Chapter Ninety-One: Returning Home

A flash of sword light sliced through the air, and the Xuan Yin Forbidden Token instantly split in two, falling to the ground. Even Zhou Qian, who had not expected this celestial treasure to shatter so easily, stood dumbfounded for a moment.

The ground began to tremble once more. The two exchanged glances, and Zhou Xun said in a low voice, “Let’s hurry, lest trouble arise again!”

They retraced their steps in silence, and after a while, reached the cliff where they had first arrived. The cliff face was riddled with cracks, sand and rocks occasionally falling, making the place look perilous. Zhou Qian worried aloud, “Master, will the Yin Wind Cave be buried under all this?” Zhou Xun did not reply but used the momentum to leap three or four yards, grabbing a protrusion on the cliff wall. With another swing, he climbed half a foot higher, repeating this process until he quickly reached the entrance to the Yin Wind Cave, examined it, and beckoned to Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian was overjoyed. He lacked Zhou Xun’s skill, and his legs were still badly injured. He searched around and finally found a short dagger by Lü Cunwen’s corpse. He stuck both the dagger and his sword into the rock wall, using them to climb upward. Relying on his arm strength, he ascended with surprising ease, reaching the top in less than half the time it takes a stick of incense to burn.

Zhou Xun treated the mountain rock as if it were nothing, grabbing and tossing aside large chunks. Zhou Qian assisted, his short dagger dancing up and down as they dug about half a yard deep. A cold wind swept over them, and the two quickened their pace. After another stick of incense’s time, they were both inside the Yin Wind Cave tunnel.

Following the passage they had taken before, they occasionally encountered rocks blocking their way. Fortunately, the Yin Wind Cave was sturdy, with few collapses, and they faced little obstruction. A faint light shone at the entrance, and at last, they emerged from the cave.

Zhou Xun led the way, Zhou Qian closely following. Whether it was due to the earthquake or not, the five illusions that should have appeared were no longer in effect—a stroke of luck. Without pause, they entered the inner tomb, where piles of jewels and gold towered. Neither spared them a glance. They passed fissures in the cave, wound through strange stones and mysterious mountains, walking and resting for a day or two until they reached the Liyu Dragon Gate. With a push, sunlight flooded in, mountains encircled them, green trees cast shade, and white clouds seemed close enough to grasp. The sound of mountain springs and waterfalls echoed around; finally, they had emerged from the Emperor Qin’s tomb!

Even the steadfast minds of the two men were dazed for a moment. All the experiences before seemed like a dream, and nothing in the world was more wondrous.

“Are you Senior Zhou Xun and Young Hero Zhou? We’ve all been waiting for you for five or six days,” came a voice, full of excitement—a soldier.

“Yes, we’ve just exited the tomb. Tell us, what’s the situation now?”

As it turned out, days earlier, Li Guangzhi, Tu Yong, and the heroes of the Southern Martial World had fought black-clad villains and rebellious remnants five or six times, blades flashing and schemes abounding. The black-clad men had first lost a battle in the Small Eight Trigrams Array, suffering heavy losses and losing their leader Ren Xie, which dampened their morale. Then, with Lü Cunwen and Dalabuco heading for the Yin Wind Cave, Li Guangzhi seized the chance and shattered their forces, pursuing them until a total defeat. Fourteen of the seventeen black-clad sects were destroyed, and the remnants of the previous dynasty were swept away—this was the greatest victory since the founding of the current dynasty!

Yet their own side suffered grave losses as well; the court’s nearly exhausted resources had been spent on the creation of the Divine Strategy Secret Guards, who were now almost entirely lost. Martial world figures were also heavily wounded. It was said that in the final battle, the desperate black-clad men even drew in the mindless Divine Strategy Guards, resulting in a wild three-sided melee.

Much remained to be dealt with—the distribution of the Emperor Qin’s tomb treasures, compensation for the families of fallen martial artists, rewards for the survivors, and the rise and fall of martial world powers henceforth. But none of this concerned the Zhou master and disciple anymore. With their skills, no fool would dare trouble them.

