Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 701 – A Story about a City and a Blade (I)

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, falling upon Tie Shu’s temples and clothes, yet they could not truly touch him. With extremely soft swishes, they were sliced into countless pieces, countless small flowers blooming in the air.

This man seemed to be made of iron, even colder than the wind and snow. Hidden under his clothes was a sharpness more frightening than even blades or spears.

Wang Po walked to the table, glanced at him, and then sat down, serenely placing his blade on the table.

His movements were very steady and light. They made no noise, as silent as the falling snowflakes.

Snowflakes also fell on his temples, then rolled off or lightly stuck. They also fell on his blade, gradually covering it like fallen yellowed leaves, revealing not even a hint of sharpness.

At this sight, Tie Shu’s indifferent expression slowly began to change. He was not growing more wary or solemn, but sorrowful.

In Tanzhe Temple, when he had closed his eyes amongst a world of yellowed leaves, just like now, he had seen a similar sight.

He looked at the Wang Po of now, but in his eyes was the figure of that youth clothed in hemp walking out of Wenshui City.

“Today, I might be talking a bit more than usual.”

He said to Wang Po.

Wang Po looked through the wind and snow at the courtyard, his meaning clear.

With an indifferent expression, Tie Shu said, “It is impossible for Chen Changsheng to succeed, so I have a very long time.”

Wang Po had a different view, but it was precisely because of this that he naturally did not mind sitting for a while.

“Senior, please speak.”

“Back when you left Wenshui City, many people went to see you.”

At these words, Wang Po’s drooping brows slightly rose and then descended.

As the final male descendant of the Wang clan of Tianliang, if he were to die, the Wang clan would truly be destroyed.

Emperor Taizong’s joke would become the truth.

Thus, ever since he was a child, he hid all over the place. With the assistance of the Liang Household and some old and warmhearted senior cultivators, he was able to mature with great difficulty.

The power of the Zhu clan was too great, especially after Wang Po came to be known as a cultivating genius. The situation he faced became even more dangerous, but it was right at that point that the Tang Old Master sent someone to bring him into Wenshui City.

In Wenshui, he worked for several years as an accountant, under the Tang clan’s protection.

Several years later, he decided to leave Wenshui. The Tang Old Master also agreed with his decision.

This news very swiftly spread to all corners of the continent.

That Wang Po dared to leave Wenshui and cast aside the protection of Tang clan signified that after his several years of life as an accountant, he had matured enough to develop sufficient self-confidence. As long as Zhu Luo was prevented by the oath of the starry sky from personally taking action and the Imperial Court did not move the army or its great experts, it would be very difficult to kill him.

Everyone knew that Wang Po was already very strong, but just how strong was he?

On the day he left Wenshui City, many people went to the official road outside the city, including several great personages.

Everyone clearly understood that whether it was the Zhu clan, the Emotion-Severing Sect, or the Imperial Court, they were all certain to attack Wang Po. Trouble was sure to occur outside of Wenshui City on that day.

“I also went,” Tie Shu said, looking into his eyes.

This was the first time Wang Po learned of this matter. “I’m surprised.”

Logically speaking, all he was back then was a young cultivation genius with quite a lot of potential. It would have been very difficult for him to alarm an expert of the Divine Domain like Tie Shu.

“This is because after Su Li met you in Wenshui City, he made an assessment. No one else knew, but people like us were naturally able to find out.”

Tie Shu continued, “He said that in the future, your blade would assuredly be stronger than those of the past.”

Wang Po did not reply to this comment.

Even he, in the face of such praise, could only keep his silence.

To a person like Su Li, only one user of the blade from the past was worth particularly mentioning. Naturally, that person was Zhou Dufu.

“So I believed that your death on that day was certain.”

Tie Shu continued to look at him as he spoke.

This conclusion seemed unreasonable, but it was actually the right and proper judgment.

After such high praise from Su Li, how could the powerful figures of the Imperial Court and Tianliang County possibly allow him to continue to grow?

Wang Po recalled the scene when he walked out of Wenshui City all those years ago, his brows gradually rising.

He did not feel satisfaction and pride upon recalling glorious memories, only that after so many years, he still found it difficult to forget the killing intent that soared to the heavens on that day.

“I saw you, one man with one blade, walk out of Wenshui City, just like today.”

Tie Shu continued, “Many people died, but you survived. At that time, we all knew that the Zhu clan and the Imperial Court had met a very troublesome problem. Looking at it now, Zhu Luo knew it even more clearly, so there was the dark rain in Xunyang City, his final words and wish before the Mausoleum of Books.”

Wang Po calmly said, “I don’t feel that being highly regarded by him is any sort of honor.”

Tie Shu answered, “But he was still Zhu Luo. It was the only request he made before his death, so we must help him carry it out.”

Wang Po’s gaze seemed to slightly drop, falling upon the metal blade that was covered in snow.

“Of course, as I watched you come over, I was also very sad. I have no desire to kill you.”

Tie Shu said, “But you should not have entered the capital. That is seeking your own death.”

Wang Po once more recalled the past and also felt a sense of melancholy. He brushed at his sleeves, letting the snow drift to the ground.

He tidied his clothes naturally so that he could wield his blade.

With an apathetic expression, Tie Shu asked, “You must kill today?”

Wang Po did not answer this question. “In truth, I’m very curious about just who in this world is able to make you suddenly change your mind.”

All was quiet, the snow still noiselessly falling.

The sorrow and melancholy Tie Shu felt in the past was all real.

But what he spoke today was fake.

From Tanzhe Temple to today, his heart had always been set on killing Wang Po.

Wang Po understood this very well.

But Tie Shu’s meaning just now was also very clear. As long as Wang Po was willing to leave the capital, Tie Shu would not attack.

Just who had made him change his mind from killing to driving away?

Wang Po would not leave, but he truly wished to know the answer.

Not any normal person of power could influence the mind of an expert of the Divine Domain.

Surveying the entire world, there were probably no more than five such people.

With a creak, the door of a tea house on the side of the street opened.

A very handsome man walked out and smiled at Wang Po. “Long time no see.”

With this person’s appearance, Wang Po’s raised brows slowly drooped back down. “So it was…Second Master.”

This handsome man was once the most renowned hedonist of Wenshui City, but later faded into obscurity.

Only the people of the Wenshui Tangs knew how terrifying this person was.

The Tang Second Master.

When Wang Po lived with the Wenshui Tangs, did he know of this matter?

It had actually been the Wenshui Tangs.

And it was only the Wenshui Tangs that had still had a chance of changing the mind of a great personage like Tie Shu, even under the pressure of the Imperial Court and Shang Xingzhou.

The Tang Second Master smiled at Wang Po and said, “Since you know it’s me, do you still persist?”

This man was truly very handsome, but perhaps because the wind and snow curled about him, he seemed to give off a faint aura of cold and gloom.

Wang Po did not reply.

The Tang Second Master continued to smile as he asked, “‘Kindness weighty as mountains’, is that four words?”

Wang Po fell silent, then answered, “Correct.”

The Tang Second Master dropped his mouth in a laugh, seemingly ecstatic, but no noise came from his mouth.

In the wind and snow, he looked rather horrifying.

Then, his smile gradually faded, and he expressionlessly said to Wang Po, “Today, you are not allowed to unsheathe your blade.”