Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 33: The Temporary Squad

No sooner had he finished praising Yun Que than he was struck by an inexplicable surge of murderous intent.

“It looks like the vines are about to attack again,” Yun Que said, successfully diverting the topic. He drew out both the Thunder-Sealing Sword and the poisonous gray dagger one after the other.

“A thunderstorm combined with poison—maybe that can force the vines back for a while, giving us a chance to escape.” He explained the unique properties of both flying swords.

This time, he didn’t intend to borrow the sword spirit’s power. Instead, he planned to detonate the Thunder-Sealing Sword directly, unleashing the full might of the thunder sealed within. As for the venomous dagger, he had no intention of keeping it either—it would go up in the explosion alongside the Thunder-Sealing Sword. Poison with thunder: it was the only way Yun Que could think of.

“Do all we can, and leave the rest to fate,” Mu Qingyao said, accepting the dagger. Though she agreed with Yun Que’s plan, there was little conviction in her voice. Even if the two magic weapons detonated at full power, there was no guarantee they could withstand the assault of the vines.

“Vines are of the wood element, so fire would be best…” Yun Que lamented. Apart from a firestarter, he had nothing on him that could produce flames. Mu Qingyao might have had something before, but now her storage pouch was shattered and she had not even a scrap of clothing to her name, let alone anything for a fire attack.

Storage pouch!

Suddenly inspired, Yun Que fished out a second storage pouch from behind him. It had belonged to Xuan Wenyan, kept as a spoil of battle and not yet examined. He opened it and searched through its contents. To his surprise, he found a palm-sized talisman, warm to the touch, as if fire danced across its surface.

“A fire spirit talisman!” Mu Qingyao immediately recognized what Yun Que held and exclaimed in delight, “With that talisman, we might really have a chance to escape!”

Thunder, poison, and now flames. With all three, Mu Qingyao finally felt a surge of hope as they faced the encroaching vines.

Each had their task: Yun Que would unleash the thunder within the Thunder-Sealing Sword, while Mu Qingyao would detonate the poisonous dagger and activate the fire spirit talisman.

They had barely finished preparations when the petal-like sword body began to contract inward once more—the vines outside were launching their attack!

They exchanged a single glance; nothing more needed to be said. Each could see the other’s resolve.

Without hesitation, Mu Qingyao opened the top of the Flower Spirit Sword, and the two figures leapt out in unison.

“Thunderstrike!”

“Talisman burst!”

Amid the dense web of vines, a piercing thunderclap resounded.

Thunder boomed!

The constricting vines suddenly swelled, and dazzling bolts of lightning shot from their seams. Fire flared up alongside the rolling thunder! Thunder and fire mingled, creating a terrifying space awash in blue and crimson.

The vines overhead and all around were utterly destroyed—some snapped, some charred, some withered instantly to a deathly shade of blue-black from the poison.

Though the poison itself was invisible, the curling, withered vines bore witness to its deadly potency.

The twin swords’ explosion, combined with the fire spirit talisman’s eruption, not only severed the vines but halted their advance.

The two succeeded in escaping White Bone Mountain.

Before they even landed, Mu Qingyao stepped onto the Flower Spirit Sword, Yun Que following close behind, standing on the sword-shaped artifact.

“Hold on tight!” Mu Qingyao called as she performed the sword incantation, and the Flower Spirit Sword shot through the air.

Yun Que did more than hold on—he wrapped his arms around Mu Qingyao’s slender waist. In a moment of life and death, who cared for propriety? Besides, the one he held was his betrothed.

During the flight, Yun Que glanced back. Behind the sea of thunder and fire, countless emerald vines once again stretched outward, endless and inexhaustible.

Inside the mountain, the explosion of the swords and talisman had caused a collapse; massive boulders came crashing down.

The Flower Spirit Sword darted through the cavern like a nimble fish, weaving deftly between falling stones at breakneck speed.

Soon, the exit was in sight.

Just as the flying sword carrying both of them shot out of the cave, a thunderous crash sounded behind. A giant boulder sealed off the tunnel.

That was close!

