Legend of Swordsman

The powerful warriors around were all taken aback by the spectacle.

And the badly-hurt Ape Holy Master, the West Paradise Emperor and the South Emperor were cheering hoarsely, joyous that they were still alive.

Despite their earlier hatred and anger towards Jian Wushuang earlier, they were now grateful for him.

It was only because of Jian Wushuang that they were forced to concede a pact in public that will never again invade the Tang Empire of the East in tens of thousands of years.

Then again, the Tang Emperor would have had their heads by now, if not for the willing settlement they have agreed to.

Even though the Tang Emperor had alluded to the involvement of the Green Fire Palace in this skirmish, the three were certain that the Tang Emperor would have had them slain if he wished so.

“Hear me, you three.”

The Tang Emperor glared coldly at them with the keenness of a blade, “You have ten days. In these ten days, you will withdraw all your forces from the boundaries of the Tang Empire. You will then surrender half of the treasures and wealth of your domains as indemnity of the damages you have incurred upon the Empire.”

“Surely that will hardly be an inconvenience to you three?”

The booming voice of the Tang Emperor rumbled across the broad expanse of the battlefield, much to the chagrin of the warrior horde of the three great countries.

Retreating from the borders of the Tang Empire in ten days was hardly an impossible feat. More so, now that the Tang Emperor had returned.

Then again, surrendering half of their nation’s wealth and treasures that have been amassed for generations?

This was, most obviously, too painful a price for them to bear.

Through the long years and laborious efforts, their forefathers had so painstakingly and jealously hoarded these treasures as heirlooms for posterity. Yet now, they have to give up half of their trove willingly.

The three trembled with reluctance. Yet never would they dare defy the will of the Tang Emperor.

“It shall be as you command. In ten days,” The Ape Holy Master replied grudgingly through gritted teeth.

“Sound judgment. Leave, now.” The Tang Emperor dismissed them with a flail of his sleeves. Immediately with haste, the three swiftly mustered the remaining of their forces and withdrew.

As the invading host began to turn and leave with their heads hanging at their defeat, thunderous cries began to erupt in the imperial city.

The remaining warriors and the defenders of the city all broke into exultant cheers at their triumph.

For more than a millennium and two centuries, they have endured the siege launched by the hosts of the three great countries, tolerating their incessant jeers and mockeries for having to cower within the protective barriers of the imperial city as they had been too powerless to repel the invaders at their gates.

And now, at long last, the invading hosts of the three great countries were forced to withdraw, defeated after many long years of trying to subjugate them.

They have lost, miserably and ignominiously.

More importantly, the founding father of the Empire, the Tang Emperor himself has returned!

Painful trials and heavy tribulations the Empire has endured in this millennium-long conflict. Yet, all matters would be set right through the return of the Tang Emperor.

With the Tang Emperor returned, none in the entire Green Fire World would dare incur the wrath of the Tang Empire anymore.

This was the authority and dominance that the Tang Emperor wielded.

“Master!”

“Teacher.”

Emperor Xiao and Emperor Yun looked upon Jian Wushuang with anxious excitement.

“Enough. Let us return,” the Tang Emperor repudiated the gestures of his disciples with a wave of his hand and they all headed back into the imperial city.

Within the halls of the handsomely-adorned palace, the Tang Emperor, clothed fully in lustrous gold, sat upon his throne. Below the dais, stood Emperor Xiao, Emperor Yun, Jian Wushuang, Leng Rushuang, and some of the greatest and most illustrious of the Empire.

“I am to be blamed, Master. It was my incompetence that the Empire was ravaged thus by the woman’s evil devilry and we were nearly destroyed,” Emperor Xiao confessed to the Tang Emperor of what had happened over the years, asking also for his mentor’s forgiveness.

Listening with a frown, the Tang Emperor muttered, “Never would I have expected that so much had transpired in my absence, that even my disciple would fall into such decadence and conspired with the Blood Killing Sect against the Empire!”

“We must thank our blessings that the people from the Bood Killing Sect were slain and the Empire is saved from utter destruction.”

The Tang Emperor murmured. As he spoke, his gaze fell upon Jian Wushuang.

“Young man. Your name is Jian Wushuang, is it not?” The Tang Emperor regarded him with a pleasant smile, his tone gentle and affable.

“That is so, Your Imperial Majesty,” Jian Wushuang replied politely.

Even Jian Wushuang could hardly behaving respectfully as he stood before the legendary Tang Emperor.

“Addressing me as ‘Your Imperial Majesty’ is too distant a greeting for me. You are the student of Little Qing, are you not? You will address me as your Grandmaster,” Tang Emperor smiled jovially.

“Grandmaster? Little Qing’s student?” Jian Wushuang was startled and confused.

“Jian Wushuang,” Emperor Xiao looked at him, “That powerful method that you learned, the one which I earlier mentioned, belonged to one of my closest friends, who is also my Senior Sister, Emperor Qing, the most powerful of the Four Emperors!”

“What?” Jian Wushuang exclaimed with disbelief.

The Heavenly Creation Skill was a creation of Emperor Qing?

The mythical Emperor Qing who was rumored to be as powerful as the Tang Emperor himself?

“What you have learned was a technique left behind by my Senior Sister. That makes you her student and the heir to her legacy. Thus, the Tang Emperor, who was her Master, is your Grandmaster,” Emperor Xiao smiled.

“I see…” Jian Wuhuang understood now, accepting his newfound lineage.

Then again, Jian Wushuang recognized only one Master, that was Xuan Yi.

Xuan Yi was the only Master to whom he had truly knelt before and acknowledged, for it was he who had shown him kindness and love.

Xuan Yi, who was like a father to him.

But then again, Jian Wushuang was the heir to more than a handful of legacies.

Through the Essence Blood of King Luo Zhen, Jian Wushuang had inherited the bloodline of the Ancient Gods. Despite having exhausted more than nine-tenths of the Essence Blood, his body had consumed the rest of it, making him also the heir to the legacy of King Luo Zhen.

Moreover, Jian Wushuang’s survival to this day owed in no small part to the Heavenly Creation Skill.

Without it, he was nothing.

Therefore, it was only right that he viewed himself as the heir to the legacy of Emperor Qing.

For that reason, it was also none too right that he address the Tang Emperor as his Grandmaster.

“My deepest respects to you, Grandmaster,” Jian Wushuang bowed reverently to the Tang Emperor.

“Hahaha…” The Tang Emperor broke into a comforting smile. “It seems that Little Qing had found herself a worthy heir to carry on her methods of Inverse Cultivation. But have a care, my child. Do not follow the very same path that Little Qing had once trodden upon.”