Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-389

Chapter 389 The Meanings of Our Lives (II)

The vast majority of the cultivators surrounding the inn were at Ethereal Opening. A small amount of them had successfully broken into Star Condensation, so in the world of cultivation, they could already be considered superior experts. To ordinary people, they could be considered even loftier existences. However, if this scene had occurred in the past, these people would be nothing more than a gathering of ants compared to Su Li. It was just that now that he was confronting the blustering swagger of the ants, he actually couldn’t make the smallest response. He could only lower his head in the rain.

Su Li silently watched as the blood flowed down from the corner of his eyebrows to his chest. His face, washed by the rain, was somewhat pale. This was because of his injuries, or perhaps it also had something to do with his emotions. With the falling of the rain, a dismal mood spread itself through the ruins of the inn.

Precisely as Chen Changsheng had said, if he had not battled with the demons, how could he have suffered such heavy injuries? If he had not been doggedly pursued after leaving the snowy plains until he had finally been encircled in Xunyang City, how could he have been humiliated by these people? And he would soon die at the hands of these people; how could this fact not cause grief and indignation, and even sorrow?

At the distant end of the long street, Xue He slightly raised his brows. The words of the sect master of the Star Mysteries Sect had been utterly unpleasant. The Red Cloud Qilin whose reins were in his hands lowered its head, allowing the water to drip down from its fiery mane. It was like it could not stand to see such a sight.

Xiao Zhang and Liang Wangsun maintained their silence. Bishop Hua Jiefu of Xunyang City used his eyes to express his feelings, causing a priest to walk into the crowd, and then upon reaching Sect Master Lin Canghai, whisper a few words into his ear.

The rancorous and elated laughter stopped. Lin Canghai looked at the people on the second floor and grimly laughed. “I could kill him right now, so what harm is there in me humiliating him with a few words? What a sham.”

He was the sect master of the Star Mysteries Sect, and his family was a tyrant of the north. Moreover, his cultivation was high, already at the middle level of Star Condensation. As a result, he had been raised with an arrogant and domineering temperament, not fearing anyone. There was no way he would miss out on an opportunity to humiliate Su Li.

Su Li lifted up his head and looked down at the street. He pushed the hair soaked by the rain backwards. His expression was calm, as if he had not been struck by that rock that had flown through the rain or been affected by those humiliating words. “Who are you?”

“Haha…if this were in the past, your sort of behavior might really be a sort of humiliation. But right now, you aren’t even worth a degenerate dog, so why keep up the strong front? You’re only making yourself look more ridiculous.”

Lin Canghai looked up to the inn and sneered, “A few days ago by the road, you killed an important man from my Lin clan, as well as dozens of my Lin clan’s elites. Today, why can’t I take your life in exchange!?”

Su Li glanced at Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng finally realized that this person had originally been a relative of northern tyrant Lin Pingyuan. On their journey south, under Su Li’s directions, he had battled with and killed a few people. Only when he killed Lin Pingyuan did he not have any qualms about it. This was because Lin Pingyuan was a bandit that had committed all sorts of abominable deeds, an evil man whose hands were covered in the blood of innocents.

He declared, “I killed Lin Pingyuan.”

Lin Canghai was a little stunned by these words.

Without waiting for a reply, Chen Changsheng added, “If you want to take revenge, you should kill me.”

Lin Canghai’s expression subtly changed.

Still not waiting for an answer, Chen Changsheng stared into his eyes and continued, “But I know that you don’t dare to kill me, because I’m the Principal of the Orthodox Academy. How could you possibly dare to move against me?”

Lin Canghai’s mood became a tiny bit more apprehensive.

Finally, Chen Changsheng declared, “So if I can survive this day, I will definitely think of a way to kill you.”

At the moment, he was extraordinarily angry, so he said these words very seriously.

A burst of cold suddenly rushed through Lin Canghai’s body.

In the cultivation world, he possessed considerable status, especially in the northern part of the continent, but how could it be compared with the Orthodoxy’s? With Chen Changsheng’s status and identity in the Orthodoxy, if he really did have a mind to deal with him, how could he and his sect hold on? He suddenly felt a profound sense of regret. At a complete loss for what to do, he shouted out to the surroundings, “Is the Orthodoxy allowed to just bully others like this!?”

After yelling these words, he had originally thought that he would receive some support. It must be known that they had all come here to kill Su Li, so they should have been of the same mind. Yet he could not have imagined that nobody on the streets paid him the slightest bit of attention. It was only then that he understood that even though everyone had come to kill Su Li, none of them dared to offend the Li Palace. Naturally, there was also no one who dared to offend Chen Changsheng.

“How like a small child to say such childish words.”

Su Li completely ignored Lin Canghai and looked at Chen Changsheng. “For a matter like killing someone, you should just do it directly. There’s no need to give any sort of forewarning.”

