Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 15: Qingdi Sword Technique

To the east of Mengzhu Lake lies a dense willow forest, blocking out the sun. In early summer, the sky is filled with willow catkins, drifting like snow.

On the side of the river bank deep in the willow forest, a large number of laborers were digging intensively and enthusiastically. They had quietly dug a deep water diversion channel on the slope. As soon as the embankment was opened, the water in the Beibian River would surge out and submerge the ground around Yanwang City into a muddy swamp.

"Qike is known as a benevolent general, but I never thought he would resort to such a vicious scheme. He truly lives up to his reputation. If he digs up the riverbank, how many houses and fields will be destroyed, and how many ordinary people will suffer?" A burly, purple-faced man sneered and shouted, "You are aiding and abetting the tyrant, yet you don't realize that among the people who will be drowned might be your own people. Those who know better, surrender quickly, or I'll poke a transparent hole through you with this golden-headed spear in my hand!"

The speaker was Dai Xiaolou, the vanguard of the Cao army and a valiant general under Huang Chao. He was about forty years old and had served Huang Chao for many years, even back when he was still a salt merchant. He was a key figure in Huang Chao's army. He had previously participated in Meng Kai's rescue of Zhu Wen from the sword of Song Jue, the "Heavenly Blade."

But no one paid any attention to Dai Xiaolou. Instead, several crossbow arrows suddenly came from nowhere and shot at Dai Xiaolou all over his body. Judging from the force of the arrows, they would surely penetrate his armor. If he was hit, he would be seriously injured if not killed.

But Dai Xiaolou, wielding the golden spear with a tiger-head inscribed on it, swung it like the scorching sun melting gold and showering the sky with flowers. For a moment, golden light filled the sky and the ground, and crossbow arrows were struck by the spear shaft and fell to the ground. Dai Xiaolou said no more, striding out of the forest with great speed, charging towards the dark crowd with his spear.

In an instant, a row of armored soldiers strode out, formed a horizontal line, and pointed their swords at Dai Xiaolou, but Dai Xiaolou swung his spear away, and shot one of them away, and the rest were forced to scatter by the spear.

The willow forest is not conducive to cavalry fighting, but walking and wielding spears, without having to protect the horses, is more conducive to breaking through the dense sword formation formed by the armored soldiers.

"Hahahaha! Three thousand Vietnamese soldiers, nothing more than this!"

Dai Xiaolou shouted loudly, waved his hand, and led the Cao army soldiers behind him to rush towards the Taining army's construction site.

At this moment, a long sigh seemed to come from the most distant time and space.

Dai Xiaolou was stunned for a moment, and then his body stopped completely.

He only saw a sword coming from the west, a flash of frosty white light, but he couldn't tell where it came from. When the armored figure stopped, Dai Xiaolou's throat, lacking armor protection, had a red, bloody hole. Blood flowed out, and he could only make a hoarse sound, but he couldn't utter a single word.

About ten feet away, a man in military uniform was standing with a sword in his hand. He lowered his head to look at the bloody sword blade and shook off the blood. The blood dripped down and the sword became as clear as autumn water again, without a trace of blood.

And in the vast sky, a plain origami umbrella slowly fell from the sky amidst the floating willow catkins and landed in the forest. No one saw when it was thrown into the sky.

"When people are talking, they have to pay attention to their surroundings, otherwise they might die."

Zekerang sheathed his sword and said calmly.

He had obviously been hiding in the willow forest before, but no one noticed his presence.

When Xue Shuai attacked, Dai Xiaolou, the Grass Army's vanguard, was completely unprepared and was stabbed to death by Qi Kerang! Until his death, Dai Xiaolou's eyes were filled with disbelief.

In the ranks of the Cao army, Zhu Wen couldn't help but sigh inwardly when he saw the power of Qi Kerang's move.

He once faced Xue Shuai's praise, but he didn't take it seriously, thinking that the other party was not worthy of commenting on him.

However, the decades of hard training in the coldest days of winter and hottest days of summer, as well as the combat skills accumulated in countless bloody battlefields, are not something that Zhu Wen can match now.

One of the four great generals of the Tang Dynasty, Qi Kerang, also known as "Qilian Xueji", at least the sword of death-stopping in his hand is not just a name!
Zhu Wen also had to admit that Xue Shuai's appearance was really cool.

Make him a little envious.

Qi Kerang immediately beheaded Dai Xiaolou, a brave general of the Grass Army, striking fear into the hearts of the Grass Army soldiers. Dai Xiaolou was a shrewd and capable general, possessing rare bravery. He was a prominent leader within the Grass Army, even higher in status than Ye Luoliang of the Pinglu Army, whom Zhu Wen had previously slain. In all the years Huang Chao's army had fought, they had never lost a figure of this caliber!
"In the blink of an eye, the mortal world is over, and the endless calamity is scattered across the world." A powerful voice suddenly came with the sound of heavy strides: "What a great sword to stop the sorrow, what a great sword technique to shock the frost!"

