Heaven-Collapsing Start [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

For a full half-hour, the youth’s voice spoke steadily. By the end, his throat was dry; he scanned the table only to find not a single cup, causing him to frown.

He immediately stood up, saying, “Teacher, please wait a moment,” as he walked toward the door.

Ah Heng now understood that the reason his teacher appeared here was surely because those cultists had succeeded in their schemes. Though he was filled with resentment, there was nothing he could do. However, as long as he was there, he would certainly not allow his teacher to be treated unfairly.

After arguing for a while outside with a member of the Demonic Sect guarding the area, Ah Heng finally returned to the room fifteen minutes later, carrying a pot of steaming hot tea.

He turned the cups and poured the tea; after more than half a month, performing these tasks still felt like second nature.

“Teacher, have some tea.”

Seeing the youth’s bright expression, Ji Liang lowered his eyes, took the cup, and sipped slowly.

This scene felt as if they had returned to Pangxi Village, to that simple but clean house, where his teacher was like the clear wind and bright moon while he practiced his sword diligently in the courtyard.

Yet now, the house was not that house, the surroundings were entirely foreign, and his wooden sword was gone.

Ah Heng hesitated, scratched his head, and then said in a low voice:

“I’m sorry, Teacher. That wooden sword you gave me… I couldn’t keep it safe.”

Ah Heng naturally cherished the wooden sword his teacher had given him immensely. After his teacher left without saying goodbye, he had worn it by his side at all times. However, after he was captured by the Demonic Sect, that wooden sword was taken away by those people along with him, and there had been no sign of it since.

Ah Heng vaguely sensed that those people likely took his wooden sword to do something evil. When he connected this to how they wanted to use him to constrain his teacher and force a compromise, he understood everything, and for a moment, he hated his own helplessness even more.

Even though half a month had passed and he had experienced being kidnapped by the Demonic Sect, the youth was still the same simple boy as before, not yet knowing how to hide his emotions.

Therefore, Ji Liang could clearly see the chagrin on the youth’s face and, for the first time, such a distinct manifestation of a craving for strength. It was as if, through the youth, he saw that former figure who harbored resentment, struggled desperately in the whirlpool, yet continued to sink…

Slightly raising his hand, he drained the tea in his cup. Ji Liang’s expression remained indifferent, but he suddenly spoke:

“Do you want to learn a true sword technique?”

Up until now, the youth’s practice had stayed at the basic level of hacking, stabbing, pointing, and flicking. This was the first time Ji Liang had uttered the words “sword technique” to the youth. Falling upon Ah Heng’s ears, his eyes instantly erupted with a look of pleasant surprise.

“Teacher, I want to learn!”

Ji Liang nodded slightly but suddenly turned his body to look outside the door, saying in a faint voice:

“You heard that, didn’t you?”

At the doorway was Gu Yun, who had returned from his walk. Currently wearing the disguise of Xiao Ba, he was not recognized by Ah Heng, who only wondered who this youth of a similar age to him was.

Gu Yun: “I heard.”

“Then I must trouble you to bring a sword for Ah Heng.”

In order to carry out the plan more realistically, the two of them had naturally brought nothing with them when they left the manor. Not to mention, with one being used as bait and the other posing as an ordinary servant, it was even more impossible for them to carry weapons.

And if Ah Heng was to practice a sword technique, he would inevitably need a sword.

Gu Yun glanced sideways at the excited youth. While moving, he nodded. Toward his Eldest Brother, he was always responsive to every plea let alone just a sword.

However, seeing the young Ah Heng again at this moment, Gu Yun seemed to keenly perceive that his brother’s mood had improved slightly. It was no longer that flat, waveless, and desireless indifference.

Gu Yun was a bit happy, yet also a bit bitter. Did this mean that seeing this youth made his brother feel more relaxed than seeing him?

…Indeed, the Elder Brother had always been disinclined toward him.

Gu Yun sighed in his heart and silently turned to leave the room to prepare a sword for the youth.

Ah Heng could not perceive the complex emotions involved; he only felt that the youth at the door seemed to become despondent in an instant. However, Ah Heng soon had no time to worry about such things, because he saw his teacher walking toward the desk, so he hurriedly rose to follow.

Taking over the task of grinding the ink, Ah Heng watched as his teacher took up a brush, dipped it in the ink, and began to write beautiful characters on the paper.