Chen Changsheng said nothing. From his sleeve, he took out a handkerchief, then began to carefully wipe the blood and water off Su Li’s face.

“But it’s reasonable for you to be angry. Something like throwing a rock is really too petty, too vulgar. There’s no meaning to it.”

Su Li let him wipe the blood off his face, so his voice came out somewhat indistinctly.

On the side, Xiao Zhang cut in, “Correct, it truly was meaningless.”

Su Li replied, “Then please make way.”

Xiao Zhang silently, without a hint of reticence, stood aside and opened a path.

A path that led from the ruins of the inn’s second floor to the street.

Many people had noticed and were rather confused. Lin Canghai was even more confused. Grimly laughing at Su Li, he said, “An old dog like you can’t even crawl, so what does it matter if you delay a little longer?”

Su Li expressionlessly looked at him. The left hand gripping the Yellow Paper Umbrella abruptly moved.

The thumb of his left hand pushed in the direction of the umbrella’s handle. With a swish, a tiny section of the handle came out.

The umbrella handle was the hilt of a sword.

Inside the Yellow Paper Umbrella was the Heaven Shrouding Sword.

Half of the sword emerged from the sheath.

At present, Lin Canghai was still on the street, cursing him as a dead dog and other similar sorts of filthy language.

Suddenly, his voice abruptly came to a halt.

On his throat, a fresh sword scar appeared, blood slowly flowing out of it.

When the people nearest to him saw this image, their faces suddenly turned pale and they were shocked speechless.

Lin Canghai didn’t seem to notice that his throat had been severed. He was still pointing at the second floor of the inn, cursing something. It was just that no voice came out, so the scene looked extremely strange and frightening.

After a moment, he finally reacted.

He subconsciously rubbed his throat. Upon withdrawing his hand and seeing blood, he suddenly sensed pain.

His face was pale, his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He howled in pain, but it was impossible for his howls to emerge.

He turned, thinking to escape from the inn, and yet when he took a step back, he realized that his two legs had already been cut off at the knees.

Lin Canghai heavily crashed into a pool of blood, clutching his throat while he made some noises, his legs already severed at the knees.

On seeing this scene, the crowd dispersed in alarm, keeping far away from him.

In a short time, Lin Canghai ceased to struggle, and thus died. On his dying breath, he still could not close his eyes. His eyes were filled with shock and confusion, never understanding just what had occurred.

Su Li was heavily injured and on the verge of death, an old dog that couldn’t even crawl. How could he need only a single strike to kill me?

There were still many people as shocked, afraid, and confused as Lin Canghai was.

A deathly stillness once again settled over the street. The crowd once again turned to the ruined second floor of the inn, looking at the man on the chair. They were filled with reverence and unease. He really was worthy of being called the strongest master of the path of the sword over the past several centuries. Even when he seemed on his final breaths, this single strand of sword intent still possessed such might, able to kill a Star Condensation expert!

Chen Changsheng was somewhat amazed, and then relieved. He felt rather happy.

Senior said it right. For a matter like killing someone, it really only requires doing it; there is no need for a forewarning.

The umbrella handle slowly returned, and the sharpness around Su Li gradually retreated. He had once again returned to being a middle-aged man.

He sat in the chair, gazing at Lin Canghai’s fallen corpse on the street, then impassively said, “Although I can’t even crawl, killing a person like you in one strike is still not difficult for me.”

Liang Wangsun’s expression was abnormally solemn.

Xiao Zhang’s eyes hidden behind that white piece of paper seemed to grow increasingly crazed.

This sword had truly been too powerful.

Worthy of being Su Li’s.

As expected of a sword Su Li found worthy.

“Now this is a sword.”

Xiao Zhang looked at him, not even attempting to conceal his admiration, or even adoration. “This sword is absolutely capable of injuring any one of us. Why use it on these degenerate pieces of trash?”

“Because I absolutely loathe this sort of fly. It’s very annoying, so I might as well kill it to settle the matter. As for you and Liang Wangsun, I don’t find you as annoying, so why do I need to kill you? Of course, the most important point is that over these past few weeks, I’ve only managed to hoard enough for this one strike.”

Su Li continued, “If I could save up for two strikes so that I could simultaneously kill the two of you, then I would have naturally been more sparing.”

Liang Wangsun was quiet for a few moments, and then said, “I will not receive your feelings.”

Xiao Zhang commented, “Admirable, admirable.”

People at this level would never say anything unnecessary. The two comments of “admirable” were naturally about two different matters.

He admired Su Li’s sword.

He even more admired that Su Li had used his one strike to slay Lin Canghai and not used it on them.

This signified that to Su Li, happiness would forever be more important than things like repaying gratitude or taking revenge.

To live this way was truly meaningful.