Chapter 93: Zhi Beiyou 'He' is our only hope...
The swordsman turned his head to look behind him, mounted his horse, and galloped away into the distance.
She felt as if someone was looking at her, and when she turned around to look, she found nothing.
She didn't care. She held the reins with one hand and took the wine bag from her waist with the other hand. She bit open the cork with her teeth and poured a few gulps of liquor into her mouth.
The swordsman's name is Gongsun Ying. She has no father or mother, and no one knows who gave her this name. She only knows that she has been called this name since she can remember.
Gongsun Ying is a man of the world with an extremely flamboyant personality and who does things without any taboos.
She likes to wear bright clothes, ride a fierce horse, and drink strong liquor.
She was born knowing how to use a sword and had an excellent talent for swordsmanship. Although she had never studied under a famous teacher, she had developed a stunning swordsmanship that was unrivaled in the world.
She has such a high talent, but she doesn't seem to cherish it enough, perhaps because it came too easily.
She spent the first half of her life in a very carefree manner. Sometimes she would go boating on the Tu River in the morning, and walk around the imperial gardens in the evening. She would casually place a few lychees beside the emperor's bed and leave a piece of scented paper with three words on it:
【You're welcome】
When all the guards in the Forbidden Garden were alarmed and the sound of hurried footsteps and angry shouts of "Catch the assassin" rang out, the swordsman who left the paper had disappeared without a trace.
All the dignitaries in the capital were so angry with her that their teeth itched. On the bounty order, the swordsman was ranked ahead of countless bandits, but no one had ever been able to catch her and put her in jail to let her taste the consequences of breaking the law with force.
This is a very incredible thing, because Gongsun Ying not only acts as he pleases and always offends people, but also makes many friends.
With so many friends, not one of them betrayed her.
Or in other words, there's no point in selling it out.
The higher the bounty on Gongsun Ying, the more people are willing to make friends with her. From waiters in a shop to leaders of a sect, everyone feels that being Gongsun Ying's friend is a matter of great honor.
Today, Gongsun Ying is going to meet an old friend as usual.
The old friend was her pen pal for many years, but she had never met him. She was also quite experienced in swordsmanship, and could often point out Gongsun Ying's bottlenecks. Sometimes she would casually remind her that there are always people better than you, and that she should not be complacent with her current achievements.
Although Gongsun Ying admired his friend, he did not take her reminder to heart.
Life is only a hundred years long, and Gongsun Ying just wants to do the most interesting things.
Practice swordsmanship hard and pursue the pinnacle of swordsmanship?
Boring.
Gongsun Ying never liked to compete for the title of No. 1 in the world, even though her name was Ying and even though she had never lost in her life.
At noon, when the sun was at its strongest, Gongsun Ying walked into the largest and most luxurious restaurant in Jizhou City.
The friend ordered a table of food and wine in advance. Gongsun Ying couldn't help feeling excited at the thought of meeting this good friend with whom he had known each other for many years.
She told the shopkeeper her friend's name and was taken to a box on the second floor facing the street. She saw someone already waiting by the window. He was wearing a crimson robe and a jade belt, with dark eyebrows and bright eyes. He had a tall and straight figure and an extraordinary demeanor.
"Xue Jingzhen?" Gongsun Ying sat down opposite her and called out tentatively.
Xue Jingzhen picked up the wine glass and smiled: "Finally we meet... Gongsun Swordsman."
Gongsun Ying raised her eyebrows and couldn't help but smile. She took a sip of the wine. The wine was spicy, just to her liking.
Her smile widened, and while drinking, she said to Xue Jingzhen: "You and I think differently."
"What's the difference?"
"You keep telling me to cherish my talent, and I thought you would be an old lady."
Xue Jingzhen smiled and said, "So I actually gave you this feeling, then why have you been exchanging letters with me for so long?"
"Does age matter when making friends? I don't mind people being long-winded."
Gongsun Ying picked up a peanut and said, "I like to make friends of all kinds."
Xue Jingzhen said: "I am the opposite of you. I hate making friends the most. If possible, I hope I have no friends."
Gongsun Ying was startled, put down his chopsticks, and looked up and down at this old friend whom he had just met for the first time: "Then why have you been exchanging letters with me for so long?"
This time, it was her turn to have this doubt.
Xue Jingzhen was silent for a moment, and said frankly: "I'm sorry, I came to you because I want to ask you for help."
Gongsun Ying nodded. She didn't think there was anything wrong with making friends with a purpose. With her swordsmanship and fame, she had met many such people. If she was willing to interact with them, then if her friend asked her for help, she would be willing to help with all her strength.
Gongsun Ying asked: "Do you have an enemy that you can't resolve? Or do you have financial difficulties? Or do you have something you like but find it difficult to obtain?"
Gongsun Ying is not afraid of trouble. What's more, he likes to find trouble actively.
She enjoys helping her friends out of trouble.
Xue Jingzhen did not answer immediately, but looked out the window. There was a lot of traffic, vendors were calling out for business, performers were performing acrobatics, and a few girls were standing in front of a candied haws stall. They collected a few copper coins and bought a string of candied haws.
