, and even the palace as well as the elites at the Forbidden Palace, Happy can only keep searching.

  Ximen Chuixue.

  'I wonder just how fast he is compared to One Emperor…

  'And just how profound is Ye Gucheng's Heavenly Flying Immortal?'

  While Happy went down the mountain, he was hesitant, but also filled with endless expectations. Excitement could be found in his smile.

  Even though there might be plenty of ups and downs during the quest, and it will heavily affect the days he could nurture Heaven Crystal, if he could meet up with Ximen Chuixue, Ye Gucheng, and other peerless elites like them, Happy felt that the trip was worth it.

  In Beijing was an alley that was near the corner of the city wall, and few people visited it. There were a few martial arts elites who had extraordinary presences staying there, and they seldom ventured out of the place.

  A long time ago, there were rumors saying that there was a matchless elite staying there, because the players who passed by can hear the sounds of swords being drawn from the courtyard inside. It was very clear, and that sound of the sword being drawn from its sheath could clear minds. It gave off a sharp feeling that could destroy everything.

  Unfortunately, the courtyard was located deep within the mansion, and there was also a pavilion built, so outsiders had a difficult time looking inside even if they wanted to.

  And the people inside never came out. Even if they did, no one ever saw them. They kept an incredibly low profile, and slowly, as time passed, the martial artists in Beijing were used to this, and they no longer found it strange.

  But on this day, a person stood outside the alley.

  He was a handsome man who stood tall, and he was dressed in a well-balanced brocade robe with black borders, giving him an extraordinary presence. He stared at the door where the sound of swords being drawn came from with a clear gaze, and while he listened to the sounds inside, excitement and delight that came from the bottom of his heart rose in him.

  "That's an outstanding sword technique. I should be able to learn something from this trip."

  After listening for a while, the man walked on the stairs and knocked on the door.

  The few martial artists who passed by looked at the person curiously, and someone could not help but tell him, "You should stop knocking 'cause it's useless. The people inside won't come out."

  That person also managed to see the man's face clearly because of it. He shuddered, and he could not help but widen his eyes as he stuttered, "O-One Emperor…"

  The players nearby stopped moving. Shock could be seen on their faces.

  One Emperor!

  "It's really him!"

  "Why is he in Beijing?"

  "Is it a hidden quest?"

  "Is it related to the people inside the courtyard?"

  Countless players discussed among themselves, and their eyes were filled with curiosity and expectations toward One Emperor's arrival in this place.

  One Emperor was unperturbed by the gazes of the people on him. His eyes were locked on the person who spoke to him just now, and he asked, "What do you mean by them never coming out?"

  "Urk…" The slightly plump player became nervous. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he answered tentatively, "Many people knocked on the door in the past, but no one ever answered."

  One Emperor frowned.

  He turned his head around to listen, and it was just as the plump player said, the sounds of swords being drawn in the courtyard continued. There was no sign of it ever stopping or of anyone coming to open the door.

  "You refuse to open the door, huh?"

  No hint of disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e could be seen on One Emperor's face.

  Just when the players around him began speculating whether One Emperor will give up or will do something else, they saw One Emperor calmly bring out a longsword with a golden sheath.

  The players on both sides were so s
hocked that they s.u.c.k.e.d in sharp breaths.

  'Does One Emperor intend to force his way in?'

  The latter used his actions to answer the questions in the hearts of the players around him. He held his sword hilt in his right hand, and when a clear and airy sword w.h.i.n.e rose, he slowly drew half of his sword out.

  A cold and ghastly sword glare mixed with a sword will that filled the air caused the people in the alley to sense a great pressure. They held their breaths and did not even dare breathe loudly as they just stared at One Emperor's actions.

  Clang!

  The door that had been shut for one year suddenly opened from within.

  Whoosh!

  Countless gazes were gathered on him like spotlights, and they were fixed on the teenager who looked no older than eighteen years old.

  There were still a few droplets of sweat on the teenager's face, and his clothes were drenched. Once he opened the door, he surveyed the area with an incredibly indifferent gaze. In the end, his eyes landed on One Emperor, who had already sheathed his sword. "You're the one who drew the sword?"

  His voice was cold, crisp, and also held a faint hint of hostility.

  One Emperor smiled faintly and said, "Is this Senior Ximen's abode?"

  "I don't know what you mean Ximen or whoever it is you're referring to." The teenaget was a little impatient. He interrupted One Emperor and said, "My master said that the sound you made when you drew your sword is too grating to the ears, and he told me to come and fight against you."

  His words were very simple.

  "You're Senior Ximen's disciple?"

  "Duh!"

  One Emperor did not treat this as a sign of disrespect. Instead, he smiled. "Since you're Senior Ximen's disciple, then you have the right to fight against me. Let me see just how great is the disciple taught by the legendary Sword Demon."

  "Attack."

  "Me?" One Emperor laughed. He could naturally tell that this teenager should be a player, not an NPC, and the number of players who could make him attack first could be counted on one hand.