Chapter 144: Past Events of Great Wu

Seeing that Gu Ning’an had agreed, the traveling merchant said no more.

Earlier, he had been so anxious because he was afraid Han Yong would “mess up” and miss the opportunity to find his brother.

Although Gu Ning’an hadn’t performed the divination yet, at least he was still here and had told Han Yong to take his time deciding.

This meant that within this limited timeframe, Han Yong still had a chance.

Who knows how long this guy will take to decide? Just try to keep Mr. Gu here a little longer… The traveling merchant thought as he smiled and changed the subject.

“Mr. Gu, earlier, Hero Jiang told us there was a sea demon in those waves. Is that true?”

“It’s true… Did he tell you even that?”

“He did, he did… At first, we didn’t believe it. But later, when we heard that beast-like roar, we started to believe it more.”

“Ah… speaking of which, Hero Jiang’s story is truly a tragic one.” The traveling merchant sighed deeply and continued, “Mr. Gu, would you like to hear his tale?”

Gu Ning’an nodded. “Please, enlighten me.”

Seeing Gu Ning’an’s interest, the traveling merchant began to recount what he knew.

The one-armed swordsman’s name was Jiang Wanzhou, a disciple of the “Blade-Nurturing Sect” from the Great Wu dynasty.

This sect always consisted of only two people—a master and an apprentice. Hero Jiang’s master was Qiu Lianyi, who was not only his mentor but also his lover.

More than thirty years ago, the coastal Beihai County of the Great Wu dynasty was struck by a calamity: a vicious flood dragon unleashed a massive tidal wave.

It was said the wave stretched endlessly across the horizon, long and wide beyond measure!

If it reached the county city, it would have caused countless casualties among the citizens.

In this moment of crisis, Qiu Lianyi, the Blade-Nurturing Sect’s master, stepped forward, wielding a treasured blade that had been nurtured since her childhood. She fought her life on the line to slay the flood dragon, saving the city’s residents.

However, the unfortunate consequence was that Qiu Lianyi lost the unique “blade-nurturing” ability of her sect in the process.

The year after the flood dragon incident, the old emperor of Great Wu suddenly issued a decree. He claimed that the many demons and spirits rampant in Great Wu were caused by the excessive number of blade practitioners in the realm.

He argued that the sharp aura of blades bred evil and chaos, leading to the rise of these creatures.

Thus, the old emperor decreed that all blade practitioners in the Great Wu dynasty were to be arrested and executed! And the first to face this persecution was the famed Blade-Nurturing Sect.

As if it had all been premeditated, the day after the decree was issued, the sect’s master, Qiu Lianyi, and her apprentice, Jiang Wanzhou, were arrested.

At the time, Jiang Wanzhou had just begun learning the sect’s secret techniques, and Qiu Lianyi had already lost her former strength due to the battle with the flood dragon.

The two once-powerful blade masters stood no chance against Great Wu’s “sudden strike”!

After capturing the two, the emperor scheduled their public execution three days later.

“According to rumors, the reason the emperor ordered the purge of blade practitioners was that after Qiu Lianyi killed the flood dragon, the old emperor dreamt repeatedly of a blade wielder cutting off his head!”

“Haunted by these nightmares night after night, he feared they might one day come true.”

“So he fabricated a baseless accusation against the blade practitioners of Great Wu and launched a campaign to exterminate them…”

“To me, that dog of an emperor simply couldn’t tolerate the existence of a terrifying group like the Blade-Nurturing Sect in the martial world… After all, if they could slay a flood dragon that stirred waves reaching the heavens, why couldn’t they take down a so-called ‘True Dragon’ like him?”

The traveling merchant couldn’t help but spit in disgust. “What a damnable Great Wu emperor…”

Gu Ning’an responded, “Continue. What happened after that?”

“Well, this is how it went…”

After the news of the capture and impending execution of the Blade-Nurturing Sect’s members spread, it caused a considerable uproar throughout Great Wu.

A group of blade-practioners, along with young men from Beihai County, banded together to plan a rescue for the two from the Blade-Nurturing Sect.

At the execution grounds in Great Wu’s capital, the old emperor personally ascended the platform and began an inciteful speech. He vilified the two from the Blade-Nurturing Sect, portraying them as heinous criminals.

He claimed that the rampant monsters, widespread famine, and general chaos across Great Wu were entirely their fault.

The emperor further promised that with their deaths, Great Wu would gradually prosper.

Unlike Great Qian, the commoners in Great Wu lived harsh lives and remained in ignorance. In the capital, under the so-called “emperor’s domain,” the old emperor’s speech easily convinced the masses who had gathered to watch the execution.

The crowd below the execution platform roared with curses directed at the two.

They genuinely believed that their suffering and misery were caused by these two young people, whose combined ages didn’t even reach fifty.

On the platform, Jiang Wanzhou and Qiu Lianyi repeatedly pleaded with the old emperor, each begging for the other’s life.

The emperor, ever cruel, took a branding iron engraved with the word prisoner and a sharp knife.

He ordered his men to unbind Jiang Wanzhou and gave him a cruel choice:
He was to brand the word “prisoner” onto his own forehead and sever his right arm himself.

The emperor deceitfully promised that if Jiang Wanzhou complied, he might consider sparing Qiu Lianyi.

With no other choice, Jiang Wanzhou hesitated not even for a moment.

He burned the word “prisoner” onto his forehead and resolutely severed his own sword-wielding arm.

After completing these acts, Jiang Wanzhou gritted his teeth and silently endured the pain before turning his gaze to the emperor.

The latter, with a mocking expression, waved his hand casually, ordering the guards to restrain Jiang Wanzhou again.

Then, the emperor personally approached Qiu Lianyi, cut open her robes with a blade, dragged her to the edge of the execution platform, and beheaded her with his own hands.

Later, when the group of swordsmen and young men from Beihai County arrived too late, they were met with the harrowing sight of the gruesome execution.

Enraged, they charged at the platform recklessly, freeing Jiang Wanzhou and escaping the capital with him.

The emperor, livid at the audacity of rescuing an executionee in front of him, dispatched an army to hunt them down.

Of the 513 righteous men who came to rescue the Blade-Nurturing Sect, most perished in the capital, while the rest all died escorting Jiang Wanzhou to Great Qian.

“Mr. Gu, you might find this hard to believe, but when I was just 15 or 16 years old, I had already started traveling as a merchant.

“I initially planned to visit Da Wu to bring back some rare goods for trade.

“But as fate would have it, as soon as I entered Da Wu, I encountered the few remaining righteous men along with Jiang Wanzhou.

“They were drenched in blood… They begged me to hide Jiang Wanzhou in a large wooden barrel and deliver him to Great Qian.

“I was so terrified at the sight of those blood-soaked men that I nearly wet myself. I wanted to abandon my donkey cart and flee.

“But… looking into the unyielding eyes of those righteous men, I don’t know what came over me. Against all reason, I agreed…”