Chapter 73
Chapter 73
As if determined to win Ye Zhibei over completely, Zhou Ming revealed one more staggering secret. “I’m not afraid to tell you that I’ve already assembled my own forces. My chances aren’t nearly as slim as you think.”
Why was the Sword Saint still hesitating?
The reason was simple.
He saw little chance of Zhou Ming winning, and some part of him still clung to hope for the Light Faction.
“What do you mean by that?” Cangxuan asked in astonishment.
Zhou Ming answered with a question of his own. “You don’t honestly think Qianying and Xuanniao are the only two allies I have, do you?”
Qianying fell silent.
So did Xuanniao.
Both friend and foe were dumbfounded.
Weren’t they?
“If that’s what you think, then you’re gravely mistaken. Qianying is far from the only god-tier powerhouse at my side!”
Wearing a confident smile, Zhou Ming walked up to Ye Zhibei and placed a hand on his shoulder. His voice turned earnest. “With your abilities, why resign yourself to this kind of degradation? I’m sure you understand perfectly well why the Eastern Region’s emperor makes you handle his dirty work.”
The emperor’s intentions could not have been more obvious. By keeping Ye Zhibei in such an extreme working environment, he ensured the Sword Saint would be exposed to every vile deed imaginable.
Once he had seen enough of it, he would grow numb.
“You seem to have forgotten that you’re also the reason I’ve been cast aside,” Ye Zhibei said with a frown. A few clever words were not enough to make him lose sight of that. “I should hate you even more for it. Why would I ever help you?”
“Because I acted in self-defense. I had no other choice!” Zhou Ming replied. Then he went straight to the heart of the matter. “But why was I forced into defending myself in the first place? The gods want me dead. Is that my fault?”
Ye Zhibei hesitated, then shook his head.
“Countless people across the world hate me. Is that my fault?”
“…”
“None of it is my fault, yet they keep forcing me to the other side as if I’m some unforgivable villain.” Zhou Ming’s words struck the heart of the matter. “You want those people to remain above the clouds forever, looking down on the mortal world, while you serve them faithfully and beg for whatever scraps of mercy they choose to bestow? Is that the path of the Sword Saint?”
“You…”
Ye Zhibei was left speechless.
For a moment, he could find no rebuttal. Worse, Zhou Ming’s words actually sounded reasonable.
“You’re the Sword Saint. Why should you have to prove that you’re loyal enough?” Zhou Ming pressed forward without giving him room to breathe. “They should be the ones hoping you’re willing to stay loyal!”
Ye Zhibei’s eyes widened as if a veil had suddenly been lifted from his mind. “I’m the Sword Saint. Why should I have to prove that I’m loyal enough…?”
With his strength, where in the world could he not go?
Yet the honor attached to the title of Sword Saint had become his prison. He felt compelled to conduct himself with perfect integrity, terrified that he might stain the title and become an object of ridicule.
That only made him easier for schemers to exploit.
“If you hate me, then before you hate me, you should hate this world that turns good people into villains!”
Eyes blazing, Zhou Ming stared at the current Sword Saint and extended a fist toward him. He enunciated every word. “Sword Saint, are you interested in joining me to overturn this rotten world?”
“…”
Ye Zhibei stared at Zhouyou Shijie’s outstretched fist. Hot blood surged through his veins, and even his soul seemed to tremble.
What choice was he supposed to make?
He knew the gods were corrupt, driven by reputation and profit, even willing to collude with the Dark Faction.
He knew the emperor saw him as a chess piece and guarded against him at every turn, leaving a hero like him with no chance to use his talents.
Then someone destined for greatness suddenly stood before him and said, Brother, come with me. Let’s change all of this together.
Who the hell could hear that and feel nothing?
After a long and bitter struggle with himself, Ye Zhibei finally said, “I have two conditions.”
“Name them!”
“First, my wife and daughter live under the Eastern Region emperor’s watch. You must guarantee their safety,” Ye Zhibei said solemnly.
Zhou Ming understood at once.
So the weakness the emperor held over the Sword Saint was his family.
“I’ll find a way,” Zhou Ming promised with a nod.
Satisfied with his answer, Ye Zhibei took a golden compass from his inventory and handed it over. Zhou Ming hurriedly accepted it.
