The Demon Lords

Chapter 493 13: Sword Saint_4

Having said that, Situ Jianguo turned around and left.

Yu Huacheng lifted his head to gaze at the starry sky for a while, then walked into his own grand tent.

Inside the tent, a man dressed in white was drinking alone. This man in white was like Kunlun jade, emitting a soft luster and creating an impression of unreality.

Looking at him, Yu Huacheng sighed, a hint of sadness in his expression. He bowed his head and said, "Eldest brother."

The handsome man in white standing before him was none other than the Sword Saint of Jin State, Yu Huaping.

Seeing his younger brother's sorrowful expression, the Sword Saint laughed. "You still resent me, don't you?"

"I dare not," the younger brother replied.

"If you resent me, just say so. There's nothing to dare or not. It's not like my sword would ever be unsheathed against my own brother. What are you afraid of?"

"I dare not," he repeated.

The Sword Saint pointed at Yu Huacheng and said, "The distance between us has grown. Inevitably, we've grown apart."

The Sword Saint got up, walked to Yu Huacheng, extended his hand, adjusted Huacheng's armor, and then patted him on the chest, lamenting, "My brother, you have indeed become more valiant."

Yu Huacheng lowered his head.

Earlier, outside the grand tent, Situ Jianguo had asked him, 'If your brother knows about your treachery against Emperor Jin, how will he deal with you?' However, nobody knew that his betrayal was enforced by his own elder brother.

"I know you've always been on good terms with the dark-faced Emperor," the Sword Saint began. "You two even grew up together. Everyone says you're childhood friends. Moreover, at that time, I hadn't yet mastered my sword, which proves the dark-faced Emperor truly cared for you."

"Eldest brother!" Yu Huacheng exclaimed.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry," the Sword Saint said, turning slightly. "I heard what that Situ guy said outside the grand tent earlier. The Situ Family is indeed generous. But if you think I'm after these material things, you're mistaken.

A swordsman should be solitary, dedicating his life to the sword. That is the spirit of a swordsman. Sadly, people are not free. So how can a sword held by someone who isn't free achieve its own freedom?

Li Liangshen of Beifeng Prefecture in Yan State is the Commander of the Northern Army. Baili Sword of Qian State, it's rumored, accompanied Master Zang to Yanjing. When he heard the Yan army was marching south, he rushed back to the imperial capital. The sword-maker of Chu State is currently championing the Eldest Prince of Chu State.

Out of the four greatest swordsmen in the world today, three are without freedom. How could I be an exception?

I told you before: the prestige of the Yu Clan, the rule that the queen of Dacheng State must be from the Yu Clan, the nobility—I don't really care about any of it. This time, I came to you as your elder brother and asked you to betray the dark-faced Emperor, purely because I believe he is not acting like a worthy emperor."

Yu Huacheng remained silent.

"Although we brothers and that dark-faced Emperor share the 'Yu' surname, we don't really have much in common. But he is, after all, the Emperor of Jin, the ruler of our Three Jin.

But look at his actions! He opened the South Gate to let the Yan people invade Jin, and half the territories of Three Jin have fallen. He has shamed our ancestors! As the Situ Family establishes their own state, he's terrified of his own declining status. He wants to stir up trouble, to muddy the waters, hoping to trigger another war between the Situ Family and the Yan people. He has no face to show the common people of Three Jin!"

Upon saying this, the Sword Saint suddenly laughed mockingly. "What's the point of having an emperor who'd rather side with foreign nations than his own people?"

Yu Huacheng lifted his head, looked at his brother, and said, "Brother, I truly didn't know when you started thinking this way."

The Sword Saint responded, "It's all thanks to Li Liangshen. When I visited Beifeng Prefecture to have a sword match with him, the duel was at its peak when we heard military intelligence that the Barbarians were making a move. Li Liangshen immediately admitted defeat, saying his sword was not as strong as mine.

I asked him why. We had yet to determine the winner, I still had secret sword techniques unused, and I could have won fair and square. Why would he concede victory to me?

He said his sword wasn't for dueling with me; he trained with the sword to kill Barbarians."

"I said, 'What does your killing Barbarians have to do with me?'"

"Li Liangshen smiled and said, 'So, if the Barbarians invade, you Jin people think you'll be fine?'"

The Sword Saint touched his own sword and continued, "The Yan people always proudly call themselves 'the Shield of the East against the Barbarians,' but few others acknowledge their efforts. After all, if the Barbarians invaded from the east, Yan State would be the first to fall. This is merely a self-proclaimed title, just them patting themselves on the back.

That's why, a hundred years ago, when the Yan people were battling the Barbarians in the desert, the armies of Qian State invaded from the north. It's also why, when the Yan people marched south this time, Qian State sent envoys to the desert to ask the Barbarian Royal Court to send troops.

But my sword tells me that Li Liangshen truly is killing Barbarians for the sake of the eastern states. The outcome of a duel, the title of the world's strongest swordsman—he cares nothing for these. Because of this, the rumor is that our duel lasted a very long time without a winner emerging, simply because I was too embarrassed to claim victory, even though I was sure I could have beaten him if we had continued!

At the same time, I felt I had lost.

Yes, you and I are both of the Yu Clan. Yu is the imperial surname of Jin. Those surnamed Yu should be more reliable; we should always stand by the Emperor's side. But can't our perspective as human beings be a bit broader?

Since we of the Yu Clan can't produce a good emperor, why not let a Situ do it?

At least the people of Three Jin could suffer a little less from the ravages of war."