Chapter 5 The Man Who Shouted at a Sword and Got a Sword by the River

Yan Yu quickly realized he had been wrong all these while. He thought it was the presence of the snake demon which caused the continuous rainfall in this small town. However, he just came to his senses that the snake demon was only at the Fundamental Stage, and even if the green snake had become a demon, it would never reach the stage where it could command the Heavens and the Earth. Hence, this autumn rain was clearly not a phenomenon caused by the green snake.

Nonetheless, he had checked the district annals and he knew that there should not be such a downpour during autumn for this place. The autumn rain was abnormal but it had nothing to do with the snake demon. Thus, it must have been caused by something else.

However, Yan Yu could not figure out the real reason.

He only knew that he was certainly no match for a cultivator who could cause such a phenomenon.

This was why his face had turned ghastly.

Nevertheless, why would a cultivator come to a poor and secluded town?

　　……

There was a river in Baiyu Town called Baiyu River. The river was a source for a unique species of white fish and the fish existed in small numbers. The villagers might catch some of those fish occasionally but even if they did, they would not bring those white fish back home. The town got its name from the white fish in this river so the people there naturally loved the white fish.

The autumn rain had been pouring for a few days and less people were on the streets now. The town was already small and did not have many villagers in the first place, but now the alleys and streets looked even more deserted with only a handful of people on the streets. However, there was a middle-aged man with a stubble of untrimmed beard walking leisurely along the Baiyu River. His feet were all muddy and he was mumbling to himself as he walked. His voice was soft and since he was mumbling fast, nobody could really make out what he was saying.

There were some passers-by occasionally but they would only take a glance at him and did not bother to pay much more attention to this haggard-looking middle-aged man. However, if they had actually thought about it, they would have realized that everyone was bringing an oil-paper umbrella with them whenever they headed out in this autumn rain but not this man, and yet his body seemed to be as dry as a bone.

He was wearing an ordinary cotton shirt when he walked by the river. He looked at the white fish which only appeared occasionally in the river and smirked, “Having a small demon in this town is already troublesome enough. Why does a sword like you have to transform into a spirit and play hide-and-seek with me for three days? Just wait till I get my hands on you and you’ll see how I’m going to kick your ass.”

Perhaps the sword had heard the middle-aged man’s words and just at that moment, there was something off about the Baiyu River. The white fish which were usually just a few in numbers started swimming in a school and they occasionally swam to the surface as if they were trying to take a look at this man.

After witnessing this scene, the man patted his waist and started laughing uncontrollably. “You are still hesitating. You are considered lucky to be able to meet me in this world. If I hadn’t insisted on killing that demon previously, my sword would not have been broken. I promise I will treat you well if you are willing to follow me. Moreover, your intelligence has grown so much so you won’t even break that easily.”

The middle-aged man was pouring his heart out, trying to negotiate his terms with the sword. If there had been people watching, they would surely think this man was either a madman or a fool.

“You little brat, you must know that I, Chen Sheng, am still the sword fighting genius this world has rarely seen. You won’t go wrong if you follow me!”

There was a moment of silence.

It seemed as though Chen Sheng had spoken so much yet the sword in the river still couldn't care.

Chen Sheng became furious watching this as he scolded, “You are clearly a sword and if you don’t follow me who happens to be a swordsman, are you dreaming of becoming a magic tool for the cultivators of the three religious sects? If so, where has your spirit as a sword gone to? The person who forged you in the beginning must be so ashamed of you!”

There was still no response from the Baiyu River.

“You brat, don’t push your luck. You can go out and ask around. I have managed to enter the Dawning Stage in less than a hundred years. Doesn’t this cultivation speed match my reputation as a swordsman genius? I am only in the Dawning Stage but I have had the guts to enter the Demonic Land to kill an evil demon that was at the Revelation Stage. How many people in this world can compare to my bravery and swordsmen cultivation?”

Chen Sheng tried to explain in a calm manner but it was obvious that he was trying to portray an arrogant demeanor, only for it to be suppressed by himself. He really did not have the conduct he was imagining of but that arrogance was still justifiable.

After all, was there anyone else in the world at the same stage as him who would dare to kill a Revelation Stage demon and come out unharmed?

Nonetheless, there was still no response from the Baiyu River even after what he had just said.

The middle-aged man squatted beside a river, shouting his lungs out in the autumn rain and he was actually scolding a sword. If people were witnessing this, how could their jaws not drop?

