Volume I: The Emperor's Sword Chapter 115: Get Down at My Feet and Meow Like a Cat

As the oldest building in the Sword Palace, the Wanren Tower had stood deep within its grounds for centuries.

In days past, the area around the wooden tower was quiet and serene, with few passersby.

But today, the spacious plaza before the tower was teeming with people, a dense sea of black-clad disciples!

All the disciples of the Sword Palace had gathered here.

Everyone was buzzing with excitement, eager to prove themselves, barely able to contain their enthusiasm.

“Last year, I was just one Qing Silk Silkworm away from breaking into the top ten of the Southern Courtyard. This year, I’m sure I’ll secure a place among the Sword Candidates!”

“One Qing Silk Silkworm won’t get you into the top twenty. I’m ranked eleventh—I nearly became a Sword Candidate!”

“Our Eastern Courtyard will take first place this year! The Southwest and Western Courtyards better watch out.”

“What’s so great about the East Courtyard? None of us in the Western Courtyard are intimidated!”

“The Southern Courtyard isn’t weak either—beware of Senior Sister Qingyao’s Flower Spirit Sword!”

Though the Wanren Tower’s doors remained closed, the plaza was thick with tension.

Only the Northern Courtyard was unusually quiet.

Most Northern Courtyard disciples appeared listless, except for Wu Dachuan, who busily gathered his team, confident in their upcoming challenge.

Before long, several elders led by Qin Shangzhang arrived together.

The plaza immediately fell silent.

“Time flies,” Qin Shangzhang said, his voice soft but tinged with gravity as he surveyed the crowd. “It seems like just yesterday we had the last Sword Candidate competition, and now a new cycle begins. May each disciple display their talents and win glory and opportunity.”

“Only through competition can one become the Chosen Sword Candidate,” he added solemnly.

Those words stirred the hearts of many disciples, fists clenched tight, itching to rush into the Wanren Tower.

Qin Shangzhang then turned and stood before the tower’s wooden doors, with the other three elders behind him.

The four Foundation Establishment masters performed a synchronized salute towards the Wanren Tower, their expressions respectful as if greeting venerable elders.

After the salute, the elders entered the tower one after another.

The wooden doors closed behind them.

Opening the Wanren Tower required the joint effort of several elders.

“It’s time, Xue Ziyi. Our wager is about to begin. You can say goodbye to that Sword Stone,” Qian Yuxiu said with a mocking smile, followed closely by her junior brother, Huan Zhi.

Ever since Yun Que knocked out all his teeth at the Sword Arena, Huan Zhi had kept to himself, immersed in cultivation, growing colder and more venomous in his gaze, like a poisonous snake fixed on Yun Que.

“Oh, I forgot to mention, Junior Brother Huan Zhi has just emerged from a month-long retreat, advancing from Qi Refining Stage Two to Stage Five in that short time!” Qian Yuxiu said proudly.

“How is your little sword servant junior brother’s training going? He must be quite skilled at kneeling and begging for mercy by now, haha! Xue Ziyi, you’re doomed this year!” she taunted.

Xue Ziyi gritted her silver teeth in silent fury, powerless to retort.

Huan Zhi’s Thunder Spirit Root talent was simply beyond reach; advancing three minor stages in one month was unimaginable in the Northern Courtyard.

“I admit defeat in this year’s wager!” Xue Ziyi said resignedly.

Ma Yong and Niu Bucai bared their teeth in frustration, feeling sorry for their senior sister.

The Sword Stone was their senior sister’s mother’s heirloom; losing it meant never seeing it again.

Xue Ziyi was straightforward—she accepted her loss and was about to hand over the Sword Stone.

“Why not give it a try? How can you know you’ll lose without trying?” Yun Que stopped her, saying, “Not only will the wager continue, but I’ll raise the stakes. That’ll make it more interesting.”

“A mere sword servant dares to raise the stakes? Such arrogance! Are young people these days all so reckless?” Qian Yuxiu sneered. “Raise the stakes all you want! This senior sister will see you through.”

Yun Que produced a storage pouch, shaking it teasingly.

“Just one storage pouch? Ha! You want to kill me with laughter? If you want, come over to my Eastern Courtyard—I’ll give you ten of them,” Qian Yuxiu laughed mockingly, her face full of disdain.

Ma Yong and Niu Bucai hung their heads, utterly embarrassed.

A storage pouch was valuable to a sword servant, but to a Foundation Establishment master like Qian Yuxiu, it was insignificant.

“It’s not empty. It contains my savings,” Yun Que said with feigned reluctance. “Senior Sister, please keep it safe. If I lose, the pouch and its contents belong to Qian Yuxiu. But if I win, whatever is inside, Qian Yuxiu must compensate me with the same.”

Without waiting for a response, Yun Que handed the pouch to Xue Ziyi and instructed, “To keep things fair, please imprint a seal on it, so they can’t claim we tampered with it.”

Seeing Yun Que’s seriousness, Xue Ziyi nodded.

“Agreed! If I lose, I’ll repay every single thing in this pouch,” Qian Yuxiu agreed readily.

“Make sure you keep your word,” Yun Que said with a sly smile.