“Use this. It will lead you to them.”
“Ding!”
[You have obtained the temporary quest item Heavenly Secrets Compass (Rare SS Rank)!]
“Second, capture Juyan City!”
Ye Zhibei seemed to have made his choice. In a deep voice, he continued, “If you can take the city, then I, Ye Zhibei, will risk my life and fight beside you until… you reign supreme!”
“You have my word!”
Zhou Ming was overjoyed.
He had finally won the Sword Saint over!
“Ding!”
[Congratulations! You have activated the Rare Hidden Quest Sword Saint’s Allegiance (Difficulty: SS)!]
[Sword Saint’s Allegiance] (Difficulty: SS)
Description: Inspiring the Sword Saint to consider rebellion was, in truth, the most difficult part.
Quest Requirement 1: Rescue Sword Saint ยท Ye Zhibei’s wife and daughter. [Location: Zijin City]
Quest Requirement 2: Capture Juyan City.
Quest Reward: The Sword Saint’s allegiance.
Temporary Quest Item: Heavenly Secrets Compass (Rare SS Rank)
Cangxuan watched from the side, utterly bewildered. For a long while, he could not find a single word to say.
He had only wanted to spar with the current Sword Saint. How could he have imagined it would lead to something this outrageous?
“Well?”
Zhou Ming turned his attention back to the second Demon God and smiled. “Any thoughts?”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll interfere?” Cangxuan asked, unable to decide what to make of him.
“You’re the reason he ended up like this,” Zhou Ming said bluntly. “At the same time, you’re also a Sword Saint who chose rebellion. No one understands how he feels better than you do.”
Zhou Ming had let Cangxuan watch because he had no fear of being betrayed.
From what he knew of the man, Cangxuan could never have defected for fame or profit.
Cangxuan rubbed his nose awkwardly. “What happened today will die with me.”
He finally understood.
This kid had both generations of Sword Saints wrapped around his finger.
“Thank you!”
Zhou Ming expressed his gratitude, then added pointedly, “Speaking of which, Brother Cangxuan, would you be interested in joining me and building something from nothing?”
In Zhou Ming’s ideal outcome, both generations of Sword Saints would gather under his banner and serve as his right- and left-hand men.
Qianying, Cangxuan, Ye Zhibei, and Zhouyou Shijie. With four supreme powerhouses working together, who in the world could stop them?
“Farewell!”
Cangxuan spun around and fled.
Honestly, this was the first time he had ever been so afraid to talk to someone.
“You’re human,” Zhou Ming called after him, every word striking a vital point. “Do you truly intend to help monsters conquer the world?”
Cangxuan shuddered, then fled even faster without daring to look back.
This was too sinister!
He had watched Zhouyou Shijie persuade Ye Zhibei from beginning to end, and even as a bystander, he had felt an inexplicable certainty that the balance of the world was about to shift.
“Brother Cangxuan, please don’t stand in my way when I attack Juyan City!” Zhou Ming called out, not forgetting his most important request.
“…Just this once. There won’t be a second time!” Cangxuan answered from the distance.
He had already learned that the gods had appointed Zhouyou Shijie to command the assault on Juyan City, and he had originally planned to intervene.
But he was the former Sword Saint. He could not stand by and watch Ye Zhibei suffer because of him, with his wife and daughter controlled and threatened by the emperor while Ye himself was reduced to a puppet on strings. His conscience would not allow it.
Night had fallen deep.
Moonlight spilled gently across the world, draping the land in silver gauze.
The Sword Saint’s subordinates, who had kept their distance out of fear of the lingering might of god-tier combatants, cautiously drew closer. None of them had any idea what had just happened.
Watching Cangxuan disappear into the distance, Zhou Ming cupped his hands toward Ye Zhibei. “I’ll take my leave first.”
“Farewell.”
Ye Zhibei returned the gesture, then soared away.
“Whew…”
With everything settled, Zhou Ming finally released the breath he had been holding.
Recruiting the Sword Saint on the spot had never been realistic. This outcome had already surpassed his wildest expectations.
At that moment, the long-delayed system chime finally rang in his ears.
“Ding!”
[Congratulations! You have completed Find the Sword Saint (Difficulty: A). Rewards: Current Level EXP +50.96%, Nightfall Cloak (Gold)!]
…