Chapter 19 - The Toothpick

When Ye Aunty saw that An Zheng had picked up the flag, her eyes revealed something that was complicated. Her face showed terrible sorrow which could not have been expressed by words, and it was totally opposite with its beauty. That was a face which could have infected sorrow to the other people. It was most likely the sorrows to a faraway grave. Although it was faraway look, it was still in her mind.

An Zheng turned back and swept his eyes over the Eighth who was sliced into two pieces.

Ye Aunty took back her sorrowful face. She moved towards unhappily and took the flag out of An Zheng’s hand:

– “You get out of here now, and don’t come back here any longer.”

She took back the flag, and then she put the flag into its place respectfully. The flag with the word “Ji?” flew in the breeze as if it lacked some flexibility. It was unclear why An Zheng had heard a sigh from somewhere.

– “One strike of this sword could have chopped down an Elf for sure, but you used it to kill a smelly ant… What a pity! It’s really a pity.”

An Zheng did not know if he did wrong or not. However, he did not have any other choices at that time.

He bowed down and clasped his hands:

– “I’m really sorry.”

Ye Aunty did not turn back:

– “I don’t blame you, but you’d better not come back.”

An Zheng knew that what had made Ye Aunty sorrowful was not because he had borrowed the sword from the flag, but it was due to the one who had put the sword into that flag. Although An Zheng did not have any cultivation base at all, his eye sights were still alive. He knew how strong that sword was. The stronger it met, the stronger it was. The sword hid the immortal aura of salvation. The most fearful thing was that there was not just only one sword within the flag.

Therefore, the person who had just sighed quietly was wrong. The flag did not have only one sword. The sword was still in the flag, but that person just thought that the flag could have contained only one sword intent. She did not know what the flag was hiding was a Sword Soul.

An Zheng looked at a corner of the South Mountain Street, and saw a young student leaving with his hands clasped behind his back. It was mournful!

An Zheng did not know who that student was, but he could be sure that was the one who had just sighed.

‘That one sword could have chopped down an Elf!’

Those words were still around An Zheng’s mind.

An Elf?

An Zheng sighed quietly… Were there the Elf’s for real? Someone said that higher than the Great Sky Stage was the Fallen Immortal, which meant that living in the Nine Heavens World would have made a mortal become immortal and could have refilled the mind at any time. However, in this great world, An Zheng knew many things thanks to his experiences, but he had never heard about the Fully Great Sky Stage. An Zheng used to reach the Ninth Stage of Basic Sky which was just a finger further from the Great Sky Stage. However, he fell into a stable stage, so it was hard for him to have reached any higher.

It was said that the Emperor of the Fuxi Dynasty had reached the Great Sky Stage, but it was also a legend. An Zheng had never seen that Emperor act. Therefore, he could not know how strong his cultivation base was. It was also said that the Emperor who established the Fuxi Dynasty was the only peerless hero who had reached the Fully Great Sky Stage.

However, he was finally dead. He could not have been an immortal.

An Zheng did not know that if there was an Elf, and he did not know where the Elf lived. He only knew that the Elf would be cold if they really existed. The world had too much unfairness and too many evils, but the Elf had never noticed. If being an Elf meant not caring about anything, An Zheng felt that the Elf were just the self-interested bad hats, and they did not deserve practitioners.

Killing the Eighth was An Zheng’s unexpected situation.

He knew that the Great Bandits Hall and the Chen family were in conflict. He also knew the reason why Chen ShaoBai had hid in Value Assembly Courtyard without coming outside. However, he could not believe that the Great Bandits Hall could have pushed the Chen family into that situation. Based on An Zheng’s thoughts, it would have been true that Chen family was far beyond the Great Bandits Hall’s capacities. However, Chen ShaoBai was hiding in the Value Assembly Courtyard, and the Eighth had stopped An Zheng on the road in order to ask An Zheng to kill Chen ShaoBai. He did not respect the Chen family at all. It was certain that the Chen family were facing more troubles than expected.

An Zheng was walking while asking himself. Finally, he quite understood that the Chen family did not have only the Great Bandits Hall as its enemy. The Great Bandits Hall was just an addition. The true enemy who had wanted to kill the Chen family was another one. The heritage of the Chen family was many times greater than that of the Great Bandits Hall. Therefore, if the Great Bandits Hall was destroyed, the Chen family’s heritage would have been much greater. It would not have been worth it if the Great Bandits Hall had destroyed the Chen family. On the other hand, other people would have had great benefits from it.

The Great Bandits Hall was no more than a longsword, even the blade was blunt. The sharpest ones were the hidden people.

An Zheng had killed the Eighth, which could not have been forgiven by the Great Bandits Hall. Therefore, Kou Lu, who had used to want An Zheng as his disciple would have definitely killed him the next time.

Kou Lu came faster than was expected. An Zheng did not go to the Value Assembly Courtyard yet, but Kou Lu had already been in front of the Value Assembly Courtyard’s gate.

In front of the Value Assembly Courtyard, two guards were still there, and they were emotionless as if nothing had happened. Kou Lu was most likely to be vanished in their eyes without any attractions. Actually, it was the reason why the two guards could have had a high salary like that. It was very clear to them that if there was nothing relating to the Value Assembly Courtyard, they did not care about anything, whether if people had lived or died.

– “Mister Lu!”

An Zheng bowed as respectfully as he did with the Eighth without any mistakes.

– “You made me surprised, and you also widened my eyes.”

Kou Lu stood there, and he looked at An Zheng calmly:

– “I couldn’t believe that those students who I had taught so carefully were wasted to you. Moreover, you had taken cover with me for a long time, but I had not realized that you are a raw pearl. This is what I regret. If I had recognized you earlier, you would have been polished into a shiny pearl of the Great Bandits Hall.”

