Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 617 Fish Intestine Sword

We are mortal enemies from opposing camps. I almost killed your body with a single sword strike just now. Why, why don't you hold a grudge at all?

Those powerful spells and terrifying swordsmanship should be the content to come next, right?
Even if all else fails, I still have the Fish Intestine Sword in my hand; the distance between us is only three steps.
The Father took three steps forward, then suddenly lifted the other man's hand holding the sword, aiming it straight at his heart.

This move nearly made Sanqi and Xiahou Jian jump out of their skins. "Don't do this when you have victory in your grasp!"

Even Zhuan Zhu couldn't understand it.

He felt that the person opposite him was either a madman or a hero, fearless even when armed with divine weapons, a courage unmatched in the world.

The once sharp Fish Intestine Sword was now as dull as rotten wood, unable to even pierce through clothing.

Do you know why the Fish Intestine Sword cannot be pierced?

His tone was firm, confident, and even a little crazy.

"Because you stabbed the wrong person."

The taciturn assassin finally spoke, asking, "I am a retainer of Prince Guang. What is wrong with drawing my sword for my lord?"

Zhuan Zhu was confused and could only seek advice from his enemy.

The Holy Father then uttered a startling statement: "If you were truly his retainer, you should have assassinated Prince Guang!"

Shockingly, in the final stage of the battle, there were no swords clashing, only an even more brutal war of words.

"You died too young, without inheriting the wisdom of future generations."

The Holy Father, displaying his professional teaching spirit, decided to tell the assassin a story.

The person who could say, “King Liao can be killed. His mother is old and his son is weak, and his two younger brothers are leading troops to attack Chu, which will cut off their rear. Now Wu is besieged by Chu from the outside, and internally it has no upright ministers. There is nothing they can do to me,” must be a literate person.

Therefore, Zhuan Zhu should not be regarded as a suicide soldier; something shocking is needed.

The person who most fiercely challenged and restrained the way of the ruler and father was naturally Mencius, who was born after him.

If a ruler treats his ministers like his own hands and feet, then the ministers will treat the ruler like their own heart and soul; if a ruler treats his ministers like dirt and weeds, then the ministers will treat the ruler like their own enemies.

The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important.

There were many comments criticizing the monarch, suggesting that in a time of war among various states, this sage would not have lived more than three days if it had been a unified period.

And Mencius has a poem that can be used perfectly at this moment.

The Holy Father said to Zhuan Zhu, "After your death, a sage will appear before the King of Qi."

King Xuan of Qi asked, "Did Tang exile Jie, and King Wu attack Zhou? Is that true?"

Mencius replied, "It is recorded in the classics."

He said, "Is it permissible for a subject to murder his ruler?"

He said, “A person who harms benevolence is called a thief, and a person who harms righteousness is called a cruel person; a cruel and thieving person is called a mere man. I have heard of the execution of a mere man, Zhou, but I have never heard of the murder of a ruler.”

So what did you learn from this?
Zhuan Zhu was a little nervous. The content of this poem was too simple; even a country child could answer it.

It lies in the sentence, "I have heard of the execution of the tyrant Zhou, but I have never heard of the murder of a ruler."

Helü was quite controversial during his lifetime, but his actions after death are beyond debate. All he wanted to do was return to the human world and become an eternal emperor as a ghost king.

The Holy Father coldly said, "To corrupt benevolence is to be a thief; to corrupt morality is to be cruel. A cruel and thieving person is called a tyrant. I have only heard of King Wu executing the tyrant and traitor Zhou, but I have never heard of King Wu murdering his ruler."

"So at this point, is Prince Guang a king or a traitor to the people?"

Why did the Fish Gut Sword stab me but not him?

These words were spoken with righteous indignation, directly questioning the somewhat bewildered Zhuan Zhu.

"I, I, I am this...my sovereign father."

It's not that the "low-intelligence aura" is powerful, but rather that assassins shouldn't understand reason.

Once they understand the principles, they may commit assassination under the influence of a sense of righteousness, benevolence, loyalty, filial piety, or other emotions.

