Heh, trying to play riddles with me?
Today, I'll show you exactly what it means to fight fire with fire.
Chen Kuang smiled brilliantly, feeling as satisfied as if he'd just put on a new pair of red underwear for Lunar New Year.
Huo Hengxuan stared at him expressionlessly.
Chen Kuang kept smiling. "What's wrong? The great general, the Butcher of Liang, can't even guess something this simple?"
Even if Huo Hengxuan had guessed that this was related to the Elixir of Immortality, he knew better than anyone that such things couldn't be spoken aloud and so, he was forced into silence.
Both his path forward and retreat had been cut off.
After a long pause, Huo Hengxuan let out a deep sigh. In his aged, exhausted eyes, a subtle gleam sparked to life.
He gave a low chuckle, squinting slightly, his eyes flashing with a faint, unreadable light.
"Hmph," the old man grunted.
"Kid, don't get cocky over nothing. I don't recall agreeing to play guessing games with you."
"How you did it has nothing to do with me."
He paused and added coldly, "Besides, you're wrong. I did recognize one of the jailers."
"Who?"
"You don't know him. But you will soon enough, after all, we've got plenty of time to spend here in prison together."
"...Fine then."
Huo Hengxuan slowly shuffled toward the iron bars. When he saw the writing on the shared railing had been completely wiped away, smooth as new, his eyes gleamed even brighter.
His gaze dropped to Chen Kuang's shattered legs, and he asked in a low voice,
"Was it worth it?"
Chen Kuang nodded.
Huo Hengxuan's eyes then fixed on his face. "Could you understand it?"
Chen Kuang shook his head.
The Wither-Bloom Sword Manual was like a book written in Martian. Only the breathing and meditation techniques made any sense to him.
The "visualization method" involved imagining a colossal sword hanging in the sky, exuding pure murderous intent. Even just picturing it made Chen Kuang's eyes ache and his skin crawl.
He didn't know what technique Huo Hengxuan had used when inscribing those lines, but when Chen Kuang touched that portion of the railing, the image had burst into his mind.
Its presence was overwhelming, like it wasn't in the sky, but looming directly above his head.
Like the Sword of Damocles, ready to fall at any moment.
Yet, under this immense pressure, the Spiritual Energy inside his body surged more violently, and his breathing techniques grew faster and sharper.
Aside from that? He didn't understand a single thing about the swordsmanship.
Huo Hengxuan furrowed his brow and let out a quiet sigh.
The way of the sword, or rather, all cultivation depended on talent.
Some scholars studied Confucianism for seventy years, only to realize in their twilight that they'd lived their whole lives in a tiny village inside the mouth of a great Kunpeng beast.
One flick of its tongue caused tidal waves; one grind of its teeth crushed their entire world. That scholar swore an oath, not to save the world, but to save just a mouthful, and became a sage on the spot.
Others, mere street brawlers or drunkards, dreamt one night of flying across the oceans and waking to white hair and enlightenment.
But from the look of things, Chen Kuang had no such gift.
Passing on the sword manual was Huo Hengxuan's way of testing him.
It seemed... the fortune had been given, but the fate was not there.
Well, that couldn't be helped.
Still, there were other methods, ones without such steep thresholds.
He extended his hand toward Chen Kuang.
"Look at me, kid."
Chen Kuang raised his head, and at that moment, Huo Hengxuan's eyes flared with golden light.
His entire body seemed cast from molten bronze, taking on an ancient hue, like a wrathful vajra statue come to life.
At the same time, countless streams of information rushed into Chen Kuang's mind.
[Mud-Forged Gold Body Technique]!
It was a body-tempering art that manipulated blood and qi!
And within that flood of information wasn't just the technique itself, it contained all of Huo Hengxuan's personal insights and experiences, meticulously laid out.
Chen Kuang instinctively closed his eyes and began absorbing and digesting the knowledge.
When he opened them again, he saw Huo Hengxuan's bony, scarred back turned toward him. His ribs jutted through emaciated skin, half his hair had turned white, and his entire aura reeked of decay.
Chen Kuang immediately understood how much this had cost the old man.
Of course.
This was the Butcher of Liang, the Slaughter God. The Zhou cultivators had definitely placed heavy restrictions on him.
Trying to transfer his cultivation like this must've come at a steep price..
For a moment, Chen Kuang didn't know what to say.
So he only whispered, "Thank you."
A long silence passed.
Then Huo Hengxuan's hoarse voice rasped from the shadows:
"Heh... I should be the one thanking you."
He paused again, then added in a wistful tone,
"Would've been perfect, if only you didn't plan on becoming emperor."
Chen Kuang glanced sidelong at Chu Wenruo, whose red eyes and blushing face turned away quickly.
Apparently, during the time he'd been unconscious, this gentle woman had very nearly chewed out the Butcher of Liang for what he'd done.
In his heart, Chen Kuang muttered:
Old bastard..
That night, the dinner was... still steamed buns.
No promised delicacies. No fine wine. No luxurious meals.
When he asked, the jailer replied, "General Li said your deal starts tomorrow."
Chen Kuang chuckled dryly.
What a petty woman.
Just because he annoyed her a little, she not only broke his legs but now wanted to mess with him over dinner?
Still, he understood why Li Hongling was this frustrated, because she'd been completely outplayed.
If she truly had the ability to summon the sect's cultivators to force a confession through mystical means...
Then why resort to torture?
Chen Kuang figured: either she couldn't command them, or she didn't want them to know about the Elixir of Immortality.
He believed it was the latter.
And the biggest proof of that?
When he was summoned to her tent and mentioned the pill, only Li Hongling was present. No so-called "Immortal Masters" were even there at all.
If she truly didn't care, why keep them away?
Therefore, even though she had crushed his legs to prevent escape, she was still choosing patience and secrecy over brute force.
She acted tough, but in reality, she was the one compromising.
Still, though the delicacies were missing, Qingcuo did bring in the zither, Dragon Gums.
Chen Kuang cradled the ancient instrument and slowly tuned it.
Huo Hengxuan gave him a strange look. "What do you want that thing for?"
Chen Kuang replied calmly, "Everyone has their profession. You know what generals know. A court musician knows... other things."
As he spoke, his fingers swept gently across the strings.
The ancient zither let out a deep, resonant tone that echoed through the cell.
Dragon Gums.
Few would know, except someone like the original Chen Kuang, who had devoted his life to music..
That Dragon Gums... was not just a zither.
It was...
A sword.