Chen Sheng seemed to be tired from all those scolding so he went to look for a big willow tree to lean on. In the end, he did not have much energy left in him and he just asked viciously, “So, are you going to follow me or not?”

He did not get any response so he just nodded his head. He knew it had to come to this so he plucked a few leaves from the big willow beside him and threatened, “Don’t force me to do this the hard way.”

After he finished talking, he tossed out the willow leaves. When those leaves left his hands, his powers seemed to be on display fully. As each leaf shot into the river, water splashed everywhere.

All of the white fish in the river started swimming frantically in all directions.

A short while after that, a part of the Baiyu River suddenly exploded and a white fish that was three feet long shot out of the water. It moved in an arc while it was in the air and threw a glance at Chen Sheng, as if it was mocking him before falling back into the river.

Chen Sheng shouted at it, “You think you are so great just because you’ve transformed into a spirit?”

He turned around and plucked more of the willow leaves. As he threw them out, the leaves formed a straight line and he held onto one end of the line while the other end sank into the river. He was like a fisherman catching fish.

Other people used worms as baits when they fish but Chen Sheng was fishing for a sword now and his bait was none other than the sword Qi.

The fearsome sword Qi was attached onto the willow leaves.

It flowed continuously into the river.

Meanwhile, the three feet long white fish was fleeing panickingly in the river but in the end its tail was entangled by the willow leaves. The more it struggled, the more water it splashed out.

Chen Sheng was on shore as he burst into laughter and gave the willow leaves a tug. The white fish was immediately pulled out of the river and he looked just like a fisherman who was catching a fish.

The white fish was out of the river once again but as soon as it left the surface of the water, it immediately transformed into a long sword with a sheath.

The long sword had not even been pulled out from its sheath but it was already overflowing with sword Qi. However, the sword snapped the rope that was made of willow leaves right at this moment and headed straight toward Chen Sheng with killing intent.

Chen Sheng’s eyes were filled with joy.

He gently tapped the tip of his toe on the shore and rolled up his wide sleeves, dispersing the sword Qi.

Chen Sheng looked at the ancient sword with its sheath that was floating on the surface of the river and patted his waist. “You will be my sword from today onward.”

After he finished talking, Chen Sheng’s silhouette flashed and he was now in front of the ancient sword.

The ancient sword which the white fish had transformed to was about to return into the river but Chen Sheng grabbed hold of the handle with one hand while the other hand gently ran across the sheath. This ancient sword which had not been out from its sheath for years was immediately drawn out from its sheath.

The sword-light lit up the misty sky.

The sword Qi at this moment was even more overwhelming than before.

Chen Sheng who was holding the sword in one hand did not look like the previous disheveled madman anymore. He was permeating a righteous aura as if with just a sword in his hand, he could go anywhere in the world and right the wrongs.

Chen Sheng lowered his gaze to the design of a swimming fish on the sword. In a soft voice, he said with certainty, “The senior who had forged you must have been a remarkable swordsmith. If not, why would you hide in the river by yourself and grow your intelligence? Nevertheless, you have to trust me that I won’t bury you and we are actually fated. If my sword had not been broken and I hadn’t traced a hint of sword Qi from the river, I would not have found you. Although you have some intelligence, you have to know that as a swordsman, I don’t forge weapons nor do I cultivate Daoism. All I have is a sword and since you have become my sword, I will surely treat you well.”

Perhaps the ancient sword was moved by Chen Sheng’s words or maybe it was suppressed by this swordsman’s cultivation of unknown origin, it did not move at all after Chen Sheng had put it back into its sheath and hung it on his waist.

Chen Sheng just smiled and turned around abruptly.

On a street far away from the shores of Baiyu River, there was a pallid youth who was holding some medicines in one hand while holding an umbrella in the other.

Chen Sheng laid his eyes on the teenager and the teenager quickly turned around and fled.

Chen Sheng who had just finished parading his ability then scolded, “Little bastard, am I really that terrifying?”

The teenager slipped into the alley and quickly disappeared.

Chen Sheng just shook his head smilingly and just when he was about to turn around, his nose suddenly started sniffling.

He gazed at the direction where the teenager had vanished into and mumbled to himself, “I nearly forgot that there is another small demon.”

Chen Sheng turned around and walked toward the town but just at this moment, the autumn rain had finally stopped.