"From Cao Mo to Jing Ke, these five men, whether their righteousness succeeded or failed, their intentions were clear, they did not betray their will, and their names have been passed down to posterity. How could this be in vain! Cao Mo made an alliance with Ke, returned Lu and invaded the territory. Zhuan Zhu offered roasted meat, settled Wu and usurped the throne. Zhang Di cried in the market, avenged his lord by cleaning the latrine. He cut his own throat to plead his case, and acted with his sleeve in hand. The tyrannical Qin stole his spirit, and the coward gained courage."

The assassins who made it into the biographies of assassins were not mindless; they knew they would die but faced it head-on. Only such courage and decisiveness earned them a place in history. Those who didn't understand reason were just ordinary suicide soldiers, and even the Fish Gut Sword wouldn't choose its master, let alone give Xu Xuan a second glance.

So Zhuan Zhu is in a terrible situation now; he has encountered an academy teacher who particularly enjoys lecturing.

Especially since this instructor was still chasing after them.

Pointing to the Gates of Hell, he said, "Outside lies the former territory of the Wu and Yue kingdoms, and countless bloodlines passed down through generations."

"Go out and kill! Slaughter those common people who are manipulated by the king at will!"

"Go and fulfill your loyalty and your confidant."

"Go!"

The Father's voice rose an octave as he reprimanded the assassin before him.

With the blessing of the White Lotus Heart Sutra, his words pierced the opponent's heart one after another, leaving it riddled with holes.

The wind in the underworld was rather hot, and Zhuan Zhu was glad that his ghostly body was not like a human's, otherwise he would have been sweating.

Looking at the dull Fish Intestine Sword in his hand, he realized that he had lost his courage and determination, and also lost the belief that a man would die for a friend.

Or rather, it lost its meaning from the moment that sword was pierced.

So he asked Xu Xuan very seriously, "What should I do?"

Xu Xuan also said very seriously: Do what you think you should do.

Zhuan Zhu lowered his head and stared at the Fish Intestine Sword in his hand.

The sword no longer reflects the faces of kings and generals, but the shimmering waves of Taihu Lake, the rough hands of the fisherman from years ago, and the smoke rising from the stove when steaming perch.

"I see." He suddenly understood.

"Heh"

The assassin, silent for millennia, emitted a breathy sound that was both a cry and a laugh, and his form began to disintegrate. First, his right hand, holding the sword, turned into black mist, then his upright back and broad shoulders, and finally, his eternally calm face.

But before he completely dissipated, he did one thing: he forced his lifelong resolve into the edge of the sword!

"Zheng——!"

The Fish Intestine Sword emitted a clear, melodious sword cry like a dragon's roar, and spontaneously spun into the air, tracing three paths:

The first light shone with the gleaming blade of Zhuan Zhu's assassination of King Liao; the second light reflected the candlelight in the secret chamber where Prince Guang knelt and pleaded; the third light, however, was extremely gentle and soft, reflecting the young man who used to cook fish on Taihu Lake.

Finally, the longsword was driven into the ground in front of Xu Xuan's feet, the hilt still trembling.

The Fish Intestine Sword did not fly away, but remained here in accordance with Zhuan Zhu's determination, as he believed that this man would make good use of this divine weapon.

When Xu Xuan pulled out the Fish Intestine Sword, the lingering warmth on the hilt reminded him that the hottest thing was not karmic fire, but the liver and gallbladder of mortals.

"I will give it to the person most suitable for this era."

Then he looked at Shengxie, who was lying on the ground suppressing his evil aura, and realized that this was a very pragmatic move.

There was no need for Xu Xuan to use any psychological tactics; they were so eager to fly up and acknowledge him as their master.

What a piece of trash, Helü! Evil soldiers should be paired with the most wicked people!

Shengxie has the characteristics of a demonic weapon.

Once the dust had settled, Sanqi and Xiahou Jian approached each other.

As they walked, Zao advised, "Teacher Xu, you always tell us that a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. Wasn't it a bit risky to stab yourself with the Fish Intestine Sword just now?"

The Holy Father smiled slightly and opened his robe, revealing a golden copy of the Ksitigarbha Sutra.

What could be more reassuring than this in the underworld?

　I'm working overtime during the Qingming Festival, finishing at 10 PM every day and not getting home until almost midnight. Sorry, I just can't keep up.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)