Mu Qingyao lifted her head, gazing at the faint sunlight filtering through the thick mist, her heart filled with the sensation of having survived a great ordeal.

It was good to be alive.

She wanted to smile, but years of cold detachment had long since made her forget how to curve her lips. She had barely smiled her entire life.

Outside the cave, a few canine demon beasts, startled by the falling rocks and sword aura, turned tail and fled.

Meanwhile, Wu Dachuan and the others, who had just been facing off with the demon beasts, stared at the two atop the flying sword, dumbfounded.

Before their eyes, Mu Qingyao, dressed in men’s clothing, stood valiantly atop the flying sword, floating in midair like an ethereal immortal. Behind her, Yun Que—clad only in tattered under-armor and loose shorts, covered in dirt, his arms still around her waist.

Was this a hero rescuing a maiden?

Wu Dachuan and his companions all found themselves wondering—shouldn’t their roles be reversed?

Mu Qingyao was momentarily stunned, then a blush flashed across her fair face as she hurriedly wriggled free from his encircling arms.

The two leapt down from the flying sword, and, seeing that the vines had ceased their pursuit, finally relaxed.

Wu Dachuan and the others snapped out of their shock and rushed forward with questions.

Yun Que gave a brief explanation, saying only that the two of them had combined their efforts and expended many flying swords before finally escaping.

Wu Dachuan and the others were both envious and jealous. To fight side by side with the foremost sword prodigy of the Southern Academy—just the thought was enough to set their hearts racing!

Luo Xiaoyu, however, showed no envy at all. She kept glancing back and forth between Mu Qingyao’s borrowed trousers and Yun Que’s baggy shorts, her gaze suspicious, making Mu Qingyao deeply uneasy.

“Mist Mountain is far more dangerous than we thought. We’d best head back immediately!” Wu Dachuan suggested. Even if they’d gained little, at least everyone was unharmed.

Except for Luo Xiaoyu, the other three disciples nodded vigorously, wishing they had wings to fly away on the spot.

The demon beasts hiding in the mist, the bones within the mountain, and those bizarre, terrifying vines—this trip to Mist Mountain had been like a nightmare, one they’d never willingly repeat.

“I…I still want to see what’s further up the mountain,” Luo Xiaoyu said, raising her hand half-heartedly, her voice lacking confidence.

Wu Dachuan was about to scold this reckless junior, but then remembered she was immune to the vines, so he opened his mouth, then fell silent, awkwardly saying nothing.

Mu Qingyao sheathed the Flower Spirit Sword, said nothing, and turned toward the mountain, making her intentions clear with her actions.

She was going back to save people.

She could not abandon her fellow disciples and escape alone.

“I’ll go with you up the mountain. Zhou Yuanliang is my friend—at the very least, I can retrieve his body,” Yun Que said.

Mu Qingyao glanced back at him, her gaze complicated as she nodded. Whether she was moved by his sense of honor or silently lamenting the way the Marquis of Hanshui and the First Scion seemed to share the same temperament, no one could say.

Yun Que turned to Wu Dachuan and the others, saying,

“Once you’re back, notify the elders of each academy at once. Tell them many disciples are trapped on Mist Mountain, their fates uncertain, and urge Sword Palace to send experts to the rescue immediately.”

Given the current situation, mere disciples were unlikely to cope—only the elders could hope to intervene.

The group nodded at once, looking to Yun Que for guidance.

“Rest assured, Brother Yun! We’ll report back at once. Time is of the essence—we’ll leave immediately. You be careful!” Wu Dachuan turned to leave, but Yun Que called him back.

“The three of them can go back. You stay.”

Wu Dachuan’s face fell. “Brother Yun, it’s not that I’m a coward, but with my skills, going up the mountain is just asking for death!”

Yun Que pointed at the precious little dog he cradled in his arms.

“To recover the bodies, we’ll need to find them first. Let your Wangcai lend a hand.”

Wu Dachuan had no choice but to agree, feeling as if he’d just swallowed a dozen bitter gourds.

Thus, with Luo Xiaoyu volunteering, Wu Dachuan reluctantly drafted, and Mu Qingyao and Yun Que leading, a unique little party of four set off to climb the mountain once more.