"I smiled, because the greatest knife user back then was the old man.
"Then he asked me why I was so relaxed. I told him I was left-handed and the old man's knife attack style was ill-suited to me.
"My silly apprentice brother was surprised to hear that answer. He told me he would be the greatest knife user and try his best to protect me.
"There was a routine in that period. People didn't use the power of their states in fights. They only fought with the purest martial arts techniques. The old man had challengers every day, since many people wanted to get the title of Knife Saint."
"The old man had a bad temper, but his knife skill was really great. All of his challengers died under his knife.
"Year after year, one day, the old man finally met the most powerful rival in his life. Guess who that was?"
Jiang Chen was intrigued by the story. He replied without thinking, "Your apprentice brother."
"Smart people don't have any fun."
Su Xiuyi smiled bitterly. He finished the liquor. His tone changed a little.
"My silly apprentice brother had spent years practicing with knives, but he had never spoken to the old man. Neither did he speak to him in the fight, from the beginning to the end. The old man died, and he didn't speak either.
"The old man was killed by my apprentice brother. He gave him his knife while he was dying.
"There was no grudge. Life or death, it was only the greatest knife user's destiny.
"The old man was willing to die under my apprentice brother's knife to help him accomplish his greatest knife attack.
"But outsiders laughed at the old man, saying that one of his two apprentices was a loser and the other had killed him. The Knife Saint was nothing after he died.
"Then I had to separate from my silly apprentice brother.
"He travelled around and earned himself fame. I, the eldest apprentice of the Knife Saint, went back home to live the easy life that I'd dreamt about.
"He became the young Knife Saint in only a few years. He defeated almost all of the martial arts technique masters in the Fire Field, but of course, he offended many people too.
"But fortunately, people thought we hated each other, so it didn't get me into trouble. Many people even expected me to kill him for them, but they stopped when they saw my left-handed knife skills.
"No one knew my silly apprentice brother would come to me and talk every time he won.
"Normally, he was the one who was talking. He told me which powerful enemy he had defeated, what flaws his knife work had, and what our master would have done.
"The last time we met, he told me he was going to have a fight with the eldest disciple of the Breeze Villa. I thought it was just a normal fight; he would win as usual and complain to me how terrible his rival was.
"I didn't expect that meeting to be our last.
"My silly apprentice brother won, and it was easy. But the Breeze Villa couldn't afford the loss.
"They teamed up with the Palace of the Empress's Brother to report to the emperor of the Xia Dynasty that my silly apprentice brother's knife had once belonged to the Knife Saint and was the best knife in the Fire Field, so that the emperor would want to see it with his own eyes.
"That's what was silly about him. If the old man were him, he would have given them the knife and asked them for lots of money.
"But my apprentice brother was too silly. He refused to give them the knife, since this was his master's knife. He killed all of the soldiers who had come after the knife.
"What was next was a siege, chase, and kill.
"Over and over again, in the end, thousand of arrows shot at him and he was shot in the heart. The emperor got the knife. What was absurd about it was that the emperor only glanced at it before putting it aside.
"Yet it cost my silly apprentice brother his life."
Su Xiuyi opened another jar of liquor. His face was very redas he spoke emotionally.
"I stole my master's knife back. Holding it in my right hand, I eliminated the Breeze Villa first and the Palace of the Empress's Brother next!"
He stood up, put his palms on the table and said, "And I'm going to attack the Hall of Golden Throne to behead that bullsh*t emperor!"
Even the wind and clouds changed their colors for what he had said.
Jiang Chen looked emotionless. He said after a good while, "No one else knows the story?"
"No. People think I'm as left-handed as you. My silly apprentice brother killed my master. When he died, they even gave his dead body to me with good intentions.
"Jiang Chen, let me ask you one thing. If the emperor asks to see your sword, what would you do?!" Su Xiuyi looked towards him suddenly.
Without waiting for his answer, Su Xiuyi said again, "Wasn't he silly? My silly apprentice brother…"
"No. I admire him. Not just anyone has that courage," Jiang Chen said.
"Like the way you killed the Third Prince in front of so many people," Su Xiuyi said.
"That wasn't courage. I had the Venerable of the Sacred Institute to support me, but your apprentice brother, that was courage," Jiang Chen said.
"Now, you understand why."
"Yes."
Jiang Chen nodded. Su Xiuyi had told him those things that day because he had killed the Third Prince.
"I can't count on the Natural Law School. Once the Board of Elders knows about my intentions, they will dismiss me from the school leader's post."
"What should we do?" Jiang Chen asked.
"I started a new force in the Dragon Field. It's been about ten years now. It should have grown stronger."
"Yeah?"
"Take it over when you go to the Dragon Field. When you come back here, attack the Black Dragon City as the first move to shaking the Xia Dynasty."
He had made it quite clear.
It was time for Jiang Chen to air his opinion.
Jiang Chen said without thinking, "Leader, you've made it quite clear. I don't have another option. Without your help, the Xia Dynasty will stop me from rescuing my father. Regarding this matter, I'll kill whoever stops me."
"Great!"
Su Xiuyi gave him the knife on the table and said, "This used to be the old man's knife. I melted it down and recast it. When the groups in the Dragon Field see this knife, they'll know you're representing me."
"Leader, do you mean you want me to call on them with this knife?" Jiang Chen asked.
"It's not that simple. The group I started is loyal to the knife instead of a person. I authorized someone to take charge of it when I left, but I've found he has the intention to replace me. If you go there directly with the knife, you'll be killed."
Jiang Chen was stunned. That was beyond his expectations.
"This is your challenge. It's impossible to take over any great group without any effort. I'll teach you a knife method. In this way, you'll become my apprentice brother."
While Jiang Chen was still surprised at the change in their relationship, Su Xiuyi said again, "Hopefully you won't end up the same as my other apprentice brother."
"…" Jiang Chen didn't know what to say. He kept his silence for a while and cursed in the end.
"Haha."
Su Xiuyi wasn't angry. He burst into laughter instead.
Jiang Chen took the knife, called Black Moon, and spent the whole night studying the Ultimate Knife Method.
"If you can practice through the knife method until the last movement, you'll be able to lead my sect with this knife," Su Xiuyi said.
"Oh?"
Jiang Chen felt curious. No matter how high his martial arts technique level was, he would be still restricted by his state. He would probably still be in the Mental Wander State, even if he had mastered the last movement. How would he be able to lead anyone?
But he didn't reveal his doubts to Su Xiuyi. He believed he would find the answer in the knife method.
"Go ahead. The Dragon Field will be perfect for a young man your age, but I have one more thing to tell you." Su Xiuyi kept his voice low. He looked serious. It seemed like something important.
"Ning Haotian achieved the Reaching Heaven State by practicing the Vast Universe. The inheritance he received this time is worth your attention. It isn't from someone insignificant.
"He got the Black Tortoise Genuine Technique from the inheritance. It's a mix of a secret methods and martial arts techniques. Along with the Vast Universe, as long as he can master it, he'll have a great chance of making it onto the Master List.
"If you're still not a match for Ning Haotian by then, he'll do something to the Redcloud Peak and the Southwind Ridge."
"Understood." Jiang Chen wasn't surprised.
Of course, Ning Haotian wouldn't wait until all of his nine holy pulses had recovered and he had achieved the same state.
He had been waiting because he wanted to enhance his strength to a level too high for others to stop him, or to be more precise, to a level high enough for him to walk away easily.
Once he was on the Master List, he would be able to do whatever he wanted.
"The resentment between you two will probably be sorted out when you come back here," Su Xiuyi said.