Chapter 20: Phoenix Disdain Defeats Dragon-Sparrow 1.0

At that moment, Jiang Suining had already been pulled aside by the old woman, the two of them exchanging hushed words. Upon hearing Zhao Lan's declaration, Jiang Suining lifted her head in astonishment.

The old woman's face was expressionless, her voice low and cold as she let out a quiet sneer:

"Your Highness, this scoundrel sees no hope of escape, so he deliberately flatters you, hoping to trade on your kind heart for a chance to live. You must not fall for his scheme..."

Jiang Suining was startled again at those words, murmuring bitterly, "Words in this world are half truth and half lie — what is real and what is false..."

"How touching. I'll grant your request."

Pei Su gave a nod, then, under the gaze of everyone present, drew a long sword from his waist.

The moment the blade left its scabbard, heaven and earth let out a resounding cry.

The sword was slender and graceful, like a startled swan in flight. Over four feet in length, its entire body was snow-white — as though forged from condensed frost — with a single line of vivid crimson along the blade's edge, striking as a bloodstain against pristine snow. At the hilt was a scarlet mark, shaped like the eye of a phoenix.

The old woman nearby fixed her gaze on the sword in Pei Su's hand. "So it truly is that world-shaking blade."

Though the Heir of the Northern Marquis rarely made a move, his swordsmanship was known throughout the realm, and his personal sword was especially renowned.

Its name was [Phoenix Disdain] — the final masterwork of the previous generation's Valley Master of Sword-Forging Valley.

Compared to those legendary divine swords and divine blades whose names had resounded through the ages, Phoenix Disdain could fairly be called a "new sword." It had been forged less than a hundred years ago, and legend had it that on the day of its completion, the lingering soul of a blood phoenix had entered the blade of its own will, becoming its sword spirit.

Barely three months after taking shape, it had shattered the blade of Sword-Forging Valley's second-ranked sword, "Pure Origin," and from that day its name shook the world.

Later, on the day of Pei Su's birthday banquet, the Valley Master of Sword-Forging Valley had presented the sword to the Heir of the Northern Marquis before all under heaven. From that moment, Phoenix Disdain had a master, and no one dared covet it again.

Pei Su raised the sword, its tip pointing directly at Zhao Lan.

"Come then. To face you without a blade would be an insult to Dragon-Sparrow."

The implication was clear — he was showing respect to the divine blade Dragon-Sparrow, nothing more.

Zhao Lan let out a low shout, gripping the hilt with one hand and hoisting the heavy ancient blade high above him.

In that instant, he felt as though he had lifted an entire mountain range, a vast and boundless power surging through him.

Blade fanatics throughout the realm all said: if one could wield Dragon-Sparrow for even a single strike, death would hold no regrets. That alone spoke to Dragon-Sparrow's pull over those who walked the blade's path.

In a fleeting moment, the space before Zhao Lan seemed to fracture, a dense radiance spreading outward like a spider's web.

The Eight Wilds Blade Canon, Fourth Tier — One Crack in the Sky!

A single strike that could cleave the heavens. It had to be said — though Zhao Lan was only at the Profound Origin realm, this strike combined with Dragon-Sparrow truly surpassed countless blade talents across the world.

The heavy bronze radiance exploded outward, lighting heaven and earth as bright as day. Within the white brilliance, the blade-light shattered into ten thousand shards, then merged back into one.

But in the next instant, a dazzling streak of scarlet light appeared within the blade-light, followed by a clear, piercing phoenix cry.

The blood-red light tore through layer upon layer of ancient bronze blade-light. The white brilliance scattered. Zhao Lan was already on his knees, Dragon-Sparrow planted in the ground, his entire body leaning on it just to keep from collapsing entirely.

His eyes were wide open, his expression blank and dazed.

Pei Su's sword-light had not only effortlessly destroyed his "One Crack in the Sky" — it had surged toward him as well. Had he not blocked with Dragon-Sparrow's flat, his head would likely have already rolled.

Last time, he had been defeated in an instant by a single palm. This time, he was defeated in an instant by a single sword stroke...

How was this possible... Both at Profound Origin — how could this be?!

"Profound Origin cultivators who can survive a single sword strike from me number fewer than ten fingers' worth, even in the Imperial Capital."

Pei Su sheathed his sword and studied Zhao Lan.

"Given how desperately you've fought, I suppose I can ask on your behalf — what the princess's feelings are."

Pei Su turned his head, looking at Jiang Suining where she stood beside the old woman.