Huang Chao, the commander of the Cao army, clapping his hands in golden armor, strolled out slowly, his expression calm. Qi Kerang had just killed his beloved general, Dai Xiaolou, but Huang Chao's handsome face showed no trace of sadness.

"General Huang Yan, thank you for your kind words." Qi Kerang smiled slightly and bowed.

Snow Marshal Qi Kerang's demeanor was indeed different from that of other government army generals. When facing the rebel leader Huang Chao, he was also polite and treated Huang Chao as a master of his faction instead of cursing him as a thief.

Huang Chao returned the greeting, "Just now, Marshal Xue used the move 'Moment of Eternity'. It was swift and fierce, killing without a trace, yet its artistic conception was profound and lasting. It also comes from the Buddhist word 'Moment of Eternity'."

"It's clear that Commander Xue has a profound understanding of Buddhism. Every move in his Shocking Frost Sword Technique is derived from palm-leaf Buddhist scriptures. Since Buddha loves all living beings and sympathizes with their suffering, Commander Xue uses this method of breaking the dam, bringing harm to innocent people. Isn't this contrary to the harmony of heaven? How can it be consistent with the benevolent intentions of the Buddha?"

As soon as Huang Chao arrived, he pointed out the moves Qi Kerang used to kill Dai Xiaolou, and then asked questions proudly, using the Buddhist benevolence as a righteousness to put pressure on him, and immediately suppressed the momentum created by Qi Kerang's killing of Dai Xiaolou.

"Warfare is all about courage." The Cao army, whose morale had been low because of Qi Kerang's sword, became more motivated after hearing Huang Chao's words. They were ready to follow their commander in a bloody battle with the enemy.

Qi Kerang did not answer directly, but instead asked, "Since General Huang Yan started his rebellion, war has ensued wherever he has gone, displacing civilians. Is this also out of benevolence? General Yan considers himself a Confucian. You should know that the Confucian spirit of benevolence is no different from that of Buddhism."

Upon hearing this, Huang Chao burst into laughter, his laughter was like the sound of a huge bell, shaking the mountains and forests.

"Excellent question! I promote the good of the world and eliminate its evils. I promote the greatest good and eliminate the greatest harm. How can that be unkind?"

Qi Kerang asked, "Does the Salt Marshal think that the imperial court is a great threat to the world?"

"In today's imperial court, corruption is rampant, treacherous officials are in power, and the world is filled with injustice. The people are like being poisoned by snakes and scorpions. How can such a corrupt imperial court not be harmful?"

Qi Kerang smiled. "Although there are some unclear aspects of government affairs today, it's far from the point where most people can't survive. The current sage is definitely not a Jie or Zhou emperor. The Salt Marshal wants to shatter this world, but order is easy to destroy, but difficult to rebuild. The fall of the Han Dynasty was followed by the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, four hundred years of chaos."

"So, the Salt Commander claims to be ridding the world of harm, but what he's about to do is actually causing the greatest harm to the world? If the Salt Commander is willing to listen to me and disband his troops and leave, I will write a letter to the court to persuade them to appease the tens of thousands of soldiers and quell the war. In this way, I won't have to dig the Beibian River dam."

"Otherwise, in order to quell the slaughter and end the war, innocent blood will inevitably be shed under this heaven."

Qi Kerang unsheathed his sword with a swish, its cold light gleaming like frost, pressing in: "This is the meaning of my sword—'Stop Sorrow'."

"Excellent, excellent." Huang Chao clapped his hands and said, "General Qi, do you mean to say that the current Emperor Li Xuan is not a Jie or Zhou ruler?"

As soon as these words were spoken, both armies looked at him sideways.

The emperor's name is taboo, and the common people will be killed if they reveal it. However, Huang Chao publicly mentioned the emperor's name. Even for a rebel, he showed an astonishing arrogance, clearly not intending to leave himself any way out.

"You are so rude, you should kill all your clans!"

Qi Kerang angrily scolded Xiao Ling, a young general in the rear and the legitimate son of the Lanling Xiao family.

But Xue Marshal Qi Kerang's expression remained as calm as ever, and it was impossible to tell his true nature. He waved his hand to interrupt Xiao Ling and said, "Then may I ask Marshal Huang, what fault has the current sage committed that would be comparable to the actions of Jie and Zhou?"

Huang Chao said sternly, "Zi Gong said, 'Zhou's evil was not as severe as this. Therefore, a gentleman hates to be in a low position, for all the evil in the world will be attributed to him.'"

This sentence is quoted from "The Analects of Confucius". It means that the real evil deeds of King Zhou of Shang were not as many as later generations said. It was entirely because of King Zhou's tyranny that his atrocities were shown to be beyond description.