An Zheng shook his head:

– “The Great Bandits Hall could not polish me. If you had sharpened me, it would have meant that you had destroyed me.”

Kou Lu hesitated a bit, and then he applauded:

– “Good tone!”

An Zheng asked:

– “Does Mister Lu also want to kill me?”

Kou Lu shook his head:

– “I come here to kill Chen ShaoBai.”

An Zheng sighed:

– “It’s apparent that Kou Lu just wants to fire one arrow. The arrow can kill its target, or it can be cut down by its target on its way.”

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Kou Lu laughed loudly:

– “It’s true that I had already fired an arrow without it returning its way. You are no fool, so you have known that the Great Bandits Hall could not have controlled it any more. It’s true as you said. The Great Bandits Hall was too weak. Behind us was a person who had pulled the arrow, and the Great Bandits Hall had become the arrow. That person fired the arrow one by one without returning way.

– “Therefore, I cannot find it in my heart to kill you.”

Kou Lu said:

– “I used to be upset and felt regret, feeling that life was too unfair to me you have been able to practice at the first time, but why haven’t I? I risked my life to practice, but all that I could reach were just small accomplishments in the Body Refining. It is said that will was higher than god. And I used to be like that.”

He looked at An Zheng:

– “As you have known, I also made many efforts as they did. When I was six, I began to practice in the early mornings. When I was sixteen, I could have damaged 27 wooden piles. My father told me that there was no difference between humans. Everyone had the same beginning when they were born. Therefore, I just kept putting forth efforts, as double as those who had come from the rich families, and then I would have succeeded no matter how poor I was. If double efforts were not enough, then triple would have been fine. If triple was still not fine, then quadruple would it be. If it was still not enough, then I would have practiced until I was exhausted. Finally, I would have succeeded.

– However, I have known that my father had cheated me. No matter how hard I tried, it was still impossible.”

He pointed to his heart:

– When I was young, I had wanted to become a general. I wished that I could have brought hundreds of soldiers to eliminate all the devils in order to take back equality. Later on, I realized that life was not just that easy. When I had grown up a little, I then wanted to become a knight with a long sword and travel everywhere to kill scoundrels, to get rid of all repressions, and to kill all the evils in the world. Afterwards, I became evil. An Zheng, the Great Bandits Hall does not have any great bandits, but only baddies. The name “Great Bandits” was just used to cheat us and the people.”

He turned back and went to the Value Assembly Courtyard.

An Zheng asked from behind:

– “Have you ever regretted being a bandit?”

Kou Lu shook his head:

– “No, I haven’t. It was just hatred that I was not bad enough.”

An Zheng did not say anything.

Kou Lu went to the Value Assembly Courtyard’s gate. He turned back to look at An Zheng:

– “Appointing themselves the Great Bandits was for the chessmen only. Finally, we became the pawns. I heard a rumor that it just required twelve holly germs with the support from a person who reached Sumeru Stage to carry out the Cleansing the Marrow and the greater stages. I did not have that chance. An Zheng, you are still young, so you will have chances. Remember carefully! If you can practice, all is well although you behave badly towards people.”

An Zheng said:

– “I’m not you. Don’t assign what you couldn’t do to me.”

Kou Lu changed his look, but he did not say anything.

– “Wu Zhong from the Great Bandits Hall made a visit to the Value Assembly Courtyard.”

Kou Lu clasped his hands, and he looked at the main gate of the Value Assembly Courtyard, and shouted loudly.

An Zheng stood far away and observed silently.

– “What do you want?”

A person asked from inside of the Value Assembly Courtyard.

The Eighth answered loudly:

– “To kill Chen ShaoBai.”

A person answered from inside of the Value Assembly Courtyard.

– “Passing the Value Assembly Courtyard’s door will be the Value Assembly Courtyard’s guest. Don’t bring your old scores from the underworld here. If you come inside and kill any humans, you are not going to kill your enemy but the name of the Value Assembly Courtyard. Therefore, you should wait there patiently. Let’s wait until the person whom you want to kill comes out.”

– “I would like to ask when he will come out?”

– “I don’t know. Our guests can leave at any time. If anyone can pass through the main gates of the Value Assembly Courtyard, the Value Assembly Courtyard will not reject.”

Kou Lu said:

– “I can’t wait. My wife is in the other’s hands at home. Although I can wait, they cannot.”

The man of Value Assembly Courtyard responded:

– “It’s not related to the Value Assembly Courtyard. If you can’t wait and come inside, you will die.”

Kou Lu said:

– “So, I will have to be guilty!”

He took out a long sword from his back. The long sword was made from refined iron, so it revealed to have been frozen to the bone. He started to move towards the main gate of the Value Assembly Courtyard. The two guards knitted their brows and stared at him.

Kou Lu started his first step, and nothing happened. He calmed down a little, and then he began his second step. Nothing happened again. At the third time, his foot stepped on the main threshold of the Value Assembly Courtyard. A green ray flew out from inside. It was as round as the full moon. The ray just flashed once, and Kou Lu lost his legs.

Kou Lu shouted painfully, and he clenched the long sword tightly in his mouth. He used his two arms to crawl forward. When his arms touched the main threshold, the ray appeared again, and it cut off his arms.

Kou Lu clenched the hilt of the long sword tightly, leaving his teeth marks on it. He did not have any limbs at all, so he looked like a worm. He roared lowly in his throat and used his chin to move forward.

– “Why do you have to?”

In the Value Assembly Courtyard, a person sighed. The ray appeared again, and it chopped off Kou Lu’s head.

The long sword fell down and made a sound.

The ray floated in front of the gate for a while. When the ray dissolved, a very small thing fell to Kou Lu’s body.

An Zheng came closer to see, and he realized it was a toothpick.