Descending the mountain, they found themselves in a shallow, watery plain. It was hard to imagine that just over ten days ago, the Qi River had surged with overwhelming force, flowing swiftly for miles. The power of heaven and earth was truly unfathomable.

The two, bedraggled and dirty, made their way to the banks of the Lijiang River. There they saw Tu Yong, his hand wrapped in gauze, three scars still visible across his chest, yet his good right hand held aloft a wine jar as he drank with abandon. Upon seeing them, his tiger eyes sparkled, and he laughed heartily, “You two are really slow! Made us wait forever!”

Before his words finished, many people emerged from the boat, each bearing wounds and a murderous aura. Clearly, after this ordeal, their martial prowess would surely increase. Zhou Qian counted roughly forty or fifty survivors, while more than two hundred martial artists had originally answered the call. The casualties had been severe.

Tu Yong jumped off the boat, giving Zhou Xun a bear hug and then slapping Zhou Qian’s arm so hard that he grimaced in pain. “Where did you two old ghosts go? We couldn’t find you anywhere in the Emperor Qin’s tomb. If I hadn’t insisted, I would have left you behind long ago!” Tu Yong feigned annoyance.

“I killed Lü Cunwen,” Zhou Xun replied calmly.

His words sparked a wave of astonished discussion. Ren Xie had been killed by Zhou Qian, and now Lü Cunwen had fallen to Zhou Xun. What level had the martial skills of these two sword heroes of the Zhou family reached?

“This is the best news this general has heard from the Emperor Qin’s tomb!” Li Guangzhi, clad in armor and followed by thousands of brave soldiers, approached with imposing presence.

“Whoa! The strategist is here!” Tu Yong cried out first.

Immediately, the crowd erupted in wails and howls. Li Guangzhi sneered, waved his hand, and the sound of thousands of crossbows being cocked filled the air. Almost simultaneously, they were raised, aiming at the crowd, killing intent swirling.

Suddenly, silence reigned. Swords were drawn, and everyone stood at attention. Was the court going to kill them all now that their usefulness was spent?

After a long while, as sweat poured from everyone, Li Guangzhi pressed his hand down, and the crossbows lowered. He spoke coolly, “I do not care for jokes like that. Best not to repeat them.”

“And Zhou Qian, come here. I have something to ask you.”

A few sighs of relief sounded. The Iron Knife Man nudged Tu Yong, scolding, “Tu, can’t you mind your tongue? I barely survived and don’t want to die in a squabble now.”

“I just didn’t expect the old fellow to turn on us!” Tu Yong shrank his head, muttering, “He was so obedient in the tomb!”

Zhou Qian was taken aback but nodded, stepping forward. With his martial prowess, even thousands of soldiers posed little threat to him; and if not, his master was there—he was practically a half-immortal, invincible except to sword immortals.

The two reached a secluded spot by the riverbank. Li Guangzhi asked, “I had my men search the tomb, but couldn’t find you two. Where did you go?”

Zhou Qian hesitated, then answered truthfully, “The Yin Wind Cave, at the South Pole Jade Wall. The formation has dissipated now; you can go see for yourself.”

“There really is a method for cultivating immortality?”

Zhou Qian nodded, then shook his head, saying helplessly, “I don’t know if it’s true.”

Li Guangzhi did not press further, then asked, “The Hu Fo of the previous dynasty has left a legacy again. Did you see him?”

“I didn’t see his body, but he likely fell from the cliff and died.”

Li Guangzhi was silent for a moment before saying, “One less great enemy for our dynasty. Thank you.”

Before Zhou Qian could reply, Li Guangzhi asked, “How about the proposal I made to you?”

“Proposal?” Zhou Qian was puzzled.

“The matter of marrying into my family!”

Zhou Qian broke out in cold sweat. “I don’t think I’m worthy of Miss Li!”

He quickly found an excuse to leave, grumbling inwardly, ‘That old fox won’t give up! If my master finds out, he’ll skin me alive!’

They had arrived on the Sand Bird Tower ship; but for their return, they traveled on the court’s Treasure Ship—

Summer winds swept the banks, the landscape vast. After months of wandering, at last, they could return home.