"General Qi said that the world today hasn't reached a point where most people can't survive. Then, during the reign of King Zhou of Shang, the people who were slaughtered were mainly nobles and princes. Although the people were severely exploited and suffered from hunger and cold, it wasn't to the point where the dead were scattered across thousands of miles."

"When King Wu attacked King Zhou, did he ever consider whether ending King Zhou's tyranny would establish a peaceful and prosperous era, or plunge the world into endless chaos and war?"

Huang Chao said sternly, "Although Emperor Li Xuan of the Tang Dynasty isn't utterly incompetent, the Tang Dynasty's fortunes are declining. The three prefectures of Hebei and Shuozhou are divided, and many military governors refuse to obey the imperial court's orders. This is reminiscent of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and is a step backward in history. If we don't destroy and rebuild this empire today, when will we rebuild it?"

"Even if I cannot personally overturn the world and create a new heaven, I will sacrifice my blood to Xuanyuan and transform my flesh and blood into nutrients to nourish the new era. From the bottom of my nine springs, I will watch the vibrant scene of the return of the prosperous era."

At this point, Huang Chao unsheathed the Seven-Star Mountain-Chopping Knife on his back and pointed it at Qi Kerang and the Taining generals. "The Tang Dynasty today is no longer worthy of the title of a great empire. Its final mission is to collapse in flames, completely consumed, and offer China a rebirth of the phoenix and the sun and moon!"

The last words had already fallen, but the echo lingered for three days. For a moment, the two armies were completely silent, and only Huang Chao's majestic figure seemed to grow taller and taller, towering over the earth like the towering Mount Tai.

After a while, Qi Kerang said, "As General Huang Yan said, who is Jie and Zhou, and who is Tang and Wu, is ultimately determined by who is stronger. Strength determines who is stronger."

Huang Chao smiled and said, "If General Qi wants to understand it this way, that's fine. As the saying goes - the truth lies in the abyss and the sea, in the sword, not in the mouth."

"Then Qi will ask Huang Shuai to teach me the Green Emperor Sword Technique."

"Exactly what I want!"

Before he finished speaking, the two men had already flown up to fight. Qi Ke held his Zhishang Sword at an angle, like an eagle striking the sky. The sword's momentum was high, like a roc dangling from the sky. A faint golden glow shone through the frosty white sword light, reflecting all kinds of solemn and precious appearances.

This move is called "Garuda's Feathers", which is taken from the meaning of Garuda in Buddhist mythology.

Huang Chao also soared into the sky like an angry falcon, and the Seven-Star Mountain Chopping Knife, which originally shone with a cold light, suddenly shone brightly, and the whole body instantly turned into a translucent green color, like crystal.

Huang Chao let out a long roar, and green light blazed all over his body. The sword energy soared into the sky, and the green light surged with the long sword, dancing madly on the blade, as if it was burning, with an air of changing the world and rebuilding the mountains and rivers.

"The Jade Fire Golden Light Blade! The Jade Fire Golden Light Blade passed down from the ancient Green Emperor Lingwei!"

In the Taining army, a general named Ren Yuan exclaimed.

Although Huang Chao did not come from a martial arts family like Wang Xianzhi, he was also taught by an extraordinary person. Not only did he master the eighteen martial arts, he also learned the Qingdi sword technique that was said to have been lost for a thousand years.

The Green Emperor's sword technique was created by the ancient Green Emperor Ling Weiyang.

The Jade Fire Golden Light Sword is the most powerful sword technique among the Green Emperor's sword techniques. The sword energy is sharp and fierce, but it is also as vibrant and continuous as the grass and trees.

In the battle of Yunzhou, Xue Chong, the Tianping Jiedushi known as the "Silver Halberd General", inherited the Xue family halberd technique from his grandfather Xue Rengui. However, he was defeated by Huang Chao's Qingdi sword technique. With a single move of Huang Chao's Jade Fire and Golden Light Sword, he cut himself in two along with his halberd.

At this moment, Huang Chao's sword intent was also unstoppable. The sword energy was full of determination to conquer and kill. He raised the sword in the air, as if the Green Emperor was reborn. The blade and Qi Kerang's sword of death collided with the ground in an instant.

For a moment, everyone held their breath and focused on the ultimate battle between the two.

Huang Chao was undoubtedly a master, and his Qingdi Swordsmanship, an ancient and unrivaled art, was unparalleled in its power. However, Qi Kerang, one of the Four Great Commanders of the Tang Dynasty, and his wielder of the Jingshuang Divine Sword, was equally formidable. His military exploits and rank in the martial arts world were all earned through countless bloody battles, and his strength was undoubtedly not comparable to Xue Chong of the Tianping Army, who boasted of his family background.

Will it be the sword that stops the sorrow and freezes the three thousand worlds, or will the Green Emperor's swordsmanship recreate a new world? The duel between these peerless masters will soon be decided today!

(End of this chapter)