"Your Highness, you've witnessed Zhao's sincerity — he was willing to take his own life just to secure your freedom.

"The scoundrel has indeed been caught. If you wish to leave with your Granny Ling, I will not stop you."

The old woman tightened her grip on Jiang Suining's hand. She stared directly into Pei Su's eyes, as if trying to determine what exactly this Heir of the Northern Marquis was scheming.

Jiang Suining was also looking into Pei Su's eyes — yet she could read nothing there, only that jade-like smile of his.

Had she not lived through all of this, had she simply laid eyes on Pei Su for the first time without any of it, she surely would have thought him a fine and gracious young man of the world.

Then, unbidden, his voice drifted back to her ears — that half-smiling tone from before:

"In this life, one is rarely free to act as one wishes. Who would dare defy the will of the current Empress?"

And you, Heir of the Northern Marquis — who would dare defy your will?

Then, under the eyes of all present, Jiang Suining slowly shook her head:

"I'm not leaving."

Pei Su showed no surprise. He turned to look at Zhao Lan, who sat with eyes wide and bloodshot, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and growled:

"Why? Why?!"

The old woman's expression shifted between dark and light before she turned to Pei Su and said, "What did you say to Her Highness?"

Pei Su smiled and said nothing.

The old woman's breath grew unsteady for a moment before she forced it back down, then said through gritted teeth:

"Heir of the Northern Marquis, it seems we need to have a talk."

"Of course."

Pei Su snapped his fingers, and Elder Wu strode directly into the ruined temple. With a single palm strike he shattered the serene, flower-pinching Buddha statue, then began drawing array markings at the center of the hall.

Banxia stepped forward first and knocked Zhao Lan unconscious with a single palm, then also entered the ruined temple and began laying out the formation.

The formation they were setting up was one of the world's most extraordinary arrays — the Soul-Searching Array.

Within the Soul-Searching Array, one could roughly replicate the Soul-Searching Art, one of the ten great ancient arts.

However, since it was not the true Soul-Searching Art, it could only be used against martial cultivators below the Unity realm, and was powerless against higher-realm cultivators.

These ten great ancient arts were not only staggeringly effective and uncanny in their workings — they were also nearly impossible to cultivate. Ordinary people, through diligent effort, might achieve some mastery in swordsmanship or bladework, but when it came to cultivating such arts, they could not even find the door.

Pei Su looked at Jiang Suining, a flicker of something dark passing through his eyes.

"Would Your Highness be so kind as to keep an eye on Zhao Lan and make sure he doesn't run?"

Only after Jiang Suining nodded did he walk with the old woman to the other side of the forest.

"Heir of the Northern Marquis, what exactly are you trying to do?"

He stopped and turned. What met Pei Su's eyes was the old woman's face, barely suppressing its fury.

"The Jiang Clan of the Xia Dynasty — your greatest lifelong wish must be to restore your dynasty..."

The old woman did not refute this. She let out a cold laugh.

"Oh? And can the Pei Clan help us with that?"

"Tsk, tsk. The Great Jin Dynasty has stood for four hundred years, its court long since stable. How many people in this world still remember the Jiang Clan of the former dynasty? The probability of your restoration succeeding could fairly be called zero."

Pei Su spoke bluntly, yet to his surprise, he saw no anger on the old woman's face — only that same cold smile.

"Back then, the Xia Dynasty's rivers and mountains, the Jiang Clan's legacy — it was your Pei Clan that secretly stirred the waters and toppled it all. We thought you were finally making your move to seize power, but instead you propped up the Li Clan of Luozhou as the new masters of the realm and went back into hiding for another four hundred years...

"What's this — have you finally lost your patience? Are you planning to usurp the throne at last?"

Pei Su smiled and gave no answer.

After Elder Wu had explained the truth about Dragon-Sparrow to him, he had handed Pei Su a letter from his grandfather.

It laid out the Pei Clan's long-laid schemes in full — including no small number of court secrets and world-shaking truths...

As for the matter of usurping the throne — that involved far, far too much to speak of lightly.

Pei Su gave a light smile and nodded.

This time it was the old woman who was taken aback, her eyes flickering with a moment of unease before she let out a cold snort.

"What use is there in telling all this to an old woman like me? The Jiang Clan's power has withered — what use could we possibly be to your Pei Clan?"

Pei Su still wore that smile, his voice unhurried:

"What does the Jiang Clan think of the position of Young Lord's consort?"