Gongsun Ying did not urge her and poured wine on his own. The wine was good, and after a few glasses, she felt a little tipsy, which was the most comfortable state of drinking.
A gentle breeze blew, she put down her wine glass, leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, and followed her old friend's example, watching the world.
A down-and-out Taoist priest, carrying a banner with the words "Believe it or not" on it, set up a fortune-telling stall opposite the restaurant. He then lay down on a recliner, fanning himself, squinting his eyes, and didn't seem to care whether there was any business coming to him.
Gongsun Ying became interested: "This fortune teller is quite interesting."
Xue Jingzhen turned around and asked: "Do you believe in fate?"
Gongsun Ying started to eat melon seeds: "I believe the good ones, but I don't believe the bad ones."
Xue Jingzhen laughed: "As expected of you."
Gongsun Ying threw down the melon seed shells and said, "Since you asked me to come, you must have made up your mind to ask me to help you."
She also turned her head and looked at Xue Jingzhen: "Why are you so hesitant now?"
This was the first time she met Xue Jingzhen, but she seemed to know her very well.
In fact, words can cover up a lot of things, enough for bad guys to whitewash themselves.
But Gongsun Ying has always been such a confident person. She feels that her vision is not wrong. Xue Jing is really a good person worth associating with. Naturally, she would not refuse the request of a good person.
Gongsun Ying said: "I thought you already knew what kind of person I am."
Xue Jingzhen pondered: "It is precisely because I understand you that I don't want to implicate you. Gongsun Ying, this is a very difficult thing to do."
Gongsun Ying's eyes lit up with excitement: "What a coincidence! I like to challenge difficulties, the more difficult the better."
Xue Jingzhen said: "Once you join, you can't regret it."
"Why would you regret a decision you made?"
"Perhaps I will be doomed to eternal damnation and will never be able to be reborn."
"That's scary."
"I'm serious."
"You're really long-winded."
Gongsun Ying crossed his arms and looked at Xue Jingzhen, as if thinking about how to make her speak directly.
Xue Jingzhen sighed, smiled, and finally said, "The sky is about to fall. I want you to help me hold up the sky."
“…”
If there was wine in her mouth, Gongsun Ying would definitely spray Xue Jingzhen in the face. She seriously asked Xue Jingzhen about her ancestral home and confirmed that she was not from Qi.
Gongsun Ying said sincerely: "I know a great doctor in Yaowang Mountain, I can introduce him to you."
Xue Jingzhen smiled and knocked on the table: "I know you won't believe it... please look around you."
Gongsun Ying was startled, and the next moment, a sense of extreme danger suddenly arose from the bottom of his heart.
With a clang, the sword was unsheathed. Gongsun Ying turned around suddenly and saw a scene he had never seen in his life.
The sun hanging in the sky was dragging behind it an ancient, gigantic corpse that was constantly dropping worms...
Under the cold and gentle moon, a song with an obscure tone came from a palace shrouded in mist, as if mourning and expressing loneliness...
The seven mouths form a bucket shape. As they open and close, you can clearly see the dense teeth embedded inside...
There were also objects that stretched and contracted like breathing, surrounded by fungi, and many rotting things surrounded by flies...
All these things were rushing towards himself and the earth, as if they were going to drown the entire world.
The illusion seemed to last for a long time, but it also seemed to be just a moment. When the swordsman was about to swing his sword, all the strange and bizarre scenes disappeared.
What appeared before our eyes were still the bustling streets and the ignorant but leisurely and comfortable people.
Gongsun Ying held the sword tightly and stared into space. Xue Jingzhen was about to say something, but Gongsun Ying looked up at the sun, which was emitting warm light, and said thoughtfully, "So, the sky is full of these things now."
Xue Jingzhen was not surprised that she had such a strong ability to accept and understand. Otherwise, why would she come to her for help?
Xue Jingzhen nodded: "To be precise, they have a common name, 'Gods'."
Gongsun Ying returned to his usual carefree attitude and said without any reverence, "These gods have nothing to do after eating, so they want to come and visit us? Our city gods, dragon gods, and Hades receive so much incense and worship, why don't we entertain them? Do we mortals have to do it?"
"These gods we usually see also have a common name, called 'Earth Gods'." Xue Jingzhen explained, "Earth Gods are also gods, but their power is far less than that of Heaven Gods. Most importantly, they can see more than us, and therefore, they are more easily polluted by Heaven Gods than us."
Gongsun Ying listened attentively: "Pollution?"
"The existence of the gods themselves will bring endless chaos, madness and distortion... The more you see, the easier it is to be assimilated. We call this assimilation 'pollution'. I don't know if you have noticed that the cultivation methods of orthodox and evil religions in various places are changing. The statues in the temples and the offerings they demand are becoming strange. Even the forms of the statues and the titles of the gods are becoming more and more different from those recorded in the classics. As a result, people's living habits, customs and human relationships have also become more and more strange... Our world is mutating with the distortion of the gods. No one knows where this mutation will end and what the limit of our tolerance is."