One page, two pages, three pages…

Ah Heng saw that there were not only characters but also drawings. Between the strokes was an indescribable charm, and little black ink figures holding swords leaped from the brush tip onto the paper, rising and dancing with the sword.

Unknowingly, the youth stopped grinding the ink, his eyes staring blankly at the drawings on the paper, and then he slowly closed his eyes.

…

After an unknown amount of time, Ah Heng suddenly felt a dull pain in his chest, causing even his brows to furrow. The little figures in his mind turned into a chaotic mess, yet he remained unable to struggle into consciousness.

It wasn’t until someone struck his chest with a palm that he finally snapped his eyes open, clutching the table and gasping for breath, heart still pounding with lingering fear.

Coming to his senses, Ah Heng looked at his teacher and asked in confusion: “What happened to me just now?”

“Do not practice the sword technique at will.”

By now, Ji Liang had put down his brush and was waiting for the ink to dry. Sheets of rice paper, some with text, some with drawings, and some with both covered the entire desktop. Ah Heng even saw a diagram among them depicting the human meridians.

His cheeks flushed red luckily his dark skin hid it but he understood that he had unconsciously begun practicing the sword technique in his mind just now, but lacking the key principles, he felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, nearly suffering a “deviation”.

However, at the same time, Ah Heng realized the power of this sword technique. His gaze instantly became burning hot, and he threw the fear of the near-deviation to the back of his mind.

“Teacher, does this sword technique have a name? What is it called?”

The youth asked excitedly, his expression entirely devoid of any remaining fear or bashfulness.

Ji Liang gathered the dried papers, stacking them in an orderly fashion and binding them into a booklet; it became an untitled book without a cover.

Ji Liang handed this sword technique to the excited youth and then said calmly:

“You can give it a name yourself.”

“This… did it originally have no name?”

Although very excited, Ah Heng didn’t quite believe that such a powerful sword technique would have no name.

However, his teacher seemed a bit lost in thought; only after a long while did he slowly shake his head.

“No.”

Since his teacher said so, Ah Heng had no choice but to believe it. Truthfully, the prospect of naming such a powerful sword technique sent another surge of excitement through Ah Heng, but he looked at the thin figure in green before him, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

“Teacher, you know I haven’t had much schooling and I’m afraid I won’t name it well. It’s better if you give this sword technique a name.”

The youth pushed the sword manual back, without the slightest bit of reluctance, his face full of sincere smiles.

Ji Liang paused, his gaze passing through the youth’s silhouette to see a fresh, tender green bud that seemed to have just sprouted on a pine tree outside the window… Finally, he took up the brush again and wrote on the blank title page:

“In—sects—A—wak—en—Sword—Tech—nique.”

Ah Heng read it out word by word, his eyes growing brighter.

“Thank you, Teacher!”

Jingzhe (Insects Awaken) signifies the rising of Yang energy, the warming of the weather, the first clap of spring thunder, the revival of all things, and the abundance of life.

Corresponding to the youth, it was the most appropriate name.

…

On the other side, Gu Yun once again left the room, though this time his purpose was not to gather information.

As soon as he came out, Gu Yun walked straight toward the manor gates. There were Demonic Sect members guarding the gate disguised as ordinary servants, but they did not block him from leaving; they seemed quite lax.

However, as soon as he turned away, a servant entered the manor, weaving through several turns to arrive at a room where Xu Wei was sitting.

The cultist disguised as a servant said in a low voice: “This subordinate saw the page following Ji Liang leaving the manor.”

Xu Wei narrowed his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing through them. He then patted the man’s shoulder and smiled: “Well done. I will put in a few good words for you in front of the Sect Leader.”

The man left in a flurry of joy.

Xu Wei frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly waved over a member of the Shadow Pavilion and ordered: “Go and follow him in secret. See what that boy is up to.”

Cunning, suspicious, and ambitious Xu Wei did not want the Demonic Sect he had pledged his loyalty to to face another encirclement by the Martial Arts Alliance before he could even secure a high position.

Though he knew very well in his heart: likely as soon as Chun Niang arrived, or once the Sect Leader completely gained control over the Hidden Pavilion, Ji Liang would be of no further use. At that time, it would probably be the day of his death.

During this interval, Xu Wei would not allow the slightest mistake.