“Do you think I can’t afford to lose? I’ve wagered with Xue Ziyi for years and have never broken my word!” Qian Yuxiu said arrogantly.

“Good. But just in case, I’ll give you one more option,” Yun Que said, pointing to his feet. “If you can’t repay my pouch, from now on, every time you see me, you’ll act like a cat—crawling at my feet and meowing until I’m satisfied.”

Qian Yuxiu’s arrogant expression instantly hardened into cold fury!

She was the second senior sister of the Eastern Courtyard, a dignified Foundation Establishment master. Only she teased others in the Sword Palace; she had never been made a joke.

Especially by a mere sword servant.

Her teeth ground in hatred as she snarled, “Such nonsense! Let’s see if you can even leave the Sword Burial Grounds alive!”

Huan Zhi coldly said beside her, “Don’t worry, sister. He won’t get out! I’ll settle all old and new scores with him!”

“You’re too slow,” Yun Que said cryptically, ignoring Huan Zhi as if he were air.

Advancing from Stage Two to Stage Five in a month was indeed fast and talented.

But Yun Que was faster still—already breaking through from Stage One to Stage Six of Qi Refining.

Without even tapping into the Sword Vein, in terms of cultivation realm, Yun Que was far ahead of Huan Zhi.

Huan Zhi could never have imagined his target for revenge had become even more formidable since their first encounter.

Qian Yuxiu snorted coldly and, with Huan Zhi, returned to the Eastern Courtyard team.

Yun Que sensed a cold, murderous gaze fixed on him from the Eastern Courtyard.

Looking up, it was the Eastern Courtyard’s top Sword Candidate, Yan Xu.

At Misty Mountain, Yun Que had publicly berated Yan Xu in front of many disciples, nearly coming to blows.

Yan Xu was narrow-minded and bore a deep grudge. Coupled with his suspicions over Xuan Wenyan’s death, he harbored murderous intent toward Yun Que.

No words were needed—the look in his eyes said it all.

It was a gaze that saw Yun Que as good as dead, his killing intent laid bare.

Meeting this murderous glare, Yun Que smirked and muttered two words to himself:

“Dung heap.”

This was the insult he had hurled at Yan Xu back at Misty Mountain. Repeating it now, he believed Yan Xu could read his lips even if he couldn’t hear him.

Sure enough, Yan Xu’s gaze sharpened with even greater hostility, as if willing to kill Yun Que with his eyes.

Yun Que smiled calmly and withdrew his gaze.

At that moment, a Western Courtyard disciple squeezed through the crowd, holding a white sheet of paper.

“You’re Yun Que?” the man said coldly. “I’m Ning Ji. Our senior brother Chu sent you this. This paper is for writing your last words. If you go to the Sword Burial Grounds, you won’t return.”

Yun Que glanced toward the Western Courtyard.

Led by Chu Hu, more than thirty skilled Western Courtyard disciples performed a unified gesture.

With their fingers, they slowly drew a slash across their necks.

Execution!

Ma Yong and Niu Bucai exchanged bewildered looks, unable to understand how Yun Que had offended the Western Courtyard as well.

Xue Ziyi frowned deeply, growing more worried about Yun Que.

Huan Zhi, already a formidable enemy at Qi Refining Stage Five, made victory nearly impossible.

Adding to that, the Western Courtyard’s top Sword Candidate Chu Hu and a group of experts meant Yun Que was walking into a den of wolves, with no hope of return.

At that moment, the Wanren Tower emitted a strange aura.

It was as if an infinite amount of sword qi was gathering inside, forcing many disciples on the plaza to step back, shaken by the eerie presence.

After the sword qi dissipated, the doors opened again, and several elders emerged.

Except for the Sword Chief, the other three elders looked pale, clearly drained from the effort.

After nodding to the three elders, Qin Shangzhang left first, as if attending to urgent matters.

Just as Gu Shaoyang was about to announce the start, Quan Yu interrupted.

“The Southern Courtyard is issuing a mission, with a reward of a supreme magical artifact!”

Hearing such a precious reward, the Southern Courtyard disciples grew excited, all eyes fixed on their elder.

Since the Wanren Tower was about to open, the plaza was unusually quiet, and everyone could hear the Southern Courtyard elder’s announcement.

Curiosity spread among the crowd.

It was rare to issue a mission just as the Sword Candidate competition was about to begin.

Everyone craned their necks to listen.

Yun Que was watching the spectacle, but soon realized he had become the center of it.

Quan Yu raised her hand, pointing sharply toward the Northern Courtyard, and said, “The mission is simple: take his life! Root and branch!”

Swish, swish, swish!

Countless eyes followed Quan Yu’s finger, converging on Yun Que.

At this moment, Yun Que was the focus of the entire gathering.

Quan Yu sneered, “Brat, let’s see how you’ll marry my true disciple this time!”

An old saying echoed in Yun Que’s mind:

“The green bamboo snake’s mouth, the yellow hornet’s sting—both are deadly, but the most poisonous of all is a woman’s heart.”

The Sword Candidate competition had just begun, and Yun Que was already in grave danger, beset by enemies on all sides, surrounded and isolated.