Gongsun Ying listened carefully and concluded: "The gods in the sky are watching closely, and the gods on earth can't protect themselves. Mortals can only save themselves."
Xue Jingzhen nodded.
Gongsun Ying said incredulously: "So, you want to take me with you to kill these gods?"
Xue Jingzhen thought for a moment: "We need to use a power that can kill gods."
Gongsun Ying smiled first: "You really think highly of me."
Then he grabbed the wine flask, took a big gulp of wine, burped, and said to himself: "Everyone finds it strange. I have never had a master, so where did I learn the superb swordsmanship? They don't know that when I was young, I saw two sword masters fighting with my own eyes. Although it was a fleeting glimpse, the sword spirit was deeply engraved in my heart and taught me how to use a sword."
"I am a lucky person, but I am also a lazy person." Gongsun Ying raised his eyes and looked at Xue Jingzhen. "You advised me before that there are always people better than you. I know that no matter how good your martial arts skills are, you are just a mortal. In the eyes of practitioners, you are nothing. It is a great opportunity for me to witness the battle between immortals, but I am too lazy to ask for advice from immortals. I would rather live a carefree life in the mortal world. My current swordsmanship is more than enough for me."
She said a lot of things, and every word seemed to be rejecting Xue Jingzhen.
Xue Jingzhen, however, looked calm and listened to her quietly.
"I used to think I would never regret any decision," Gongsun Ying said. "This is the first time I regret it."
She said she regretted it, seemingly regretting having agreed too quickly, but Xue Jingzhen still did not show any disappointment.
"If I had known that one day my good friend would ask me to kill a god, I would not be so lazy and would have gone to learn from the swordsman earlier."
Gongsun Ying stroked the sword beside him, stood up and said, "Is it too late to do it now?"
Xue Jingzhen raised his head, and his figure gradually became illusory: "Every present moment is the earliest beginning of the future. So, it's not too late."
Gongsun Ying seemed to have expected this. How could someone who knew so much about the gods be an ordinary person? "What do you want me to do?"
"Go find a sword. The sword's name is Zhi Bei You." Xue Jingzhen said, "The sword seals the 'Tao' of this world. I don't know who sealed it, but I know that it can be used to suppress 'Him''s' power."
Xue Jingzhen's figure became increasingly fainter. It seemed that this incarnation had reached its limit.
Gongsun Ying did not understand some of Xue Jingzhen's words, but she already understood what her friend wanted her to do, and that was enough.
She didn't ask Xue Jingzhen why he didn't go to find those practitioners but came to her, a mortal. She never asked her friends why they came to me to do this.
She just used the last moment to ask, "Can we meet again in the future?"
"I don't think so."
"Where are you then? Can I come find you?"
"I'm afraid not."
Xue Jingzhen's voice was almost a whisper: "I don't know how long T can let 'Him' stay in my memory fragments... You must find the sword as soon as possible... 'Him' is about to come... 'Him' is our only hope, but may bring a more terrible ending..."
Just like a shattered mirror, Xue Jingzhen's figure split into countless phantoms and disappeared completely.
Gongsun Ying walked around the table to where his friend had been sitting, picked up the wine jug that his friend had not finished drinking, and drank it all in one gulp.
Good wine should not be wasted.
Then, she turned and left the box, embarking on a journey to find Zhi Beiyou.
…
The mirror was like a water surface with a stone dropped into it. After a few ripples, it returned to calm again, reflecting the swordsman Li Zhou wearing a brand new Taoist robe.
This was the first time I hated the fact that I could see the real mirror. Thinking back to the conversation I had just heard, I really wanted it to break right in half.
Although it quickly blocked the sound in the mirror before those forbidden conversations began, it vaguely understood Li Zhou's true nature, so it didn't think that this little trick could prevent Li Zhou from "hearing" those words.
It’s over, it’s over, it’s over…
The mirror thought desperately, "He" is about to realize his true identity, the world is really going to be destroyed, why was the miracle doctor fine before, but this swordsman got into trouble, is there still a small part of her self left in her body, why is her willpower so strong when she is fine, now it's good, it must be a mess...
Jingzi was sweating profusely and his body was covered with water droplets. He couldn't help but complain about the swordsman, but at the same time he couldn't help but express his admiration in his heart.
Is this really something that a mortal can do?
It thought in disbelief that if it, or the monsters or gods it knew, were to be replaced by them, it would probably not be possible.
"They..." Swordsman Li Zhou suddenly moved closer, scaring Jingzi so much that she let out a loud howl.
Li Zhou ignored it and just tried to look at the scene behind the swordsman. Why did the restaurant just now disappear?
"...The dishes we ordered all look delicious." Li Zhou knocked on the mirror and found that it was covered with water. She withdrew her hand in disgust, "Did you notice that too?" Seeing how greedy it was and how much drool it was drooling, she held back and swallowed her saliva.
Li Zhou asked Jingzi excitedly: "Do you know which restaurant this is? Is there one in Fengzhou?" Were there chain stores in ancient times?
Although he was a little curious about what Gongsun Ying and Xue Jingzhen said, he couldn't eat it. Li Zhou had never learned lip reading, so how could he know what they said.
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