v4c66: Excecutioner’s Blade

There was silence in the arena as Zang Sheng fell and did not rise again. Bi De stood before him, his eyes on his opponent. His feathers had been burned, blood leaked out of his beak and he was clearly exhausted, yet he still stood proud and erect.

Elder Chongyun just stared at the arena, his mouth open.

One of the greatest talents of the Shrouded Mountain Sect, defeated by a mere chicken. Worse, his defeat had been broadcast all over the Sect; including to the tens of thousands of mortal servants.

It was a massive gaping hole ripped in the face of their sect. Nothing could rectify this wound.

Any other day Elder Chongyun would be taking every action he could to fix it. Any other day, except that on this day, nothing could compare to the monster idly watching the tableau below. He was still just sitting in the Patriarch’s chair and laughing.

The Patriarch himself looked furious; but after being so quickly suppressed was unwilling to say anything—or incapable. He simply stood there, his shoulders hunched like there was a great weight upon him.

“Bi De, you little rascal! I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in years!” the old man said, his smile wide and his eyes twinkling. “A great show, boy! A great show!”

The rooster turned to their box and bowed politely, even as the crowd remained in stunned silence.

The old man laughed again and raised the Patriarch’s wine before draining the rest of the bottle. “Isn’t my student a treasure?” the old man asked, turning to Chongyun. “Three years old and already crushing Young Masters. It brings a tear to this old man’s eye!”

Chongyun nearly spat blood at the casual mention of three years. The rooster had been only cultivating for three years and already he was in the Spiritual Realm?! There were transcendent geniuses, and then there was that!

“Y-yes, Great Expert.” Chongyun said deferentially as the Patriarch began to struggle against the great weight that was obviously pressing down on him. He looked like he desired nothing more than to speak—to shout and rage against this treatment—but his mouth remained locked shut, as it had been since the man had commanded the Patriarch to be quiet. “Might this unworthy man know the name of Bi De’s master?”

The old man smiled brilliantly. “Regrettably, I cannot take full credit for this cock’s growth. His First Master’s name is Rou Jin. I believe you’ve heard that name?”

His smile was friendly and kind, like a grandfather’s, but it did not reach his eyes. Rou Jin was a young man, according to Yingwen. And he had mentioned not wanting to get his Elder Brother involved.

His Elder Brother, who was postulated to be an Elder of the Cloudy Sword Sect.

Which… fit this nightmare day perfectly.

Chongyun swallowed. “Indeed I have, Great Expert of the Cloudy Sword Sect. We have followed all of his instructions, as he dictated to us.”

The old man blinked, then let his head fall back as he laughed. “Ah, commanding entire sects already! Magnificent! I’ll have to commend him later!” The Patriarch’s face soured further, the sheer insult this man was offering them almost too much to bear. The old man mimed wiping a tear from his eye. “My grandson is truly a magnificent man, no?”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Chongyun paled slightly. The Patriarch paused in his struggle to speak.

“Grandson, Great Expert?” Chongyun ventured, choking out the words.

“Indeed! Though, I suppose you were looking for my name when you asked the question about the name of Bi De’s Master, no?” The man was still smiling as he turned to look at the Patriarch who until that moment had been glaring hatefully at him. The Patriarch suddenly paled as his eyes widened in recognition and horror.

“My name is Shen Yu.”

The words were soft and simple, yet they resounded throughout the world as if his name was whispered by the very air that sustained them. Chongyun and his fellow Elder suddenly found themselves sweating and struggling to breathe.