Starting With The Martial Arts Holy Fire Order - Chapter 20

Chapter 020: Black Iron Piece, Treasure Map

Ling Yihan shook his head and said, “I’m not lying to you. This martial arts manual really exists. It’s inside the imperial palace. Once I get the Dragon-Slaying Saber and the Heavenly Sword, I’ll go to the palace, steal The Treasure of Admiring the Flower, and bring it to you.”

Hu Qingyang was about to caution him against taking such a risk but held back when he saw the gleam of the Changsheng Sword in Daiqisi’s hand.

“Alright, you said it yourself, so don’t go back on your word!”

As she spoke, she extended her finger, gesturing for Ling Yihan to link pinkies.

Seeing this, Ling Yihan couldn’t help but smile and linked pinkies with her.

After leaving their room, Ling Yihan didn’t return to his own room to sleep.

Instead, he quietly slipped out of the inn and headed back toward Prince Ruyang’s mansion.

He knew that the Xuanming Elders, Cheng Kun, and Gang Xiang had all been seriously injured by him and would likely be occupied with their recovery, leaving no one on guard.

It was the perfect time to retrieve the Heavenly Sword from the mansion.

Using his light-footed technique, “Stepping Through Snow Without a Trace,” Ling Yihan stealthily entered the mansion, noting that after the earlier commotion he and Daiqisi caused, the security had intensified.

However, those guards, with their basic skills, posed no threat to Ling Yihan.

Effortlessly avoiding them, he located Prince Ruyang’s bedchamber.

Ling Yihan slipped into the room, drawing the Youlong Sword and pointing it at Prince Ruyang’s throat as he lay asleep.

Awakened by the dragon’s roar from the blade, Cha Han Temoer opened his eyes and was startled to see a young stranger holding a sword to his throat.

“Who are you to dare break into Prince Ruyang’s mansion in the dead of night?!”

Ling Yihan chuckled, “Don’t act so tough. Your life is in my hands. If you don’t want to die, hand over the Heavenly Sword.”

“So, you came for the Heavenly Sword! Then the intruder from earlier must have been you?” Cha Han Temoer snorted coldly, “Who are you, exactly?”

“Who I am doesn’t matter. Stop wasting time and give me the Heavenly Sword!” Ling Yihan replied coldly.

Cha Han Temoer glared at him, his face showing no fear.

“I, Cha Han Temoer, have faced countless life-or-death moments on the battlefield. Do you think I’d fear threats from a mere youngster? Even if you kill me, the court will hunt you down, and you’ll never live in peace!”

Ling Yihan couldn’t help admiring his courage and smirked.

“Is that so? You’re right—I won’t kill you. But it’s not because I fear your Mongol Empire. I could kill your son instead. Now, what’s more important—the Heavenly Sword or your son?”

With that, he sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

Realizing the young man’s skill, Cha Han Temoer quickly called after him, saying, “Wait… if it’s the Heavenly Sword you want, I’ll give it to you…”

He hurriedly opened a hidden compartment in the wall and retrieved a prized sword.

Confident that Cha Han Temoer wouldn’t dare to play any tricks, Ling Yihan accepted the sword and drew it from its scabbard, observing its razor-sharp edge.

He lightly swung the sword at a stone stool in the room, slicing it neatly in half.

“This is indeed the Heavenly Sword. Farewell, Prince Ruyang!”

With those words, Ling Yihan disappeared from the mansion with the Heavenly Sword, vanishing like a gust of wind.

Cha Han Temoer stood alone, watching in stunned silence as the young man left.

Not far from the mansion, Ling Yihan saw Daiqisi waiting anxiously at a crossroads, pacing back and forth.

When she saw him appear, her face lit up with relief.

“Brother Ling, you’re safe! That’s wonderful!”

Ling Yihan felt a warmth in his heart at her concern. Smiling, he asked, “Were you waiting here just for me?”

Daiqisi’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“I went to your room to talk, but you weren’t there. I figured you must have gone back to the mansion for the Heavenly Sword. So, did you get it?”

Ling Yihan handed her the Heavenly Sword with a smile.

“Of course!”

“Really? Brother Ling, you’re incredible!” Daiqisi exclaimed, examining the sword with delight.

Ling Yihan observed her joy and remarked, “We shouldn’t stay here. The guards from the mansion will likely come looking soon. Let’s head back to the inn.”

Daiqisi nodded, “Alright!”

Back at the inn, Ling Yihan recounted the night’s events in full detail to Daiqisi and Hu Qingyang.

“Brother Ling, now that we have the Heavenly Sword, what secret does it hold?” Hu Qingyang asked, feeling a mix of excitement and curiosity as she looked at the sword.

Ling Yihan smiled mysteriously.

“If you want to know the secret of the Heavenly Sword, just watch…”

He drew the Youlong Sword and carefully scored a spot seven inches from the Heavenly Sword’s hilt.

The sword’s soft iron yielded, revealing a black iron piece that fell out.

Daiqisi picked up the black iron piece, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

“Brother Ling, what is this? It seems to have some kind of pattern…”

“This is a black iron piece with a map showing the layout of traps on an island,” Ling Yihan replied with a slight smile.

“An island? A map? Could it be… a treasure map?” Hu Qingyang asked in surprise.

Ling Yihan nodded.

“Exactly. Do you know the origin of the Dragon-Slaying Saber and the Heavenly Sword?”

Hu Qingyang and Daiqisi exchanged puzzled glances and shook their heads.

Ling Yihan gently stroked their hair and chuckled.

“Then let me tell you a little martial arts history tonight. Have you heard of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, the couple who defended Xiangyang?”

Daiqisi, having grown up in Persia, didn’t know their story, but Hu Qingyang, who often heard stories in the Ming Cult, had some knowledge of martial arts legends.

“I know a bit. Guo Jing, the great hero, and Huang Rong were renowned martial artists of the Southern Song Dynasty. They fought to defend Xiangyang against the Mongol invaders. But… in the end, the Mongols still conquered the land…” Hu Qingyang said with a sigh.

Ling Yihan nodded.

“Yes. Knowing they couldn’t hold Xiangyang, Guo Jing and Huang Rong hid their military strategies, the Wumu Legacy, and unparalleled martial arts on an island.

“They reforged the Divine Condor Hero Yang Guo’s Black Iron Heavy Sword and the Gentleman and Lady Swords into a saber and sword, now known as the Dragon-Slaying Saber and the Heavenly Sword.”